El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-03

HHE greatest sin against a family
a Japanese can commit is to have
no children, and a Wife's position
is never secure until she has a child.
IN olden times, under the ancient re-
gime, steri3ity was one Of the seven
reasons which justified a husband in
asking for a divorce.
Naturally the birth of a male child
is considered more important than that
Of a female, but the birth of a baby, be
it a boy or a girl, is always a source Of
joy. AS soon as a baby has been born
relatives and friends are informed of
the event and lose no time in congrat-
ulating the parents and in bringing
presents Of all kinds-dried fish, boxes
Of eggs, cakes and bolts Of linen or
silk On the seventh day after its
birth the child is given name by its
father. If it is a boy, it is generally
given its fathers name, with addition
Of another, very often the name of some
ancestor. If it be a girl, it is given a
name which symbolizes all the domes-
tic virtues, it is hoped to acquire. It is
called Matsu, which means constancy,
or Take, which means good luck, or
Tama, which means jewel.
All Children Dressed Alike
Except in the way of dressing them,
no difference is made between boys and
girls during their first seven years.
White which in Japan is a token Of
mourning, is never used for children.
The favorite color for babies is red,
but after the first year the dresses of
a baby boy are striped with blue, brown
or black, while the kimona of a baby
girl is embroidered with designs Of
birds, flowers or foliage. which grow
smaller as the child grows older.
Children are considered a blessing
from heaven by rich and poor alike
and childhood is the happiest period Of
life in Japan, where it has not been
found necessary TO found a Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children"
A multitude of our proverbs show bet
ter than anything else how well our
children are being cared for. One of
these proverbs is this: "Ko wa juju
no sida no Kasagai." which literally
translated means, Children are the
chain Of steel that binds man and wife
together. Another: ''Kodomo nj kikin
nashit," means. Famine never exists
for the little ones
The Japanese baby is, nevertheless,
as a rule. very timid. The little girls,
especially. are used to obeying every
body, beginning with their own broth
ers- AS soon as they have been dressed
in the morning the children go TO their
parents, bow reverently, touching the
ground with their foreheads, and ask:
How is your honorable health?"
Give Thanks Before Eating.
Before they begin to eat breakfast
they raise their spoon or fork to their
forehead and bow their heads in sign
Of gratitude. and they do not start for
school without having kneeled in front
Of their mother. If their father goes
out they follow him to the porch, bow
their heads and murmur: May God be
with you. Come back SOON
The great annual festival of the lit
tie girls takes place on the third of
March 1t is the festival of the dolls,
which dates back to the reign of the
emperor Bidatsu, 572 years before
Christ 1t is an exhibition of dolls
representing the emperor and empress
in magnificent robes and surrounded by
their ministers and court and great his
torical persOnages. Looking at these
miniature exhibitions, the little girls
learn the rules OF etiquette, and looking
at all the objects that surround the
dolls. they also learn what things are
necessary in a household.
Boys Festival
The festival of Stbe boys takes place
on the fifth of May, in memory Of a
patriot who committed suicide two
thousand years ago because he thought
his country was degeneTating Col
ored strips Of paper or paper dolls in
the shape of carps are attached to
long bamboo poles and erected over
the doorways to flutter in the breeze.
The carp in Japan is the symbol of en-
ergy, courage and perseverance. It is
the samurai among the fishes. for when