ENGLISH READERS. 
THE HIGH SCHOOL SERIES. 
BOOK II. 
IIATSUDAIRA NOBUTSUNA AND THE SHGUN'S WATER TANKS. 
IN 1657 A.D., the Shogun's Palace was burnt. On this occasion the tanks in which the rainwater was caught, being made of tin, were all melted. To prevent this happening again, it was ordered that these tanks should in future be made of bronze. The dimensions decided on were as follows: Each tank was to be 4 ft. high, 5 ft. long, and 7-10ths of an inch thick. They were to be eight in number. 
The man who was to make these tanks represented their weight to be something enormous; and, as ill those days there was no means of weighing such large things, no one could prove that they would be less heavy than the mall represented. The officer whoso duty it was to attend to the business went to MITSUDAIRA NOBCJTSUIVA and asked him what had better be done. Had the tanks better be ordered?
"It is quite natural for you to be troubled about the matter," said NOBUTSUNA. "However, as they are very much needed, you had better order them; and just tell the man to make nine instead of eight, will you. I will see to the settling of the Price of each tank later on"
The officer who received this command was very much surprised at its tenor. Seeing that the tanks were to cost so much, what reason could there be for ordering one more than was actually required?" However, it is NOBUTSUNA's command," said he to himself, "and he always has his wits about him." So the officer ordered the nine tanks. 
The tanks were made, and the man who cast them asked' an exorbitant price for them. The officer who had charge of the business was greatly troubled, and brought the man's account to NOBUTSUNA, saying that, as he had ordered an extra tank, doubtless he had some idea of how the amount charged could be reduced. 
"To be sure I have" replied NOBUTSUNA. "Take the extra tank and have it broken up into little pieces that can be weighed. Weigh them all, and you will at once know what each tank ought to cost.
"This was done; and it was found that the blacksmith had been deceiving them so much, that the price of the nine tanks was very much less than that demanded for the eight. 

A WOMAN DEFENDS HER RIGHTS AGAlNST A MAN. 
IN a country village situated in So, China, there lived a woman who was the wife of a man called SH6. One day when this woman happened to be traveling along a narrow road in a cart, she met a Taifu's carriage. The Taifu's coachman instead of pulling his horses to one side of the road drove them right into the woman's conveyance. The Taifu's carriage was very much injured. Seeing this, he was very angry, and, seizing the woman, was about to beat her. 
"I have heard it said," she remarked, "that, 'The superior man does not transfer his anger from the right person to the wrong one; and that he never tries to make out that two are in the wrong when only one is.' I was coming along in this narrow road, where there was no possibility of getting out of the way. Your coachman saw this, and yet he moved on your carriage and ran it against my vehicle, The person with whom you ought to be angry, then, being your own coachman, in blaming me you have transferred your anger from the right person to the wrong one. And, while one person only is in the wrong, you have tried to make out that two are. Again, is it not enjoined in the Shusho: ' Fear Heaven and do not despise the helpless and desolate.' What you are now doing to me is done on account of my helpless condition, because I am a woman, and alone here in a narrow road. Does it become one who holds the office of a Taifu to act as you are now acting? If you wish to strike me, you may do ii. I care less for the blow than for the dishonor brought upon the Government to which you belong by your irrational conduct." 
The Taifu was impressed by these words, and desisted from what he was about to do. 

BORROWED GIDLANDEUP.. 
A woman once, being about to visit a friend who was in better circumstances than herself, wished to look smart. Having nothing suitable of her own to wear, she borrowed a dress from a "Clothes Lending Shop," for which she paid three cents per day. Putting this on, she made the intended visit. 
A day or two afterwards, the mother of the friend whom: she had visited came to see her. "I very much admired your dress the other day," she said, "and we have been thinking that we should like to get one made like it. Would you mind lending it to us for a pattern for a few days?
     The woman was greatly troubled, but having commenced with appealing to be richer than she really was, she had to keep up the deception. So, going to the shop, she borrowed the dress again. She requested her friend to return it within a few days. But the latter, supposing that the dress was the property of the friend who had visited her, thought that there could be no necessity for hurrying ; so she kept it a long time. 
As day after day passed, the woman felt more and more anxious to have the dress returned. But it was some fifteen days before it was sent back. So that the woman had one ryo and fifty sen to pay for the loan of the dress. And besides this, she was troubled about it; and' so lost, not only her money, but her Peace of mind. "The moral of this is," says the narrator of this tale "that we should never try to appear what we are not." As persons are what they are, and not what they wear, it is better to allow our reputation to depend on our characters rather than on our dress. 

EXTRAORDINARY PATRIOTISM. 
So BU, a Chinese official of the 'Kan period, was sent to Kyodo as a messenger of the Kan Government [B.C. 100]. The King of Kyodo detained BU as a prisoner; and on his refusing to renounce his country, ordered him to be put into a cave and to be kept without food. BU kept himself alive in the cave by eating snow and the hair that was attached to his garments. 
On going to the cave after a long interval, the Kyodo people were astonished to find Bu still alive, and immediately said to each other: "He must be a god." 
They now sent him to a desolate place. "When male sheep give milk," said they, "then we will send you back to your country." Which was equivalent to saying that he would not be sent back at all. 
While BU was living in this out-of-the-way place, some of his fellow-countrymen visited him, and strongly advised him to follow their example and become a subject of the King of Kyodo, but he steadfastly refused to do so. The people of Kyodo used various devices to induce him to relent, but all to no purpose. He remained in exile nineteen years; after which, the two countries, Kan and Kyodo, becoming friendly, there was no longer any impediment in the way of his return. 
In those days, among the insignia of office taken by all persons who were sent to foreign countries as ambassadors, there was a flag. This flag Bu kept through all his troubles, often sleeping with it under his pillow. When he returned to his country the flag was rotten and the old man's hair was grey, but he bore back to his fatherland the badge of his office with a glad heart, feeling that not withstanding all the temptations to which he had been exposed during nineteen long tedious years, he had been faithful to his country, his people, and his conscience. 

THE USEFUL AND THE ENTERTAINING. 
It happened that, the learned NAKAZAWA DONI went once to preach at Ikeda, in the province of Settsu, and lodged with a rich family of the lower class. The master of the house, who was particularly fond of sermons, entertained the preacher hospitably, and summoned his daughter a girl some fourteen or fifteen years old, to wait upon him at dinner. This young lady was not only extremely pretty but also had charming manners; so she arranged bouquets of flowers, and made tea, and played upon the harp, and laid herself out to please the learned man by singing songs. The preacher thanked her parents for all this and said: "Really it must be very difficult thing to educate a young lady up to such a pitch as this." 
The parents, carried away by their feelings, replied: "Yes when she is married she will hardly bring shame upon her husband's family. Besides what she did just now, she can weave garlands of flowers round torches, and we have taught her to paint a little." 
As they began to show a little conceit, the preacher said: "I am sure this is something quite out of the common run. Of course she knows how to rub the shoulders and loins, and has learned the art. of shampooing ? " 
The master of the house bristled up at this, and answered: "I may be very poor but I have not fallen so low as to let my daughter learn shampooing."
The learned man, smiling, replied: "I think you are making a mistake when you put yourself in a rage. No matter whether her family be rich or poor, when a woman is performing her duties in her husband's house, she must look upon her husband's parents as her own. If her honored father-in-low or mother-in-law fall ill, her being able to plait flowers, to paint pictures, and make tea will be of no use in the sick-room. To shampoo her parents-in-low, and nurse them affectionately, without employing either shampooer or servant-maid, is the right path of a daughter-in law. Do you mean to say that your daughter has not yet learnt shampooing, an art which is essential to her following the right path of a wife? That is what I meant to ask you just now. So useful a study is very important." 
At this the master of the house was ashamed, and, blushing, made many apologies. Certainly the harp and guitar are very good things in their way; but to attend to nursing their parents is the right road of children. 
The advice given by DONI may be summed up by saying that, in educating children, the useful must take the Precedence of the entertaining. A. B. MITFORD. 

A HEART FPEE FROM COVETOUSNESS THE MOST PRECIOUS OF JEWELS 
Gold and precious stones are very valuable, but there is nothing so precious as a heart free from covetousness. In ancient times, there was in China a man called SHINKAN, who had some very precious stones presented to him, which he refused to accept. The person who sent the stones, when he heard that SHINKAN had refused to take them, informed the latter that the stones which had been sent had been shown to a jeweler, and that he had pronounced them to be real gems "and therefore it is," said SHINKAN, ".that I send them to you." 
SHINKAN replied:-"Your jewel is a precious stone; my jewel is a heart free from covetousness. Now suppose you give me your jewel, and, after having received it, I gradually begin to covet things of this kind, it will end in any losing my jewel, a heart free from covetousness. And, at the same time, in giving me these precious stones, you would be giving away your jewels, and so we should both find ourselves without that which each values the most. We had better each one of us keep our jewels. For if we both give away our most valuable possession, we shall both alike sooner or later feel the want of it.
The accepting jewels does not in all cases produce a covetous spirit, but as SHIKAN feared that it might do so in his case, he was right in refusing to accept them. 

MODERATION IN DRESS. 
IN the year when TOKUGAWA IEYASU and TOYOTOMII HIDEYOSHI became reconciled to each other, 'one day, while IEYASU was staying at the Castle Of Hamamatsu, the weather being bitterly cold, IEYASU bid one of his attendants bring him an overcoat. 
A doctor who was standing by, called KONDO brought him the coat which had been presented to him by HIDEYOSHI. It was dyed with the richest colors, and sparkled with glittering ornaments.
IEYASU refused to make use of it. "Why" said he, "should I put on such a grand coat as this? On one occasion, indeed, to please HIDEYOSHI, I was constrained to wear it; but why should I do it again? Should I not then be departing from that strict moderation and simplicity which have always characterized this house?" 
Whereupon IEYASU called for another coat. 

THREE GREAT EVILS AND HOW THEY WERE GOT RID OF. 
IN the Shin period [A D 265- 316] there was in China a man called SHU SHI-IN. His strength exceeded that of most men. But he was a man who broke all the laws of society and made himself a pest to the village in which ho lived. At last, when he saw that he was an object of aversion to everyone around, he determined to reform. 
One day he met one of the old men of the village. He noticed that the old man wore a troubled look. "What is the cause of your looking so troubled," asked SHI-IN', "seeing that this year the crops are so good and everything looks so prosperous?"
"There are three great evils," replied the old man "that cause us trouble, and until they are removed we cannot be entirely happy!"  "What are they?" asked SHI-IN'. 
"First," replied the old man, "there is in NANZAN a fierce tiger which does great mischief. Secondly, there is in the river that flows beneath yonder bridge, a large serpent which injures a number of people. These and your existence in this village make up the three evils from which we suffer. While they still remain unremoved, is it any wonder that I look sad?"
SHI-IN determined to put an end to all three evils. So he commenced by going to the mountain to kill the tier. This he succeeded in doing. Then he vent to the river and killed the serpent; after which, he commenced to reform himself. He employed a good deal of time in reading. He was most careful about his conduct, and no less careful about his speech. 
After he had been disciplining himself for about a year, requests came in from different quarters that he would take office under the Government. He accepted an offer that came from Shin, and became a Gyoshi Chujo. When he entered on the duties of his office, he made up his mind that he would reprove and reform evil whenever and whenever he saw it. This resolution he carried out strictly; and hence, as a matter of course, made a great many enemies.
Just at this time there was a great war going on. And some of the members of the Cabinet, being offended by his blunt honesty, thought that the best way of getting rid of him would be to have him sent to the war. So they advised the Emperor to order him to join the army, adding that SHI-IN'S father was a renowned general, and that, therefore, it was likely that SHI-IN would do well in the war.
SON SHU, a friend of SHI-IN's, advised him to make his aged mother an excuse for not going to the war. 
"There are occasions when it is impossible," replied SHI-IN to the advice given him, "to do at the same time all that filial piety requires and all that faithfulness to our superiors and loyalty to our country demand of us. If, for the sake of my parent, I were to neglect my duty to my country, I should be doing what no true parent would wish, and, therefore, should be guilty of a breach of filial piety." 
Thus saying, SHI-1N set out for the sent of war, and displayed great velour in action. When the Shin army was defeated, he exhorted the men who fought around him not to surrender, come what would. He stood in the breach, and, holding his sword tight in his hand, shouted: "What is there to flee from? To-day is a day in which I will throw away my life in my country's cause. In ancient times, renowned generals, when they left their homes passed out of their compound by the gate through which. it is customary to convey corpses, called, ' The Dead Man's Gate;' which they did to indicate that they had no intention of returning alive to their houses. This was intended to show that in battle brave men should know how to advance, but not how to retreat. As I have received an important post under the Government, that I should lay down my life for any country, is but right and proper. 
He died fighting, and received the posthumous title of "Heisei Shogun."

A IETORT IN KIND. 
KISABURO, a man of a careful and saving disposition, abandoned his own lodgings and took a small dwelling next door to a famous eel-house. 
Now, as every one knows, the pleasant odor of eels fried in soy may be perceived far and near. KISABURO, therefore, found this change of quarters vastly to his advantage, and eat his simple meal of rice to the accompaniment of the delicious smell, which enabled him to dispense with the usual adjuncts of fish or vegetables.
The eel-man was not slow to discover this, and, determining at length to ask his frugal-minded neighbor for Payment, took him an account for the smell of his eels.
KlSABURO eyed him astutely, and drawing from his pocket-book the amount claimed from him, laid the -money on the bill and began to converse with his visitor. The latter at length rose to depart,, when KISABURO quietly replaced the money in his pocket-book. 
"Hey!" quoth the eel-man," I thought that money was for me; why don't you give it to me?" "Not so" was the reply. "You have charged me for the smell of your eels; I pay you back with the sight of my money." A. B. MITFORD. 

HIDEYOSHI CAUGHT IN HIS OVN TRAP. 
When TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI had finished building his palace in Fushimi, and was about to move into it, he invited a large number of distinguished guests to a feast given in honor of the occasion.
Among the orders issued at this time, .one was to the effect that none of the guests were to utter the word "fire" in the course of conversation during the feast.
Those who received this order, before publishing it to the lords who were expected to attend the feast, wished to know what the Punishment would be' in case anyone transgressed it. 
HIDEYOSHI, smiling, said: "Yes, to be sure, that is reasonable enough. Tell, then, the Punishment shall be in the form of a fine, at the rate of three ryo for every hundred koku of the offender's income." 
When this was published to the various barons, it created great astonishment. They said: "Here is a pretty thing! Why, how careful we shall have to be! Three ryo for a hundred koku will be thirty for a thousand koku, and three hundred for ten thousand,-and three thousand for one hundred thousand koku. What a fine!  It will never' do to be off one's guard even for a minute." 
Some laughed, but some looked very much concerned. 
It was customary in those days for an officer, who occupied the pest of Metsuke, and whose duty it was to look out for anything that went wrong, to be present at such feasts. On this occasion the Metsuke said to himself: "To-day is a day in which I must have sharp eyes and sharp ears in every place. I must take care that nothing escapes me." 
Every one was most, cautious that clay, and the word "fire" was not allowed to proceed from the lips of even the poorest of the assembly. So they all smiled at this result, and when it was evening, after congratulating HIDEYOSHI on his entering his new palace, the barons retuned to their homes. 
At night, HIDEYOSHI invited a few of his more intimate friends to a special entertainment. They all commenced to drink wine freely together. Among them, SONORI SHINZAEMON, a special favorite' of HIDEYOSHI's, was present. SHINZAEMON was extremely fond of fun; in fact, he was one of the greatest wits of his age. On this occasion he thought to himself: "What fun it would be to lay a trap for HIDEYOSHI and make him utter the word which he has forbidden others to use." 
So, as he and HIDEYOSHI were conversing freely together, SHINZAEIION suddenly said: "The other day I was invited to a Cha-no-yu party; and I noticed that the guests made use of some very rare utensils."
HIDEYOSHI replied: "There is hardly a rare thing in the tea-cup or tea-pot line which has been produced in China or Japan a specimen of which I do not possess. There are of course rare articles treasured up as heir-looms in different houses, but most of these I have seen somewhere. What kind of things do you refer to, therefore, when you speak of having seen such very rare things? " 
"I dare say," replied SHINZAEMON "you have seen all the ordinary tea-drinking utensils that are made in' China or Japan, but lately, I hear that tea-kettles made of wool have come into fashion; you have not seen these surely." 
"But such kettles, of course," replied HIDEYOSHI, "can never be placed on the fire"
NO Sooner was the word "fire" out of his mouth, than SHlNZAEMON, with great glee, said:" There you are! You have transgressed the rule which you yourself made! And as these castle grounds of Fushimi are valued at one hundred thousand koku, you must pay a fine of these thousand ryo.
HIDEYOSHI, laughing, said: "Ii have been caught in a trap. We had better change the rule." 
SHlNZAEMON would not hear of this. "In such things as these," said he, "your irrationality appears." Then, quoting other instances of HIDEYOSHI's unreasonable transactions, SHINZAEMON reproved him for acting as he did, and added: "It was foolish of you to make such a rule, and I am glad that you have been the first to break it."
Here HOSOKAWA YUSAI interposed: "Allow me to set this matter to rights. As you made the rule and fixed the punishment for transgressing it," said he to HIDEYOSHI, "you should not break the rule yourself unless you are prepared to take the consequences. Then turning to SHINZAEMON, he said: " And you, too, are to blame for laying a trap for the Taiko. You are both in the wrong, then, and therefore you had better make a compromise of the matter." You, said he to HIDEYOSHI, "had better give what you please to SHINZAEMON. And we will settle it in this way. I will compose the first half of a verse of poetry. If SHINZAEMON is able to complete the verse, then, do you give him a good sum. And in that case, it will not be necessary to tell the assembled guests anything about what has happened."
The verse that YUSAI made was as follows: Kimi no hi to keshite hito ni wa, iware maji; SHINZAEMON instantaneously added: 
Otamoto kin wo sorori chodai.
HIDEYOSHI was very much amused; and, taking a heap of money that was near him, he threw it .at SHINZAEMON, and, turning to those that were near him said: "I have been got over by this fellow SINZAEMON." 

SELF-SUFFICIENOY THE GREAT BARRIER TO PRGRESS 
IN the Sengoku period [B.C. 425-220], there was in Sei, China, a Prime Minister called AN HEICHU.
One day, when HEICHU was about to go somewhere, he ordered his coachman to get his carriage ready. The coachman made ready the carriage, and mounting the box, drove the two horses up to the door in good style. As he passed out of the' gate, his wife was peeping at him through a crevice in the wall of her room. She saw pomposity and conceit stamped on his face. The coachman looked as though he thought there was no greater man in the kingdom than he. His wife had previously noticed this self-sufficient spirit growing in him, but now it seemed more conspicuous than ever, and she determined that she would do her best to suppress it. So, when he returned, she said: -"It is not without reason that you still remain poor and occupy such a low position."
"What are you talking about?" asked the coachman.
"There is HEICHU," continued the wife, "who is short in stature, and Ins nothing attractive in outward appearance about him, but he is the Prime Minister of this country and a man of wide reputation. I looked on his countenance as he passed out through the gate this morning. He looked like a man who has an object in life; his features were composed and he appeared as though he could not easily be disturbed. He looked, too, like a man who is in the habit of thinking deeply. You, on the other hand, though you possess a fine Physique, are only a coachman; yet, you look as self-satisfied as if you were the greatest man in the country. You are a man who has no ambition to better your position in the world. I do not therefore care to be your wife any longer."
"If you will give me time," said the husband," I will reform myself."
"Very good," said the wife, "if you do this, it will be all that I desire. What better thing could there be for me than to have as a husband a man who, with your fine physical appearance, is as wise as he is handsome. If you make benevolence and justice a part of your very being, and establish it as a principle that it is better to be Poor and just than rich and pompous, and that there is no sterling worth in men apart from the virtues they possess. I doubt not that, serving such an illustrious man as you do, you will gradually be promoted to a higher rank than that you now hold." 
From this time, the coachman commenced to pay attention to his own mental state, to reprove himself when he was wrong, to study what is right, and to realize how deficient in many respects he was.
HEICHU was astonished at the change which came over his coachman, and asked the reason of it. When informed what had happened, he was very pleased, and, seeing that his coachman had grown so wise; exalted him to 'the rank of a Taifu. 

THE DILIGENCE AND PERSEVERANCE OF KI HEISHU. 
MORE than a century ago, there resided in Owari a man called KI HEISHU. From a child, HEISHU was fond of reading, and while still very young, had read almost every book in his father's house. When he reached the age of seventeen, he requested his parents to allow him to go to Kyoto to Purchase books. On their consenting, he took fifty ryo to meet the expenses of the trip, and set out alone for the capital. 
He exercised the strictest economy and managed to live for a year on ten ryo. The remaining forty ryo he spent in buying books. Having completed his purchases, hiring a horse, he returned to his home with a load of learning on the animal's back. 
The reason for his coming home before finishing his studies was that he did not meet with anyone in Kyoto, whose learning and virtue seemed to him sufficient to qualify him to act as his teacher. 
When his parents saw how he had acted, they proposed to give him a piece of land and a house, and to start him in life. HEISHU objected to this, saying that he should be glad if they would give him two hundred ryo instead. This they agreed to do. This money, too, was spent in books winch were read most diligently. For a whole year HEISHU never went out of his house. Pointing to the books, he used to say; "These are my teachers." 
In 1744 A.D., a man from Mikawa, called GEN TAN-EN, visited Owari for the purpose of instructing any persons who might wish to become his pupils. HEISHU went to him, and, seeing that he was in every way worthy of acting as his teacher, placed himself under his tutorship. 
After HEISHU had been taught by TAN-EN for some time, one day TAN-EN Sent him a large cup, which was wide and open at the top but gradually became narrow and confined towards the bottom. With the cup, TAN-EN- sent a message as follows: "If you obtain a name in the world, and, rising to the rank of a baron, become the possessor of all kinds of costly things, I have one request to make of you, which is that you will still use this cup."
 TAN-EN intended the cup to act as a reminder of the days of HEISHU's obscurity. And it is said that the shape of the cup was designed to act as a symbol of the mind, which, like a cup that is open at the top, is easily filled, but like a cup narrow at the bottom and deep, does not easily show its contents to every passer-by, these needing to be explored before their character and amount can be fully known.
HEISHU, as TAN-EN had anticipated, rose to power and became rich. He was employed by the Lord of Owari, and received an income of four hundred koku of rice per annum. Notwithstanding this, for fifty years he used the cup which TAN-EN had given him; and whenever he looked on it, it revived in his mind the thoughts which TAN-EN had intended it should. 
HEISHU was as kind as he was diligent, economical, and persevering. Once it happened that a friend of his, one OGAWA CHINRITSU, became very poor and destitute of the necessaries of life. HEISHU took him and all his family into his house. When HEISHU came to Edo CHINRITSU accompanied him. Not long after this, HEISHU treated a man called ASUKA SHISEI in the same way, sheltering him and his family under his own roof. The three families all lived together in one house ill Edo. At that time, HEISHU's father, MASANAGA, was residing with him. The two guests, CHINRITSU and SHISEI, attended on MASANAGA as though he were their own father. The three men were like brothers and the three wives like sisters. Their children all lived harmoniously together, and no signs of malice or envy were to be seen in their looks or their actions. The neighbors regarded this spectacle with astonishment and said: "Here are three wise sons; three duteous daughters; and three families of obedient children and all in one house! What bliss! Who does not envy it?" 

