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Show LIVING A LA JAPONAISE. Simple and Delightful and "Very Cheap Is the Housekeeping In Jnpan. I do not know of anything simpler and more delightful than housekeeping In Japan if you live a la Japonaise. I myself determined to try it, and having hav-ing found a suitable spot to settle in, on the highest hill in Tokyo, I proceeded proceed-ed to engage a native servant, who was also to be my adviser as to how to fur nish my establishment in strictly Japanese Japa-nese fashion. The furnishing as completed com-pleted in lees than ten minutes, and here are some of the principal items of which it consisted: Two foutangs, or thin mattresses, between which one lies at night, and a makura, a wooden pillow, pil-low, or rather an instrument of tortura for the first few nights, furnished my bedroom; a hibachi, or brass brazier, with chopsticks to stir the fire with, and a water kettle made the hall cozy, and a little lacquer table, a foot square and about 6 inches high, with a couple of tiny little plates and a bowl, made the dining room qiite complete and replete with every comfort. Two silk cushions were placed in the sitting room for distinguished dis-tinguished guests to sit on. "Ah," said I to my servant, "but do you not think that I shall need something some-thing more?" us to my European mind what I had purchased seemed somewhat insufficient to furnish a 12 roomed house. "No, sir," raid ho in his broken English, Eng-lish, "real Japan gentleman has no furniture." fur-niture." Upon which I began to feel rather sorry to have emulated the "Japan "Ja-pan gentleman. " Still I thought I would go on for the fun of the thing, and, though I must confess as I went round my new abode my rooms did not look overfurnished, I decided to make the best of what I had got. It is astonishing astonish-ing with how little one can do if one tries and how much better penury is than profusion. When a couple of days had elapsed, I almost began to feel thai i naa inrnisnec my nouse too ncmyj i could certainly have done with a deaj less. Fortnightly Review. |