The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-20

tender regard for his greatness n ats
suffering.
Here then lay root and trunk and
branches OF the goodly tree Of para
disc. As he settled down-his wife
and himself-to the hfe of the home
come veteran In a modest house on a
slight eminence looking down on
Toxic something sacred seemed about
him. but the claim on the Imagination
wa soon to be made supreme. 1t is
somewhat shocking to the Western
mind that the Ana touch OF the magic
wand was to come through the gr!sly
gate of n double suicide. And yet
The great Emperor lay dead in the
imperial palace. A nation In tears and
prayer lowered about his door. All
the sumptuary grandeur OF the inn
perial funeral rites was ready for the
impressive torrhllt procession. Along
the route all Toxic stood In hreathless
silence. All the high d~ignitaries OF
Japan toe mute IN line waiting and
they wondered: Nog, the beloved, the
honored Of the Meij,. was there.
At 8 o'clock a great Il doomed over
Toxic II at the instant the slow
march was taken up.
over the quaint immemorial I'm
perial hearse drawn by white oxen
some saw. or said they saw, hover a
pa,e blue flame. That was the soul OF
Count Kitten Nogi. a convA to the
soul of his master in the world OF
shadows.
With steady deliberatton and curious
provision he had made ready for the
end. His aged wife and he had sat
for their photographs the day before.
The household had all been set in
order. Husband and wife had spent
the afternoon together. Toward dusk
the servants had been told TO go to the
lower fioor OF the house; the master
wanted to rest. A heavy sound as OF
a body falling followed the echo Of
the palace II and hen another.
Both were found wcltering in their
blood, dead. The General was in his
full Uniform. Beside them lay tn"
short sword with which the Genera.
had pierced and u across his
abdomen and the knife with which his
wife had pierced her throat-al,
strictly according to the law of hara-
kiri. He had set the seal upon his
dedication.
What sanct.ty' that ritual suicide
carries TO the japanese mind can
scarcely be guessed by one of another
race The rcrocs Of Japan are the
forty-seVcn Ronins. all OF whom com
m.tted seppuku or harakirt, as IL was
variously called some two hundred and
twelve years ago.; all at the same
morning hour. all by gracious per-
mission OF the law as the alternative
to death at the executioner's hands.
Who does not know the tale How
the good lord Asano had sought the
Of the Shotgun there in Jedo, as the
Toxic of to-day was called. and be-
sought his aid and counsel in a GER
tain court affair? The wicked lord
had tainted the good lord beyonJ
endurance. so the good lord drew his
sword and wounded the wicked one.
The crime OF drawing his sword ir
the palace precincts was punishabl,
with death, 20 Asano died by his owr
hand. Confiscation OF his estate and
dispersal Of his samurai retainers fol
lowed.
Forty-seven OF them, true to hi:
memory. resolved on vengeance. which
In such case Is the ineluctable part o
loyalty and devotion-the great SHINING
virtue in the eyes Of the Japanese
For a year the forty-scven laid theil
plans under n mountain OF difiiCultie!
until one winters night of snow the,
stormed the house of the wicked lord
dragged him from an clubhouse wher,
he had hidden and slew him, Sever
inu hil hand thpV GOT n,tt In grim nrn