Newspaper Page Text
W t) /Z£/U?y T0& THE F£/1c?T ^-S E deeply pity the superstition ot the Japanese. Yet there is something very beautiful in the archaic simplicity of their faith. Lafcadio Hearn found in Shintoism Greek religion transplanted in the midst of this material century. What he read and imagined in an cient literature he really found in this Land of the Ris ing Sun. For all the modern ization of Japan there is one spot where the hand of the dissecting science has done but little damage. Visitors from civilized and enlightened lands can go deep into the real life of the archaic society in Japan, and in the twinkling of an eye they can come back to the luxury of the twentieth century, and this archaic society is a living one and not an artificial miniature. Sympa thy is aroused, as the faith is the only surviving remnant of 'the time-honored old religion. Political sentiment is touched, ,as Shintoism peoples woods, mountains trees, rocks, riVers and sea shores with gods and goddesses. Com passion is kindled as it is by a beautiful dawn slowly dissolving before the on slaught of the fierce daylight. No wonder, then, that Shintoism finds .many lovers among, westerners. I would like to introduce the reader not indeed to the stately mausoleum and cere mony of Shintoism, but to the humble household of the common folk of Japan. January in Japan is a month of rest nnd festival rest after hard work and arvest festival as an auspicious begin ning of the year. Hefore the end of the old year pine branches are set up by the gateways, shrines of gods, hearth, well and oth er places. These pine branches, signifying constancy, die huhg with a stiaw ling mado to imitate a jewel with rays of light radiating from it, and stuck with a'dried saidine, a leaf of evergreen, pieces of paper and a bit of edible seaweed. These rings are also put on almost all representative articles of furniture and kitchen imple vinents, and this is said "to let them take one year. (This suggests that thosfi articles were believed once to have had life and so have felt the advance of age. The festival of "going over the year," or "Toshikoshi," sometimes called "Toshitori," or "taking the year," and is a busy time for the. housewife. She has to cook many different dishes,, all of which have prosperous signifi cance. besides her regular rice and bean soup. Let me enumerate some. Soup of clam, which opens •when cooked, signifies the opening out of the good for tune. Roe of herring, which is called "kazu-noko," or numerous children, forms a dish whose meaning is ob vious. Health in Japanese is "mame," so beans must be eaten, as these happen to have the same sounding word for their name. Salt salmon, fish cake, pickled radish and many others must be prepared on this event ful eve, for we are going to add one whole year during the night. The kitchen is full of life, with kettles whistling and pots steaming, plates and trays all spread out. Chil dren and even cats are very apt to be mischievous at such times, but they receive no scolding as the great fes tival should not be marred by discord and irritation. When food is ready gods are served first with all these dishes, but only in miniature. Lights are put before them sake liquor is offered in a pair of small vases, which, by the way, I have often seen used for flowers In America. Before the gods on the shelf they hang highly colored leaflets, each with a lucky meaning. One is the god of fortune under an auspicious gem, with a bagful of gold coins, coral and other precious things. Another has a bundle of edible seaweed, which is called "kobu." The phrase "to rejoice" In Japanese is "yoro- HE IS AN ARTIST IN SUGAR St. Louis Wedding Cake Nothing Less Than Work of Art. A wedding cake over three feet tygh was a special feature at recent fash tollable w'edding in the West end, but the cake itself was not the feature, for. aside from its decorations, it vvx: old have been a very modest affair. But the bride and her family were no*' proud, pf that cqJre as the iSH/NTO kobu so seaweed (kobu) means rejoic ing. The last, has under it a lobster. confectioner who furnished it, and his self-satisfaction was a mere trifle compared wfth that .of the "artist" who did the decorating. He 1s a for eigner, said to be a Swiss-Frenchman, and a perfect genius in the'manipula tion of "icing" or "frosting." He uses a sort of bellows, filled with prepared frosting,- and after sketching hig de sign on an artist's board he takes his