HUMAN NATURE IN THE FAR EAST

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 449, 6 March 1909, Page 10

HUMAN NATURE IN THE FAR EAST

AN INSURGENT'S DYING WISH. NOGI AND THE COUNTRYWOMEN. Horo-'aTo two striking incidents which re veal the human nature , of the men and women who live in tho Far East, in Korea and in Japan. . First wo give a quite noble letter written:by a Korean on the eve of his execution—such was the end death had for him; and then au_ incident in Japan between General Nogi and an old countrywoman— just such as might have happened in one. of our country towns. "A few days ago, Yi Kang Kyun, a noted leader yf tho Korean insurgents, paid the cxtremo penalty of tho law by being executed in tho Seoul jail for having fouglit against tho new regime in Korea," says tho "Japan-' eso Chronicle." "A few days beforo his death ho sent tho following manly yet pathetic letter to his oldest son. Tho translation runs:— " ' I your father, naturally charged , with patriotic blcoil, long ago decided to dio for tho Imperial House, and my country, and now that my desiro has conio to pass", I am glad. You must, not bo frightened at my end; but you must ho careful to come, every day with your younger brother, to tho gato of tho jail. Then, when I am ,dead, you must receive my body and bury it three, days later; and you must bury me as befits a poor man. It is tso far away to the ancestral cemetery to curry me thcro in a coiliu; so ask our rotations to grant mo a small portion of ground and lay mo there. My fortuno is little, and it would not be good to wasto what littlo there is in a rich funeral. Besides, your young brother,is poor, and it would bo difficult, to prepare even small tilings.

" ' 1 ask you to lay me beneath the ground only dressed in the same clothes as i wore in tho jail, and I beg you not to feel sorrowful for my death. It is thirteen years since I commenced to tako revongo. Though the difference- between tho strong and tho weak is great, tho righteous should never surrender ; for though they die, the end is glorious, whilst to live is shameful. Therefore, I am not ashamed, and you must not lament at my death. "' After my burial, go into tho valleys between tho hills with, your'young brother. Thero you must work, cultivate, and teach the children. By so doing, my life, will be continued. Bo diligent and careful. Be no '.rorso than 1 h:ivo been. I can write no more.' " Hero is tho incident which concerns General Nogi, and it should be remembered that it is tho Japanese who arc causing such letters as the above to bo written by Koreans: — "It appears that tho veteran officer entered Umebi Station on Saturday afternoon to tako train to Gojo. accompanied by his adjutant, with whom ho had been on a tour of inspection on Umebiyama, which is to be tho sceno of a great battle during the manoeuvres. As they passed through tho gate, an old poorly dressed countrywoman, who :iad apparently passed the allotted span of three-score and ten years, feverishly tottered up under tho weight of a load on 'her back, in fear of losing her train. As sho approached, tho General, with a smile, stepped aside to allow her to pass, and ventured to steady her bundle as she passcj throngh, and also helped her into the train, at tho samo timo cheorilv remarking, 'He careful, old lady I' 'Thank you,' sho murmured, as sho turned hor faco towards the General to cateh a glimpso of so true a gentleman. ' Wlien tho old woman learnt fioni tho other passengers that the gentleman who had helped her wns General Nogi her faco assumed an expression of minginl admiration and grief, the knowledge woking n painful memory. Sho uttered his name several times in a tearful voice. 'It was General Nogi, , sho exclaimed, 'under whom my beloved son fought and fell I Oh, my General I Oil, my dear son I I will no longer mourn, sinco I know ho must have died willingly for liis country under so kind and glorious a General.' As the old woman's story was passed through tho ear, a hush came over tho passengers, and for some time nothing was iieard i savo tho rumbling of tho wheeli as the train pursued its journey."