The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-11
JAPANESE VENGEANCE.
IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY ALL
 DUE REVERENCE,

PoIiteness and Courtesy, but it is Sure
 True Story of the Forty-seven Ro-
 min.
 The spirit of the Japanese warrior caste, the Samural is shown in the true story of the '.Forty-seven Ronin'' It happened at the Shotgn's Court 200 years ago, and it is thus retold by the Lahore Tribune:
 Now it happend that a certain provin- cial lord. Asano of Ako, had been charged with the duty of carrying out the reception of an envoy of the NIika- do.
 Asano, a bluff fighting man, well aware of his deficiencies, consulted an- other nobleman, an experienced. sup ple well-born aristocrat named Kira. Kira sneered at honest Asano, and even told him to stoeD and tie up his shoe-string. The hot blood of all the Asanos rose at this wanton insult. Out came the great two-handed sword, and next moment the proud but cowardly Kira was fleeing through the palace with great gash in his cheek.
 To make an uproar in the palace was crime punishable by death. A board of punishment condemned the much-pro- voked Asano to commit suicide by the traditional method of disembowelment, his castle was confiscated, his family declared extinct, his clan disbanded.
 eanwhile the dead lords clansmen had arranged a plan of campaign. They were now what the Japanese called Ronin-"w avemen"-servants without a master, wanderers without a home. They met, and swore vengeance. Oishi, the head retainer, ordered his linen to separate. Some took to mean trades, and in the guise of artisans and lpedlers gained access to. Kira's man. sion. Slowly they collected information as to his habits, the precautions he was taking, and the intricasies of his house land garden.
 Oshi himself, to disarm suspicion, plunged into dissipation. He threw aside his well-loved wife and children, was seen lying drunk in the gutters, land conducted himself as a man lost to all sense and duty.
 Two years thus passed. At length Oishi thought he might act. The Forty seven were called together, and one wild, snowy night in January they at- tackled the doomed lords mansion. The lgate was forced, the guard killed, and lthe Ronin ransacked the house for their enemy. At last they found him hiding behind pile of charcoal in an l out house quaking with fear. Kira was too high born to be killed like dog, and Japanese politeness asserted itself Oish kneeled before the noble wretch.
 Your lordship will forgive your de draded humble servants" he said. eve are only poor soldiers, and though our lords soul demands that you shall die for the injury you did him, we cannot think of killing you without paying every respect to your lofty station. We pray you, therefore, to condescend tc oblige us by disemboweling yourself even as he was forced to do. If you dc this we shall be saved the impertinence lof laying violent hands on a man we are not worthy to. approach" l Thus, doubtless with low rever- enee and a drawing in of the breath Kira declined to make an end of him. self. So etiquette or no etiquette, they had to kill him. They cut off his head marched out to temple in the city and laid the gory trophy on their owr masters grave. Then they awaited their doom.
 It came with the dawn-a command that they should all commit suicide This sentence they carried out and the graves of the Forty seven are stil shown to the curious visitor to tho Japanese capital.
 Neither the politeness of Kira's reluc. tant but firm executioners nor theil determination in committing suicide is exaggerated.
 Such politeness, which seems almost painful to the Western mind, stl flourishes in. New Japan
 The grim disregard for his life has been amply shown during the presen Iwar by the Japanese. He lays dowr his life for his duty cheerfully, whether his dutya consists in leading. a forlori hope or committing suicide