having himself married a Japanese wife
(the editor of the _Japan Mail_).

"The woman of Japan is a charming personage in many ways--gracious,
refined, womanly before everything, sweet-tempered, unselfish,
virtuous, a splendid mother, and an ideal wife from the point of
view of the master. But she is virtually excluded from the whole
intellectual life of the nation. Politics, art, literature,
science, are closed books to her. She cannot think logically about
any of these subjects, express herself clearly with reference to
them, or take an intellectual part in conversations relating to
them. She is, in fact, totally disqualified to be her husband's
intellectual companion, and the inevitable result is that he
despises her."[J]

In face of all these facts, it is evident that the emotional element
of character which plays so large a part in the relation of the sexes
in the West has little, if any, counterpart in the Far East. Where the
emotional element does come in, it is under social condemnation. There
are doubtless many happy marriages in Japan, if the wife is faithful
in her place and fills it well; and if the master is honorable
according to the accepted standards, steady in his business, not given
to wine or women. But even then the affection must be different from
that which prevails in the West. No Japanese wife ever dreams of
receiving the loving care from her husband which is freely accorded
her Western sister by her husband.[K]

I wish, however, to add at once that this is a topic about which it is
dangerous to dogmatize, for the customs of Japan demand that all
expressions of affection between husband and wife shall be sedulously
concealed from the outer world. I can easily believe that there is no
little true affection existing between husband and wife. A Japanese
friend with whom I have talked on this subject expresses his belief
that the statement made above, to the effect that no Japanese wife
dreams of receiving the loving care which is expected by her Western
sister, is doubtless true of Old Japan, but that there has been a
great change in this respect in recent decades; and especially among
the Christian community. That Christians excel the others with whom I
have come in contact, has been evident to me. But that even they are
still very different from Occidentals in this respect, is also clear.
Whatever be the affection lavished on the wife in the