292 
LADY ON HORSEBACK. 
concerns, while they themselves pay visits to the 
tea-houses, and are waited on by smiling Hebes ! I 
constantly saw among the upturned female faces 
smiling at the foreigner, many married women, 
with their hands before their mouths, endeavouring 
to conceal what they evidently regard as a dis- 
figurement of their features. 
A Japanese lady in walking attire forms a rather 
pretty picture, as, shading her eyes wit? her open 
fan, she slides along in her grass-woven sandals, her 
hair tastefully arranged, and her loose-sleeved jacket 
partially covering her narrow skirt. I think she 
contrasts not unfavourably with an English girl in 
bright-coloured walking dress, and head of por- 
tentous size, stepping mincingly along ^vith the 
celebrated “ Grecian bend ! ” 
But when I observe a lady of Niphon on horse- 
back, taking the air, bestriding a high conical 
wooden saddle, holding on to it in front with both 
her hands, and her knees uj) to her elbows, while a 
barelegged groom leads her sorry nag, I think she 
presents a figure at once inelegant and absurd ; con- 
