here of wood
and clay with chopped straw,--coated over, like our town suburban
villas, with cement. Paper, instead of glass, for window panes, Venetian
blinds, and around each house a verandah, we observe at once. But our
attention is attracted from the houses to the people. How very awkwardly
they slip along! With so much energy and vigor in their faces, how is it
that they never thought of putting reasonable shoes upon their feet?
They wear instead of shoes mere soles of wood or matting, held to the
foot each by a peg which runs between the great toe and its neighbor,
through a hole made for that purpose in the sock. These clouts they put
away on entering a house, as we should put away umbrellas, and wear only
socks in-doors. Nevertheless the people here look handsome in their
loose, wide gowns, bound by a girdle round the waist, with long sleeves,
of which, by the bye, you may perceive that the dependent ends are
Japanese coat-pockets. Thence you see yonder gentleman drawing his
nose-paper,--one of the little squares of clean white paper always ready
in the sleeve-pocket to serve the purpose of our handkerchief. That
little square when used is, you see, thrown away; but if the gentleman
were in a house he would return it to his pocket, to be got rid of in a
more convenient place. The women's robes are like those of the men in
form, but richer in material, more various with gold and color. As to
the head equipment, we observe, however, a great difference between the
sexes. The men shave their own heads, leaving hair only at the back part
and upon the temples, which they gather forward, and tie up into a tuft.
The women keep their entire crop of hair standing, and they make the
most of it; they spread it out into a turban, and stick through it not a
few pieces of polished tortoise-shell, as big as office rulers.[M]
Inviting admiration, the young beauty of Japan paints her face red and
white, and puts a purple stain upon her lips; but the remaining touches
are forbidden to a damsel till her heart is lost. The swain who seeks to
marry her, fixes outside her father's house a certain shrub; if this be
taken in-doors by the family, his suit he knows to be accepted; and when
next he gets a peep at his beloved, he watches with a palpitating heart
the movement of her lips, to see whether her teeth be blackened; for by
blackened teeth she manifests the reciprocal affection. Only after
marriage, however, is the lady glorified with