File:A staff officer's scrap!book during the Russo-Japanese war (1906) (14594788298).jpg

Identifier: staffofficersscr02hami (find matches)
Title: A staff officer's scrap!book during the Russo-Japanese war
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Hamilton, Ian, Sir, 1853-1947
Subjects: Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905
Publisher: London : Edward Arnold
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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time, but that the General was at thePost Commandants house, and would be glad to see meif I cared to come up. I walked across at once andwas shown into an empty room. After a few minutesthe gallant General came in, and his appearance gaveme a terrible shock. Last time I had seen him wasupon the Emperors birthday, when he was the verypersonification of careless, rollicking joviality. Hehad been through all his bloody battles and hademerged ever-victorious, without so much as a scratch.The most famous man, perhaps, in the Army. I cannever forget him on that occasion bursting into thetent waving his little flag—so fit and jolly. Andnow, what was this ? A grey, haggard figure in along, full-skirted, shroud-like dressing-gown, with asmall red cross worked upon the sleeves, whilst thewhole of his head and neck, excepting just the face,were swathed in white bandages. He looked exactlylike an animated corpse. He begged us to seat our-selves by the hibachi with his old familiar gesture, but
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Nakamura Encounters Santa Claus 291 we were horrified and could not. I just said, I havecome, General, to wish you hon voyage and au revoir.He said, * I have got this tiresome tumour, which myfriends assure me will be better operated upon atHiroshima than here ; so I have yielded to their im-portunities and am going very quickly so as to getback again also as quickly as possible. This wasvery pitiable. I felt the sentiment of sorrow risequite painfully in my heart. I said, My General,we all await your early return, and until you comeback you leave us, at any rate, the famous mountain,Okasaki Yama, the scene of your greatest exploit, bywhich to bear you affectionately in mind. The otherstold me afterwards that my remark seemed to pleasehim, but I felt rather overcome at seeing the poorwasted body and drawn features of one who had beenso preux chevalier—so famoused in fight—and couldnot notice much more. For we shall never see himagain. Sic itur ad astra. Vanity, vanity, all isvanit

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