John Lindsey
26th May 2000, 04:22
Here is another quote from the book: Japanese Girls and Women by Alice Mabel Bacon (published 1891)
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It was my good fortune, many years ago, to make the acquaintance of a little Japanese girl who had lived in the midst of the siege of Wakarnatsu, the city in which the Shogun’s forces made their last stand for their lord and the system that he represented. As the Emperor’s forces marched upon the castle town, moat after moat was taken, until at last men, women, and children took refuge within the citadel itself to defend it until the last gasp. The bombs of the besiegers fell crashing into the castle precincts, killing the women as they worked at whatever they could do in aid of the defenders; and even the little girls ran back and forth, amid the rain of bullets and balls, carrying cartridges, which the women were making within the castle, to the men who were defending the walls. “Weren’t you afraid?” we asked the delicate child, when she told us of her own share in the defense. “No,” was the answer. A small but dangerous sword, of the finest Japanese steel, was shown us as the sword that she wore in her belt during all those days of war and tumult. “Why did you wear the sword?” we asked. “So that I would have it if I was taken prisoner.” “What would you have done with it? “ was the next question, for we could not believe that a child of eight would undertake to defend herself against armed soldiers with that little sword. “I would have killed myself” was the answer, with a flash of the eye that showed her quite capable of committing the act in case of need.
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It was my good fortune, many years ago, to make the acquaintance of a little Japanese girl who had lived in the midst of the siege of Wakarnatsu, the city in which the Shogun’s forces made their last stand for their lord and the system that he represented. As the Emperor’s forces marched upon the castle town, moat after moat was taken, until at last men, women, and children took refuge within the citadel itself to defend it until the last gasp. The bombs of the besiegers fell crashing into the castle precincts, killing the women as they worked at whatever they could do in aid of the defenders; and even the little girls ran back and forth, amid the rain of bullets and balls, carrying cartridges, which the women were making within the castle, to the men who were defending the walls. “Weren’t you afraid?” we asked the delicate child, when she told us of her own share in the defense. “No,” was the answer. A small but dangerous sword, of the finest Japanese steel, was shown us as the sword that she wore in her belt during all those days of war and tumult. “Why did you wear the sword?” we asked. “So that I would have it if I was taken prisoner.” “What would you have done with it? “ was the next question, for we could not believe that a child of eight would undertake to defend herself against armed soldiers with that little sword. “I would have killed myself” was the answer, with a flash of the eye that showed her quite capable of committing the act in case of need.