Volume II Part 14 (2/2)

kumAMOTO, January, 1894

DEAR OCHIAI,--Many thanks for your kind letter, with its kind wishes,--and lad to hear of your success at school, and all the news about your reading I think Mr Nishi+da's plan is very wise and good It is true that the lives of such s--and above all Napoleon--are full of interest and ros that can be achieved by force of character united with great intellect,--Clive being the best man, morally, of the three

But, on the other hand, it is sadly true that the genius and the courage of those three wonderful men were not employed in the noblest way, butcharacters are very attractive, because those who read about the what they would do if they had the sa characters are only really adood, just, noble cause And of such characters, the number in Western history is few Pericles, Miltiades, Epaminondas, were nobler than Alexander; yet people like to read about Alexander, as not a good man Marcus Aurelius was nobler than Caesar; but people like to read reat conqueror And so on through all Western history There is splendour and honour in brave fighting for what is right; but I do not think we ought to allow ourselves to praise brave fighting for what is wrong Bravery is noble only when the object is noble As a quality, it is not peculiar to eneral It is very noble to sacrifice one's life for a good cause--for love of parents, country, duty; but we ought not to ad away of life for an unjust cause The real rule by which to measure what is admirable and what is despicable is the rule of Duty

That is why I admire very, very much, all that was noble in the old japanese life,--its ion, and its unselfishness Everything is now passing away By the time you are as old as I now aed; and I think you will reret the kindness and the simplicity of heart and the pleasant manners of the Old japan, that used to be all about you The New japan will be richer and stronger and in s wiser; but it will neither be so happy nor so kindly as the old

Well, I trust you will have all possible success,--not only in your school-life, but in all your life to cos, and that I will hear of them

Ever affectionately yours, LAFCADIO HEARN

TO MASAnobU OTANI

kuy, with the idea of beco for you

Philology es; and it requires a very special natural gift in acquiring languages, to be of any very practical value to you It would also require, I think, years of study in foreign universities I ay, and what your purpose in following that course would be You ht, of course, do as ical course at the university But the question, to my mind, seems to be this: ”What would be the practical value of such studies afterwards?” Do you wish to becoive your life to the scientific study of languages? If you do, are you quite sure you have the particular kind of talent required (for, reist any more than everybody can become a mathematician)?

[Illustration: A GROUP OF GRADUATES OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

1 Mr Hearn 2 Mr Nishi+da 3 The old teacher of Chinese Classics]

The truth is, I do not know enough about your circumstances and intentions and abilities to advise you well I can only tell you _in a general hat I think

I think you ought not to study ould not be of _practical_ use to you in after-life I a, architecture, medicine (if he has the particular moral character which medicine requires), or any branch of applied science

I do not like to see all the fine boys turning to the study of law, instead of to the study of science or technology Of course much depends upon the ly advise you to direct all your studies toward a scientific profession--so, architecture, electricity, chemistry, etc If you should ask which, I could not tell you, because I do not know your own highest capacities in such directions I would only say,--”Whatever you areas a practical profession”

japan wants no more lawyers now; and I think the professions of literature and of teaching give small promise What japan needs are scientific men; and she will need more and more of the in this world is sure Suppose you were obliged suddenly to depend entirely on your own unassisted power topractical?

Certainly it would And _according to the rarity of your abilities_ would be your reland obliged her children to learn professions

Now scientific men are still comparatively rare in japan The science-classes in the colleges are sin the study,--but they find it hard for theive it up Nevertheless, it is _just because it is hard_ that it is so ih value to the person who masters it If you were my son, or brother, I would say to you, ”Study science,--applied science; study for a practical profession” As for languages and other subjects, you can study thee is the only ie now,--and your whole life will depend upon your present studies

You asked whether philology was difficult Science _is_ difficult,--really difficult; but everything worth having in this world is difficult to get, exactly in proportion to its value The only question, I think, should be, ”What study will be h life?” But not whether it is difficult What is iy is difficult; practical science is difficult;--both are very difficult But philology would never be of e-study And science would be of ienius or not You will need, however, as I said before, mathematical study to fit you for that And I would also remind you of this:--

Hundreds of students leave the university without any real profession, and without any practical ability to make themselves useful All cannot become teachers, or lawyers, or clerks They beco of any consequence Their whole education has been of no real use to them, because it has not been _practical_ Men can succeed in life only by their ability to _do_ so, and three fourths of the university students can _do_ nothing Their education has been only _ornamental_

Faithfully yours, LAFCADIO HEARN

TO SENTARO NIshi+DA

ku a very _indifferent_ correspondent, if one should judge by scarcity of letters,--so I suppose I a extraordinary happens So runs the world away from a man But never shall I be able to understand the people of ”the most Eastern East”

Well, I have been to Kompira,--in a _fune-fune_ to Tadotsu, thence by rail to the wonderful, quaint old town We took Kaji along He never cries now, and behaved so well that on all the railroads and steamers people fell in love with him and played with him He made the acquaintance of many politicians, of surveyors, of soeon, of entle women, of the _eisha However, that was because he was very young, and did not know I hope when he gets bigger he will be ood taste: he was especially attracted by the two young _miko_, ere really very sweet and pretty,--the prettiest I ever saw, and heher dance I have sent a better picture of hiain However, so far as I can see, the sa to find its way into all the public schools, and stay there, until soether fro like the American system The American system is i citizens and merchants of a place can act as boards of directors, and that the temporary officials proper cannot meddle directly in school matters at all Thus the school interests are taken care of by those ers Each coeneral tax