ASIA 
 
CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 THE 
 
 CHARLES WILLIAM WASON 
 
 COLLECTION ON CHINA 
 
 AND THE CHINESE 
 
3 1924 023 490 505 
 

 ^t^/^C^< 
 
 
 '-cC^ //c /"/^ />^.^^/Ca. 
 
 Yes 
 
 7 
 
ECHOES FROM JAPAN. 
 
 BY 
 
 M. McLEAN, 
 anlfjot of "®pin IBoors in 3apan." 
 
 f nnlion : 
 
 Passmore & Alabaster, Paternoster Buildings. 
 
 1880. 
 
W^ Cornell University 
 VB Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023490505 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Map of Japan . 4. 
 
 Introduction 7 
 
 Chap. 
 
 I. A Peep at Old Japan . 13 
 
 II. Present Condition of Japan 19 
 
 III. How I had Access to the Japanese 33 
 
 IV. Before and after Conversion (of a Samurai) 50 
 V. Japan Pleading with England to be re- 
 conciled to God ... 57 
 
 VI. An Awakening among the Blue-Jackets 68 
 
 VII. Bright Hours with my Pupils . 82 
 
 VIII. A Visit to the Shiba Temple and Tombs 95 
 
 IX. The Japanese Christians in a Dilemma ioi 
 
 X. Visit to Kobe and Osaka 109 
 
 XI. Self-help . 117 
 
 XII. Social Life in Japan . • 126 
 
 XIII. Child Life in Japan 131 
 
 XIV. Fragments 145 
 XV. A Trip to the Hacone Hills . 156 
 
 XVI. How Orientals in London may be Reached 
 
 — How it Strikes a Stranger . . 169 
 XVII. Osaka Notes . 173 
 XVIII. A Trip to Arima 193 
 XIX. Hotel Life at Osaka 205 
 XX. Secular Education 217 
 XXI. Moral Condition . 236 
 XXII. " The Eleventh Hour " 239 
 Appendix I. Jottings from my Notebook 249 
 Appendix II. Preface to the Letters of Blue- 
 jackets .... 274 
 Appendix III. Crumbs from the Letters of a Soul- 
 Winner AT Shanghai 301 
 Conclusion 314 
 
'3t'n>fQc&£e£>^£3taiiifZoncliiTu 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The following extract is taken from the letter of a Japanese 
 gentleman who kindly read m.y manuscripts before sending 
 them to the press. 
 
 I HAVE read your very interesting papers about Japan, 
 and the Japanese people, with great pleasure. Of course, 
 I know very well those customs and manners of the people 
 depicted by your pen, and all the country places, except 
 one, described by you, are quite familiar to me ; so that 
 the reading of these papers immediately aroused most 
 happy and charming recollections in my mind. Some of 
 them give the reader a simple and honest description of 
 child-life in Japan ; and they forcibly reminded me of the 
 happy days of my own boyhood. Others are very faithful 
 in telling what travellers see and feel in visiting various 
 places of interest. They mostly give exactly what I re- 
 collect from my own travelling to those places. 
 
 I was, as you know, a student of law in the Imperial 
 University of Japan, and am now at the Middle Temple, 
 London. Thus, my own study is not very congenial to the 
 cultivation of literary taste. But I do not hesitate to declare 
 that you have surely written these papers out of the simple 
 love of truth. You have put down, now and then, what 
 occurred to your mind — simply because you cannot help 
 expressing it. It is perfectly clear that you are neither 
 one of those who praise anything which is Japanese, 
 because they have some benefits in view ; nor one of 
 those who are anxious to find fault with other people, 
 and who are so devoid of good taste as to expose the people 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 of distant lands in their worst aspects. Your residence of 
 nine years in Japan gives you a very fair insight into the 
 feeling and thought of the people, and throughout your 
 papers I distinctly perceive your true sympathy with my own 
 country. I observe almost every day in London that, 
 although there is so much talk about Japan and Japanese 
 art, yet most people, I should say, even educated people, 
 have only some inadequate, and often many mistaken ideas 
 of Japan. This is just what most Japanese feel much dis- 
 appointed to find. Therefore, I am very glad to find such 
 descriptions and comments as you have given about Japan 
 in these papers, because they are true and honest. We 
 Japanese have no desire to have our merits exaggerated as 
 I a nation very old in her history, and now trying very hard 
 to effect a complete regeneration to become one of the 
 respectable modern states. But we are, at the same time, 
 very anxious to dispel those unfairly hostile, and even 
 monstrous, criticisms which frequently appear in books of 
 travel. 
 
 If you are going to publish these papers, which I have had 
 the pleasure of reading all through, I sincerely hope that 
 they may find a good many readers ; and I am very happy 
 to supply you with some statistical facts about my country, 
 taken from the latest returns. 
 
 I am, yours very truly, 
 
 S. UYEMURA. 
 The Temple, London, 
 Afril \st, 1889. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ©It Boarti tte SS. "^t^ iorfe." 
 
 . . " He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as 
 the apple of his eye." — Deut. xxxii. lo. 
 
 ON embarking at Shanghai for Yokohama, 
 Japan — in November 1872 — a friend gave 
 me the text : " Casting all your care upon Him ; for 
 He careth for you!' I was in every sense of the 
 word a fit subject for the comfort it brought. After 
 forty -eight hours' sail, we entered the beautiful and 
 picturesque harbour of Nagasaki. The day was, in 
 keeping with the reputed climate of Japan, bright 
 and sunny. The view from deck was particularly 
 enchanting ; the calm and transparent waters of the 
 harbour reflected hills covered with luxuriant 
 vegetation, as well as a fleet of vessels, representing 
 Western nations. The rock of tragic history, 
 called " Pappenberg," is very suggestive of its 
 name, so closely does it resemble the Pope's mitre. 
 Doubtless in the days of Xavier the Portuguese 
 thought so, and accepted it as a sign that Japan 
 was destined to become a vassal of the Holy See. 
 The nearer hills and islets were lovely to gaze 
 upon, while the more distant ones lent enchant- 
 ment to the view. The, scene was lit up with the 
 autumn tints, so that it was difficult to realize that 
 we were only within two weeks of bleak December. 
 On going ashore, I steered for the C. M. S. 
 Mission Station. I had a kind welcome from Mr. and 
 Mrs. Burnside, who, with Rev. Mr. Ensor, pioneered 
 
8 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the C. M. S. Missionary operations in Japan. I 
 began to discover that the C. M. S. was doing here, 
 what on a larger scale they had already done in 
 China — i.e., planting the Cross along its shores in 
 the strongholds of idolatry — and by their earnest- 
 ness and unworldliness, proving that they were 
 not there for gain, ease, or luxury.* 
 
 In Japan I found that there was less religious 
 tolerance than in China, for as yet the missionaries 
 had but little official liberty given to them to 
 carry on their work. There were, however, some 
 few disciples. I also found that the ground had been 
 broken by the American Episcopal Mission, in the 
 person of Bishop Williams, who was one of the 
 first Protestant Missionaries to Nagasaki ; and, as 
 in China, so in Japan, he was abundant in labours, 
 and as much at home in the Japanese as in the 
 Chinese tongue. His intense humility must strike 
 and edify all that come in contact with him, and 
 that he is an example to the flock in missionary 
 zeal and self abnegation is universally known. 
 One instance, to show its genuineness, is the fact 
 that he has for more than twenty years remained 
 at his post between the two empires, without availing 
 himself of the rest which seems to us so necessary 
 in order to regain strength. Such lives are for the 
 most part shielded from the praise of men, and 
 careful only to please Him who gave the promise 
 
 * At a later date (1881), I spent a pleasant week under the roof of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Maundrell, and found that they and their co-workers 
 had largely developed the work of their predecessors. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 9 
 
 that " He who seeth in secret shall reward thee 
 openly." After eight hours' halt in the harbour of 
 Nagasaki, we got under weigh for our destination 
 — Yokohama. Early in the morning we entered 
 the most enchanting scene in Japan — the inland 
 sea. Some of the hills were quite verdant, and 
 some were emblazoned with a variety of autumn 
 tints. I tried to make friends with some Japanese 
 who came on board at Nagasaki. I thought them 
 very thinly clad, for at this season — November — 
 the Chinese are wrapped in thickly wadded clothes- 
 Everything on board was examined by them. All 
 that their eyes rested on seemed to be objects and 
 subjects of interest, and remarks were constantly 
 being made which were unintelligible to me. 
 Notwithstanding the glory of the scene, and the 
 novelty of my first impressions of Japanese life at 
 this initial stage, I was glad to return to my cabin 
 and ask that the words "Casting all your care 
 upon Him, for He careth for you," might be made"" 
 good in my experience ; for, like Abraham, I felt 
 I was going forth, not knowing whither. On 
 Saturday we sailed into the quiet harbour of Kobe, 
 a most lovely spot, to say nothing of its being a 
 place of commercial promise, judging from its 
 position, for on the mainland behind it is an 
 extensive network of railways projected. Already 
 a train runs between it and Osaka, eighteen miles 
 along the coast, and sea-warfl it opens its arms to 
 all navigators. The row of European villas on 
 the shore, and range of irregularly shaped hills 
 
lO INTRODUCTION. 
 
 behind, brought before us familiar scenes in the 
 far West. All the other passengers went ashore 
 till Monday morning, but I, for various reasons, 
 preferred remaining on board, one being that, like 
 Ezra of old, I felt drawn to have time and quiet 
 with the Guide of my life, to seek of Him a right 
 way 
 
 On Monday afternoon we weighed anchor again, 
 and steamed for Yokohama, where our good Captain 
 Furber said we should arrive on Wednesday morn- 
 ing. As I had been entrusted to his protection by 
 
 my kind Shanghai friends, Mr. and Mrs. N , he 
 
 said he would take me ashore, and introduce me to 
 some of the Missionaries. Our ship's party from 
 Kobe was considerably augmented, for we received 
 on board the Governor of Osaka, his wife, and long 
 train of attendants. It was quite an interesting study 
 for us — from the West— to see how these cultured 
 Easterns behaved to each other — essentially polite 
 and elegant in manners. The ladies, as to their 
 toilette and bearing, were the pictures of grace and 
 neatness — if adherence to simplicity in colour and 
 ornament be indicative of good taste ? The Japanese 
 in every way present a striking contrast to the 
 natives of China, especially the women. In China 
 they are shy and reserved, and are difficult at first to 
 approach ; but the Japanese women, with their gay 
 and open manner, are as accessible as Europeans. 
 
 On Wednesday, in accordance with the pre- 
 dictions of our Captain, we entered Yokohama, the 
 busiest and most important harbour of Japan. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 1 1 
 
 One of the first sights I had from my cabin window 
 was a very familiar one — a train, flying on its way 
 to Tokyo, the capital ; and, on casting my eye in 
 another direction, I caught sight of the matchless 
 Fuji Mountain — Japan's pride. Though at a dis- 
 tance of more than sixty miles, it seemed to be 
 only ten or fifteen miles away : — this illusion is due 
 to the clear atmosphere, which always renders 
 Japan a physical panorama, rarely overcast with 
 black clouds, fogs, and murky sky. 
 
 Having had a rough passage all night, the captain 
 went at daylight to lie down. Not liking to disturb 
 his much-needed rest, and to prolong my stay on 
 board, I, in imitation of my fellow-passengers, went 
 ashore alone in a san-pan. On arriving at the 
 jetty some ten or twelve unemployed men jumped 
 on board my fragile craft, scrambling and squab- 
 bling over my luggage as to who should be its 
 bearer. The scuffle was so tempestuous that the 
 boat was in danger of sinking every moment. 
 In vain, by gesture and word, I begged them to 
 leave off. Even the boatman's furious protests 
 in the native tongue were unheeded, and it was not 
 until a custom-house officer was sighted by them 
 that they made off. 
 
 On getting ashore, I found that some friends had 
 been on the look-out for me, and I and my 
 belongings were taken charge of. I felt I had 
 been deservedly punished for having acted so inde- 
 pendently of the captain's offer to see me safe off 
 his hands. My first ride in a Jinrikisha ended, I 
 
12 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 found myself in the hospitable quarters of the 
 American Mission Home, superintended at that 
 time by Mrs. Pruyn, now gone to her resting-place, 
 till sowers and reapers shall rejoice together at the 
 great Harvest Home. Miss Guthrie, one of the 
 party of ladies which composed this first female 
 mission to the women of Japan, has also departed 
 to be with Christ. I have sweet recollections of 
 our times of refreshing, as we unitedly compassed 
 the throne of grace. 
 
 A bird's-eye view of KANAGAWA and YOKOHAMA HARBOUR. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 a ^cfp at ©lU Sapan. 
 
 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.' ' — 
 Gen. i. i. 
 
 IF you were to ask a Japanese to give you a 
 verbal outline of the history of his country, he 
 would do so, as nearly as possible, in the following 
 words : — In the " Jindai-no-maki " (mythology of 
 Japan) it is said that the condition of the lower 
 world, originally, was chaotic ; from this the pure 
 matter ascended and formed the skies (or heaven), 
 while the impure descended and formed the earth. 
 From this latter evolved a race of heavenly beings, 
 called Celestial Kami, of whom Izanagi (a male) 
 and Izanami (a female) were the last individuals. 
 Izanagi, standing one day on the bridge called 
 Ama-no-uki-hashi (the floating celestial bridge), 
 he dipped his spear into the sea, and as he drew 
 it out, the drops falling from it solidified, and 
 formed an island called Ono-Koro-jima, which is 
 said to be the' present Awaji. This was the first 
 
14 Echoes front Japan. 
 
 island brought into existence. These celestial 
 visitants are called, in mythology, Ten-jin-shi-chi- 
 dai, or seventh generation of gods, i.e., from Kuni- 
 toku-tatsu-no-mikoto (lit. the God whose king- 
 dom is everlasting). They are said to have had 
 three children : first, Ama-no-terasu-no-mikoto (a 
 female), Susano, and Hiruko (males). The fifth 
 generation, and last of the gods terrestrial, was 
 U-ga-ya-fu-ki-awa-zedzu-no-mikoto. From him, it 
 is said, descended the primogenitor of the one 
 hundred and twenty-three Mikados who have 
 sat successively on the throne of Japan. The 
 Emperor Jimmu was, in reality, a king, or chief 
 of Kiu-Shiu. He and his army having gained 
 a victory over the islands of Japan, he ascended 
 the throne of that country, at a place called 
 Kashi-wa-bara, and founded the dynasty of the 
 Mikados. This took place when Manasseh ruled 
 over the house of Judah. With the help of his 
 provincial governors, Koku-zo and Agata-nushi, 
 he ruled his realm with great ability. 
 
 As to a geographical sketch of the country, I 
 feel that, in these days of enlightenment, it is un- 
 necessary to draw your attention to a map of the 
 world, and say that Japan is bounded on the north 
 by the Sea of Yezo, on the east and south by the 
 North Pacific Ocean, and on the west by the Sea 
 of Japan and Straits of Corea. 
 
 Before giving you a few extracts from my diary, 
 also a few stories about the Japanese, let me say 
 that Japan is made up of four main islands, and a 
 
Echoes from Japan. 15 
 
 great many smaller ones. Many of the latter are 
 uninhabited islets or rocks. Hondo, the largest, is 
 in the centre ; Hok-kai-do, or Yezo, in the north ; 
 Shi-koku and Kiu-shiu, in the south-west. These 
 four main islands are divided into eight large 
 divisions, or " do," namely, Tokai-do, or eastern sea 
 circuit ; To-san-do, or eastern mountain circuit ; 
 Hokku-roku-do, or northern land circuit ; Nan-kai- 
 do, or southern sea circuit ; San-yin-do, or mountain 
 back circuit ; San-yo-do, or mountain front circuit ; 
 Sai-kai-do, or western sea circuit ; Hok-kai-do, 
 or northern sea circuit. These are again sub- 
 divided. First, into koku (provinces) ; second, into 
 gun or kori (counties or districts) ; third, into mura 
 and son (villages and hamlets). 
 
 Since Japan is, in every sense of the word, a pro- 
 gressive country, the above divisions may be under- 
 going a change at this moment (1889) which will 
 make this account appear a little out of date. But 
 the adage, " a rolling stone gathers no moss" must 
 not be applied to the Japanese, even although they 
 are so impatient for reform that they remind one 
 of an impetuous boy turning over the leaves of an 
 illuminated album, with which he is well acquainted 
 himself, and saying to his curious juvenile be- 
 holders, " This is to be your last chance of getting 
 a glimpse of this book, so be quick." Never has 
 a nation so suddenly sat down and counted the 
 cost, and immediately put her conclusions into 
 practice with such startling unanimity. These, as 
 everyone must see, have, for the past twenty-one 
 
1 6 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 years, been in favour of adopting the customs 
 of Europe, See how she places herself in a 
 position likely to prove conducive to a rapid 
 development ! She opens her chambers to the light 
 of civilization, which forces itself upon her from 
 the West, exclaiming as it were — " What plant can 
 flourish, or flower bloom without light? At any 
 cost let us have it ! " Thus she wakes up, after 
 the manner of Samson, and suddenly breaks 
 away from the yoke imposed upon her by the 
 long line of Shoguns who usurped the authority 
 of the throne. The newly-reinstated legitimate 
 young sovereign, seeing the loyalty of his advisers, 
 meekly listens to what they have to say to him. 
 He, with them, sees the folly of being shut up 
 behind his screen, the mere shadow of a ruler, and 
 where, too, he is made to believe that it would be 
 fatal to the welfare of his people, as well as 
 " derogatory to his divine origin," for mortal eyes 
 to look upon his face. So much, then, for the light 
 which has so far thrust its rosy finger into the 
 Royal Palace of Japan, as well as into the lordly 
 domains of the Daimios. 
 
 The new regime! Unprecedented sight ! What 
 do we see in front of that spacious, quaint 
 palace at the old capital Kyoto (with its massive 
 cedar pillars, its thickly thatched roof, its richly 
 embellished panels and sliding partitions, its 
 chastely decorated rooms, its romantic grounds 
 
Echoes from Japan. 17 
 
 and curiously constructed bridges, its ponds of carp 
 and mandarin ducks, its dwarfed trees, including 
 the emblems of happiness, as well as the proud, 
 self-conscious looking stork, which seems to say, 
 as it moves forward with measured footsteps, 
 " Thrones and dynasties may change, but my equa- 
 nimity * lengthens out my days " f) None other than 
 the long train of hierarchies, the Daimios of the three 
 hundred dominions, sitting in a fashion befitting 
 the relationship which is about to exist between 
 their sovereign and themselves. See, how the sea 
 of heads bends simultaneously in one direction, as 
 if swearing (by the Emperor Jimmu — founder of 
 the Mikado's dynasty) to him who sits before 
 them, that henceforth they and their retainers will 
 bow to his will, as becometh filial sons and loyal 
 subjects ! Hitherto, they have been petty kings 
 over their own domains ; but, henceforth, they seem 
 to say, " We shall be servants to our Lord the 
 Tenno " (Mikado). Another profound bow, and all 
 their richly decorated swords (emblems of dis- 
 tinction and power) are as good as surrendered. 
 Hark ! They unanimously and reverently groan 
 out a final assent to what they believe to be the 
 voice of the throne (or heaven), and they retire, 
 bearing the name of Kwazoku (flowery family) in 
 lieu of the more illustrious title, viz., Daimio 
 (lit, great name). The Daimios have been in the 
 habit of paying their respects to the Shoguns and 
 
 * The stork is the emblem of longevity in Japan. 
 2 
 
1 8 Echoes from Japan, 
 
 Emperors at different intervals, en masse, as on 
 this occasion : but this visit has a different signifi- 
 cance, for they have come to formally surrender 
 their hereditary rights to the latter, and to him 
 they have ever since (iS68) rendered that submis- 
 sion, if not homage, which becomes such a display 
 of loyalty. 
 
 The present reign is called Meiji {i.e. enlightened 
 era). Instead of saying " Anno Domini," as with 
 us, they say "In the year of Meiji." At this moment, 
 the era of Meiji may be said to have come of age ; 
 and, judging of her future career by the past twenty- 
 one years, we may safely conclude that Japan will, 
 ere long, wield the same influence in the far East 
 that England wields in Europe. But if she is to do 
 this, with Christianity as the foundation-stone of the 
 kingdom, the Christian Church has not a moment 
 to wait. "Now or never" has never been more 
 aptly applied than in reference to the present 
 critical moment Japan is passing through. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 present (fCatttittton of 3apan. 
 
 (BY A JAPANESE GENTLEMAN.) 
 
 THE rumours of the British conquest of India, 
 and the humiliation of that proud celestial 
 empire, had already half awakened Japan, when 
 the American fleet, with her intimidating guns 
 and cannon, came to our shores. The sight of 
 the terrible and merciless struggles for existence 
 raging high between the nations of the earth gave 
 warning to our people. To sit still and be 
 trampled down and destroyed, to cling to the old 
 customs and usages, is the surest way to feeble- 
 ness and decay. And so, with a healthy confidence 
 and strong resolution, Japan has decided to take 
 the new course of western civilisation. Right or 
 wrong, her one desire at present is to be assimilated 
 with the community of the enlightened nations of 
 Europe and America. No wonder that she is 
 impatient now and then. No wonder that her 
 measures of social reform are often carried too far. 
 Nay, this very fact ought to awaken the deepest 
 sympathy in every Christian soul. 
 
 A whole nation, kindled with a lofty sense of her 
 own responsibility, struggling with all her might and 
 
20 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 strength for improvement and progress is a spectacle 
 which cannot fail to impress her bystanders. But 
 although it might seem that the history of Japan, 
 in recent times, is characterised by abrupt sudden- 
 ness, be it remembered that God was preparing her 
 people for this apparently sudden transformation. 
 Through the past centuries the history of the empire, 
 from the time of Jimmu Tenno, the first Mikado of 
 Japan, down to the present moment, is a gradual 
 development of democratic ideas, changes of 
 dynasties, transference of power from one hand to 
 another, the rise of the Samurai — that flowery race 
 of Japan ; the revival of learning during the past 
 three centuries, and, above all, the downfall of the 
 military regime of the Tokugawa in the years of 
 1867-8, have been slowly, but steadily, preparing 
 the Japanese nation for a new era of enlightenment. 
 We have had a long history, and the present is 
 largely the outcome of the past changes now trans- 
 piring in Japan, and neither so sudden nor so abrupt 
 as you might imagine. God has been preparing a 
 nation in the far East for freedom and indepen- 
 dence, and if Japan continues faithful to her 
 responsibilities, there is no doubt that she will 
 come out all right and prosperous. A common- 
 wealth without God ! what could be more sad and 
 contradictory? The only nation which may properly 
 be so called is one whose God is the Lord. It is 
 Christianity alone that is able to impart a taste for 
 freedom, and facilitates the use of free institu- 
 tions. Civilisation, without the benign influence of 
 
Echoes from Japan. 21 
 
 Christianity, is a sepulchre painted in white. This 
 solemn fact is sadly ignored by our leading states- 
 men. May God be pleased to open their minds to 
 this all-important fact, viz., that one thing is need- 
 ful for the all-important growth of Japan, even 
 the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. I feel more 
 and more convinced that it is Christianity alone 
 that will bring salvation to Japan, both spiritually 
 and politically. The present is the most critical 
 time of our country. The Macedonian call from 
 the far Orient, is resounding in your ears. This 
 naturally brings us to the missionary work in 
 Japan ; and if, in political affairs, we can trace 
 the hand of God leading the people to changes 
 and reforms, the same kind providence is more 
 clearly to be discerned in the religious develop- 
 ment of the land. Shintoism, though disfigured by 
 childish mythology, has at least one thing to be 
 said in her favour: she impressed on the Japanese 
 people the idea of holiness. Buddhism, that strange 
 mixture of superstitious shallowness and metaphy- 
 sical' profundity has succeeded in reminding them of 
 the hollowness of the present evil world, and 
 aroused a thirst for something infinite and eternal. 
 Confucianism, the Stoic philosophy of Asia, in- 
 culcated lofty doctrines of morality, and inspired 
 her disciples with a spirit of magnanimity, and a 
 high sense of honour. These three religious and 
 philosophical systems of the heathen, have been 
 preparing the Japanese mind for the reception of 
 the absolute religion of Christ ; and, after more 
 
22 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 than twenty centuries spent wandering in the laby- 
 rinth of human wisdom, and in vain groping after 
 the unknown God, a gleam of light from a higher 
 source, though sadly broken by the intermixture 
 of human errors, has, for the first time, appeared to 
 the yearning souls of Japan. 
 
 About four centuries ago, the whole country was 
 divided into petty factions, constantly at war with 
 each other. The long-continued internal commo- 
 tions, the wretched poverty to which the populace 
 had been then reduced, the uncertainty of life and 
 property, and many other woes of life, were driving 
 people into despair, and many of them became 
 pessimists, and others were crying out for a time 
 of peace and happiness. Just at that time, Francis 
 Xavier and his Jesuit missionaries came to our 
 shore. The good tidings brought by these earnest 
 missionaries sent a thrill of joy to the hearts of 
 the people. Princes, nobles, and the commons 
 crowded to hear them, numbers were converted 
 and baptized, and Catholic churches spread through 
 the length and breadth of the land ; but before 
 long, evil days came. Instigated by the intrigues 
 of jealous Buddhists, and enraged by some im- 
 prudence on the part of the missionaries and 
 their converts, a fierce and long persecution ensued. 
 Missionaries were killed and expelled, Japanese 
 Christians had to recant, or to submit to cruel death ; 
 and during ten years of severe persecution, it is 
 recorded that 200,000 Christians were slaughtered. 
 Thus you will find that our disheartened nation 
 
Echoes from Japan. 23 
 
 of Japan has already sent a host of representatives 
 to join with that glorious throng of Christian 
 martyrs. The government of the Shogun thought 
 it succeeded in extirpating Christianity, but she 
 came to our shores to stay there. No human 
 power can stop for ever the onward march of 
 the Kingdom. The blood of martyrs is, indeed, the 
 seed of the Church. Roman Catholicism has 
 never become entirely extinct in Japan. It was 
 only waiting for better days, and to-day the Romish 
 Church numbers her converts, not by hundreds, 
 but by thousands. The power of the government, 
 which persecuted the early Christians of Japan, is 
 finished for ever ; but the once suppressed gospel 
 of Christ, in its better and purer form, is being 
 established in Japan. 
 
 For fifteen years, the Protestant missionaries 
 were unable to find opportunities for preaching the 
 Gospel ; but since the revolution of 1 867-8, the law 
 against Christianity became slackened, and mission- 
 aries had many reasons to hope that the time had 
 come at last, for which they had waited so long. 
 
 First Protestant Church. 
 
 In 1872, the first Protestant Church of Japan 
 was organised at Yokohama. This was the 
 beginning of a good harvest. Churches arose in 
 quick succession in the different parts of the 
 Empire, and during the last five or six years, the 
 velocity of our progress has greatly increased, the 
 rate being about seventy per cent, a year. The 
 
24 Echoes from Japan, 
 
 total number of evangelical churches is more than 
 200, and more than one half of this number are 
 self-supporting; that is to say, do not rely on 
 foreign funds for sustenance. Of these (namely 
 more than 200 churches), 130 are going to unite 
 into one body, under the name of the CHURCH OF 
 Christ in Japan. Many leading men among us 
 have been desirous of forming a union of churches, 
 untrammelled by complicated creeds and forms. 
 Sectarianism is a disgrace to Christianity. If it 
 be possible, we want to be delivered from this 
 special evil. The committee appointed last year 
 to draw up a new constitution, as the basis of the 
 union, have completed their work. This new 
 constitution will be adopted in the coming month 
 in the churches. The next council of churches is 
 to meet in the city of Osaka in May, 1889. God 
 forbid that this should be the final step to be taken 
 against Sectarianism ! No, we hope this is the 
 mere beginning of our work, the formation of one 
 solid body of Christians. What are the principles 
 on which this new constitution is based ? Broadly 
 speaking, the principles unity in essentials, and 
 diversity in non-essentials. Our creeds are, the 
 Apostles', the Nicene, and the Nine Articles of 
 Faith, adopted by the Evangelical Alliance. Our 
 doctrinal standard, as you will see, is very simple 
 and concise. We lay more stress on the teachings 
 of the Bible. Our creed, perhaps, will not satisfy 
 those who are bent on heresy hunting, but we 
 believe that it is comprehensive enough to include 
 
Echoes from Japan. 25 
 
 all the essential points of Christian doctrines. As 
 to our Church policy, we believe in the purity of 
 ministers. Every ordained minister in the Church 
 is a Bishop. The management of the general 
 affairs of the Church will be committed, with a 
 definite limitation, to a council, constituted of 
 pastors and delegates. The government of each 
 individual Church is left to its own choice, pro- 
 vided it makes provision to send a delegate to the 
 council. A Church may be Presbyterian or Con- 
 gregational in the management of its own affairs. 
 
 A Small Beginning. 
 
 I think I have spoken enough on the union of 
 Churches in Japan. You will allow me now to 
 dwell a little on the work with which I am more 
 closely connected. The story I am going to tell 
 you will help you to understand how Christian 
 work is carried on in Japan. Twelve years ago, 1 
 was licensed to preach. In a year's time, I rented 
 a small house, near a beautiful park ; there, in a 
 small room, 12 by 18 feet, encouraged and helped 
 by my mother, I commenced to preach Sunday 
 after Sunday. I had only three or four hearers, 
 including my mother and my brother, to preach to 
 on idolatry, expecting a devout Buddhist priest to 
 come, but he did not. I preached about idolatry 
 to my mother and brother, who constituted the 
 congregation that day. Things went on for two 
 years in that way, but at last our work became 
 more encouraging. In 1880, I was able to organise 
 
26 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 a small church, with nineteen members. We soon 
 numbered 200, and built a new church. Four 
 ordained ministers, seven preachers, and thirteen 
 theolo'gical students came out of that small con- 
 gregation. Nearly five years ago, an American 
 lady and her son asked me to come and explain 
 the Bible to a few Japanese gentlemen and ladies,* 
 whom they invited to their beautiful home, near 
 the castle. The hospitality of the lady, and the 
 preaching of the Word, did not fail to produce 
 good results, and in about a year, we were enabled 
 to organise a church, which now has about 180 
 members, thirty-six of whom were baptized on one 
 Sunday. There are many open doors for Christian 
 work in Japan. Dear friends, our infant churches 
 are struggling onward, to promote the cause of 
 Christ, with scanty means and feeble hands. We 
 are trying to do all we can. It is my fervent 
 prayer that God will put it into your hearts to 
 help our humble efforts. 
 
 Progress of Christianity. 
 
 Another Japanese gentleman writes : — " In all 
 respects, and especially in Christian work, our 
 country has progressed wonderfully of late years ; 
 but while we have great hopes, we have also some 
 fears regarding our future. 
 
 * This instance suggests the facilities there are for single workers, 
 as well as families. Let such take with them the silver and gold 
 which God has given them, and be daily " At home" for all who 
 come to them for instruction in the truth. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 27 
 
 " Our Church has no rituahstic tendency, but is 
 characterised by great simpUcity, and all de- 
 nominations work together in the name of our 
 Lord. The Roman Catholic and Greek Churches 
 have missionaries, and in numbers, these two 
 Churches are at present greater than all Protestant 
 denominations combined. But fortunately, the 
 more intelligent Japanese are most in sympathy 
 with the Protestant missions, and this gives Pro- 
 testanism a much greater influerice in Japanese 
 society, than either of the other churches. There are 
 many educational institutions under the control of 
 Christians, of which the most important are ' Mei-ji 
 Gakuin ' and ' Do-shi-sha.' These two colleges 
 have several hundred students, and all graduates 
 are working for the Lord. Christian associations 
 for young men and young women have also been 
 established, and a national Christian women's tem- 
 perance union is in existence. All these institutions 
 are Protestant. 
 
 " To-day, all missionaries, Roman Catholic, Greek, 
 and Protestant, are allowed a fair field for their 
 operations, and are doing all in their power to 
 convert the Japanese to their respective Churches. 
 In my opinion there are two chief reasons for the 
 success of Protestantism : — (i) Circumstances were 
 in its favour, and (2) the Protestant missions 
 appealed most strongly to Japanese students. 
 
 "The Japanese are at present very anxious to 
 introduce foreign elements, material and intellectual, 
 into the country, and with this end in view, English, 
 
28 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 German, and French are taught in our schools. 
 But of these three languages, English is by far the 
 most widely known, and many schools and colleges 
 are in existence for its study. Lately, too, English 
 reading has been introduced into the national 
 schools. This gives an immense advantage to 
 Protestant missions over those of the Roman 
 Catholic and Greek Churches, whose languages — 
 Russian and French — are as yet but little known. 
 
 " With respect to Church government, most in- 
 telligent Japanese are fully convinced of the im- 
 portance of a complete separation between Church 
 and State. After the restoration of the legitimate 
 Imperial dynasty (which took place twenty-one 
 years ago), Shintoism was favoured by our Govern- 
 ment from motives of policy, but, before long, both 
 Shintoism and Buddhism were entirely disestab- 
 lished, under the pressure of advanced opinion. 
 Under these circumstances, the Roman Catholic 
 and Greek Churches, which unite the spiritual and 
 temporal power under one head, are at a dis- 
 advantage as compared with Protestantism. 
 
 " Looking back only thirty years, we reach a time 
 when Christianity was strictly prohibited, under 
 penalty of capital punishment, and when mission- 
 aries first came to Japan, there were no links to 
 connect them with the people ; but many students 
 who had been brought into contact with missionaries 
 in secular work, were led to Christ, and soon be- 
 came active workers and witnesses for Him among 
 their own people. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 29 
 
 " Our Church in Japan has no denominational 
 history like the Western Churches, for the Japanese 
 of every denomination work together in perfect 
 harmony, and already several denominations have 
 united, to form one body, called ' The United 
 Church of Christ in Japan.' In this one body are 
 included what were formerly the Presbyterian, 
 German Reformed, and Dutch Reformed ; and the 
 Congregational Church is now entering into the 
 union. A committee of the United Church and 
 the Congregationalists have drawn up a Consti- 
 tution, which will, I am confident, be accepted by 
 all the churches of both. 
 
 " So far, all has been favourable, but there are 
 dangers to be guarded against, for Satan is always 
 active when God is working. Although .the 
 Christian influence gets stronger every year, it must 
 be remembered that at present the whole Protestant 
 population numbers only 20,000, while the whole 
 remaining population of Japan, consisting of thirty- 
 eight millions, are ignorant of the true light of Jesus 
 Christ. Japan has undergone a sudden social and 
 political change during the last quarter of a century, 
 and, in consequence of this, the national ideas are 
 unsettled and changing. 
 
 " The old religious systems of the country have 
 been shaken and are falling, and the question 
 is, 'What shall take their place?' The question 
 is one of vital importance, for on it depends the 
 salvation of the souls of thirty-eight millions of 
 mankind. 
 
30 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 " It is a remarkable feature of Japanese Chris- 
 tianity, that its converts are numerous among the 
 young people, and comparatively rare among the 
 older people. This can be accounted for by the 
 fact that the old religions have taken deep root in 
 the minds of these older people, and a strong anti- 
 Christian prejudice exists among them. They do 
 not distinguish between Roman Catholics and 
 Protestants, and to them the name of ' Christian ' 
 recalls the long and eventful conflict between the 
 Government and the Jesuits, which ended in cruel 
 persecutions. They are, therefore, suspicious, and 
 the Buddhist priests take advantage of these suspi- 
 cions to alarm the people. But such misunder- 
 standings will in time be cleared away, so long 
 as our faith remains pure and untarnished. 
 
 " But there is another mistake current amongst 
 the intelligent classes. In the East, the teachings 
 of Confucius have formed the basis of morality, 
 and this sage's teaching closely resembles that of 
 the Greek philosophers, and treats mostly of rela- 
 tionships between man and man. Confucianism 
 is, however, popular among the most educated, 
 while the mass of the people are Buddhists. And 
 since Buddhism,' which treats of the other world, is 
 confined to the lower classes in Japan, they conclude 
 that Christianity, which also treats of the other world, 
 must in the same way be confined to the lower 
 classes in the West. The minds trained in the 
 teaching of Confucius eagerly embrace the sceptical 
 philosophy of the West, and already several books 
 
Echoes from Japan. 31 
 
 of this kind have been translated into Japanese, 
 and are much read. 
 
 "The educated class in Japan are therefore divided 
 into two sections — those supporting Christianity, 
 and those opposing it — while the mass of the 
 people are not taking either side. The future of 
 Japan depends on which of these two sections can 
 succeed in gaining the support of the people. 
 
 " The great need at present is to let the Japanese 
 see that Christianity is not opposed to Philosophy 
 and Science, and that its doctrines have reference 
 to this world as well as that to come ; that Chris- 
 tianity exercises an elevating and refining influence 
 over society. When these facts are known and 
 recognised in Japan, the time will soon come when 
 the educated Japanese will accept the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and the people will soon follow. 
 
 "With this end in view, I have, with the assistance 
 of some Christian friends, established a girls' school 
 on Christian principles. At first we rented a small 
 house, and commenced with ten or eleven pupils ; 
 but though it has only been in existence three 
 years, already over fifty students have been bap- 
 tized, and the school now consists of about 170 
 pupils. So we have reaped a rich harvest. 
 
 " My life has been spent in the political field ; and 
 I am fully convinced that I am right in working for 
 social and political reforms, in the Christian spirit, 
 for the good of our people. 
 
 " In 1 890 we shall have our first National 
 Assembly, and the time will be a very critical 
 
32 
 
 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 one in our history. I therefore came over to visit 
 America and England, in order to see the working 
 of Christian institutions in these countries. My 
 time is Hmited, the task is great, and there is so 
 much to be seen, that I feel my own weakness ; but 
 I pray the Lord for help, and trust Him for His 
 power, and I am confident that I shall be able to 
 gain some information which will benefit my beloved 
 country, and the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 PKIVATE CREST OF THE MIKADO. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 liohj 5 ijali Access to tf}e Japanese. 
 
 (SUBSTANCE OF AN ADDRESS DELIVERED AT 
 DRAWING-ROOM MEETINGS IN ENGLAND.) 
 
 "And when they were come, and had gathered the church 
 together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how 
 He had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles." — Acts xiv. 27. 
 
 JAPAN, as you are aware, was officially opened 
 to the preaching of the Gospel at the close of 
 the year 1872. Several American and English 
 missionaries were there long before this, and they, 
 in anticipation of the religious liberty about to be 
 proclaimed, had utilised their time in acquiring a 
 knowledge of the language, and in compiling a 
 dictionary phrase book, teaching English, &c. No 
 sooner was the edict of 300 )^ears standing against 
 Christianity abolished, than numbers of young and 
 old hastened to identify themselves with the " new 
 religion," so termed in those days. The door was 
 now open, and the halls and rooms hired by the 
 missionaries for the purpose of preaching (and 
 teaching) the Gospel were filled to overflowing 
 
 3 
 
34 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 with eager and attentive listeners. English Bibles 
 found a ready sale, both amongst the real inquirers 
 and those who merely wished to know out of 
 curiosity what this new doctrine was. Many had 
 already read and heard of the Lord Jesus, and 
 were prepared to accept His love and His offered 
 salvation ; but of the many who clustered round the 
 missionary it was not surprising to me and others, 
 who were lookers on, to find that a large proportion 
 had merely followed in imitation of others, a thing 
 especially characteristic of the Japanese as a 
 people. 
 
 My own work was principally teaching. I had 
 gone to Japan with only a few dollars in my pocket, 
 and therefore deeply felt the need of casting all my 
 care upon Him who was my only hope and refuge 
 in that strange land. Blessed be His Name, He 
 then, and since, abundantly proved the truth of the 
 words, " He careth for thee" I had made known 
 my willingness to give up a few hours daily to 
 teaching English, but for a time my faith was 
 sorely tried. One day a missionary called on me, 
 bringing with him a young ex-Daimio and his 
 vassal, who requested that I would give them two 
 hours' private instruction in English daily, for which 
 they offered to pay me forty dollars a month. In 
 this I saw the tender care of my Heavenly Father, 
 for this liberal sum was twice as much as I should 
 have asked had I made my own charges, and 
 yet every dollar was needed to meet current 
 expenses. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 35 
 
 This introduction to my first pupil was to me 
 like a great calm after a storm. The still small 
 voice was ever and anon discerned by the ear of 
 faith, saying, " It is I ; be not afraid." " Fear not ; 
 for I am with thee." " I am thy shield, and thy 
 exceeding great reward." Every cloud vanished, 
 and every wave receded. My experience was such 
 a striking contrast to anything I had known since 
 I first set foot on heathen soil, that I was all praise, 
 morning, noon and night. Finding myself thus 
 situated was to me like a translation, for I only 
 conceived the thought of coming to Japan a few 
 weeks before, when, through failing health, my 
 prospect of spending my life among the Chinese 
 seemed well-nigh eclipsed. It was very cheering 
 thus to see my way so soon paved by the loving 
 kindness of the Lord, and lighted up with His 
 favour. 
 
 I at once began giving lessons to the young man 
 and his retainer at their hired apartments, which 
 were supplied with easy chairs and table, for my 
 ■special benefit. Every morning I was shown with 
 great ceremony into the seat prepared for me in 
 a chastely decorated clean room. The more I saw 
 of my pupils the more persuaded I became of the 
 greatness of the Japanese race, amongst whom I 
 had now come to dwell. As I sat, day after day, 
 teaching them, I felt that here were jewels which 
 should sparkle in my Master's crown, and I felt it 
 specially laid on my heart that God would open 
 their eyes that they might see. 
 
36 Echoes froin Japan. 
 
 Access to the higher classes in Japan was then 
 very hard to obtain, so that I felt how very im- 
 portant it was to use well this chance. 
 
 We studied English reading, grammar, geo- 
 graphy, paying especial regard to English pronun- 
 ciation. I found my pupils had a fair knowledge 
 of classical Chinese, and very gladly accepted the 
 gift of a Chinese testament ; and when we parted 
 and closed our relationship as teacher and pupils, 
 time after time they came the long distance of 
 twenty miles or more to see me, bringing with 
 them tokens of kindly feeling in the shape of 
 specimens of the beautiful works of art with which 
 that most interesting country abounds. More than 
 once the gentleman invited me to his house, and 
 there, in the presence of much that indicated rank 
 and refinement, he treated me as an honoured 
 guest. It was a rare thing in those days to 
 have such an opportunity of seeing a first-class 
 Japanese house. The simplicity, .cleanliness, and 
 artistic taste displayed in the furniture and deco- 
 ration of their rooms are unique. To lay out all 
 their ornaments, as we are in the habit of doing, 
 would be a violation of good taste. On certain 
 occasions — for example, when the good man of the 
 house is expected home — some of the costliest and 
 rarest bits, whether of china, bronze, or lacquer, are 
 placed in his room to express joy at his return. 
 My great longing for my pupil was that he should 
 be led to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. 
 His imperfect knowledge of English, and mine of 
 
Echoes from Japan. 37 
 
 Japanese, rendered an intelligent chat about the 
 soul and its interests almost impossible ; and much 
 as I wished to convey to his mind those precious 
 truths upon which my own soul feasted, I could 
 only lift up my heart in earnest prayer to God 
 that the darkness of superstitious belief might be 
 dispelled, and that Christ, the Sun of Righteous- 
 ness, might arise in his soul with healing in His 
 wings. 
 
 On the dissolution of the feudal system, several 
 young Daimios and their retainers flocked to 
 the treaty ports, and some of them became my 
 pupils. I had boys from nearly every province in 
 the empire, most of them being the sons of the 
 Samurai or gentry. Up to the year 1868, or there- 
 abouts, this class was permitted to wear two swords 
 as a mark of social distinction. After the above 
 date, however, they exchanged their swords (speak- 
 ing figuratively) for English books. They have 
 been, and still are, the intellectual class, and corre- 
 spond with the literati or Confucian school in China. 
 Their ambition, of late years, has been to fit them- 
 selves for official appointments under the new form 
 of Government. The desire to embrace Christianity 
 was not so generally expressed by the Samurai ; 
 but they did not treat the Bible with indifference, 
 for many of us were happily interrupted often by 
 one or two at a time begging for explanation on 
 certain passages already marked with tiny bits of 
 pink paper. My pupils, of course, varied much in 
 ability as well as proficiency. Some could not 
 
38 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 read words of one syllable, while others astonished 
 me by the ease with which they could read Peter 
 Parley's History, a book in the hand of every 
 student of English wherever met ; and in penman- 
 ship and spelling they were very expert. 
 
 The Bible, as may be supposed, occupied a promi- 
 nent place in all the mission schools ; and though 
 much time had to be given to teaching English, in 
 order to attract pupils, every teacher endeavoured 
 to " seek first the kingdom of God, and His 
 righteousness." Many of my pupils used to come 
 daily to read the Bible with me after our secular 
 studies were over, and on Sunday mornings, when 
 we met especially for that object. Thus the Lord 
 " let fall handfuls of purpose for me^' in order that 
 I might prove afresh, and in no small degree, the 
 faithfulness of Him whose loving hand was upon 
 me for good. Although the outward chain by 
 which Japan had been bound was snapped by the 
 Government, I knew that unless the Holy Spirit 
 made them free indeed, her people were still held 
 captive by the bonds of sin. I therefore gratefully 
 accepted the privilege of living amongst them, and 
 the measure of access I already had to their hearts, 
 as an opportunity for doing them good, and pointing 
 them to Him, who still says, " Look unto me, and 
 be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." " Come 
 unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 
 and I will give you rest." Though a perfect 
 stranger among them, I never felt more at home 
 than in the midst of this great people. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 39 
 
 A variety of circumstances in my life among my 
 new friends, seemed to echo, " He led them forth by 
 the right way, that they might go to a city of habi- 
 tation." 
 
 " The child of God must walk alone, 
 
 If he would live and walk with Thee, 
 And only to such hearts are known 
 
 The joys of Thy blest company. 
 Alone with Thee, O Master, where 
 
 The light of earthly glory dies ! 
 Misunderstood by all, I dare 
 
 To do what Thine own lieart will prize." 
 
 In a short time, a young Samurai named Hirano, 
 came to me privately and said, "I have found Jesus. 
 My heart is changed. I am filled with joy. It is 
 wonderful, so unlike anything I have heretofore 
 experienced." His face beamed as he went on thus 
 for an hour, telling me, with tears, of his new-found 
 treasure, and also of the compassion he had for his 
 countrymen. " Once," said he, " I cared to come to 
 your class to learn English only, but now my desire 
 is to learn the Bible thoroughly, that I may go and 
 teach it to my countrymen." I was greatly in need 
 of a helper in my work, and he proved most 
 efficient. I at once invited him to come and stay 
 with me. All his spare time was devoted to Bible 
 reading, and it seemed to me to be the dawn of 
 better things for Japan, as I watched him daily 
 poring over its contents. He occupied himself 
 principally in writing out hymns in his clear copper- 
 
40 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 plate hand for my work among the English sailors. 
 He always accompanied me to our Gospel meetings 
 ashore and afloat, and it cheers my heart when I 
 think what those meetings must have proved to his 
 hungry soul. 
 
 Having given the clearest proofs of the reality of 
 his conversion, our sea-faring brethren gave him the 
 right hand of fellowship, and gladly welcomed him 
 to the Lord's table. It was an unspeakably blessed 
 privilege to remember our risen Lord's death 
 together in my parlour, on many a Sabbath 
 evening. We indeed worshipped ! Not a doubt 
 had we that our once crucified and now exalted 
 Lord accepted the praise which we were enabled to 
 offer by the help of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 About a year after his conversion, Mr. Hirano 
 showed signs of rapid consumption. He then went 
 to his relatives, thinking a change of air might do 
 him good, but it proved unavailing. " To depart, 
 and to be with Christ," was his chief desire ; and 
 such being the case, he felt careful, lest any of His 
 commands should not be obeyed. " He that believeth 
 and is baptized," rivetted his attention, as it does that 
 of all who search the word of God for themselves. 
 He and his uncle came the distance of eighteen 
 miles, to ask if I would baptize him, as it was 
 through me he had " learnt the way." I told him 
 women did not baptize, but that it would be easy 
 to find a missionary who did, provided he really 
 desired it. " The doctor says I cannot live much 
 longer, and I am anxious to have it attended to 
 
Echoes from Japan. 41 
 
 directly," he remarked. " Will you be able to come 
 up to my uncle's on such a day, and at such an 
 hour ? " To this I assented, and went over on the 
 given day, and saw him surrounded by a number of 
 his unconverted relatives, and a few Christian 
 natives. A godly American missionary baptized 
 him in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
 and of the Holy Ghost. I shall never forget the 
 calmness with which he spoke of his approaching 
 decease, and the joy it gave him, that so positive a 
 command was' at last complied with. A few days 
 after, he wrote me the following letter : — 
 
 " My dear Teacher, 
 
 " I thank you for your kindness. I feel happy 
 in Jesus every day. There is nothing pleases me 
 only God's Word. I feel little better. I have heard 
 from Amah (a woman servant) you do not feel well. 
 I hope you get well soon. Please give my kindest 
 respects to your dear sister. My uncle thanks you 
 for sending Amah with the presents. 
 
 " Your affectionate Scholar, 
 
 "K. HiRANO." 
 
 I was not at the bedside of my beloved pupil 
 when he departed to be with Christ, but the friend 
 who baptized him told me that his short life of 
 testimony, and last hours, left, he believed, a lasting 
 impression on some of his relatives. 
 
 Many of my pupils from time to time gave 
 evidence that the truths they studied were 
 
42 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 influencing their lives ; but, as I saw comparatively- 
 little of them, and could not then talk with them in 
 their own tongue, I transferred them to some of the 
 missionaries who could. Most of these were re- 
 ceived by baptism into one or other of the different 
 denominations, and showed by their lives the 
 reality of their profession. 
 
 May many more labourers be sent to proclaim 
 the glorious Gospel and its saving power in Japan ; 
 for the command was given with reference to that 
 deeply interesting country, as well as to this, " Go 
 ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to 
 every creature." 
 
 My experience in Japan began, as I have said, 
 soon after the country was opened up to Western 
 civilisation, so that I had as good an opportunity 
 as any of seeing the eagerness with which the 
 Japanese learn from Europeans. Money spent in 
 the education of their children was, in their 
 opinion, money saved in a twofold sense. The 
 only fault ever found with me by the parents of 
 my resident pupils, was that I charged too little 
 for my services ; but then they were rich merchants, 
 and money with them was no object so long as 
 their interests were furthered. Avarice is not the 
 vice in Japan that it is in China; and so far as 
 my dealings with them are concerned, I found 
 the Japanese to be as honourable and generous- 
 hearted as any Europeans within my range of 
 acquaintance. 
 
 The friendship and confidence which spring up 
 
Echoes from Japan. 43 
 
 between teacher and pupil in England are apparent 
 also in Japan. It is more an Eastern than a 
 Western custom to bring offerings to favoured 
 friends. These are always offered with ceremony; 
 and to appear otherwise than grateful and cordial 
 in the acceptance of them would not only be a 
 mark of ill-breeding, but would cause a wound 
 which their sensitive natures would deeply resent. 
 Handsome presents of old lacquer, bronze, china, 
 carvings in wood and ivory, richly embroidered 
 wrappers, webs of silk, drawings, cakes, fruit, plants, 
 flowers, etc., are some of the things considered 
 proper for presentation. In China, one is expected 
 to return one half of the gifts sent. This is not 
 the case in Japan. 
 
 Religious teaching in the government schools 
 was then, as now, strictly forbidden ; but I used 
 to invite my pupils, at regular intervals, to my 
 house, so as to give them opportunity for asking 
 questions about the Scriptures ; and I like to look 
 back on the time when their eyes sparkled as 
 light seemed to dawn on their dark but inquiring 
 minds. 
 
 Owing to the shifting state of the country at 
 that time (from 1872 onwards), it was very difficult 
 to find out how deep an impression had been made 
 on the minds of the larger number of these 
 talented youths — each became so completely 
 absorbed in the subject in which he wished to 
 distinguish himself The old adage, " Now or 
 never," seemed to be their motto. It was touching 
 
44 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 to see how many of the most promising young 
 men faded and drooped under the blight of con- 
 sumption just when within a step of reaching the 
 goal of their ambition. 
 
 The Japanese have been for a long time 
 gradually paving the way for a new form of 
 government. It is anticipated that they will soon 
 have what will correspond to our English consti- 
 tution ; and many of the Japanese who are now 
 in England, are here to learn from us what 
 will contribute to the well-being of their country 
 and people, in view of the approaching change. 
 And now, February, 1889, true to promise, the 
 news of the promulgation of the New Constitution 
 has reached us in London. 
 
 Some of these young men, we are thankful to 
 say, have been brought from "death unto life" 
 through the Gospel. One of them, in the fervour 
 of his first love, exclaims, " How nice when I can 
 speak of the old, old story to our children in Japan, 
 and also to the many grown people, wise in their 
 own eyes, who constitute the intellectual class in 
 our country ! " 
 
 Is it not our privilege to plead with God on 
 behalf of those at present at our door, that not 
 only a few, but many may return to witness thus 
 for Christ in their own land ? May they find out 
 that the Bible is the secret of England's greatness, 
 and that its truths are more to be desired than 
 gold ; yea, than much fine gold. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 45 
 
 Conversion. 
 
 I have already referred to a young Daimio (feudal 
 prince), who came to me immediately after my 
 arrival in Japan, and who received his first lessons 
 in English from me. Some time after this, he 
 went abroad to complete his English studies ; whilst 
 there the Lord was pleased to open his eyes. A 
 short account of his conversion, as related by him- 
 self at the time, before an assemblage of people 
 may be of interest to the reader. I give it in his 
 own words. 
 
 " My dear Friends : — Please listen to me closely, because I 
 am but a little child of the Christian world, and I cannot 
 speak your language well. I was brought up among the 
 heathen, did not know about Christianity but a little. I have 
 been in this country little more than two years. I came here 
 to get a knowledge of worldly culture, but not the knowledge 
 of divine truth. I was placed under the influence of religion. 
 I became soon interested in the Bible, which I read every 
 morning, and studied almost every Sabbath. The more I 
 studied it, the more I liked it ; but during the two years I 
 liked it not as divine truth, but as a moral code. Dear 
 Christian friends, how can anyone understand the Bible with 
 such a harrow view ? He may pretend that he can under- 
 stand, but it is all false ; and so I went on, but not without 
 some desire of becoming a Christian. Lately, my interest in 
 religion was greatly increased, and I tried to attend the 
 meetings as often as I could. On Tuesday night, week before 
 last, after the meeting was over, I was brought to the enquiry 
 meeting, and there one of the ministers talked with me very 
 kindly about Jesus. He asked me how I felt. The light of 
 
4-6 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 the Bible seems to me like the 'sun covered with clouds.' 
 After talking a while, the minister offered a prayer for me, and 
 asked me to pray. O my friends, I made an unreasonable 
 excuse, I said that I could not speak English well enough to 
 pray ; but I went home with much interest, but still cloudy. 
 Thursday was an impressive time to me. My desire to become 
 a Christian increased very greatly. That night, when I was 
 going home from the meeting, I was unexpectedly brought 
 into the presence of the pastor of this Church. The clouds 
 of my heart were then somewhat scattered, a beam of true 
 light became almost visible to me, but still I was not a 
 Christian. I will now tell you the hardest thing which I have 
 ever experienced in my life in the matter of religion. When 
 
 the preaching was over on Friday night, Mr. asked 
 
 those who believed in Christ to rise and sing, and those who 
 did not believe in Him to keep their seats. This sharp voice 
 pierced through my heart. I desired to rise and present 
 myself a Christian, but O my friends, the wounds of my sin 
 were too severe for me to stand up ; and so I sank into a 
 miserable state of despair. Are there any here who heard 
 that precious voice that night .'' After the benediction was 
 pronounced, a grey-haired gentleman addressed me ^ery 
 kindly, and prayed God for me. He asked me to pray, so I 
 prayed with all my heart. Dear friends, do you not remember 
 the excuse of Tuesday night for not praying 1 Do you think I 
 made a great improvement in English from Tuesday night to 
 Friday night ? No ; it was not the improvement in the 
 language, but the improvement in heart. After that, I 
 went home, and soon retired to my room. After a short and 
 restless sleep, I awoke, and the struggles of belief and doubt 
 tortured my weak heart ; so I was troubled a great deal for 
 perhaps one hour. Then I thought while I am struggling in 
 my own strength, I cannot see the light. I must cast away 
 my own poor reasoning, and simply trust in Christ. So I 
 tried to cry out, ' I am a Christian. Rejoice ! rejoice ! ' I 
 repeated it over and over. Behold, the unclean clouds of the 
 earthly storm were swept away by the mighty current of the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 47 
 
 celestial air ! The sparkling light of the spiritual sun shone 
 into the depth of my heart ! A cry of joy sprang up out of 
 my lips I Claps and cheers indicated the happiness of a new- 
 born infant ! After a few minutes, I sprang up, and gave 
 thanks to God for his forgiveness of my sin. Dear friends, 
 I cannot tell you the hundredth part of that joy. I believe it 
 is impossible to tell. I myself am a poor miserable sinner. 
 I must tremble at death unless I have my Saviour through 
 whom I can utter the happy cry, ' I am a Christian.' My 
 friends, I do not care whether you will remember the story of 
 my experience or not ; but I entreat you most earnestly that 
 you should not forget to think about the operation of the Holy 
 Spirit. The week before last, struggling in my feeble heart, 
 I stood trembling on your side, but now, under the great 
 power of the Holy Spirit, I stand rejoicing before the smiling 
 countenance of the Almighty" 
 
 Having heard, indirectly, of his conversion, I 
 wrote to congratulate him. The following is an 
 extract from the letter I had in reply : — 
 
 " Please allow me to return my sincere thanks 
 for your kindness in writing so soon after you 
 heard of my conversion. How can I express the 
 deep gratitude which I felt for your warm-hearted 
 acknowledgment of my becoming a servant of our 
 Divine Master, and for your rich instruction for 
 my duties in my new life ? I feel so thankful to 
 find in your letter that since I was first introduced 
 to you, and instructed in the English language, 
 you have regarded mc as your pupil, and have 
 kept your sincere desire for my conversion in your 
 unceasing prayers ; even asking your friends to 
 pray for me. Let me now answer your request 
 
48 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 about my interest in the Christian religion. When 
 at home (in Japan), I felt no opposition : I re- 
 collect you gave me a small Bible, and a story 
 of the Bible for children. After I arrived in 
 this country, I, through the family I am staying 
 with, became interested in Christianity, and tried 
 to understand its principles. Though I saw very 
 good moral teaching in them, yet it was difficult 
 for me to believe in the reality of eternity, which 
 is not in Confucius's classics, in which I was 
 taught from my childhood. For two years, I 
 was in the same condition in regard to religion, 
 though increasing in delight and interest. I felt 
 nothing more joyful in my life than the time I 
 found the true light, and offered a prayer in the 
 name of my Saviour. Since then, I have had no 
 doubts at all. I praise God I was brought to His 
 presence, as a new-born child in Christ, and that 
 He heard the voices of His disciples • for my 
 salvation. I pray Him, that by His grace, I may 
 be strengthenedtt . . . Pray for Japan, that she 
 may be Christianised ; and for me, that I may do 
 something for my countrymen. I am thankful 
 for your patient work in Japan, and also that 
 among the sailors of the different men-of-war 
 stationed there. God bless you, wherever you 
 may be." 
 
Ec/iOls from Japan. 
 
 49 
 
 SAMURAI, OR GENTLEMAN OF FEUDAL TIMES. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 lExtracts from tfje ^Letters of a Japanese Stutjent 
 at ffl:am6rtDge, 
 
 "■Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt 
 find it after many days" — Eccles. xi. i. 
 
 Before Conversion. 
 
 " T^ EAR Mrs. * I received your letter dated 
 
 \~J 22nd. ... I read it with the greatest atten- 
 tion and interest. It is really too kind of you 
 thus to think of me, a poor stranger from the East. 
 But what shall I say in answer to your Christian 
 and noble utterances, to deny or ignore a word of 
 which seems to me as trying as to disobey the 
 tender words of gentle parents.'' A whole week 
 had already passed since I received and read your 
 letter, and I read and re-read it many a time, and 
 buried myself in profound contemplation about 
 
 * A lady in London who took deep interest in his spiritual 
 welfare. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 51 
 
 the grand problem over and over again; and yet 
 I cannot say, 
 
 " ' Am I a soldier of the Cross, 
 A follower of the Lamb ; 
 And shall I fear to own His cause, 
 Or blush to speak His name ? ' 
 
 "I am reading the Holy Bible day by day as 
 ever, and find it a book of deep interest and 
 valuable information. 
 
