banner (the most ancient Japanese flag of war), yet armed
with guns and using cannon. On the other side were the rebel hosts of
Saigo with ancient halberds and spears and in bamboo armor, depending
upon the gods alone. Dying upon one of the cannon, with a shout upon his
lips and ecstasy upon every feature, was a soldier in the uniform of the
ancient Imperial Guards. The panel above showed one of the heavens far
toward nirvana. There this same soldier appeared glorified and on the
way to his reward in Shaka's bosom. Of course! He had died for the
emperor! The artist had not spared the glory when he came to write the
picture. And yet he had preserved a certain family likeness, so that
little Arisuga presently came to know, by the subtle presence and
teaching of his uncles, that this was Jokoji, the graveyard-battlefield
in Satsuma, and that the figure informed with the ecstasy of the great
red death for the emperor, was his father!

That no part of the lesson might be lost, the artist had also shown, in
that lower panel, the obverse of the reward of fealty. Those who had
fought against the emperor were being tossed like dogs into a trench.
Their heads were off. And the little boy had been taught to have no
pity upon them. Of course! He had none. They had impiously rebelled
against that god whose other name is Mutsuhito, Mikado!

Moreover, in the lower corner of this panel, in an amazing opening among
clouds with blazing edges, was that part of the hells reserved for the
souls of traitors; and there the enemies of the emperor, who had died at
Jokoji, were being variously tortured, in the intervals of their
reincarnations.

A GOOD LIE

III

A GOOD LIE

Said Namishima, Arisuga's uncle from Kobe, to Kiomidzu, his uncle from
Osaka:--

"The flying of the august carp has been honorably auspicious and
doubtless the gods now design to make him, in spirit, unlike his
regretted father."

"It was the gods' punishment upon him for fighting against his
emperor--that his son should miserably be an onna-jin," whispered
Kiomidzu.

"Nevertheless the honorable picture has aided greatly in making him
adore the emperor," protested Namishima.

"Yes, the money for its painting was augustly well spent," agreed
Kiomidzu, wisely shaking his head.

"Some day he will know, notwithstanding, that his father was a rebel.
Others know. It cannot unhappily be kept from him always."

"No."

"Perhaps then we shall be augustl