The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-27

sons If she is left a widow with chill
dTen. And even that is not the worst
of it, for her wifely obedience extends
to her husbands parents and any elder
brothers he may have and any wives
they may have. A Japanese woman is
often married because her mother-in-
law wants some one to wait on herj
in fact, she has no particular prospects
in life until she becomes a mother-in-
law herself-of a sons wife, that is to
say-not of a daughters husband. Ja-
panese mothers-in-law are proverbial-
ly harsh to their daughters-in-law; in
fact, the only capacity in which wo-
man has decent chance of misbehav-
ing herself in Japan is that OF moth
er-in-law.
Divorces in Japan.
And the odd thing is that, except in
the low-down circles, where woman's
labor can be turned to some other ac-
count than that of waiting upon her
mother-in-law, she seldom takes adj
vantage of the desirable terms Of the
Japanese divorce court. Putting aside
the ordinary unsavory reasons for di-
vorce which are in use in any civilized
country and the added oriental prima
facie reason of leprosy, the seven rea-
sons for divorce include a woman's
disobedience to her father-in-law or
mother-in-law, her barrenness, unless
her husband has children by a mis-
tress jealousy; stealing or disturbing
the harmony of kinsmen, and bringing
trouble on her household by talking
over-much and prattling disrespectful-
ly. The reasons for divorce are quoted
for women, because 1t has not occurred
to the Japanese mind that any woman
should voluntarily wish to be deprived
of even a Japanese marriage.
But the low class woman sometimes
loses her sense of shame about this
matter If she has a particularly exas-
perating mother-in- law, or would like
to earn a better husband with her
earnings. Marriage is a simple affair in
Japan. 1t consists chiefly in taking so
many cups of tea-or is 1t sake Pin
a particular way, 1t is not usual for
the woman to receive a dowry from
her father when she goes to her hus-
band or an allowance from her hus-
band when he leaves her.
All this sounds very dreadful, and
thirty-three per cent. of Japanese mar
riages are said to end in divorce, but
the woman generally marries again,
and 1t goes without saying that the
/ man does; and perhaps to marry in
haste and repent at leisure is only an
other instance of the practical wisdom
of the Japanese. If he does not like his
wife, ne does not see why he should
make her his most intimate friend for
life, He cries back, as the Saying is
But there is one eature to be remem-
bered, and that is that this fortuitous
system of marriage might not succeed
so well without the exquisite manners
of the Japanese and the wonderful
goodness and gentleness of the better
half of the population. Not that any
Japanese would understand the term
'better-half' being applied to his wife
even In sarcasm.
What / have said about Japanese wo-
men as regards the upper classes Is
not generally seen by English visitors
to Japan. Except on the rare occasions
when he is admitted into the private
rooms of Japanese upper class house,
hold, the foreigner seldom sees a Jap
anese lady do more than be jlnriksha'd
past his vision in her sober gray or
brown silk. What he sees of Japanese
women first-hand belongs to the serv-
ant and shopkeeping class which
comes very low down in Japan, and
that much Of Japanese womanhood he
may possibly see in most inconvenient
moments, rs. for instance, when he is
having his bath. The Japenese do not
draw the veil between the sexes, and
as consequence can subject decency
to the most astonishing ordeals with
impunity. Douglas Sladen.