 " Since I wrote to you last, I have made the ac- 
 quaintance of some more friends, who are all true 
 Christians, filled with noble sentiments, and acting 
 towards others with disinterested kindness. I value 
 and enjoy the friendship of these people ; often I 
 have earnest talk with them of Christ and the 
 Revealed Religion, and prayer afterwards. Thus, 
 as you see, I am in no way neglecting the search 
 after the truth of the Christian religion, and with 
 earnestness of purpose and humility of heart I am 
 doing it. But, alas ! my mind is still not cleared 
 from its manifold doubts and difficulties. I often 
 feel I am like a solitary ship in a wild and bound- 
 less sea. At times I think I see a haven, distant 
 and yet not dim. Soon night comes, and all is 
 dark again. Lo ! I see a light on yonder shore. 
 I cry ; the waves dash, and the winds howl. All is 
 lost ; and I stand mute and half in despair ! Such, 
 dear madam, is often the state of my mind. Yet, 
 
$2 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 believe me, I have not yet thrown off all my efforts 
 in utter despair, nor ever shall. In this age of 
 progress, when the minutest details of sun, moon, 
 and stars are clearly known by the aid of ever- 
 increasing knowledge, it surely is, or at least it 
 seems to me to be, an apparent anomaly that man 
 knows so little of himself! Why are we here? 
 Whence did we come ? Whither are we going ? 
 These are questions asked again and again, and 
 still no satisfactory answer, for aught I know, 
 seems to have been given by human wisdom. We 
 are, after all, frail and ignorant beings, born yester- 
 day and to-morrow in the grave." 
 
 Note. — I met the writer of this after my arrival 
 in England in the autumn of 1881. He was then 
 deeply engrossed in intellectual pursuits, and did 
 not seem to care much to turn his attention to 
 that which became so dear to him little more than 
 a year after, i.e., the study of the Bible. His pre- 
 ference for the society of intelligent and cultivated 
 persons enabled me to introduce him to many such 
 among Christians. Some of these took a very 
 deep interest in him, and in a short time he 
 became a Bible student. While at Cambridge it 
 was evident that God was dealing with him ; but 
 to light and liberty he remained a stranger till 
 it pleased God to send Mr. Moody there in 1882. 
 The result of that visit will be better expressed 
 in my friend's own words. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 53 
 
 ''They looked tcnto Hhn, and were lightened: 
 and their faces were not ashamed." — Ps. xxxiv. 5. 
 
 After Conversion. 
 
 Cambridge, Nov. 28, 1882. 
 
 " T^ EAR Miss . The young Japanese of 
 
 1_V whom you have heard is myself. Ever 
 since I came to this country (England), I have 
 been entertaining in my heart, a great interest in 
 the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. . . . 'Seek, 
 and ye shall find.' Thank God I have found the 
 dear Saviour, and nothing shall take Him away 
 from me. Life indeed has a new meaning, and 
 existence a new purpose. When I came back to 
 my rooms, after having heard, and also talked to, 
 Mr. Moody, the first thing I did was to put down 
 the following words in my diary : ' I was dead 
 till to-day. To-day I was born again. Henceforth 
 I shall stand firmly under Christ's cross, and shall 
 be ready to fight any battle against Satan and all 
 his hosts.' 
 
 " My conversion, as I think was the case with 
 many of the undergraduates, was a slow and 
 gradual process. When I went, for the third time, 
 to hear the earnest appeal of Mr. Moody, he said 
 to us : ' Who among you, tell me, will stand up for 
 Jesus ? ' I (moved by the Spirit of the Lord) 
 raised my right hand, and exclaimed, ' I will ! ' 
 Oh, it was such a heart-thrilling moment, the 
 final moment of decision, the first beginning of a 
 
54 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 new existence ! The night was cold and chilly, and 
 yet all the way to my rooms my cheeks were hot as 
 if in flame, and I felt as if my heart and soul were 
 in utter joy, at having at last found a long-missed 
 friend. I cannot understand how you managed 
 to hear so soon of my conversion. I spoke to 
 
 Mr. Moody of your pupil, Mr. O . Perhaps 
 
 he wrote and told you. However it may be, I' 
 know it is the angel, who indirectly carried the 
 message to you ! For, ' is there not joy in the 
 presence of the angels of God over one sinner that 
 repenteth ? ' " 
 
 Again he writes :..."! am going to see a 
 clergyman to-morrow. I have accepted Christ as 
 my personal Saviour, and my Lord God, just as I 
 was, poor in heart and helpless. As yet I have 
 learnt, it may be, but a thousandth part of what is 
 still to be learned in future, by the grace of our 
 Father, and by the help of the Holy Spirit. The 
 divine truth is so immeasurably deep, that we 
 learn more and more of it every day of our life ; 
 and after death, I feel sure we all shall learn still 
 more." 
 
 Shortly after his conversion he went to Germany. 
 While there, the Lord was graciously pleased to use 
 him in bringing one, at least, of his countrymen to 
 a saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. 
 Opportunity was given him, among several Japanese 
 and others there, of witnessing a good confession. 
 On his way back to Japan, he wrote me the following 
 letter : — 
 
Echoes from Japan. 55 
 
 Colombo, August 2, 1884. 
 
 . . . "I am on my way home, where I hope 
 to be during the first week in March, when I have to 
 begin my work in the University of Tokyo ; which 
 consists in giving lectures on political economy 
 and finance — a task by no means easy for me. 
 But I hope and trust in Him, who has been so 
 good to me, and I believe He will stand by me, 
 and help me on, not merely in giving these 
 lectures, but also in making His name, and love, 
 and power, known to my compatriots, who, as you 
 know too well, are in great need of such a Saviour. 
 Please pray for me. My old friend, and now my 
 dear brother in Jesus, who came to the Lord in 
 Berlin, is in Cambridge, in order to pursue the 
 study of the Christian religion still further. 
 Please tell me whether, and when, you intend to 
 come back to Japan again. I shall be so pleased 
 to see you work there for the Lord. May God 
 open your way thereto ! May He abundantly bless 
 you in every way, and in whatever you undertake 
 in His name, and for His glory, is the wish and 
 prayer of yours sincerely, ." 
 
 I trust these few pages may serve to show that 
 God does, indeed, own and bless every effort put 
 forth by His children, whether at home, or in 
 foreign lands, to lead the wandering ones to Jesus. 
 If only we thought of the many who still are 
 " sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death " ; 
 who have never even heard of the Saviour's love, 
 would not some of us seek more earnestly than 
 
56 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 ever, to find out His will for us ? We are nowhere 
 so happy as in His service. Our life here is 
 the only opportunity given us of winning souls for 
 Christ ! How low an estimate of His love ours 
 must be, if we refuse to do anything for Him! 
 And I long very much that some of the Lord's 
 dear children would bestir themselves, on behalf 
 of the strangers from various lands, who are here 
 only for a time. Who can measure the results for 
 eternity, which, under God's blessing, might follow 
 simple, kindly efforts made on their behalf ? 
 
 "Call them in, the poor, the wretched. 
 Sin-stained wanderers from the fold; 
 Call them in, the heavy laden. 
 Can you weigh their worth with gold f'' 
 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 Sapan pleading toitlj ISttglanli to be rcconctleti 
 to ffiotr. 
 
 A Sermon preached by a Japanese Student at Cambridge. 
 
 " At that time ye were without Christ."— Eph. ii. 12. 
 " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." — 
 Isa. xlv. 22. 
 
 I CANNOT find words to express what my 
 heart feels, on this, to me, most solemn, as 
 well as very pleasing occasion, when, for the first 
 time in my life, I am permitted to stand up before 
 you, my fellow Christians, to preach Christ, to tes- 
 tify what he has done for the soul of a poor and 
 helpless sinner, who, for these many years, was 
 walking according to the course of this world, with- 
 out the Saviour, without the Comforter, without 
 the Life, without the Lord our God to serve ; in a 
 word, without Him who is all in all to us sinners ; 
 even Jesus Christ. Dear brethren, I would ask 
 you to pay a brief, but earnest attention, with 
 prayerfulness of spirit, to the few words of one who, 
 for years past, was searching for Christ, and at last 
 
58 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 found Him ; or, rather let me say, of a lost child, 
 whom the ever-merciful Father, by His loving 
 kindness and forbearing grace, found out and 
 brought back to Him. 
 
 There is one thing, a very small matter in itself, 
 yet somewhat significant to me on this occasion, 
 which I wish to make known to you. It was just 
 two years ago, to-day that I came to this country. 
 I can never forget the 17th December, 1880, when, 
 after travelling over the distance of 11,000 miles, 
 from the eastern extremity of the earth, to the 
 western extremity thereof, I found myself, almost 
 at this very hour of the evening, in the heart of 
 your great metropolis. Two years have elapsed, 
 and the same foreign sojourner, who, at that time, 
 was without Christ, and knew nothing of the glad 
 tidings from heaven, is now standing up amidst 
 the happy sons and daughters of this blessed land 
 of religion and riches, to speak of Him, and for 
 Him, who is so dear and precious to every one of 
 us. May it please the all-beneficent and ever- 
 merciful Father of us all, to be present here at this 
 moment ; and may the things his humble servant 
 utters in his name, and in his presence, go home to 
 the innermost heart of every single soul of you 
 assembled here this evening, and prove of spiritual 
 benefit to your life, as faithful followers of Christ 
 in this dark and sinful world, where, as both you 
 and I know too well, there aboundeth on every 
 side ()f us earthly pilgrims, valleys of sloth and 
 carelessness, wherein our feet are too apt to fall ; 
 
Echoes from Japan. 59 
 
 and mountains of pride and self-satisfaction, that, 
 but too often, conceal from our blind eyes the glory 
 of the sacred heaven ; and wide and crooked paths 
 of worldly-mindedness and vanity, that lead the 
 passengers astray from the narrow, yet straight 
 way, to the blessed home, where peace and holiness 
 prevail ; and rough places of unbelief and sin, that 
 must be made smooth, before the way of the Lord 
 can be open to us. Dear brethren, I was once 
 without Christ. My heart was full of pride, and 
 obstinacy, and worldliness, and sin. Those valleys, 
 and mountains, and crooked paths, and rough 
 places, were before me, behind me, on the left and 
 right of me. The meek, the pure, the lowly Saviour 
 was not acceptable to me. " Look unto me, and 
 be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." My sin 
 was too great. I could not trust Him who thus 
 kindly invited all the sinners of this world. But 
 the Lord pitied me. He invited me to come to 
 Him by day and by night. O dear brethren, I 
 have decided for Jesus ! With holy affection I can 
 say, " My beloved is mine, and I am his." With 
 all my heart I can re-echo the voice of Paul, " Yea 
 doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the 
 excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my 
 Lord." Is there anyone here present, let me ask, 
 who has not yet given iip himself or herself to Jesus? 
 He is beckoning you to come. He is waiting for 
 you. He is calling you even now. " Come unto 
 Me." " Come, for all things are now ready," saith 
 the Lord. " Come now," saith the same heavenly 
 
6o Echoes from Japan. 
 
 voice. Alas ! how often were these simple and 
 sweet words of invitation heard and heard in vain ! 
 " Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy 
 laden, and I will give you rest." So says our Lord 
 to you and to me, to each one of the children on 
 earth. " Ye will not come to Me that ye might 
 have life." Remember, brethren, without Christ 
 we are all dead ; dead in eternal death of darkness 
 and sin. " Come near to me, I pray you." Yes, 
 he is praying you to come near to him. Oh, what 
 mercy ! What patient, forbearing love ! " Come 
 down unto me, tarry not." Oh, do not hang back 
 even for a moment ! Again, " Come, and follow 
 me," saith the Lord. O dear brethren, shall 
 we not follow Him, with joyfulness and gladness of 
 heart ? Is He not the only reliable guide ? Nay, 
 is He not even the way itself? And, once more, 
 " Wherefore He is able to save them to the utter- 
 most, that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever 
 liveth to make intercession for them." Thus saith 
 an inspired apostle. These are only a few of the 
 many and various royal invitations of the Lord 
 our God, who is ever anxious to save even one 
 sinner. There are more if you open your Bible 
 and look for them. No doubt you have heard all 
 of them, at one time or another, since your child- 
 hood, from the lips of your ministers, or otherwise, 
 and now you have heard many of them again from 
 the mouth of one who was brought up in a heathen 
 land, and who, but a little while ago, was buried in 
 spiritual darkness, and was full of enmity against 
 
Echoes from Japan. 6i 
 
 God. May you hear more of them in the time to 
 come ! These are blessed and precious words. 
 They ought not to lose their value by becoming 
 familiar to one's ears. Dear brethren, I heard all 
 these invitations. I heard them constantly, within 
 the last two years particularly. Yet, forgive me, 
 O God ; for a long time I was perfectly dead. Long 
 before this, the devil had seized me. He appeared 
 in a beautiful and enchanting form, and untiringly 
 suggested one excuse and another. He even 
 quoted Scripture. Dear brethren, I am not speak- 
 ing in vain and meaningless metaphor; all this, to a 
 believing Christian, is a dread reality, as real as that 
 you are there, as real as that I am here. So real it 
 is, that devils are always and everywhere trying to 
 persuade men to ignore, nay, hate God and His 
 Word. They may be sitting by your side at this 
 very moment. They may, unless you are on your 
 guard, even steal away your hearts which you have 
 already given to Jesus, your heavenly Bridegroom. 
 Well, the devil, I was saying, even quoted Scripture 
 — I mean, he tried to persuade me there are so 
 many contradictions in the Bible, and that the 
 whole Book is nothing but a record of mythical 
 story, or an account of old traditions that is not 
 worthy of any serious thought ; that religion, in 
 fact, is a thing of the day before yesterday, that 
 ought not to trouble any sensible man of this age 
 of discovery and progress. Alas! how many in 
 heathen countries, and how many also in Christian 
 lands there are at this very moment listening to 
 
62 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 these seductive and dangerous words, and thus 
 going astray from the home of our Father ! Poor 
 souls ! their apparently bright and pleasant life is 
 nothing but a dark and dreadful death in disguise. 
 They think they see, but their eyes are blind. 
 Sooner or later they must tumble down on the 
 desolate and dusky ground. O my fellow Chris- 
 tians, shall we not endeavour to bring back those 
 misled children to their and our own Father's 
 happy home ? 
 
 I was telling you how the devil was trying to 
 persuade me. To some extent I will confess to 
 you I yielded to the cunning persuasion. With 
 eagerness I got hold of many books written by 
 infidel writers against the sacred Bible, and against 
 Christianity, and perused them with a certain 
 relish. I joined also a society in London which met 
 every alternate Sunday evening, with the object, 
 as it was called, of spending the dull Sunday 
 evening in a lively and more profitable way, and 
 the members of it — sixty or seventy in number — 
 were naturally, most of them, men without Christ. 
 Remember, I did all this without taking any 
 trouble to read even one book of the Bible, and 
 without taking the trouble of going to the House 
 of God. All this, I feel sure, was the work of 
 devils ; but, like the work of devils, it was soon 
 destroyed by the power of one who is superior 
 to all, in love as well as in strength. After a time, 
 there arose a curiosity in me to know, by my own 
 effort and enquiry, what kind of a book this Bible, 
 
Echoes from Japan. 63 
 
 against which I read and heard so much, could 
 really be. I read, first, the four Gospels, chapter 
 by chapter, and day by day. That which was a 
 mere curiosity at first, now gave place to a real 
 interest, and an increasing desire to learn more 
 and more. I proceeded then to the several 
 Epistles, and went on, and on, with a humble 
 spirit, to be taught the truth, and nothing but the 
 truth. The whole of the New Testament was 
 thus read through in a short space of time. Then 
 I began with the Old Testament. But it was not 
 necessary to finish the whole of it before God 
 opened my eyes to the solemn truth. " Look unto 
 Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." 
 I looked up unto Jesus, and in Jesus, and in none 
 else, I found my personal Saviour, and I thanked 
 God and rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full 
 of glory. In Jesus Christ I have discovered the 
 true Son of God, who came down upon the earth 
 to live, even as a Man of sorrows and acquainted 
 with grief, and to die a death of shame, in order 
 to restore lost sinners to His, your, and my 
 Father. Verily, " He was wounded for our trans- 
 gressions. He was bruised for our iniquities." Oh, 
 what shall we do to thank Him for this wonderful 
 work of self-sacrifice and love 1 Believe on Him, 
 brethren ! Accept the royal invitation, " Come 
 unto Me." And let me ask you again, is there 
 any here among you who has not yet come to 
 Jesus? "At that time ye were without Christ." 
 Is there any among you of whom this can be said 
 
64 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 now, as it could be said of me but a little while 
 ago ? Come to Him just as you are. " It is 
 finished." So saith the Lord, even on the cross of 
 Calvary. Have Him as your own personal Saviour. 
 Have Him, and you will have with Him a new and 
 real existence. Permit me to read to you what I 
 wrote down in my diary on the day when I 
 decidedly came to Christ. I wrote down this : — 
 " Until to-day I was dead ; to-day I was born 
 again. From henceforth I shall be ready to fight 
 any battle under Christ's banner, against Satan 
 and all his hosts ! " Since that day Christ is 
 revealing to me more and more of Himself and 
 His boundless love, and He is becoming more and 
 more dear to me. " Seek, and ye shall find." The 
 promise of our Lord is ever faithfully fulfilled. 
 Depend, brethren, on every promise the Lord has 
 made. There is nothing so sure and unchangeable 
 as God's own eternal promise. Jesus Christ — the 
 same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. I have 
 spoken long enough. Before I conclude, however, 
 let me remind you once more how dear and 
 precious Christ is to us. At this time of the holy 
 season of the Advent, it is but proper for you 
 to meditate earnestly and profoundly on Him. 
 Consider prayerfully, in the depths of your heart, 
 what were the good tidings of great joy which the 
 angels delivered to the poor shepherds of Bethle- 
 hem keeping watch over their flocks by night. 
 Almost 2,000 years have passed since then ; but 
 if you really and honestly love our Saviour, the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 65 
 
 tidings of His birth here on earth are, and cannot 
 but be to you to-day the good tidings of great 
 joy they were to those poor shepherds then. O 
 brethren, you cannot ponder too much on this 
 grand and glorious subject. Have Christ for your 
 Master. Walk always after Him. Ever love Him. 
 Ever serve Him with all your heart, with all your 
 soul, and with all your mind, and with all your 
 -might. Do this, brethren, and He will never for- 
 get or desert you. When distress or affliction visits 
 you, when you mourn over the loss of any you 
 have loved, or when health fails you, and you are 
 stretched on a sick bed, weak and helpless ; when 
 earthly friends desert you ; when the hopes of your 
 young days are blighted ; when all seems dark 
 and dreary, and a heavy cloud of perplexity hangs 
 over your head, call on the blessed name of Jesus, 
 and He is ever ready to come to you, and comfort 
 and relieve you. I love to sing these lines : — 
 
 " Oppressed with noon-day's scorching heat. 
 To yonder Cross I flee, 
 Beneath its shelter take my seat, 
 No shade like this for me. 
 
 " Beneath that Cross clear waters burst, 
 A fountain sparkling free, 
 And there I quench my desert thirst, 
 No spring like this for me. 
 
 " For burdened ones a resting-place 
 Beside that Cross I see ; 
 Here I cast off my weariness. 
 No rest like this for me." 
 
66 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Amid the v/ild storms of life's rough sea here 
 below, that we must pass through at one time or 
 another, who is it, tell me, who can say, " Peace, 
 be still " ? 
 
 Read daily the Word of God. Whatever may 
 be your profession in life, submit to the good, 
 and perfect, and acceptable will of God. " Not my 
 will, but thine be done!" In these sad and sublime 
 words, which our Saviour uttered in the hour of his 
 agony. He taught us how we children of God 
 ought to be obedient to our Father's will. What- 
 ever you do, do it for Christ's sake, and for Christ's 
 glory ; and if you really work for Him, nothing, we 
 are assured, shall be impossible. " Who is he that 
 overcometh the world, but he that believeth that 
 Jesus is the Son of God?" Cling, then, to Him, 
 always. What is there to fear, if we are with Him. 
 Have Christ, and you are saved eternally. Who, 
 or what, can take away from you the faith, the 
 strength, the peace, the light, the hope, and the 
 joy, of the everlasting life which you possess, 
 even now ! Who but a Christian can exclaim in 
 triumph, " O death, where is thy sting .? O grave, 
 where is thy victory ? " What more can you need ? 
 What more can you desire ? What would you not 
 do for Christ, who gave you all this ? " At that 
 time ye were without Christ." What a dreadful 
 state, even to think of! Make sure, my beloved 
 brethren and sisters, to have Christ in your heart, 
 and that your love for Him is a true and living love, 
 showing itself in works of faith, and labours of 
 
Echoes from Japan. 6y 
 
 self-denial. Christ gave Himself for us. What 
 would you give to Him 1 Oh, be steadfast and 
 immovable in your faith ; forget not for a moment, 
 what a grand and glorious thing it is to be called 
 the children of God. "At that time ye were 
 without Christ." You cannot do without Christ. 
 Stand for Him, live for Him, work for Him, suffer 
 for Him, and if need be, die for Him. Never 
 forsake Him. 
 
