to the foreigner, upon his arrival in japan, the status of household servants is at first a source of much perplexity. there is a freedom in their relations with the families that they serve, that in this country would be regarded as impudence, and an independence of action that, in many cases, seems to take the form of direct disobedience to orders. from the steward of your household, who keeps your accounts, makes your purchases, and manages your affairs, to your jinrikisha man or groom, every servant in your establishment does what is right in his own eyes, and after the manner that he thinks best. mere blind obedience to orders is not regarded as a virtue in a japanese servant; he must do his own thinking, and, if he cannot grasp the reason for your order, that order will not be carried out. housekeeping in japan is frequently the despair of the thrifty[300] american housewife, who has been accustomed in her own country to be the head of every detail of household work, leaving to her servants only the mechanical labor of the hands. she begins by showing her oriental help the work to be done, and just the way in which she is accustomed to having it done at home, and the chances are about one in a hundred that her servant will carry out her instructions. in the ninety-nine other cases, he will accomplish the desired result, but by means totally different from those to which the american housekeeper is accustomed. if the housewife is one of the worrying kind, who cares as much about the way in which the thing is done as about the accomplished result, the chances are that she will wear herself out in a fruitless endeavor to make her servants do things in her own way, and will, when she returns to america, assure you that japanese servants are the most idle, stupid, and altogether worthless lot that it was ever her bad fortune to have to do with. but on the other hand, if the lady of the house is one who is willing to give general orders, and then sit down and wait until the work is done before criticising [301]it, she will find that by some means or other the work will be accomplished and her desire will be carried out, provided only that her servants see a reason for getting the thing done. and as she finds that her domestics will take responsibility upon themselves, and will work, not only with their hands, but with the will and intellect in her service, she soon yields to their protecting and thoughtful care for herself and her interests, and, when she returns to america, is loud in her praises of the competence and devotion of her japanese servants. even in the treaty ports, where contact with foreigners has given to the japanese attendants the silent and repressed air that we regard as the standard manner for a servant, they have not resigned their right of private judgment, but, if faithful and honest, seek the best good of their employer, even if his best good involves disobedience of his orders. this characteristic of the japanese servant is aggravated when he is in the employment of foreigners, for the simple reason that he is apt to regard the foreigner as a species of imbecile, who must be cared for tenderly because he is quite incompetent to care for[302] himself, but whose fancies must not be too much regarded. of the relations of foreign employers and japanese servants much might be said, but our business is with the position of the servants in a japanese household.

under the old feudal system, the servants of every family were its hereditary retainers, and from generation to generation desired no higher lot than personal service in the family to which they belonged. the principle of loyalty to the family interests was the leading principle in the lives of the servants, just as loyalty to the daimio was the highest duty of the samurai. long and intimate knowledge of the family history and traits of character rendered it possible for the retainer to work intelligently for his master, and do independently for him many things without orders. the servant in many cases knew his master and his master's interests as well as the master himself, or even better, and must act by the light of his own knowledge in cases where his master was ignorant or misinformed. one can easily see how ties of good-fellowship and sympathy would arise between masters and servants, how a community [303]of interest would exist, so that the good of the master and his family would be the condition for the good of the servant and his family. in america, where the relation between servant and employer is usually a simple business arrangement, each giving certain specified considerations and nothing more, the relation of servant to master is shorn of all sentiment and affection; the servant's interests are quite apart from those of his employer, and his main object is to get the specified work done and obtain more time for himself, and sooner or later to leave the despised occupation of domestic service for some higher and more independent calling. in japan, where faithful service of a master was regarded as a calling worthy of absorbing any one's highest abilities through a lifetime, the position of a servant was not menial or degrading, but might be higher than that of the farmer, merchant, or artisan. whether the position was a high or a low one depended, not so much on the work done, as the person for whom it was done, and the servant of a daimio or high rank samurai was worthy of more honor, and might be of far better birth, than the independent [304]merchant or artisan. as the former feudal system is yet within the memory of many of the present generation, and its feelings still alive in japan, much of the old sentiment remains, even with the merely hired domestics in a household of the present day. the servant, by his own master, is addressed by name, with no title of respect, is treated as an inferior, and spoken to in the language used toward inferiors; but to all others he is a person to be treated with respect,—to be bowed to profoundly, addressed by the title san, and spoken to in the politest of language. you make a call upon a japanese household, and the servant who admits you will expect to exchange the formal salutations with you. when you are ushered into the reception-room, should the lady of the house be absent, the head servants will not only serve you with tea and refreshments and offer you hospitalities in their mistress's name, but may, if no one else be there, sit with you in the parlor, entertaining you with conversation until the return of the hostess. the servants of the household are by no means ignored socially, as they are with us, but are always recognized and saluted [305]by visitors as they pass into and out of the room, and are free to join in the conversation of their betters, should they see any place where it is possible that they may shed light on the subject discussed. but though given this liberty of speech, treated with much consideration, and having sometimes much responsibility, servants do not forget their places in the household, and do not seem to be bold or out of place. indeed, the manners of some of them would seem, to any one but a japanese, to denote a lack of proper self-respect,—an excess of humility, or an affectation of it.

