in the jail under the torture.
Tearless, aghast, deprived of all support, the wife and mother long
looked in each other's faces. Said the old woman--"Alas! Alas! Neither
gods nor the Buddha exist. Faithful and devoted was Zeisuke to this old
mother. Unfortunate in his life, he has been equally unlucky in death.
What now is to be done!" She put her sleeves over the old and wrinkled
face, and bending low concealed tears and a long farewell to the beloved
in the person of her grandchild.

The wife was in little better case, but had to soothe this grief. A few
coins remained. She would buy the necessaries for the evening meal. "But
a moment, honoured mother. The return is quick. 'Tis but for the needed
meal." Taking the child on her back she started off into the darkness.
For a moment she turned to look at the mother. The old woman was
following her with eyes tear dimmed in the sunken hollows. Thus they
parted. For a moment the wife halted on the bridge over the Edogawa. The
dark slimy waters were a solution, but she put it aside in the face of a
higher duty. Soon she was on her way back. To her surprise the house was
in darkness. Surely a little oil was left in the bottom of the jar. She
called, without getting an answer. In alarm she groped her way in the
darkness, to stumble over the body of the old woman, lying limp and
helpless. Something wet her hand. Now she was in all haste for a light.
"Ah! Ah! The honoured mother! What has occurred? Has not ill fortune
enough fallen upon the home of Zeisuke?" Alas! the hand was stained with
blood. The old woman had intended the parting salute to be the last.
Left alone she had bit off her tongue, and thus had died. Rigid, as one
stupified, the wife sat; without tears, but thinking. Now she was left
alone. But what as to the child? A girl too? Ah! There were enough of
her sex in this hard world. She reached out a hand to the long
triangular sharp blade close by. She touched edge and point of the
_debabo[u]cho[u]_ (kitchen knife) with the finger.

Here was the solution. Rapidly she loosed the child and lowered it to
the ground. It took but a moment to open the little dress and expose the
breast. Then knife in hand she leaned over it. As she did so the child
opened its eyes, smiled, then laughing began to finger her bosom seeking
sustenance. The feelings of the mother came over the woman. She put
aside the knife to give the babe the breast. Alas! Starvation afforded
but scant milk.