 God forbid that it should be said of a single soul 
 among you assembled here this evening, " At that 
 time ye were without Christ." 
 
 " Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of 
 the earth." So says our Christ. Oh, be you saved, 
 be saved, by all means ! 
 
 Now to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 
 the God of Holiness and Love, the God of the 
 Bible, be honour and glory, for ever and ever. 
 Amen. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ^n ^bjaftening among %\ut'3atMs. 
 
 The awakening among the sailors commenced in Shanghai in 
 1872, when two missionary ladies, having deeply felt the need of a 
 revival in their own souls, and the power of the Holy Ghost for the 
 conversion of the unsaved around them, waited on God until the 
 need felt was supplied exceeding ahundantly above all they could 
 have asked or thought. 
 
 The way in which I, for one, became a happy sharer in this blessed 
 work, was first of all through the visit to Yokohama of H.M.S. 
 Cadmus from Shanghai, and subsequently of many other Ameri- 
 can and English men-of-war, on which blessing had rested {see 
 Appendix). 
 
 SUBSTANCE OF AN ADDRESS GIVEN AT DRAWING- 
 ROOM MEETINGS IN LONDON. 
 
 " Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace : for I am with 
 thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee : for I have much 
 people in this city." — Acts xviii. 9, 10. 
 
 IT is to me like a refreshing breeze on a sultry 
 summer's day, to recall the good use both sailors 
 and marines made of a room, which I set apart for 
 them, in my little home at Yokohama. The voice 
 of prayer and praise was heard there, generally, 
 between the hours of 3 and 9 p.m., when the few or 
 many dropped in, as their " leave " permitted. All 
 
Echoes from Japan. 69 
 
 of a sudden, I felt introduced to an atmosphere of 
 life and power, which I had not before, or since, 
 witnessed. The work spread from ship to ship, 
 and not only did the captains of vessels permit me 
 to have Bible readings on board, but the men were 
 allowed special leave to visit me at my own house. 
 
 When a sailor breaks his leave, he has to pay the 
 penalty by being denied the privilege of coming 
 ashore for a given time, and under certain circum- 
 stances, the transgression may lead to his confine- 
 ment as prisoner. In those days there was but 
 little of this among a certain " set." Under the 
 sobering and solemnizing power of the Holy Spirit, 
 they were true and faithful in the carrying out of 
 their respective obligations, and with a purer and 
 stronger motive than formerly, fulfilled them to 
 God, and not unto men. Of this their officers took 
 knowledge, and attributed it to the " influence 
 brought to bear upon them on shore." 
 
 One day is remembered by me with the freshness 
 of yesterday. When the late Lady Parkes, wife of 
 the late Plenipotentiary to Japan, and latterly to 
 China, stopped her carriage in the street to tell me, 
 with an air of gratification and satisfaction, that 
 the captain of H.M.S. Thalia, while dining at the 
 Legation the previous evening, had told her, that 
 since he had entered the navy, he had not had 
 such an easy time of it as then, more especially 
 as it was Christmas, a season when defaulters' 
 names are numerous on the non-commissioned 
 officer's list ; for, said he, " It was the first time a 
 
70 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 clean sheet was brought before me " {j,.e., no culprits 
 among his men). I could only praise God, and 
 ascribe it all to the power of His grace, and go on 
 in the blessed work, both ashore and afloat, with 
 fresh heart and courage. When I say ashore, I 
 refer to a battalion of 300 marines then stationed in 
 Yokohama. It was much laid on my heart to visit 
 the camp, but how to get in seemed an impossibility. 
 Time after time I seemed like one labouring under 
 a delusion, yet the more I mused, the more the fire 
 burned. For days I felt captive bound to the 
 throne of grace, for light and permission to act, 
 when at length, the words of the Lord to the 
 apostle Paul, on a perplexing occasion, came with 
 convincing power : " Be not afraid, but speak"; and 
 again : " Go with the name of Jesus to the dying." 
 Very soon, I found myself in the presence of the 
 Colonel of the battalion of marines, who received 
 me most cordially, on being introduced by a lady 
 friend of his own, who accompanied me. 
 
 The Colonel felt both surprise and pleasure at 
 my request for his permission for having Bible 
 classes among his men. He said, "The spiritual 
 charge of the battalion was in the hands of the 
 chaplain, and if he were willing to grant permission, 
 he (the Colonel) would give orders at once, to get 
 the lecture-room ready for me, as often as I wished 
 to have it." Without any loss of time, I called on 
 the Chaplain, making known to him my desire to 
 have Bible readings with the marines, to which he 
 at once responded with kindness and cordiality. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 71 
 
 adding that he hoped I should be more successful 
 than he was, for, after several attempts to get them 
 together for Bible study, his only audience on each 
 occasion was " the orderly, big Bible, and two penny 
 candles." When he had commended me and my 
 happy project to God in prayer, I left, feeling the 
 Lord's hand with me for good. The Colonel, on 
 hearing that I had the Chaplain's consent, sent me 
 a note stating the pleasure he felt in placing the 
 lecture-room at my disposal, on every Tuesday and 
 Friday evening, as desired. The following Tuesday 
 found me seated with some thirty or forty of the 
 marines, and a few blue-jackets. A zealous American 
 missionary lady accompanied me, and played some 
 inspiring hymns on the harmonium. We read that 
 evening, from Luke xix., the story of Zacchsus. 
 That same evening, God was pleased to clothe the 
 Word with power, and use it to the conversion of 
 some of those present. It seemed that all that was 
 needful was the kindling spark, so prepared was 
 the material for the holy iiame. One of a few 
 who stood listening at the door, was not ashamed 
 to be seen bitterly crying, from the piercing con- 
 viction which he felt on listening to the Word ; 
 while he said he feared his case was hopeless, for 
 of all publicans and sinners he was the chief. But 
 the Word which condemned, also spoke peace to 
 the troubled soul. Next day he came with others 
 to see me, declaring, with sunlit face, that the dark- 
 ness had passed, and that the true light was now 
 shining. 
 
72 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 The fields on every hand are white to the harvest, 
 and our duty does not so much he in pleading with 
 others to go and labour, as in our choice we are 
 apt to make mistakes ; but in praying the Lord of 
 the 'harvest that He would send forth labotcrers into 
 His harvest. God is in all directions looking for 
 men and women who count not their own life dear 
 to them, and who count all things loss for the ex- 
 cellency of the knowledge of Christ ; who desire 
 nothing so much as to make known the savour of 
 His name, whose attitude of soul is " Here am I ; 
 send me." 
 
 My memory goes back at this moment to a band 
 of twenty or more men, whose field of action was 
 their ship, a spot where they had to wage war with 
 the foe face to face, from early dawn till late. 
 
 " None can be a hypocrite on board a man-of- 
 war," said a sailor one day, referring to the red-hot 
 tests brought to bear upon them in their respective 
 posts. The privilege and duty of witnessing for 
 Christ acted on them as steam to an engine, im- 
 pelling them forward despite adverse circumstances. 
 Oh, how thoroughly they stood out at once for 
 Christ ! And how squarely and fairly they turned 
 their backs on the world and faced Christ ! Thus, 
 by gazing and looking to Him, they were lightened, 
 and their faces were not ashamed. The lecture- 
 hall, full with 200 or more men, also comes before 
 my mind, as I reflect on the work of grace which 
 was witnessed in Yokohama in those days, when 
 the groans and sighs of the distressed souls gave 
 
Echoes from Japan. 73 
 
 place to the songs of liberated captives. " I will 
 praise Thee, for Thou hast loosed my bonds." 
 
 Nets were dragged to shore full, by the power 
 of the Holy Ghost, of great fishes ; for they soon 
 became fishers of men themselves, and used to 
 compare notes between the great vices and sins 
 from which they had been delivered, and the 
 great love which saved them. Night after night, 
 that band of freed men marched from my door 
 to their respective vessels, singing as redeemed 
 ones only can sing, " Sweeping through the gates," 
 " Safe in the arms of Jesus," " Jesus paid it all." 
 Many would rush to their doors, and throw open 
 their windows, to catch the refrain of these immortal 
 songs of men, who were no longer drunk with wine, 
 but filled with the Spirit, singing and making melody 
 in their hearts to the Lord. Many objected to this 
 new form of revelry ; while, with others, it passed 
 as " Jack's " mode of letting off steam. But to me 
 it was the " Hosanna to the Son of David," which 
 of old rivetted His ear, and of which He said, " If 
 these were to hold their peace, the very stones 
 would cry out." 
 
 It is not necessary, that I should turn over the 
 photographs I possess of my dear sailor friends, to 
 recall the face of one, who on meeting me, one 
 day, and saluting me, said, " Miss, I could not keep 
 in my hammock last night, the love of the Lord 
 made me that happy, that I had to ' turn out,' and 
 pace the deck all night." 
 
 It is indeed soul-reviving, to see, in the retrospect, 
 
74 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 many of these dear men forming themselves in 
 groups close to the houses of landsmen, in order to 
 herald the Gospel message in peals of song. But 
 the record of those red-letter days is on high ; we 
 can at best but touch the surface, and that only to 
 declare the praises of Him, to whom be the glory 
 now and for ever. 
 
 * » * # * 
 
 The following lines in acrostic, composed by a 
 sailor on board H.M.S. Thalia, were given me by 
 the Christians on board, when they left Yokohama. 
 
 Time's chariot swiftly bearing us — His smiling face to see, 
 
 Has in the past deep impress left, sweet to our memory. 
 
 A backward look to view the scene, and great that mystic sight, 
 
 [_ife issuing forth in victory, dispelling nature's night. 
 
 |n all life's wanderings will we cherish dear, 
 
 A name by Him so blessed, to us so dear. „ 
 
 "Offer unto the Lord thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto 
 the most High." 
 
 On every Sunday evening, weather and " leave " 
 permitting, the party, which soon became styled, 
 " the Christian band," were in the habit of meeting 
 for the express purpose of remembering the Lord's 
 death among themselves. The simplicity of this 
 meeting had a beauty of its own, which I find it 
 impossible to describe. They met in the name of 
 Jesus, and His alone, and I always felt it a privi- 
 lege to be permitted to be one wi1;h them. In the 
 light of the Holy Spirit, shed on them at that 
 time abundantly, they saw from the written Word, 
 
Echoes frojn Japan. 75 
 
 that the believers' feast should not be cumbered 
 with the " stand in awe " of sacerdotalism, nor be 
 desecrated by recognising as one with them those 
 who gave no sign, and made no profession of having 
 " passed from death unto life," who could not say, 
 " The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, 
 that we are the children of God." 
 
 This form of worship was as spontaneous and as 
 free of restraint as air. There was no teaching or 
 exercising of gift, but worship, prayer and praise 
 out of the fulness of each heart. We imitated no 
 party of Christians, although we did not escape 
 being dubbed Plymouthists occasionally. But it 
 was a bond fide children's reunion, where the Elder 
 Brother seemed to say, " Children, have ye any 
 meat ? " Our souls responded, " Lord, evermore 
 give us this Bread." 
 
 One touching incident worthy of note might be 
 mentioned here, if only to show the reality of the 
 Divine presence among us. One sailor brother, in 
 a moment of unwatchfulness, yielding to temptation 
 on board his ship, left himself open to the reproof 
 of his brethren, as well as to that of a self-accusing 
 conscience. On a Sunday evening, when, as was 
 their wont, he and a roomful of his shipmates came 
 to remember Jesus in his dying love, I observed him 
 rise and retire to an adjoining room ; aJid while we 
 sat and feasted in the presence of the King together, 
 we overheard the agonizing sobs of our repentant 
 brother, reminding us of Peter, when the eyes of his 
 suffering Master fell on him, and he went out and 
 
^6 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 wept bitterly. It was to myself, and to us all, a 
 lesson never to be forgotten ; and though the lesson 
 was dearly bought at the expense of the Master's 
 honour, yet we understood each other, while we 
 said, " Blessed fall, that has left us such an example 
 of self-discipline ! " 
 
 No doubt the reader would like to ask the writer 
 what it was that led to so singular a manifestation 
 of unity and whole-heartedness among those young 
 recruits. The simple and only answer to the 
 question is, that they inscribed " jESUS ONLY ! " on 
 their banner, as in practical acts they had each day 
 to take up the Cross and step in His footprints : 
 their circumscribed quarters on board forming the 
 arena on which they had to run their race, play 
 their part, and go outside the camp unto Christ, 
 bearing His reproach. They had often read the 
 fascinating stories of the three companions, who 
 were thrown into the seven times heated furnace, and 
 of the man who was confined with the lions ; but now 
 they had true experience of their meaning, while 
 others had opportunity of looking on, and learning 
 that " no other god than the God of Shadrach, 
 Meshach and Abed-nego could deliver after this 
 sort." 
 
 Before their conversion many of them were given 
 to the two common, evil practices of smoking and 
 drinking. On one occasion a band of twenty or 
 more took their stand in front of the British Lega- 
 tion in Yokohama to sing some of their favourite 
 hymns, by way of saying, " Thank you," and bidding 
 
Echoes from Japan. 77- 
 
 " Farewell " to the inmates — the late Sir Harry and 
 Lady Parkes — who were removing to their new 
 house in Tokyo the capital of Japan (see Appendix). 
 Sir Harry, yielding to his characteristic good-nature 
 and large-heartedness, begged that the serenaders 
 might be served with refreshments ; but on no ac- 
 count would we allow our mode of saying " sayon- 
 ara" (good-bye) to impose on them thus. The sailors- 
 were so happy to have this opportunity of telling 
 in their simple way that they recognised in dear 
 Sir Harry and Lady Parkes the friends whom God 
 had raised for them on a foreign shore : they were 
 also glad of an additional opportunity of showing 
 they had abandoned wine and tobacco, and that 
 " All for Jesus" was their motto. In vain Sir 
 Harry, in his bright, cheery manner laughingly 
 pleaded that " tobacco was good for sailors " being 
 " anti-scorbutic ! " 
 
 They also added, "The day on which we received 
 Christ, grog, tobacco, and pipe were flung overboard." 
 Thus they saw the way in which they had to 
 " cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh 
 and spirit," dispensing thus with indulgences, if 
 not with vices, which prove so detrimental to a 
 flourishing Christian life in the case of many. The 
 Word of God was their meat and their drink, the 
 man of their counsel, and by it they became rooted 
 and grounded, and like trees planted beside a river. 
 
 It is not needful to say that the Church afloat had 
 power, and prevailed at the throne of grace ; the 
 bedside of a sick messmate, where they ministered 
 
78 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 the Word, proved a wide and effectual door of 
 usefulness, as they went from ward to ward in 
 the little hospital for naval men. They had also a 
 lively sense of the danger of becoming self-sufficient 
 and leaning on any human arm. 
 
 One who had devoted her time to sailors at 
 Shanghai once cautioned them thus against lean- 
 ing on false supports. Instead of spending her 
 time with them, as was her wont, she sent them 
 the following letter : — 
 
 " My dear Friends, 
 
 " I feel strongly led to leave you this 
 evening to yourselves. I think this first day of the 
 week a fitting time to begin a season of prayer ; 
 indeed, I would venture to say that the whole week 
 of evening hours might be thus spent before God 
 with the certain result of much blessing ; I will join 
 you in spirit. I am certain that it is not talking, 
 teaching, or even reading of the Scriptures that is 
 of first consequence, it is the condition of heart 
 which is indispensable to our taking the impression 
 which the Holy Spirit has to make. Thus the soul 
 would go on to apprehend divine things for which 
 it has been apprehended, so that coming to stand- 
 still points in our Christian life should never 
 characterize us ; so only will it come true for us ; 
 "The path of the just is as the shining light, 
 that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." 
 I greatly feel the need of giving myself unto prayer; 
 and when we are unitedly before God, to keep silent 
 
Echoes from Japan. 79 
 
 before Him, and only pray audibly when distinctly 
 led of the Spirit to do so. Our souls need getting 
 into a prostrate attitude before God, refusing to rise 
 in the strength of the flesh, but by the uplifting of 
 the Holy Ghost. I shall be with you in spirit : may 
 you as on outstretched wing, reach out your souls 
 to the living God. Ever your servant, for Jesus' 
 sake, J. ." 
 
 This rather novel way of being received by their 
 friend did not disturb them, but rather commended 
 itself ; for the result was an overshadowing sense of 
 the presence of God, furthering their condition of 
 soul, and much blessed time subsequently spent 
 over the written word. Time after time after the 
 vessels had left for distant shores, letters like the 
 subjoined extracts reached us, giving us cheering 
 accounts of some who kept on running the race, 
 and telling of others, who, sad to say, had stumbled 
 and fallen ; but over these the Good Shepherd kept 
 a watchful eye, for only very recently I heard of 
 the restoration of the greater number of those 
 belonging to one vessel, while of another band one 
 of the men, who all along acted as spiritual father 
 to many of his mates, and as true yokefellow in 
 his co-operation with me, wrote as follows : — 
 
 " Though now some years have passed since last 
 I wrote to you, yet I can assure you I have often 
 thought and spoken of you in connection with the 
 very, very happy time we spent together in Japan. 
 We know the Lord was graciously pleased to stamp 
 with his approval the feeble efforts put forth in 
 
So Echoes from Japan. 
 
 His name and strength, so that at the present time 
 many who were first taught the preciousness of the 
 name of Jesus, and the wonderful love of our God 
 as displayed in Him, are still treading the wilder- 
 ness journey with joy, and with their hearts stayed 
 on Him, and the eye of faith looking forward and 
 upward to the blessed resting-place above. There 
 were some who seemed overtaken by the adversary, 
 drawn aside from following the Lord ; yet I firmly 
 believe the Lord began a good work in them ; and 
 we know what He once sets His hands to. He will 
 accomplish (Phil. i. 6). So we may hope the work 
 begun at Yokohama may go on till the coming 
 of the Lord. Since last I saw you, till the present 
 moment, the Lord has been leading me along very 
 tenderly and graciously. I must speak well of Him, 
 and testify to the blessed fact that His compassions 
 fail not, they are new every morning ; great is His 
 faithfulness. In all my wanderings and departures 
 from Him, His grace has restored me ; and in all 
 my unfaithfulness He has proved Himself the un- 
 changing one, the God of my salvation, and my 
 rock of defence, and still continues to be gracious ; 
 for all the way by which He has led us tends only 
 to increase our confidence in Him. 
 
 " Yours in Christian love." 
 Another of these early friends writes : — " I cannot 
 express the joy it gave me to see your signature at 
 the bottom of your letter ; and strange to say, it was 
 only two nights ago we were talking of you, and of 
 your labour in Japan, and of the stormy trips to the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 
 
 8i 
 
 dear old Thalia to convey the glad tidings to our 
 shipmates. I felt carried back to the old spot, my 
 birthplace, where I revelled in my first love ; and 
 although you have been lost sight of these past six 
 years, yet both you and your dear sister have often 
 been on our hearts. We feel very thankful to the 
 Lord for preserving so many of our party on arriving 
 in England, and for His sustaining grace from that 
 time till now." . . . 
 
 Of five who for a time ran well, our friend writes 
 sorrowfully, but believes the Good Shepherd will 
 restore His own. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ^xigfyt flours toitl) mg pupils. 
 
 " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." — • 
 Eccles. ix. 10. 
 
 " In all labour there is profit." — Prov. xiv. 23. 
 
 I SHALL never forget my dismay when, day by 
 day, my adult Japanese pupils brought their 
 "Peter Parley's History and Reader" with page 
 after page decorated, as I at first thought, with tiny 
 bits of red paper. " What does all this mean ? " I 
 inwardly exclaimed. A closer glance, and I at once 
 perceived that this was one of the ways by which 
 young Japan aided her memory. All the difficult 
 words only were marked thus, and my work, of course 
 consisted in taking my seat side by side with my 
 pupil, as he asked me, with a princely bow, the 
 meaning of fkis and t^a( word. The explana- 
 tion given was at once carefully written over 
 each word, and the pronunciation underneath. 
 As soon as he felt satisfied about his enunciation, he 
 removed the bit of red paper, and went on to the 
 next difficult word ; and this was repeated until a 
 whole page, if not more, was gone over. He would 
 then wind up with a succession of bows as he 
 retired ; then, stepping into his shoes (or geta), 
 
Echoes from Japan. 83 
 
 which are always left at the door in Japan, he 
 would make another profound bow, and trot off as 
 happy as a child. If by any chance he should turn 
 round at the outer gate and catch my eye, it would 
 be to bow again. One is obliged to say to oneself, 
 " No wonder they claim to be a cultured race, for 
 their whole bearing suggests it.'' 
 
