Mysterious Japan; . of manner, andthere is about her not the faintest suggestion ofcoarseness. She will be friendly, even pleasantlyfamiliar, but never, in public, is she guilty of theslightest impropriety. I have been to many gayparties in Japan, but I have never seen a geisha orher patron behave in a way that would shock themost fastidious American lady. Naturally thesituation is somewhat different among low-classJapanese and the geisha they patronize. Thereare vulgar geisha to entertain vulgar men. Buteven a low-class geisha, if sent for in an emergencyto entertain a man of taste, will ofte
Mysterious Japan; . of manner, andthere is about her not the faintest suggestion ofcoarseness. She will be friendly, even pleasantlyfamiliar, but never, in public, is she guilty of theslightest impropriety. I have been to many gayparties in Japan, but I have never seen a geisha orher patron behave in a way that would shock themost fastidious American lady. Naturally thesituation is somewhat different among low-classJapanese and the geisha they patronize. Thereare vulgar geisha to entertain vulgar men. Buteven a low-class geisha, if sent for in an emergencyto entertain a man of taste, will often be sufficientlyclever to adjust herself to the situation. During the meal the geisha will sit before or besidethe gentleman she is designated to entertain, chattingwith him, amusing him and serving him with she will join the other geisha in givingan entertainment, the part she takes in this depend-ing upon her special talent, which may be for singing,playing, or dancing. Pretty young geisha are most. o i> COCP 9 >su > r- =4-1 .5 o .a*£ . — • — - - +J Ml „ £ CO C .^ o +-> CO CO 0) r-1 o .a £ o B - - Kb cy S >» — cS £ ^ g 9 >5 P^ MYSTERIOUS JAPAN 135 often dancers, while those who are older are generallymusicians. Also there are some geisha who aremerely bright and pleasing and who succeed withoutother accomplishments. The host, making up aparty, selects his geisha with these various require-ments in mind, so that his whole company of geishawill be well balanced. Foreigners are generally most taken with thelittle dancing girls, or maiko, who are mere children,and who with their sweet, bright, happy little faces,and their bewitchingly brilliant flowered-silk cos-tumes, are altogether fascinating. Once at a partyin a great house in Tokyo I saw a score of theselittle creatures scampering down a broad flight ofstairs, making a picture that was like nothing somuch as a mass of autumn leaves blown by a highwind. These childre
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookpublishergarde, bookyear1922
