Show A Japanese Baby S J i When Kine the little Japanese baby j S was 100 days old she was carried to the temple just as some American parents 1 take their little children to the church to have them christened though Kines parents do not know or worship the true God The priest wrote a prayer on apiece a-piece of paper and put it into the prayer bag which was small and made of red crape embroidered in white flowers and drawn together by silk cords This bag containing the prayer was the guarS guar-S from evil and it is devoutly believed by II all Japanese to have the power of keeping keep-ing children from evil spirits from delusion t delu-sion by foxesfor the people think that I I foxes can cheat or enchant peopleand t S from all dangers This little red bag J was attached to the girdle behind After I bestowing a gift in money upon the priest > the parents and relatives returned i j home with the little girl and held a great I feast in her honor Kine was carefully II II nursed and carried on the back of a faithful I faith-ful servant who fastened her there by along I a-long string or bandage drawn around the I I S waist and legs of the child and crossed over the neck and shoulders of the maid I S I Her little head and bright eyes would bobS I bob-S on every side as her nurse walked or I I ran and here she would go soundly asleep or play as any baby would She I was never carried in any persons arms Japanese babies seldom are When I j jUnes aunts or cousins wished to coax j her away from her nurse or mother they S i would hold their backs invitingly and 1 she would put out her little arms and I I go to one or another as she chose Clasping Clasp-ing tightly the neck of the favored one and held there by the feet or legs she 1 J would be as happy as if cuddled up in S the arms As the baby grew and began S S to walk little sandals made of straw were put on her feet These were fastened fast-ened on by putting the great toe through S a loop When she was a year old her hair which had been shaved was allowed L al-lowed to grow a little and then tied on S the top in a very funny fashion Every I year it was worn differently Jf C I S Griffis in St Nicholas for March t |