Letters from China and Japan

								

out from a public school near here, and never yet have I seen a case of
bullying or even of teasing, except of a very good-natured kind, no
quarreling and next to no disputing. Yet they are sturdy little things
and no mollycoddles. To see a boy of ten or twelve playing tag and
jumping ditches with a boy strapped to his back is a sight. There are no
public rebukes or scoldings of the children or even cross words, to say
nothing of slappings, no nagging, at least not in public. Some would say
that the children are not scolded because they are good, but it is a
fair guess that it is the other way. But it must be admitted that so far
as amiable exterior and cheerfulness and courtesy is concerned, they
have no bad examples set them. Some foreigners say all this is only skin
deep, but the manners of the foreigners who say these things aren't any
too good even from our standards. Anyway, skin deep is better than
nothing and good as far as it goes. However, the Japanese say that their
courtesy is reserved for their friends and people they know, not that
they have bad manners to strangers, but that they pay no attention to
them, and won't go out of their way to do anything for them.
I told about the man who made Mamma a present when she bought the pipes.
Yesterday we were in that region and Mamma went in again and bought
another, and paid him a compliment on what people said about the
present. Whereupon he gets up and fishes out another more valuable
pouch, somewhat ragged and old, the kind the actors now use on the
stage, and offers it. Mamma naturally tries to avoid it, but can't. He
informs her through the friend with us that he likes Americans very
much. An international matter having been made of it, the pouch is
accepted, and now we have to think up some present to give him. However,
we have told this story to several Americans here, and they say they
have never heard anything like it.
We were to have gone to the Peeress's School this morning, an
appointment having been made to show us about. Mamma's cold preventing
her going, we had somebody 'phone to see if the time could be changed.
And this afternoon appear for her some lovely lilies and
amaryllis--these being from people we had never seen. A Freudian would
readily infer how bad my own manners are from the amount I talk about
this.
We went to a Japanese restaurant for supper. This was a fish restaurant,
and we cooked the fish and vegetables ourselves, but over gas, not
charcoal this time. Then we had side dishes, fish, lobster, etc.,
innumerable. Instead of bringing you in a bill of fare to order from,
the coolie brings a big tray with samples of everything on it, and you
help yourself. One thing was abalones on the half shell, these being
babies, about like our clams, but not so tough, to say nothing of as
tough as the big ones. I didn't try the fried devil fish and other
luxuries, but wandered pretty far afield. When you have leisure, try