in explaining to my scholars, who were reading "little lord fauntleroy" in english, a passage where a footman is spoken of as having nearly disgraced himself by laughing at some quaint saying of the young lord, my little peeresses were amazed beyond measure to learn that in europe and america a servant is expected never to show any interest in, or knowledge of, the conversation of his betters, never to speak unless addressed, and never to smile under any circumstances. doubtless, in their shrewd little brains, they formed their opinion of a civilization imposing such barbarous restraints upon one class of persons.

[306]

the women servants in a family are in position more like the self-respecting, old-fashioned new england "help" than they are like the modern "girl." they do not work all day while the mistress sits in the parlor doing nothing, and then, when their day's work is done, go out, anxious to forget, in the society of their friends, the drudgery which only the necessity for self-support and the high wages to be earned render tolerable. as has been explained in a previous chapter, the mistress of the house—be she princess or peasant—is herself the head servant, and only gives up to her helpers the part of the labor which she has not the time or strength to perform. certain menial duties toward her husband and children, every japanese wife and mother must do herself, and would scorn to delegate to any other woman except in case of absolute necessity. thus there is not that gap between mistress and maid that exists in our days among the women of this country. the servants work with their mistress, helping her in every possible way, and are treated as responsible members of the household, if not of the family itself.

[307]

at evening, when the wooden shutters are slid into their places around the porch and the lamps are lighted, the family gather together in the sitting-room around the hibachi to talk, free from interruption, for no visitor comes at such an hour to disturb the family circle. the mother will have her sewing or work, the children will study their lessons, and the others will talk or amuse themselves in various ways. then, perhaps, the maidservants, having finished their tasks about the house, will join the circle,—always at a respectful distance,—will do their sewing and listen to the talk, and often join in the conversation, but in the most humble manner. perhaps, at times, some one more ambitious than the others will bring in a book, and ask the meaning of a word or a phrase she has met in studying, and little helps of this kind are given most willingly.

we have seen that the ladies-in-waiting in the houses of the nobles are daughters of samurai, who gladly serve in these positions for the sake of the honor of such service, and the training they receive in noble houses. in a somewhat similar way, places in the homes of those of distinction[308] or skill in any art or profession are held in great demand among the japanese; and a prominent poet, scholar, physician, or professional man of any kind is often asked by anxious parents to take their sons under his own roof, so that they may be under his influence, and receive the benefits of stay in such an honorable house. the parents who thus send their children may not be of low rank at all, but are usually not sufficiently well-to-do to spend much money in the education of their children. the position that such boys occupy in the household is a curious one. they are called sho-séi, meaning students, and students they usually are, spending all their leisure moments and their evenings in study. they are never treated as inferiors, except in age and experience; they may or may not eat with the family, and are always addressed with respect. on the other hand, they always feel themselves to be dependents, and must be willing without wages to work in any capacity about the house, for the sake of picking up what crumbs of knowledge may fall to them from their master's table. service is not absolutely demanded of them, but they are[309] expected to do what will pay for their board, and do not regard menial work as below them, performing cheerfully all that the master may require of them.

