引用ノック0919：BOTCHAN translated by Umeji Sasaki

A GREAT LOSER HAVE I BEEN EVER SINCE A CHILD, HAVING A RASH, DARING SPIRIT, A SPIRIT I INHERITED FROM MY ANCESTORS.  *snip* I HAD NO SPECIAL REASON. *snip* IT BLED MUCH, BUT FORTUNATELY THE KNIFE BEING SMALL AND THE BONE SOLID, THE FINGER HAS RETAINED ITS ORIGINAL POSITION TO THIS DAY ALTOHUGH I SHALL CARRY THE SCAR TO MY GRAVE.
*snip*
IT RAN AS FOLLOWS:──
"MY DEAR BOTCHAN, NO SOONER HAD I RECEIVED YOUR LETTER THAN I THOUGHT TO WRITE YOU AN ANSWER. UNFORTUNATELY I HAD A COLD WHICH KEPT ME IN BED ABOUT A WEEK, HENCE THE DELAY. MOREOVER, UNLIKE YOUNG LADIES NOWADAYS, WHO ARE GOOD HANDS AT READING AND WRITING, I HAD TO SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME AND PAINS OVER THE LETTER, POOR AS THE CHARACTERS I HAVE WRITTEN ARE. I THOUGHT OF ASKING NEPHEW TO WRITE FOR ME, BUT CONSIDERING IT WOULD NEVER DO UNLESS I DID IT MYSELF, I FIRST WROTE A DRAFT AND MADE A NICE, CLEAN COPY AFTERWARD. IT TOOK TWO DAYS TO MAKE A FAIR COPY, BUT FOUR DAYS HAD BEEN SPENT OVER THE DRAFT. ..." *snip* SHE ASKED ME IF I WAS STILL READING THE LETTER AND SAID IT MUST BE AN AWFULLY LONG ONE. I TOLD HER THAT AS IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT LETTER I HAD BEEN READING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, GIVING THE WIND FULL LIBERTY TO RUSTLE IT.
*snip*
THE DAY BEFORE SHE BREATHED HER LAST SHE CALLED ME TO HER BEDSIDE AND REQUESTED ME IF SHE COULD BE PERMITTED FOR MERCY'S SAKE TO BE BURIED IN OUR FAMILY GRAVEYARD, SO THAT SHE MIGHT THERE CONTENTEDLY WAIT FOR ME TO COME. THEREFORE, ... .
 (omitting the last part)

（SOSEKI NATSUME ”BOTCHAN” translated by Umeji Sasaki 1922; CHARLES E. TUTTLE COMPANY 1968）