Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
PURE PATRIOTISM.
Even Children Make Sacrifices TO
Help Their Country.
Touching Incidents OF Devotion I'm the
Raising of FUNDS to Garry On the
War Against CHINA Little
Girls Letter.

Much has been written about the
great patriotism of the Japanese and
the unboundcd loyalty of all classes 10
the emperor. Instances have been
given of fatally wounded soldiers
cheering their comrades and urging
them on at Ping Yang and other bat
tie fields. one gets an even better idea
Of this all-peryading love OF country
and devotion TO its ruler from incidents
that occur at home. the random occur
rences that are noticed in the Japanese
vernacular papers. One of the most strik-
ing of these displays of patriotism, ac-
cording 70 a recent Yokohama dispatch,
was recently made 10y an ignorant little
country girl in a letter to her brother,
who was with the Second army corps.
The girl i fifteen. anC is working hard
at home 70 support her parents. She
uses the simple characters which show
that She has had only IA common-school
education, but the newspaper which re-
produces this 4etter indulge in long
panegyric over the brave Samurai
spirit which flashes )ut in this epistle,
and the editor declares that when
young girls reveal such noble self-sacri-
fice and such ardent patriotism the ma
tion cannot fail in anything it under
takes.
The girl 5 name is Tono, and, as viii
be seen from the following extracts
from her letter, she j. devoted, heart
and soul, TO the cause of Japan. She
says:
DEAR BROTHER: With your depart
ure we have lost pillar on which we
could depend. In my weak way | try
&C. play year part, now that You are
gone, and faithfully serve our parents
Dc not therefore. be uneasy about MS
Our armies have. hear, conquered in
many places. capturing many guns and
much ammunition. We people at home
are very glad &c hear of this
I'VE have hear! Of the gate-opening
at Pina-Yang. Even little children of
three or four years now 60 about sing
ing that song. People say that Ii
Hung Chang is SO frightened that he
longs for peace more than anything else.
The Chinese emperor is not less scared.
Some OF his subjects are trying 10 de-
throne him. These facts show that
there is not one loyal heart in China.
On the other hand our great emperor
is So benevolent that he takes much in
terest in the welfare of the families of
the soldiers abroad. Indeed, you may
never fee! anxious about Us. March
on bravely. Let al the world see how
courageous the Japanese are. Don't
let yourself be outdone 10y others in
pressing bravely forward. This is the
best way TO cheer our parents. If You
think only Of saving your own life, then
you will be able 10 do nothing for our
emperor and our country. Yet vou
must not merely die; if YOU must fall,
let it be in the midst OF some heroic /.
exploit. Every day and night | pray
to the gods about these things. i re-
peat, dear brother. you need not worry
about US at home.
Your loving sister, ToNo."
The PingYang gate opening men
toned in this letter, was one Of the /
greatest instances of individual heroism
during the war. A private soldier /
swan the stream in the face of mus
kerry fire, scaled the wall Of the town,
and threw open the heavy gates of the /
city just as the victorious japanese
column reached the place. He was
Razetted, made petty officer and dec
GRATED with "a medal. The incident was
told in a stirring ballad, which the
japanese school children have been
fond of singing.
Some very touching incidents of devo-
ton have been noted in the gifts of poor
people 20 the war fund, but the school |
children deserve the first place because
self-denial is harder in childhood than /
in maturity. A little district night
school at Shinshin is attended by forty
poor children. Most of them work hard
during the day. 1t has been customary
TO give the master a small present at
New Years. This year he charged his
pupils not 10 make the usual gift. but
TO devote their money to the war fund.
He warned them not to ask their par
ents for any corn, but TO earn them
selves whatever they contributed. So
the boys twisted silk and made sandals,
while the girls spun cotton yarn and
wove mats. In this way they accumu-
lated nearly seven dollars. The master,
with tears in his eyes, thanked them for
their self-denial and patriotism and sent
the story with the money TO the war
fund