The Cairo bulletin., 1906-04-09
HOME LIFE IN THE LAND
OF THE CHRYSANTHEMUM
And the Mkado Told Of In Paper Read Before
Womans Club by Mrs. John S. Hacker

Iheir women look IKE girls, tlell
girls look like dolls, their dwellings
look like magnified bird cages. Their
homes are spotless and easily kept sc
no chairs nor much OF anything
they sit on their heels, and feel very
sorry for us because we actually sit
with our legs hanging down and very
much pity us for using linen
handkerchief, or cotton or silk, and We
hope they will adhere to their little
squares of paper which they throw
away as each is successfully used.
The two indelible marks of race are
the narrow eyes and the ungraceful de
preston of the chcft. They battle
every day. If cleanliness is next to
Goodness and no one ever disputes it,
certainly the Japs carry the palm.
Fathers and mothers in Japan think
the child should have its own way
from the observance of the law. There
is nothing permanent in this world.
The present passes like a dream and
its flight causes not the slightest
trouble. Every enjoyment for children
is source of satisfaction to the Jap
anese parents. Japanese children
never cry and it is real phenomena
caused by this circumstance and liv.
ing out of doors.
The typical Jap is loyal, fiial, re.
spectful obedient. faithful, kind, gen
-h
His besettiug sins are deception, in
temperance and dobauchory-an
these are common SINS Of humanity,
The men of new Japan. while they
shrink aghast al the thought that their
women NAV ever become like the for
ward self assertive half masculine
women Of the west, show tendency
to dissatisfaction with the smallness
and narrowness of their wives and
They have a growing belief
that better educated women would
make better homes. that the ideal
home of America is the product of
more advanced civilization than Japan.
! say why change-they are naturally
happy, a smile illumes every face,
apparently their past has no regrets,
their present no annoyances, their
future no alarms. They love the beau
tiful in nature, art. live simply. How
much that means. The houses OF the
wealthy do not differ much from those
of the poor, that frees them from the
narrowing cares and worries which
make existence in the Occident a
struggle to keep up appearances. In
some provinces in Japan when a new
bridge Is opened, not the richest, but
the happiest persons are chosen to
pass over it. Mr.. Stoddard tells of
soIcmnly remarking; The great
trouble with The Japanese is they are
90 happy; if calamity befalls them,
hey smile and say it cant be helped.
Worst Of all they do not worry about
he future, actually meet death fear
eesly and calmly Mir. Stoddard re.
,ied, If to enjoy a. much as possible
his world that God has given us, If TO
smile bravely in adversely, if to die
without fear, are faults, il would be
we'll if other people posse sscd them.
You remind me of the old lady in New
hampshire who exclaimed sadly 1.-THE
tell us all are to be
aved but we hope for better things"
The Japanese have notices and
hung in conspicuous places
much as we read upon our walls as
he comforting assurance THE Lord
Will Provide" or the melancholy j
What is Home Without a Mother?' +
)ne of theirs is Clever Preacher.
short Sermon" "a woman's tongue
inches long can kill man 6 feet
Ugh" and yet We send missionaries
. Japan.
They might do well to bring back
me of thor deities whose special func
ion is to assist women to obtain good
usbauds. Over there he is immensely
opular. We will be excused from their
the most ardent admirers
# the Japanese has dared as yet to
raise that But ours is just as absurd
. them. our high notes make them
tick their handkerchiefs in their
louths to avoid shrek, of merriment.
Their way of doing hundreds of
amiliar things is opposite to ours.
te push a plane they pull II. We turn
crews TO the right, theirs to the left.
ur keys turn outward. theirs inward.
We carry our babies in our arms,
ieirs on their backs. We stand erect
efore a distinguished man. they sit
'e take off our hats. they remove
leir shoes. Our books begin at the
#. theirs at the right. Their foot
Dtes are placed at the top of the page.
e write across. they write down. Our
,lor for mourning is black, theirs Is
hitc our best rooms arc in front.
eirS back. We mount our horses
~ tho loft side. thcy from the right
r pui ? homo in the stan head fore
ost. they bacl him m and fssten
n N front We a-e tempted 70 be
we the cause 10 b their relative
sition on the other side Of the
obe. and that they are really living /,
side down, the only question is
lich side is up and which is down.
rs or theirs"