The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-07-07

preserved for no purpose but this and
having its own name in the Japanese
vocabulary. is to prevent the defile-
ment of the handle by a hand which
grasps it in peace. The bow is meant
Tor the spirit Of the swordsmith who
Forged this weapon. The reverence is
for the sword itself. ''soul Of the sa-
mural" in the Japanese poetical con-
ception and APPLY called by foreigners
1.-The steel Bible of Bushido."
But this is only the beginning of the
Formally. When the japanese host
unsheaths the blade he does it with
the edge toward his own body and the
point directed away from his guest.
When the guest receives the sword in
his own hands he must be careful to
keep the outer edge always away from
the direction of his friend the host.
II he wishes to examine both sides of
the blade he must even turn his back
so that never will the menace of the
sharpened edge be directed toward his
friend.
After the examination is completed
the sword is returned to its scabbard,
and the owner receives it with an
other bow and places it once more on
its rack.
The etiquette of the sword is no
empty thing. With the high spirited
Japanese, who have not forgotten the
many centuries Of chivalry and Of
hand fighting behind them. the deli
cately curved and curiously welded
sword of the samurai has a signif-
canoe almost sacred. There is a phi
losophy of the sworn no less stern
than the use of the weapon.
In the old days when the Japanese
fighters wore the war masks and the
steel armor seen nowadays in the
curiosity shops the boy was taught
that as the shining blade must be kept
free from spot and corruption, so must
his soul be ever clean. Neglect Of the
blade brings rust; neglect Of the soul
an impure character.
Then the sharp edge was held not
only as constant guardian Of per-
sonal safety and honor, but as a sacred
disciplinarian to punish whenever it's
possessor stepped from the narrow
path Of the Yamato spirit Of chivalry.
Again, the sword was emblematical
of true gentility. which is never over
bearing or vulgar in department, but
sternly self repressive.
No man knows when first the forge
for fighting weapons was set up in the
dawn of Japanese history nor who
was the man who first replaced the
rude bronze blades Of primitive folk
by the tempered steel Of the Yamato
blade. There is in the imperial collec-
ton of swords at the castle of Nara
the weapon worn by the Crown Prince
Shotoku. who compiled the constitu-
ton Of seventeen articles in A. D. 693,
the Oldest sword known In Japan. From
that weapon. which was straight and
not curved as all other swords of Nip
pom are, down to the fall of the Toku-
gawa shogunate in the middle of the
last century there is an unbroken his
tory Of the art Of the swordsmith.
Twelve centuries Of recorded art in
swordmaking and the names of over
10000 makes constitute the history of
the sword in Japan.
The Japanese blade. placed almost
on par with the Damascus product
In art and utility, differs from the
Arabian weapon in one material detail
Of manufacture. Instead of having a
uniform high temper, which gives the
remarkable fexibillty possessed by the
Damascus blade. the Japanese sword
has two tempers. a hard and q mild
steel.
The edge of the blade is hard with
the finest temper. the body and back
OF a milder temper, sufficient to give
some elasticity. A Japanese sword
cannot be bent half double with the
pressure of hand; it is nearly rigid.
Though sword manufacture has ceas.
ed to be in Japan today outside of the
government arsenals. which turn ont
only the accepted military blade of the
modern army, the country is filed with
priced relics Of the past art, and these
are relics which the Japanese will not
sell. A possessor of one Of the old
swords, keen and blue white in luster
as the day it was forged. would sell
his house, even himself maybe, before
he would part with his iron Bible of
Bushido for money.-Japan Magazine.
Starting the Trouble.
Mabel-Did he stutter when he pro-
posed? Ethel-No. l don't think so.
He must have i'm
Punch.