Tearless Children.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12583, 21 January 1905, Page 3 (Supplement)

Tearless Children.

ODD THINGS ABOUT THE TINY

JAPS.

Japanese babes are popularly supposed never to cry. This comes pretty near the truth, for the land and all there is in it seems to be theirs. In any country where Shint-oism or ancestral worship prevails the children are bound to have a good time. A son is necessary to carry on the -worship of his parents and to keep the ancestral fires lit.

If a. man has not a son he adopts one or takes, another -wife. If a woman has not a son she knows what to expect. Polygamy finds its excuse in religion. Japanese girls are by no means so highly valued, but, as can be seen, they work into the general' scheme. Children being a religious necessity, their place is fixed. Supplementing this is the natural joy o.' parents in their own progeny and the sense of possession. ' ;

Curiously enough, pampered as they aree, the children are never caressed. The Japanese regard kissing as vulgar, animal, and unsanitary. Even foreign children would willingly give up" being kissed in return for never being scolded or whipped.When a Japanese child is born, every-, body brings it gifts. Fish and eggs,are the proper presents, ■ particularly eggs, on -which the family probably subsists' -until satiety sets in. : " -On the,.third-dsy it IsTnamed and' goes to the temple to be blessed by the priest. Girls are generally named after some flower or fruit, as "Ume," plum blossom, or " Kiku,'.' chrysanthemum. Boys are nick-, named, as "Eitaro," "glorious big one," or perhaps " Saburn," meaning No. 3, the ✓third boy. A baby wears layers of long easy slips which cover its feet and hands. Consequently, it has no cause for crying when it is dressed. I

Even the poorest baby has its daily hot bath. Hot in Japan means 110 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that gives even a grown person lively recollections. Its head is shaved, with the exception of a sma.ll tuft, until it is three years old. One of the few; repulsive sights in Japan is the number of sore-headed children seen on the streets. These sores are not allowed to heal. The theory being that in this manner all the. evil humours of the body are expelled."

When a baby is a few weeks old it is strapped on the baek of one of the younger children and sent out into the streets. When our children are being cradled and sung to, the Japanese baby is beginning its education. This seems to explain that expertness of the Japanese nation, which within fifty years has become a world power. . ■ . ' The children of the poor play in the streets, and the temple grounds, and every third child has a baby on its back. This makes -no differeence in the games. The children play battledore and shuttlecock, toss their rice bags, run, jump, and even walk on stilts with the last born nodding its sleepless head or perhaps fast asleep its face turned upward and head lying back on its bearer's shoulders. As the baby gets older it takes an interest, in all that is going on, and daily adds to its stock of knowledge. It very soon learns to affect a stolid indifference to pain. Children are carried in this manner-until they are three years old, and have theirdolls strapped on their backs. Thus entertained and with plenty of company, a Japanese child has very little cause for complaint. Indeed the mother performs all her household, duties with the baby on her backt Our manner of carrying a child in the arms seems very wasteful of time and strength to . a Japanese mother, who keeps her arms free and cares for her baby at the same time.

Meanwhile the baby learns to cling'with its. toes and fingers like a little animal. It unconsciously learns what its elders know, and the precocity of 'the Japanese children in taking care of shops, in selling and carrying on the, exercise of. mental shrewdness, is the astonishment of every foreigner.

All boys and girls in Japan have the same birthday, regardless of dates of birth. These the whole country unites in Celebrating. The girls' 'birthday is called the Feast of Dolls, and takes place in March. On that day all the dolls of the family for generations back are brought out and ranged on a red-covered shelf.

Among these are the Empeeror and Empress. Little lacquer tables are put : before the dolls, and for three days food is served to them. ■ .

A tremendous amount of. visiting ; goes on, and the streets are filled .with gailydressed children going to see one another's dolls, and sharing, in candy and "rice cakes. At the close of the festival the dolls are carefully packed away with the new additions to their company. The country bristles with flagpoles, and from each wave brilliantly-coloured paper fish. These fish are made double, and the wind entering the wide mouth swells them out until they seem to be swimming in the air. •

Each pole will have half a dozen fish of different hues, and the colour effect of this forest of gay masts viewed from some friendly bill is one of the most beautiful

results that this artistic people know so well liow to produce.

The cliilclrsn enter almost every form of Japanese life. When the mother goes to the temple to pray, Bhe brings home gifts for the children. Many of the temple grounds are like a continual fair with toy and candy booths and open air entertainments.

I The children; too, are in the temple grounds imitating their parents' devotions by shooting prayer arrows, firing rolled-up prayer papers, as our children throw spit' balls, piling ftp votive stones, and sending prayer boats, touched off with a match, to burn on the temple ponds'/ The children all dress like flrtif aiders, There are no baby clothes. At revert a' girl gets her obi, or sash, which gives lief a humpbacked look, but is to the Japanese what diamonds are to the Westerner. Another mark' of girlhood is the red petticoat. It is an oblong, piece folded around her and crossing in front. Now she begins those piggon-like steps-of the Three Little Maids from School/' This is to keep her skirts together, and not show her ankles for in all Japan there is not a stocking. When a girl nfafries she gets a white petticoat, and changes her style of hair dressing. . All Japan speaks softly. The children do not scream and yell even in play, and never in four months did we see a quarrel or fight; The teacher is held in such respect that Until recently the children in reciting turned their backs, it beiDg rude to stare him in the face. As there is no alphabet in Japan, the children have to learn as a starter 3000 Chinese characters, a mental effort which makes the .foreigner understand the nimble, facile fiiinds of these people. The educations of the boys and of the girls takes different directions. That of the girl is to make hef tha accomplished servant of the man.

If she is ill, she must conceal it.- She must always be well and willing, with' a smile on her lips and hands free to serve. She is. taught to sew and cook, to make

herself attractive by playing the samisen and koto, and to execute what she thinks is singing. She must be skilled in the involved paths of Japanese etiquette, to go throUgi the tea ceremony, the " Ohan Yu," the foundation of all elegance, and to arrange flowers accordifig to her text book and rules—an accomplishment vfhick makes our bouquets seem .barbarous. She does not dancer Geishas are paid to do that. •

Both boys arid girls must write well. Handwriting ranks as a virtue in. Japan. This ttsy do with a brush in vertical lines that read backward. The boys' studies are more like those of our Western world. Chinese is their j Latin, and English their French. They have athletic, contests, tugs of war, and grotesque races in which two boys are tied by the legs., fitit the chief thing taught to every boy is loyalty Sfid devotion to the Emperor. Ask any boy what is the dearest thing in life, and he answers, " To die for the Emperor." This is the secret of the bravery of the Japanese soldiers. It- was a Japanese mother who, when her only, son was brought home dead ftqffi the battlefield, smiled, and said : " Then he tfktf abk to be'of .some ser-