CUSTOM AND NECESSITY. 
I.TOKUGAWA HIROTADA, IEYASU'S father, was very fond of hawking. One day in May, just as the farmers were engaged in planting out the young rice-plants, HIROTADA went out hawking with some of his followers. As he was riding by some rice-fields, he saw a man with a bundle of rice-plants on his back and his body all covered with mud, who looked immensely like one of his retainers. "Go," said HIROTADA to one of his followers, and .see whether that is not KONDO working there." 
HIROTADA'S attendants knew that it was KONDO; but none of them cared to say so, for they did not wish to be the means of bringing him into trouble. So, with red faces, they all stood still, without making any reply, or attempting to do as HIROTADA had bid them.
"Go and see whether it is KONDO or not," said HIROTADA a second time.
One of them set off to see. Going up to KONDO, he said: "Lord HIROTADA has sent me to see who you are. As you are aware, if he comes to know that it is you who are working here in this plight, you will be severely censured. What, then, had I better say to him?"
"What is there to say? Why, tell the truth of course;" replied KONDO.
"But if this is done," said the messenger," there is no knowing what trouble it may lead to. Can you not think of some better way of acting?"
"What better way of acting can I think of?" asked KONDO. "Has not the lord stopped his house quite close here? And has he not already seen who I am? What, then, is the use of trying to hide the matter? Supposing you go and represent that it is not I who am here, and afterwards some one else comes and finds out the truth, not only I but you also will get into difficulty. In that case, I should have been the means of involving you in trouble. This would bring on my name shame, which even my death would not efface. Please say, therefore, just how things are." 
This was done; and HIROTADA bid the messenger call KONDO. "You are to come to Lord HIROTADA at once; "said the messenger." 
"Certainly," replied KONDO. And, advancing, he knelt before his master's horse. His clothes were old and very dirty, and his features were hardly visible beneath the mud that covered them. He looked more like an animal than a man. 
II. The retainers of HIROTADA Who stood around were conscious that they were all in the same book, for they all carried on a little farming on their own account, notwithstanding the stigma which was attached to such a proceeding in those days. But they did it secretly, and were lucky enough never to have been discovered. "What an unfortunate thing," said they to themselves," that this man KONDO has been found out! "
 Anxiously, with perspiring hands and trembling hearts, they waited to see how their master would deal with KONDO: "for" said they," the punishment that is awarded to KONDO to-day, will certainly be awarded to us to-morrow." 
HIROTADA was very much affected by the sight of KONDO in this condition. He well knew the distress that some of his retainers were in, and he admired the spirit in which they encountered, the difficulties of their position.
 "Ah, KONDO! I am glad to see you!" commenced HIROTADA. "Your exerting yourself in this way to maintain your family, when you have leisure to do it, and then at other times, your riding into battle and risking your life on my behalf, are both alike a great gratification to me. Such services ought to be rewarded with emoluments; but these, owing to my limited means, I am unable to bestow. Though receiving no emoluments, you are still content to serve me, and without making any complaint, you quietly set to work to earn a living by farming. All this shows that you are endowed with noble feelings. And, if I am not mistaken, you are not the only one who acts in this way. As you are aware I am very anxious that my retainers should all be able to live without being obliged to engage in manual labor, but, having little land to bestow on them, I have no means of effecting this. I know that it is on account of your ancestors having been connected with my family for generations that you are willing to do all this on my behalf. A new retainer would soon leave my service, were he forced to act as you do. The possession of a lumber of such men as you is a great treasure. Do not therefore be ashamed of what you are now doing. If there is any shame attached to it, it is mine and not yours. It is my wish, therefore, that you all do your best to make a living, and I will do my best to better my position in the world, and if I succeed, as I hope to do, I shall reward you all. Whether in prosperity or adversity we will share and share alike. Now, KONDO, go back quickly to your ground and plant out your rice." 
All who stood around were much affected by this occurrence, and felt more attached to their master than ever they had been before. 
In those days it was considered most improper for samurai to engage in farming. It shows therefore that both HIROTADA and his retainers were endowed with great moral courage or they never could have made up their minds to act in defiance of the public opinion and popular feeling of the time. 
The independence, common sense, and consideration for others, which manifested themselves so conspicuously in the whole career of IEYASU, are to be seen foreshadowed in the conduct of his father on this occasion. In those days of supreme regard for social customs, it cost a samurai more to violate a custom than to throw away his life in battle. 

THE MODERATION OF AN EMPEROR. 
THE Emperor GOSANJO [A.D.1069-1072] was a monarch who was full of health and vigor; his courage was indomitable; his habits frugal and abstemious; in a word, he was no ordinary Emperor. The age in which he came to the throne, was an age of luxury and voluptuousness. Even the subordinate officers of the Government rode in palanquins that were ornamented with gold.
One day, when the Emperor was on his way to Iwashimizu, Kyoto, the streets were crowded with people who were anxious to see him pass. Among those whom he met in the street, were Government officers riding m their Palanquins. Whenever the Emperor saw a Palanquin ornamented with gold, he stopped, and gave orders that the gold ornaments should be removed. 
So great was the effect of this conduct of the Emperor, that some little time afterwards, when on his way to Kamo, he noticed that no gilded palanquins were to be seen. 
It is said that GOSANJO used a fan, the framework of which was made of the commonest wood and which was covered with ordinary blue paper; and that so frugal was his diet, that, the was content with a roast herring with a little pepper over it. 
Such was the moderation practiced by the Emperor GOSANJO! As an effect of this, it is said that the voluptuousness and extravagance of those days was discontinued and that the people once more resumed their simple and unpretending habits. 

RESPECT FOR PARE'NTS AND RESPECT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. 
DEN SHOKUSHI, Prime Minister of Sei, China, on one occasion accepted a bribe of two thousand ryo, the whole of which he gave to his mother. 
On becoming the recipient of such a large sum of money, his mother remarked to her son: You have been in office now for three years, but this is the first occasion on which you have given me such a large sum of money at one time. What is the meaning of it? If you bestow so much money on me, how is it Possible that you can live?
"The money I have sent you," interposed SHOKUSHI, "is some that I have received as a bribe."
 "I have heard," replied his mother, "that a knight is one who possesses self-command, who is proof against corruption, and who on no account takes what is not his due, or stoops to deceit of any kind. The gains that accrue to such an one are all obtained in a straightforward and proper manner. His language and conduct arc one and the same, and his outside and inside do not differ in any way. You have been created a high officer of State and have had bestowed on you all kinds of emoluments. Such a character as the one which I have now delineated to you ought to be yours if any man's. To be employed by a superior is like being employed by a parent. And to be unfaithful as a servant is like being unfilial as a son. We cannot expect that those who are unfaithful in the service of their superiors will be strictly filial to their parents. This you have altogether forgotten. Away with such ill-gotten gain! I care not to possess it. Such an unfilial son is not my son: so pray leave my presence." 
SHOKUSHI left his mother's presence very much ashamed of himself, and went to the man from whom he had received the money and prevailed on him to take it back. Then he went to the King of Sei and confessed that he had received a bribe, and expressed himself ready to bear what punishment the King might see fit to inflict on him. The King was very pleased to hear of the virtuous conduct of the mother, and, for her sake pardoned the sin of SHOKUSHI in taking a bribe. 

THE POWER OF UNSELFISHNESS. 
WHEN the So troops were fighting against Shin, a Province of China, the So army ran short of provisions. The general in command, SHIHATSU, sent messengers to the King of So asking that provisions might be forwarded to him without delay. One of the messengers who was sent called at the house of the general's mother to enquire after her health. "How fare the troops?" asked the general's mother. 
"They are in a state of great distress," replied the messenger. "They are eating nothing better than coarse beans and the like." 
"How fares the general?" she then inquired. 
"Oh, the general eats all kinds of good things;" replied the messenger. 
Provisions were sent; and after a while. SHIHATSU defeated the enemy and returned to his 'home. His mother ordered the gates of the compound to be closed and bolted against him, refusing to allow him to enter her house. She then sent a messenger to him, who was instructed to address him as follows: "'Have you never heard that when the King of Etsu, KOSEN, attacked Go, some one presented a cup of very superior wine to KOSEN; and that he took his troops to the river side, and, commanding one of his followers to pour the wine on the river, bid the troops drink the water? It is not to be supposed that so small an amount of wine would in any way affect the taste of the gallons of water that the river contained, but notwithstanding this, KOSEN'S act increased the courage of his troops five-fold. And have you never heard that on another occasion, when KOSEN had a bag of dried rice given to him, he divided it all among the soldiers? The quantity which each man received being so small, the amount of pleasure derived from eating it could not have lasted more than an instant; yet it sufficed to show the disposition of KOSEN towards his troops, and proved to them that their commander was a man of unselfish nature, and therefore it had the effect of increasing the bravery of the troops ten-fold. And if this be so, how is it that while your troops have been kept on poor food, you have been partaking of all kinds of delicacies? Have you never heard that the true knight is one who never yields to self-indulgence so far as to hazard the favor and good will of others? If, when men are led out to a place of slaughter by a general, he is content to spend his time in self-indulgence, while they are exposed to danger and in want of food, even though such a person may gain a victory, it is not because he has trodden the path which ordinarily leads to victory. Such being the case, his victory loses more than half its charm. Such a general as this is no son of mine; and therefore I have closed my gates against him."
On hearing this, SHIHATSU was ashamed of himself, seeing how selfish his conduct had been. 'He asked his mother's pardon and promised to act .differently in future.
In this and the preceding tale, we see how high was the moral standard of the two mothers alluded to. In their opinion, the obligation to do what was right was second to the obligation to be filial. 'They looked with no pleasure on their children, even though high in office, when they transgressed the law of right. 
When an offence is regarded with abhorrence, to entertain towards the offender the same feelings that we did when we believed him to be virtuous, is as impossible as it is undesirable. 

THE IMPROPER USE OF A TELESCOPE. 
TELESCOPES were introduced into Japan in IEYASU's time. IEYASU, buying one, made a present of it to his son YORINOBU.
YORINOBU was delighted with the gift. From the tower of his castle in Kii he used to spy at everything that took place in the vicinity. As his retainers went in and out, he would look at their costumes and their crests; he took note even of the cast of their countenances, their manner of walking, and various other particulars. The telescope was looked on by YORINOBU as the greatest treasure he possessed; and when not in use, was put away carefully in an upper chamber of the castle.
One day a number of friends had come by invitation to look through the telescope, and had been greatly amused by all that it had enabled them to see. On the evening of this day, AND TATEWAKI, one of YORINOBU's chief retainers, happening to come in, YORINOBU immediately commenced to talk about his telescope, and to recount some of the amusing scenes in the precincts of the castle which it had revealed.
"May I have a look at it?" asked TATEWAKI. "Certainly," replied YORINOBU, immediately sending for the telescope. 
TATEWAKI took the instrument into an adjoining room, and smashing it to bits, immediately left the castle. 
YORINOBU commanded two of his attendants to follow TATEWAKI and find out where he was going. "But," said he," be careful that he does not see you following him."
They watched TATEWAKI, and found that he went no further than his own house. Just as he was entering it, however, looking around, he saw the two men who had been following him, and turning to them, remarked: "The lord, no doubt, thinks that I am out of my mind because I have acted as I have, but it is nothing of the kind. Telescopes are very useful m time of war for finding out the position of -"n enemy, whether on shore or at sea, and when used for looking at scenery of all kinds, they afford much pleasure. Like so many other things they are good if used m a proper manner, but not otherwise. When telescopes are employed for spying out people's weaknesses and imperfections they are put to an improper use. Supposing that his retainers learn that YORINOBU is in the habit of looking down on them when they pass certain places, they will not care to walk along those roads which are exposed to the gaze of their master; and in this way, a great deal of inconvenience and bad-feeling will be engendered. No person, even in the higher ranks of life, always acts just as he should; but in the lower ranks, all kinds of improprieties are quite common. There is no one who cares to have grand people looking at them as they pass along the road in their careless and, ofttimes, frolicsome fashion. It does not answer for people of rank to be looking at that part of a man's demeanor which it is not intended that they should sec. If YORINOBU does this, parsons who have hitherto served him well, of whom he has approved, and in whom he has trusted, will, for some trivial impropriety, be suspected by him, and seem to be no longer worthy of his confidence. Some of the vise men of China, in order that they might not see the little faults and imperfections of the lower orders, put a special covering on their heads. A11 those who aim at governing a country must cultivate the feeling which led these wise men to act in this way." 
It must not be forgotten, while reading the above story, that YORINOBU had been placed under the special charge of TATEWAKI and that the latter was requested by IEYASU to reprove him in whatever way he thought best. 
Though the destruction of the telescope cannot be defended, since the instrumental did not belong to TATEWAKI, and since its use for any purpose was thus rendered impossible, yet, it is very probable that TATEWAKI'S emphatic act made a much more vivid impression on the mind of his master than would have been the case had he contented himself with simply protesting against the use to which YORINOBU had put the instrument. For the sake of making this impression, TATEWAKI smashed the instrument instead of moralizing about its uses and abuses. 

INOSUKE AND HIS VASES. 
A BOY of some ten or eleven years of age, INOSUKE by name, used to play about in the yard of a large porcelain-dealer who kept a great many large water vases in stock, each of which was as high as a man.
The boy was very anxious to have one of them in his possession, and one day he expressed his desire to the shopman, at the same time asking their price. The shopman would not tell him the price, knowing that the boy's parents were poor and could not buy such costly things. He only laughed at the boy's query, and scornfully told him that it was not possible he could buy them, and that even if he were able to do so, he could not take them home unless he hired a number of coolies which would require more money than he possessed. 
At this remark of the shopman, a sudden change was observed to come over the boy's countenance: high breath, flashing eyes, clenched hands, trembling voice, all showed that he was very much excited. 
Trying in vain to speak, he steadily looked up into the shopman's face, with his eyes full of anger, and pondering in his mind how h- could revenge such a fearful insult. Then, as if he had come to a happy conclusion, his countenance began to be somewhat softened and he informed the shopman, who stood still wondering at the boy's changed countenance, that he could take the vases home alone without any help from others. 
Here again he was laughed at. Still the boy insisted. But the more he insisted, the more he was laughed at. 
Nor is it to be wondered at that they made sport of him; because every sane man would think it impossible for a boy of his age to move such heavy vases even an inch. But the boy was in earnest, and persisted in saying that he could do so, if the man would only sell him a vase at a reasonable rate. 
The porcelain-dealer now began to feel curious to see how the boy would verify his words, and told him that he would sell him each of the large vases at the rate of eight mon a-piece (a mon is the hundredth Part of a sen if he could take the vases home without the help of anyone.
Whereupon, the boy's countenance brightened. "Thank you, Sir," said he, "I will go and get the money."
Running home, he got the money from his mother, and gave it to the merchant, who was anxious to see what the boy would do. What, now, did the boy do?
He brought a large stone, and, throwing it against the vase which he had bought, smashed it to bits. Then, picking it up piece by piece, he carried it to his house without the aid of anyone. 
The shopman was no less astounded than annoyed by this proceeding, and tried to stop the lad. But the latter maintained that the man had promised to sell these vases to him for eight men, and that after he had bought them it was optional whether he kept them or broke them to pieces. So he paid no heed to the man's remonstrances. On the contrary, he went and fetched some more money, and purposed buying a second vase and treating it in the same way. 
It was now for the man who had laughed at the boy to change countenance. The change indicated not anger but fear, for he saw that the vases on which he had expended so much money would all be destroyed if the lad were not stopped in same way or other. The lad had right on his side. And as he had been insulted and was urged on by a deep feeling of resentment, there was no saying how much loss he might inflict on the shopman.
Under these circumstances, INOSUKE thought it best to call in a neighbor to intercede for him with the lad. The matter was settled by INOSUKE's signing a document, in which he apologized for having so grossly insulted the boy, and promised to be more careful in future. 

TWO MODES OF LEARNING 
KOMEN SEN was one of the disciples of SO SHIN, the pupil of KOSHI, tie great Chinese sage. Though SEN lived in SHIN's house, he was seldom seen with a book in his hand. SHIN, noticing how little he read, one day asked: "How is it that you do not study, SEN? " 
"I not study?" exclaimed SEN, "What makes you think that? Do you suppose that I should be content to remain in tins house and not study? I have been studying all the time that I have been here. If you ask what I have studied, I reply your conduct. In the first place, I notice that when either of your parents are present, you never angrily scold the domestics. You speak in subdued tones to everyone, lest any seeming want of respect to your parents should appear. Secondly, I notice that when guests come to see you, you treat them with extreme politeness. Thirdly, I notice that when you go to Court, though you comport yourself with great dignity, you never overawe those who are beneath you by want of suavity of manner. These three things I have observed among many others with much pleasure, and have done my best to imitate them, but have not as yet succeeded. I keep your standard ever before me, and do my very utmost to reach it. This being so, how can it be said that I never study?"
There are two modes of learning: one consisting of reading, and the other of observing. Both of these modes should be employed. Where the power of observation is well cultivated, a larger, as well as a more varied, fund of knowledge is yielded by it than can be obtained from books. It must not be overlooked that books are more or less a second-hand source of information, in that, in studying them, we are not studying life itself, but what men have said about it.
We would not be understood by this remark to depreciate reading, but only to point out that there was much truth m SEN s idea that he who observes learns, whether he reads or not. It is by a free and diligent use of both modes of learning, however, that men are furnished with the knowledge which is essential to a due discharge of the duties of their several callings.
 
ONE SCRIBBLER OUTWITTED BY ANOTHER. 
THE grounds of a temple, known as the Hommonji of Ikegami, contained the vault of the eighth Shogun YOSHIMUNE.
On the occasion of IESHIGE, the ninth Shogun's visiting the temple to worship at the tomb of his mother, a new gate was erected. This temple belonged to the Hokke Sect.
When the Jodo Sect saw that a new gate had been erected at the Hommonji, they were very envious of the apparent prosperity of the rival temple. So, one of their zealots, going to the temple at night, inscribed in large letters on the new gate the words, Namu-amida-butsu. This being the invocation of the Jodo Sect, the Hokke adherents were very much annoyed; and as the Shogun was coming to visit the temple, they thought it would never do to leave the gate in this disfigured state, so they had a new one erected. But no sooner was it put up, than the same words in huge characters were inscribed on it. The Priest in charge of the temple, at a loss what else to do, laid the matter before O-0KA TADASUKE, ECHIZEN-NO-KAMI, who was the Governor of Edo at that time. After telling the Governor what had occurred "I have no doubt " said the priest "that the mischief has been done by some zealot of the Jodo Sect. I beg your Honor to give your august attention to the matter and to take what steps you deem right to prevent its recurrence."
The Governor replied: "Your request is a most reasonable one. And, seeing that the gate is one through which the Shogun is to pass; the impudence of the perpetrator of this mischief is outrageous. But, as it was done by night, it is difficult to find out who did it. But I think I can prevent its occurring again." 
Hero he took a pen and wrote the following verse:
"AMIDA BUTSU, said to be Lord of the west.
"At a Hokke temple-gate has settled down to rest." 
"Take this," said the Governor, "and writing it on a piece of paper, paste it on the gate; and you will find that there will be no more scribbling of AMIDA BUTSU on it."
The priest did as he was bidden; and it turned out as the Governor had predicted: the annoyance was put a stop to. Thus the fanatical perpetrator of the mischief was taught that two can play at scribbling. 

THREE NOBLE BROTHERS 
AMONG the vassals of IEMITSU, the third Tokugawa Shogun, there was a knight called OKANO KURANOSUKE, who lived in the ninth ward of Kojimachi. It happened once that three brothers executed vengeance on their foe right in front of KURANOSUKE's residence. After the deed was accomplished rushing into this officer s house they gave him a minute account of what had occurred previous to it, and asked him to secrete them m the house. Overcome with admiration at the brave way in which the men had performed the difficult task they had undertaken, KURANSUKE granted their request and allowed them to take refuge under his roof.
Gradually the affair was noised abroad, and the brothers felt they were no longer safe in KURANOSUKE's house; so, under cover of night, they all fled. It seems that they had not obtained the permission of the authorities for their deed of vengeance before performing it, nor had they reported it when accomplished. So that, legally, they were no other than outlaws. KURANOSUKE, therefore, got into trouble for secreting them in his house. For this offence, he was commanded by the authorities not to leave his own compound.
Directly the three brothers heard that they had been the means of getting KURANOSUKE into trouble, they decided to return to Edo and give themselves up to justice. This decision they promptly carried out.
On their arrival in Edo they reported to the authorities what they had done, and said that they were prepared, to undergo any punishment that might be appointed. It was ruled that one of the three should atone for the unauthorized deed of violence by committing suicide.
It was left to the three brothers to decide which of them should die. The eldest brother, who was about twenty-six years of age argued that, as the eldest son, he inherited all the responsibilities of the family, and that it was therefore his duty to die on this occasion. The second brother, who was about twenty-two years of age, said that as it was the duty of the eldest son to look after the property and perpetuate the name of the family, it would be better for him (the second son) to be the one to die. The third son, aged about eighteen, said: "If it should happen that, through some mishap, our elder brother is not able to pepetuate the family name, then this duty would devolve on the brother next to him in ago. So, as there is no saying but what this may happen, it is but right that I should be the one to die." 
As there seemed no possibility bf the brothers corning to any agreement on the matter, it was. referred to the authorities for settlement ; and they decided that the second brother should be the one to die.
The elder brother subsequently became a retainer of MATSUDAlRA KAGA-No-KAMI, and received an income of one thousand koku a year. The younger brother had an offer of five hundred koku a year from AKAGAWA SADO-NO-KAMI, but he refused it, saying that he preferred to show his gratitude to KURANOSUKE for the help the latter had given him and his brothers by serving him as long as he lived. 
Usually men contend for life; but these three brothers contended for death. In their days, human life was little thought of apart from an honorable name. To the three noble brothers it appeared that to die was the unselfish part, and so they all courted death. 

USE WELL WHAT YOU HAVE, AND YOU WILL GET SOMETHING BETTER,. 
IN the Sengoku period, there was in China a King of En called SHO. He came to the throne in troublous times, just after his father had been killed and his country had been defeated in battle after battle by the Sei troops. 
SHO was a humble-minded and well-meaning young man. He did not feel that he himself possessed the ability and knowledge sufficient to enable him to redeem the lost fortunes of his country. But he thought that what he could not accomplish himself, might be accomplished by others acting under him. So he paid high salaries to his officers, and did all he could to obtain intelligent men, who, by making the best of the resources of the country, were likely eventually to succeed in bringing about the defeat of the Sei people.
Those officers, however, needed a head. And SHO desired to meet a man of sufficient mental caliber to qualify him: to take the direction of affairs. But he looked around him in vain for any such person. Ho had almost despaired of ever finding anyone to suit, when he happened one day to be conversing with a man called KAWAKU KAWAI about the condition of the country. "The people of Sei" said the King, "as you know, have been attacking us on all sides of late, and, my country being a small one, I do not know how to retaliate. My father lost a great deal of territory which I should like to recover, but I see no hope of my doing so, unless it be by the aid of some intelligent knight, who understands how to govern and how to prepare my subjects for the war that I wish to wage. If I could find such a man, I would give all the power I Possess into his hands. If you know of any such, please let me hear of it." "It is sold "replied KWAI," that in ancient times a certain King was willing to pay a thousand ryo for a first-rate horse. He wished for .an animal that would travel a thousand miles a day. He advertised for such a horse for three years, but it was not forthcoming. So one of his attendants offered to go in search of the kind of animal the king desired. The attendant looked about for three months, and at last heard of a first-rate horse; but unfortunately the animal was dead. He went, however, to the place where it had died and offered five hundred ryo for its bones. Having procured them, he brought them to the king.
"The King was very angry, and said: 'I wanted a living horse and not a dead one. What was the use of throwing away all this money on bones? "
"This will be the means of getting a good living horse for you,' said the attendant 'For it will spread far and wide that you have been willing to give five hundred ryo even for the bones of a noted dead horse; and so people will bring good living ones to you from .all quarters.'
"It happened as the man had said: for within a year, no less than three noted horses were brought to the King. And so will it be with you. If you will only use what there is at hand, and make the very best of it, you will soon get something better. If you ask with whom you should begin, I reply, you cannot do better than begin with such an one as myself. If you decide to do this, and treat mo well, one able man after another will gradually say: ' See how the King treats such an ordinary man as KWAI, and If he treats him thus, how much better will he not treat me.
This plan SHO adopted, and by degrees men of ability got to hear of what ho was doing and flocked to him fro]n all sides, till at last one called GAKU KI became his general
The King during a series of years showed the greatest sympathy with his people. There was not a birth or death of which he did not take some notice. So the people felt attached to him and were really to die on his behalf. 
When this feeling was at its height, KI led his subjects against the Sei troops, and won victory after victory. And thus the great ambition of the King's life was attained: his enemies were subdued; his father's death was revenged ; and his country once more restored to its former Prosperity. It is when putting what is at hand to the very best possible use, that we are in the way of obtaining something better. 

KURUMA ZENSHICHI AND HIS BEGGARS' GUILD. 
KURUMA ZENSHICHI was originally in the employ of Lord SATAKE. His younger brother, KURUMA TAMBA, for some reason or other, had been killed by order of TOKUGAWA HIDETADA. 
ZENSHICHI made up his mind that, if possible, he would revenge his brother's death by killing IEIIDETADA. So, while in attendance on HIDETADA as the bearer of his sandals, he lived in constant hopes of finding an opportunity to carry out his deadly purpose.
Three times he was about to take the Shogun's life, and three times it ended in his doing nothing. On the third occasion he was discovered. According to his own account, he was on each occasion overawed by the august appearance of the Shogun, and his hand shook- so much that he could not draw his sword. 
When his intentions were discovered, he said to HIDETADA; "I have been discovered; and I hope you will kill me at once." 
"No" replied the Shogun; "this I do not wish to do. I will retain you in my service, if you will be faithful to me."
"How can any one," replied ZENSHICHI," who, like myself, has made up his mind to kill his enemy, turn round and become the servant of that enemy ? I therefore beg you to kill me at once"
"I am resolved that you shall live;" replied the Shogun. "You may choose what occupation you please to maintain yourself."
"Then " said ZENSITICHI," since I must live in the world as one who hoped to avenge the death of his brother, but was unable to do it, and, therefore, as one who, though having the appearance of being a man, has not shown himself to be one, I will live among those who are seldom looked upon as human beings I will become a beggar." 
"In that case," said the Shogun, "I will make you the head of a Beggars' Guild." 
This promise was fulfilled; and thus ZENSHICHI ended his life.
When he had grown old and was about to die, one day he took out a paper, and, handing it to his son, said: "He e is a paper which contains the names of all the beggars who belong to my Guild. In it the history of the more important beggars is given in full, and you will notice that some of these have been made the heads of companies of fifty and others the heads of companies of a hundred. As my life was saved by the Shogun, I made up my mind that, if any disturbance occurred, I would assist him with some twelve hundred men, and would die fighting in his cause. But as it has turned out, there has been no call for my services. So that this document is of little use. However, I would have you bear in mind yourself and transmit to succeeding generations the fact that I was not always as you have seen and known me that there was a time when I was in good circumstances. I have shown you this document as a proof that, through only the head of a Beggars' Guild, I was capable of holding a different position; and that had the circumstances of my life been other than they were, I should doubtless have held it. Having shown it to you, I now consign it to the flames."
Shortly after this ZENSHICHI died; but the results of his character and the training he gave the beggars who belonged to his Guild out-lived him. For more than a hundred years after his decease, the beggars of this Guild were noted for their honesty and steady living, showing how great is the power of example even among beggars. As a proof of this we subjoin an incident that occurred in connection with one of them in the time of YOSHIMUNE, the eighth of the TOKCTGAWA Shoguns. 
In the eighth year of the Kyoho period [A.D. 1723], there lived in Edo, a merchant called ECHIGOYA KICHIBEI, whose chief clerk was a man named ICHIJURO. 
One day ICHIJURO returned from one of the rounds which he had taken to collect his master's debts, when, to his surprise, he found that a purse containing thirty ryo which he had taken with him was missing. Ho thought it most probable that he had dropped it in the street, and though the chance of ever seeing it again seemed small, he won't back over the road which he had traversed, and was looking hither and thither, when he met a beggar, who, seeing from his manner he had lost something, asked:
"What have you lost?"
"A Purse," replied ICHIJURO.
"I picked it up" replied the beggar; "and, thinking that it was probable that the owner would come to fetch it, I waited here with if. If there is no mistake about your being its owner, I will hand it over to you at once." 
ICHIJURO described the color and size of the purse, and told the beggar exactly what money and what documents were in it. So the beggar had no doubt that he was its owner. "Here take the purse" said he "I see there is no mistake about your being its owner." 
ICHIJURO was so delighted that he took five ryo out of the purse, and giving them to the beggar, said: "Here is a reward for you."
The beggar refused to take the money. "When I left my house just now," said ICHIJRO," I never expected to see the lost thirty ryo again, but having, through your honesty, recovered it, it is with pleasure that I offer you this money."
"Did I want money," the beggar replied, "I should not have returned the purse to you as I did. My picking it up was not done with the desire of possessing what it contained, but from the consideration that the person who lost it would be in trouble about it, and that if it found its way into other hands, it might not be returned to him. Actuated by this motive, therefore, in picking it up, now that I have an opportunity of returning it to its proper owner, my wish is realized." 
Thus saying, he bid ICHIJURO farewell and moved away. 
ICHIJURO, not feeling satisfied without doing something to show his gratitude, ran, after the beggar, and, taking out a little money that he had in his pocket, said: "As the weather is very cold to-day, take this and buy some sake." 
"Very well," replied the beggar, "if it must be so, then I will take it." 
Before they parted, ICHIJURO, inquired who the man was. "My name is HACHIIBEI, 'and I am a disciple of KIRUMA ZENSHICHI;" replied the beggar. 
So saying, he went on his way.  ICHIJURO returned to his master and told him all that had occurred.
KICHIBEI said that it was very desirable, if possible, to give the five ryo to the Beggars' Guild to whom such an honest man belonged; and that as HACHIBEI would not take the money himself, the the best plan would be for ICHIJRO to go early the next morning to his master and try to get him to take it.
The next morning, therefore, ICHIJURO with a companion set out for ZENSHICHI'S house; and on arriving, learnt from him that the previous night HACHIBEI had received a little money, and, with some other beggars, had had a feast. " And," said ZENSIICHI, " whether it was that, unaccustomed to eat such good things as he ate last night, they made him ill, or what it was, I cannot tell, but this morning he was found dead in his bed." 
ICHIJRO was very much affected by this story. "I wish to take charge of his corpse and bury it," said he, "please to allow me to do this." 
He returned to his master and told him what had happened; and his master at once had the body sent for; and so, with the money which had been offered to the beggar and refused by him whilst alive, his corpse was decently buried in the Honjo Cemetery, a place where Persons whose origin and pedigree were unknown used in former times to be interred. 

FROM SHAME TO GLORY 
HAN SUI was a native of Gi, one of the seven great States of China, who lived about two thousand years ago. Being a Yuzeika, he spent hi time in going about from district to district giving advice to different rulers, with the hopes of being permanently employed by some one of them. He specially wished to serve the King of Gi, and with a view of getting into his employ, first took office under the Chu-taifu,, held at that time by SHU KA. 
When KA was sent to Sei as an ambassador, Sei accompanied him. The King of Sei was very much impressed by the striking remarks, which, in the course of conversation, SUI made, and he sent him presents consisting of money, wine, and beef. 
KA, observing all this with an envious eye, said to himself: "No doubt Sui has divulged something connected with our country that ought to be kept secret; and that is why he is so favored by the King of Sei.
When KA reached home, he informed the Prime Minister of Gi of what had occurred. The Prime Minister was very .angry, -and commanded his attendants to beat Sui; which they did most severely. Sui pretended to be dad. So they wrapped him up in some bamboo blinds that were hanging near and threw him into a dirty pit. 
Under cover of night Sui got out, and, thanks to the connivance of the watchman who was guarding the house, affected his escape. 
Changing his name to CHO ROKU, the next night he went to the ambassador of Shin, a man called KEI, who was just at this time visiting the town, on official business, and asked him to give him some employment.  KEI, seeing that SUi was a very intelligent man, took him back to his country and recommended him to the favor of his King. 
The King of Shin treated Sui as a guest for four years, and then made him Prime Minister (B.C. 266). 
Some time after SUI had become Prime Minister, it happened that KA was sent to Shin on Government business. SUI, when he heard that his old enemy had arrived, put on ragged clothes, and without saying anything to anyone, went to the house where ICA Was staying to pay him a visit.
KA was greatly surprised to see him, and said: "Dear me! is SUI still alive ? Well, well! Who would have thought it? Come, then, and have a drink with me." So they commenced to drink together. 
KA, then producing a coat made of cotton, which was far from being grand, but infinitely better than the one worn by SUI, gave it to him. SUI, having heard that KA's carriage was injured, offered to lend him a carriage in which to go and pay his official visit to the Prime Minister. KA gladly accepted the offer. 
So SUI sent for a splendid conveyance, and, he himself acting s coachman, drove KA to the Prime Minister's office. On their reaching the place, SUI said: "I will go m and report your arrival; do you please wait here." 
Thus saying, he entered the building and for a long time KA saw no more of him. After waiting awhile, KA asked someone standing near why SUI did not come out. 
"I do not know whom you mean by SUI; "replied the man. "There is no one of that name here. The gentleman who went into the office just now is our Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr. CHO." 
KA was overcome with astonishment, and, stripping his clothes down to his waist, as a sign of the most abject humiliation, he crawled into the office in the most ignominious manner, and confessed his misdemeanors as follows: 
"I never dreamt that you would reach such a height as that which you now occupy. No more shall I take part in the affairs of government! No longer shall I examine government documents! I have committed a crime worthy of the most painful kind of death! Even if you were to boil me to death in a cauldron, it would not be more than I deserve. I retire from office, and place myself in your hands. It remains with you to decide whether you will kill me or whether you will keep me alive. Even were the hairs of my head pulled out one by one, it would be insufficient to atone for my crime! " 
"Your sins," replied CHO, "are very great. But seeing that, a short time ago, you gave me a coat and treated me like a friend, I am ready to forgive you. But you are to go back and tell your Prime Minister what has happened and bring his head to me at once. If you do not comply, I will attack your country and destroy you all." 
Hearing this, GI SEI fled, and perished, no one knows how or where. 

A REAL, BUT AN UNPOLISHED, JEWEL 
ONE of IEYASU'S chief retainers, chief retainers, called HONDA SAKUZAEMON, was a man of blunt honesty, who never considered what he was going to say before speaking, but blurted out whatever came into his head. 
When HIDEYOSIII was engaged in the Odawara war, IEYASU handed over the castle of Hamamatsu to him, and feasted all his retainers. 
Before HIDEYOSHI reached the castle, SAKUZAEMON Was away on some business; but just as the former arrived with all his retinue and his servants were in the midst of carrying all manner of things into the castle, SAKUAEMON made his appearance. When he saw what was going on, ho looked utterly disgusted, but went into the castle without uttering a word. Here he found assembled, in the guests' room, HIDEYOSHI and all his chief retainers, with IEYASU in their midst. 
SAKUZAEMON immediately called out with a loud voice: "Well my Lord, you are a foolish fellow! 
For a man who is the master of a certain territory to lend his castle, of all other things, to some one else, even for a single night was ever Such folly heard of I suppose there is nothing which could be named that one who is as thoughtless as you would not lend." 
Having thus given vent to his feelings, SAKU ZAERION left the room. "What is the matter now, SAIUZAEMON?" asked IEYASU as he went out of the door. Then turning to his guests, he said: "You have heard what this wild fellow has been saying. I am sorry that such a thing should have occurred; but there is no help for it. This is no other than HONDA SAKUZAEMON. He has been in my house ever since he was a child, and whenever I have gone out to battle, he has accompanied me. He is a self-willed, uncontrollable kind of man, and he esteems men of rank and Power at no higher rate than insects. You see how he acts even when you are present, and you can gather from this what he would say to me alone. I can put up with it, however; but I am extremely sorry that you should have all been annoyed by his rudeness." 
The various barons replied: "We have all heard of this old man, but this is the first time we have seen for ourselves his manner of going on. You are to be congratulated on having such an honest, straightforward retainer." 
IEYASU made this rough fellow one of the three officers whose duty it was to look after all his affairs. SAKUZAEMON held the office of Bugyo. People all said when he was created a Bugyo that such an appointment would never answer. But nothing could have answered better. He was honest and straightforward with everyone. He showed no favor anywhere. All that he did was above-board, and hence there was no complaining among his subordinates. 
As an antidote to the roughness and bluntness of this retainer, IEYASU employed KORIKI KlYONAGA, a knight who was as polite and amiable as SAKUZAEMON was rough and uncouth. Then the Shogun had also a chief retainer whose disposition was compounded of the two elements, the fierce and the mild. The following verse was composed in reference to the three men: KYORIKI, the divinity; SAKUZA, the devil: Neither the one nor the other, AMANO SABURO. It is recorded that SAKUZAEMON was most taciturn in disposition, objecting to say much about any thing. He sometimes, when away from home, wrote a short letter to his wife as follows: "Only a line. Be careful about fire. Keep the child from crying. Feed the horse well." 
Though SAKUZAEMON was eccentric in habits and rough in manner, he was one of the most faithful, as well as the most affectionate, of IEYASU'S retainers. Therefore it is that we have designated him, "A Real, but an Unpolished, Jewel." 

A PATRIOTIC MOIHER
IN the first Kan period, there lived in China a noted man called O RYO. Originally only a farmer, RYO rose to become the Prime Minister of the Kan State. 
While he held this office, Ko U, at the head of the So troops, was fighting against the people of Kan. During the war, RYO's mother was taken prisoner. RYO was frequently sent to the enemy's camp as an ambassador; and whenever this happened, his mother was brought out and placed before him and he was asked to join the enemy for the sake of being with his mother. 
His mother was very much distressed about this; as she saw that RYO's affection for her was rendering all his efforts for his country feeble and half-hearted. She thought over the matter, and it seemed to her that it was infinitely better for her to die than to stand in the way of her son's doing his duty to his country. So she sent to RYO a messenger, whom she addressed, with tears, as follows: "Go and tell RYO to serve the King of Kan faithfully. The King of Kan is not a mall to be frustrated in the carrying out of his purposes. As I am the cause of Ryo's mind being divided between two courses, tell him that I shall stand in his way no longer'." 
Thus saying, she killed herself. When Ko U heard that RYO's mother had destroyed herself, he was so annoyed that out of' sheer spite, he ordered the corpse to be boiled down. 
When this news reached RYO, he was no longer undecided what to do. He exerted himself to the very utmost, and succeeded in defeating the So troops. 
RYO loved her son, and valued her own life; but she was willing to part with both rather than see her country subjected to a foreign yoke. 
Though suicide on all occasions is to be condemned, and_ in modern days is not resorted to by the bravest and the best of men, yet the unselfish and patriotic spirit which actuated RYO's mother is something which must be cultivated, and that very extensively, if a country is to maintain its independence. 

AN INGENIOUS, BUT AN UNLAWFUL, DEVICE. 
AMONG the retainers of TAKEDA SHNGEN, there were three men who, having committed a serious offence, secreted themselves in a store-house. 
SHINGEN, on hearing what had happened, bid some of his followers go to the house and arrest the men. But the offenders being noted for their strength and prowess, no one relished the idea of having all: encounter with them in such close quarters. And, moreover, the men had shut the door of the storehouse and bolted it from the inside, so that, without damaging the buildings considerably, it was impossible for anyone to get access to the inmates. 
Under these circumstances, SHlNGEN'S retainers contented themselves with surrounding the storehouse. But as the men had no inclination to come out, there seemed every chance of their having to wait there to the end of time. 
Someone suggested that the best way out of the difficulty would be to burn down the store-house and allow the men to perish in the flames. This proposal was reported to SHINGEN, and his opinion on the same solicited. For about two hour he expressed no opinion whatever on the matter. After this, taking a pen, he scribbled down a verse of poetry that he had just composed. It ran thus:' 
"If, e one of you three we'll spare;' 
"They do but hear us say, 
"Each will think, to live will be my share;
"And so each one's secret hope will each one's weapon stay." 
One of SHINGEN'S personal attendants read these lines, and immediately asked to be intrusted with the work of capturing the criminals. 
Permission was given; and the attendant, dressed in the clothes which he usually wore, with only one follower, set out for the storehouse where the offenders were secreted. Informing the men who were guarding the building that he had received orders from Lord SHINGEN to capture the three men, he and his follower were allowed to pas through then ranks. Proceeding to the door of the storehouse, he called out with a loud voice: -" I have a massage for you from Lord SHINGEN. Please open the door." 
The criminals peeped out, and saw that the man who had come with the message was not a soldier but one of SHINGEN'S personal attendants, so they had no suspicions, and, thinking that it was just possible that they might receive some favorable message from their lord, they opened the door. Not knowing, however, exactly what was going to happen, as soon as they had opened the door, they retreated from the entrance, and, drawing their swords, stood prepared to fight, if it should prove necessary. 
"Seeing that I have brought a message from your lord," commenced the messenger, "why do you act in this way?  Is it customary for a samurai to receive a message from his lord standing, and sword in hand? If you wish to hear the message, kneel down and receive it in the usual way." 
Here the three men prostrated themselves before the messenger, each one laying aside his sword. When they had assumed this posture, with a loud voice the messenger said: "It is our lord's pleasure to spare one of you three." And, before the words were well out of his mouth, he suddenly drew his sword and cut down one of the men; and while the other two were hesitating as to which of them was to be spared, he killed one of them. The man who was left was very much astonished at all that had taken place; but, seeing that the others had perished, thought that it was doubtless he whom his lord intended to spare. While he was congratulating himself on his safety, he was attacked and killed on the spot. Thus did the three criminals who refused to succumb to force fall victims to trickery. 
SHINGIN's device for paralyzing the efforts which the men would otherwise have undoubtedly put forth in self-defense, by promising that one of them should be spared, was extremely ingenious. While they were united, so long as they felt they would die or live together, they were very formidable; but no sooner did the idea of one of the three being saved cross their several minds, than all strength for combined action was gone, and they fell one after another an easy prey to the messenger's sword. The stratagem, however; in that it contained a promise which, as far as we know, neither SHINGEN nor his messenger ever meant to fulfill, was decidedly an unlawful one. It was based on a falsehood, and as such incapable of being defended and unworthy of imitation. 

RIDICULE. 
IN the Sengoku period, in the days of King"' I, the Sei kingdom being in a great state of disorder, the people of Sei seemed powerless to withstand the barons who attacked them from all sides. 
In the eighth year of I's reign, the people of So came in force against Sei. I, seeing that there was little chance of his being able to overcome, So alone, sent JUN-U KON to Cho to borrow auxiliary troop" On this occasion he supplied KON With ten four-horse carriages and one hundred Pieces of gold to meet the expenses of his journey. 
KON, when he saw what the King had sent, roared with laughter. So violently did he laugh that the string of his hat was broken therewith. 
The King hearing of this, asked: "Is it because you think the gift too small that you laugh so?" 
"No not at all!" replied KON. "Fancy my thinking such a thing!" 
"Then why are you laughing?" asked the King. "You must have some reason for laughing." 
"When I was on my way here just now," replied KON, "a man was praying to a god. He asked that his ground might yield a good crop this year. After presenting to the god one pig's foot and a small cup of wine, he asked that the uplands might yield by large basketfuls, the lowlands by cartloads, that his house might overflow with the results of the plentiful clop. I was very much tickled by the man's presenting so little to the god, and yet expecting so much from him. This is what I was laughing at. 
The King saw the point of the story, and immediately increased the carriages to a hundred, and the pieces of gold to a thousand, and to these he added twenty precious stones. 
Thus furnished, KON went to Cho and obtained the auxiliary troops ; and the So army, seeing this, vacated the positions they had occupied. 

THE OWL AND THE HAWK 
ONCE upon a time, in a certain out-of-the-way place, the name of which is not recorded, an owl and a hawk happened to meet. The hawk had been used by a rich baron for catching other birds; and the owl, tied to a pole, had been exhibited hither and thither for the amusement of little boys and girls.
The hawk addressed the owl as follows: "You appear to me to be a very queer looking thing, with your big eyes and small beak! You only need the coat of a Yamabushi to make you look like a hobgoblin. Though you have big eyes, you can't see even such a large object as the sun. There you sit all day long in a bewildered state, not knowing which way to move. You are a laughing-stock to all the small birds. When it is night, you pounce on some poor miserable, sleepy bird that has the ill-luck to come in your way. It often falls to your lot to be captured by men who, attaching a cord to your leg, carry you round on a perch. When they pull it, you flap your wings about in a most odd fashion! You cut a queer figure on these occasions, I can assure you! And that such as you should belong to the same class of birds as I, is something that you cannot but be sorry for, and which makes me perspire even to think of." 
The owl, shaking his pate, and compressing his lips, said: "Mr. Hawk, you have been talking very wide of the mark! Your ideas are crude in the extreme! Between heaven and earth there are things that fly in the air; things that squat about on trees; things that- run on the earth; things that run in the water; things that are beautiful, and things that are ugly. These have come into existence in accordance with the mandate of the Creator, and the forms they possess are not such as they have chosen for themselves. If they could choose for themselves what they would be, there is not one of them that would be deficient in anyone respect. The decrees of the Creator cannot be altered to please each one of his creatures. There are things in the world that are most repulsive; things that live in drains; things that have no feet, such as maggots and serpents, and things without eyes, such as earthworms. Yet all these manage to get a living somehow or other. They all have their occupation and their dwelling-place. And it becomes them to be content with their lot. To try and rise above our proper position this is rebelling against the will of Heaven. " 
Though I am lot able to see by flay, yet at night Il]y sight is so good that I can see the smallest mouse that moves, and thus I manage to procure all the food I want; so the birds laugh as they please.
"Like the crow and the osprey, I do not rob people of their property; nor, like the goose and the wild duck do I captivate people by my looks. Therefore there is no reason why persons should trouble themselves to try and catch me. But they do it in order that they may, by means of me, procure other birds. It is not that they mean to make a laughing-stock of me. However, as they often give me rats to eat, and when there is nothing special for me to do, allow me to go about as I please, I have not much reason to complain. 
"You are by birth, Mr. Hawk, a very superior bird, fine in' appearance, and privileged to sit on a great baron's hand. You are feasted, too, by all kinds of People, so that your lot is very different from that of other birds. But when you go out in search of prey as I do, you have to be much more anxious about it than I need to be; and when you have cogent a bird, it is not your own. Sometimes, too, you meet with a bird that is too much for you, and get beaten about a great deal. And sometimes, you are used by persons who do not understand how to use a hawk, and in their rage they half kill you. As you have leather around your leg, and are always kept tied up, you in no way differ from me in the amount of liberty you possess. 
"There is a tree, a part of which is used for making splendid trays and the like, and a part of which is used for making wooden clogs and similar things. But the original nature and peculiarities of the two parts differ not; nor in one important respect do the modes in which the tree is used differ; for in each case its liberty is taken from it and it is made to serve the purposes of man. So is it with us. We both belong to the same race of birds; our habits and nature are very much alike; and when we are captured and made to serve man, though you are like the ornamental tray, and I like the wooden clogs, yet, in having both lost our liberty, and in being constrained to move at the beck and call and to please the whims of another, we are alike." 
"The moral of all this is," remarks the narrator, "that those who appear to be great cannot always afford to laugh at those who appear to be small." 

