TOILET OF A JAPANESE DAMSEL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 9, 10 January 1878, Page 4

TOILET OF A JAPANESE DAMSEL

The Japanese have been called the ;" French of the East." Pleasure is to Uhem almost everything, and holidays : are numerous., The ladle's are button' these occasions in great flurobersj The 1 toilet of a Japanese Bam§el ; is a tn after no small consideration, and to be in good time for the fair she -must be c up ! ;and dressed long -before -the sun rlsea •behind the great sacred mountain, Fiigi. ;The long coarge tresses of raven-black bair must be -washed, t^qbdibed, and greased till the head shines like a knob of polished black marbtej' the cheeks must be rouged Jo a proper tint; the throat, neck, and bosom powdered — carefully leaving, however, on the nape of the neck, three lines of the original brown skin of the owner, in accordance with the rules of Japanese cosmetic art; the eve -brows triu&t be carefully rounded and touched with black; the : lips reddened with chewy paste, with a I patchof gilding in the centre. When allthisbas.. been done, and the layers ; of clothes properly -adjusted, the "old," ior huge sash of atony colors, tied in the | knot ofprevailiog fashion, the cleanest : of white socks,, and the newest of black ! lacquered clogs put on the feet, the belle ; is; ready, and with the proper allowance of pocket - handkerchief - paper, her tobacco pouch, pipe and'fan, 1 i! ahe Bails forth, turning her toes well in, and 1 playing io well - affected demureness with her fan. Her mother is likewise I painted, combed, and'adorned; but not a vestige of eyebrow graces her forehead, and herteeth are as black as jet, according to the rules of married women. Her father is clean shaved, hie "queue" or top-not smoothly pasted on his head, and his raiment new, stiff, and shining— with the family crest embroidered on back and sleeves. In . the street there are hundreds of neighbors, similarly decked and arrayed, bowing, scraping, paying compliments, chattering, laughing, and pattering along in their high wooden cloga to- \ wdrds the pleusautice. Critical eyes ' examine head - dresses and " obis," coquettish eyes laugh and convey teuder messages from behind fans, thereby bringing down reproof from atern parental 'eyes, which however, soon ; twinkle at some jeat or well-turned ; compliment:. Everything is good humor, happiness and enjoyment, and the cloudless blue sky above, the occ*eioanl twitter of birds — for Japan, is poorly off ior feathered warblers— and tho glitter of the sunshine, all go to make up a holiday picture scarcely to be equalled out ot Japan.