in this way, a man of moderate means can help along many poor young men in whom he may feel interested, and in return be saved expense about his household work; and the students, while always considerately treated, are able without great expense to study,—often even to prepare for college, or get a start in one of the professions, for they have many leisure moments to devote to their books. many prominent men of the present day have been students of this class, and are now in their turn helping the younger generation.

the boys that one sees in shops, or, with workmen of all kinds, helping in many little ways, are not hirelings, but apprentices, who hope some day to hold just as good positions as their masters, and expect to know as much, if not a great deal more. at the shop or in the home, they not only help in the trades or occupations they are learning, but are willing to do any kind of menial work for their master or his family in return for what they receive from[310] him; for they do not pay for their board nor for what they are taught. even when the age of education is already past, grown men and women are willing to leave quite independent positions to shine with reflected glory as servants of persons of high rank or distinction. "the servant is not greater than his master" in japan; but if the master is great, the servant is considerably greater than the man without a master.

in a country like japan, where one finds but few wealthy people, there may be cause for wonder at the large households, where there are so many servants. there will be often as many as ten or more servants in a home where, in other ways, luxury and wealth are not displayed. in the oku, or the part of the house where the lady of the house stays, are found her own maid, and women who help in the work about the house, sew in their leisure moments, and are the higher servants of the family; there are also the children's attendants, often one for each child, as well as the waiting women for the go inkyo sama. in the kitchen are the cooks and their assistants, the lower servants, and usually [311]one or more jinrikisha men, who belong to the house, and, if this be the home of an official who keeps horses, a betto for each animal. there are also gardeners, errand-boys, and gate-keepers to guard the large yashikis. such a retinue would seem a great deal to maintain; but servants' wages are so low, and the cost of living is so small, that in this matter japanese can afford to be luxurious. three or four dollars will cover the cost of food for a month for one person, and women servants expect only a few dollars in wages for that time. the men receive much higher pay, but at the most it is less than what a good cook receives in many homes here. the wages do not include occasional presents, especially those given semi-annually,—a small sum of money, or dress material of some kind,—which servants expect, and which, of course, are no small item in the family expense.

homes which maintain a great deal of style need many servants, for they expect to work less than the american servant, and are less able to hurry and rush through their work; and they do not desire, if they could, to take life so hard, even to earn[312] greater pay. the family, too, in many cases are used to having plenty of hands to do the work; the ladies are much less independent, and life has more formalities and red tape in japan than in america. a great deal of the shopping is done by servants, who are sent out on errands and often do important business. maids accompany their mistresses to make visits; servants go with parties to the theatre, to picnics, or on journeys, and these expeditions are as heartily enjoyed by them as by their masters. it is expected, especially of ladies and persons of high rank, that the details of the journey, the bargaining with coolies, the hiring of vehicles, and paying of bills, be left in charge of some manservant, who is entirely responsible, and who makes all the bargains, arranges the journey for his employer, and takes charge of everything,—even to the amount of fees given along the way.

perhaps the highest positions of service now—positions honorable anywhere in japan—are held by those who remain of the old retainers of daimios, and who regulate the households of the nobles. such men must have good education, and[313] good judgment; for much is left in their hands, and they are usually gentlemen, who would be known as such anywhere. they are the stewards of the household, the secretaries of their masters; keep all accounts, for which they are responsible, and attend to the minor affairs of etiquette,—the latter no trifling duty in a noble's home. it is they who accompany the nobles on their journeys,—regulate, advise, and attend to the little affairs of life, of which the master may be ignorant and cares not to learn. they are the last of the crowds of feudal retainers, who once filled castle and yashiki, and are now scattered throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom.

