Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1904)
ID I hear you Bay you were " going, 'to I V To the you eh! to India, my "B frontlerT . i envy . . T . fAII " vou n: now. x buvi- v 1 .M.mnt lit the rocsker. Bh was an old lady, whose white nair and lined face gave her the appearance of being even older than she really was. Her faded eyes had lighted up at.my, ' word, there was an almost - youthful excitement in her face and. manner as .'he leaned forward and touched my ,.. band. . ' . She 'was a stranger to me. We were '' merely fellow guests at the houae of mutual acquaintance, but ahe had over heard a remark I had made to a friend. and her trembling voice had asked that "'eager question.;'"''. -Did you; aay you were going to In . dlar . :. . , . ' "Tea." I answered. "l am starting 'al- 'noBt at once.' ; I am a. medial woman. k.you..know,.auM .have Jiad an cellent post offered me on tlie , frontlet". M listener gave a llltle gasp and I saw tt that her dim eyes filled with tears. "My work will especially. He among some of the friendly tribes who come under our sphere of influence." ; . I envy you," she repeated her first . words. "I envy you. I would give all the life left to me to go to the frontier too!" ' ' "-' ' ' ' ' ' . "I am afraid. It is a rough journey, and a rougher life when one gets there, I answered gently. "I am fortunately exceptionally strong, and" -AnH vnn r vounsr." she exclaimed vehemently; "youth la everything. ' Ton . - a ...,.,,, aha mAAtkA , ara yuuni mint u jiovvj, . gently, looking at me kindly. whUe tho blood mounted to my forehead at her compliment "almost too pretty for a rough frontier post." ( ( i ."One does not think of looks," I said .. with a little laugh, "when there Is so much work to be done. I was chosen . chiefly because 1 waa strong and healthyand I have always longed to . go to India." . "So have V the old 4ady chimed in, eagerly. - "I have never ceased to Ions for It. My boy my only boy lies on the frontier one of Its guardians one of the frontier men of the empire." Her voice (hook, but there was a ring of pride In It, nevertheless, and ahe looked at me with eyes that had sud denly grown brighter. el do not grudge him for England but I would give-the world to see the place where he fell." ' "Waa he," I began, and she said quickly: ' . "Tea, they left him there It was one of the frontier raidsone of our, little wars and and," her brave old voice ; miivered afresh, "they were not able to flnd'hlB body afterwards. But the vj put up a memorial 10 mm wot ,and If I could, see that If I could only see that! But," ahe broke oft abruptly, and with a sigh, "an old woman of sev enty cannot--lt la out of the queatlon." - I sat for quite long time after that talking to the gentle old lady, whose name I learned waa Mrs. Dymond, n 1 during the. days that followed before I started for India, I went to see ner as often aa I could. She waa eo lonejy. My - heart went out to ner widow, and -childless.' : X longed to be able td du .something to comfort her. and we had , become great friends before I finally .. left England - ,' ' , She was one of the last people to whom I went to say good-bye, and It was when I waa sitting with her In her cosy ' old-fashioned drawing-room that -. she said suddenly: - -. "Promise me something. Cynthia." "Tea, of course," I answered, "if It Is .. .anything I can do." -:''.'..,. ."Promise you will send me a photo ' graph of the memorial they put up to :- my boy ven If it Is only a heap of stones. Promise me that. .. tet me have It to remind me of. Felix. ; We called lilm Felix because we were so happy when he was born so happy my hus '"' hand and I! ' And Felix was, always a ' 'happy soul.- This,", she added after & v vause, mm ui uwutuu . uiu mum ' nrtened a folding case. . ; ., , '. The eyes of the man In the picture ; looked straight Into mine. They were1 . eves blue as the summer . skies, very 'keen,1 and, bright and steadfast, and the face with Its mingling of strength and gentleness made my heart throb with nrlde to think that I. too. belonged , to the nation that could produce such a man as this. Dead? This man with the strong face ' and keen eyes dead T Oh. the pity of it Aa I laid the portrait down my own eyea were dim with, tears, and I could . not1 speak. T "It was hard to lose him," Mrs. Dr mond said very gently, "but --It was the ' death he ' would have chosenl - He is ' guarding the frontier still." "? Overhead ft sky whose btueness can ' nnt he described In any adequate words. 