bellows and goes over the cake, A person doubled up with *ge reminds one of a lobster with its doubled up waist. So the lobster quite often is pic turesquely representative of "the aged of the sea." KATO When the family have bowed down before the gods they eat the great meal and a few rounds of sake were ceremoniously served in former days. Once you have eaten this feast you have added one year and a child born in December is said to be two years old right after this meal. I used to be reminded by older people that I should be a better boy from the first of January, as I had added one year during that one night. They say that one night of the 31st of December is worth 50 days of usual days, and those who go to bed early this night will grow old that much in one night. Polytheists are not troubled by a surplus of gods. The Japanese have already many gods at home and yet on New Year's day they buy printed gods. This paper is hung above the stone stove on which one cooks rice. One represents "year god," with thank offerings of rice, sake liquor, kneaded rice and regular New Year decora tions of evergreen trees. The figure is Buddhist the original Shinto god has long been replaced by a bod disatwa, showing the result of usurpation of Shin toism by Buddhism, effected by a Buddhist priest Kobo, as a means of Buddhist propagation. These offerings were once real ones, but the Japanese learned how to economize labor and expense by printing, and the goddess herself came into the picture. Another picture is also hung before the shelf. The cen tral figure is Prince Shotoku, the famous patron of Bud dhism in its early days in Japan. A Japanese spade, stalks of rice on a tray, thresher, sake liquor and cooked squeezing out the frosting on the pre pared background and tracing with his line of sugar any figure desired. A bunch of roses, a forest scene, a party of dancing girls, a bouquet of half a dozen different kinds of flowers, a landscape covered with snow, a group of statuary, a garden scene, Cupids, butterflies—anything that is wanted he traces in sugar, with a speed and elegance that would make the light ning artist of the side show green with envy. He knows his work is only for a few hours, that his dreams of fa rice are the offerings. A pair of foxes need a little ex planation. Originally they belonged to a very popular Shinto god whose place has been usurped through the strategy of Kobo, and this Buddhist prince has been sub stituted. But religious degeneration has gone on further and these foxes came to be mistaken for the god itself. And Inari worship (for Inari is the name of the god) is seen nowadays in its most degraded form of fox wor ship. Others are a pair of salesman's gods. Who they originally were has very little to do with the present worship. Anyhow, as gods of good luck and prosperity they are worshiped in New Year's season, and almost every shop has these idols in stock. Early on the first of January New Year's callers begin '\j to pour in. What do they say? With heads bowed down and hands on the sill, they mumble "Congratulations for the opening of the new year, and pray that it will be continued in future." This phrase is so common that both sides speak at the same time, and yet both are well understood. One says: "Won't you come in?" "No." answers the other "I have more houses to call." "Then come when you are through," and the caller goes. If the caller should come in he is sumptuously feasted with food and drink, and you see more open drunkenness on New Year's day than at other times. Superstitious people find omens and meanings in dreams, and the Japanese must have good dreams to be gin the year. For this purpose they put a piece of paper under the bed. On this paper a Japanese junk is printed, art will not be hung on cathedral walls or salons, but he makes better wages than most of the old masters did, and, for that matter, than a good many of the young masters, and by and by he is going back to Switzerland to live in comfort, and that is enough for him. —St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Spendthrift's Purchases. A spendthrift—in one sense he has his money's worth by the purchase of large lots of repentance and other dolorous commodities. Nathaniel Hawthorne. I A&&CO&ATED WELL Falling Off in Insurance. Everybody is interested in the re markable showing of the life insur ance business as reported by Supt. Kelsey of New York. The falling off has been enormous between the years 1906 and