IRONY. 
In the Sengoku period, there reigned in So, China, a King called So, who had a 'horse of which he was very fond and which he felt he could not pct too much. He dressed him in brocade, and kept him in a magnificent building, too grand to be called a stable. He fed him with the very best food that could be procured, and had numbers of grooms constantly in attendance on him. 
The treatment the animal received being too good, he grew sick and died. The King ordered the court to go into mourning for the horse and directed that its funeral ' should be conducted in precisely the same way as were those of the nobility. A number of officers protested against this; but the king was relentless, and published an order to the effect that whoever made any objection to the obsequies determined on should be put to death. 
There was at this time in So an actor called Mo, who was a great wit and a favorite of the King's. When he heard of what was contemplated, he went to the palace, and with his head raised, as if in an agony of grief, commenced to weep aloud. 
The King was astounded at the seeming violence of his grief, and asked what it all meant. 
"The horse that you have lost," replied Mo, in broken accents, "was a favorite one of yours; and therefore there is no possibility of paying too much respect 'to its memory. I hear that it is only to have the funeral of a nobleman. This surely is not honoring it as it ought to be honored. Why not give it the burial of a king? You ask why I weep. I weep because of the inadequacy of the respect paid to an animal you loved so much." 
"Well" said the King "what then would you recommend?" "I would recommend," replied Mo, "that a coffin inlaid with jewels be prepared, and that the shell for this coffin be made of the most choice wood; that the grave be dug by soldier, and the earth which comes out of it be carried away on the shoulders of the townsfolk; that the great men of the Cho and. Sei States be asked to walk before the coffin, and the chief men of Kan and Gi behind it; that the grandest funeral rites that have ever been practiced be performed at the grave, and that the taxes from ton thousand houses be appropriated to keeping the tomb and the shrine in good order, If all this is done, then it will be plain to the great lords of this and other lands, how high is the regard in which King So holds horses as compared with human beings." 
The King saw the ridiculousness of what he purposed doing. "Am I gone so far astray as this?" he at once exclaimed. "What had I better do, then?" "Why, bury an animal as if it were an animal;" replied the actor. 
This was done and so the matter ended. Ridicule and irony, though to be used judiciously and sparingly, often prove more effective as a means of revealing people's faults and absurdities than sober reproof. It often happens hat until their faults are presented in an exaggerated or a ridiculous form people do not see them in their true light. 

A FAITHFUL SERVANT. 
I.AIIONG the noted forty-seven r5nin who executed vengeance on KlRA YOSHIHIDE, there was a knight called KATAOKA GENGOEMON, who had a servant called MOSUKE. 
MOSUKE had been an inmate of GENGOEMON'S house from childhood. As he grew up he showed great carefulness in everything that he undertook. 
When GENGOEMON left Ako, he dismissed all his servants but MOSUKE, whom he allowed to accompany him to Edo. Here MOSUKE did all the work of his master's house, not even refusing the most menial offices. When the time drew near for GENGOEMON to take part in the attack on YOSHIHIDE, he called MOSUKE and said to him: "You have been a faithful servant, and all these years have done your work extremely well. I have been a long time expecting to get into office, but have not succeeded. My money is all gone, and I can remain here no longer. In thinking over the state of affairs in the country, it does not seem as though there would be any great demand for fighting men for some time to come. I think that there is nothing for it but for me to wander about hither and thither, getting a meal where I can. I feel, therefore, that I must part with you, though extremely loath to do it. It may appear to you as though I was suddenly changing my plans, but I cannot help myself. It is impossible to go on any longer as I am now. You had better consider how best to make a living for yourself. I am sorry I have to dismiss you without in any way rewarding the faithfulness with which you have served me." 
"What sudden change has taken place that you act thus?" asked MOSUKE. "As I have reached present ago by means of the help received from you, everything that concerns you concerns me. Your misfortune is my misfortune. As for my going away from you and serving another, man this, I solemnly vow, I will never consent to do. Wherever you go, by some means or other, there will I go too. Even though I get a living by making straw sandals and rough mats, leave you I will not."
"I do not doubt for a moment your steadfastness of purpose," replied GENGOEMON; " but going about the country as I intend doing, there will be times when I shall with difficulty find resting place and food for myself alone ; and on such occasions, it will be impossible to provide for you too. Therefore I trust that, your affection for me will enable you to bear the trial of leaving me. I shall regard your departure as a special service rendered to me." 
"The amount of food and clothing which I require will not cost much "replied MOSUKE, "and I. can easily obtain it without causing you trouble in any way. Even though in the same place, I need not be in the same house with you. Without being in your way, I can be always near you. To live apart from you this I cannot endure the thought of." 
II. THUS MOSUKE persisted: to whatever GENGOEMON said, he had an answer ready at hand. So GENGOEMON, not knowing what else to do, and it being of primary importance to get rid of his servant, pretended to be in a great rage, and with a loud and angry voice said: "I was in hopes of dismissing you without saying anything which might wound the feelings of one who has served his master loyally for so many years, but you fail to perceive this, and still persist in wishing to remain with me; so I will tell you the real truth. Since I left Ako last year your conduct has been exactly the opposite of what it used to be and therefore I no longer approve of anything you do; so leave my service at once."
MOSUKE, weeping, replied: "For more than ten years I have served you, and it has never been my misfortune to excite you to anger till to-day. I care not to remain in the world any longer. Beyond to-day my life shall not be prolonged. So saying, he rushed out of GENGOEMON'S presence. GENGOEMON was much concerned as to what he was going to do, and followed him to see. When he perceived that MOSUKE was preparing to commit suicide, seizing the sword that was in the servant's hand he exclaimed: "Are you mad that you act in this unfaithful way towards me?" 
"I beg you to be kind enough to put me to death;" replied MOSUKE. "I remain in the world for your benefit alone. I care not to live for anyone else. As you no longer require me, I die." 
GENGOEMON handed MOSUKE 'over to a neighbor, who was charged 'to 'keep watch over him whilst he himself went to seek out some five or six of his associates. 
GENGOEMON found Ins companions and related to them all that had occurred, and asked them what they would advise him to do with the servant. 
"With such a man as he," said they, "there would be no harm in disclosing exactly what we are going to do." So GENGOEMON returned to his house, and, calling MOSUKE, said: "What we are about to do is something' which has had to be kept very secret; but, seeing .what steadfastness of purpose you possess, I have determined to make it known to you. What I have said to you already about my future plans is false, and was only said to keep you in the dark as to my real intentions. Here he told him what was about to happen. 
MOSUKE was overcome with joy. "What greater favor," said he," could my master bestow on me than to acquaint mc with such a secret? I beg that he will allow me to die with him." 
"OISHI YOSHIO" said GENGOEMON, "has given orders that no one but ourselves is to take part in the attack; we have all agreed to obey these orders, and for the sake of one person, like yourself, we cannot of course break through the agreement that we have made." 
"Very good" replied MOSUKE" I will do as you bid. My saying that I wished to follow you, wherever you went, was out of regard for you and with a desire to do all that strict fidelity requires of me. But when you say this is not for your benefit, then, of course, I will not do it. I now await the approach of the time for the attack with the greatest eagerness; each hour will appear as though it were worth a thousand ryo to me, so fervently shall I long for its arrival." 
Here MOSUKE left his master's presence, and no more was seen or heard of him till the morning after the attack on YOSHIHIDE, when he appeared with "box of oranges, with which he refreshed the forty-seven men after their exertions. He accompanied them as far as Sengakuji, and there parted from them weeping. What became of him after this is not known. It is generally believed that he become a priest.

A CRUEL PRACTICE AND HOW IT CEASED. 
I. IN the Sengoku era, in the time of BUN, the Duke of Gi, there lived in China a man called SEIMON HYO who was the Governor of a prefecture called Gyo.
When Hyo entered on the duties of his office, his first step was to inquire what the people looked upon as the greatest trouble which they had to bear. 
They replied that their great trouble was the practice of giving their daughters in marriage to the god of rivers. "The observance of this custom "said they, "reduces us to poverty.''
In elucidation of this and what follows, we may mention that it is recorded in Chinese annals that, in ancient times, a man called HYOI was drowned in a river, and that his spirit became the god of rivers. He was said to be a polygamist, and. to be pleased whenever a new wife was presented to him. On this account, beautiful young girls were constantly thrown into the river in Gyo, who were supposed to have been wedded to the god. 
On hearing what the people of Gyo said, HYO asked how it was that the observance of this custom led to their becoming poor. 
" The chief officers of the prefecture," said they, " who, beneath the Governor, have the sole control of the affairs of the district, collect every year enormous sums of money to meet the expenses of the wedding ceremonies of the young women who become the wives of the god of the river. They spend a certain amount of this money on the ceremonies, and the rest is divided among them and the priests and Priestesses who perform the rites. 
"Whenever these priests see a beautiful woman in any part of the country, they say: ' This girl will make a suitable wife for the god of rivers.' They then order the most magnificent brocade clothes for her, and go through a number of purifying rites (for which they are well paid), after which, they make a temple for her, close to the river into which she is to be thrown. Around this temple tents are pitched, and feasting and drinking are carried on for a number of days before the final ceremony takes place. 
"On what is called the wedding day, the girl is decked out with all kinds of ornaments, no expense being spared to make her look worthy of the occasion. Then she is placed in a small temple prepared for the purpose and submerged.
"Seeing that all good-looking girls are apt to be seized by these priests and put to death in this way, whenever people have daughters who they think might be chosen, they leave the neighborhood. And so, by degrees, the prefecture is losing some of its best inhabitants. It is said that if no women were given to the god of rivers, he would flood the country; and therefore the practice is carefully observed every year. As this has gone on for a very long time, gradually the prefecture has become so impoverished that we did not know how to make two ends meet." 
"Well," said HYO," the next time this ceremony takes place, do you be sure and let me know, and I will go and assist in the rites." 
"This we will certainly do; "replied the people. When the time arrived, HYO went to the riverside to watch the ceremony. Here he saw assembled all the principal people of the prefecture. The high officers and rich land owner, the heads of towns and villages were all present, dressed in holiday attire, their excited faces revealing the keen interest they took in the proceedings. The person who was to take the chief part in the ceremony was a priestess of about seventy years of age. In attendance on her, all attired in red brocade, there were some thousand priestesses. 
When everything was in readiness, HYO said: "' Let the girl to be presented to the god of rivers be brought to me. I will see whether she will make a suitable wife for him or not." 
II. HYO's orders were obeyed. He looked narrowly at the girl and then remarked: " I do not think this woman beautiful enough to present to the god ; and as he is expecting to receive a wife to-day, and we have no one suitable to present to him, it will be necessary for some one to go and inform him that the delay is caused by our being obliged at the last moment to choose another wife for him and to ask him to defer the wedding till our preparations are complete; and in my opinion the most suitable person to go with this message is the chief priestess." Here the Governor commanded one of his attendants to throw the chief-priestess into the river, in older that she might execute this business. 
After seeing her sink in deep water, the people waited some time for her to return with a reply, but she did not appear. 
"What can be the cause of all this delay?" asked the Governor. "One of the assistant priestesses had better go and tell her superior to make haste back." 
Thus saying, he ordered that the next in rank to the superior should be cast into the river ; and, on her failing to return, another was submerged ; and after her, a third was dispatched, but still no. answer. 
"Oh!" exclaimed HYO, I know how it is we get no reply. Those we have sent being all women, of course, after their manner, they are bashful and afraid to speak to such an august personage as the god of rivers. We must send some men to receive the god's reply. 
Here he commanded that several of the elders of the people should he thrown into the river ; and when they had sunk, HYO, leaning over in a reverend attitude towards the river, remained there for some little time, as though expecting to receive some communication from the god. As no answer came, turning to the officer next in rank to himself and to the heads of the towns and villages of the prefecture he said : " As no message has reached us two of you had better go and see what is the matter." 
The officers begged to be excused from going. Bowing low to the earth, they pleaded for their lives. So low did they bow, and so many times did they touch the ground with their heads, that their foreheads were badly bruised and covered with blood. Their countenances, too, were ashy pale with fright.  
"Very well then "said HYO, "wait here and see whether an answer comes or not." 
They waited some time, but no answer came. Then the Governor, addressing the officer beneath him, said: "' Get up! You are to state to me in writing the reason for the god's treating us all so rudely to day " Then turning to the rest of the people, he said : " You may all go home." 
Subsequent to this, no attempt was ever made to observe the custom of sacrificing maidens to the river-god. 
The measures resorted to by HYO for putting a stop to the inhuman custom practiced by the Gyo people were very severe, but, considering how deeply rooted the superstition was in the minds of the people, it is questionable whether any milder measures would have answered the purpose. The people, no doubt, steadfastly believed that the river-god not only existed, but that he was pleased to receive young maidens in marriage. But when they saw the chief priestess, whom they supposed to be a special favorite of the god, not entrusted with any message ,to them, but perishing in the water, and those who  followed her sharing the same fate, their faith in the real existence of the god was shaken, and hence it was that they showed no desire to renew the cruel practice.
 
THE SOCIAL POSITION OF BEGGARS IN FORMER TIMES. 
ONCE upon a time, it happened that a dumpling known as the Daibutsu-no-manju was very much in request throughout the whole of Kyoto, and dumpling-makers vied with each other as to who should make the best Daibutsu dumplings. Among those which had a great name was one known as the Omi-jo-mi (the Omi superior taste) dumpling, which was sold in a part of the town known as Shijo-gawara. 
It happened once that a beggar came to a man who was selling these dumplings and asked him to dispose of twenty to him. 
"I do not sell my dumplings to beggars," replied the man. 
To which the beggar answered: "Though I aim a beggar, I am still a man ; and if I bring money, surely there is nothing to prevent my buying what other people buy. Why, then, do you say that you do not sell to beggars?" 
The vendor of the dumplings took no notice whatever of this remark. This enraged the beggar, and he commenced to abuse the vendor for his unreasonableness. 
"Well then " said the vendor "if you must have some explanation, I will give it you. Crouch down then and listen to what I have to say." 
So saying, he grasped the cloth that was tied around the beggar's head, and commenced: "I suppose I shall spend my strength in vain in attempting to instruct such an one as you; but if you have ears to hear, then listen well to my words. In the first place, I am astonished that a beggar like you should be in a position to buy dumplings. But granted that you can afford to buy them, those that I sell not being such as are ordinarily sold, but a very superior kind which have been made to be eaten by superior people, I am not going to lower them, by selling them to persons who are not usually looked upon as human beings. If you really wish to possess them, you must give up the life you are now leading and commence to work for your living. Your managing, through the great kindness of those from whom you beg, to get sufficient to keep body and soul together is no reason why you should be privileged to partake of such choice food as that which I am here to sell. Your having the money to buy is no reason why I should sell to you. You are a man who has no regard for public opinion, you are a rude fellow. Be off with you! " 
The beggar, hanging his head low, went away without replying. 
The conduct of this vendor illustrates well the position which beggars occupied in ancient times. They were looked upon with supreme contempt, being spoken of as hi-nin (not human). It speaks well for the state of society in those days that so much opprobrium was attached to the life of a beggar. For to beg is to become servile and obsequious, and means the loss of all independence of spirit. 
The vendor of dumplings had more regard for public opinion and established custom than for his own profit. And in this he is to be commended. At the same time his mode of dealing with the beggar was unnecessarily harsh. His refusing to allow his dumplings to be eaten by beggars, even though they were ready to pay the same price for them as other people, was a piece of fastidiousness that it would be difficult to match now-a-days. 

MISR.ESS AN'S REMINISCENCES
I. The children having gathered round Mistress AN with cries of "Oh, do tell us about The olden times," she commenced as follows:
"My father, YAMADA KYOREKI, was a retainer of my Lord ISHIDA, Assistant Vice-President of the Board of Rites, and lived at Hikone, in the province of Omi; and afterwards, when my lord had raised the standard of revolt, was shut up in the castle of Ogaki, in the province of Mino." 
He and all the rest of us there were shut up together; and a very curious circumstance I remember in connection with it. Every night just about twelve o'clock there came the voices of, I should say, some thirty people, men and women. Who they were, we know not; but we could hear them shouting out: "General TANAKA ! ugh! Ugh! "the same, night after night. Gracious me! how it made one shudder! After that, His Highness IEYASU sent a large force to lay siege to the castle and we had fighting day, and night,, and TANAKA was the name of the besieging general. " 
When our cannon were to be fired, notice was sent round to all within the precincts of the castle, the reason being that the report of cannon terrified every one by shaking the turrets, and seemed almost to make the ground split in two, so that the less courageous, such as the women, would faint right off; and for that reason notice was given beforehand. So when notice had been given and the flash had come, you felt as if waiting for a clap of thunder to follow; and in the early times we all felt as if we should die, and as if there was nothing but fear and horror left. But by and by we saw it was all nothing, and we and mother, and the other women and girls took to busying ourselves casting bullets in the look-out turret; and then, too, our soldiers would bring to us in the turret the heads they had taken, and make us label them for reference. They would also often ask us to blacken the teeth with powder, the reason being, you see, that in old days ' tooth-Powder heads ' were those of men of rank, and therefore more prized, so that a soldier would bring you a plain head and ask you to do him the good turn of giving the teeth a rub of powder. We weren't a bit afraid of the heads, and used to sleep in the midst of the nasty smell of blood that came from them. 

" One day, after a cannonade from the besiegers which threatened a speedy end to the castle's existence and threw all the people within the castle gates into confusion, one of our attendants came with the news that the enemy had disappeared without laving a trace behind them: ' No need for alarm,' said he ; ' quiet yourselves, quiet your . ' But the words were scarcely out of his mouth whom a cannon-ball came and struck my younger brother, a boy of fourteen, knocking him down and killing him on the spot. Oh! it was a cruel sight. Indeed it was!
 "That same day there came for father, to the gate under his charge, a letter, tied to an arrow, which said : ' As you once had the honor to be my Lord IEYASU'S writing master, you shall be spared if desirous of making your escape from the castle. Fly in whatever direction you please. You shall not be molested by the way. The troops have orders to that effect.' 
" Well, the assault being expected in the middle of the following day, everybody's spirits had forsaken them, and we, too, were looking forward with trembling to the next day as to tat of our final and, when father stole up into the look-out turret, and whispered to us to come this way. So he led out mother and us, and, making' up climb a ladder placed against the wall on the northern rampart, let us down on the other side by means of a rope, after which we Grossed the moat, in a tub. Our party consisted of our two parents, myself, and four attendants, our other retainers having been left behind. 
II. " We were about half a mile from the castle, making in a northerly direction, when mother gave birth to a child, a little girl. One of the retainers took and washed it in water from a rice-field, and then picked it up and wrapped it in his skirt, while mother was taken by father on his back, and we fled in the direction of the moor of Aono. Oh ! what a frightful time it was ! Yes, this vas what the olden times were like. Mercy on us ! mercy on us. 
Then the children asked her again to tell them about Hikone, and she said: "My father had an estate worth three hundred koku, of rice per annum; but at that time there was so much fighting that everything was difficult to get. Of course each person had something laid by in case of necessity, but water broth was our usual food morning and evening, Sometimes my elder brother would go out on the mountains with his gun. On those mornings rice and greens would be cooked, for him to take the remains with him to eat in the middle of the day. On those days rice and greens would be given to us, too, and we used to eat them. So we were always trying to persuade my brother; and if he did promise to go out shooting, we were quite beside ourselves with joy. Clothes, too, we were so destitute of that when I was thirteen years old, I had nothing but one thin blue hand-made frock, and, as I wore that one frock till I was seventeen, my shins showed out below in the most horrible manner. Oh ! how I used to wish for a frock that would at least hide my shins ! Such were the inconveniences of every kind to which one was put in the olden times. No one ever dreamt either of such a thing as eating rice in the middle of the day, neither did night time bring its supper with it. So what shall I say of the young folks now-a-days, and the fancies they take, and the money they spend on dress, and their whims about all sorts of delicacies ill the matte of food!" 
Thus would she reprove them by reference to the Hikone days, so that they ended by nicknaming her "Granny Hikone." This is the origin of the slang expression, Hikone, used to designate the lessons for the present day drawn by aged people from the doings of 'former times, an expression which is, therefore, not understood by the natives of other provinces, as it is only a local phrase of ours." A colophon tells us how the little memoir which here ends, came to be written down. After men tioning that the family retired to the province of Tosa, and that Mistress AN died during the period styled Kwan-bun (A.D. 1661 1673) at over eighty years of age, the writer goes on to say : 
"At that time I,' who was then eight or nine years old, had often heard her relate the foregoing narrative. Ah ! how truly has it been said that, time flies like an arrow.' 
" In the period styled Sho-toku (A.D. 1711- 1715), when I gathered my own grandchildren round me, and told them the story, and drew from the example of bygone days lessons against our modern extravagance, the sly rogues turned up their noses, saying : ' Well grandpapa., if Mistress AN Was ' Granny Hikone, you are old Daddy Hikone! What are you preaching about? Each time must have its own customs?' 
" At which observations I of course felt hurt, but then remembered the text: 'Respect your juniors' Yes, our juniors. What will they be like, I wonder? My grandchildren, I suppose, will have grandchildren to find fault with them. So I have just put this down as best I could, and, for the rest, I have nothing more to say than my prayers." 
B. H. CHAMBERLAIN 

KAN SHIN IN HIS DAS OF OBSCURITY 
KAN SHIN, one of China's great heroes, was originally a very poor man and had to live on the fish which he caught day after day. 
One day, close to where SHIN was fishing, there happened to be an old woman washing clothes by the river side. She saw how poor SHIN was and gave him some cooked rice, and taking him home to her house, fed him for several days. 
On leaving her house, SHIN thanked her as follows: "I am very much obliged to you. When I get on in life, as I hope to do, I shall repay you for your kindness." 
To this the old woman replied: "There is no need for this. When I saw a man in full strength not able to get a means of living, and perceived by your looks that you were no ordinary person, I resolved to give you some food; and I do not expect anything in return for the same."
Another interesting story is told of SIIIN in the days of his poverty. 
One day, some youths of the town in which he was residing met him in the street and mockingly said to him: "You arc a big man, and assume great airs, going about with a sword in your girdle, as though you were a very brave man! So much for appearance! You are a coward! If you think otherwise, then show your courage by coming to fight with us. But if you are afraid to do this, then walk between our legs." 
SHIN looked at the youths, and then, stooping down, crept between their legs. 
The townsfolk joined in a laugh at his expense, and made up their minds that he was one of the greatest of cowards. 
But this same SHIN lived to become a great general, and aided the Emperor Koso in bringing the whole of China under his sway. His name was placed side by side with that of SHO KA and CHO RYO, and his fame will live for ever. 
Some insects, before taking a great leap, contract their bodies into the smallest possible space; so SHIN, after making himself as small as he could, leaped to the highest post in the kingdom. 
"As when on their way to greatness and to power, Rivers oft'times flow throu many a narrow gorge and neath many a shady bower; So SHIN swiftly passed from paths of obloquy and shame To a wide sea of martial grandeur and never-dying fame." 

AN AVENGER OF BLOOD. HIS ADVENTURES AND SUCCESS. 
I. AMONG the retainers of ASAKURA YOSHIKAGE, there was a man called MATSUKI TAKUMI, who had a quarrel with one of his fellow-officers. The two fought, and TAKUMI was killed. 
TAKUMI's wife, with his only son, then but an infant, managed to make their escape to a distant place. The man who had killed TAKUMI searched in every place he could think of to try and find the wife and child of his late foe, but without success. 
As the boy grew up, the mother related to him what had happened. With tears in her eyes she would constantly tell him how cruelly her husband had been murdered. The child would compress his lips and say to himself: " I will revenge my father's death when grow up." 
When still a boy, he would take a stick and placing a piece of wood before him, would practice all kinds of cuts and thrusts ; often, when so engaged, forgetting to come to his meals, so intent was he on preparing himself for the great event of his life. 