1 Across the marvelous blueness a line of mountains whose grandeur and unspeak able height made me feel breathless with awe every time my eyes feu upon them; - before me r a wide plain that stretched up to the foot of those mighty hills which rose, from it with an almost startling abruptness. ' That was my first view of the wan or the world, and I shall never forget it to roy dying day.- ' ' - - But to oescriDe a journey 10 me lar frontier of India is nowadays a work of supererogation. Suffice it then to say that after many days and nights of trav eling I finally reached the little place by courtesy called a town, where a hand ful, of Englishmen and another handful of native - troops watched over that troublous borderland which Is so seldom really, quiet. . . . .-'.,. ' The few English I found pleasant ana friendly, with - no especially noticeable Characteristics good or bad, but the na- tlye .women nd children, who were my particular care, were an unfailing source of-iileasure and Interest to me. -' They called me the "doctor laay - ana dear, friendly souls! they made me welcome and did their utmost to show me how grateful they were for what little I could do to help them. Every day saw my little surgery more and more packed with a strange, miscel laneous crowd of women, some of whom had traveled miles to come and see the white lady who was to bring them health and strength, and their faith In me was truly pathetic. 7 I hnd beirun studying the language be fore I left England, and though at first I needed an Interpreter with my patients. I wa soon able to converse witn tnem on my own account f I had not forgotten my aear oia friend. Mrs. Dymond, and one of my earliest pilgrimages had been to the rude cross which marked the spot wnere ner son had fought and died. The major In charge of, the fort rode there with me himself, and there was a troubled look on his face as we stood looking down at the roughly hewn stone bearing the name In somewhat uncouth carving: FELIX DTMOND. "Poor chan!" ho said. . "I wish those brutes had left us his body. Their treat ment, of the dead is not" he pulled him self up short and sighed as he gased out Into the rocky distance where lived the strange wild tribes who rawea, ana Correspondence Chicago Tribune. During the Boxer troubles in China, while the allied armies were marching on Peking, a Chicago man arrived at Tien Tsln on the coast with the , idea of going on to Peking, as quickly as possi ble. He found a Chinese Junk which had been captured by the Japanese, and which was about to start up tne river with a load of supplies for the Japanese army, and he succeeded in getting trans portation on that boat ; , - The Chinese crew was still engaged in working the boat, -the authority of the victorious Japanese being repre sented by the person of a single little Japanese corporal of marines. All the way up the river that queer l,lttle "non com" was an object of Interest and as tonishment to the man from Chicago, who gained from the study of this single . specimen some new and inter esting lights on the Japanese character. -. The contrast between the dainty, exquisite, almost effeminate ' manners and habits of the -. Japanese, and the courage, skill, ' and resolution which they display in warfare has struck ev ery western observer. In the person of this corporal of marines the contrast was accentuated.- Though only a noncommlstoned officer of the lowest rank, he seemed to feel It Incumbent on him to maintain . the dignity and honor of the mikado's army to thev fullest extent Across one end of the junk he had a ' small space markbd off with a black line down on the deck. Beyond that Una no one but him self might step on any pretext And within the space he had all hla belong ings arranged with the neatness and artistic effect of a lady's boudoir. Chief among his traps Sot this warlike Jour ney into the enemy's country was a complete- manicure set nd every day the corporal , sat down and "did", his nails, which were kept as pink, as polished, and ; as carefully shaped as those of any fine lady. At the same time he managed the Junk and its crew THE OREGON JOTJRNALV harried the frontier, but his significant words made me shudder. I ' was glad the mother , of the dead man had not heard them, and that the photograph I sent her of the rude cross in the moun tain valley would only , speak of hope and peace. I had been In Ternabad for the best part of a year, and we were all rejoicing over the ending of the terribly rigorous winter of those altitudes. Spring had come at last: the apricot orchards in the valleys were a glory of blossom; the grass waa soon thick with flowers; the sun had melted some of the snow on the mighty mountains round us, and our small river waa showing signs of bursting its banks In Its riotous new energy.. It was evening, and I sat alone in my little room that