December 30, 1907. The point of Mr. Kelsey's report is the great decrease in the amount of in surance last year, $241,496,308. Of the 370,000 policies which terminated, only 53,167 were by death and 14,247 by maturity, while 99,554 amounting to $211,008,495 were surrendered, and 1 AfJIW :^W loaded with precious goods, her sails outspread, on her decks men busy with rigging and oars. A Japanese poem is also printed on it: Na ka ki yo no, To no ne fu ri no. Mi na me sa me Na mi no ri fu ne no, O to no yo ki ka na. Translated roughly, this means: After a sound sleep of long night, Resting awake in bed, I hear a cheerful sound Of a sailing vessel Gliding over the billows. The poem in translation loses its power of calling up associations. But one can imagine himself living near an inland sea, with its nooks, bays, and offings, pine groves and plum 'blossoms hanging over from the hilly shores, the sun as yet below the hori zon, and in the mist he can discern a vessel gliding smoothly, leaving meny songs of sailors behind to be carried away by the spring breeze. This is considered an appropriate scenery to think over in the calm of the spring night. But this aesthetic association is little appreciated by the masses. They rather wonder at the clever con struction of this poem, that reads just alike from either end. Read from the end and go back to the beginning, syllable by syllable you have just the same result as if you read from the beginning. Now, what kind of dreams are the best? First, Fugi mountain second, eagle third, eggplant fourth, funer fifth, snakes—these are the five best ones. To dream of the horse is also auspicious. If a Japanese should happen to dream he is quite blue over the matter. These people, howeve.r, are not without the means of getting out of this misfortune. They say when they had a bad dream: "To the baku to the baku." Now they did not know what "baku" was they only There is a record in history which shows that there was a custom once of selling and buying dreams. Once upon a time there was a prince in a famous house. He was thinking to court a maiden, and she had a strange dream, which she could not make out. She called in the help of her eldest sister. The latter, seeing the good omen of the dream, offered to buy the dream. An old mirror was the price and the bargain was made. Meanwhile the prince changed his mind quite suddenly, as if by magic, and paid his court to the eldest and won her hand. This prince is the famous Yaritomo, who founded the Shogunate, or military regen cy, in Japan. Such is the story told and retold when the family get together by the fire box and spend the long spring night" in merriment. I hope these, humble doings of the common folk of Japan may find a warm reception among the readers of America. Christmas Frolics. A very effective and practical decoration for the table on Christmas morning is a pyramid of oranges with sprays of holly for a doily, with a scarlet ribbon running to the corners of the table fastened by a big orange at each corner. All the housekeeper's best efforts are usu ally expended on the dinner table, but it will only take a moment to arrange this. Place holly around the finger bowls.- By the way, a dainty way to serve oranges for breakfast is to have the juice squeezed in the kitchen and served in a little glass which stands on a plate. In the dining room that has to have a screen to conceal the kitchen, there may be a very simple and effective addition made to the Christmas decorations by pinning holly to it, covering the original surface completely. Lace curtains may be treated in this way to make lovely bits of color in the room or form a background for a tree. 210,565, amounting to $307,639,953, lapsed. Five times as many policies were dropped as were paid in full and the diminution in insurance through lack of confidence or through inabil ity to meet premiums was more than three times the amounts paid. Aerial Fishing. "When aeroplanes come into every* day use it will be easy to hunt wild ducks." "How is that?" "Why, a fellow can take along a net, dip into a flock and sein for 'em. 144 *H OUT* In all its forms among all knew that this mysterious animal living in a dreamy land lived on the dreams of man, and bad dreams were cast to the baku. It was a shock to these old fashioned people when their children told them that the teacher of zoology told the children that the baku is a hippopotamus and lived on substan tial green leaves, and not on dreams. Such