After he had been practicing fencing for some years, he came to his mother one day, and said that he now felt ready to undertake the task of revenging his father's death. His mother was delighted to hear this, and, after cautioning him to be careful how he acted, took leave of him and sent him off on his errand of vengeance.
His enemy had not forgotten that a son of TAKUMI was alive somewhere, and knowing that, according to the custom of the time, he would surely try to execute the vendetta sooner or later, had taken the precaution of surrounding the house in which he lived with a moat, across which a rough kind of draw-bridge was extended. His residence was well furnished with weapons, and his attendants were always on the alert, anticipating that a sudden attack might be made on their master at any time. 
One day, TAKUMI'S son, assuming the guise of a beggar, with an old broken cup in his hand, approached the residence of his enemy, with the object of seeing what kind of place it was, and how he could secrete himself somewhere inside the walls and thus find out where his enemy's bedroom was situated. 
He noticed that there was a well inside the ground; that the well was enclosed; that it contained a window; and that the rope of the well was attached to a beam which formed part of the house. "I can get in here," said he to himself, " and find a hiding place near." This he determined to do. 
That night, swimming across the moat, the Avenger of Blood climbed the fence which surrounded the house, and entered the window, and was about to let himself down by the rope of the well to the level ground inside the fence, when the rope gave way, and he fell into the well. 
The members of the house heard the noise; and, thinking that a thief had entered the premises and tumbled into the well came rushing out and, each one with a weapon of some kind in his hand surrounded the well. 
A voice was heard to come up from the depths: "Please spare me! Please spare me!" But the men gave no heed to it, and were talking of throwing a great stone down and killing the man then and there, when their master, who had arrived on the scene, interposed: "Don't do anything in a hurry. Get the man up first, and then we will see what to do with him." 
This they did. When he made his appearance, they all commenced to abuse him in various ways. " I have nothing to say for myself," mumbled the Avenger of Blood, " except it be that, having a sick mother, and being very poor, even to the extent of not being able to buy a little rice-bran to give her, I came here to-night with the purpose of stealing some food. Having caught me, I know that you will do as you please with me, but I beg that you will bear in mind that if I am killed my mother will have no one to support her, and in that case, it will be as though my mother had died by your hands. This I beg you will make known to your master." 
Here the master, who had in the meanwhile returned to the house, came out again to see the man. He looked at him narrowly and pondered for some little time, and then exclaimed: "You are no beggar; your voice and your face are very much like those of TAKUMI. You are his son, I have no doubt. You have come here to avenge your father's death, and now think to bamboozle mo by this tale. 'But I am not to be deceived in this way. I have for a long time been hoping to cast my eyes on your head, and now you are kind enough to bring it and present it to mo in this way! A rare occurrence, indeed, this! " 
Not wishing to defile his ground with the blood of his foe, the master commanded his men to take TAKUAII'S son to a neighbouring cemetery and to cut off his head there. 
II. They bound the captive and took him about a mile on the way to the cemetery, when they came to a road which ran along above a deep valley. 
There was nothing to prevent unwary passers-by falling over the precipice as they traversed this road. As the prisoner walked on the edge of the chasm and looked down to the depths below, he said to himself: "I would rather perish by jumping down this place than die by the swords of these men." 
As he said this, muttering to himself his father's name as the last word that he wished to have on his lips in this world, he intentionally stumbled and rolled himself over the precipice. 
As the height was great, the fall stunned but did not kill him. After awhile he came to his senses, and saw the lighted torches of the men who had had charge of him flitting about on the heights above, and thought to himself: "It is not too late for me to go and kill my enemy even now. But my hands are bound; what can I do?"
He lost no time in going to a sharp edged rock that happened to be near; by its means he cut the cord with which he was bound and set himself free. He found that the valley into which he had fallen was very deep. There seemed to be no means of getting out of it. He determined, however, to try his best. By dint of extraordinary efforts, he managed to get to the top of the ascent. But here he found it difficult to find his way, so dark was the night. But at last, he struck the road by which they had come, and following it along, managed to reach the precincts of the house of his foe just as the men who had led him out to execution were entering the premises. He crept in behind them, and, hiding beneath the verandah, determined to find out how things were going on, and, if possible, to kill his enemy that very night. 
As he was listening, he heard the men who had had charge of him make their report to their master as follows: "The beggar whom we took out to kill, fell over a precipice on the way, and we have no doubt that he was smashed to bits. As it was dark, we could .not discern anything, but when it gets light, we will descend the precipice with ropes and bring his body for you to see, if, indeed, it has not been devoured by some beast of prey, as is not unlikely." 
The master of the house was delighted to hear this. "Now," said ho, "I shall be able to sleep at ease. All these years I have been in constant expectation of this fellow's turning up". 
Whereupon he commenced to drink wine and to make merry. He bade his followers drink with him. They all imbibed very freely, and one after another grew tipsy and dropped off to sleep. 
The Avenger of Blood waited until the noise of the revelry had all subsided and no sound was to be heard, save the notes of the temple bell and the crowing of the cock heralding the approaching dawn ; then, taking up a sword which was lying near, he stealthily approached the room where his enemy reposed, and peeped in. There slept his foe sound enough, indeed! to all intents and purposes, like a dead man. It was not merely the sleep of a tipsy man, but that of one whose mind, after years of anxious suspense, was at last at rest. By his side there lay a sword. This TAKUMI'S son took up. On drawing it, he noticed that there was one place on the blade which was dull and looked as though it was the remnant of some deep stain "Thus doubtless " said the Avenger, "is the sword with which my father was killed, and here is the mark of his blood. With this weapon will I slay my foe." 
Not wishing to kill his enemy while asleep, he kicked him with his foot and awoke him, and then with a loud voice said: "Know that your enemy is here, and that he has come to avenge his father's death." Thus saying, he instantly cut him down. 
The inmates of the house, alarmed by the sounds they heard, came into the room, and, seeing what had happened drew thon swords and rushed at their dead master's foe. But he was a good swordsman: cutting away at them right and left, he felled them to the ground one after another; after which, he made good his escape and was no more heard of.

A CHINESE FROG AND HIS JAPANESE DE S CENDANT. 
I. ONCE upon a time, there lived a man called GISAN. GISAN, when young, had wandered about from place to place living a licentious and irregular life, but when about twenty-five years of age, he became sober and applied himself to study. At this time he engaged a teacher, and gathering his friends together, would converse with them on various questions of interest. Among those who visited his house, there vas a strange personage, whose name is not recorded, who used to relate all kinds of moral tales.
GISAN was very much interested in these tales, and was anxious to cow know the narrator was. So, one day, with a view of satisfying his curiosity, he addressed the strange personage as follows: "You do not seem like a man who belongs to this neighborhood. Neither do you look like a man who has come from a great distance. Who can you be?" 
"I am a frog that lives in a well not far from here "replied the stranger." My ancestors were natives of China; but one of them came over to this country some years ago. In their native land my forefathers all lived m wells Their life was .as pleasant as it was possible for a life to be Now, they jumped about on the wood work of the wells; now, took a rest on the bucket ; now, they entered the water and swam about with their heads just above the surface, and now, hopped down to the mud that surrounded the well. Their diversions were such as no other reptiles ever did enjoy. 
"These sports were so entertaining that my ancestors thought they would like to allow some reputes who were not blessed with such." happy lot as they enjoyed to witness them. So, one day, one of my forefathers sent a letter to a tortoise, informing .him that there were some very amusing sports constantly going on at his residence, and begging him when he was at leisure to come and see them. The epistle closed with a description of his residence. " 
'The tortoise replied: I am very much obliged to you for your kind invitation; of which I shall not fail to avail myself as soon as possible.' 
"Before many days had elapsed, the tortoise made up his mind that he would go and see the frogs and amuse himself by watching their diversions. So he set out, and after awhile reached the well which the frog had spoken of as his residence. He was surprised to find that the place was so confined that he had hardly room to get one of his legs into it.
 "'This is not the kind of place you represented to me in the letter I received from you a short time go,' remarked the tortoise." The place in which I reside by the sea-side is no such narrow hole as this. There is nothing to be compared to the sea for greatness, and its depth is unfathomable. On the edge of the great ocean, am I privileged to live. In ancient times, in the days of King U, there was a great flood; but the waters of the sea wore not increased on this account. Again, in the days of King TO, there was a great drought; but the waters of the ocean were not decreased on this account. These waters change not with time; and the circumstances which affect all ordinary things affect not them.'
The frog was very much disconcerted by these remarks of the tortoise, and apologized to the latter for having caused him so much unnecessary trouble. The tortoise here took his leave of the frog and went home. 
"After a-while, the frog thought to himself: ' I should like to go and see whether: the tortoise's residence is as grand a place as he makes out.' 
"Thus saying, he started off, leaping away as fast as he could towards the Eastern Sea. When he reached the shore, the tide was out. He hopped down to the edge of the water just at this moment, a great wave came rolling up, and, before he knew where he was or what ho was doing, the poor frog was swept into the sea. He could not find his way about at the bottom of the sea. It all looked alike there; and his eyes were so sore with the salt water that he hardly knew how to open them. So what to do, he did not know. 
"Fortunately, however, there happened to be a ship near. On to the rudder of the vessel, the frog sprung, and thus saved himself from a watery gave. Though the rudder by no means afforded him an easy seat, as he could not climb on to the body of the ship, and since ho dare not descend to the sea again, he had to remain there, and the ship being about to set sail, he was borne out to sea, and thus crossed over to Japan. 
"'This frog remained at Nagasaki for some time, where he married and had children, my father being one of them. After my father had grown up, he removed to this neighborhood, where I was born. The two generations of frogs, viz. that of my father and my own, have been living together in a well near here ever since. 
II. "I used to hear this talc about my ancestor's wonderful voyage to Nagasaki so often, that gradually a desire sprung up in my mind to have a look at the great sea about which they talked so much. . 
"So, one day, I started off to -go to the sea-coast near Kashima in the Province of Hitachi. On the way, I cane to the Tone river and thought of crossing it; but the sight of it was enough to convince me that to attempt it would be madness. Such a volume of water, and so swift! I remained on the banks, overcome with awe and astonishment. 
"While there the god of the river came along on a tour of inspection, and when he saw me, he said: ' You appear to be a frog which has come' from a distance. For what reason, may I ask, are you visiting this place? ' 
"I told him how I had purposed to go as far as the Kashima coast, but had been intercepted by this river, which I did not know how to cross; and that when I saw the size of the Tone river, I could guess at the size of the sea; and added that I doubted whether it was any use going further. 
"'My experience,' said the god of the Tone river, smiling, ' is not unlike yours. I was originally a native of China. But the former river-god, who dwelt in the region of the 'Tone river, having no son, adopted me. In ancient times, ill China, there was a great flood; many of the rivers ran together and large tracts of land were under water. At last the water became so broad that. it was impossible to look across it. My ancestor, the river-god of that time, who resided in one of the flooded districts, rejoiced at the sight, and said to himself: ' There is no such water under heaven as this.' Whereupon he jumped into the stream, and allowed himself to be carried down to the sea. He was utterly astonished at the great width of the sea. There it was, stretching away in the hazy distance bounded by no object that eye could see! He happened to meet with the god of the Northern Seas, a god called JAKU, to whom he made known the astonishment that he felt at what he had seen. 
"'Persons who judge of things only by what they themselves have seen,' replied JAKU, ' are not qualified to pronounce an opinion on them. You have now seen the sea; and by what you have seen have learned to be ashamed of the smallness of the place in which you live and over which you have dominion. This is a fortunate coincidence and will be of assistance to you in obtaining a true knowledge of things. There is nothing so great as the sea in the way of waiter. Thousands of rivers fall into it, but still it is not full. Summer and winter, it remains the same, and there is no part of it ever dried up. I am one of the gods of this great sea; yet on this account I have nothing to be Proud of. If you ask,' why not?' 'I reply that there are greater things in existence than the sea. The heavens and the earth are greater than it. And if I have no reason to be proud of the extent of my dominions, much less have you', whose domain is confined to rivers, any cause for boasting. To the extent of nature there is no limit; and when we speak of its deeper and more remote parts, they are such as even sages are unable to comprehend. There are those who judge of the position they occupy in the world by the little they themselves have seen and known, and who, consequently, are proud of the position they fill. Such persons mistake the small for the great. They look at a handful of earth and think it is a mountain. You are but a small reptile, yet you are one of the creatures of nature. Your form and character, .your strength and size, are all that Heaven has 
willed them to be. Your mind is endowed with the nature that Heaven has bestowed on it, and there is no end to the progress it may make. If you know how to control yourself and walk in the true way, there is nothing even in a god that need cause you alarm. As KOSHI says: ' You may capture the general of the three armies, but you cannot take away the steadfast Purpose of an earnest man.' As long as this is the case, we need not trouble ourselves about the forms which we bear. They are given by heaven, and accord with the circumstances in which we arc placed. Persons who have a steadfast purpose in their minds are, not affected by riches or poverty. They will neither succumb to physical strength, nor be awed by outward pomp and show. Neither heaven nor earth can change this purpose. Whether men walk in the true way or not depends on the strength of their wills. Therefore do you resolve to walk in the true way. As KOSHI says: 'Virtuous acts are to be performed not in dependence on others, but in dependence on ourselves.' The men of the present day are men who are deficient in steadfastness of purpose. ; and who make their own profit or loss the principle which guides them in life. They aim at appearing more than they are. They are not satisfied with the Position they occupy in life, but afflict their bodices and harass their minds to rise to something higher. Even those virtuous acts which could be easily per formed they do not attempt, to say nothing about the more difficult ones.' 
"Here the god of rivers said to me: ' Do you take up your residence here for a short time, and I will explain to you further what is the true way.' This I consented to do." 
The frog now turning to GISAN, said: "As you arc evidently a man who has great regard for the true way, I have frequently come to hear what you have to say about it. And I hope that you will allow me still to attend your meetings, and that you will not take amiss any thing in my general appearance which may strike you as strange or eccentric. 

TWO SHOP-KEEPERS OF KOJI-MACHI, AND THEIR BEHAVIOUR TO EACH OTHER. 
I. WHILE O-OKA TADASUKE was Bugoy of Edo, there lived in Koji-machi a large shop-keeper, called KAGAYA SHIROZAEMON, who dealt in dry goods. He had a very extensive business, employing some fifty clerks and commercial agents. He lived in good style, keeping no less than twenty domestic servants.
There was another shop-keeper engaged in the same trade, who lived opposite SHIROZAEMON, called SURUGAYA SABUROBEI. 
At the time of which we write SABUROBEI was a new hand at the business, and his shop was small. People usually preferred to go to the large house opposite, where they obtained a better assortment of goods. SABUROBEI, however, had access to several rich houses, where he disposed of a good number of things, and so managed to get enough to live on.
 Ono year, SABUROBEI had some bills to pay, and found that he needed twenty ryo to make up the required sum ; so he went o SHIROZAEMON and asked him to lend him this amount. 
SHIROZAEMON, being a very kind-hearted man, pitied his fellow-tradesman's distress and immediately lent him the money. SABUROBEI offered to give him an I.O.U. for the amount. "Such people as you and I do not need documents of this kind," said SHIROZAEMON, good-naturedly. "We lived close to each other and are engaged in the same business, and that is enough." 
It was not long before SABUROBEI returned the twenty ryo. He waited a little and then came and borrowed thirty ryo. This, too, he soon returned; but not long after borrowed a larger sum, which also was duly paid back. So he went on, with sums that constantly increased in amount, but none of which reached one hundred ryo. 
At the beginning of December of the year in which he had borrowed the first sum, he came and asked SHIROZAEMON to lend him a hundred ryo, which the former consented to do. This he returned on the thirty-first of the same month. 
It was a very busy time with SHIROZAEMON when SABUROBEI come to pay back the money, and SHIROZAEMON would rather his friend had come on any other day than this; but busy or not busy an old friend could not be treated impolitely. 'So he received and entertained him with wine and cakes. The money, he took and put into a drawer, and soon after this was called out to the shop, SABUROBEI being left to finish his wine alone. This was what the latter had expected would happen. So, quickly opening the drawer, he removed the hundred ryo, and soon after took his leave.
The money was missed of course, but SHIROZAEMON thought that, in the hurry of the day, one of his clerks had taken it to pay a bill, or something of the kind had happened. Anyhow it was gone, and there was an end of it. So the matter dropped. 
By degrees SHIROZAEMON went down in the world. His wife and daughter died. He himself grew sick, and his clerks all began to look after their own interests, and so the business gradually dwindled away, till at last SHRIROZAEMON had to go and live at the house of a man who had formerly been one of his head clerks. 
During this time, SABUROBEI had been getting more and more prosperous. SHIROZAEMON did not expect to live long. But the man with whom he was staying was only just making enough to live on. SHIROZAEMON thought, therefore, that, if possible, he should like to get money enough to meet the expenses of his funeral and hand it over to his benefactor at once. There was SABUROBEI, whom he had so often helped surely gratitude would move him to do something for an old friend. So one day, leaning on a staff, he made his way slowly to the house of SABUROBEI.
At first SABUROBEI refused to see him, and thought to get rid of him by sending out an impolite message by the servant. But SHIROZAEMON insisted on seeing his old friend. 
When they met, SHIROZAEMON Was treated very rudely. He bore it all patiently, however, and made known his request, pleading as an excuse the help ho had given SABUROBEI in former times.
SABUROBEI replied that, as he had returned all the money he had borrowed, SHIROZAEMON had no further claim on him, and that he could do nothing for him. 
" It may be well you should know; replied SHIROZAEMON, " that the money which you last returned was not to be found after you had loft the house in the drawer in which I put it when in your presence. I do not mean to say that I suspect you of taking it, but no trace of the money was discovered after you had left. However, be this as it may, I ask you now to give me, say a small percentage on this money, out of consideration for the help received from me in your times, of difficulty." 
II. SABUROBEI evaded the request, and began to convese on an entirely different subject. This made SHIROZAEMON angry. And, turning to SABUROBEI, he said: "You are an ungrateful fellow! "
SABUROBEI engaged by this remark, struck- SHIROZAEMON with his pipe. 
The latter was sick and feeble, and so to retaliate there and then was out of the question. But, livid with rage, he left SABUROBEI's house, determined that he would have his revenge by some means or other. He thought of a great many things that he might do, but either his advanced age or his reduced circumstances presented an insurmountable barrier to their execution, so, not knowing what else to do, he determined to set fire to his enemy's house; which, not long after, he succeeded in doing. 
The wind was strong on the night chosen by SHIROZAEMON for the execution of his threat, and the flames that emitted' from SABUROBEI'S house rose high. By great exertion, however, the fire was put out. 
The incendiary was discovered. The people, seeing who it was, thought it better to let him go free. His kind-heartedness had made him favorite among his neighbors. But SABUROBEI objected to his being allowed to escape. The crime was reported to O-OKA TADASUKE, and the two men were summoned to appear before him. 
At the commencement of the trial, in reply to the judge's inquiries, SHIORZAEMON gave an account of all that had happened. He also confessed that he had set fire to SABUROBEI'S house. 
"Then," said TADASUKE, "there is no mistake about your' having set fire to another man's house?" 
"None whatever, your Honor, " replied SHIROZAEMON. 
"Now we will see" said the Judge. "What SABUROBEI has to tell us about the part he was taken in the matter," 
TADASUKE thought to himself: "The way this man borrowed money, increasing the sum borrowed from time to time, looks very much as though there had been some underhand dealing going on." Therefore he now put the question to SABUROBEI: " Are you sure that you returned the hundred ryo you borrowed from SHIROZAEMON? People forget," such things sometimes, you know, so you had better think well over it." 
Here TADASUKE Put various questions to SABUROBEI, and pressed him hard for direct answers. But SABUROBEI found difficulty in replying. 
When TADASUKE saw this; he called him up to whore he was sitting, and, taking some paper, ho rolled it into a cord, and, binding the shopkeeper's two first fingers together, he stamped his seal on the place where the cord joined. "There," said the Judge, "it is affirmed that in cases of forgetfulness, if this plan be adopted the thing forgotten will soon be recollected. Do you go home now, and think over the matter till to-morrow. Be careful you do not break the seal, for if you do, the thing will not come back to you. 
SABUROBEI went home, but what to do, he did not know. All his relations and friends, and the numerous customers who came to his shop saw his fingers thus bound together, and wanted to know the reason. He could neither write nor feed himself. There he had to sit doing nothing all day long, and looking like a fool. Seeing the plight he was in, his friends said: "It is only a matter of a hundred ryo rather than be put to all this inconvenience and disgrace, you had better say that, you have not returned the money. 
SABUROBEI, conscious that he had stolen the money, thought that now, as TADASUKE'S Suspicions were aroused, it would be no easy matter to allay them. So the next day he went back to Court and confessed that he had removed the money from the drawer after returning it. 
"There" exclaimed TADASUKE, "how well my remedy for forgetfulness has answered! Upon my word, such remedies are very wonderful! You are sure you have made no mistake?" 
"None whatever," replied SABUROBEI. 
"How long is it since you borrowed the money?" .asked the Judge.
"Ten years." 
"Then I decree," continued TADASUKE, " that, as SHIROZAEMON has doubtless been put to great inconvenience by being without the money so long, you return the said sum of money to him with interest amounting to fifty ryo at once." 
SABUROBEI said that hi should find it difficult to pay such a large sum at one time.
"Well, you are an unscrupulous fellow!" said the Judge-"after keeping the money all these years, too! At any rate, one hundred ryo shall be given back immediately, and the remaining fifty shall be paid in yearly installments of one ryo till the whole is paid. When the whole has been returned, then, as SHIROZAEMON is an incendiary, he will have to suffer the penalty of the law, which is, as you know, to be burnt at the stake."
This sentence was carried out. But SHIROZAEMON, being considerably over sixty years of age when the trial took place, of course died a natural death long before the money was all returned.

