Evening star., 1912-09-08

is padded paradise What excuse is there for baby
to make the grownups hair stand end with its prm
tive music2
Japanese architecture is kind to the baby in another
respect. Our houses airily constructed that
Occdentals see little in them 1t is certain that our
architects have been troubled with the question
of ventilation since the days of the first Emperor,
twenty-five centuries ago. In addition to this bounul
supply of air at the precious time of growth the national
love of people for possessing garden, be it
much smaller than handkerchief, has always
tempted the babies out into the open and into the
gracious company of flowers.
ASsoon the baby begins walk it meets the first
midable barrier in its happy 1t the internal
are literally sinful stumbling block for unsuspecting
feet Even in this it is not without advantage fo1 the
baby. Unlike Western leather Shoes the sandals and
not weaken the ankle by giving it artificial support In
fact that about the last thing the gea would think of
doing-quite the reverse. It's wicked thing, and
oftener than has it wrenched the ankles of
pecting nnocents and crippled them for life; for the
getd is k1or-cure appliance. But, once master of
pair of Clogs the child becomes lord of all the unutter
spreads the golden carpets of dandelons and the pink
mats of clover in flower under the tuneful skies for
longer flight of months than in many other parts of this
earth. And when the autumn chastens the sunshine
with melancholy, it the hillSides with myriad
tinted brocades that the child may 60 out and have
blushng match with maple leaves.
After all this, pray consider how much the grownups
in Nippon toll yes, toll hard for the comfort and pleas
of its Tiny Majesty. Out of many, let take for
example this:
Whenever you see carriage driving through a
street in apan you invariably also footman
running ahead of the horses Why2 For the sake Of
the babies The babies allowed to take possession
of section of the city the middle OF streets among
other places and for the safety of the little foot
is required to ahead to warn children and
clear the street of them. To hurt child, even in acc
dent, is crime for which imported civilized code
does not provide sufficient punishment, ding to
the Japanese way of thinking.
TUST fo- the sake of a gument, we shall say that
among the of houses and fats in Japan there
lives creature with "horned eyes monstrouS to
ask of his prospective tenant whethe she has baby
in the family. | fancy she would be dazed at the
question for a mornent-what family for, but for
babies? But let the landlord give her to understand
that he does not to rent his houses to family with
babies, then what happens? Just this He would not
continue to live very long. For the simplest incest and
most natural of reasons that he would be mobbed-
lynched, pc; haps.
do not believe that it ever occurs to Japanese
mind to leave babies behind when people bound for
the cherry clouds of Slmda for the mushroom hunt
the hills about Kioto: in all pcncs and temple est
vas they the chief guests of honor 1t largely for
their pleasure that the innmerable holidays of the EN-
pire provided. In what other country'S calendar
you find national holiday devoted to the festival
of dolls2 1t falls the third of March, the eatest
holiday for little glS, and another for boys the
fifth of May.
If japanese, babies are angels in comparison with
some Others who might be mentioned, don't see why
they shouldn't be- how they can help but be.
"The babies are indeed gene ally SO good says Pro
fessor Chambe lain, than whom thee is no higher
authority among foreign students in things japanese,
"as to help to make it paradise for adults"
"Here explain it who can," says another foreign OBJ
server, at is in the blood it to most comfort
ing to that all that is desirable in the little peoples
department can be attained without snubbings pun
ishments weary seedlings. The love Shove ed upon
children simply wraps them in warmth and peace
japanese children never frightened into telling lies
or hiding their faults. Open as the day, they bring
every joy to Father Mother to be shared
healed and their small likes and dislkes quite
much taken into account those of their elders"