Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-28
J JAPANESE HON E s
APPLICABILITY AT THE EXPENSE
OF HAPPINESS.
The Husbands Will Said to Be the
Dominating Infuence-Wom-
ans Sphere.

From the COngregatfOnaltSt.
In most civilized countries today the
wishes of the husband are the handspring
of the wifes action. but in Japan 1t is the
husbands will. Woman is a FOOL said
a Japanese gentleman once in my hearing,
and I proved myself no exception to the
generalization, for I listened to him. But"
he continued. IF she will obey her husband
people won't laugh at her. Japanese wo-
men are much better than European wo-
men, though. The western women rule
everything; they think they are great gods.
Their husbands are very unwise and COW
ardly to let them behave in such proud
style. The European wife, instead of wait
ing on her husband, makes him get every
thing for her!" The whole was uttered IN
a tone that implied disgusting and pre-
poSterouS!
l have quoted this statement because it
was one which might have been made by
any score of husbands and fathers IN
Toxic. Now and then one finds man OF
far more liberal opinions, but we must
take the average when we speak of Ma
tionality. The average mans opinion OF
woman is that she is greatly his inferior.
On this cornerstone he rears the institu-
ton of the family. The little son, long
before he has learned to tell the truth and
to curb his temper, knows his mothers
place, for, strange as 1t may seem, each
mother Is careful that the grand old doc
trine Of man shall be faithfully preserved.
In it's obliviousness to the power of well
developed womanhood, Japan is far be-
hind the other Christian nations and far
behind her own ideals.
The Wife Tolls.
It is not that the Japanese married wo-
man has to toll and moil necessarily for
the household. She is provided with one
servant always unless the family be a
poor one, and often with many. Her bust
ness, as in our own homes in that respect.
is that of overseer She has leisure, in
which, she occupies herself much as any
woman in our own land might II she had
only moderate education and rather mar
row interests. The Japanese wife has more
actual freedom than any other wife in the
east. The Turkish women are captives in
comparison. The Japanese are proud to
admit this, but they jealousy guard the
conservatism they deem necessary.
The husband in Japan admires his wife
when she is obedient above all things He
has complete authority over her, which he
often abuses by alternate fits Of cruelty and
Indulgence.
Said a student to me once. speaking of
gentleman who had married geisha: Mr..
Otsuka loves his wife all the time. 1t is a
very curious thing"
why was 1t a GURUS thing? Because love
Is the highest expression Of the individuali-
ty and the japanese strive increasingly to
suppress Individuality By this they may
gain certain benefits not SO we'll known to
the western world, but 1t is undeniable that
strong family affection based on a sound
respect for the individual Is and must be
wanting to a large degree. 1t is right here
that the west and the east cannot and do
not care to understand each other.
Courtesy to Guests.
A guest in a Japanese home Is made to
feel that all creation enasts for hts benefit.
and II he be in receptive mood he finds
it decidedly agreeable. No member Of the
family mars the Illusion by trying to I'M
press upon him his peculiar tastes or do
tngs. II IL ~ II ali had infinite leisure to
minister solely to his pleasure. II the
@Japanese could only realize how one pines
for something significant. some expression
which we do not afterward d1scover to be
strictly classical, some petulant defiance
even Of their everlasting precedent!.
Guests come and go. but the ceremonious
,perfornaance of the sacrifice of humble, Ia
dtyidsnIt4y ever 9Qeason, and the most sue
scsa1euA bsoAnjs - ssnnst- pranticed. actor