YOJO'S RESOLUTION AND HOWO IT WAS CARRIED OUT.
THREE lived during the Senogku period, in Shin, China, a man named YOJO who was employed first by a baron called HAN and afterwards by one called CHUKO. YOJO did not seem to suit either of these barons. They did not care foe him, nor hi for them. SO he left them and obtained employment under a man called CHIHAKU.
CIIIHAKU became very much attached to YOJO, and trusted him in matters of great importance.
CHIHAKU had a powerful enemy, called CHO JOSHI, who plotted and affected his ruin. After killing CHIHAKU, JOSHI took his skull, and, with savage delight, drank wine out of it. 
YOJO, who after his master's death had fled to the mountains, while thinking over all that had happened, said to himself one day: "Knights are men who must be ready to die for those who, having read their characters, have taken them into their employ. I must avenge my master's death."
He had no sooner made this resolution than he commenced to devise plans for carrying it out. He changed his name and his occupation. As a mason he managed to obtain employment in JOSHI's house. He had his trowel sharpened so as to cut like a sword, and with this he intended to kill JOSHI whenever an opportunity occurred. 
One day JOSHI entered the room where YOJO was at work. "Now is my time" thought YOJO "I will attack him at once." But JOSHI, before approaching near enough to his enemy to admit of the latter's striking him, suddenly gave a start. A mysterious presentiment of impending evil came over him; and, turning, he fled from the room, and ordered his attendants to go and arrest the man who was Plastering the wall, and find out who he was. 
YOJO was soon identified, and they asked him with what intent he had come into the house. 
"To avenge the death of CIHAKU," he immediately replied. 
JOSHI's retainers all advised YOJO's speedy execution. 
"No "replied JOSHI." This I will not consent to. He is a righteous man. His wishing to kill mc is natural enough. It is for me to take care that I am not killed by him. CHIHAKU is dead and his house is destroyed, but that he should possess' servant faithful enough to undertake such an arduous task as the avenging of his master's death, is very remarkable. This man is no ordinary person. Let him live." 
So YOJO was allowed to escape. Though he had been thus baffled, his purpose was as steadfast as over; and no sooner did he reach his home than he began to make new plans for putting it into execution. He assumed another disguise. He pretended to be a leper. He pulled out a great deal of the hair of his head, extracted his eyebrows, painted his body with varnish, and ill the garb and with the looks of a loathsome beggar, went about the streets asking alms. 
When in this plight, his own wife happened to meet him in the street one day. She did not know him by his looks, but when she heard him speak, she said: "This man's voice is exactly like that of my husband, though his face is so different." 
"This will not do;" said YOJO to himself, when he heard this remark; and he went at once and took a potion which made him quite hoarse.
One day he met one of his friends who was acquainted with the Purpose he had in his mind and the method in which he proposed to put it into execution. "Your intention," said his friend," is a good one, but the means you employ to carry it out are far from good, you distress yourself unnecessarily. Instead of doing all this, if you were to make up your mind to serve JOSIH with your wits, he would soon get to trust you and allow you to have access to him. And then you would have him in your power. This is a far easier course than the one you .are adopting." 
"This would be wreaking vengeance on one benefactor for the sake of another," replied YOJO, smiling. "It would be killing the master whom I should then be serving, for the sake of the on I used to serve. What greater violation of the obligations that servants are under to their masters could there be than this in performing all the duties to our superiors that are required of us we are not to think of what is hard or of what is easy. The course you recommend is, I know, one very often resorted to, but, to commit oneself into the hands of a person in the capacity of a servant and then to take the first opportunity of killing that person, is no other than double-facedness. My not acting hl the easy way you Propose, but choosing in Preference the harder path I am now following, is done with the object of making all those who in future Purpose acting in a double-faced manner feel ashamed of themselves."
So YOJO continued his begging, and it was not long before he heard that JOSHI, on his way to some place, was to cross a certain bridge. Beneath that bridge, he determined to lie in wait and slay his enemy as he passed over it. 
On the day fixed, true to the report that had been circulated, JOSHI was seen approaching the bridge on horseback. As he neared the spot where YOJO lay in wait, JOSHI's horse gave a sudden start, and JOSHI, being very superstitious, and in constant expectation of being attacked by YOJO, said to his attendant: "This is YOJO again, I have no doubt. Search about and you will find him somewhere near"
II. YOJO'S followers looked beneath the bridge; and found a beggar whom, notwithstanding his disguise, they recognized as YOJO. They brought him to JOSHI. 
"Why are you so anxious to kill me when you have neglected to revenge a former master's death?" asked JOSHI. "Who was it that killed HAN and CHUKO? Was it not CHIHAKU? Though you had served both these men, yet you did not attempt to avenge their deaths. Why, then, are you so earnest about avenging CHIHAKU's death? " 
"It is true replied YOJO "that I did serve these two men. But how did they treat me? Not as men who valued me in any way. I as dealt with as though I were in no way superior to, the vulgar herd who followed them. I was looked on by HAN and CHIHAKU as one of a multitude of ordinary men. Therefore it was that, in turn, I viewed them with indifference. CHIHAKU, on the other hand, esteemed me as though I were one of the most famous men in the land. This being the treatment I received from him, I could not do less than I have in showing my gratitude for the same." 
"Well, YOJO, " said JOSHI, with a sigh, as though he were loath to have to say it, "you have already won for yourself a name for faithfulness to CHIHAKU. I have saved your life once, when most men would have killed you, and so I have more that done my duty by you. Henceforth you must take care of yourself. I cannot defend you any longer." 
Thus saying, he commanded the soldiers to surround him. 
"Your having saved my life once," said YOJO to JOSHI, "has shown to the world that you arc a superior man. I can no longer expect to receive any aid from you. In fact I feel it incumbent on me to ask you, to kill me. But I have heard that 'wise men are unwilling to conceal the righteous feelings or acts of anyone; and that faithful servants never object to die for their masters.' I have one request to make, and though I am afraid it is one that you cannot possibly grant, as it is on my mind, I will state it to you. It is that you will give me 'one of your garments, that I may cut it, instead of cutting you, as a kind of satisfaction for not having killed you. If you will but great this request then I shall die content." 
"This is a reasonable request, "said JOSHI," ' and I will grant it." Here he sent an attendant to fetch one of his garments; which, on arrival, was handed-to YOJO. 
YOJO took the garment, and wit, a loud shout cut it three times, and then exclaimed: "Thus have I at last avenged CHIHAKU'S death." 
Whereupon, he fell on his sword and died. It is recorded that oven his enemies were affected to tears at the sight. 
This story, as well as numerous others bearing on the Chinese and Japanese custom of avenging the death of friends, masters, or relatives, shows that the execution of the vendetta was not considered obligatory in cases where the retainer was not in any way attached to his master, and where the benefits he had received were not sufficient to call for the risk or the loss of his life. The vendetta was a mode of showing gratitude for special favors received, and derived its Power from strength of affection rather than from stringency of custom or the obligations which certain relationships carried with them.
YOJO showed great honesty in carrying out his resolution, refusing, as he did, to stoop to any kind of deception or compromise of principle in order to hasten its accomplishment. And JOSHI, too, considering the customs of the age in which he lived, showed extraordinary forbearance in sparing the life of an assassin whose designs were so openly avowed. 

HOJO TOKIYORI'S EXPERIENCES AS A MENDICANT FRIAR. 
I. IT was the year 1261 of our era when HOJO TOKIYORI handed over the direction of State affairs to his son TOKIMUNE and became a mendicant friar. TOKIYORI spent three years in traversing the country incognito, ill Order to examine the state of local government affairs throughout the various provinces of the empire. 
Before TOKIYORI set out, he called together his chief councilors and made a speech to them, in which occurred the following remarks: 
"Throughout the country, the number of persons who are punished for crime is very great. This is owing to the blundering way in which the government is carried on. I, being at the head of the Government, am alone responsible for all .the crime that is committed throughout the country. My administration is deficient; therefore there is crime. What is taking place is all owing to my ignorance of the oppressed condition of the lower orders. While things are as they are, how can I have the barefacedness to stand before people and own that this country is governed by me."
"Thus saying, he installed his son in office, and retired to a private room; and it was reported to the outside world that he was sick. Then, taking a priest called NIKAIDO with him he started off on his journey in the garb of a mendicant friar. 
Wherever TOKIYORI went he mixed with the people and listened to what they had to say about the local government officers. Most mendicant friars when- on their journeys refresh themselves by visiting scenes of natural beauty, but TOKIYORI did not allow himself this indulgence. In every place he sought out the haunts of the poor and distressed, and listened to their tales of woe. 
One evening, as he was walking by the sea-shore near Osaka just as the sun was going down, he thought it was time to seek a lodging for the night. He noticed that there was a good-sized house near him which had the appearance of having been once a first-rate dwelling, but which, for some reason or other, had evidently been allowed to get out of repair. The fence round the lot on which the building stood was all broken down, and as for the roof of the house, it was so bad that the moon could be seen by anyone who lay beneath it; and the wind whistled in from every quarter. From this house there issued an old woman: her shaven head indicated that she was a nun. In reply to TOKIYORI'S request for a night's lodging, the old woman said : "of course you are quite welcome to a night' lodging here if you care to take it; but, as you see, the house is in a dreadful state of disrepair, and I am sorry to say that I have nothing but herbs to give you to eat " 
"It makes no matter," said TOKIYORI, "I am, as you perceive one who is traveling In order to become inured to hardship and privation, so that nothing in the way of food comes amiss to me. Please to allow me to pass the night here." 
The nun agreed; and TOKIYORI settled in for the night. It was so cold, however, that he could not sleep; so he rose early in the morning, and the nun, seeing that he was up, commenced to prepare his breakfast as fast as she could. TOKIYORI watched her attentively as she bustled about. She seemed to be doing her very best, yet she looked like one who was not accustomed to this kind of work. So he asked her what her origin was. 
She began to cry, and said: "As I have reached the state of distress in which you now see me, I might as well die. But, as you know, People cannot die just when they please." 
Here TOKIYORI begged her to tell him how she had been reduced to her present circumstances. She replied: "Though Persons who speak of the sins of others are said not to escape the punishment of the goals, yet, on the other hand, as it is not right to conceal the deeds of our ancestors, and since you have taken the trouble to inquire into my affairs, I will give you a minute account of my misfortunes." 
"Among my ancestors," she commenced, "was a man called NAMBA ROKUZAEMON. He was one of the followers of MINAMOTO YORITOMO when he fought against the HOUSE of TAIRA. He distinguished himself on that occasion, and received a grant of land which was handed down to his descendants, and at last was inherited by me. I married a man called SABUROBEI, and by him had a child. But both he and the child died; and I was left alone in the world. URYU GON-NO-KAMI, seeing my helpless condition robbed me of my estate; after which, I could do no more than drag out a weary existence in the way you now see me doing." 
Hero she burst into tsars again. 
TOKIYORI, taking the wooden tablet on which the posthumous names of relatives are written from the shelf on which it stood, wrote on the back of it a verse of poetry as follows:
"Will not the moon's shadow of Naniwa," 
Which has been carried out by the tide," 
Return to clear water again? " 
By this he intended to predict that his hostess' circumstances, which had become so adverse, would soon prosper again. 
On taking leave of the nun, TOKIYORI said: "If a favorable opportunity offer, I shall mention your case to the authorities at Kamakura." 
TOKIYORI Proceeded on his way ; and after the manner of mendicant friars, be went wherever his fancy took him ; the course h followed being no more prescribed than the clouds that float in the sky or the rivers that meander through the plains. 
II. It was about a year after the occurrence to which we have just alluded, when, late in the afternoon of a bitterly cold winter day, TOKIYORI, in the course of his wanderings, reached the foot of some mountains. Being a perfect strangler to those parts, he asked a child who was playing with the snow on the roadside the name of the surrounding country.  
"This is Shimotsuke," aid the child; " and the village that you see yonder is called Sano."
TOKIYORI pushed on, in hopes of reaching some place beyond; but it was snowing hard, and there- fore very difficult to see anything at a distance. 'The path became more and more obscured by the snow. Inured to hardship though he was, he thought it would never do to pass the night in the open air ; shelter he must find somewhere ; for he had left Sano too far behind to admit of his returning to it while daylight lasted. He went on and on, till the shades of night overtook him, and he began to feel somewhat .anxious, for, to his knowledge, many a man had fallen asleep in the snow never to wake again. It did not seem as though any house could be found in such a desolate region as that through which he was passing. But presently his eyes were gladdened by the appearance of a light. A little hovel it was from which this light preceded. With the exception of its having a roof to shelter the inmates from the falling snow, it was as miserable a structure as it is possible to imagine. It was all crooked, and seemed as if it might tumble at any moment. The dim rushlight, the flickerings of which had attracted TOKIRYORI, hardly sufficed to make darkness visible. To this hut TOKIYORI directed his steps. Standing before the door, he asked for a night's lodging. 
"The master of the house is away," replied a female voice from within, "and therefore I am sorry that I cannot accommodate you to-night." 
"Then I will wait here till the master comes back," said TOKIYORI. 
The woman remembered how cold the night was, and saw the snow drifting into the place where TOKIYORI and his companion were waiting. Being a kind-hearted creature, she said: "I will go and call the master of the house." This she did and in a few minutes came back with him. 
The master said that TOKIYORI was welcome to a night's lodging if he wished it, but that there was no comfort to be found in such a place. 
"As I have renounced the world with all its pleasures," replied TOKIYORI," I think nothing of being hungry or cold, so please allow me to rest here to-night." 
The woman brought some hot water and washed TOKIYORI's feet, and invited him to sit down on the mats. After exchanging a few remarks, with many apologies for offering them such inferior food, she placed some boiled millet before TOKIYORI and his companion. 
"You need not apologize for the food" said TOKIYORI. "It is most excellent fare for a mendicant priest, persons ho revel in luxury have no doubt never tasted millet, and are hardly acquainted with the name. There are certain things whose goodness we never find out till we are brought into trouble. Those' who are hungry are never particular as to what they eat. To them millet is the choicest food."
After taking his supper and conversing awhile, TOKIYORI lay clown and tried to sleep. But it was 
no use; it was too cold. So he got up, and composed the following verse: 
"The exquisitely white winter scene. 
"Ought to yield solace to the mind 
"But instead of this, the frosty air, cold and keen, 
"Makes a pillow of trial, on which pilgrims' heads recline." 
After writing this, he explained to his companion the kind of disposition a mendicant friar ought to cultivate. 
It may be well to mention here that, in taking this joinery, in addition to his desire to become acquainted with government affairs, TOKIYORI had a religious motive. He was a devoted Buddhist, who thought that there was a great deal of good to be obtained from austerity and abstinence. The duties and experiences of a mendicant Priest accorded well with his ideal religious life, and hence were not so distasteful to him as they would have been to an ordinary man. 
NIKAIDO was affected by his remarks and became very sad, and tried to say something to comfort his fellow-traveler. 
The man of the house hearing all this, said to his wife: "There are some trees planted in pots in the court-yard yonder; we had better cut them down and set fire to them to warm our guests a little." 
TOKIYORI overheard this remark, and immediately said: "'beneath the trees and on the cold stones, such is the life of a mendicant priest. And for you to talk about burning trees that are planted in pots in your court-yard to warm men who travel in order to become accustomed to hardship this is altogether unnecessary. What trees are they to which you purpose setting fire?" 
The man, without answering a word, went out into the court-yard and was about to cut the trees down. 
TOKIYORI, by aid of the light which the snow gave, perceived that there were three trees in the yard ; one a small fir tree, another a cherry, and another a plum tree. The man was very fond of these trees, but now, out of pure benevolence of feeling, he stood ready to cut them all down with a relentless hand. 
III. " Don't cut down those trees" interposed TOKIYORI. "It is true that trees have no soul, but the cherry and plum tree, in that they stand the severe winter and more than this, germinate during the winter the buds which sprout forth in the spring, are emblematic of those persons who pass from the winter of adversity to a spring of prosperity. And the fir, in that it remains unaffected in color by the severe winter weather is an emblem of the man whose constancy to duty is not affected by trouble. It would be a great crime to cut these trees down on my account. You had better keep them to look at when your circumstances improve and you become noted in the world." 
"I am like a tree that is sunk in deep water," replied the man," and there is no use in thinking that I shall ever sprout again. I shall rot away in the place-in which you now see me." Here, 'without further comment, he chopped the trees down. 
Whereupon, TOKIYORI was very much moved, and exclaimed: "The kindness you have shown me to-night is something extraordinary. I have watched you narrowly; and you do not seem to me to be a peasant by birth. May I ask who you are?" 
Though the question was repeated again and again, for a long time the man did not reply; but at last he said: "I am the son of SANO TSUNEMASA, and my name is SANO GENZAERMON TSUNEYO. My uncle TSUNETOSHI, in combination with the members of his family, plotted my father's death. Their plot succeeded. Not long after his death I was deprived of all the family estates. Therefore it is that I am in the circumstances in which you now find me." 
TOKIYORI and his fellow priest felt great compassion for TSUNEYO when they heard his sorrowful tale; and they asked him why he did not appeal to the authorities at Kamakura. 
"It would not have been much use for anyone of so little influence as myself to attempt such a thing "replied TSUNEYO." TSUNETOSHI had command of all the avenues by means of which alone it was possible for my accusation to reach the ears of the Government officials in Kamakura. So that had I attempted this, my accusation would have been intercepted by my vigilant adversaries, and would never have been reported to TOKIYORI. But nevertheless "he continued "I have still hopes of doing something. Look here," said he, pointing to some rusty armor, "though it is not very Presentable, I have a suit of armor, you see! And, though he is very thin, I still have a horse in my stable. Should three arise, then, any difficulties at Kamakura, and my services be required on the field of battle. I shall be the first to appear on the scene, and I have hopes that I may distinguish myself in fighting, and thus may have the opportunity of making known my wrongs to HOJO TOKIYORI."
Here TOKIYORI was overcome with admiration of the man's faithfulness and constancy of purpose, and advised him to wait for a favorable opportunity to carry out his resolution. 
Soon after this it grew light, and the two friars went on their way. 
On the expiration of his three years of wandering, TOKIYORI returned to Kamakura. He had inquired into the circumstances of thousands of people, and had made note of over three hundred and forty cases in which justice had been violated. 
His immediate friends, who knew what he had been doing, congratulated him on his safe return. And to the world at large it was given out that HOJO TOKIYORI had recovered from his sickness, and was about to resume his official duties. He summoned all provincial government officers to Kamakura. On their arrival, he went minutely into the various cases which he had investigated during his journey, and administered rewards and punishment according to the merits of each case. 
TSUNEYO was called; his affairs carefully inquired into; and his uncle was commanded to restore the estates which he had taken from him. And as a reward for his kindness to TOKIYORI, three villages, bearing respectively the names of the Plum, the Cherry, and the Fir village, were bestowed on him. The nun was called from Osaka, and the man who had oppressed her was commanded to restore her property. People were highly pleased with all that took place on this occasion. 
The circumstances recorded above may not all be correct. That which refers to the nun of the neighborhood of Osaka is stated as a fact in trustworthy histories, but that which is related of TSUNEYO having been constantly used for stage-acting, it is very probable that fictitious elements have been mixed with the narrative. The story is given here as it is popularly told, and though some of its minor details may be incorrect, taken as a whole, it is fraught with instruction and interest. That men's Positions may be too elevated to admit of their obtaining the information required for the proper administration of government, has been admitted in both ancient and modern tines; and there have been in Europe noted instances of monarchs and statesmen traveling in disguise, as TOKIYORI did, with the object of finding out by direct Personal intercourse with the lover orders what their grievances actually were. 

A TRUE HERO. 
I. IT happened in China during the To period [A.D. 618 -922], when DAN SHUJITSU was the head of the district of Kei, that KWAKU SHIGI held the office of Fukugensui, and dwelt in the Ho district. SHIGI's son, KWAKU KI, was placed in command of a detachment of troops which was stationed in Hin.
The troops under KI's command behaved very badly, stealing people's things, and annoying them in various ways. All the ill-disposed men of the district, seeing how lawless was the conduct of the soldiers, thought that they could not do better than join their ranks, and thus carry on robbery without fear of punishment: So they sent presents to the soldiers, and obtained leave to enlist. The officers had no power to put a stop to the disorderly conduct of the troops, the army being in a most disorganized state. The outrages committed became worse and worse. The troops walked through the towns and bid the shopkeepers give them various 'things, and if they refused, they were immediately cut down. The roads were full of articles which had been taken by force from peoples houses saucepans and frying pans, kettles and pots were lying scattered about in all directions. Pregnant women were run through with the sword, and no one's life was safe. 
The person who held the office of Setsudo, or Garrison Chief, and whose duty it was to control the troops in the provinces of Hin, one HAKU KOTOKU, was afraid to take any steps to correct the abuses; and did not even report the matter to the Government. 
SHUJITSU'S blood boiled as he watched the outrages that went on day after day, and he determined to put a stop to them. He requested the Government to make him a Toguko. This request was granted, and SHJITSU made up his mind that he would take the first opportunity of executing summary justice on the offenders. 
He had not to wait long. Shortly after, it happened that seventeen of KI's troops entered a drinking saloon, killed the keeper of the saloon, and smashed all his distilling utensils to bits.
SHUJITSU, on hearing of this, took some troops and going down to the saloon, caltured the seventeen men who had committed this outrage, and, cutting off their heads, had them placed on seventeen poles and exposed to view in a conspicuous place at the entrance of the town.  
When their comrades heard what had happened, they all put on their armor and Prepared for battle. 
KOTOKU, seeing how tings were going, became greatly alarmed, and quite expected that he and all his fellow-officers would fall victims to the rage of the troops. 
SHUJITSU, seeing in what a state of consternation the local officers were, offered to go to the commander of the troops and set the matter to rights. This officer vas gladly accepted. 
So SHUJITSU mounted his horse, and, giving the reins to .a lame old man, bade him lead the animal along the road in the direction of the soldiers' camp.
When he approached the camp, some men in full armor came out to meet him. "It is hardly necessary," said SHUJITSU, "to come out clad in full armor, to kill an old man like me. Don't you see that I have brought my head to you? So all you have to do is to cut it off." 
The soldiers were taken aback, and paused to consider what they should do. Whereupon, SHUJITSU inquired: " Is there any disagreement between you and your commander, or has anything unpleasant occurred between you and SHIGI, that you are trying to ruin his house?" 
Before the soldiers had time to reply, KI made his appearance, and SHUJITSU, turning to him, said: "Your father, who is second in command of the troops, is a man whose reputation for virtue and upright dealing has spread far and wide. But it is well that you should remember that his career is not yet ended ; and that, however renowned a man may be at the commencement of his public life, unless he keeps his name unsullied to its close, his early fame will do him little good. You allow your soldiers to do as they please; unrestrained and unpunished they commit all kinds of crimes. This has gone on from bad to worse, and where it will stop no one knows. Do you think that a commander's reputation is not connected with the orderly conduct of the men under his charge? And do you not see that the riotous proceedings of your troops are gradually injuring the reputation of your father, and, if not checked, will prove sufficient to ruin him for life?" 
KI, after thanking SHUJITSU, replied: "You have taught me my duty in this matter, and far be it from me not to follow your advice." KI commanded the troops who were about to revenge the death of their comrades to take off their armor; and added: " From this time forth, any one guilty of disorderly conduct will be put to death." 
II. After this, SHUJITSU turning to KI, said: "I have not had my supper yet; would you mind letting me take pot luck with you to-night?" 
KI consented; and he and SHUJITSU took supper together; after which, SHUJITSU said: "Somehow I do not feel myself to-night. If you will allow me, I should like to spend the night here among your soldiers." 
KI thought it a very extraordinary request to make; but having no good reason for refusing; he consented to allow SHUJITSU to do as he wished. 
SHUJITSU rolled himself up in a blanket, and in a very few minutes was in a sound sleep ill the midst of the soldiers. 
KI was very much concerned for the safety of his guest, and ordered some trustworthy men to keep guard over him. So, round this sleeping hero, sentinels walked the whole of the night, clapping pieces of board from time to 'time, like the night-watchmen in the streets, to show that they were awake and on the alert. 
SHUJITSU awoke in the morning, and, in company with KI, went to the local officer, KOTOKU, to whom he said: My soldiers have, I hear, behaved very badly in this place. I am very sorry for what has happened, and promise that it shall not occur again. 
Subsequent to this, SHUJITU was appointed Minister of Agriculture. At this time man called SHU SAI resolved to rebel against the Government; and sent a messenger to SHUJITSU asking him to come to his house. When SHUJITSU heard this, ho said to the members of his family: "I am going to throw my life away in my country's cause." 
Thus saying, SHUJITSU started off for Choan, and had a conference with SAI. It happened that the Emperor was to visit the place where he and SAI were holding a conference. So SHUJITSU suggested that SAI should go out and pay his respect to the Emperor. 
To this suggestion SAI made no reply. 
SHJITSU at once perceived that he intended to rebel; but he thought it would be of little use to say anything to him just then, so he kept quiet; determining to kill him whenever a good opportunity occurred. 
Soon after this, SAI assembled his retainers and revealed to them his designs; the chief of which was that he should become emperor.
SHUJITSU listened quietly till SAI spoke of his design on the throne, when he sprung up and snatching up a tablet that was at hand, rushed forward, and beating it about SAI head, said "You mad scoundrel! If I had a sword, I would cut you up into little pieces. Do you think I am going to follow such a rebel as you?" Here he commenced beating him again with the tablet, so that the blood streamed from SAI's forehead. 
The retainers of Su who were present, however, helped their master, and succeeded in killing SHUJITSU. This took place A.D. 783. 