adjoined , the surgery, rejoicing In the soft yet fresh breeze that swept in from the mountains. i I waa reading quietly ; when a voice outside my window startled me, ' t. "Doctor lady! Oh, doctor lady! It said, noftly, and when I hastened to look out into the gathering darkness I saw what was apparently a native woman crouched on the ground without - Bid ding her enter by the side tfoor into the surgery, I went Into the latter room to meet her. and found myself confronted by a tall figure closely veiled. Thinking that she had come to consult me. and anxious to preserve, the disci pline which the major Insisted upon in surgery hours, I chlded her for coming at a time which she knew was against the rules; but she raised her hand depre- catingly and said In a dialect which I could barely understand: ' "Oh, protector of the poor! I come not for myself, but for one who is sick unto death. . , "You want me to go and see a sick person?" ' "Oh, doctor lady! The night Is dark and the way Is long, but this, thy serv ant will "guide thee to the place," waa the somewhat cryptic reply. I waa somewhat pusxled, and Inquired whether the patient was In one of the little native villages that lay at vary ing distances from Ternabad and its fortress, but my visitor shook her head. "The way is . long," ; ahe said again, "the path is rough and very steep. The sick one lies yonder where the wind blows fronr the great deeerts." I She raised her hand In a northerly di rection, and It suddenly flashed upon me that she was asking roe to go across the fraitler into that wild no-man's-land taW. lVWlM,aW REFINED with a hand of iron. Nothing escaped him; he overlooked nothing;, he was In supreme command of that Junk and of all the people It carried, and no one had the slightest doubt on that point though not for a moment was the cor poral other than scrupulously polite and smiling. v , . The man from Chicago - thought of what would happen If some "buck pri vate" in one of the splendid fighting regiments of .United States regulars should produce a manicure set In his quarters and laughed at the idea, Yet he was quite willing to ; admit with the' example before him, that carefully manicured and pink-polished finger nails were not necessarily, an effeminacy, even on the person of a private soldier. Here is a story from Japanese his tory which well Illustrates the deljcate notions of personal honor which . still largely govern 'the soldiers fend sailors of the island empire. " Once, years ago, there was a great dalmyo or feudal chieftain, who had among his vassals a certain samurai or fighting man, who had seriously of fended his lord. In punishment It was ordered that the .arms of the samurai be taken away from him. Now. no pos sible disgrace or degredatlbn could be greater than for. a samurai to be strip ped of ' his arms. . Much . rather would a -member of the old warrior class be sentenced to death than to be thus dis honored. Overcome by the punishment to . which he had been sentenced, the samurai petitioned the dalmyo to give htm another chance, or. at least to save htm from the dreadful and lasting disgrace of having his arms . taken away. But the dalmyo was fixed in his Intention and could not be moved. Then certain influential j members of the samurai's family, on all of whose mem bers, tho dishonor would, have fallen with almost equal ; force, brought -fall their influence to bear. -Finally, as a great concession, the dalmyo consented to pardon the offender, if he would lm - PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 27, 1904. into which t had never penetrated, and where I was pretty sure Major Manby would never consent to my gonlg. ' "The major sahib," I began, but the woman sprang forward, and , suddenly flung back her veil, saying: " ' "Oh, doctor lady! No harm shall bap- pen to thee, but thou must come secretly. No word must go forth of thy coming, lest he should die." ' "Lest he should die," I repeated after her. i "Lest he should die?" and I looked gravely Into the face which was no long er tildden by its veil, and which I saw to be that of an oldish ' woman, lined and wrinkled, but with eyes still full of fire and shrewdness. - "Harken,- oh! Doctor Lady," she said, dropping her voice to a whisper, "tis one who lies sick unto death, and thy servant's skill is as weakness, and net wisdom like unto folly before that sickness which draws the life from him whom I would fain save. ... "But who is heT'I persisted. , 'V She dropped her eyes, a strange 'ex pression crept over her wizen face, and she came yet closer to me and touched my hand. "He is not of my people," she mur mured. "I know not his name but de lay not oh! Doctor Lady, come