The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-21

lowed, the sandals being checked at the
 door as hats and wraps are in our country. On approaching a meeting place the speaker can form some esti-
 mate of the size of the audience by the
 size of the piles of sandals on the out side ...*a ..-..- The women still retain the primi- tive dress. About 1884 an attempt was
 made by the ladies of the court to adopt the European dress. and quite
 number of women In official circles pur-
 chased gowns in London. Paris and the United States, Tn spite of the protests
 of their sisters abroad. (Mrs. Cleveland
 joined in written remonstrance. which
 was sent from the United States). But
 the spell was broken in a very few
 months. and the women outside of the
 court circles returned to the simpler
 and more becoming native garb. It Is
 not necessary to enter into details re-
 garding the female toilet. as the maga-
 zines have made tho world familiar
 kimono. with its convenient pockets.
 The children wear bright colors. but
 the adults adopt more quiet shades
 The shape of the garment never changes. but the color does. This sea- son gray has been the correct shade. Feminine pride shows itself in the obi. broad sash or belt tied in very stiff and incomprehensible bow at the back. The material used for the obi Is often bright in color and of rich and expensive brobades wooden disc is often concealed within the bow of the obi to keep it in shape, and also to brace the back. The neck cloths are usually worn, folded inside the kinlono to protect the bare throat. These har- monize with the obi in color and give dainty finish to the costume As klfnnnn ~ S,, Nf.n skirt, the women take very short steps This short step, coupled with the drag ging of the sandals, makes the women's gait unlike the free stride of tho Amer lean woman. In the middle and higher schools the girls wear a plaited skirt over the kimono. These are uniform for each school. and wine color is the shade now prevailing. The men and women of the same class wear practi- oally the same kind of shoes.
 Next to obi. the hair receives the greatest attention. and 1t is certainly arranged with elaborate care. The process Is so complicated that hair dresser is employed once or twice a week. and beetles oil Is used in many instances to make the hair smooth and glossy. At night the Japanese women place a very hard round cushion under the neck in order to keep the hair from becoming disarranged. Tho stores now have for sale air pillows. which are more comfortable than the wooden ones formerly used. The vexing question of millinery Is settled by dispensing with hats entirely Even among the poorer men the hat is seldom used.
 Most interesting in appearance than either the men or women are the children-and I may add that there Is no evidence of race suicide in Japan. They are to be seen everywhere. and a good natured lot they are. The ba- bies are carried on the back of the mother. or an older child, and it not unusual to see the baby fast asleep while the bearer goes about her work Of the tens of thousands of babies we have seen, scarcely a half dozen have been crying. The younger children sometimes have the lower part of tho head shaved, leaving a cap of long hair on the crown or the head. Occasion ally a spot Is shaved in the center of | this cap. After seeing the children on the streets, one can better appreciate | the Japanese dolls which look SO | strange to American children.
 Cleanliness is the passion of the Japanese. The daily bath is a matter of rountine. and among the middle