It must be remembered that: then the Manchu Fogime was in its most corrupt state, The degenerated gentry and corrupt oflcials had made it a habit to abuse and malireat'the people, My family, solitary and without fluence, became at once the target of such insults and maltreatment. From time to usurious. taxes and unjust public service were forced.
Tt was entirely due' to my mother, her kindness and perseverance, that the family were saved from utter ruination. - With an iron determination, she bolely undertook to save the family from' its last ruins and, with "the same determination, she calmly but resolutely undertook to bring up the children in a proper manner, Her task was neither ight hor enviable, for every trifle she had to look after with her own hands. As a boy she loved me very dearly, but her love was more than the love of an average mother. She was very" strict disciplinarian, and never failed to take me to strict count whenever I was unusually mlschievous. Whenever I returned home, she would ask me where I had been and what I had been doing, and when I returned from school she would question me on the lesson of the day. She taught me how to conduct and behave myself, She would make me do manual labour in order to train me physically. In a word, alt her time and energy were devoted to my well-being, A Mischievous Youth In my youth 1 was rather mis: ehievous and full of youthful "apprehension, and would never endure riy Instructions of great severity. 1 ame as helpless asa child in my' early age for Iwas always ill-treated by other boys and even once was expelled from their playing ranks.
Having seeched manhood, I de-elded to go abroad for a military education. At. first, many of our Kinsmen and neighbours were quite [surprised at, and some of them were even hostile to,, my "decision, They certainly would have prevented me from carrying my wish out had it} not been for. my mother's resolute will and. her every effort to supply me with the necessary funds. Later, When. the general. principle of our national revolution" became more soply rooted in my: mind, I decided to dedicate myself to the Party and the nation—a step which involved (Continued on page 176.)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.