‘If there are many papers which you don’t feel unpleasant to see , they are books on the shelves.’ said Yoshida Kaneyoshi (a wise writer of ancient times).
Among books , there are classics written by various wise authors. They are all beneficial for everyone.
On the other hand , papers that you feel unpleasant to see are letters written by people of recent date. These letters should be discarded to pieces , I think. Because senders can expose their own shame to not only receivers but also other persons as long as their letters exist .
Last year , one man gathered papers with his bamboo brooms for preparation for the upcoming new year. Mice had scattered these papers on the ground.
The other man ask him to sell these papers. He is a paper doll maker who lived in a small house near Kouzu village. He enjoyed an easygoing life and let things take their course.
When he was making a girl doll in fashion next to a pile of papers , he found that they were letters. They involved letters written by women and Kabuki actors. They said a funny rumor , a sorrowful affair , a happy event and an end of a luxurious life. The doll maker kept on reading for hours and saw the hearts whose people had written them. The ancient poet Minamotono Toshiyori said that he saw the hearts of people having constructed a bridge over a great river in his poem. Like that , he saw their hearts.
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A beg for ten momme for a brother 160 ri away.
*momme: the unit of money in Edo era.
*ri:one ri is equal to arond 2.45 mile.
This man named Kamakuraya Seizaemon is a furniture craftsman. He lives in the apartment where I live now and is my close friend.
It has been 17 years since his father died and he wished to have a memorial service for his father. He decided to do it at Kouya temple .
On the way , he had a plan to go Sakai city and Osaka city. So , I asked him to send this letter to you(in Osaka City), brother.
Do you and your family members are happy? I miss you all .
I had been hapless for years and could not send letters to you . Please forgive me , brother.
I wish your wife Oyoshi , your son Kichitarou and Kojirou are in good health. I am sure Kichitarou help you with your work and make your heart lighter.
I heard you sold your house because of the recent recession , moved to the apartment in the Nagamachi street 5 and opened a shop selling paper fans for playing illustration quizzes.
I think your life are not so comfort in the apartment.
Now , I often remember your advices in the past.
I feel pain as if salt is spread onto my wound.
If I had kept a fishmonger in my home city , I would not have been in distress in order to earn livelihood now.
But , I was young before. I believed that I was able to earn much money easily in Edo city and came down here. I have regretted it very much.
First , I began to retail papers for clothes on a small sum of money but I could not keep my business when spring came.
Then , I decided to sell tobaccos on credit . After six month , I had not been able to gain money for credit , so I don’t have any choices but giving up this business.
I could not do hard physical labor like carrying a heavy burden on my shoulder.
I started a business selling seal ink derived from charcoal , but I failed it .
At last , recently , I live from hand to mouth.
Morning , I sell flowers for household Buddhist altar.
Daytime , I sell cold water.
Evening , I sell sawdust.
Night , After returning to home , I make paper bags for tea. They pay 8 mon for 100 paper bags.
* mon: unit of money
I keep on working , working and working. In spite of this work , I can not get enough money. There are many clever people in this city . They disturb my making money.
Last winter , my son was born. I must support my family of three. It’s impossible to get enough money to do it.
My wish is getting back to my home city. I want to live as a day laborer. I hear housing industry have been booming there.
A long time ago. I have gotten rid of my bad habit in old days.
I have longed for my home city desperately.
I want to live near your family and help you when disasters like typhoons and fires occur.
Please forgive me the things in former times.
All my failures attributed to alcohol .
I squandered our fortunes and brought about many troubles on many persons before.
Now , I do not take liquor even during the five seasons festivals. You can confirm it if you ask this, my friend Seizaemon. Because he lives next-door to my apartment.
I had have a wife here, but this was not result of frivolousness.
She served in a samurai officer's mansion as a sewer. She is a good sewer and able to get money after the marriage.
My wife had been thrifty and saved money for several years by working as sewer. She had 800 momme as her dowry , so I married her.
My wife have worked hardly , we can not gain enough money through working.
Our livihood has been completely collapsed and we can not find any solutions for it.
I wish to go back to home city , but I do not have money for it.
Please send money with your reply letter, for mercy's sake , brother. 12 momme is enough. I can go back to Osaka city with it after I put my affairs straight.
I will divorce from my wife. She will leave with our son.
No Problems. She have a elder sister who owns the shop selling ropes and carpets at Kanasugi. My wife and son will be able to live with her elder sister.
I can not make a living any longer here.
I will go back to home city by any means. If I descend to being a beggar pilgrim , I want to back home town. I want to die in Osaka city.
Please , please give me 12 momme or 1 kan. You can entrust this Seizaemon with your money. I have starved day by day.
*kan: unit of money
In addition , my wife is 12 or 13 older than me. This is another proof that I married not because of frivolousness.
Seizaemon knows evrything about me.
You can hear of me from him.
From Edo Shirogane town.
Genuemon.
To Osaka Nagamachi Street 5
Uchihaya Gengozaemon
28th May
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The doll maker thought:
Considering about the text of this letter, perhaps this man went to Edo city without consulting with his btother because of misdeed in his home town.
Recently , making money requires having money. Anywhere in this country.
We must do our job hardly keeping it in mind.
Characteristic of money is avoiding places in which the money does not exist. From the all regions Edo city have attracted wealth , which have accumulated thickly like roofing tiles.
Nontheless , this man ask his brother for only 10 momme by his lengthy letter from Edo city .
This is because begging money for unrelated persons is not allowed generally , but if for brother , it can be allowed.
We must live our lives wisely in this society.
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My opinion:
This is the story of desperate working-poor man about 350 years ago , but we can hear stories resembled to this nowadays.
Edo city is later Tokyo. Every year young people come Tokyo hoping for getting some money.
Then poverty and joblessness destroy their livelihood. Their last wish are getting back to their home towns.
The doll maker is right. Making money requires having money. That empty-handed young persons become rich sounds like a fairy story even today.
The feature of Ihara Saikaku's works is realism.
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