Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-12
HARDY JAPANESE BABIES
PUT TO BED AND DRESSED IN A
FRIGID TEMPER nature.
Yet No Fatt@r or Healthier Infants
Can BE Seen the World
Over.



According to our modern scientific ideas
as to the careful treatment of babies those
of Japan would seem to have a hard time,
and yet there are no healthier nor fatter
| looking little mOrtals on the face Of the
earth We insist on liked temperature,
on sterilized milk. and all sorts Of i'm
proved things, while the japanese baby
gets good dose of Nature, and seems to
thrive on 1t. 1t is dressed and undressed
| in a frigld temperature in winter and in
summer its tender little eyes are always
exposed to the full glare of the sun as 1t
Is carried It's mothers back. 1t Is to be
| feared, however that this latter treatment
often does affect the eyes of the children,
| though they get over it later in life.
The japanese a very Clearly race in
| all main particulars, but these do not al
ways embrace the little baby faces. which
are sometim quite smutty. This suits the
| baby all right, in fact. any baby would tell
| you that it was far more humane than that
| compulsory treatment unsolicited soap and
| water! Perhaps this is the reason that the
| japanese babies are said never to cry
| Such statement Is an exaggeration of the
| truth: while they are good-natured above
| the average. they bawl as loudly as
any one wnen occasion demands.
| 1t would be impossible TO md a more
| fascinating sight that Il clean Japanese
| baby in its fresh robes. These are made of
| crepe Of the brightest and gayest design
| and color. In winter the small head is
| covered with a worsted cap of the same
| shades. The bright black eyes look out of
a round face which has the most exquisite
cooring of brown and deep red, and the
| black hair is cut In all sorts of fantastic
| ways just like the hair of the Japanese
! dolls imported into this country. The whole
| family take the deepest pride in the baby,
| and especially the father and mother who
are often fooishly indulgent Some par
ents seem incapable Of denying their chill
| dren anything and many Is the household
| entirely ruled by small tyrant of a girl
| or boy In this way there are often spoiled
| children In Japan.
| The babies D the lower classes are gen.
! orally carrie. z the back of the mother or
| little sister sometimes the small brother
| Is Obliged to be- he nursery maid The
| "kimono'' Is made extra large at the back
| with pocket large enough to slip the baby
| in, and Its round head reaches the back Of
| the neck OF the person who is carrying it,
| 1. Is not an uncommon sight to see chill
| dren who are barely old enough to toddle
| themselves burdened with a small brother
| or sister sleeping peacefully on their backs
| At first you open your eyes in horror and
| expect to see the small one stagger and
\ fall beneaththe weight, but apparently mono
| Of its movements are impeded and it plays
| with the other children as uncOncernedly
| as IL not loaded down with another member
| Of the family.
| At Nagasaki among tho women coalers
| who coal the ship, you see many with ba-
bies on their backs In this way. The
! mothers work all day In the rain. or the
! sun or the snow, and their baby sleeps In
| different to everything. the top Of its head
| alone visible, while the movements of the
| mother do not seem In the least hindered.
| and she accompiishes as much work as the
| men, It seems as il the babies of this
| class were born stotcs.
ANNA tNORTHEND BENJAMIN.