A SAD TALE. 
I. A Newspaper Vender "The vendetta! The vendetta! Read how it was accomplished! A vendetta, the like of which never was in ancient or modern times! Read how ASANO's forty-seven brave men broke into KIRA's house at night and slew the enemy of their lord! Buy the first and the second sheets and you will have all the particulars of the affair! This is the account of the famous vendetta of which you have heard so much! " 
People from all quarters, attracted by the crier's voice, came rushing out, and pushing his way to the newspaper vendor, each endeavored to be the first to obtain a copy of the paper. 
"These brave and faithful knights," says the narrator of the story, "made up their minds that they would not be excelled by any one. With iron wills they carried out their Purpose, despite the wild lives they had been living, and new they had their reward in the honor that was paid them, all over the country. 
There lived in Edo at this time an old man ever eighty years of age called OYAMADA JUBEI. JUBEI was the father of OYAMADA SHOZAEMON, of whom more anon. 
In addition to the infirmities of age, JUBEI was suffering from disease. Though too old and too weak to be enrolled among the forty-seven ronin, he had the strongest sympathy with OISHI YOSHIO and his party; and comforted himself with the thought that, though he himself had been debarred from taking part in the affray, his son was one of the honorable band whose praises were being sounded so loud throughout the country. So, now, when he heard the news-vendor's voice calling out the words we have given above, forgetting his sickness and infirmity, he sprang up and, pushing his way through the crowd, procured a copy of the paper. Carrying it to his house, he spread it out on his knees and went over it again and again; but he could not find his son's name among the number of those who had taken part in the fight.  
"What rascality," the old man exclaimed "to be selling such a paper as this by thousands? The idea of not having the name of one upon whom YOSHIO depended for the carrying out of an important part of the attack! and yet to say that the account is minute. I should like to know wherein its minuteness consists. Pshaw ! such a Paper as this may as well be thrown into the ditch for all it is worth !" 
As the old man was thus talking to himself, a neighbor of his, a man who kept a shop where articles of women's toilet were sold, opened the door of JUBEI'S room and walked in, without any notice, for he was an old friend. The visitor was over sixty years of age, and finding the society of JUBEI very genial, they often used to pass a pleasant evening ill chatting about old times, prompted by that instinct of human nature which leads those who have little or nothing to which to look forward to find diversion in looking back. "Ah! JUBEI! "said the shop-keeper, " they are selling the account of the vendetta of which you were speaking the other day. Infirm as you are, have you managed to go and buy a copy, eh?" 
JUBEI Ah, Mr. KOHEI ! glad to see you ! Yes, I have bought a copy, but it does not seem to me to be at all reliable. 
KOHEI As it is a thing that happened only three days ago, and they have it in print already, of course it will be full of mistakes. My son, KOSABUR, .you know, often takes some of our wares to the palaces of rich barons. Well, he has just brought two documents that he copied at two houses, which both give an account of the attack on KIRA. 
JUBEI Ah, that's good! Now then we will compare the accounts given in the three papers. 
Here the two old men went over the names most deliberately. But they found no such name as OYAMADA or SHUZAEMON. JUBEI thought that it might be owing to his spectacles being dim that he could not see the name. So he took them off, wiped them carefully, and put them on again. But by this time his heart was full of grief because his son's name was not found among the forty-seven brave men, and his eyes filled with tears. This increased the difficulty of seeing anything plainly through the spectacles. 
KOHEI I should like to know something about your history. What names have you borne in the past, and by what names has your son been known?  The last day or two we have been constantly saying how glad you would be to hear the news, and now you tell me that your son's name is not there -it cannot be so. I should like to know your real name. 
JUBEI -Yes, yes, I have, I know, talked to you many-a-time about my son being among the forty-seven brave men, but now, look as often as I will, no signs of his name do I see. 
KOHEI Come! come! They never would leave it out. Let me know what your son's real name was.
JOBEI His real name? why it was OYAMADA SHOZAEMON. 
KOHEI OYAIIADA SHUZAEMON ? 
JUBEI Do not trouble yourself so much about it. His name is left out of the list. But it may be he was killed in the affray. Is there any report to that effect? 
KOHEI this has not happened, but JUBEI By your manner I judge you know something about the matter. Whatever report you have heard about my son, whether it be bad or good, I pray you hide it not from his father.
KOHEI I am hiding nothing from you that I have heard 
II. Here the back door opened, and a man called GOSUKE, who had been a servant in JUBEI'S house when the latter resided in Ako, but who now was earning a living by selling syrup, entered.' "How is the master feeling to day?" asked GOSUKE. 
JUBEI Ah ! GOSUKE ! Bustling about this cold weather! tough work making a living at such times, I doubt not ? But never mind that now. Have you heard any news about the vendetta?  
This GOSUKE was by nature a simple fellow, who was too blunt and too honest to hide anything. Of the prudence that has regard to time and circumstances, he possessed none. 
GOSUKE Oh yes, the forty-seven brave men prepared themselves for the fight, broke into KIRA YOSHIHIDE'S house at night, and accomplished a deed, the renown of which exceeds all that has been said about it. Just as I was coming from Kanasugi, where I had been with a letter, I met them coming with the head from KIRA's house, brave fellows that they were! Such faithful retainers, such just knights, such bold men were never seen or heard of since Japan was a country! People all stopped to look at them as they Passed, and did nothing but talk about them afterwards. 
JUBEI Ah ! ah ! I am glad that you saw all the retainers of our late lord. I have no doubt they all did well in the fight; but the person about whom I am most, interested, and concerning whom I cannot get any information, is my son. How did he look when the head was taken to the grave of NAGANORI? I have no doubt you spoke to him. 
GOSUKE It is about him that I was just going to speak. As you know, I am very shy, but as I thought that my young master was among the number, I ventured to go up to the forty-seven men and to examine closely those who walked in front and those who brought up the rear, to see if the young master was there, but nowhere did I see him. While I was wondering what had become of him, they all Passed by with the exception of Mr. OTAKA GENGO, who was a little behind the rest. Of him it was that I asked: "What about Mr. OYAMADA?" Looking at me, he replied in his usual kind manner to persons who, like me, are far beneath him in rank: "You are, I think, the follower of Mr. JUBEI. Is your master a little better? An old man of eighty-One has a pretty hard time of it, I fear. But he is a loyal-hearted old man, and it is a great pity that he could not have made one of our numbers. "Here Mr. GENGO went on ahead and I heard no more. I ran after him and asked: " How about SHOZAEMON?" "Oh, on the twelfth," he replied," he received the three hundred ryo, which was handed to each of our number to cover his expenses, and also an article which belonged to his lord, to be presented to the priest at the temple. With these he absconded and we have heard no more of him. Even such a man as he seems to have valued his life too highly to 'join us. JUBEI will be sorry enough when he hears of this. Do all you can to console him." So saying he ran on after OISHI. Have you heard nothing of the young master? 
Here JUBEI's rage knew no bounds. His face changed from blue to red, and then again to ashy pale; he ground his teeth, clenched his fist, and for some time never spoke a word. 
KOHEI did not know what to do. To remain in another man's house on such an occasion as this without saying a word did not seem right but what could he say? After keeping quiet for some time, he broke out: "No, no, you must not look at it in this light. At such times as these all kinds of reports, are circulated. I have no doubt that before very long some good news concerning your son will reach you." KOHEI saw, however, that the old man in the agony of his grief paid no heed to his words, and his instincts telling him that his old friend's distress was not of a kind to be removed or even alleviated by anything he' could say or do, he quietly withdrew. 
III. No sooner had KOHEI gone than JUBEI began to ponder deeply over the whole matter. After a while, sighing heavily, he said to himself: "There is no mistake about my son's having turned truant. Were it not so, his name would most certainly appear in some of the various lists of the forty-seven men who took Part in the fight which arc being circulated. Neither OYAMADA nor SHOZAEMON is to be found in any one of these lists. There is then no doubt about his having been tempted by the money which he received to play the coward and run away. And that I, ignorant of all this, should have been boasting to people about my son's having taken part in the attack, and should have voluntarily informed them that his name would certainly be found among the forty-seven men! Ah! no words can express the shame that I feel ! I am old, and anyhow it would not be long before, in the course of nature, I should be numbered with the dead, but even this short time is too long for n]e to endure. Never will I look my friends in the face again. My death shall testify to the intensity of my feeling of shame. " 
GOSUKE, being a man who had not all his wits, after saying" what he wished to say, without noticing the effect it had on JBEI, left the house. 
JUBEI'S neighbors and the various customers who came to KOHEI'S Shop were engaged in earnest conversation about the recent event, and were whispering to each other that there was little doubt that SHOZAEMON had turned traitor and run away, when suddenly they saw the point of a sword thrust through the wall not far from where they were sitting. The building, in which KOHEI and JUBEI resided being a nagaya, only a thin wall divided their apartments from each other. KOHEI instantly sprung up, and rushed off to JUBEI's house. On reaching it, he perceived that JUBEI had intended to disembowel himself in his bed, but, not having the strength required to accomplish it, had leant against the wall and run the sword through his throat, and that the sword had been thrust in with such force that it had passed not only through his throat but through the wall as well. 
Though an old man, and one who had been weakened by disease, yet, so great were his resolution and courage, that he stabbed himself in the right place, and had done it so well that he seemed to have died without pain. So the manner of his, death was no whit inferior to that of the bravest and the strongest of men. 'There lay by his side a paper which read as follows: 
"The execution of vengeance on an enemy is nothing very rare ; yet, after the fashion of old men, I have been , boasting of what my fool of a son was to accomplish ill this line, as though he were a man to be depended on, while it appears that he is worse than a brute. Not only has the debt of gratitude which I owe to my lord been left unpaid, but I feel that I am too much ashamed Of myself to show my face among you, my associates, again; and for this reason, I have died by my own hand. I hope you will understand the feelings of intense regret and pain with which a 'poor old man like myself lays down his life. I beg that you will be kind enough to attend to my burial. 
OYAMADA JBEI. 
December 20th. 
To my Various Neighbor's." KOHEI and his friends were very much impressed by this incident. Bitter was the hatred they felt for the cowardly son who had been the cause of the old man's violent death JUBEI'S decease was reported to the authorities, and his remains were decently interred. 


A STEP-MOTHER ACTS THE FIEND AND' SUFFERS THE PENALY TIIEREOF, 
WHEN O-OKA TADASUKE was Bugyo of Yamada, a good sized town situated in the Province of Ise, there lived ill the suburbs of the town a farmer called JUBEI, who Possessed land which yielded thirty-five koku of rice year. The farmer was married and had one daughter. 
For two years after the birth of this daughter, the little family lived together in peace and quietness; their annual income being sufficient to' allow of their obtaining all they needed and a great deal besides. 
When the daughter was nearly three years of age, her mother fell sick, and, notwithstanding all the efforts of the doctors to cure her, she succumbed to the malady from which she was suffering, and died. 
Some little time after this event, the neighbors came and recommended JIMBEI to marry ' This advice, for some time, he hesitated to follow, thinking it was unlikely that anyone whom he might marry would treat his daughter well. But at last he yielded to the persuasions of his friends, and married a widow who had a daughter by her former husband. 
At first the new wife treated the two children with impartiality, and did her best to allay any little jealousy which she saw springing up in either of their hearts. JUBEI was pleased to see this, and sand to himself: "My marrying a second time was not such a bad thing after all." 
But before many weeks had elapsed, his new wife contracted a hatred for the daughter of the former wife, and was perpetually finding fault with her without rhyme or reason. JUBEI, however, was ignorant of all this. He himself treated L-he two daughters precisely alike in, everything. 
When the daughter of the former wife, whose name was MITSU, was thirteen, and KIYO, the daughter of the second wife, was twelve years of ago, JIMBEI caught a bad cold, which developed into." serious illness. He grew worse: and worse, till it was plain that he could not possibly recover. His friends and relatives assembled round his bed and in their hearing he made his will: which provided that his wife's child KIYO should receive land yielding ten koku of rice a year, and that his own daughter MITSU should receive land yielding twenty-five koku. JIMBEI requested hi relations to look out for a suitable husband for MITSU, and soon after expired. For some time after JIAIBEI'S death, the wife looked after the whole of the property herself, telling the relations that she would hand MITSU'S, share over to her when a husband had been found for her. But in reality she was thinking how best to get rid of MITSU and seize all the Property for her own daughter. This, however, she found was no easy matter to accomplish, for her every movement was closely watched by her neighbors, and specially by JIMBEI's relations, who were not without suspicions of her designs. 
Nevertheless she treated MITSU as badly as she could; giving her the worst of food, and acting towards her more like a fiend than a mother. MITSU was an amiably disposed child, and, thinking that her step-mother's antipathy to her might be owing to defects in her own behavior, instead of resenting the treatment she received, she tried her very best to do what she thought would Please her step-mother ; but all to no purpose. 
KIYO, seeing how badly her sister was treated, often went to her mother and interceded for her; while she herself showed her all the kindness she could. The mother's enmity, however, instead of being abated by this, was rendered more intense; till she gradually conceived the idea of poisoning MITSU. When the anniversary of JIMBEI'S death came round, according to custom, the step-mother had a small entertainment; and in some of the mochi which she made for the occasion, she inserted poison compounded of the dried remains of a centipede called gejigeji mixed with those of a lizard. 
When the cakes were set before the children, those containing no poison were placed before KIYO, and the poisoned ones were handed to MITSU. 
II. As they were about to commence to eat, KIYO asked MITSU to give her one of her cakes; which MITSU at once did. The mother immediately sprung up, and told KIYO she must not eat the cake. "You have plenty of your own," she said," why need you take your sister's? "Suspecting nothing, KIYO was putting the cake to her lips, when the mother snatched it away and at once removed all the cakes from the table. 
This probably awakened the suspicions of KIYO, for on several subsequent occasions, when the mother attempted to poison MITSU, her plans were upset by KIYO'S interference. Seeing that she could not get rid of MITSU in any ordinary way, the step-mother made up her mind that she would try to frighten her to death. So, putting on white clothes, and masking her face, she assumed the form of a horrid fiend, and, taking a sword with her, she went into MITSU'S room in the dead of night and danced round her like a goblin. This she did night after night, even going as far as to stab the girl in several places. 
MITSU grew more and more frightened every night. She streamed with perspiration as she lay in the bed. After a few nights had passed thus, she found it was quite impossible to sleep she lay expecting the dreadful apparition hour after hour. At last her strength gave way; and one night she fainted and did not recover her senses for some time. The mother looked upon this indication of the success of her efforts with the savage delight of a fiend. 
MITSU rose morning after morning and went about her daily duties, but her looks soon revealed to the keen eye of her affectionate sister that something was wrong ; and as she perceptibly grew worse and worse, KIYO insisted one day on knowing the cause of her illness. 
"A ghost or a fiend," said MITSU, "comes to me night after night and dances round me in the most wild way; sometimes stabbing me with a short sword that it has in its hand." 
KIYO did not at first credit the story, but on MITSU showing her the wounds which she had received, she was convinced that there must be some truth in it. But not being afraid of ghosts, she offered to exchange beds with MITSU for one night, and said that if the ghost appeared to her, she would attack it. 
MITSU did not consent to this proposal at first. not wishing to frighten her sister, but at last she was Prevailed on. 
So, the next night, KIYO, taking from the kitchen the knife which was used for cutting fish, went and lay down in MITSU's bed. 
At midnight, the form appeared in the attire which MITSU had described. As it approached, KIYO sprung up, and, laying hold of it by the clothes, thrust the knife into it. It fell. When it was down, thinking that, as it was the enemy of her older sister, it ought not to remain alive, KIYO stabbed it five times and killed it. 
KIYO then rushed to her sister and told her that she had killed the ghost, or fiend, or whatever it was. 
The neighbors were called in. They saw the form and remarked: "Yes, sure enough! she has killed a red devil." 
The creature looked so formidable, even when dead that no one felt inclined to approach it, at any rate till daylight arrived. They thought the best thing to do was to report the matter to the City Bugyo; which was done without delay. 
At daylight some officers came to inspect the body of the deceased ghost, and found that it was no other than KIYO's mother who had been killed. 
On being informed of this, the two girls became greatly alarmed and commenced to cry and to explain how the, mistake had occurred. 
"Whatever may have been the cause of the murder, about the reality of it there is not the shadow of a doubt "sand the officers to KIYO." You have killed your parent, and you must be taken to the Bugyo to be tried for the offence." 
KIYO was now bound and taken to the Court of Justice. TADASUKE Ordered MITSU to be called as well and he commanded the two girls to give an account of all that had happened. 
After hearing the Particulars, TADASUKE said to himself: "KIYO has acted nobly. The wrong she has done, was done in ignorance; the part she took, she was prompted to take by the best of motives. I must endeavor to save her from suffering the penalty of the law for her deed." 
Having previously instructed the officers in private as to what his intentious were and how he wished them carried out, in the public Court he called one of them and addressed him as follows: "It is reported that KIYO killed her parent last night, but I do not believe that this is the case. It is doubtless some beast which has taken human form that she has killed. It is said that such creatures usually resume their original appearance twenty-our hour after death. But as this time has not yet elapsed. I will tell you of another mode of finding out whether the creature killed is human or no. Take special notice whether the pupil of the eye is visible or not. If it is not, then it is doubtless an animal that has been killed." 
The officers went, and, after inspecting the body, came back and said: " The pupil of the eye is not visible, your Honor." 
"There now! " exclaimed TADASUKE aloud in the Court, " I thought so. If the creature were human, you would see the pupil of the eye; so, evidently it is a boast in human form that has been killed by KIYO. In my opinion KIYo's mother must have, somehow or other, been killed by a fox or a badger, and the animal must afterwards have assumed the mother's form. People who know nothing about such things will perhaps fancy that KIYO has killed her mother; but it is nothing of the kind. It is an evil spirit that she has killed, in fact, the spirit of the animal that killed her mother; and so she has revenged her mother's death. If the corpse were left for twenty-four hours after death, I have no doubt it would assume the shape from which it transformed itself, namely, the shape of a fox or a badger. But if it were left and allowed thus to change, and KIYO and others were to see the change, their feelings would be harrowed thereby. KIYO would grieve to think that the one whom she had been serving as a parent was nothing more than all animal ; and others would, when they heard of this, say : ' 'How are we to know that our parents are not transformed animals?' This being the case, it will be best for all parties that the creature be buried out of sight as soon as possible." Here orders were given to this effect. 
The officers who received the orders carried them out with speed. "We must be quick" said they, "or the creature will change while we are burying it." 
"Though I have decided," continued TADASUKE," that KIYO has not killed her parent; there will not be wanting some who will say that she has. She had therefore better shave her head and enter a nunnery. Her sister MITSU will inherit JIMBEI'S property and marry. The two sisters will, I feel sure, love and help each other in every way possible." 

PARE DEVOTION. 
I. IN the Sengoku era, there lived in China a duke called KEI, who was lord of the whole of the Shin State. Beneath him were two Ministers, known as CHO SAKU and TOGAN KA, who managed all the affairs of his government. 
KA was a rival of SAKU, and was determined to get him out of office, if ever a good opportunity occurred. He devised all kinds of plans for accusing him falsely to the Duke, thinking to compass his death in this way, but none of his schemes were successful. This made him still more angry until at last he grow desperate and employed people to kill SAKU. 
SAKU did not fall alone. 'The whole of his kinsfolk, with the exception of his wife, who was not present, were killed at the same time. 
Two of the followers of SAKU, called SHOKYU and TEI EI, took care of SAKU'S wife ; and when, shortly afterwards, she gave birth to a boy, they had strong hopes of being able to avenge their master's death at some future day. 
They watched over the boy with the greatest care, keeping both the mother and the child in the strictest seclusion. 
Notwithstanding their watchfulness, however, KA, by some means or other, heard what had happened; and sent assassins to search for and kill the child. The Persons sent did not, of course, know the mother by sight, or they would have killed her and the child without any difficulty. Once, indeed, they came to the house where she was staying. The mother hearing that they had come hid the child beneath her clothes. She said to herself: "If the child cries, it will be all over with us both. If this child is destined to be an heir to his father and to serve his lord in after-life, then, I pray that it may keep quiet now. But if there is no probability of our family continuing to exist, then let it cry." The child remained quiet; and the men went off without suspecting anything.  
"With such close observation as this, I shall never escape," said the mother to herself. She informed the two servants of what had happened. "What I shall do, I do not I know "she added "I see no chance of saving the child's life." 
This set the two servants cogitating as to how they could deceive KA's spies and thus allay suspicion. It was not long before they hit on a mode of doing this. One day SHOKYU asked EI: "Which is the easier course: to remain alive and encounter all the trouble connected with the attempt to save the child's life, or to perish now?"
"It is easy enough to die," replied EI. "It is living to see this child finally established as the successor of his father that is so difficult."
"Then," said SHOKYU, "as you have received more favors from our late master than I, I beg that you will undertake the difficult Part." 
EI agreed to this, and they proceeded to carry out the scheme they had concocted in the following manner. SHOKYU Procured a boy whose age corresponded to that of SAKU's son, and with him went off to the mountains and hid himself. Then EI went td the followers of KA and said: "I know where SAKU's son is to be found. If you will give me a thousand ryo, I will tell you where he is." 
The followers of KA promised him the money. And, severe as the task was to him, EI went to the place where SHOKYU was concealed, and, acting as though he had never seen him in his life, pointed to the child, and said to the men who had been sent with him by KA: "Here is the child you desire to destroy."
SHOKY appeared to be quite startled by their appearance. KA's men advanced and were about to kill the child, when SHOKYU exclaimed: "Ah, you are an ungrateful fellow, TEI EI! Have you forgotten all the favors you received from your late master, that, for the sake of a thousand ryo, you have consented to betray his son into the hands of his enemies? As for me, it matters little whether I die or live. But this poor innocent babe, will you not try to save its life? "
All this was done to allay suspicion. The men killed the child, together with its guardian, before EI's eyes. 
II. After this, EI took the mother and her child and hid them in the mountains. The suspicions of KA's followers having been all allayed, there was no further danger. So the child grew up to the age of fifteen. 
Just at this time KEI, the Duke of Shin, became very ill. A diviner was consulted as to the cause of his sickness. 
The diviner said that the Duke's illness was caused by the death of an innocent man. 
Guessing at once whom he meant, "'The death of CHO SAKU " remarked KEI, "was not brought about at my instigation nor with my consent. It was TOGAN KA's doing. He, in anger, and in total disregard of public opinion, committed this deed of blood. It is true that I, as lord of this country, ought to have dismissed the perpetrator of such a crime from my service. In not doing this, I confess I am to blame. How can I atone for my remissness?" 
KAN KETSU came forward and said: "I will tell you what you can do. You can employ SAKU'S son. He has a son who is about fifteen years of age; his name is CHO BU." 
KEI agreed to do as KETSU had advised. BU entered the Duke's service, and by degrees was promoted to a high position in the State: and so was enabled to fulfill the great object of his life the avenging of his father's death. He killed KA, and rose to occupy the post which his father had held. In all things he conducted himself in a most discreet manner, and hence was very popular among the people. 
One day, EI went to BU and said to him: "Had it not been that you were young and inexperienced, I should have killed myself long ago. But now you are able to manage for yourself, why should I remain alive any longer? If I do not die now, I shall break the oath which I made to SHOKYU when I undertook the difficult part of living to see you brought up. If I don't die now, I shall not be treading in the footsteps of the noble and the brave whose devotion to masters, relatives, or friends has led them to despise death.
My lord is dead; my friend is dead; and, seeing that that for which I remained alive after them is accomplished, why should I linger in the land of the living any longer? " 
Thus saying, El committed suicide by disemboweling himself. 
Bu was overcome with astonishment, and thought at first that it was his duty to die too, to keep company with a man of whom he was so fond. But on second thoughts he said: "No, it was for my sake all these things have happened. In order that I might succeed my father, these men have lost their lives. My duty is to live."' 
BU mourned for EI, as for his own father, for the space of three years. 

A CONSIDERATE MASTER. 
KATO YOSHIAKI was a general who was no less brave than intelligent; and whose private life was of a piece with his public. He treated his servants, dependants, and subordinates with great kindness and consideration. 
It happened once that, when some guests were being 'entertained at his house, YOSHIAKI brought out for their use ten very rare wine cups. One of his servants dropped one of the cups, and broke, it. 
The servant was very much troubled about it. Going to his master, he told him how sorry he was for what he had done. "I am prepared to submit, to any punishment your Lordship is pleased to impose on me," said the servant. 
To which YOSIHAKI replied: "There is no one but does something amiss at some time or other. You have confessed that you broke the cup. Think no more about it." 
Soon after this YOSHIAKI took the other nine wino cups, and, dashing them to the ground, broke them all before the servant's eyes ; and then said to him : "You will think that I do this in anger, but it is not so. I know that, were I to leave the other wine cups whole, whenever you see them you would be reminded of the one you have broken, and would say to yourself: ' On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, I broke the missing cup.' And since you have confessed your fault, I do not choose that you should remember it for ever. I can very well do without such precious things as these in my house." 
It is seldom that masters consider the feelings of their servants in such a way as this. But where it is done, the bond of sympathy between master and servant is so strong that nothing can break it. 