the higher servants in the household must be always more or less trained in etiquette, and are expected to look neat and tidy; to serve guests with tea and refreshments, without any orders to that effect; and to use their judgment in little household affairs, and thus help the lady of the house. they are usually clever with their fingers, and can sew neatly. when their mistress goes out they assist her to dress, and only a few words from her will be[314] necessary for them to have everything in readiness, from her sash and dress to all the little belongings of a lady's costume. many a bright, quick servant is found who will understand and guess her mistress's wants without being told each detail, and these not only serve with their hands, but think for their employers.

much less is expected of the lower servants, who belong to the kitchen, and have less to do with the family in general, and little or no personal contact with their masters. they perform their round of duties with little responsibility, and are regarded as much lower in the social scale of servants, of which we have seen there are many degrees.

the little gozen-taki, or rice-cook, who works all day in the kitchen, may be a fat, red-cheeked, frowsy-haired country girl,—patient, hard-working, and humble-minded,—willing to pother about all day with her kettles and pans, and sit up half the night over her own sewing, or the study of the often unfamiliar art of reading and writing; but entirely unacquainted with the details of etiquette, a knowledge of which is a necessity to the higher servants,—sometimes [315]even thrown into an agony of diffidence should it become necessary to appear before master or mistress.

some of the customs of the household, in regard to servants, are quite striking to a foreigner. when the master of the house starts out each morning, besides the wife and children who see him off, all the servants who are not especially occupied—a goodly number, sometimes—come to the front door and bow down to bid him good-by. on his return, also, when the noise of the kuruma is heard, and the shout of the men, who call out "o kaeri!" when near the house, the servants go out to greet him, and bowing low speak the customary words of salutation. to a greater or less degree, the same is done to every member of the family, the younger members, however, receiving a smaller share of the attention than their elders.

when, as very often happens, a guest staying for any length of time in a family, or a frequent visitor, gives a servant a present of money or any trifle, the servant, after thanking the donor, takes the white paper bundle to the mistress of the house, and shows it to her, expressing his gratitude[316] to her for the gift, and also asking her to thank the giver. this, of course, is always done, for a gift to a servant is as much of a favor to the mistress as a present to a child is to its mother.

when a servant wishes to leave a family, she rarely goes to her mistress and states that she is dissatisfied with her position, and that some better chance has been offered her. such a natural excuse never occurs to the japanese servant, unless he be a jinrikisha man or betto, who may not know how to do better; for it is a very rude way of leaving service. the high-minded maid will proceed very differently.

a few days' leave of absence to visit home will be asked and usually granted, for japanese servants never have any settled time to take holiday. at the end of the given time the mistress will begin to wonder what has become of the girl, who has failed to return; and the lady will make up her mind she will not let her go again so readily. just when she has a sharp reproof ready, a messenger or letter will arrive, with some good excuse, couched in most polite and humble terms. sometimes it will be that she has found herself too weak[317] for service, or that work at home, or the illness of some member of the family, detains her, so that she is not able to come back at present. the excuse is understood and accepted as final, and another servant is sought for and obtained. after several weeks have passed, very likely after entering a new place, the old servant will turn up some day, express her thanks for all past kindnesses and regrets at not returning in time, will take her pay and her bundles, and disappear forever.

