Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-10-12
CUPID HAS
SINECURE
in JAPAN

49, consul to Chicago, and bis
petite bride. who have ~journeyed
clear across the Pacific ocean tc
make their home In Indiana avenue
Chicago. Ill, U. s. Al The ensuing
chapter Of the little romance that
skipped across half the world, and the
story of how this well-born little Jap.
anese girl gladly travelled 1t to remain
beside her liege lord, reads like one
Of the tales of Onoto Watana
Bound by all the ties OF family and
nome, love Of parents and friends to
the land Of her birth and her dearest
associations, and not even knowing
well the English Tor American)
tongue, she has done much to back up
the declaration they both made re.
Gently, that they we're really soul.
mates"
Match Arranged by Families.
'Soul-mates!" That's what they
say they are. to Americanize the Jap.
anese phrase. Their tailor-made 70.
nance suits them fine. They always
expected to wed some fine day, ever
as children. That's the way they do
It IN Nippon. Misoa had nothing to
say about the match, and neither did
Mr.. Yamasaki. Their families ar.
ranged the whole affair, and the fami.
lies surely ought to know. Negotia-
tons began long before either ever
had felt the thrills of love.
Now. If the average American girl
was given in marriage after this fash.
lon. what a loud cry would go up! In
her headstrong independence she
would stalk out of the house and run
OF with the man she really wanted,
and this man would, nine times out
OF ten. not be the man her parents Sc
lected, which may argue for the Amer
lean girls fine independence but not
for her sentiment.
Not SO the Yamasaki family.
Misoa smiled and blushed and &C.
cepted the man Of her parents choice.
This was learned upon a visit to the
Japanese consul in Chicago and his
bride.
Mr.. Yamasaki Is a man of middle
height. with a strong. dignified face OF
a decidedly oriental type. His eyes
are shrewd, kindly. clever, and have
a friendly twinkle in the corner of
them. His English is excellent. When
asked for a little talk with Mrs. Yama-
saki about the girls in Japan, he ex-
planned that Mrs. Yamasaki didn't
know English. but he offered to act
as interpreter.
Charming Type Of Womanhood.
So he went upstairs to get Mrs.
Yamasaki. 1t was almost half an hour
before he returned. And Mrs. Yama.
saki was with him. She is charming
She is small. fragile. slender, as dainty
and as exquisite as a bit of Sevres
china. Her skin is a soft, warm olive.
with an under color of faint pink at
the cheeks. Her hair was dressed In
a smooth, round pompadour, fastened
with tortoise shell pins. Her eyes are
dark almond, with a wistful look in
them, a look Of longing and infinite un
derstanding. Her hands are the most
wonderful Of all. slender, brown, with
tapering fingers. She wore a kimono
of a dull blue shade. decorated in
white flowers and with a wide white
and blue sash, and on her feet were
tiny white "Zoree" slippers with a
separate compartment for the great
toe.
Mrs. Yamasaki shook hands, made a
quaint little bow. and smiled. There
is nothing foreign about the smile. 1t
is a friendly, up to date smile that
welcomes you and accepts you as a
friend. She seated herself in a big
armchair Of dull green.
In Japan the girls are not given
the same education as the boys, are
they% was asked. Mr.. Yamasaki
spoke to Mrs. Yamasaki, she spoke OF
him. Her voice is husky, low, and
very sweet. 1t has an Ethel Barry.
more thrill to 1t. but It has a quick
little sound that even Ethel could not
initiate.
Mr.. Yamasaki smiled at his wife's
answer and translated:
To-day the education Of the Japa.
nese girl is far superior to that Of the
past centuries. Formerly the girl was
given very little IL any education. But
today the Japanese girl is educated
much in accordance with the western
methods. There are schools and col
leges in all Of the large cities. But
the girls are educated differently from
the boys. The boys are educated to
take their place In the world, to make
n living, to look out for themselves.
The girls are educated to make homes
Ito be a comfort to their husbands"
Happy Home Life Their Ambition.
And the girls, are they ambitious?N
NO! Japanese girls prefer a home
life. II they r happy with their pa.
rents or their husbands they are con-
tent"
And Mr.. Yamasaki looked at Mrs
Yamasaki, and they both smiled
Wouldn't American women be a tritie
happier il they forgot careers and
devoted themselves to making homes?
And marriage and divorce?"
Sometimes in Japan the men court
the girls In approved western fashion,
but usually the entire affair is al.
ranged by the parents Of the young
people. And although divorce Is much
easier to obtain, for 1t can be obtain
ed on many grounds. 1t Is not abused.
Divorce is getting less frequent each
year, and a wife ts not put away
among the better classes unless there
Errudh ~ Eerress Af1yope.