The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-04

and China than between the
men of these two countries.
and this difference expresses
exactly the relative progress
attained by the two nations on the up
grade of modern civilization
In many situations I have seen the
little brown women and girls of Japan.
on the shores of their own land, only
half clad, lifting with their tiny hands
great baskets of coal to be stored in a
ships hold, kept up to their work by q
taskmaster wearing even fewer clothes;
again, in faraway Manila have seen
restaurant mattresses. in their cool. blue
and white big Powered kimonos. draw
ing crowds of Americans to the place by
their quaint prettinesS; once more 1
have seen them, this time in Paris,
driving on the Bots. wearing costly
ivory white French gowns and violet
hats of the latest artistic creation.
little Chinese page curled up in his YET
low robes at their feet, once more at
tracing many eyes, have seen them.
too, in fashionable western high life.
receiving callers and accepting intro
auctions with perfect grace and with
as much dignity as their tiny bodies
would hold-as much dignity as If they
had been six feet high.
Yet, again, I have known japanese
women in business. one keeping a tiny
cigar shop in her own home, and, as al
ways. charming customers to her with
her sweet temper and sprightliness; an
other the manager of daily Japanese
newspaper, "hustling' out and gather
ing in advertisements from merchants
white yellow and brown and achieving
as great success with her small paper
as any white American man could have
done Last of ALL think of it with
sadness-I have seen young japanese
women, semicaptives, tricked out in
brilliant raiment, degraded soul and
body in Pacific coast cities of the Unit
ed States.
Yet one and all, wherever you are.
artist or writer who knows you and
seeks to paint you with brush or pen
approaches you with gentle, loving
touch o little pale brown women of
Japant You know not western conven-
tionaIities, but you are all the sweeter
and brighter for your ignorance of some
of them; SO we forgive you and love you
just the same. You have not the faint
est notion that there is immodesty in
traversing the streets without stock
ings, nor is there for you, bless your
tiny toesi If a handsome young man,
especially a white man, so takes your
maiden fancy that you fall heartbreak-
ingIy in love with him, you see no reason
why you should not at once propose to
him and ask him to marry you; nor,
again, is there any reason, any reason
at all, why you should not, bless you!
At Manila one of the customers of the
Japanese restaurant was good looking
young American. He had not lived long
enough in that region to become entire
" case hardened, so preserved some of
the manly bashfulness which he took
with him from his native-Chicago, let
rs saw The youngest and prettiest, the
most Innocent of the Japanese waitress
- ~r~+- nod -. h
peacock feathers. rested her sparkling.
narrow slitted black eyes upon him, and
if stirred commotion in her gentle
breast. She loved at once, apparently
for the first time in her life-loved the
young American. She gave him to know
it daily when she brought the tea and
melon or whisked about with the lace
like blue and pink paper serviettes.
She discovered that the youth she
loved was going to leave her, was about
to sail away south to far Sulu, among
the Moros and Mohammedan savages-
There was no time to be lost Choosing
ar. occasion when he was not beset by
cruel. guyfng comrades. she made
known in tender accents, tears trem-
bling upon her dark lashes, the state Of
her affections. Making no bones of the
matter. she begged to be allowed to be-
come his wife forthwith
You are going far away" she muir
INJURED IN the most FASCINATING. Jumping
English. Take me with you as your
wife. 1 will obey you in everything. I
will keep your house and care for you
in all ways; only let me go with you If
you don't, I shall never see you again.
will never be in your way, never give
you trouble. Only take mel"
She looked like a jeweled bullfinch in
distress as she made her childish petit
ton, so ridiculous. yet touching withaI.
that the young Chicagoan-or was it a
Observation-Disclosures mot whether to