at, once lest It be too late and he die ere help be given to him," . My curiosity was roused. I confess it; and I confess also that though fully alive to the folly of such, a course. I wanted to go with my visitor without asking Major Manby's leave, which I knew woulb be refused! - To make a long story short, after a few more questions, which the woman answered with considerable vagueness, I fl nail x. agreed to go with her, on con dition that I should be back at my post by the next morning. . Then, wrapping a cloak about me and adjusting the veil which I also wore when visiting the natives, I followed my guide out Into the night I must own that I experienced many very eerie sensations as we went swiftly first over rough stony ground, and then slowly began the ascent of a path that was little more than a goat track among frowning rocks and sheer precipices under a sky, out of whose indigo depths the , great bright stars seemed ' about to drop upon our very heads. We climbed, or rather crept In total silence along the face of those awful iWamtai lk.dM W.tafaW tWfc fcal axWWllaaW W WaarfW.fc BUT DAUNTLESS. mediately commit haraklrl. Word was taken to the samurai of this . act of clemency and he sent out invitations ta his friends to Join him in a feast of rejoicing. At the close of the feast" at which he glorified the kindness of his chief which had saved him and his people from lasting dishonor, he sent a message of thankfulness to the dalmyo. and then, with a smile on his face, fell on his sword and killed him self. .. s . However repugnant this idea of per sonal honqr may be to western Ideals and ideas, it certainly explains why Japanese soldiers and sailors are still ready to count themselves fortunate If they are given a chance to pay with their lives for some slight advantage to their country, ' Thus one of the popular heroes in Japan today is that humble private who gave up his life at the siege of Tien Tsln. The Japanese army was sitting down outside the walls of the city wait ing for a 'chance to make a breach and force an entrance. The nearest gate In the city wjril was located back in a sort of embrasure, so' that a man, once getting inside of the embrasure, would be safe from the attack of the soldiers stationed on ' the walla On a certain night a Japanese private, armed with a bomb and honored among hta fellows because he had been chosen for the desperate task, crept up close to the wall and got safely inside the embrasure which protected, the gate. ; He lit the fuse which was supposed to explode the bomb, put the Instrument o( destruction In place, and started 4o creep back to the remainder, of the army. He had almost passed the danger sons - and reached a place of safety when .he no ticed that the -fuse had gone out after -burning almost its entire length.. would be impossible to again light th fuse without being destroyed In the ex plosion which would almost ' instantly j follow. ' , ,' . ., 1 The' Japanese private of infantry precipices for what seemed like hours and hours, and then we began to descend an equally perilous goat track on the further side of the mountain. Pres ently my guide paused before what looked like a dark hole in the rock, and made a soft sound, upon which a hang ing, before what turnd out to be the mouth of a cave, was drawn back, and the old woman and I entered together. - I found - myself In a large and lofty cave; a, girl sat close to the entrance, staring . at me with great wondering eyes, and in a corner, on s heap of skins, a man lay tossing restlessly to and fro and moaning continually. I crossed at once to hjs side and put my hand upon his wrist; in the dim light I could hardly see Ills face.. I supposed the cool touch roused him, for all at once he said slowly, and In per fect English: "Mother! why, mother!! I uttered a low exclamation of pro found amazement 'This is an Englishman,'" X said stern ly, turning to the old woman; "who is he? What Is he doing here?" She cowered back against the wall and answered whimperingly: "Be not wrath wltft thy servant oh Doctor Lady. Thy servant hath ten ded and guarded htm, . when he lay aa one dead. But the truth drops from thy lips he Is not thy people." , "Mother!" the weak voice said again, "I say you haven't gone have you?" The stele man raised himself on his el bow, then sank back wltb a groan, and I stooped over him again; and this time the flickering light of a most primitive lamp fell full on his face, and my gaxe met the glance of the bluest eyes I ever saw In my life, and a bewildering sense of familiarity, of having seen this man before, was creeping over me, when his band gripped mine feverishly, and he murmured: ; , "Say 'Felix my