 Inosuke-San is announced. He bows, and says, 
 "How do you do, madam?" "Well! How do 
 you do?" He draws my attention to a prettily- 
 trained shrub, full of tiny buds. He tells me that 
 it is a species of plant much admired by the 
 Japanese ; that its name is " U-me" (plum), and the 
 little yellow flower, which seems to be sheltered 
 under its branches, is called the '' ftcku-juso" and, 
 like the plum, is one of the emblems of happiness. 
 I admired the quaint wooden flower pot, and 
 the way in which each tender twig of the dwarfed 
 tree was carefully trained, and twisted so as to 
 resemble a pyramid. " In a few days," said he, 
 "all the buds will burst, and it will then look 
 like ' Fuji-San ' (Sacred Mountain of Japan), 
 covered at that season (January) from summit to 
 base with snow." " It is an exact imitation of 
 ' Fuji ! ' Clever contrivance ! " I exclaimed, while 
 I admiringly looked at it. I had in my little 
 sitting-room a small American stove, so that the 
 heat was sufficient to make "Fuji-San" in horto 
 burst open in a few days into a snow-white object 
 
84 Echoes fro'}n Japan. 
 
 of attraction, while its sweet scent filled my little 
 bungalow. But I must say that my pupil, Inosuke- 
 San, read a little, and got assistance in learning the 
 meaning of a few difficult words and their pronun- 
 ciation before he left me. He, as well as myself, 
 felt not a little relieved when we saw the last of a 
 few dozen bits of red paper which illuminated one 
 or more pages of his "Third Reader," which he 
 carried carefully in his silk fukusa (wrapper). He, 
 in saying good-bye, left with me a small translation 
 of a Japanese story, which he wished me to cor- 
 rect by the time he paid me his next visit. 
 
 Subject — The Doctor and his Patient. 
 
 A certain person, having become ill, went to a 
 physician, and said, " Oh ! doctor, give me some 
 physic, for I shall die of a pain in my interior." 
 The doctor asked him what he had eaten that day. 
 The man replied, " All I have eaten is burnt rice." 
 The doctor carefully examined his eyes, and called 
 out to his servant, who stood in the doorway, 
 " Bring me the medicine for eyes 1 " On hearing 
 this, the sick man cried out, " Oh, doctor, is this a 
 time for joking ! What connection is there between 
 the eyes and a pain in the chest?" The doctor's 
 calm rejoinder was, " I wish in the first place, to 
 make your eyes sound. You were unable to dis- 
 tinguish black from white, otherwise you would 
 never have eaten burnt rice." 
 
 Another pupil approaches me, with a few sheets 
 
Echoes from Japan. 85 
 
 of the beautiful silky paper, used for letter writing 
 in Japan, He bows, and says, " Please correct my 
 theme." " With pleasure, Yamasaki-San," I reply, 
 as I take it out of his hand. 
 
 Subject — The New Jerusalem. 
 
 " Oh, holy and pure city ! which God himself 
 governs ; there is not a single bad man there, but all 
 are true followers of Christ, who have loved Him, 
 or who have been martyred for His sake. But in 
 that city, their scars are washed away by the Living 
 Fountain, and all are happy. They sit around the 
 throne of God, and sing praises to Him. Pain and 
 sickness cannot enter there. — Y. S." 
 
 The writer of the above had a copy of the 
 sacred Scriptures at this time, which we read every 
 day together. 
 
 Here comes Tawara-San. ""Good mornings!" are 
 mutually exchanged. He unties a prettily done up 
 parcel. He bows, and says, " Pray be so kind as to 
 accept this Japanese kasutera (cake)." I tell him it 
 seems selfish of me to be accepting so much 
 kindness from him, especially as it was only last 
 week he presented me with a box of eggs. "This," 
 he adds, " is a present from my mother, and she 
 wished me to thank you for your teaching me 
 so kindly." He puts his hand into his capacious 
 sleeve, this being the pocket in Japan ; he brings 
 out a roll of silky paper, and hands it to me, saying, 
 
86 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 " I am sorry that pressing business prevents my 
 taking a lesson to-day, but I beg that you will 
 correct my exercise, and I will call for it to-morrow." 
 He then bows, and retires. Amah (servant), 
 enters, and says, "Sensei (teacher), Terami-San 
 called to say ' Ikaga ' (How do you do ?), but as you 
 were engaged, he said he would come another day ; 
 in the meanwhile, he would feel deeply grateful to 
 you, if you would correct the mistakes which this 
 theme contains." She hands me the paper with 
 a bow, which was her attempt at impersonating the 
 absent writer — a thing she did creditably. "I 
 wonder what the plodding Terami-San has pro- 
 duced," thought I to myself, as I unfolded his script. 
 
 Subject — Story of a Miser. 
 
 A miser said to one of his friends, " I liave got a 
 thousand dollars, which I will bury under a tree in 
 my garden, and I will not tell this secret to any 
 except yourself" In a short time they went out 
 together, and buried the money under a large tree. 
 Five or six days later, the miser went to the tree 
 alone, but there was no money. He said to himself, 
 " No one, except that friend could have taken it 
 \way ; but if I question him about it, he will not 
 confess." So he went to his friend's house, and 
 said, " A great deal of money has come into my 
 hands, which will be buried in the same place ; if 
 you can come to-morrow, at such an hour, we can 
 go together." The friend, coveting this larger sum, 
 replaced the money. The miser went to the spot 
 
Echoes from Japan. 87 
 
 next day, before his friend had arrived, and was 
 delighted to find his treasure 
 
 Temporary Appointment. 
 I have accepted a temporary appointment in a 
 Government school. Some of my pupils come to 
 see me each Sunday morning, when an opportunity 
 offers for Bible readings in English, which they 
 seem to enjoy. The questions they ask about the 
 sacred Scriptures show how entangled they are 
 in the meshes of their Shinto, Confucian, and 
 Buddhistic theories. It is laid on my heart to pray 
 that Jesus, the " Way, the Truth, and the Life" 
 may soon become a living reality to them. My 
 pupils at Noge-Yama School are principally 
 Samurai. What distinguishes them from the Heimin 
 is, that they are more refined, and are, as a rule, 
 book-worms. Their sketchings on the blackboards 
 as well as their neat figures and legible writing, 
 give, at once, an idea of their capabilities. I am 
 not allowed to teach the Bible during school hours, 
 but I read it to myself at my dinner hour, 
 when a bevy of them flock around me, to ask 
 questions about it. I tell them it is to my soul, 
 what the food I eat is to my body. I enjoy God's 
 presence to such an extent in this schoolroom, that 
 I would give the world to be able to proclaim it to 
 the whole of Japan. 
 
 " Oh, this is life ! Oh, this is joy ! 
 
 My God, to find Thee soj 
 Thy face to see. Thy voice to hear, 
 
 And all Thy love to know." 
 
88 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Many of my pupils have procured Bibles, and 
 are reading them. They mark the difficult words 
 with bits of red paper, and in the most courteous 
 way, come and ask for my assistance when 
 at my lunch ; they know it to be the only hour 
 when they can count on my help in this way ; and 
 an hour, too, at which teacher or pupil cannot be 
 charged with transgressing the rules of the school. 
 
 A lad left a note on my table one day, stating, in 
 broken English, what he felt too diffident to say 
 orally, viz., " Verily, verily, I say unto you, I believe 
 in Jesus. T want you to baptise meP 
 
 " My dear Teacher," writes an invalid pupil, 
 
 "Your visit of last day made me very 
 happy, and I am glad you love me much. I am 
 under great obligation to you, for sending me your 
 books often. There are many amusing stories in 
 them. The Bible is very interesting also, and I am 
 praying to our Lord Jesus Christ every day. I 
 wish you to excuse me, for the letter is written 
 very badly, and not in accordance with the rules of 
 grammar. 
 
 " Your affectionate pupil, 
 
 "Y. S." 
 
 A V-isiT TO THE Home of one of my Pupils. 
 T. K. called, to take me to see his mother, now 
 that the days for mourning for her husband are 
 over. As on a former occasion, I was most kindly 
 treated. His mother received my expressions of 
 
Echoes froin Japan. 89 
 
 condolence with respectful bows, and the usual 
 sipping of the air (inbreathing). The garden, so 
 quaintly laid out, was not at this late season 
 (Nov.) devoid of interest. Beautiful chrysanthemums 
 were in their prime. He told me that the name 
 given to this flower in Japan was Kiku. That it was 
 adopted as the emblem of royalty. This at once 
 explained the prominence which that emblem 
 obtains in connection with the Government 
 offices, despatches, etc. Even the tiles, which give 
 a decorative finish to the roofs of all the Imperial 
 residences, have this symbol stamped on them. 
 The house was small, but prettily shaped. The 
 rooms had niches and recesses, which suggested 
 great taste. Some of the boards were perfor- 
 ated artistically with patterns of various favourite 
 plants, flowers, fruits, birds. The light shining 
 through these designs had a pretty eff'ect. He 
 drew my attention to several articles of value, 
 which were heirlooms, and had been handled and 
 admired by many of his predecessors. The use to 
 which these were applied was carefully explained 
 to me, also much more that was interesting. The 
 Kakemono recess contained a pretty scroll, called 
 bunji, i.e., such pictures as are admired by literary 
 men. They are produced by shadings of ink, called 
 by us, Indian ink. The different shades of clay, 
 with which parts of the walls were plastered, 
 interested me as much as anything. Joints of 
 pine, bamboo, and other trees, with bark left on, 
 relieved the clay at regular intervals. 
 
90 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 A basin of white dumplings, served in the liquor 
 in which they were cooked, was placed before me 
 on a curiously shaped tray, more like a small square 
 
 WIFE OF A DAIMIO. 
 
 table than anything else. In Japan, each member 
 of the family is served with a separate tray, which 
 is four-legged, and about a foot in height, and from 
 
Echoes from Japan. gi 
 
 one to two feet square. The largest is for the 
 head of the house, and the smaller for the wife and 
 younger members. I need not say that a pair of 
 chopsticks were put at my disposal, so that I had 
 no difficulty in keeping my friends company, 
 although not quite as au fait in the use of them as 
 they were perhaps. On retiring, my pupil told me 
 that if he had a dozen children, he would gladly 
 let me have them to educate. After thanking him 
 and his mother heartily, we bowed and took leave. 
 
 EX-DAIMIO MiZUNO AT HOME. 
 
 The son of ex-daimio Mizuno and his Chief 
 Vassal come to me every afternoon for private 
 instruction. Both are as persevering as they are 
 intelligent. They do not get tired of repeating the 
 same lesson for an hour or more, so determined 
 are they to pronounce English correctly. They are 
 quite willing to sit an hour longer than is expected 
 of me for teaching English, in order to read the 
 somewhat easy first chapter of St. John's Gospel, 
 and they come every Sunday afternoon regularly, 
 to go over the same ground. I feel that the soil 
 of their minds is very sterile, but as was often the 
 case in China, so it is here. The lines come 
 seasonably to my memory : — 
 
 " Sow, though the rock repel thee. 
 In its cold and sterile pride." 
 
 They have given me an invitation to their home 
 in Tokyo, and are quite willing that my friends 
 
92 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 from China, Mr. and Mrs. E , should accom- 
 pany me. We travelled seventeen miles by rail, 
 and two by Jinrikisha. In order to get on to 
 the raised verandah of their house, we had to step 
 on a somewhat large stone. We were received into 
 a prettily matted room, ornamented, as usual, with 
 cleanliness, and chaste decorations. The heads of 
 the house, several daughters, and my pupils, received 
 us with bows and prostrations, which we returned 
 as well as we knew how. This first act of courtesy 
 over, my pupils invited us to take a stroll in their 
 garden before the darkness set in. It had a some- 
 what large and deep pool with gold fish and lotus 
 flowers. The maple tree was conspicuous among a 
 great variety of others, the names of which I did 
 not know. The vermilion tint of the maple makes 
 it a universal favourite, so that not a garden is 
 without it. The family shrine was covered with 
 black lacquer on the outside, and gold on the inside. 
 Its doors were thrown open, and there stood in 
 array a large group of tablets of some deceased 
 relatives, containing their names, date of birth, 
 death, etc. There were besides small steel looking- 
 glasses in little frames, facing each miniature 
 shrine. Small branches of evergreen were in 
 brazen vases, and the Gohei {lit., August offering), 
 and various white papers of curious and significant 
 device, occupied their appropriate places. Mr. H — , 
 the chief vassal, courteously begged of us to discon- 
 tinue inspecting the dumb occupants and emblems, 
 of what was, to say the least, full of historic interest 
 
Echoes from Japait. 93 
 
 to my friends. Shintoism is peculiar to Japan, so 
 that a fresh field of research presented itself to 
 them. But false worship in any shape or form has 
 a saddening effect on those who have turned to 
 God from idols, and who can from experience 
 exclaim, " Lord, to whom shall we go but unto Thee? 
 Thou hast the words of eternal lifer On re-enter- 
 ing the house, we observed a tall, venerable-looking, 
 and well-dressed Japanese blind gentleman con- 
 ducted by a servant into the reception room, 
 where he took his seat on the cushion. Five 
 or six young ladies, exquisitely attired, followed, 
 and seated themselves on prettily quilted silken 
 cushions, before which were placed elaborately 
 inlaid guitars. The aged, blind teacher, seated 
 in front of the ladies, tapped his knee with a 
 closed fan, which he carried in his hand ; and more 
 like a ventriloquist than a vocalist, he gave out in a 
 weird tone the keynote to a somewhat prolonged 
 performance — sometimes lively, and sometimes 
 more of a requiem than the melody our English 
 ears are disposed to appreciate on festive occasions. 
 But the exquisite quality, texture, and cut of the 
 ladies' dresses, to say nothing of their uniformly 
 glossy, dark hair, so artistically dressed, attracted 
 and entertained me more than the music. And then 
 I could not get rid of the feeling which I so 
 inadequately impressed upon them, viz., the deep 
 obligation we were under to them for treating us 
 to an entertainment which would repay any skil- 
 ful artist coming a long distance to describe, if 
 
9-f 
 
 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 possible, with pen or brush. I have seen gaudily 
 dressed Eastern women, and chastely attired ladies, 
 but in this instance I saw nothing but what a 
 better judge of dress and its combinations than I, 
 termed superb. No powder or rouge was seen on 
 their fair complexions on this occasion. After 
 having partaken of a very choice dinner, which 
 was cooked and served in French style, the young 
 ladies handed us a few mementos of our visit. It 
 was getting late, and we bade each other farewell, 
 We were shown into our Jinrikishas and taken to 
 our destination, which was on that night only a 
 mile or two off That God may be the rewarder of 
 such singular acts of disinterested kindness is an 
 oft-breathed prayer. They saw that we meant much 
 more than we could express, and we saw from their 
 bright, open countenances, that they understood and 
 felt that true kindness looks for no reward, save the 
 privilege of seeing that it is appreciated. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 a Fistt to tlje (lele&ratrt Sfjitia Ccmple. 
 
 " And the times of this ignorance God winked at ; but now 
 commandeth all men every where to repent." — Acts xvii. 30. 
 
 ACCOMPANIED by Mr. and Mrs. E. of the 
 L. M. S. Pekin, China, and our guide, we 
 proceeded to the celebrated Shiba temple and 
 tombs of the Shoguns.* The day was bright and 
 fair. On arrival we found that the cathedral was 
 thronged with worshippers, who sat in orderly rows 
 facing the preacher. We entered thoughtlessly 
 with our shoes on to the spotless mats; but suddenly 
 we were stopped by the verger, who indignantly 
 drew our attention to a board bearing the notice, 
 ^' Leave your shoes outside this sacred place!' There 
 was what answered to a reading desk and altar. 
 The officiating priest was dressed in gorgeous 
 canonicals, suited to the high day or solemn 
 festival. Each time the appointed lesson was read 
 the congregation would bend forward as if assenting 
 
 * Since writing the above this temple has been burnt and rebuilt. 
 
96 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 in solemn silence, or saying Amen to it. The 
 priest at intervals stepped up to the high altar at 
 the further end of the temple, bowed and clapped 
 his hands, elevating them in the meantime, and 
 muttering prayers, unintelligible to us. The choir 
 sat opposite to the desk. All were dressed in 
 sombre attire, which, including their simple head- 
 coverings, were quite a contrast to the cardinal or 
 bishop, for the latter wore vestments of gold cloth, 
 and stole of different colours. My lady friend 
 whispered, "Does it not remind you of Ritualism?" 
 I nodded assent, having never before seen a more 
 striking resemblance. The choristers performed 
 their part by means of stringed and wind instru- 
 ments. The notes of the latter, " sho," were 
 solemnly plaintive. It is in shape suggestive of an 
 organ. The instrument itself, however, is very 
 small in comparison. 
 
 The temple or cathedral was beautifully matted. 
 The shrines and furniture of each were so brilliant 
 that they reflected every object that stood near 
 them. The gold, red and black lacquer seemed to 
 be of the best quality. There were many objects 
 calculated to arrest the eye of the stranger ; but 
 nothing could come up to the solemn, yet dis- 
 satisfied, look of the worshippers, too devout on this 
 occasion to be distracted by the presence of three 
 "barbarians!" In front stood a prettily-shaped 
 belfry, from which was suspended a bronze bell, 
 said to have been cast 200 years ago, and to be 
 one of the largest and most celebrated in Japau:.»- 
 
Echoes from Japan. 
 
 97 
 
 This bell is sounded (not rung) from without by a 
 ponderous wooden mallet, suspended from the 
 
 A BUDDHIST TEMPLE BELL. 
 
 ceiling, and so adjusted that a child can manage it, 
 but the custodian of the bell performs this office. 
 The day of casting such bells used to be a Red- 
 
 7 
 
98 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Letter-Day. Ladies from all parts brought and sent 
 their silver hair pins, and steel looking glasses : and 
 presented them to the master of ceremonies, to be 
 put into the crucible, along with various other 
 metals calculated to produce the rich mellow 
 sound which, for many generations, has rippled 
 from the centre to a circumference of many miles. 
 Such bells all over the country bear on the surface 
 inscriptions in Chinese characters, and sometimes in 
 Sanscrit. 
 
 When a worshipper arrives, the bell is sounded 
 to draw the attention of the deity ; and it is said 
 that prayers are offered by each vibration, tone, and 
 moan, of the bell on behalf of those who, ages ago, 
 contributed to its existence. They also say that it 
 would be desecrating to the metal were a man or 
 woman to touch it, and in order to avert the indig- 
 nation of the god, costly offerings have to be 
 presented by the desecrator. Oh, that an apostle 
 might be sent with the burning message of St. 
 Paul to the Athenians : — " Ye men of Japan, I 
 perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 
 God that made the world and all things therein, 
 seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth 
 not in temples made with hands!' — Acts xvii. 22. 
 
 Tombs of the Sho-guns. 
 