even when servants come on trial for a few days, they often go away nominally to fetch their belongings, or make arrangements to return, but the lady of the house does not know whether the woman is satisfied or not. if she is not, her refusal is always brought by a third person. if the mistress, on her side, does not wish to hire the girl, she will not tell her so to her face, but will send word at this time to prevent her coming. such is the etiquette in these matters of mistress and maid.[*]

only by a multiplicity of details is it possible to give much idea of the position of servants in a japanese house, and even then the result arrived at is that the positions [318]of what we would call domestic servants vary so greatly in honor and responsibility that it is almost impossible to draw any general conclusions upon this subject. we have seen that there is no distinct servile class in japan, and that a person's social status is not altered by the fact that he serves in a menial capacity, provided that service be of one above him in rank and not below him. this is largely the result of the grading of society upon other lines than those on which our social distinctions are founded, and partly the result of the fact that women, of whatever class, are servants so far as persons of the opposite sex in their own class are concerned. the women of japan to-day form the great servile class, and, as they are also the wives and mothers of those whom they serve, they are treated, of course, with a certain consideration and respect never given to a mere servant; and through them, all domestic service is elevated.[*]

there are two employments which i have mentioned among those of domestic servants because they would be so classed by us, but which in japan rank among the trades. the jinrikisha man and the[319] groom belong, as a rule, to a certain class at the bottom of the social ladder, and no samurai would think of entering either of these occupations, except under stress of severest poverty. the bettos, or grooms, are a hereditary class and a regular guild, and have a reputation, among both japanese and foreigners, as a betting, gambling, cheating, good-for-nothing lot. an honest betto is a rare phenomenon. the jinrikisha men are, many of them, sons of peasants, who come to the cities for the sake of earning more money, or leading a livelier life than can be found in the little thatched cottage among the rice-fields. few of them are married, or have homes of their own. many of them drink and gamble, and sow their wild oats in all possible ways; but they are a well-meaning, fairly honest, happy-go-lucky set, who lead hard lives of exhausting labor, and endure long hours of exposure to heat and cold, rain, snow, and blinding sunshine, not only with little complaint or grumbling, but with absolute cheerfulness and hilarity. a strong, fast jinrikisha man takes great pride in his strength and speed. it is a point of honor with him to pull his[320] passenger up the steepest and most slippery of hills, and never to heed him if he expresses a desire to walk in order to save his man. i have had my kurumaya stoutly refuse, again and again, my offers to walk up a steep hill, even when the snow was so soft and slippery under his bare feet that he fell three times in making the ascent. "dai jobu" (safe) would be his smiling response to all my protestations; and, once in a jinrikisha, the passenger is entirely at the mercy of his man in all matters of getting into and out of the vehicle. but though the jinrikisha man is, for the time being, the autocrat and controlling power over his passenger, and though he will not obey the behests of his employer, except so far as they seem reasonable and in accordance with the best interests of all concerned, he constitutes himself the protector and assistant, the adviser and counselor, of him whom he serves, and gives his best thought and intelligence, as well as his speed and strength, to the service in which he is engaged. if he thinks it safe, he will tear like an unbroken colt through the business portions of the city, knocking bundles out of the[321] hands of foot passengers, or even hitting the wayfarers themselves in a fierce dash through their midst, laughing gayly at their protests, and at threats of wrath to come from his helpless passenger; but should hint of insult or injury against kuruma, passenger, or passenger's dog fall upon his ears, he will drop the jinrikisha shafts, and administer condign punishment to the offender, unchecked by thoughts of the ever-present police, or by any terrors that his employer may hold over his head. in no other country in the world, perhaps, can a lady place more entire confidence in the honor and loyalty of her servant than she can in japan in her kurumaya, whether he be her private servant, or one from a respectable stand. he may not do what she bids him, but that is quite a secondary matter. he will study her interests; will remember her likes and dislikes; will take a mental inventory of the various accessories or bundles that she carries with her, and will never permit her to lose or forget one of them; will run his legs off in her service, and defend her and her property valiantly in case of need. of course, as in all classes there are different grades,[322] so there are jinrikisha men who seem to have sunk so low in their calling that they have lost all feeling of loyalty to their employer, and only care selfishly for the pittance they gain. such men are often found in the treaty ports, eagerly seeking for the rich foreigner, from whom they can get an extra fee, and whom they regard as outside of their code of morals, and hence as their natural prey. travelers, and even residents of japan, have often complained of such treatment; and it is only after long stay in japan, among the japanese themselves, that one can tell what a jinrikisha man is capable of.[*]

