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Show TIip ilnimncflfi Dining Itooin. Jn Japan the family never gathers around one table as the European or other Asiatic peoples do, but each per- ; son has his or her own separate una II table, a foot square and a foot hili. and always highly decorated. When they lake their meals they kneel upon the mat. each taking his table before him. The little lacquered fable general gen-eral ly contains a smal i porcelain bowl, heaped up with delieiously cooked rice, and several lacquered wooden bowls containing- soup or meat, and numbers of little porcelain plates with iish. radishes rad-ishes and the like. The way of cooking- of course is entirely different from the Kurop.'un. Two pietty chop sticks, made of lacquered bamboo or wood, silver or ivory, are used, instead of :iif. fork and spoon, and all pe,.ple use them with great skill. All foods are prepared in the kitchen, so as to i avoid any trouble to use knife and fork. Soup is to be drunk from the bowl by carrying it to the mouth bv : I'and. in the same way as peo pie drink I lea or eoll'ee. Ta bh- et iqnet le has ela ; orate rules, which high-bred ladicaiui genilenien mu t strictly follow. A maid servant always waits, kneelin,-at kneelin,-at a short distance, before a clean pan of boiled rice, with lacquered tray, on which she receives ami delivers" the bowls for replenishing them. Fragrant Fra-grant green tea is a 1 ways used nt the end of the meal, but sugar and cream never. . - |