The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-02-09

young men are students Oh law, literature
and political science. Mr.. Hatoyama's
mission to this country is to deliver a Sc
ries of lectures upon Japanese law before
the Yale Law School.
Just Like Club Woman.
1t was in her room at the Waldorf
Astoria that | found Nine. Hatoyama
few hours after her arrival from WASH
ington. Like all good club women, she
is usually to be found at her desk, and
this occasion was no exception.
II am just making out report to one
of my clubs at home" she remarked,
looking up from blotting pad and paper
There is so much to report you know;
so many things of interest to tell my stay
at home sisters that dare not trust to
memory, so | make out my reports daily"
Nine. Hatoyama wore g. soft. gray Jap
anese robe, a sombre, richly embroidered
ibo folded about her little waist She
looked like child playing "grown-up'
with mothers gown-barelys five feet tall
with tiny, long fingered hands. on which
shown several shimmering jewels, and
with little white slippered feet that peeped
in and out as she moved about the room.
Yes, yes" she said softly, we have
new women in Japan. With new Japan
came the new women. We had our be-
ginning about twenty years ago-such a
little beginning-just handful OF women
to develop our minds and bodies as had
our brothers And now. why, you will
hardly believe 1t, we have tens and tens
of thousands Of what you call new wo-
men, and we have all manner of socie-
ties or what you would call clubs
Women's Societies by the Score.
Madame Hatoyama's slanting dark eyes
talked
I'VE have now. oh, so many societies."
she want IN Inf MI on An
gers what they are: but haven't fingers
enough. I'm afraid. There is first the
Japan Society for the culture of Women,
and there is the Women's Society for Pro-
noting Health the Womans Educational
Society, the Woman's Society for Help
ing Destitute Sick Children, the Women's
Temperance Association, the Woman's
Information Bureau, the Woman's Sym
pathy Society, the Women's Union, the
Womens Association, the Ladies' AS
ISOLATION for Training Red Cross Nurses,
the Women's Physical Culture Society,
the Society for Improving Japanese Dress
and the Uriu Association"
The little woman was quite out of
breath when she had named over this
roster of clubs all of which claim her as
a member and leader and a number OF
which she herself organized.
Probably the most interesting of all the
new women movements of Japan is the
Japan Society for the Culture OF Wo-
men, which Is based pretty much on the
same principal as our own Chautauqua
Society.
1T was organized about six years ago."
said Nine. Hatoyama. land now 1t boasts
a membership of something over ten
thousand women, mostly residents of
provincial towns and villages scattered
throughout the length and breadth of
the kingdom. 1t is designed to help those
women and girls of small means who are
anxious for a liberal education, but have
not the means or the time to pursue
courses of study in our normal schools
and universities
"A society of this kind was boon to
such women. We employed the best au-
thorities on literature, drama, art, sci
ence and mathematics to get us up spe-
cial courses in these respective branches,
and these courses we issue In the form of
magazine and periodical literature
membership fee of what would amount
to Is cents per month in your money was
charged. and five years made the length
of the tuition.
Japanese Femlnlnity Revclutionized.
ut has worked wonders for the women
of Japan. 1t has aroused an appetite for
knowledge among a class of women who
have been hitherto content with the mer-
est rudiments of knowledge. women whose
SpHtIG lTOIH TIME lHltnefnOr1al mad been
confined strictly to the arts of house
keeping and homemaking. with little or
no insight into the rich legacies of poe
try and drama with which our country
fairly teens
And what do Japanese club women
like to study best?' 1 inquired.
"Oh, poetry and drama" came the
quick. enthusiastic response IAN jap
anese women are more or less poets you
know. They write poetry as easily as
they write letters. They cannot help it.
1t is not very high order of verse, to
be sure. but 1t goes to show the poetic
temperament with which our women as
a nation are gifted. A Japanese woman
rarely writes a letter that she does not
drop into original verse before signing
her name"
You are a very sentimental class of
women. then" 1 ventured.
At mention Of the word Sentimental"
Nine. Hatoyama looked extremely en-
barrassed and soft blush crept over her
olive cheek. .-...---.
No Holding Hands In Japan.
"Oh, no. no, no." she stammered you
me; that is-if you mean,
if-if-you mean we write poetry much
about the affections. japanese women
rarely, very rarely. speak of love. We
are supposed to despise 1t. We are not