13TH TUESDAY

    Asa hayaku chotto Me wo samasita toki, Jyochû ga hôbô no Amado wo kutte iru Oto wo kiita. Sono hoka ni wa nanni mo kikanakatta. Sosite sono mama mata nemutte simatte, Hukaku no Haru no Nemuri wo 11 ji chikaku made mo musabotta. Hana-gumori sita, Nodoka na Hi: Manto no Hana wa soro-soro chiri hajimeru de arô. O-tsune ga kite, Mado-garasu wo Kirei ni fuite kureta.
    Oitaru Haha kara kanashiki Tegami ga kita:——

    "Kono aida Miyazaki sama ni okurareshi O-tegami de wa, nan to mo yorokobi ori, Konnichi ka Konnichi ka to machi ori, haya Shi-gwatsu ni nari mashita. Ima made oyobanai Mori ya Makanai itashi ori, Hi ni mashi Kyô-ko ogari, Watakushi no Chikara de kaderu koto oyobi kanemasu. Sochira e yobu koto wa deki masenka? Zehi on-shirase kunasare taku negaimasu. Kono aida, 6 ka 7 ka no Kaze Ame tuyoku, Uchi ni Ame mori, oru tokoro naku, Kanashimi ni, Kyô-ko oboi tachikurashi, nan no Aware na koto (to) omoimasu. Shi-gwatsu 2 ka yori Kyô-ko Kaze wo hiki, imada naorazu. (Setsu-ko wa) Asa 8 ji de, 5 ji ka 6 (ji) ka made kaerazu. Okkasan to nakare, nan to mo komari masu. Sore ni Ima wa Kodzukai nashi. Iti-yen de mo yoroshiku soro: nan to ka hayaku okuri kunasare taku negaimasu. Omae no Tsugô wa nan-nichi goro yobi kudasaru ka? Zehi shirasete kure yo. Henji naki to(ki) wa kochira shimai, mina mairi masu kara sono Shitaku nasare mase. Hakodate ni orare masen kara, kore dake môshi age mairase soro. Kashiko.
    Shigwatsu 9 ka.
Katsu yori    
      Ishikawa sama."
    Yobo-yobo shita Hira-gana no, Kana-chigai darake na Haha no Tegami! Yo de nakereba nan-pito to iedomo kono Tegami wo yomi uru Hito wa aru mai! Haha ga osanakatta toki wa kano Morioka Senbokuchô no Terakoya de, Dai-ichi no Shûsai datta to yû. Sore ga hito-tabi Waga Chichi ni Ka site irai 40 nen no aida, Haha wa osoraku ichi-do mo Tegami wo kaita koto ga nakatta rô. Yo no hajimete uketotta Haha no Tegami wa, Ototoshi no Natsu no sore de atta. Yo wa Haha hitori wo Furusato ni nokoshite Hakodate ni itta. Oitaru Haha wa kano itowashiki Shibutami ni itatamarenaku natte, wasure hatete ita Hira-gana wo omoi dashite Yo ni kanashiki Tegami wo okutta! Sono go Yo wa, Kyonen no hajime Kushiro ni itte Otaru kara no Haha no Tegami wo uketotta. Tôkyô ni dete kara no 5 hon-me no Tegami ga Kyô kita no da. Hajime no koro kara miru to Machigai mo sukunaishi, Ji mo umaku natte kita. Sore ga kanashii! Ah! Haha no Tegami!

    Kyô wa Yo ni totte kessite Kôfuku na Hi de wa nakatta. Okita toki wa, nani to naku ne-sugosita Kedarusa wa aru mono no, doko to naku Ki ga nonbiri site, Karada-jû no Chi no meguri no yodomi naku sumiyaka naru wo kanjita. Sikasi sore mo chyotto no koto de atta: Yo no Kokoro wa Haha no Tegami wo yonda toki kara, mô, sawayaka de wa nakatta. Iro-iro no Kangae ga ukanda. Atama wa nani ka kô, Haru no Appaku to yû yô na mono wo kanjite, Jibun no Kangae sono mono made ga tada mô madarukkoshii. 'Dôse Yo ni wa kono Omoi Sekinin wo hatasu Ate ga nai. ......Mushiro hayaku Zetsubô shite shimaitai.' Konna Koto ga kangaerareta.
    Sô da! 30 kwai gurai no Shimbun Shôsetu wo kakô. Sore nara aruiwa Angwai hayaku Kane ninaru ka mo shirenai!
    Atama ga matomaranai. Densha no Kippu ga iti-mai shika nai. Tô-tô Kyô wa Sha wo yasumu koto ni shita.
    Kashihon-ya ga kita keredo, 6 sen no Kane ga nakatta. Sosite, "Kûchû-sensô" to yû Hon wo karite yonda.

ATARASHIKI MIYAKO NO KISO.
YAGATE SEKAI NO IKUSA WA KITARAN!
PHOENIX NO GOTOKI KÛCHÛ-GUNKAN GA SORA NI MURETE,
SONO SHITA NI ARAYURU TOFU GA KOBOTAREN!
IKUSA WA NAGAKU TSUDZUKAN! HITO-BITO NO NAKABA WA HONE TO NARUNARAN!
SHIKARU NOCHI, AWARE, SHIKARU NOCHI, WARERA NO
"ATARASHIKI MIYAKO" WA IDZUKO NI TATSUBEKI KA?
HOROBITARU REKISHI NO UE NI KA? SHIKÔ TO AI NO UE NI KA? INA, INA.
TSUCHI NO UE NI, SHIKARI, TSUCHI NO UE NI: NAN NO——HÛHU TO YÛ
SADAMARI MO KUBETSU MO NAKI KÛKI NO NAKA NI:
HATE SHIRENU AOKI, AOKI SORA NO MOTO NI!