The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-30
WHERE BABIES DON'T CRY
GREAT CARE Is TAKEN IN THE
REARING OF CHILDREN IN JAPAN.
Mothers Devote Their Lives to the
Clothing and Department Of Lit
tie Ones-Artistic Training.

Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal
BOSTON, Aug. 2S.-A recently returned
traveller from the Orient, a young woman
whose life is devoted to art, has, during her
visit to Japan, formed the idea that we are
actually the barbarians which the Chinese
now, and the japanese once upon a time,
asserted US to be.
This young woman says that half the
charm of Occidental life is lost by our lack
! of manners.
mo one can become cognzant of this,
said she, until they have passed few
weeks in the Mikados empire. To me, upon
my return to America. the children appear
J especially like barbarians. We do not un-
derstand child cult they do there, and
our lives are robbed of half its charm con-
sequently To the average American, chill
dren are more or less of a burden and GER
tainly. under no conditions are they given
that careful study they deserve and which
| falls to their lot in Japan.
1.-THE japanese are truly idealistic. The
| child is the center of the home life and is
positively idolized. From the moment of its
arrival upon the scene its life becomes to
! its parents a subject of the most serious
study. It's clothing must embody one of the
national ideals. One of these ideals is cheer
fulness. which will be manifested in the
cleanliness and brightness of the childs
dress. The symbol seems to affect the tenn
| permanent of the child, for one may go days
| in Japan without hearing a baby cry 10y
! atty and pride. which are such marked
features of the Japanese character, one will
| find embodied in rich, though severe, color
| ing. The tiny baby distinguished by the
dainty quietude of color and style of its XII
mono exhibits the token OF seriousness
which its mother has adopted as it's ideal,
whilst yet another will display the emblems
of patriotism in garments of red and bronze,
relieved by glimpses of white, which show
that purity dominates the ruling passion.
PLANNING THE CHILD'S DRESS.
| The japanese mother would not dream of
| leaving the choice Of her child's clothing
to a common caterer. The advent Of a baby
! is an event of vast Importance in a Japan
csc woman's life. Before it's arrival the
| friends of the mother are invited to meet
ing at which is discussed scheme of deco
ration for the set Of miniature garments
the little one is to wear. In the discussion of
this important matter the subject OF the de-
sign of the child's dresses is very closely
considered. This might be cherry blossom
or apple, or landscape pertaining to the
month in which the new arrival will be
born. Very often the costume is selected to
express the ideas and sentiments of the
mother. Having been finally decided upon,
| the designs are placed i'm the hands of some
| great artist. who executes them in water
colors on silk. When they are ready. friends
of the family again convene to discuss the
execution of the designs. These are, finally,
given to an expert stencil cutter and, after
the finishing touches have been given them
! by the artist, are applied directly to the
silk. In this way Japanese baby often is
arrayed in garments as costly as a perma-
nent picture would be, for in order to have
! the design absolutely unique the stencils
| are often destroyed.
/ Launched thus artistically upon the sea of
| life, the child thenceforth becomes OBJ
| ject of unceasing care to its mother. Every
motion of the infant is watched and inf1u-
enced so that it shall be graceful and nat
ural. 1t is taught to walk with the same
| care that would be bestowed upon a sol
| dier's drill. 1t is shown how to stoop and
to bow gracefully, that while yet in
| FAINT IL possesses an innate grace of car
riage pose and manner. The taste and
pense lavished upon the clothes are supple
mented by lessons in the proper use of them
/ and the smallest children are careful that
| the folds of their kimonos shall not be dis
arranged, even at play.
TAUGHT TO BE POLITE.
An indispensable part of the childs train
| ing is to teach it the correct way to wait
upon others. 1t must know how to render all
kinds of service gracefully. One can scarce
| iy imagine the amount of daintiness and po-
likeness expressed in the service rendered
by Japanese child. 1t is, next to deport-
ment the most important lesson inculcated.
| A child, in fact, be distinguished at
once by a member of the higher classes
through the way in which this service is
| rendered Service in Japan is notably con-
sidered an honor The control of feelings
| exhibited by Japanese child is remark
able 1t is the result of training from the
| earliest moment. crying child is a rarity
! and one would consider it the height Of vul-
| garity to laugh boisterously. Modesty and
reserve are the keynotes of the character
| of the Japanese youth. Particularly are
these qualities inculcated in the japanese
| girl, who is not intended for the Geisha
class She must talk little and listen SYM
/ pathetically. To her the male members of
her family, even though younger than her
| self, are invested with authority. Even the
| baby boy is her master. The woman is in
| ferior, or at least, subservient to the man
in the code of the Orient. and she grace
fully yields the allegiance.
To the American woman this all seems
| so absurd, but it is useless to try to change
them The japanese women insist that their
idea of it is right and will have none of the
| innovations of the West
AS far as manners go, at least, / think
that we might profit enormously by the
training given the child in Japan, and per-
haps the American mother would more near
ly approach the ideal were she to give her
attention to her own offspring rather than TO
her horses and dogs. j. w.
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL.