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intercourse would soon proceed smoothly again if people would only rest
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content with one such domestic migration。 But they do not。 The fatal
facility of the process tempts them to repeat it。 The result is bewildering：
a people as nomadic now in the property of their persons as their
forefathers were in their real estate。 A man adopts another to…day to
unadopt him to…morrow and replace him by somebody else the day after。
So profoundly unimportant to them is their social identity； that they bandy
it about with almost farcical freedom。 Perhaps it is fitting that there
should be some slight preparation in this world for a future transmigration
of souls。 Still one fails to conceive that the practice can be devoid of
disadvantages even to its beneficiaries。 To foreigners it proves disastrously
perplexing。 For if you chance upon a man whom you have not met for
some time； you can never be quite sure how to accost him。 If you begin；
〃Well met； Green； how goes it？〃 as likely as not he replies； 〃Finely。 But I
am no longer Green； I have become Brown。 I was adopted last month by
my maternal grandfather。〃 You of course apologize for your unfortunate
mistake； carefully note his change of hue for a future occasion； and behold；
on meeting him the next time you find he has turned Black。 Such a
chameleon…like cognomen is very unsettling to your idea of his identity；
and can hardly prove reassuring to his own。 The only persons who reap
any benefit from the doubt are those； with us unhappy； individuals who
possess the futile faculty of remembering faces without recalling their
accompanying names。
Girls； as a rule； are not adopted； being valueless genealogically。 A
niece or grandniece to whom one has taken a great fancy might of course
be adopted there as elsewhere； but it would be distinctly out of the every…
day run； as she could never be included in the household on strict business
principles。
The practice of adopting is not confined to childless couples。 Others
may find themselves in quite as unfortunate a predicament。 A man may be
the father of a large and thriving family and yet be as destitute
patriarchally as if he had not a child to his name。 His offspring may be of
the wrong sex； they may all be girls。 In this untoward event the father has
something more on his hands than merely a houseful of daughters to
dispose of。 In addition to securing sons…in…law； he must； unless he would
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have his ancestral line become extinct； provide himself with a son。 The
simplest procedure in such a case is to combine relationships in a single
individual； and the most self…evident person to select for the dual capacity
is the husband of the eldest daughter。 This is the course pursued。 Some
worthy young man is secured as spouse for the senior sister； he is at the
same time formally taken in as a son by the family whose cognomen he
assumes； and eventually becomes the head of the house。 Strange to say；
this vista of gradually unfolding honors does not seem to prove inviting。
Perhaps the new…comer objects to marrying the whole family； a prejudice
not without parallel elsewhere。 Certainly the opportunity is not
appreciated。 Indeed； to 〃go out as a son…in…law；〃 as the Japanese idiom
hath it； is considered demeaning to the matrimonial domestic。 Like other
household help he wears too patently the badge of servitude。 〃If you have
three koku of rice to your name； don't do it；〃 is the advice of the local
proverba proverb whose warning against marrying for money is the more
suggestive for being launched in a land where marrying for love is beyond
the pale of respectability。 To barter one's name in this mercenary manner
is looked upon as derogatory to one's self…respect； although； as we have
seen； to part with it for any less direct remuneration is not attended with
the slightest loss of personal prestige。 As practically the unfortunate had
none to lose in either event； it would seem to be a case of taking away
from a man that which he hath not。 So contumacious a thing is custom。
It is indeed lucky that popular prejudice interposes some limit to this
fictitious method of acquiring children。 A trifling predilection for the real
thing in sonships is absolutely vital； even to the continuance of the
artificial variety。 For if one generation ever went in exclusively for
adoption； there would be no subsequent generation to adopt。
As it to give the finishing touch to so conventional a system of society；
a man can leave it under certain circumstances with even greater ease than
he entered it。 He can become as good as dead without the necessity of
making way with himself。 Theoretically； he can cease to live while still
practically existing； for it is always open to the head of a family to
abdicate。
The word abdicate has to our ears a certain regal sound。 We
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The Soul of the Far East
instinctively associate the act with a king。 Even the more democratic
expression resign suggests at once an office of public or quasi public
character。 To talk of abdicating one's private relationships sounds absurd；
one might as well talk of electing his parents； it would seem to us。 Such
misunderstanding of far…eastern social possibilities comes from our having
indulged in digressions from our more simple nomadic habits。 If in
imagination we will return to our ancestral muttons and the then existing
order of things； the idea will not strike us as so strange； for in those early
bucolic days every father was a king。 Family economics were the only
political questions in existence then。 The clan was the unit。 Domestic
disputes were state disturbances； and clan…claims the only kind of
international quarrels。 The patriarch was both father to his people and
king。
As time widened the family circle it eventually reached a point where
cohesion ceased to be possible。 The centrifugal tendency could no longer
be controlled by the centripetal force。 It split up into separate bodies；
each of them a family by itself。 In their turn these again divided； and so
the process went on。 This principle has worked universally； the only
difference in its action among different races being the greater or less
degree of the evolving motion。 With us the social system has been
turning more and more rapidly with time。 In the Far East its force；
instead of increasing； would seem to have decreased； enabling the nebula
of its original condition to keep together as a single mass； so that to…day a
whole nation； resembling a nebula indeed in homogeneity； is swayed by a
single patriarchal principle。 Here； on the contrary； so rapid has the
motion become that even brethren find themselves scattered to the four
winds。
An Occidental father and an Oriental head of a family are no longer
really correlative terms。 The latter more closely resembles a king in his
duties； responsibilities； and functions generally。 Now； in the Middle
Ages in Europe； when a king grew tired of affairs of state； he abdicated。
So in the Far East； when the head of a family has had enough of active life；
he abdicates； and his eldest son reigns in his stead。
From that moment he ceases to belong to the body politic in any active
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sense。 Not