THE CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY.
(TO THE EDITOR OF THE "Spwrens.") SIR,—In your kind review (August 26th) of my last book, "The Custom of the Country," a point is raised which I purposely left untouched, intending to illustrate my views about it in a future story. It is a grave question, and one on which I have thought a good deal, so I would trespass on your courtesy so far as to beg you to allow me to disown, distinctly and publicly, the opinion ascribed to me as to the wisdom of marriages between English women and Japanese men. The tyrannously masculine element in Japanese life which has helped to make the women what they are, the sweetest and kindest and most blindly obedient wives, would be intolerable to a self-respecting, highly educated woman of our race. Apart from exceptional circumstances and person- alities (such as have made a very small percentage of these marriages notably happy ones), I believe that nothing but Borrow and discord can result from the union of European women with Japanese men. In the converse case many con- siderations unite to make it possible for European men of a certain stamp to find much happiness in a Japanese marriage. The man intends probably to spend many years in the country ; his pay is such that a European wife is an im- possible luxury; he has no relations at hand to criticise his choice; he catches the mood of the men of the country, to whom, each questions as love or intellectual companionship do not as a rule present themselves in connection with marriage. If the European is a fairly law-abiding creature he prefers to have one faithful little woman as his housekeeper and hand- maid, as the mother of his children (who, though not English, will still bring him a good deal of happiness), to engaging a succession of decorative young ladies from the impresarios who deal in such wares. Many a happy and respectable home in the East owes its existence to these considerations. I have no desire to depreciate the qualities of European women, whom I admire sincerely. Only I do not think they always show to the best advantage away from home, and I have often wished that they would bring more broad-mindedness and sympathy with them on their travels.—I am, Sir, &c,, MARY CRAWFORD FRASER.
Villa Crawford, Sant' Agnello di Sorrento, Sept. 12th.
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