 Our next move was towards the bronze tombs. 
 The gorgeous mass of rich foliage is in itself a sight. 
 The cryptomeria trees are gigantic. Some of the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 99 
 
 temples attached to the tombs are very large. The 
 outer courts are full of costly bronze " toro," more 
 like little light-houses than lamp-stands. The 
 ground is covered with large oval and round 
 pebbles, and shaded with umbrageous cedars, 
 pines, and other trees. The tombs, which are 
 made of fine bronze, show at once the wealth, 
 power, and esteem which each silent inmate 
 obtained among his contemporaries. Objects of 
 interest meet the eye everywhere, in nature and in 
 art. Our survey of each temple was short, as there 
 were several to see. In one temple we saw an 
 elaborate gold lacquered shrine, which contained 
 articles of great value, including the sacred tablets, 
 on which were descriptions of the names, dates of 
 birth and death of the posthumously-honoured 
 rulers. The spacious hall in front of the shrine of 
 one large temple, was occupied by Buddhist priests, 
 who were performing their devotions, which con- 
 sisted of chanting prayers, bowing, and beating 
 with a padded mallet a sweet-toned bell, and an 
 embossed wooden gong. Each bonze had a 
 rosary, as like the string of beads carried by the 
 Romanist, as possible. The massive pillars of the 
 temples are also overlaid with gold lacquer. The 
 lamp-stand and candlesticks on the altar are made 
 of brass and bronze respectively, and not very unlike 
 those sold in London shops for use in ritualistic 
 churches. Here, as at the Shiba temple, every object 
 was mutually reflected on account of the excellent 
 quality or polish of each. The ceilings seemed like 
 
100 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 a net-work of burnished panels, finished at each end 
 with cunning work. Carvings of gorgeous lotus 
 leaves, peonies, dragons, and other fictitious ob- 
 jects, decorated the ceilings of the verandahs 
 and eaves, as well as the wooden pillars. But 
 to do such a sight justice one would require to 
 spend a few days there, and then he would need 
 to be able to wield the pen of a ready writer. This 
 is one of the many places to come to in order to 
 get a right idea of the tight hold the superstitions 
 of Japan have on the thirty-eight millions of her 
 people, judging from the sacrifices they are will- 
 ing to make to express their loyalty and affection 
 to the supposed founders of their religion, as well 
 as to the memory of their rulers. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 E\ie Sapancs^ Cttristtans in a ©ilnnma. 
 
 "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." — 
 I Cor. xii. 27. 
 
 A SMALL party of Japanese Christian young 
 men called upon me one day in 1874, to 
 petition me, in common with other missionaries, 
 to join the newly-organised Japanese Church, and 
 sign a paper to that effect. I deeply sympathised 
 with them ; but, without considering the subject, 
 I could not at once comply with their wishes. I 
 was asked to what sect I belonged ? I told them 
 I belonged to the Free Church of Scotland, if to any ; 
 that I was taught from childhood to believe it to 
 be the most in accordance with Scripture, but, as 
 years rolled by, I could see that excellent Christians 
 of the various denominations thought the same 
 was true of the system with which they were 
 identified. Divisions I knew were contrary to 
 the Word of God, and the mind of Christ, and 
 it seemed to me that it must be a question of 
 choosing the sect most to our minds. 
 
 It was deeply touching to see how thoroughly in 
 
I02 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 earnest they were, and their look of disappointment 
 as they turned away without my signature. From 
 that moment I had heart-searchings, to which 
 I had previously been a stranger. The more I 
 read the Word of God, the more the ecclesiastical 
 ground on which I stood seemed to be cut from 
 under my feet. The Church that was formed at 
 Pentecost was not, corporately, to be seen. I traced 
 the Tower of Babel confusion which now prevails 
 to man's presumption, and felt at rest. God's 
 method can bear inspection. — i Cor. i., xii. and xiii. 
 No wonder the Japanese are ready to say to 
 us : — " Your methods do not agree with what we 
 find in the Holy Book, touching oneness and unity ; 
 you do not teach the same thing ; there are 
 divisions among you ; you are not perfectly joined 
 together in the same mind and in the same judg- 
 ment, for one saith, I am an Episcopalian, another 
 a Presbyterian, a third a Methodist, a fourth a 
 Unitarian, a fifth a Quaker, a sixth a Plymouthist, 
 and a seventh a Dutch Reformed." 
 
 As time went on, the newly-organised Native 
 Church became stronger, and several of the 
 American and Scottish missionaries merged their 
 sectarian differences, and co-operated with their 
 Japanese brethren. Such a movement as this, 
 having originated with the Japanese themselves, 
 must commend itself to every reasonable Christian. 
 Simultaneous with this movement, a tidal wave 
 of blessing washed against the shores of Japan. 
 God was mightily at work among the sailors on 
 
Echoes front Japan. 103 
 
 board the different men-of-war in the harbour, and 
 it seemed to me that, from their midst, the Holy 
 Ghost had called to the front a sample of that 
 primitive simplicity and reality, which existed in 
 the days of the apostles, when great grace was 
 upon them all. (See Appendix.) 
 
 The following incident may be worth relating : — 
 
 An Early Call. 
 
 The pupil, to whom I refer on page 43, having 
 heard of the newly-organised Church, felt that he 
 must join it ; but on learning that, if baptized 
 
 by Mr. , he must consider himself a member 
 
 of his Church, and not feel at liberty to identify 
 himself with any other, he felt bewildered. This 
 was too mysterious a problem to the guileless 
 inquirer. His large-hearted uncle, who took the 
 deepest interest in that which was a matter of 
 profound concern to his nephew, proposed that 
 they should go early the next morning to Yoko- 
 hama, and see me and get the matter cleared up ; 
 for it was not for a moment suspected that I could 
 have any difficulty in answering their questions. 
 They travelled about eighteen miles, and were 
 announced about nine o'clock, when they at once 
 poured forth their troubles with reference to the 
 public rite of baptism. This young disciple, and 
 most eligible candidate for Christian baptism, felt 
 instinctively that there could not surely be any- 
 thing so shackling in the Christian religion as that 
 
104 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 the rite of baptism should create a barrier between 
 brother and brother; for, as they had no such 
 strictures in their own heathen systems, he insisted 
 that Christianity must be a levelling, and not a 
 creating of barriers. I must confess that I was 
 utterly incapable to grapple with the subject, and 
 how to evade it I knew not ; but to prove to them 
 that I was not alone in all I endeavoured to 
 explain, I called in my sister, who at the time was 
 with me on a visit, and she, seeing how they hung 
 on our words, steered clear of touching the sectarian 
 tangle, but exhorted our young brother to go to 
 any of the Protestant missionaries, and simply 
 state that it was his wish to be baptized in the 
 name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost ; that baptism was the outward 
 expression of an inward change, and the thing of 
 supreme importance to him was, that already his 
 soul was washed in the precious blood of Jesus ; 
 consequently, he had a new nature, and, if called to 
 quit the frail body in which he suffered, the pearly 
 gates of heaven would welcome him. 
 
 We further pressed on him the importance of 
 exhorting his brethren to follow the example of 
 the noble Bereans, who would not even accept the 
 verdict of the apostles, until they had proved it by 
 the Word of God, and to keep clear of our cum- 
 bersome Church machinery ; that the Bible laid 
 down no rigid rule, but broad principles ; for 
 different nations and peoples would always have 
 different customs, so that all must seek the help of 
 
Echoes from Japan. 105 
 
 the Holy Spirit, who was now with us, to guide us 
 into all truth. 
 
 Surely, nothing can more forcibly break down 
 barriers, than that the gospel should be preached 
 to the Japanese in the power of the Holy Ghost 
 by the foreign and native evangelists conjointly. 
 They are like sheep in the desert who need feeding 
 and leading. 
 
 Resume. 
 
 1. On reviewing what I have written, I feel some 
 reserve, lest anything I have said should look like 
 reflecting on those who have watered in the field, 
 and others who failed to do anything for Japan ; 
 and as to this, I would only say, " I would not sit 
 in judgment on any." " Who am T that I should 
 
 judge the servants of my Lord?, to Him they stand 
 or fall:" neither do I feel biased to speak for or 
 against any church, mission, sect, or name. 
 
 2. I admit that I am somewhat carried away with 
 my theme, viz., Japan ! How her Spiritual con- 
 dition is now to be helped forward by our entering 
 on the openings made to her homes and educa- 
 tional centres by the wedge of western light, is a 
 matter which exercises me greatly. I am thankful 
 that we did not force our way among them with the 
 sword or opium, a thing the Chinese are constantly 
 and reproachfully reminding us of Opium, let it be 
 said, is held by the Japanese in eternal reprobation 
 and abhorrence. 
 
 3. It may be well to say here that fifteen years of 
 
io6 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 association with, first, the Chinese, and latterly the 
 Japanese, has, I think, led me to understand a 
 little of the large and impartial heart of the 
 Saviour, which could not embrace a less limited 
 sphere than the whole world ; and of how it must 
 pain Him to see us so divided. And, as a member 
 of the whole family in heaven and on earth, I am 
 more and more disposed to love all those who love 
 the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. To love one 
 believer more than another, because he belongs to 
 one's church party, or holds the same views, is 
 un-Christ-like. " We are members one of another" 
 and are united to Christ our Head. 
 
 4. As a home or foreign worker, I believe I ought 
 to enter by every door, which I recognise the hand 
 of God to have thrown open, and carry out the 
 Scriptural principle : " Whatsoever thy hand findeth 
 to do, do it with thy might." 
 
 5. Although we entered Japan with clean hands, 
 yet I must say that civilisation, as a pioneer of the 
 Gospel, has rendered that country less the virgin 
 soil for apostolic methods than the world was for 
 the heralds of the Cross in the first century. In 
 short, I can now only say what I have repeatedly 
 uttered, viz. : — That the thirst for learning among 
 the Japanese, is one instrument with which to meet 
 them wisely, and be of service to them, for the 
 great aim and end of establishing the Gospel 
 among them. This is very different from the 
 missionary himself proposing education as a means 
 to an end! We can no more despise the oppor- 
 
Echoes from Japan. 107 
 
 tunity afforded us in this way, than Christian 
 families can afford to make hght of the desirabiUty 
 of seeing in our high schools and seats of learning 
 in England, fully consecrated men and women of 
 God. I uphold no distinctive denomination, inas- 
 much as that which represents the primitive church, 
 which God set in motion in the first century, has 
 no visible corporate existence. But it exists, for 
 all that ! 
 
 6. Though educated as a Presbyterian, my experi- 
 ence abroad taught me to keep outside merely 
 man-made organisations ; for the thing of first 
 importance to me, as a labourer, was the liberty 
 which I needed in order to prosecute the work 
 which God himself signally led me into, contrary 
 to all my expectations, among the male sex, viz., 
 sailors and Japanese students. Did God make a 
 mistake in leading me into this unsought, unlooked- 
 for work ? Or was it because God had failed to 
 find a man ready to His hand, He took up a 
 woman ? Let Him be the Judge ! And let it be 
 mine henceforth to keep in the attitude of Mary, 
 saying, '■^Behold, the handmaid of the Lord!" There 
 are a few, both at home and abroad, to whom I 
 owe much for the sympathy and help they have 
 given me in the prosecution of my work. I have 
 so thoroughly acknowledged the Lord's own hand 
 in it all, that I am afraid I may have ignored the 
 human media too much. But let such remember 
 that He (who is the Rewarder) is faithful; and 
 will not forget their labour of love. 
 
io8 
 
 Echoes from. Japan. 
 
 7. I often ask myself, " Why is it that missionary 
 organisations have such a tendency to bring a 
 worker into bondage, when, on the contrary, they 
 should be facilitating his efforts ? " If it were only 
 a question of settling down and making oneself 
 comfortable under the ministry of some favourite 
 pastor, or attaching himself to a body of Christians 
 interested in the heathen, one would have no diffi- 
 culty ; but when, for example, a woman is told, in 
 the face of what looks as clear as sunlight, that it 
 is unscriptural to speak to men, then she has either 
 to sin against light, or walk in the light given her, 
 and bear the cross of being accused of "acting 
 independently," and long for the day to come 
 when once again labourers, together with God, 
 shall by the Holy Ghost give the injunction, "Help 
 those women who laboured with m,e in the Gospel^ 
 

 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Uistt to Itobe anU ©safta. 
 
 (ExtrcKis from my yournal.) 
 
 " In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy 
 paths." — Proverbs iii. 6. 
 
 M 
 
 Y pupil I has gone home for his autumn 
 
 holiday. I miss him intensely. He invites 
 me to Osaka. Everything seems to fit in so 
 seasonably, that I cannot help saying to myself, 
 This proceedeth from the Lord. My sister has 
 arrived from Shanghai, and she will look after the 
 sailors who come in groups in the afternoon and 
 evening for reading the Word, prayer, and praise. 
 This and the ladies' Bible class at Mrs. Cargill's, 
 will be what she will delight in. 
 
 At Kobe. 
 
 After thirty-six hours' sail in a steamer I arrived 
 
 at Kobe. True to promise, I and his father met 
 
 me. I felt most unworthy of the cordial welcome 
 given me. My pupil acted as interpreter, and the 
 father's smiling face seemed to say, as he looked at his 
 
no Echoes from Japan. 
 
 attendants and nodded, "Well, well, my little son has 
 indeed been industrious ; who would have believed 
 that in so short a time he could have made such 
 progress ! " Some time after getting ashore we 
 entered a small Japanese hotel. The neat hostess 
 came forward and made her obeisance. We were 
 next shown into an upper room decorated with 
 neatness and simplicity. It had, however, a pretty 
 European square rug on the floor, over the mats. 
 I told me that we sat in his father's specially en- 
 gaged room. On looking over a little railing, I saw, 
 twenty feet below, what looked like a grotto, 
 the wall of which was covered with ferns and. 
 lichen. They called it the garden, although 
 the space could not have been more than twenty 
 by fifteen feet. Smooth and sharp stones composed 
 a cairn or rockery in the centre : a shaft of bamboo, 
 which simulated a fountain at play, by some means 
 or other reached the water, and with its delicate 
 spray bathed everything within its reach. I per- 
 ceived that the flourishing state of the ferns was 
 solely due to this simple contrivance. "Why," 
 said I to myself, " have not we, adult westerns, more 
 of the child-like life of the inhabitants of this fairy 
 land ? " Ah ! why not ? Because we have not sat 
 at the feet of Nature and imbibed those teachings 
 
 which give perpetual youth. But I is more 
 
 taken up with the men-of-war and other vessels from 
 the western world, lying at anchor in the harbour 
 immediately in front. After partaking of tea, and 
 confections, my friends took me to a ship-builder's 
 
Echoes from Japan. iii 
 
 yard to see a midget man-o'-war. which was re- 
 modelled at a great cost. It was, in days gone by, 
 used by their chief, but now that things have 
 changed, the good old boat was to be converted 
 into a passenger and cargo vessel. My pupil's great 
 delight was to sketch his father's steamer during his 
 recreation hours, but I little thought that I was to 
 be favoured with a sight of it so soon. The "Shotan- 
 Maru," for that was her name, gave great promise of 
 a long and useful life. After spending an hour or so 
 at the naval yard, we went to see a waterfall, a 
 mile or so off. All who have visited Kobe know 
 that it is among the prettiest spots on the coast, 
 and that it well pays a visitor to take a walk to it, 
 as it affords an opportunity of taking in at a glance 
 what he can never again forget. The glassy har- 
 bour in front, with its splendid variety of ships ot 
 war from the different parts of the civilised world ; 
 the steam ships, sailing vessels, native junks, and 
 flotilla of fishing smacks, the European settlement, 
 with its rows of well-built villas here and there, 
 decorated with waving flags, afford the accomplished 
 artist such scope for his imagination, that he can 
 scarcely bear to leave it until he has sketched it in 
 words, if not in colours. On reaching the waterfall, 
 I was amazed to find that an English luncheon, good 
 enough for H.M. the Mikado himself, was provided 
 by my pupil's kind-hearted father. Hundreds of 
 children were on the move to and from the centre 
 of attraction (viz., the waterfall), many douching 
 themselves under its dashing spray. The back- 
 
112 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 ground of what I have so imperfectly described, 
 consists of a stretch of irregularly shaped hills, the 
 greater part of which is covered with grass, trees, 
 and shrubs. Many of the latter impart a beauty 
 and picturesqueness to the scene which is rarely 
 enjoyed at seaside resorts. 
 
 The American missionaries at Kobe, as in all the 
 treaty ports of Japan, have made a good impression 
 on the native population. They have preaching 
 halls in several directions, also excellent schools, 
 where English is taught, and their crowded audiences 
 every Sunday will never fail to refresh and cheer 
 the Christian tourist who may feel disposed to 
 break his journey en route. 
 
 In this unique, well-kept settlement, one finds 
 representatives from nearly every part of the world. 
 During this, my first visit, I saw several Coreans on 
 the quay. This was to every one a novel sight. 
 
 After luncheon we proceeded to Osaka, the most 
 important commercial city in Japan. We then rode 
 in Jinrikishas through miles of clean and crowded 
 streets. The people seemed to drive a busy trade 
 in rice, fish, isinglass, china, and lacquer ware. On 
 arriving at Hommachi we soon got to my friend's 
 home. The lower part of the house, in front, was 
 full of clerks ; at the back were pretty sitting 
 rooms, and artistic little gardens. Flowers deco- 
 rated the corners of the boudoir into which I 
 was shown. The polished floor boards, as well 
 as the curious devices some of the posts and panels 
 had on them, greatly interested me. The lady of 
 
Echoes from Japan. 113 
 
 the house and her children came and saluted me in 
 
 true Japanese fashion. I found that Mrs. N 
 
 was very domesticated, and a most dutiful mother 
 and wife; she knows how to "look well to the 
 ways of her household." She and her maidens 
 seemed to be on friendly terms ; but never are 
 the latter guilty of outstepping the boundary 
 which she, as mistress, has assigned to them. She 
 had a pleasant face, and an unusually fair com- 
 plexion. Unlike most Japanese married women, 
 her eyebrows were not shaven, nor her teeth 
 stained black. The eldest girl is six years old, 
 she has sweet dimples and winning ways, and has 
 the cut of hair girls of her age cultivate. Her 
 dress is of a soft rich Japanese cr^pe, with some of 
 the favourite flowers of Japan stamped in perma- 
 nent dyes all over it. Everything I see speaks 
 of the refined taste, blended with the simplicity 
 which characterises the race. One would almost 
 think that at some early date they must have had 
 the fairies, or some sweet genii from another world, 
 to teach them. But I must not indulge vsx foolish 
 talking in order to give utterance to the impression 
 I received in this sweet home. The next move was 
 into the garden. Camellia trees, with their rich, 
 deep green, form a contrast to th"e highly-coloured 
 slippery elm tree in full bloom. To get to the 
 garden, I ought to have said, we had to cross a 
 pretty miniature bridge, which spanned what 
 answered to a natural bed of smooth round stones ; 
 some of these had hollow tops, so that they served 
 8 
 
114 
 
 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 the purpose of small reservoirs. Such have always 
 a bamboo ladle laid across them, so that if anyone 
 wishes to cool or cleanse his hands, all he has to do 
 
 A COOPER AT WORK. 
 
 is to take a ladleful of the rain water, and pour it 
 over them. The stones and ferns, as well as other 
 plants, are none the worse for this extra contribu- 
 tion. At the rear of the first room we sat in, I saw 
 
Echoes from Japan. 115 
 
 that some partitions and slit bamboo blinds were 
 being removed. Several servants were busily en- 
 gaged laying out another English dinner. Soup, 
 fish, and entremets ct. la mode, were brought on in 
 turn. The provider was an enterprising hotel- 
 keeper on the European principle, in Osaka, named 
 Jiu-tei. This explained a great deal to me ; for I 
 wondered how they could have cooked European 
 food so well, to say nothing of the excellent way 
 in which two well-dressed young men waited on us. 
 I need not say that I was tempted to look round the 
 room to take note of its neatness, cleanliness, and 
 the exquisite taste displayed in the ornamentation 
 of arches, panels, and whatnots. Here and there 
 were elaborate pieces of bronze, lacquer, and one 
 silk scroll, or Kakemono. My surprise was very 
 great to find that the head of the house had arranged 
 them himself, for my dear pupil told me that they 
 were brought out of the Kura expressly because 
 I was on a visit to them. Here I learned for the 
 first time that it is an old standing custom to put 
 their valuables away in the fire-proof house, and 
 only bring out a few of them when the absent 
 head of the house and other members of the family 
 are expected home, as well as when friends whom 
 they wish to honour are under their roof. I was 
 touched by this proof of their generosity and court- 
 eousness. I felt that God, in some way or other, 
 was in it, and that they, without knowing it, 
 were doing His pleasure, which made me all the 
 more desirous that He would be the rewarder of 
 
ii6 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 such impartial kindness, bestowed upon me, an 
 empty-handed stranger, sojourning among them. 
 While drinking our beautifully made coffee, a big 
 wrestler, who performed the duties of gardener, 
 came into the grounds with two buckets of water, 
 with which he filled his mouth till his cheeks 
 looked so distended that it was impossible not to 
 smile. He then aimed at the tops of the some- 
 what tall trees as well as lowly shrubs, and squirted 
 the water dexterously on every leaf and flower. 
 This was done to every tree, and two buckets 
 failed to supply the mouth-hose with sufficient 
 spray. They told me that this was done every 
 day in the hot weather. No wonder the leaves 
 and flowers looked glossy and free from dust ! After 
 dinner my friends opened the ponderous doors of 
 the Kura, where the heir-looms of generations were 
 stowed, away. Without having seen it, I should 
 have thought it incredible that at least a thousand 
 separate boxes, each containing treasures, were piled 
 one above the other, and only a few taken out 
 occasionally to express love, respect, and a welcome, 
 on the return of the husband, or the arrival of a 
 friend. But, doubtless this is one of the ways which 
 are adopted for banking their money — curios of 
 value are often given in lieu of debt. ... I must 
 cut my story short by saying, that according to 
 oriental custom, I was asked to take a present from 
 them, a second article for my sister, and a third for 
 my servant. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 " If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed." — 
 John viii. 31. 
 
