【英語原文】
Kumamoto, Feb. 2 '92
Dear friend Nishida:―
Your kind letter and the enclosure reached me today. When I mentioned my wish for a copy of Mr. Katayama's words, I meant a Japanese copy,―intending to ask somebody else to translate it, because I thought you would be too busy to do such things. All the more grateful am I that you so kindly anticipated the wish, and made the rendering yourself,―better than I could have hoped to have had it done. I shall probably use some of it for a future sketch of what is most beautiful in Buddhist religious customs.
I, too, have been disappointed about sending you something―not for want of time, but through the neglect of my publishers. The December Atlantic has not come. I sent for it both to Boston and to San Francisco.so I think I will get it for you in a few weeks. I had been expecting it since Jan. 1st.,―for it is always published a month in advance. But it will certainly come.
―As I told you in my last, I have become very fat and strong. The climate is decidedly mild here.nothing worse than sharp frosts at night. Now while I write the sun is uncomfortablly warm upon the shoji. But I suffered very much for about a week with toothache,―now cured by a good dentist.
―I feel even more comfortable at the school than I did in Matsue; but I miss you and other friends much. Everything is different here. The Director, or rather headmaster, Mr. Sakurai, I have learned to like very much; and Mr. Sakuma, of whom I wrote before, turns out to be a very kindly, clever little man. He was so reserved at first that I could not tell much about him. Others whom I liked more at first, I like much less now.
―You will be interested, perhaps to learn that my Boston publishers have called upon me to make my lzumo papers into a separate volume, to be published as soon as possible.that means, of course, some time this year,―perhaps by fall next. The book will not be very small, however. It will be only the introduction to future volumes of a different kind.
―There is a very large public school here, in which the chief man is a very pleasant shizoku named Tsuda. He is a graduate of Yale college, and speaks English perfectly. The college has been founded six months, but appears to have no money. It corresponds to a middle school somewhat, and is called Kyu-shu-Gakuin. I was asked to teach in it, but the question of teaching would depend upon Mr. Kano's permission, and to teach without fair compensation would be folly. But Mr. Tsuda himself is certainly one of the most pleasant men possible to meet.
―The reason I appeared in Japanese dress at the banquet was that the rules demanded full-dress; and I have no such dress. But as I had a full Japanese costume, the General sent word I could come in that. I was not the only visitor in Japanese garb.
―You will see in the Mail of the 29th of January, a report of a lecture by Sir Edwin Arnold, and a very clever editorial article on it, both of which will amuse you,―espccially the latter.
―Now as to your question about “a moveable accent” I really do not know how to answer you. I never heard the term used in English grammar, and I think it is probably a special invention by some grammarian. However, there is a “a movable accent” in poetry. In Iambic verse the accent, “to avoid resting on a short syllable, passes to the first syllable of the next foot, (if long) making this foot
a Spondee and the preceding one a Pyrrhic.” I quote from Kerl's Grammar; but in Goold-Brown (of which the Normal School library has a good copy) you would find better examples than I can give, until I can get the books on prosody which I have sent for.
With best regards from myself & wife,
Faithfully ever yours
Lafcadio Hearn
P.S. I receivcd the kindest imaginable letters from Miss Koteda and the Governor,―in which l was told of many generous things you wrote about me, which made me very happy.