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244 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
government. The chrysanthemum
is taller and more
beautiful than the asarum ;
so I should like to see
our imperial flower flourishing above all
else, on our
flags, on our soldiers' helmets, on our banners, our
ships' colors, and on all that belongs to government."
" Your idea is a good one, teacher," said Mr. Rai.
" Centuries ago, when the great ancestor of the
Tokugawa family made a certain village his residence,
he was presented by the people with round
cakes on each of which three leaves of the asarum
plant were laid, and this has ever since been the
family crest; but the Son of Heaven in Kyoto has
a double coat-of-arms, the single round chrysanthemum
and the triple heart-shaped leaves and fragrant
blue blossoms of the kiri tree "
" Which foreigners call the Paullownia imperialist
interposed the doctor.
"
A Russian botanist, admiring
the blossoms, named it after the imperial princess."
" Well certainly, our country
is weak because
divided up into too many feudal factions ruled by
petty barons. We have a rich garden of crests and
coats-of-arms, but no national emblem. I hear that
the Americans at Yokohama hoisted a striped boatflag
used only by the custom-house, and actually
saluted that with salvos of artillery as the national
flag of Japan."
All three roared in hearty laughter at this, and
then, in a solemn tone, and with a strange light
in
his eye as he seemed to be looking
Mr. Koba said :
into the future,