KURODA JOSUI REFUSES TO TAKE A HUNDRED PIECES OF SILVER 
WHEN TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI was about to attack Corea, he sent HINENO BITCHU-NO-KAMI to the Corean Court. When BITCHU-No-KAMI received orders to go to Corea, he was very poor, and had not enough money to meet the expenses of the journey. Through the intercession of MIYOSHI SHIN-EMON, he managed to borrow one hundred pieces of silver from KURODA JOSUI.
When BICHU-NO-KAMI returned from Corea, taking SHIN-EIION with him, he went to the house of JOSUI for the purpose of returning the money. He proposed to add to the original amount some ten pieces by way of interest. 
JOSUI gave the two men an audience; and they handed in the money. After conversing with them for a little while, JOSUI called one of his attendants, and said to him: "As you know, throe was a tai sent to me the other day, just tell the cook to alt in its flesh, and boil down its bones for soup, will you. When the soup is ready, serve it up for the guests, and put some wine on the table." 
The two visitors were ill at ease as they listened to these words. They appeared to be intentionally impolite. 
When they had finished their repast, JOSUI produced the money which had been returned and said: "I had no idea when I sent you this money that I was, lending it. As you were in need of it at the time, I gave it to you and never dreamt of receiving it back again.' 
JOSHI was pressed several times to take it, but he steadfastly refused. The two friends went away overcome with admiration. 
In connection with the above, it should be related that before the war of Sekigahara, when some of the garrison troops of the saka Castle told JOSUI what was about to take place, the latter remarked : "The money which we lay by in ordinary times is stored up against such an occasion as the present. So I am prepared to spend all I have in the war. If there are any knights who wish to join me on this occasion, I am ready to support them, no matter how many they may be. If there are any knights, who, for want of funds, are lying idle at this time, let them apply to me, and they shall be supplied with both weapons and money." 
Brave men in all Parts of the country hailed this officer with delight, and flocked to JOSUI'S standard; and he maintained them all. 
By his conduct on this occasion, we may judge of the meaning of what he did in the presence of BITCHU-NO-KAMI and his friend. When he gave orders to his cook to salt in the perch, and boil down the bones to make soup for his guests, he wished to show them that on ordinary occasions he was economical, so as to allow of the accumulation of wealth ; but that when it came to the carrying out of his duties to his friends, or meeting the requirements of some great emergency, he looked on silver and gold as no better than dust, using it as freely as he would the water that is drawn from a well. 
By this we see what true moderation is. It is the keeping of our inclinations ill check the exercising carefulness lest unnecessary expenditure should rob us of the money which ought to be laid by for a time of need. When this time of need comes, we should, be prepared to lay out what we have saved without the slightest stint. 

THE SWORD OF JAPAN ITS HISTORY AND TRADITIONS. 
I. THERE is, perhaps, no country in the world where the sword, that "knightly weapon of all ages," has, in its time, received so much honor and renown as it has in Japan. Regarded as of divine origin, dear to the general as the symbol of his authority, cherished by the samurai as almost a part of his very self, and considered by the common people as their protector against violence, what wonder that we should find it spoken of in. glowing terms by Japanese writers as " the precious possession of lord and vassal from times older than the divine," or as " the living soul of the samurai?" 
The sword has in Japan a history of its own, and has formed the subject of several treatises, written with the object of assisting the student of the art of fixing the date and maker's name of a blade, an art which apparently was a subject of great attention from olden times. Among these treatises the principal are the "Koto Meijin," or "Collection of Names of Old Swords;" and the "Shinto Bengi," or "References to New Swords." The former was compiled in 1791 A.D.;' and the latter was published by KAMADA SABURODAYU in the year 1779 A.D. The expression "Old Swords " is explained as applying to those made before the eighth year of the Keicho era, or before 1603 A.D.; while all those manufactured after this date are included under the heading of " New Swords." 

We note tat in the account given by SABURODAYU the word used for sword is ken ; which signifies a long, straight, double-edged sword, as opposed to the katana of modern times, which has but a single edge, and is slightly curved towards the Point. 'The ken is the oldest form, and the katana the newest; while between the two comes a sword much like the katana, only a great deal more curved. A beautiful specimen of a ken is now in the possession of the most noted fencing-master of Edo. It is about three feet in length, and perfectly straight: the blade is some two and a half inches in breadth, and the point somewhat heart-shaped. It is exceedingly heavy, double-edged, and engraved with various devices. This ken is said to be between seven and eight hundred years old. 
The curved sword was worn swinging from a belt, to which it was attached by two strips of leather; it appears to have been a common style of war-sword, and was generally very short. 
The shape of the katana was obtained by dividing the heavy ken down the centre of the blade, thus producing two single-edged swords of more convenient weight. 
Besides these again, there is the wakizashi, or short dirk. The custom of wearing a wakizashi together' with a katana as a sign of gentle birth, is said to have been introduced about the commencement of the ASHIKAGA dynasty, in the early part of the fourteen century. The length of this dirk ha of late years been gradually lessened to about nine and a-half inches. This is the weapon with which the ceremony of harakiri was performed, the dirk being then presented to the principal on a small square tray made of white wood, such as is used in temples. Hence the allusion in a popular song written at the time of the recent Revolution: 
"The gift I wish to present 
"To my Lord of Aizu
"Is 'nine and a half inches' 
"On a temple tray." 
The meaning beint that the author of the song, who was evidently attached to the loyal party, desired nothing so much as the death of the nobleman in question. 
The names of noted sword-smiths are many in number. The firstwho appears to be a really genuine personage is one AMAKUNI, who lived during the reign of the Emperor MOMMU (about A.D. 696-707.) He is stated to have been a man of Uda, Yamato; and this circumstance, coupled with the fact of similarity of name, induces the belief that he was a remote descendant of that AMAKUNI, whose name is mentioned in SABURODAYU treatise as having made a sword in imitation of the Divine blade called " Clustering Clouds " There are various tales of other clever smiths who lived before the time of the Emperor MOMMU, but it is hard to place much reliance on them. With regard to later times, the " Reference to New Swords " says "The good makers of olden days were KAMIGE SHINSHIKU and AMAZU; and of the middle ages MUNECHIKA, YASUTSUNA, SANEMORI, YUKIHIRA, YOSHIMATSU, and KUNIYOSIH of A Wataguchi (in Kyoto). In the Period called Shokyu (A.D. 1217-1220), there were numerous artisans. Subsequently came MASAMUNE and YOSHIHIDE, who were universally renowned." 
Of' the above names, YOSHIMATSU is placed by the author of the work as first in Point of merit.
It appears rather strange that in this list there should not be found the name of MURAMASA, who is certainly one of the most widely known smiths of Japan. It is most probable that his name was omitted by some oversight, as he is mentioned elsewhere in the book. 
The four makers of swords who seem to be best known in Japan are MUNECHIKA, MASAMUNE, YOSHIMITSU, and MURAMASA. Of these MUNECHIKA is by far the oldest; he was born in 938 A.D., and his swords were famous from A.D. 987 downwards. 
MASAMUNE and YOSHIMITSU acquired their renown towards the end of the thirteenth century, while MURAMASA did not appear till nearly a century after them. These makers, as indeed all smiths of any note, had their own marks which they engraved on the hilt of the sword, most frequently accompanied by a date, but as of late years the practice of counterfeiting the marks of well-known makers has been largely indulged in, these are not always to be depended upon. 
MURAMASA was succeeded by his son and his grandson, who both bore the same name, and the latter of whom flourished in the early part of the fifteenth century. The blades turned out by this family acquired the unenviable reputation of being unlucky and of frequently bringing their owners into trouble. Mr. MITFORD, in his "Tales of Old Japan," gives a legend which explains the reason why the YOSHIMITSU blades were deemed of good omen in the TOKUGAWA family, while those of MURAMASA were thought unlucky. 
II. THE profession of the sword-smith was deemed all honorable one in ancient and medieval times, and those who engaged in it were generally men of good family. It is mentioned of the Emperor GOTOBA, who succeeded to the throne A.D. 1186, that not only did he "give directions to the noted smiths of the various provinces, and make them forge blades, but also worked with his own hands." 
In later years the famous smiths received from the Court an honorary rank, proportionate to the renown they had gained. Thus it is a common thing to see engraved on a sword the name of the maker, with the title "Kami of such and such a province " appended. This, however, is accounted for by some by saying that it was the custom of the maker to engrave on his work the title of the nobleman in whose jurisdiction he lived. Of the two explanations the first-named is apparently the more worthy of credit. 'To those names." date is generally- added, while on the other side of the hilt a motto or a verso of poetry, is occasionally written. Some of these are rather curious. Subjoined are a few, selected at random: 
"There's naught 'twixt Heaven and Earth that man need fear, who carries at his belt this single blade." Again, "' One's fate is in the hands of Heaven, but a skilful fighter does not meet with death." And again, "In our last days our swords become the wealth of poterity." 
Apart from these mottoes, it was a custom to give names to famous swords. "Kogarasu " was the title of one in great repute ill the TAIRA family ; while in the house of MINAMOTO there were two hereditary swords named ' Higekiri" and "Hizamaru''. The two latter names arose from the circumstances that when these swords were tried on two criminals sentenced to decapitation, one cut through the beard of the victim after severing the head from the body, while the other also divided the knee. The historian RAI SAN-YO states that the forging of these two swords occupied the smith for a Period of sixty days. 
The dirk with which ASANO TAKUMI-NO-KAMI, the lord of the famous "forty-seven ronins" committed harakiri, is still preserved at the Sengakuji in Edo ; and swords alleged to have belonged to MINAMOTO YORITOMO and to the TAIKO, HIDEYOSHI, are to this day exhibited at the shrine of HACHIMAN, at Kamakura. 
It was the writer's good fortune, in the spring of the present year, to pay a visit to the famous shrines of Nikko. The highest mountain of that cluster of hills, called Nantaizan, has been considered for many ages a sacred place. Upon this mountain are several small torii or gateways, such as are seen leading up to ordinary Shinto temples; these guide the traveler to a small shrine at the summit. Here, on a bare rock, overhanging a steep precipice some sixty or seventy feet in depth, lay half-buried in the snow, a large number of sword-blades, old and rusted, which had evidently lain there exposed to the wind and rain for many years back. Tradition says that, in old days, any one who had committed a deed of blood with any weapon was accustomed to make a pilgrimage to this mountain, and there fling away the instrument as a sort of expiation for his crime. The guides on the spot, however, stated that though this was doubless true in many cases, still it was not an absolute fact. Among the sword-blades there lay one, broken into three pieces, which when whole must have been not less than eight feet in length. This sword bore a date of some twenty-one years back, and the maker, IZAWA GIJIRO, turned out to be a smith of some renown in the castletown of Utsunomiya. Many a tale of blood, no doubt could those old blades have told, had they been able to speak. But there they lay, as still as the hands that once wielded them, fitting emblems of the decay, in these days, of that once deep-rooted pride which was wont to cherish the sword, under the belief that it was the source of manly spirit and the very fountain of honor. 
The different ways of carrying the sword are stated by some Japanese to have been indicative of the social position of the wearer. Thus, persons of high birth are said to have generally worn it with the hilt pointing straight upwards, almost parallel with the body; the common people to have stuck it horizontally in the belt; while ordinary samurai wore it in a position about half-way between the two just quoted. This, however, docs not appear to be an idea worthy of much credence; for all who visited Edo some three years ago must have noticed that the style of carrying it first quoted above was one that found great favor in the eyes of the low-class swashbucklers of the capital, who frequently were seen swaggering about girt with weapons placed perpendicularly in their belts and reaching almost from the level of their chins to their ankles. 
To clash the sheath of one's sword against that belonging to another person was held to be a grave breach of etiquette; to turn the sheath in the belt, as though about to draw, was tantamount to a challenge; while to lay one's weapon on the floor of a room, and to kick the guard with the foot, in the direction of any one else, was a deadly insult that generally resulted in a combat to the death. It was not even thought polite to draw a sword from its sheath without begging the permission of any other persons present. 
The decay of the practice of wearing swords is certainly a hopeful sign of more intelligent and orderly times. The contrast between the present peaceful condition of the great cities of Japan, and that of the same places a few years back, is in itself sufficient to show that the swords were not really needed, but were, on the contrary, an incentive to violence. Tales of unfortunate dogs serving as a test of the sword of the roistering student, or of some wretched foot passenger losing his life beneath the stroke of a ruffian anxious to try the edge of his blade by what is so expressively styled in Japanese " Crossroad cutting," are happily now unknown.
T. H. R McCLATCHIE. 

MOSHOKUN'S THREE HOLES AND HOW THEY WERE MADE. 
I. IN the Sengoku period there was in Sei; China, a low class knight called HYO KWAN. KWAN, being too poor to maintain himself, sent a friend to the Prime Minister of Sei, one MOSHOKUN, with a request that ho (KWAN) might be received into MOSHUKUN'S house as one of his guests. KWAN was aware that MOSHOKUN was, after the custom of those days, in the habit of entertaining a large number of people of various grades. 
MOSHOKUN agreed to receive KWAN. On is arrival, MOSHOKUN asked him what ho had to recommend him. 
"Nothing whatever," replied KWAN.
"What can you do?" asked MOSHOKUN. 
"Nothing," replied KWAN. 
MOSHOKUN was amused by the straightforwardness of these replies, and, smiling, he gave his consent to KWAN'S becoming a permanent resident in his house. 
It seems that MOSHOKU'S guests were divided into three classes known as: Herb- eaters " "Fish-eaters " and "Flesh eaters" The person who had to decide to which class a guest was to belong heard of the conversation which had passed between MOSHOKUN and KWAN, and thought that as this new guest knew nothing, and seemed to be fit for nothing, he had better be placed in the lowest grade. So his name was duly enrolled as one of the "Herb-eaters." 
One day, not long after this, KWAN was leaning against one of the posts of the house, when suddenly he was seen to strike the hilt of his sword and heard to sing: 
"Oh, sword! 
"As there is no fish to be had; 
"Shall we not return?
"Shall we not return?" Someone went and told MOSHOKUN of this, and KWAN was, in consequence, elevated to the rank of a "Fish-eater "among the guests. 
It was not long after this before KWAN was heard to sing: 
"Oh, sword t 
"There is no coach to take us about; 
"Shall we not return? 
"Shall we not return?" 
Those who heard this song were very much amused, and immediately informed MOSHOKUN of what had occurred. MOSHOKUN commanded that KWAN should be allowed to go out in a carriage with some of the better class guests. 
While passing some of his friends when riding in the carriage for the first time, he lifted his sword in the air and called out. "Ha ha! Don't you see MOSHOKUN has made me one of his chief guests? " 
It was not long before KWAN changed his song again; and now he was heard to sing: 
"Oh sword! 
" We have no means of maintaining""' our house! 
"Shall we not return? 
"Shall we not return?" 
Someone who heard this, in relating it to MOSHOKUN remarked that KWAN was one of those men, who, after once becoming very poor, on beginning to grow rich, never know what it is to be satisfied. 
MOSHOKUN commanded them to call KWAN and ask him whether he had a Parent living.
"Yes " he replied " I had an old mother who is dependent on me." 
MOSHOKUN directed that the wants of KWAN's mother should be supplied. 
After this KWAN stopped singing, and seemed to be entirely satisfied. 
MOSHOKUN spent a great deal of money in entertaining his numerous guests. He derived his income from dues on land in Setsu of which he was the lord. But, owing to the disturbed state of the whole country at this time, MOSHOKUN'S tenants had not the wherewithal to discharge their debts to their lord. This proving .a source of great inconvenience to MOSHOKUN, he wrote out a kind of advertisement, which he had posed up in a conspicuous place in the guests room, in which he asked whether any one of those who were residing in his house would undertake to go to Setsu and hasten on the payment of the money due. 
KWAN, on seeing the notice, expressed himself ready to go to Setsu on this errand. 
When MOSHOKUN was informed of this, he said: "I always thought that KWAN had something in him; now it is coming out. I have not treated him as he ought to have been treated." 
MOSHOKUN now called KWAN and informed him that, owing to being engrossed in the affairs of State, he was sorry he had not paid him the attention which was his due. "But notwithstanding my neglect "said MOSHOKUN, "I hear that you have been good enough to offer to collect some of the money due to me in Setsu." 
"I will do what I can," replied KWAN. 
Elaborate preparations were made for KWAN's journey to Setsu; and with the documents which showed how much each Person owed, KWAN set out for that province. Before leaving, he said to MOSHOKUN: "If I succeed in collecting the whole of the money due, shall I buy something for you on my way home?" 
"Yes" said MOSHOKUN" if you call obtain anything rare; anything that is not to be found in my. house already, Procure it by all means." 
KWAN traveled in post-haste to Setsu, and, on reaching it, assembled all the people who owed, MOSHOKUN money. On the production of their various papers showing exactly what amounts each one owed, KWAN placed the papers all together and set fire to them, and to the astonished spectators said: " I am commanded by MOSHOKUN to say that your not paying him he dues on his land is, in his opinion, owing to your extreme poverty; and that therefore he has now made up his mind not to collect this money. This is why I have burnt the documents." After feasting the people, he added. "You see what regard your lord has for you, you, on your Part, must do your best to show your gratitude for his favor by serving him faithfully." 
The people of Setsu were one and all overcome with Joy, and shouted: "Long live MOSHOKUN! Long live MOSHOKUN! 
II. KWAN returned at full spaced to MOSHOKUN'S house. 
MOSHOKUN was astonished to see him back so quickly. He Put on his court dress and received him with due ceremony. After the customary salutations, he asked: "Have you collected all the dues ? Are you not back too quickly to have accomplished this? " 
"I have collected them all; "said KWAN. 
"In that case, what have you brought back with you?" asked the Prime Minister. 
"I have brought some loyal feeling," replied KWAN. 
"Loyal feeling! what do you mean? " 
"Well," continued KWAN "you told me to buy something that was very scarce in your house. You have any quantity of precious things here. You have fine horses and good dogs; you have numbers of beautiful women in attendance on you. The only thing that seems to me to be very scarce in this house is loyal feeling, and therefore I have brought it. This is how I hale managed to accomplish it. You arc the lord of the province of Setsu; it is for your interest to have all your-subjects attached to you and ready to lay down their lives for your sake when an occasion occurs in which such a sacrifice becomes necessary. Instead of going the way to win their favor by a little indulgence at such times of distress as the present, you exact all the dues on your land with the utmost relentlessness. Seeing this, I went to the Setsu people and told them that all their debts were cancelled, and that you would not hear of their paying you anything. They all rejoiced very much, blessed you for this kindness to them, and are prepared to do anything for you. By acting thus I have brought into this house what has hitherto been very scarce here loyal feeling." 
MOSHOKUN was far from pleased with what KWAN had done, but he restrained his feelings, and simply replied: "Very good! You must be fatigued after your long journey; Please take some refreshment." 
About a year after this, the King of Sei informed MOSHOKUN, one day, that he was sorry to have to dismiss him from office; but that he had made up his mind not to make use of any of the men who were in office in his father's time. 
So MOSHOKUN returned to Setsu. Before he had reached the borders of the province, his subjects came flocking out to meet him. Old men and young, attended by women and children, streamed along the road, all in their best clothes, and with bright faces. 
MOSHOKUN, when he saw this, turning to KWAN", said "The amount of loyal feeling which you bought for me by that one act of yours was very considerable. It is plain enough to me now; I have never seen it in this light before." 
"Well," said KWAN', "it is said that the wily rabbit ha" thee holes to his borrow', by means of which he saves his life. I have made one hole for you, but, you will need two more to save yourself from destruction in the troubles days in which our lot is cast. So, if you will allow me, I will go and prepare the other two for you without delay." 
MOSHOKUN was pleased with the proposal; but curious to know how KWAN would accomplish what he proposed. 
"Please to lend mc fifty carriages and five hundred pounds weight of gold coin, and I will go to Ryo on your behalf," said' KWAN. MOSHOKUN wondered what he was going to do; but as KWAN seemed to be a man who always knew what he was about, MOSHOKUN thought it best to put no obstacle in his way: so he gave his consent and KWAN started for Ryo. On reaching it, he asked for, and obtained, an interview with KEI, the King of Ryo. 
"MOSHOKUN," said KWAN to King KEI "has been dismissed from office by the King of Sei. This is, as you know, a time in which the State which has the most powerful administrators will be sure to out-do its neighbors. There is MOSHOKAN, a man of extraordinary ability and great resources, lying idle in Setsu. Had you not better secure him while he is to be had?" 
King KEI was impressed by the plausibility of these remarks; and at once removed his prime minister from office and made a general of him; and so left the office of Prime minister vacant, in order to be able to offer it to MOSHOKUN. He then dispatched a special ambassador to Setsu with a thousand pounds weight of gold and one hundred chariots, to be presented to MOSHOKUN, with a request that he would become the Prime minister of Ryo. 
By driving rapidly, KWAN managed to reach his master's residence some little time before the ambassador's arrival. He told MOSHOKUN what he had done; " and," said he, " the journey of this ambassador to Setsu for the purpose of inducing you to take office under King KEI will be made public and will most assuredly reach the ears of the 'ling of Sei; for it is not every day that a man arrives here with a hundred chariots and a thousand pounds of gold. This will lead to your reinstallment in office in Sei. So you had better refuse the offer of King KEI and send away his ambassador. " 
MOSHOKUN did as advised. The offer was renewed twice; but MOHOKUN persisted in his refusal to serve the King of RYO. 
The King of Sei and his officers heard of all that had been going on, and were very much alarmed. "For," said they, "if MOSHOKUN becomes the Prime Minister of Ryo, as he has been dismissed from our service, there is no saying but that he may take up arms against us." 
The King of Sei lost no time in attempting to frustrate such an evil. He sent a present to MOSHOKUN consisting of two magnificent four-horse carriages, a splendid sword, and a suit of clothes to be worn on State occasions. A letter accompanied the presents, which informed MOSHOKUN, that the King of Sei was extremely sorry that some evil which he had done had provoked the spirits of his ancestors to inflict punishment on him; that this punishment was no other than his being allowed to become the dupe of a set of flatterers, and as a consequence to dismiss from his service such valuable men as MOSHOKUN. "I have done a great injustice to you " said the King of Sei, " and on this account I feel that I am utterly unworthy of your confidence, but for the sake of my ancestors I trust you will be Pleased to overlook my faults, and, returning to the office which you have left, will once again assume the control of State affairs." 
This MOSHOKUN consented to do, and was reinstalled in his former office.
 "There!" said KWAN when this was accomplished, "I have made the two holes for you and now for the third! The next step that it will be necessary for you to take," he continued," is as follows: " Go to the King of Sei and request him to allow you to build in Setsu a shrine to the spirits of his ancestors. He has already said that it was for his ancestors' sake that he wished you to be prime minister again. If it is settled that the spirits of his ancestors are to be worshipped in Setsu only, then no one in Sei will dare to attack that province." 
MOSHOKUN again followed his faithful servant's advice, and obtained permission to erect the shrine. KWAN's predictions were fulfilled; the result being that Setsu was kept safe from attack for several generations. 
It is said that during the whole of his after-life, passed in the midst of all the disturbances of the Sengoku period. MOSHOKUN did riot encounter inconvenience or trouble of any kind, and that all this was owing to what HYO KWAN had done for him. 
And so it turned out that the man who came into MOSHOKUN'S house as one who could do nothing, proved to be endowed with mental resources sufficiently large to enable him to accomplish almost anything. 
THE END.