But we must return to our Japanese housewife, who has at present only shown
her husband out politely to his business. Now she sees that all the paper
screens are removed, so that the whole house becomes, as it were, one great
room, and thus is thoroughly aired. The beds are rolled up and put away
in cupboards, and the woodwork is carefully rubbed down and polished.
Perhaps the flowers in the vases are faded, and it is a long and elaborate
performance to rearrange the beautiful sprays and the blossoms brought in
from the garden.

Cooking is not by any means so important a matter in her household life
as it is in that of her Western sister. If her rice-box is well filled,
her tea-caddy well stored, her pickle-jar and store of vegetables in good
order, she has little more to think about. "Rice is the staple food of
Japan, and is eaten at every meal by rich or poor, taking the place of our
bread. It is of particularly fine quality, and at meals is brought in small
bright-looking tubs kept for this exclusive purpose and scrupulously clean;
it is then helped to each individual in small quantities, and steaming hot.
The humblest meal is served with nicety, and with the rice various tasty
condiments, such as pickles, salted fish, and numerous other dainty little
appetizers, are eaten. To moisten the meal, tea without sugar is taken. A
hibachi, or charcoal basin, generally occupies the central position, round
which the meal is enjoyed, and on the fire of which the teapot is always
kept easily boiling."

When the Japanese housekeeper goes to market, she turns her attention,
after the rice merchant's, to the fish and vegetable stalls. At the
fish-stall nothing that comes out of the sea is overlooked. She buys not
only fish, but seaweed, which is a common article of diet. It is eaten