とあって差し出し人は華族様である。主人は黙読一過の後直ちに封の中へ巻き納めて知らん顔をしている。義捐などは恐らくしそうにない。せんだって東北凶作の義捐金を二円とか三円とか出してから、逢う人毎に義捐をとられた、とられたと吹聴しているくらいである。義捐とある以上は差し出すもので、とられるものでないには極っている。泥棒にあったのではあるまいし、とられたとは不穏当である。しかるにも関せず、盗難にでも罹ったかのごとくに思ってるらしい主人がいかに軍隊の歓迎だと云って、いかに華族様の勧誘だと云って、強談で持ちかけたらいざ知らず、活版の手紙くらいで金銭を出すような人間とは思われない。主人から云えば軍隊を歓迎する前にまず自分を歓迎したいのである。自分を歓迎した後なら大抵のものは歓迎しそうであるが、自分が朝夕に差し支える間は、歓迎は華族様に任せておく了見らしい。主人は第二信を取り上げたが「ヤ、これも活版だ」と云った。
時下秋冷の候に候処貴家益々御隆盛の段奉賀上候陳れば本校儀も御承知の通り一昨々年以来二三野心家の為めに妨げられ一時其極に達し候得共是れ皆不肖針作が足らざる所に起因すと存じ深く自ら警むる所あり臥薪甞胆其の苦辛の結果漸く茲に独力以て我が理想に適するだけの校舎新築費を得るの途を講じ候其は別義にも御座なく別冊裁縫秘術綱要と命名せる書冊出版の義に御座候本書は不肖針作が多年苦心研究せる工芸上の原理原則に法とり真に肉を裂き血を絞るの思を為して著述せるものに御座候因って本書を普く一般の家庭へ製本実費に些少の利潤を附して御購求を願い一面斯道発達の一助となすと同時に又一面には僅少の利潤を蓄積して校舎建築費に当つる心算に御座候依っては近頃何共恐縮の至りに存じ候えども本校建築費中へ御寄附被成下と御思召し茲に呈供仕候秘術綱要一部を御購求の上御侍女の方へなりとも御分与被成下候て御賛同の意を御表章被成下度伏して懇願仕候※々敬具
Given the circumstances, the sender turned out to be a member of the peerage. After reading the letter silently once through, the master immediately rolled it back into its envelope and pretended nothing had happened. He will probably not make any donation. Ever since he put up two or three yen for the relief fund for the poor harvest in the Northeast the other day, he has been going around boasting to everyone he meets that he was made to pay, made to pay, for relief. If it says 'relief,' then of course it is something one offers, not something one is made to pay. It is not as if he was robbed; to say he was 'made to pay' is inappropriate. Nevertheless, the master seems to think as though he had suffered some theft. Be that as it may, no matter how much they talk of welcoming the army, no matter how much they cite the peerage's solicitation, unless they strong-arm him into it, he is not the sort of man who would part with money over a printed letter. From the master's point of view, before welcoming the army, he would first like to welcome himself. Once he has welcomed himself, he would probably welcome most anything, but while he is beset morning and night, he seems resolved to leave the welcoming to the peerage. The master picked up the second letter and said, 'Hmph, this one's printed too.'
As the autumn chill deepens, I offer my congratulations on the ever-increasing prosperity of your esteemed household. As you are aware, our school, having been obstructed since the year before last by two or three ambitious troublemakers and brought to a temporary standstill, I attribute wholly to my own shortcomings as the unworthy Hari-saku, and taking deep warning unto myself, through bitter perseverance and hardship I have at last, by my own efforts alone, found means to procure the funds for a new schoolhouse suited to my ideals. This is simply the publication of a book titled separately 'Outline of Secret Needlework Techniques.' This book is written by the unworthy Hari-saku upon the principles of craft long and painfully studied, with truly flesh-rending, blood-wringing devotion. Thus we wish to offer this book broadly to all households at cost of binding plus a slight profit, and request your purchase; on one hand to aid the advancement of this art, and on the other to accumulate slight profit toward the schoolhouse building fund. Therefore, though I am lately exceedingly abashed, I beg you to consider a donation toward our building fund, and to purchase the enclosed 'Outline of Techniques' and distribute it among your ladies-in-waiting, thereby expressing your endorsement. I humbly entreat you. Respectfully yours.
