ABSTRACT
L E T it not be said that the Japanese in this year of their New Age of grace take their pleasures madly as the French, with whom they are compared when the comparison is not with the British, or the Chinese, or the wild men of Borneo. The Japanese theatre party, having had early breakfast, goes to the play at 10 A.M. and may leave at 7 P.M. if the play flags, but at 9 if the climax of the drama is artistically managed. The party will have lunched or dined, taken afternoon tea (for tea purposes the day is * always afternoon ' in Japan) and suppered, the while the drama was unfolding. Sometimes-such is the manner of some of their plays-the party must go home to bed and return at the same hour on the morrow and, again provisioned for the day, remain to the same hour in the evening if it would see and hear the full denouement of the piece. Indeed, there are pieces whose concatenate marvels consume a week of days in the unwinding, and, more wonderful still, there are folks in Japan who see them. These do not take beds with them to the play, but the fact is-the circumstances render the fact obviousprovision has to be made and taken by the Japanese theatre party for nearly everything except sleep. There are rugs and cushions to mitigate the comparative hard-
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ness and relative uncleanness of the floor mats, which are of straw and stuffing ; there will be basketed meals, with utensils and flavouring and sauces and spices to match ; there will be tobacco and pipes for the elders of the party, ladies and gents, and the female servants of the house will be there to stop all the little crevices in the armour of the party's peace and comfort with the sweets of Japanese tendance, which is exquisite. Tea in pots at a ha'penny or less a time will be hawked throughout the theatre in the entr'actes, with bon-bons and bon-mots ; or the fibre of a substantial meal, if that be desired. So the party will pass the day and part of the night, viewing buskined Tragedy and mincing Comedy surrounded by every home comfort. Thus may it truly be said that the beauties of the national drama are brought home to every Japanese. So may it not be said that the nation takes its pleasures madly.
