The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-04-29

~ SSlAnS ASI uOHOT, Su6 SUOulu uO IL.
The theme of many a novel and play
in Japan is supplied by the girl of gen.
tie manners and tender heart, that
hates her life and would gladly destroy
It, but refrains because her purchase
money has enabled her father to pay
his debt, and she is bound not to in
jure herself. Such is the heroic spirit
that leads a woman to the brothel, as
1t leads her brother to the battle, to
disease or death in either case; and
both errors must last until ideals OF
purity and peace shall prevail in
Japan and-elsewhere.
Meanwhile the Japanese woman full
dlls righteousness. as known to her,
by the three o~bediences: to father
while a child, to husband while a wife,
and to eldest son while a widow,
though this last is rarely exacted in
any strictness. She makes no prom
Use to love, honor and obey" but does
20 without hesitation, debate or MUIR
muir; because universal opinion holds
her responsible for the success of the
home, just as it does her husband for
success in business. For this eXacting
test she has been sedulouSly trained in
s~elf-control, from infancy onward, and
thus has acquired a practically perfect
temper. To say that she enjoys more
E:eedom and education than any other
Asiatic Oma fails to cover the case;
Tor, whereas those others have very lit
tie, she has very much. During the
last two centuries she has been fairly
educated in private schools and now
shares education with her brother. in
the ratio of one to two, in the public
schools. She was neve confined, as in
Indian ZenanaS, nor had her feet
bound, as in China, but was almost
as free to walk and visit as in our W
land. Social intercourse between men
and women, however, is very slight;
the wife entertaining her lady friends,
but appearing only to serve refresh
ments to her husbands male visitors.
The Japanese maiden of about 16
is expected to marry as a matter Of
course. Though usually allowed her
choice in regard to whether she will
marry a certain man or not, she is eX-
,pectsd to marry some enc, and not to
take too much time in making up her
mind. Simple liberation for the groom
is regarded as a feeling ample to the
requirements of marriage, while affec-
ton is looked for later. The new pair
make their home with the husbands
parents, to whom the wife owes no
less obedience than to her own.
Though divorce be theoretically easy,
practical limits are placed TO it by dis
favors from the wife's relatives; and
concubinage is limited to some five
per cent. of the married men. Though
this condition is better than sometimes
supposed, it is bad enough; and re-
forms are plainly needed where one
marriage in three ends in divorce,
which has become far cOmmOner dur
ing the recent transitional conditions
and in the treaty parts than afore-
and throughout the empire now.
The maternal care for children is ir-
reprOachable, aud her training of them
LII pei 0OAld4s TX NC
many servants or none. Children never
leave the house, nor return to it, with
out going to their mothers room to
make the bows and repeat the phrases
customary upon such occasions. SINH
larly, when the mother leaves, servants
and children escort her to the door,
and, upon her return, welcome her
by crying 20 kaeri' honorable re-
turn. The father has little to do with
the training, but the children are
taught to look to him as head and to
him respect and obedience, and
thus undoubtedly are prepared for OBJ
servance of the laws later on. The
good wife also performs many acts Of
personal attention to her husband, and
even the empress is not exempt from
these. Moreover she makes net only
her own garments and those of her
children, but her husbands as well.
She it is, too, that must manage the
exchange of presents, doubtless more
frequent in Japan than elsewhere on
earth. At birth of a child with a re-
present 80 days afterwards, at a
Detrothal simultaneously, at a wedding
with a return three days afterwards,
IN the seventh day of the seventh
month, at New Years time, on return
from a pleasure trip or even from
a festival, and in general upon
any slight occasion, good Japanese
'orm requires that presents be made.
Sometimes they are slight gifts, such
rs a fish, a cake, or fruit, or eggs, and
any article may be passed on, should
It prove unsuitable. The good judg-
nent needed in such matters is exer-
Used by the wife.
There is no servant problem in
Japan, nor is there likely to be, SO
!ong as servants continue to receive
such consideration there. Their pay
IS small indeed, but for it they render
not only manual service, but mental
Judgment and faithful protection of in
.erests in whatever sphere. This boon
S a bequest from the late feudal sys-
.em wherein the household servant