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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 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 sense。 Not that he is no longer a member of society nor unamenable to its general laws； but that he has become a respectable declasse； as it were。 He has entered； so to speak； the social nirvana； a not unfitting first step； as he regards it； toward entering the eventual nirvana beyond。 Such abdication now takes place without particular cause。 After a certain time of life； and long before a man grows old； it is the fashion thus to make one's bow。
Chapter 4。 Language。
A man's personal equation； as astronomers call the effect of his individuality； is kin； for all its complexity； to those simple algebraical problems which so puzzled us at school。 To solve either we must begin by knowing the values of the constants that enter into its expression。 Upon the a b c's of the one； as upon those of the other； depend the possibilities of the individual x。
Now the constants in any man's equation are the qualities that he has inherited from the past。 What a man does follows from what he is； which in turn is mostly dependent upon what his ancestors have been； and of all the links in the long chain of mind…evolution； few are more important and more suggestive than language。 Actions may at the moment speak louder than words； but methods of expression have as tell…tale a tongue for bygone times as ways of doing things。
If it should ever fall to my lot to have to settle that exceedingly vexed Eastern question；not the emancipation of ancient Greece from the bondage of the modern Turk； but the emancipation of the modern college student from the bond of ancient Greek；I should propose； as a solution of the dilemma； the addition of a course in Japanese to the college list of required studies。 It might look； I admit； like begging the question for the sake of giving its answer； but the answer； I think； would justify itself。
It is from no desire to parade a fresh hobby…horse upon the university curriculum that I offer the suggestion； but because I believe that a study of the Japanese language would prove the most valuable of ponies in the academic pursuit of philology。 In the matter of literature； indeed； we should not be adding very much to our existing store； but we should gain an insight into the genesis of speech that would put us at least one step nearer to being present at the beginnings of human conversation。 As it is now； our linguistic learning is with most of us limited to a knowledge of Aryan tongues； and in consequence we not only fall into the mistake of thinking our way the only way； which is bad enough； but； what is far worse； by not perceiving the other possible paths we quite fail to appreciate the advantages or disadvantages of following our own。 We are the blind votaries of a species of ancestral language…worship； which； with all its erudition； tends to narrow our linguistic scope。 A study of Japanese would free us from the fetters of any such family infatuation。 The inviolable rules and regulations of our mother…tongue would be found to be of relative application only。 For we should discover that speech is a much less categorical matter than we had been led to suppose。 We should actually come to doubt the fundamental necessity of some of our most sacred grammatical constructions； and even our reverenced Latin grammars would lose that air of awful absoluteness which so impressed us in boyhood。
An encouraging estimate of a certain missionary puts the amount of study needed by the Western student for the learning of Japanese as sufficient； if expended nearer home； to equip him with any three modern European languages。 It is certainly true that a completely strange vocabulary； an utter inversion of grammar； and an elaborate system of honorifics combine to render its acquisition anything but easy。 In its fundamental principles； however； it is alluringly simple。
In the first place； the Japanese language is pleasingly destitute of personal pronouns。 Not only is the obnoxious 〃I〃 conspicuous only by its absence； the objectionable antagonistic 〃you〃 is also entirely suppressed； while the intrusive 〃he〃 is evidently too much of a third person to be wanted。 Such invidious distinctions of identity apparently never thrust their presence upon the simple early Tartar minds。 I； you； and he； not being differences due to nature； demanded； to their thinking； no recognition of man。
There is about this vagueness of expression a freedom not without its charm。 It is certainly delightful to be able to speak of yourself as if you were somebody else； choosing mentally for the occasion any one you may happen to fancy； or； it you prefer； the possibility of soaring boldly forth into the realms of the unconditioned。
To us； at first sight； however； such a lack of specification appears wofully incompatible with any intelligible transmission of ideas。 So communistic a want of discrimination between the meum and the tuumto say nothing of the claims of a possible third partywould seem to be as fatal to the interchange of thoughts as it proves destructive to the trafficking in commodities。 Such； nevertheless； is not the result。 On the contrary； Japanese is as easy and as certain of comprehension as is English。 On ninety occasions out of a hundred； the context at once makes clear the person meant。
In the very few really ambiguous cases； or those in which； for the sake of emphasis； a pronoun is wanted； certain consecrated expressions are introduced for the purpose。 For eventually the more complex social relations of increasing civilization compelled some sort of distant recognition。 Accordingly； compromises with objectionable personality were effected by circumlocutions promoted to a pronoun's office； becoming thus pro…pronouns； as it were。 Very noncommittal expressions they are； most of them； such as： 〃the augustness；〃 meaning you； 〃that honorable side；〃 or 〃that corner；〃 denoting some third person； the exact term employed in any given instance scrupulously betokening the relative respect in w