if you employ one kurumaya for any length of time, you come to have a real affection for him on account of his loyal, faithful, cheerful service, such as we seldom find in this country except when inspired by personal feeling. when you have ridden miles and miles, by night and by day, through rain and sleet and hottest sunshine, behind a man who has used every power of body and mind in your service, you cannot but have a strong feeling of affection toward him, and of pride in him as well. it is something the feeling[323] that one has for a good saddle-horse, but more developed. you rejoice, not only in his strength and speed, put forth so willingly in your service; in his picturesque, dark blue costume with your monogram embroidered on the back; in his handsomely turned ankles; in his black, wavy hair; in his delicate hands and trim waist,—though these are often a source of pride to you,—but his skill in divining your wants; his use of his tongue in your service; his helping out of your faltering japanese with explanations which, if not elegant, have the merit of being easily understood; his combats with extortionate shopkeepers in your behalf; his interest in all your doings and concerns,—remain as a pleasant memory, upon your return to a land where no man would so far forget his manhood as to give himself so completely and without reserve to the service of any master save mammon.

as old japan, with its quaintness, its medi?val flavor, its feudalism, its loyalty, its sense of honor, and its transcendental contempt for money and luxury, recedes into the past, and as the memories of my life there grow dim, two figures stand out[324] more and more boldly from the fading background,—both, the figures of faithful servants. one, yasaku, the kurumaya, a very hercules, who could keep close to a pair of coach horses through miles of city streets, and who never suffered mortal jinrikisha man to pass him. my champion in all times of danger and alarm, but a very autocrat in all minor matters,—his cheery face, his broad shoulders with their blue draperies, his jolly, boyish voice, and his dainty, delicate hands come before me as i write, and i wonder to what fortunate person he is now giving the intelligent service that he once gave so whole-heartedly to me. the other, o kaio, my maid, her plain little face, with its upturned eyes, growing, as the days went by, absolutely beautiful in the light of pure goodness that beamed from it. a japanese christian, with all the christian virtues well developed, she became to me not only a good servant, doing her work with conscientious fidelity, but a sympathetic friend, to whom i turned for help in time of need; and whom i left, when i returned to america, with a sincere sorrow in my heart at parting with one who had grown to fill so large[325] a place in my thoughts. her little, half-shy, half-motherly ways toward her big foreign mistress had a charm all their own. her pride and delight over my progress in the language; her patient efforts to make me understand new words, or to understand my uncouth foreign idioms; her joy, when at last i reached the point where a story told by her lips could be comprehended and enjoyed,—gave a continual encouragement in a task too often completely disheartening.

during the last summer of my stay in japan, cutting loose from all foreigners and foreign associations, i traveled alone with her through the heart of the country, stopping only at japanese hotels, and carrying with me no supplies to eke out the simple japanese fare. through floods and typhoons we journeyed. long days of scorching heat or driving rain in no way abated her cheerfulness, or lessened her desire to do all that she could for my aid and comfort. not one sad look nor impatient word showed a flaw in her perfect temper; and if she privately made up her mind that i was crazy, she never by word or look gave a hint of her thought. jinrikisha[326] men grumbled and gave out; hotel-keepers resented the presence of my dog, or presented extortionate bills; but o kaio's good temper and tact never failed her. difficulties were smoothed away; bills were compromised and reduced; the dog slept securely by my side on a red blanket in the best rooms of the best hotels; and o kaio smiled, told her quaint stories, amused me and ministered to me, as if i were her one object in life, though husband and children were far away in distant tokyo, and her mother's heart yearned for her little ones.