The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-24

A full hour had elapsed; the train was more than thirty minutes late, and eve ming was falling. The approach of the train was heralded by unmusical screech, evidently turned on for the occasion by the patriotic engine driver. and 1t was greeted with a vocIferous Banzai--whioh sounds very like 'Hurray'' when shouted by crowd --and as 1t steamed slowly in hundred heads were thrust from the windows and e hundred tiny flags fluttered and rustled in responce to the Banzai and waving of the crowd. Banzai. Banzai Ban-Ban- gal
 The little group of soldiers on the plat form were joculary hustled into com pertinent reserved for them. all being pre- sented by people in the crowd with flags. amidst the heartiest sayonaras It was then that I noticed the mother and the children. There were no embraces with theIr Eood-byes, no kisses, no cambric the baby's head and stroked the little girls cheek, and bowed profuseiy to his wife with many Hast words" The demonstra- tion of the people seemed to please the woman not a little, and 1t certainly delight ed the children. She was smiling. and wondered did she realize that perchance her gallant spouse might never return. The girls on the platform had opened their baskets, and were taking from them pack cts of cigarettes which they attached to the banboos held by the coolies, and thus conveyed them over the heads of the peo- pie Into the crowded compartments The cigarettes were called Happy" this def milton being printed on the packages in English beneath picture of Britannia hand in-hand with Yamato Hine (the god dess- princess of Japan), thus symbalizing the Anglo-Japanese alliance. The little girI--O Hana San her mother called her was sent to secure a packet of cigarettes for her father and quickly returned. de- lighted, with two packets which she handed to him through the carriage window.
 This was the most impressive "send-off had ever witnessed. The undoubted sin cerity of the crowd-many of the young men in which would eventually have them selves to go to the front-was very no- ticeable. There was nothing of the hilar- ious after dinner "For-he' jolly good -feI- Iow'' element about the Japanese farewell. The demonstration was voluntarily planned to cheer the soldiers. and it did much to prove to them-if. indeed, such proof were necessary--that the heart of the nation would be with them wherever they might be sent in their country's cause.
 The train with its precious burden lum- bered onwards, the waving of flags and lan- terms, the Sayonaras. the Banzais. being responded to as Justify at first. The af- ter half of the train consisted of horse box es and vans, beneath the dark covers of which could be seen the wheels of the gun carriages. It was gone. Then in flash. the horrors of war pierced my mind. These sonbre cars as they left the station in the semi i-darkness seemed to cruelty shut off inc brave laughter and shouting as the sound gradually died away. There was an Indescribable silence in the ebbing crowd and my spirits sank as I noticed that sweet young mother and the two bairns. blissfully ignorant of her cares. The baby was dang ling a miniature red lantern on a small bam- hoo. which somebody had given him; the womans face was rnomentariiy screened by her long sleeve. and then by glimpse from the weird lantern light her powdered face told It's own story, It was if the bloom had been rudely erased from the fruit-she was crying. She drew o Hama San to her. and they shuffled homewards fin the darkness thought of that sentence: 'arhe Japanese women never wept" May be they seldom allow their tears to be ob- served; but believe, me, there are many soft brown eyes molstened in Happy Japan to-day.