The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-06-09

ga Es
VIC 3 81 He MIt>ADo.
RE NOW EAGER TO
sERVE@As NURSES.
NO nat ton has a better right to be
& proud OF SWi at its women have done
IN war time than Japan Even the
mothers and wives Of ancient Sparta
\ haveabe vailed in deeds Of patriot
ism and self-sacrif ice by the women
ss OF pan, say t..e New York sun.
III the feuda tim s, which came to
an end ms apan only 80 years ago,
all gentlewomen were trained IN the
sss1se oT the sword anu lance. The
women 81 the samnrai class received
( ii regalark mi itary education and il
the castle Of daimio was besieged
III sthey we're capable Of assisting in the
defense necessary.
noted instance Of the maftlal
4 pRoWess8 Of the japanese women oc-
ssSc,arred during the siege Of the castle
Sss nj ANakanlatsu5 4 III 1868, where the
shogIn made his final stand against
forceg$o the Mikado. Nearly one
Thousand women and girls belonging
" e. the families of sanural attached
the Shogun fought behind the par
Sricades and on the castle walls Many
Sssofs hem were Killed in battle, while
mot few%of@ them committed suicide
ct than undergo the humiliation
i defeat
Yets the SAmazonian qualities Of the
women Of old japan did not detract
from tt cir omanliness. They were
Tender moth and loving wives. The
nursing OF tn e wounded and sick was
a part OF the educa rion of every samurai
woman
With the passing away OF the age
en- sralry in J Japan. upon the down
fall of the Shogunate. the Japanese
\ woman was called upon to face new
Conditions, and now she met these
conditions is shown in the history OF
the Chinese war in 1895.
it's q matter Of record that some
u q. 600 japanese women volunt eered TO
gosto@t he front as nurses in ai1e field
hospitals at the outbreak OF the
B Chinese war, and adylces from Japan
state that the number Of women vol
sto go to the front as nurses
today Isl greater than in 1888 But
women who stay at home are not
s1aclxing in patriotic, DEVOTION.
rhereSis an anecdote concering the
Sakamoto who was killed on the
h bridge Of his ship, the Akagi, at the
battle of Ya1u, which shows how the
spirit of patriotism flames in the
8 hearts ofSJapanese women
fficials Of the navy department
called on the family Of the naval
officer to convey as delicately as pos
sib1e, the news of his death. Having
his Stidings to mem
der Of the family, he was about to
depart, when the shoji slid open
softly and the aged mother OF the
dead commander staggered into the
room.
She had been an accidental caves
siropper and had heard all. Trembling
with emotion she bowed to the Wis
IA ting officer and said:
"a ell the emperor rejoice that a
son#of nine has been able TO be Of
X some service to him.
5s$5Ssss Some japanese women refused to
weep over cir dead, because it was
considered dis1oys12 to the Mikado to
for those who had the honor to
d q: lighting for him When wife
or mother heard that husband or
son had been killed in battle, the
S FIRST Xpressioning uttered was an
s ackno wledgement OF the honor con-
ferred upon her by the gods in being
~ sbereaVed for the cause OF the empe-
ror. i..5;
b. To the Western mind such patriot
81 ism appears to be fantastic and hard
4ato2 Understand. In the light OF jap
anese history it does not seem SO
sS strange.
The spirit of patriotism in the Jap
anese women of the present genera
tion is the outgrowth of ages of feu-
y daHsm. The loyalty and devotion
which the women of past generations
VI gave to their feudal family head are
Ss5i the present generation given to the
HI hikado.
In time of war the Empress of ia
pan sets an example for all the wo-
men OF the country by her activity in
behalf off, all those who are suffering
COR in distress. She may be seen fire.
quently visiting the great military