dear boy.' say it mummy, darling, then I shall know this C ykSiim W'SaaVlaiLlaiJaV aagaMaaagaM never hesitated. Turning, ne started to creep back, using all his art to avoid the bullets of the Chinese so that by no chance might he be disanled before be got back to the bomb. Safely he crossed the tone of danger. Then he sprang to his feet grasped the bomb in his hands, lit the remnant of the fuse, and an instant later vanished in the cloud of debris which followed the ex plosion. He was dead, but there was a great gap in the city wall, through which the Japanese army poured to vic tory, rendered Irresistible by the daunt less bravery of their humble comrade. Even the present Russo-Japanese war, short as has been Its duration, has al ready furnished many examples of the same spirit Only th other day there was printed the story or a lowly Jap anese mother whose only son, anxious to enter the army, was not aljowed to enllnt because of the fact that his old mother was entirely dependent upon him for support. :. - When word of the rejection of her son was brought to the old woman. Instead of rejoicing, aa a woman and a mother might have been expected to, she list ened to the statement of Its cause and then quietly proceeded to remove that cause. She stood between her son and his duty to the mikado. Without an in stant's delay she took her own life, thus leaving him free to fight ag&lnst 1 the Russians. A week ago the dispatches told of a Japanue army officer who was acting aa a, spy at Vladivostok, and in order to better accomplish his purpose was work ing as a barber.. One afternoon a Rus sian officer came Into be shaved and took occasions to mak remarks about the Japanese. which tie pseudo barber, took as a personal Inau It Instantly he drew a revolver amT shot the Russian dead, then announcing hla rank and posltios In the Japanese army and stating that he would - not listen to insults to his fatherland.. The cable, has not told the punishment which was meted out to the 1 smivmmm beastly nightmare is over say 'Felix, my dear boy. " v My heart gave a leap. I knelt down on the rough floor beside the bed of skins and peered closer into the sick man's face. Felix? Why was , it possible could It be possible that the oddly familiar look In the patient's face, was accounted for? Could it be that this was Mrs. Dymond' s son, whom - she .mourned . as dead? Could it -? v, "Say it" the tired voice . almost moaned. "I thought you had come and the nightmare was over, mummy, dear say it or else " His voice, rose shrilly; he was labor ing under an excitement that was very bad for blm, and. only anxious to soothe him at any cost I gently stroked back the hair from his forehead, and in a voice that trembled I whispered: "Felix my dear boy!" ' A wonderful smile flashed out upon his face,: those blue eyes looked into mine, and he said softly: . "Tou dear little mother klsa me!" , The old woman and the girl had van ished. We were alone in the cave. I did not dare to rouse his excite ment again, and I laid my Hps against his forehead gently, very gently, but as I did so his arms went around my neck, and he pressed , a long, lingering kiss upon my face, ' over which the blood swept in a torrent of crimson, while my heart leapt and leapt till it almost choked me. .;.,.,.:....,,.,. Then, after doing what I could for my patient's comfort, I sat down be side him and stilled those throbbing pulses of mine as best I could, whilst I watched the strong face which even In . the picture - bad Impressed me more than I had cared to own., He lay very still, and I thought he was sleeping, and in the semi-darkness and silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the old woman and girl who had returned to He across the door way, I myself began to feel drowsy, Japanese, though one May Imagine that death will be Us mildest feature. Doubtless a spy should be more will ing to take insults for the good of the cause he serves, but the incident illus trates the high temper and quick sense of personal honor which still guide the actions of the descendants of the old samurai ; . The Japanese are said to - lead the world In the matter Of nersonai cleanli ness. Never a day passes but every nor- njai Japanese takes a bath In water which Is heated to at least 110 degrees, too hot to be borne by a citlcen of the west To the lowest coolie they are polite and courteous in their dwellings, among uiemselves and with strangera Most of their houses are built of paper, and in every detail, of life they are dainty, refined and artistic. That In spite of such habits and man ners of life, they should at the same time Be such grim and teuntless lighters is one of the most curious