Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-11-18
Kan)e-S
.s-s-s.0 s-e.s-
A Japanese Boy Who Was Wrong
fully Disgraced-The Stigma
Was Erased In Battle.

Shall | tell you the story of little
Kane? 1t Is name to be spoken
with reverence.
Kane was the son of Nori-San, one
Of the no caste. which indicates II
tillcr of the soil. He lived near the
village of kioto. His home was one
Of many comforts for farmer whose
chief source of revenue is Il riceficld,
q small grove Of mulberry trees and
an orange orchard.
Kane was the youngest of five. 1t
was his duty to carry the trays of silk
worm cOcoonS to the thatched sheds
where the women dropped them into
boiling water, gathering with branches
the invisible skcins to spin into visible
threads.
One bright morning little Kane was
seated with his venerable father be-
fore the cottage. Nori-san had been
telling him tales of his forcfathers. of
their her0iSm in the great wars of the
ShogunS and the rebellion against the
Samauri. Kane fell asleep. much to
the elders diSplcasure. his young mind
filled with golden images and moving
armies inspired by triumphant song.
Then the itincrant barber came plod-
ding UP the dusty road from the vii
lage. AS all the world knew, the bar
Der was the district newspaper, as it
were, who, while manipulating his
queer tools, told everything he knew.
1t was in the midst Of a recital of
the possibility of pig tailed invasion
over all the land that Il note of terror
escaped the old mans lips. The little
dreamer at his side awoke with a
start, and in so doing overturned the
barbcr's box Of queer combs, bottles.
boxes and razors. The barbers' an
CRY rev OF was supplemented with a
growl Il Nori-san, thus disturbed
in his toilet and the more important
news of the coming war.
Lad" he cried, .'have ! taught thee
to sleep amid such perllous times?
Get thee to the sheds and fail rice till
the sun goes down. Tomorrow, may
hap, thou wilt have come to thy
senses"
Kane arose. convinced in his heart
that he had done no wrong. but he
held his peace, moving toward the
sheds to bear his nenance bravely.
Soon he was joined by his father.
Kane did not salute him deferentially,
after his familiar manner. The parent
waXed wroth.
'SOn," he cried, "what have ! taught
thee to say to thy betters? Where art
thy manners toward thy fatherY
The boy only bowed in humility, then
resumed his task previously. The elder
seized his heavier fail and took posi-
tion at the other end of the mat.
Suddenly the comb fell from the
fathers freshly barbered hair. He bent
down to recover it ere It be broken by
the others fail,
Instantly the tip of Kame's swift
flying fail struck the bowed head with
an appalling sound. and the old man
pitched forward on his face in the rice
and lay quite still.
Kame's blood froze in his heart. He
could not move-could not cry out as
yet. Then he uttered a wild moan,
sinking by the still form, sobbing de-
spairingly Then came brothers and sis
ters, neighbors and passcNby. lifting
the Quivcring form, dashing water into
the drawn, drab wrinkles, and that
image of death resumed human as
pect once more.
Kane watched it all as in some hide
Gus dream, and when at last the IA
TIERS eyes opened the boy fell upon his
face, throwing the rice chaff over his
head in to2en of sorrowful petition.
But the elder recoiled from him.
'SOn," cried he, thou art my first
disgrace and sorrow. @ unnatural one
that would be guilty thus Of the crime
of crimeS--tO strike n father down.
What! Art thou possessed of devil to
fall so low?"
Then turned the old man to his elder
son at his side, crying, go, Take!
Run to the village and ask of the
learned judge, Siban-quam, what shall
be the penalty upon the son that
strikes n father. Go" And the brother
sped away.
The messenger returned, ''The ora
Gle of the law, o father. demands that
a black cross shall be tattoed upon the
offenders brow" he said with much
sOlemnity, "and hence shall the migrate