The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-11
PHASES OF JAPANESE LIFE.
VERY INTERESTING LETTER BY
 4 JAPANESE GIRL,

Who Is In One of the Mission Boards
 ing Schools in Nagssakt-DetaiIs of
 Life in the Empire.
 The following very interesting and instructive letter was written by Jap anese girl in Nagasaki to Mrs. c. E.. Thompson, of this city, who is the sec retary of the Woman's Foreign Mis- sionary society:
 So much having been told to our sis ters and brothers who live on the other side of the hemisphere of the fair lit- tie islond empire and of it's people. it seems almost too bold for one who is most incompetent even to make an at tempt to tell anything more that might interest you, but happy shall I be if perehance you could see a bit more of the life Of the Japanese people.
 JAPANESE HOUSES.
 The first things that will probably draw your attention are the peculiar costumes of men and women and the way our houses are built. Trusting you have most os you seen the Japa- nese Kemono. or at least picture of it, will try here to describe our living houses. Ordinarily they are high frame work with matched, tiled and shingled roofs respectively, and very seldom built higher than three stories. Doors and windows are quite different from those seen in the Occident-seini- transparent paper sliding doors, called shogi, are placed outside and slowed away during the day time. To divide one room from another opaque paper sliding doors are used, which can easily be removed in case larger rooms are wanted.
 People sit on the floor for eating, working and studying. The Japanese floor is however, not at all like that of America or any other country. It is covered with mats thickened about three inches with soft rice straw and covered with smooth mattings which are changed almost every year. The kitchen and passage are not matter but have a wooden floor, which is kept neat and polished. The guest room usually has a recess where are hung scrolls (Kapemono) either painted or written by we'll known artists or men of high renown, and great merit, and a vase or two of flowers are placed there.
 To those who are accustomed to dec crate their rooms beautifully, a room without furniture and ornaments may yook very bare, and even strange. Not a1few there are who spend many hun- dred thousand dollars in making collec- tions of the famous art productions, both old and new. but however many they may possess, only a few of them are brought out to decorate their, rooms, Pretty soft cushions are pro vided, in each house. and guests are asked to sit on them. Dining tables are gradually coming into use, yet in the families where old ways are liked, each member is served on a little lac quer tray. The skillful use of chop sticks is often the subpect of wonder among the western people.
 MARRIAGE.
 The marriage in this country till presents marked difference from that of the west. Religion has nothing to do with the affair. The match is usually made by a middle mana match-mak CT, whose duty it is to find out all the bad and good points of the couple and tell the parents about them. He tries all in his power to promote the happi- ness of the two. Then when the pa rents are satisfied with the report of the middle man the young people are allowed to see each other on the day set orth before hand, either at the middle mans house or some other place Occasionally picnics are availed for the purposes After this interview, there being no objection with either party present, called yuino, consisting of clothes, a certain kind of fish and edible seaWeed are exchanged. Among the middle and lower classes money of- ten takes the place of the above and this stands for the token of betrothal.
 The engagement is usually not very long in this country, though there are a few exceptions. If the parents of g. girl are very old fashioned, they never allow the daughter to remain alone with the boy, even for a moment, until they are married. Some parents, how ever, are most willing to give their children. just as much freedom as in other countries.
 When the day appointed for the we'd ding arrives, the bride. dressed in all white--color of mourning with us thereby signifyingE her death to her own family, is taken to the groom's house by the middle man and his wife. The peculiarity of the Japanese wedding is in the exchange of wine cups. Both bride and groom drink, or rather lift up the cups of different size, with much ceremony. None but the middle man and his wife and little boy and girl who help in serving the cups are al- lowed to witness.
 This being over, if the groom has pa rents, the cups are exchanged this time
 WOULD YOU