Autumn festival and the death of a newborn son (August of lunar calendar and September, 1805)、秋祭りと新生児の死（文化2年壬8、9月）
Leap August (August of lunar calendar)
The villagers began preparations for
the festival scheduled for the following month.
11th, all the villagers set
out to cut the timber for the shrine's ceremonial banner poles.
Unfortunately, some villages were
suffering from poor harvests due to drought. Hyōemon, who kept this diary,
received a request to conduct an official inspection on behalf of the samurai
(on the 16th).
29th, a similar request for
an inspection arrived from his friend Zenzō in the Tonohiraga Village. Along
with the letter came a gift of somen noodles—intended as a get-well
offering for Hyōemon's sick mother. It was a massive quantity (enough for a
hundred people); only a few dozen people lived in his village.
Yoshino family had begun the rice
harvesting and threshing.
September
It was festival season.
8th, festival guests arrived from places like Omuro.
11th, Fusaji went out as a festival guest.
12th, Hyōemon 's mother, Shun, and Nayo went to the
Hiregasaki Festival.
Shun, who had suffered from smallpox the previous November, was
now well enough to get around. It's good!
There is an entry, "At 2 AM, a boy was born. Yoshino
Hannosuke."
The next line reads: "Served cloudy sake to the
villagers."
It is striking that his mother and children went to the festival
on the same day; everyone was looking forward to festivals.
It is deeply sad. The entry for the 28th reads:
"The baby Hannosuke passed away this evening." There was a
saying that "until seven, a child belongs to the gods"
(meaning humans were powerless to save small children).
It was a harsh reality. In this day and age, a baby shouldn't
have to die.
Two months later, the lord's wife passed away just one month
after giving birth—despite having married only the year before.
Childbirth was a matter of life and death.
16th, Shiba-nishi went to Edo to fetch a doctor, who
was a Lord Sakai's personal physician. The doctor arrived on the 19th.
Hyōemon 's mother was examined by him right away.
The very next day, the mother went to the Kashiwa Festival with
Chiyo and Fusaji.
Meanwhile, Shun and Nayo went to the Kōde Festival with the
servant Mino.
21st, everyone returned home
I can't quite tell if the mother was healthy or ill!
26th, the rice harvest was completed.
28th, little Hannosuke passed away (as recorded). The
High Priest of Chōfuku-ji Temple came to conduct the funeral next day.
壬8月
翌月の祭りの準備が始まった。
11日、村人全員、鎮守幟の材木を運び出しに行く。
しかしながら、干ばつで不作の村もあり、日記を書いた兵右衛門に見分の依頼が来ている（16日）。
29日、懇意にしている殿平賀の善蔵からも見分の依頼があった。書状と一緒に母親の病気見舞のそうめんが百人分届く。数十人の村なのに、大量だ！
吉野家では、稲刈り、稲こきが始まった。
９月
祭の季節だ。
８日に、大室などから祭客が来た。
11日は、房次くんがどこかの（虫損）へ祭客として行った。
12日は、母としゅんちゃん、なよちゃんが、鰭ヶ崎祭りへ行く。
昨年11月に疱瘡を患ったしゅんちゃんも動ける状態になった。よかった。
この日、“今夜八ツ半、男子誕生。吉野半之助□”との記載。
次の行が、“村方のものへ濁酒振舞”。
こういう日でも母や兄弟は祭りに行くのかと驚いた。
とても残念なのだが、28日に“小児半之助、今夕死去”とある。「七歳までは神のうち」というが、厳しい。今なら死ななくてもよいはずだ。
翌々月には、御屋敷の奥様が産後ひと月で亡くなる。去年結婚したばかりなのに。
出産には、命が掛かる。
16日、芝西が医者を迎えに出府。19日に医者が到着。
“酒井修理大夫様御手医者”とある。早速、母も診てもらう。
ところが、母は翌日、ちよさん、房次くんと一緒に柏祭へ。
一方、しゅんちゃんとなよちゃんは、使用人のみのさんと一緒に幸田祭へ。
21日には全員帰宅。
母は元気なのか、病気なのか、よくわからん！
26日、稲刈り仕舞い。
28日、半之助ちゃんは死去（記述）。29日に長福寺法院がお出でになり、葬送。
Previous post (Peaceful days and fun of a village head in 19th
century, part 15（千葉県流山の名主日記）): Rice planting and mother's
medical condition (May to August, 1805)、田植えと母の病状（文化2年5～8月）
Next post (Peaceful days and funs of a village head in 19th century,
part 17（千葉県流山の名主日記): Yoshino family after the harvesting season (October to December, 1805)、収穫後の吉野家（文化2年10～12月）(coming soon)
The first article in this series (from 1802 to 1848)、シリーズ（1802年から1848年）最初の記事 : Peaceful days and funs of a village
head in 19th century, part 1（千葉県流山の名主日記）
The first article of the diary from 1849 to 1864, fifty-three
articles in total、1849年から1864年の日記（53記事）の最初の記事： Yoshino’s daily life 01, About Yoshino
and background 吉野家とその頃
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