Miss Mutsuko was rather an eccentric, having gone onto the women’s college in Mejiro after school, then found employment in a publishing house. I recall at that time she was working feverishly on bringing Helen Keller to Japan. She was particularly proud of an article that said, ‘In these times of crisis, Japanese women have much to learn from the many great achievements of Madame Keller, whose extreme benevolence was gained from the extraordinary effort of overcoming her triple handicap of not being able to see, hear, or speak, to eventually become an accomplished public speaker.’
Young Master Kyoichi, now seven, hated Madame Keller and would pout and complain that she had a ‘weird face’, earning a reprimand from the Mistress. He had always been thoroughly spoiled, showered with pity for
