Year: 1874




running off to town, and on the contrary


would be very faithful servant. She
| said that Keji, having seen the lady he
/ was negotiating for, was intensely de
! sirous to consummate the union And
| this is the way of it: ~@


Keji is poor, in that he has no reserve


fund, hence must do this thing in small
quiet way. Wishing wife he learned
that friend knew of lady of eighteen
| summers Counting as the Japanese count
age, but only seventeen as we count it,
| The friend presented the attractions of
| the lady so beautifully as to quite carry
away Mr. K. and cause him to long for
| her sweet presence. "Will you do the
business for me?" was the next thing in
order Tothis the response was favor
| able, and so very soon the mediator
| found his way TO the home of the young
| lady and the ear of her parents (The
presence and ear of the young lady con
cerned are considered of no Importance
in Japan. f ,,.l.t


In due time the bargain was closed


Just what it is in his case do not know
but the advance money wanted indicates
fees of some sort to parents and mediator
or go-between. The bargain or covenant
is all made and needs only little money
to seal it for aye. If | give it to him this
eve he will wind up the business very
soon Then tomorrow night the media
tor, with a Government officer, sort of
Registrar, will proceed to the house of
the bride. The contract of the parents
will be recorded with their names, ETC.,
then about nine o'clock p. m. the media
tor, the officer, the parent and the bride
will wend their way to Mr.. Keji's room,
which is in our premises. He anXiously
waiting will at their summons hasten to
welcome them in most self humbling and
elaborate terms and with overwhelming
bows and prostrations, all of which will
be returned in kind by the bridal party.
After some preliminaries (Which / shall
learn if [ am invited to the wedding,
as | hope to be), the. officer will
record the, fact of the bringing
of the bride to Mr.. Keji's house,
together with the names of
those present as parties of the contract,
the date and hour, etc. After this there
will be as elaborate a supper as Mr.. *.
can possibly provide, together with as
little Tor much) of the best saki the coun-
try can distill. .Disposing of the supper
and much tobacco, the go-between, the
officer, and the parents and relatives,
probably, will return to their homes and
leave Mr.. and Mrs. Keji to come together
alone, and this will be all the more neces-
sary from the fact that they haven't ex-
changed word as yet, and from the fact
that she dees not know him from Adam,
except by his age.


It is a strange way of wooing, and a
sad one too, and hope we shall be able
to teach them better things as the years
go by. A good spell of counting isn't a
bad thing for two people who are to live
together for life May the Japs live to
know how good and pleasant it is!,


Having written the preceding, L laid
down my pen for the night. Resuming
it this morning, am under the necessity
of recording the fact that the course of
true love does not run any smoother in
Japan than it does in America. Last
evening I advanced Mr.. KS wages to the
end ofthe present month only; but the bal
ance of the sum needed was Forthcoming
from the lady. mentioned yesterday.
Early this morning met the same lady,
whoinformed me that her services had
been required at the house of the bride
| that is to be; and that the consultation
did not cease until three. O'Clock this
morning.; and that even then the cove
nant was not sealed by the presentation
of the money She hopes, however, that
tonight, the conference beginning at
eight o'clock, all difficulties will be. re-
moved, and that the bride will be forth
| coming tomorrow night.
The occasion of the need of that worthy
Japanese lady's services, and the delay
of the wedding, is this: Another fellow
had his eye on that same girl, and was in
tending to negotiate for her himself,
without consulting her wishes, however,
in the least. He heard of Mr. K. IS ad-
vances, and hastened into the presence
of the family to fOrestall his rivals EX-
pressing his solicitude for the welfare
and happiness of the whole family, and
his especial anxiety in the present aspect
of affairs relative to the daughter, and be-
cause of that solicitude and especial anx-
iety having been induced to make rigid
search into the character and abilities of
the prospective son-ln-law, and having
found that the gentleman's name and Ca
reer would not bear abundant light, he
warned them to be very cautious In their
proceedings, and to draw back from the
unfortunate covenant before it was ever
| lastingly too late. Naturally the parents
were alarmed, and long and general
consultation became necessary The
lady Ihave spoken of appeared in behalf
| of Mr.. K, the troubled " would be. Pa She
proceeded to show up the motives of the
vile speaker of lies, and to hold forth the
| virtues of Mr.. K. in most attractive
forms; and have no doubt that she did
both with right good will. AS a result
of her vindication Of Mr.. K. there is to
be return of mediator and herself to
| the parental residence this eve at eight
| o'clock, at which time the covenant will
| be formally completed. This done, the
| bride will tomorrow evening in company
| with go-between, relatives and friends
wend their way to Mr.. KS humble
abode and there celebrate and consum-
mate the wedding. | forgot to remark
| in the proper place, however, that the
Young lady herself does not believe the
! reports of evil concerning Mr.. K, but
| does, on the contrary, most earnestly de-
sire to come to his abode and dwell with
him. The lady telling me this told it
with evident pleasure and with sort of
| feeling, think, that she herself had been
pretty skillful in the defense There is
no doubt that the go-between had quite
wrought on her young and tender heart
| by his representations of Mr.. &. and OF
his burning desire to possess her. All OF
which goes to show that if any one pro-
poses to do his counting through others
! it will be as well to see that the " mutual
friendn is afriend indeed. | ought also
to have remarked that Mr.. K. has reached
| the mature age of twenty-one, according
to my lady informant. And now must
! leave them. I should be glad to record
the marriage accomplished for the joy
and information of our lady readers, but
unfortunately the steamer that will speed
| this to America will leave this port this
afternoon at an early hour.-ReU. j. H..
| Atkinson an O,Lb1g07Ie Times s& VI