The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-07-29


Ing. We sadly need q boy 90 general
servant. but 90 far have not secured
one. Third In our list Of helpers Il
Mr.. Arai. our general adviser. He
knows the things Of old Japan. He ID
conservative. yet enters heartily into
our schemes. It IL his duty to make
arrangements. He Is not interpreter,
for he knows too little English; but
he knows what Is At for us to buy,
what Is suitable for me to do and
have. and where the things we need
are located. 1t is his duty to- find such
people as We need to deal with. Last
~ we have a reader and literary az.
sistant in student from the uni.
versity. Kajiwara. who knows English
pretty well. but who knows little Of
the things Of old Japan. II one could
fuse him and Arai together the result
would be fairly competent helper
Nor was it simple matter, either,
to secure my Japanese dress. We had
supposed that We would go to one of
the many ready made clothing" estab-
lishments and select suit in few
minutes. On the contrary it was a
matter of three hours to arrange the
business. Everything had to be made
to order. and the greatest care was
taken in the selection of materials.
We went to the finest department
store in Japan. Less extensive than
many such establishments in the
United States, in its character, its en-
terprise. and the quality of its goods
1t is quite comparable to our Marshall
Fields. Not only quality but fitness
for my purpose were demanded in
every piece of goods purchased by Mr..
Arai. The haori. or great outer gar
ment. the kimono, the julian Tor inner
kimono) and the hakama or wide
legged trousers, were each of different
material. Not only did these materials
have to be carefully selected. but the
question of lining for each was equally
important.
Even our bathtub has been mat
ter of serious concern. You know. Of
course, that in Japan the bathtub is of
prime Importance. Every man, woman
and child in the household should take
a hot bath daily. The tub itself is
made of wood, and is remarkable
piece of cooperage. 1t contains a lit
tie stove for heating the water. Ere
quently this is so situated that the &C.
cupant of the tub runs some risk Of
serious burning. The charcoal used in
heating the water gives off fumes, and
Europeans at least consider this mat
ter somewhat serious one. Accord
ingly my advisers insisted that the tub
should be made to order, first, that it
might be sufficiently large for it's occu.
pant, second, that risk of burning be
avoided. and third, that fumes be car
ried off. The cooper, upon inspecting
our proportion decided that the tub
should be three inches longer and
three inches higher than the regula-
ton. We had been told that its cost,
II made to order, would be about ten
yen. After making his inspection the
cooper stated that the price would be
16 instead! Such are the disadvan.
tages of being great. AS fact, there
is some question whether the bathtub
may not bankrupt us. When it had
been built, we received bill of 10 yen,
which was paid under protest, but it
was assumed that the matter was a
closed incident. Next day, however, a
new bill appeared for ESQ yen. This
was settled grudgingly. Next day the
cook announced that the tub was SO
large that step ladder was necessary
for proper use of it! When paid for,
this will make the bathtub, which was
to have cost ten yen, matter of more
than twice that sum- Personally,
hate it, for 1t looks as If it might be
suited for the swimming place Of ele-
plants, and it is humiliating to think
that such construction was neces.
sary in this land of little people, It
is, however, work of art, with neat
joinery and smokestack for carrying
Off the notwithstanding fumes.
Bath customs for the Japanese de-
mand that in the early evening the
tub should first be used by the master
of the house; when he has bathed the
portance follow him, bathing in the
same water he has used. This sounds
pretty dreadful, but in a land where
every individual takes a scalding
bath daily, it is actually not SO bad.
No soap whatever is permitted in the
bathtub, but the person bathing ia
soaped and scrubbed outside and
doused with hot water thoroughly.
So we are really launched. When
we enter the house our shoes are
laid aside that mettings may not be
destroyed or soiled. We sit on
cushions, kneeling with feet crossed
under us; we write at little desks q
foot in height; we eat at little tables
brought in for individual use while
the servant kneels upon the ground
before us, watching to satisfy our
| needs; at night the quilts. pillows and
kimonos are brought out from the
closets where they have been stored
| during the day and spread upon the
floor. Guests are required to submit
to native regulations. Our old woman
is under orders to serve tea and