Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 2.djvu/139

 drinking had its conventionalities, three sips, five sips, the "nightingale style," the "dew-drop style," and so on. Pouring out wine was also a test of polite accomplishments. Again, in eating rice, the perfect gentleman or lady put into the mouth a chopsticks' measure on the right, a chopsticks' measure on the left, a chopsticks' measure in the centre, and masticated them all three together. In consuming the viands placed before him, a man had to follow the order of hill, sea, river, field, and garden. In taking soup, he was required to eat some of the fish, meat, or vegetable it contained, before drinking any of the liquid. In using chopsticks, the manner of manipulating them had its rules, and so also had many other parts of the procedure which need not be detailed. With regard to the position of the body, a man sat upon one heel, keeping one knee raised until the first tray of viands was placed before him, when he sat on both heels; and an attendant had to conclude his approach and commence his retirement kneeling on both knees, raising one, however, when he poured out wine or performed any other service. For ladies the code was even more rigorous. Above all they were expected to make no sound whatever in eating or drinking, — a veto that had no force in the case of a man, he being entitled to drink his soup or wine or ladle in his rice noisily, and even to mark his sense of abundance by sounds shocking to polite ears in the Occident.