The Serenity of Japanese Women
"The secret, perhaps," says a traveler, "of the sweet expression and habitual serenity of the Japanese women can be found in their freedom from small worries. The fashion of dress never varying saves the wear of the mind on that subject; and the bareness of the houses and simplicity of diet make housekeeping a mere bagatelle. Everything is exquisitely clean and easily kept so. There is no paint, no drapery, no crowd of ornaments, no coming into the house with foot gear worn in the dusty streets. And there is the peaceful feeling of living in rooms that can be turned into balconies and verandas at a moment's notice, of having walls that slide away as freely as do the scenes on the stage, and let in all out-of-doors, or change the suit of rooms to the shape and size that the whim of the day or the hour requires."—Missionary Review.