contradictions of history. They have every habit which is sup posed to make a people effeminate, soft aud unwarlike, and at the same time they are among the most . courageous, skillful, and even reckless warriors in the world. It may well be that the re sult of the present war will force a readjustment of the ideas of civilisa tion on the subject of. the proper train ing for a brave and self-reliant race of people,' .: . - Temlnlas Amenities. From the Chicago News, Mrs. Neurlch I'm going on a slum ming expedition . with some friends to morrow. :- , ' lira. Hammer ton Indeed! X hope you will find your relatives enjoying good health." ... , Short. ' ;, -" ." " From the Detroit Free Press. ' "He used to call her. Sara very gently.". , "And now?" , ' ' ' "0, he's shortened It to 'Say. " when a touch on my hand roused me Into wakefulness, and I roused up to find the sick man's eyes fixed on me in per fect consciousness. I had put back my veil, for the cave was very hot and stuffy, and though dimly Hithted, my face was quite visi ble to him. "I thought my mother was here," he , said faintly, "but you are an English woman?" His tone grew puzzled. "Where la my mother?" "She is not here," I faltered, my faca growing crimson again, "and I am only the doctor who who Is attending you You " ; v "Then who," he exclaimed Impetuous ly, half raising himself, "who was it,, that I mean my mother was here, was she not?" , "No-o." I whispered, "but hut I think you ought to lie still. You are better you " Something flashed into those blue eyea which made me lower my own and set my pulses dancing wildly. - ! .."Yes am hetter," he said, and a" little contented 'smile stole round his mouth; "I am much better. Your rem edies -r ' , He said no more, but the hasty glance , I cast at him showed me that his blue -eyes were still fixed on me, and that tho little happy smile still lingered on his Hps. - ' :'' j The remedies I had brought with ma,!-... simple thougb-4bey-wef, did hint; marked good, and in the dim dawn of, day I was able to leave him with an easy mind. I knew I must go back to , Ternabad, for there would be a terrible hue and, cry if I were missed in the morning, but I promised that I would, return to the cave that evening if the old woman would again be my guide. t The siok man was very drowsy and:' weak, and by no means out of danger.' and no longer aware of my identity; but when, after my morning's work and a refreshing sleep. I once more climbed to the remote cave, I found him lying with his face turned toward the en-j trantee, full consciousness in his glance.' ... "Welcome, oh Lady Doctor!" he aaid as he took my hand. ; Then a mis-. chlevous twinkle shone In his blue eyeaj as he said softly: i "I do not think you are my mother; today, you see!" f ' - I blessed the veil that hid my scarlet countenance, and I flatter myself I an-, swered very calmly: "I am very proud to think that X have found you for your mother: she is a great friend of mine," and without mora ado I plunged into the story of our friendship, and of her mourning for tho son she thought of ss dead. . "I fell like a log." he said: "I thought I was done for, but the enemy carried me off. and when they found X was alive they couldn't decide whether to kill me or get a fat ransom for me. Finally the old lady who fetched you had me spirited , away to this place by her two. sons. It seems she has some cause for grati tude toward the English, and was smit ten with a wish to do me a good turn. For the same reason she fetched you, and, I fancy, with a little persuasion we might for the same reason again. Induce her to let me get away and wink at my departure when I am well enough." Poor old woman! It appeared that once long kgo an English lady had been kind to her and her children in a time -of famine and sickness, and that kind- , ness had never been forgotten. It bore fruit now, for there came a day when my patient was carried along that goat track on a quaintly : fashioned litter borne by the old woman's son, and she herself parted from us with a shower of blessings which ought to insure hap piness for evermore to Felix and me. Yes It has come, to be "Felix and me!" He asked me to be his wife standing beside the roughly hewn cross whlrti bears his name, and his eyes were shin ing with a great happiness as he said softly: ' ' "'v- : "Sweetheart, I owe my life to you and now I m to owe my hnpplnKS you as well. My mother dM -I'mriv when she called me fr'tix; ttn-re n r was a happier fellow!" And I think h 1 ny fn '-- whilst as for our dr n. !. r. ! 1 mine, she nsyft lier cup of J-.y ovef -flowed on the day when I 1M t i grandson In her arm an.l t.,1-1 l -r ). was a second Fell v.