a revelation, though, cannot change the superstition, and people still say: "To the baku," to relieve their minds after a bad dream. '#•&: lint mtt.maHHM CBjnfeifae 'atftfSI feaif ounce of ^Virgin Oil of. Pine coSlr ndj?ure with a Wtt| pintof straigljfc 5k*. Shslke wellfand'take 4 t^ spoonful every four hjinrs. The gemmae Virgin Oil of Pineiconl pbund'pure is ^ep^fed inly bjf T4e Leach CheiBicaPCo4 Cincinnati. and is put up only in h^lf-ounce vials, each vial securely sealed in a round tfboden case to insure its freshness ahd purity. LID IS ON. "Aren't you almost readj\ for church?" "I'm sorry, but something dreaVul has happened. I can't go to chu\h to-day." "For heaven's sake, what has pened?" "The cook is wearing one just like mine!" Not Fair. "Look here, Abraham," said the judge, "it's been proved right here in court that instead of doing something to help support your wife and children yau spend your whole time hunting 'possum!" The old negro hung his head. "Now, Abe, you love your wife, don't you?" "Ah suttinly does!" "And your children?" "Yas, suh!" "And you love them both better—" "Better ev'ry day, jedge!" Abe broke in. "—better than a thousand 'pos sums?" "Look hyah, jedge," exclaimed Abe, with widening eyes, "dat's takin' a coon at a pow'ful disadvantage!"—Bo hemian Magazine. $100 Reward, $100. The leaden ot this paper will be pleased to lean that there is at least one dreaded disease that science has been able to cure in all Its stages, and that la Catarrh. Hall's Catarrh Cure Is the only positive cure now known to the medical fraternity. Catarrh being a constitutional disease, requires a constitu tional treatment. Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken in ternally. acting directly upon the blood and mucoua surfaces ot the .system, thereby destroying the foundation ot the disease, and Riving the patient strength by building up the constitution and assist ing nature In doing Its work. The proprietors have so much faith in Its curative powers that they offer One Hundred Dollars for any case that it fails t& Cure. Send for list of testimonials Address F. J. CHENEY & CO., Toledo, O. bold by all Druggists, 75c. Take Hall's Family Pills for constipation. The Symmetrical Figure. Speaking of that rare gift, metry of person, it is more desirable than beauty of feature, because it out lasts youth. The symmetrical figure is perfectly proportioned and articu lated anatomy, and nothing is more rare. Be thankful, fair ones, when you have "points" which cause us to to overlook any little discrepancy in form.—Exchange. We buy cream. Write desk No. 3 for prices. The Crescent Creamery Co., St. Paul. The proportion of left-handed people Is one in six. Giiai*1! Nfr MAWtg BYOU ARE WANTXDM* lILWAr MAIL CLERK, Postal Clerk, Steoogrspher-Typewrittr, etc. Cflii— Scfceot Education Required. Spfc*4i4 Oppor lity. ftwm in, Position. Btc Pay- Superior fmtroctiooby MAIL to mmt Govt. Eiwiiaatiom. EsUb. Foarteea Y«A Tlonadi of fliurtwfnl StadesU. Staph QmrtioMnri "How Gort Position* Art Sacartd" Mat Prat CAD*» Hia-STATlSawOlS, 74-« Im Aw. .Ctfcr Ian. BEST GIFTIo.iS'": more appreciated by him or ber than our 4QO Toast Book handsomely illustrated. A rare gift, rare to please. Sent postpaid on receipt uf Fifty Cents. Send for one to-day. ROYAL PUBLISHING CO. 722 Andrue Bldg., Minneapolis Stop Coughing! NnH«— 1—illiVnf tin li—Hi— SMikly pakiwi/Mt enrih. roi htn a co^k btfafamr. ko-cUr wit PBO'S CURE. Faaowfa Uf acataqr •Ml* nmmir foe cooa)* eoUk FmmklSikm. At al 2S cfe IB V'i I sym DISTEMPER ages of horses, as well as dogs, cured and others in same stable prevented from having the disease with SPOHN'S DISTEMPER CURE. Every bottle guaranteed. Over }00,000 bottles sold last year. $.50 and $1.00. Any good druggist, or send to manu facturers. Agents wanted. Spohn Medical Co., Spec. Contagious Diseases,Goshen, Ind. Not for Him. The Poet—I understand you have furnished rooms for rent? The Landlady—The only thing I have at present is a handsomely fur nished suite on the first floor. The Poet—I'm afraid that would be a little too sweet for me. Every man should be a hero at least once during his career for the sake of his prospective grandchildren, if for no other reason. PILES CURED IN 6 TO 14 DATS. PAZO OINTMENT is guaranteed to cure any case of Itching, Blind, Bleeding or Protruding Piles in (i to 14 days or money rounded. 60c. There are nearly 88,000,000 sheep in Australia and New Zealand, 10,000, 000 cattle and 1,871,000 horses.