 THERE is a mighty element of self-help in 
 Japan ; and this is, for the most part, to be 
 found among the Samurai class. In former days 
 they were the military force of the nation. The 
 chief of each clan required that much time should be 
 devoted to the arts of fencing, wrestling, and other 
 tactics. There were those who attained to great 
 excellence as swordsmen, and, according to their 
 skill and moral qualities, they were promoted to 
 positions of honour and trust. They also gave 
 much attention to intellectual pursuits. Literature 
 and the fine arts were subjects which were vigorously 
 entered on, and while we were in a savage state, 
 they were clothed with silks, satins, and crapes. 
 
 Immediately after the Tokugaawa rebellion 
 (1868) many of them were reduced in circumstances. 
 One of these proved to be a youth of great promise, 
 named Neejima. His interest in Christianity was 
 
Ii8 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 first awakened by coming in contact with the 
 missionaries, and reading Christian books. The 
 unsettled state of the country at that time (1867) 
 led many youths to reflect seriously. Mr. Neejima 
 had a strong desire to visit the West in order to 
 study English. He asked permission of his liege 
 lord, and parents, but was unsuccessful. He then 
 boldly set out as a runaway, and concealed himself 
 in the hold of a ship sailing for China. If dis- 
 covered he would have been at that time beheaded. 
 In China he became a servant ; but this failed to 
 satisfy his longings, so he secured a post in a ship 
 about to sail for the United States. On board this 
 ship he was "Jack of all trades." On one occasion 
 he was asked to wash the captain's feet. This made 
 his Samurai blood boil. He got very angry, but had 
 to obey.* The captain introduced him on their 
 arrival to the owner of the vessel he sailed in, the 
 late Hon. A. Hardy, of Boston. He asked young 
 Neejima what induced him to visit America. His 
 answer was, "to get a good Christian education." 
 Mr. Hardy felt greatly moved, and forthwith invited 
 him to his house. He was sent to school, graduated 
 at Amherst College, Mass., then went to Andover 
 Theological Seminary, where he completed his course 
 
 * Mr. Neejima refers to this incident when preaching to his 
 countrymen in connection with the condescension of the Saviour, 
 who took upon him the form of a servant ; and gave his disciples 
 a practical example of that humility which is, in the sight of God, of 
 great price. He, the lowly Jesus, girded Himself, and washed his 
 disciples' feet. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 119 
 
 in the year 1874. At this date he was brought in 
 contact with the special Japanese Embassy, visiting 
 America and Europe for the first time. He was in- 
 vited to accompany them in the capacity of inter- 
 preter, an offer which he accepted. At a later date 
 he was offered a good position in the Government, 
 but declined it. After this he returned to Japan, 
 and selected the ancient capital, Kyoto, as his field 
 of action. He appealed to the authorities for a 
 site on which to erect a college for imparting to the 
 ambitious youths of Japan a thorough knowledge 
 of English, and specific branches of Western 
 science. His Government was glad to accede to 
 his wishes — doubtless, the friends whom he accom- 
 panied to Europe remembered that he had a right 
 spirit in him, and that he had refused the lucrative 
 position offered him. The site was immediately 
 marked out, and the college was built at the expense 
 of friends he had made in the United States. 
 He next appealed to the Board of Foreign Missions 
 for fully qualified professors of Christian zeal. 
 They came with the understanding that they were 
 to teach useful branches of knowledge, such as 
 medicine and natural philosophy; and on giving 
 five or six hours daily (Saturdays and Sundays 
 excepted) to secular instruction, they were left free 
 to teach anything else they wished. Of course 
 this opened at once a wide door in the Gospel to 
 the missionary-teachers, and God gave them and 
 Mr. Neejima great success. Most of the students 
 attended the Gospel services and Sunday-schools. 
 
120 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Many souls were saved. A flourishing theologi- 
 cal seminary grew out of this almost immediately. 
 When I first saw it, there were about fifty of 
 the students who not only professed to be 
 Christians, but took an active part in proclaim- 
 ing the good news to their own people in and 
 outside the city. This is all the more remark- 
 able because Kyoto and environs are, according to 
 the letter of the treaty, closed to missionary enter- 
 prise and to trade. I state this in order to show 
 how ready the Japanese are to encourage all 
 that will contribute to their country's benefit, when 
 once they see its good effect. In addition to 
 these secular and theological institutions, a young 
 ladies' school was started. Many of the lads 
 had been the means of winning their mothers 
 and sisters to a saving knowledge of the truth, 
 and so the need for opening this school was felt. 
 Several well qualified, earnest young ladies arrived 
 from America, and with their open hearts, and 
 affable ways, won the affection of a large party of 
 interesting Japanese girls. I visited this school in 
 1 88 1, and saw it flourishing. Applications were 
 coming from all parts, from the parents of well- 
 to-do Japanese, asking for permission to send 
 their daughters to them. They were greatly 
 taken up with such novelties (to them) as our 
 different varieties of useful fancy work. The 
 Christian spirit that pervaded the place, and 
 marked the behaviour of teachers and pupils 
 towards each other, betokened that God was 
 
Echoes from Japan. 121 
 
 among them, as well as among the young men. I 
 must not forget to say that I had the honour of 
 being introduced to Mr. Neejima, the director of 
 this religious and educational movement. It was 
 heart-inspiring to see one of the first-fruits of 
 saving grace, as well as a specimen of Christian 
 courage in Japan. The truly patriotic and humble 
 Mr. Neejima is a man who has won the esteem 
 and confidence, not only of the Church of God 
 in Japan, but of the Government, as well as of 
 his large circle of friends in America, where he 
 received such a warm welcome, and was so well 
 treated for Jesus' sake. Mr. Neejima is a thorough 
 believer in the revealed Word of God. He propa- 
 gates its teaching far and wide, through the help 
 of his large band of enthusiastic young evangelists, 
 both men and women, as well as by his own 
 abundant labours. But the Christians in Japan are 
 nevertheless exposed to great danger. They need 
 to be taught the importance of holding forth the 
 Word of Life from Genesis to Revelation, without 
 supplementing it, as many in this country are 
 doing, with the untempered mortar of philosophy 
 and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, and 
 not after Christ. Our modern theories, or "advanced 
 thought" so-called, will not make thriving Christians 
 of the Japanese, nor will the soundest creed, and 
 most evangelical method, be of any great value to 
 them unless its representatives are themselves 
 clothed with the mantle of that love which suffereth 
 long, and is kind, and seeketh not her own. 
 
122 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 An Instance of Maternal Devotion and 
 Filial Faithfulness. 
 
 " He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy 
 of Me."— Matt. x. 37. 
 
 In the turbulent and disastrous years of 1867-8 
 the Samurai belonging to the Shogun were de- 
 prived of their hereditary allowances, and many of 
 them hitherto unaccustomed to the money-making 
 affairs of this world, were yet tossing upon the sea 
 of hard and merciless competition. The newly- 
 opened harbour of Yokohama was considered as 
 giving the best opportunity for success. Among 
 the Samurai who had come to Yokohama as the 
 City of Refuge, was a small family consisting of 
 parents and three sons ; want of experience and 
 discretion had often reduced them to extreme 
 poverty. At last the father succeeded in getting a 
 position in the municipal office, and though not 
 enriched thereby, the family was by this means 
 supplied with necessary food. The parents, 
 thus relieved from the daily cares of bread and 
 clothing, began to discuss as to the method of 
 educating their children, especially the eldest, who 
 was then in the twelfth year of his age. The father 
 said to his wife, " The days of the Samurai are 
 gone, we will send our eldest son to a merchant's 
 as an apprentice ; " but the mother, whose lofty 
 spirit and ardent ambition were very remarkable, 
 was strongly opposed to her husband's proposal. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 123 
 
 To her the lowly calling of a mechanic or a trades- 
 man seemed degrading. Not enlightened by the 
 light of the Cross, which gives a new and fresh 
 significance to everything, it was quite natural that 
 she should be swayed by such a vain idea as 
 this. Her chief desire was to give the highest 
 education to her beloved son, so that he might 
 be well fitted to occupy a splendid position as a 
 statesman ; her love for the son, and her yearning 
 for the restoration, through him, of the estate which 
 the father had lost in the revolution, were equally 
 unbounded. The son, too, inspired by his mother, 
 set his whole heart on his future career as the first 
 statesman of Japan. He was opposed to the 
 superstitious rites and worship of the common 
 people, but the dreary prospect of struggling for 
 success, and the arduous task of an ambitious 
 career, aroused the religious sentiment, which lay 
 dormant in the boy's heart, to a strange pathetic 
 activity. Kata-Kyo-Masa, the valiant and virtuous 
 general under Hideyoshi, at whose name even the 
 Chinese and Coreans trembled, had long since 
 been the child's hero. From a lowly and despised 
 position, he had steadily fought his way into a pro- 
 minent position, renowned for his matchless valour 
 and shining virtue. The boy was often found 
 reading and meditating on this hero. He went 
 to the temple of Kyo-Masa, a distance of two 
 miles, twice a day — morning and evening. Thus, 
 three entire years were spent. In the year 1872, 
 the influence of English literature predominated 
 
124 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 throughout the Empire. A new field was opened 
 for the boy. The mother thought that her son 
 ought to be sent to an English school. She sold 
 her jewels and clothes to pay the cost of his tuition, 
 which was considerable, as he had to purchase 
 English books and dictionaries. The head teacher 
 of the school was an American missionary, whose 
 devotions and religious teaching attracted the 
 attention of a number of his pupils. Their hearts 
 were opened, and before long they became the 
 followers of Christ. Many of them also deter- 
 mined to devote their lives to the ministry of the 
 Gospel. One of the number was the boy of 
 whom we have been speaking ; it was only after 
 a severe struggle and an almost heart-breaking 
 effort that the decision was formed. When the 
 announcement of the change was made to the 
 mother, she was deeply grieved, for it seemed to 
 her that all her hopes were gone — hopes for which 
 she had so bravely endured hardships — and to 
 her the son had all of a sudden become a lost 
 child. She entreated him to change his strange 
 views ; her tears and tender exhortations were 
 heart-rending, but the young man stood firm to 
 his decision, constrained by the love of Christ. He 
 patiently waited for two years to get the consent of 
 his parents. God be praised, the virtuous mother, 
 in spite of her strong antipathy, was gradually 
 brought to Christ, and not only consented to her 
 son's proposal to study for the ministry, but 
 solemnly promised to share in his labours and 
 
Echoes from Japan. 125 
 
 efforts for the spreading of the Gospel. A God-given 
 mother she was ; and, but for her loving efforts, the 
 boy would never have received an English education. 
 She was, in the mysterious providence of God, the 
 means of bringing salvation to her son, and 
 through him to the family ; and, moreover, true to 
 her promise, she has nobly shared in her son's 
 labours, both as an evangelist and pastor. Her 
 courage and tenderness in the time of trouble and 
 adversity have been a strong support to him. 
 Memories of her service and gentle virtues are still 
 inspiring him with courage and consolation. Full 
 of weakness and mistakes, and sometimes pained 
 by misgivings and shortcomings, it is his humble 
 desire to behave like a soldier of Christ. May God, 
 who has dealt so graciously with him in the past, 
 make him strong in faith and ardent in love 
 towards Him ! 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Social iLife in Ifapan. 
 
 " Give her of the fruit of her hands ; and let her own works 
 praise her in the gates." — Prov. xxxi. 31. 
 
 I HAVE often noticed, with pleasure, what far 
 happier lives the Japanese women and chil- 
 dren lead than their neighbours in China. In 
 Japan, cleanliness and quiet prevail in the home, 
 whereas, in China, it is too often the reverse. 
 
 The education of woman has greater reference 
 to the home-life than to the part she is likely to play 
 in society. Obedience is insisted on from earliest 
 childhood, not by threats and blows, but by gentle 
 humouring and reasoning with the child while the 
 mind is plastic. Filial piety is, here a little, and 
 there a little, with precept upon precept, carefully 
 explained and inculcated. A girl is sent to an 
 elementary school in her fourth or fifth year. As 
 soon as she has learnt to read and write, she is 
 transferred to a tailoress's school, where she is taught 
 to cut and sew her own garments. At home, she 
 learns to play the samisen (banjo), and koio 
 
Echoes from Japati. \'2'j 
 
 (guitar), having for her teacher either a resident 
 or daily governess. All the patching, mending, 
 and re-doing fall to her lot eventually. Thus she 
 is taught to bear the yoke in her youth, so that 
 at an early age she becomes proficient in this and 
 other things likely to conduce to the comfort of 
 her family — such as learning to cook rice and veget- 
 ables — and above all, how to arrange cut-flowers 
 artistically, and make and pour out tea gracefully. 
 Although the woman in Japan is not exactly on an 
 equal footing with her husband, she is not con- 
 sidered as a mere drudge, as women are in China 
 and India. As a wife, she is taught to attend to 
 her household duties, and to submit to her husband 
 in all things. If he treats her well, she says, 
 " Heaven smiles" ; but if he is displeased with her, 
 " Heaven frowns." The obedient wife finds her 
 reward in the kindness and indulgence which 
 she receives from her husband. Yet, in Japan, 
 the code of morals laid down and strictly en- 
 joined on the wife can too often be broken with 
 impunity by the husband. I confess I often felt 
 amazed at the apparent indifference of many 
 women, who were well aware that their husbands 
 spent much of their time in the company of disso- 
 lute persons. Far different treatment would be 
 dealt out to any wife against whom the least 
 charge of infidelity could be brought. I do not 
 say this unkindly, but state it as an instance of 
 what appealed to me as detrimental to the true 
 elevation of women. 
 
128 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Dinner Party. 
 A handsome Japanese lady called on me one 
 day with two of her servants, who told me they 
 were having a party that evening. I expressed my 
 astonishment at seeing them when such was the 
 case. The lady and her servants looked at one 
 another ; and then said, that had it not been for 
 the party they would not have been able to pay 
 me so long a visit. " Our customs are different from 
 yours," they remarked ; " when our husbands invite 
 their gentleman-friends, they also invite public 
 actresses to play on the guitar, sing, and perform 
 pantomime.'' I replied, that I knew they did so, 
 but that that did not explain their absence. " It is 
 not the custom of our country," replied one of the 
 maids (whose duty, at that moment, was to keep 
 her mistress's pipe supplied with tobacco), " wives 
 are not fit company for their husband's friends ; 
 for we women are tstichi (earth), while they are ten 
 (heaven)." She said this humorously. On becom- 
 ing better acquainted with the home-life of the 
 people, I learnt that the wife's absence was one 
 of the ways which rather proved the esteem in 
 which she was held by her husband. Besides, the 
 old-established rules of society rigidly forbade 
 ladies joining in their husband's dissipations. The 
 conversation with my visitor then turned on the 
 nature of the entertainment; how the best dinner- 
 service was brought out, and how the most 
 delectable soups, and other dishes, were prepared 
 by the mistress and servants. 
 
Echoes from fapaii. 129 
 
 " But, perhaps the tcaclicr would hkc to partake 
 of /liki-cna," whispered m\- friend in her maid's 
 ear. The invitation was at once q-iven and ac- 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 if 
 
 
 w. 
 
 
 JAPANESE .NUKSE ASH |;AI;V. 
 
 cepted ; and as the house was close at hand, we 
 started off On entering the guest-chamber, I 
 found the feast was over, and the guests had left ; 
 9 
 
130 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 judging from the display of lacquer bowls, china 
 platters, and tempting dishes (many of them un- 
 touched), it must have been an imposing sight. 
 Having examined their salle-d-manger, and watched 
 the servants at their work of clearing up, I was 
 shown into what is called the tea-room, where 
 the Japanese make and drink their hiki-cha (lit. 
 ground tea). There I found the urbane and 
 courteous head of the house smoking his tobacco 
 pipe. As usual in Japanese houses, there was little 
 or no movable furniture in the room ; but clean- 
 liness and taste were everywhere conspicuous. In 
 one corner of the room, in a small recess, I saw 
 a bronze idol, before which were arranged, as 
 offerings, daintily made dishes. We spoke of 
 idols, and I told them that 1,000 years ago, our 
 nations in the West worshipped idols, and that 
 it was not civilisation, but Christianity that had 
 led us to give up their worship. I spoke of the 
 one true God, in communion with whom I found 
 the sunshine of my life. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 CI)iH)4t& in Sapan. 
 
 "A child is known by his doings." — Prov. xx. il, 
 
 ONE cannot speak of the condition of women in 
 any country without mentioning the children. 
 A certain writer said of Japan that she is a Paradise 
 of children; alluding, of course, to the fact already 
 referred to, that men and women of all ages join, at 
 certain seasons, with their children, in their charac- 
 teristic outings. Japanese mothers are tenderly 
 attached to their little ones, and like Westerns, give 
 greater honour to the son. Both father and mother 
 are equally full of concern lest they should fail to 
 become a credit to society and a comfort to them- 
 selves. The patience of Japanese mothers is remark- 
 able. I have rarely seen them slap or cuff their 
 children, hence their bright manner ; plainly teach- 
 ing European parents a lesson in the management 
 of the rising generation. Infanticide, foot-binding, 
 and other cruel practices, peculiar to Eastern 
 countries, are unheard of in Japan. It is compara- 
 tively rare that a girl is transferred to her mother- 
 in-law at betrothal. This prospect is the terror of 
 
132 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 a Chinese girl, for it is then that her Hfe of misery 
 begins. It is a great disappointment in Japan 
 when a son and heir is not born to the parents. 
 They feel it nearly as much as the Chinese do ; 
 and like them, endeavour to propitiate their idols, 
 especially Jeezo and Kwanon (patrons of children). 
 Unlike the Chinese, however, the Japanese dq not 
 regard their girls as a useless encumbrance, or as a 
 sign that their gods are angry with them. The 
 girl babies are much petted and indulged, and the 
 parents are greatly congratulated on suitable days, 
 and not commiserated, as in China, when the 
 family circle is augmented by a little girl. The 
 Japanese embrace the occasion of the birth of a girl 
 as much as that of a boy for making visits of cere- 
 mony, and (according to the station and circum- 
 stances of those visiting and the visited), present- 
 ing gifts in the shape of webs of cr^pe, silk, and 
 dress materials ; also cakes of rice boiled with red 
 beans. 
 
 Miya-Mairi. 
 
 Thirty days after the birth of a boy, he is dressed 
 in his finely prepared robes. The inner-garments 
 are made of silk and other materials of fine texture 
 and hues. The outer one is made of rich black 
 crape (which is not considered mourning in Japan 
 or China). This outer garment has the family crest 
 embroidered, if not woven, on the right and left 
 sleeve, and between the shoulders at the back. Thus 
 decked and adorned, the boy is carried to the temple 
 
Echoes from Japan. 133 
 
 in a procession of grand-parents, aunts, friends, 
 and servants. This turn-out is called " miya-mairi," 
 i.e., visit to the temple. The object is to 
 invoke the sun-god's blessing and protection on 
 behalf of the child during the rest of his life. The 
 youngster receives his name on this occasion. The 
 father writes three different names on three separate 
 slips of paper, and sends them to the officiating 
 priest, who throws them in the air. The one that 
 touches the ground first bears the lucky name. 
 The priest hands it to the child's sponsor when the 
 party breaks up. A boy infant has the Chinese 
 character, dai (great), associated with its name ; 
 while a girl has sho (little), associated with hers : 
 these respectively showing that the boy is destined 
 to attend to the greater and more responsible 
 matters of daily life ; while the smaller and more 
 obscure affairs fall to the lot of the girl. On their 
 return from the temple, presents are sent to all 
 the relations and friends. These gifts are composed 
 of the red-beaned and rice cake already referred 
 to, and dried bonito, packed in lacquered lunch 
 boxes, which are covered over with elaborately 
 embroidered wrappers. I ought to have said, 
 that on the seventh day after a birth, a costly 
 feast is prepared for the relatives and friends, as 
 well as on other lucky days, besides that of the 
 actual day of birth. So it appears that both girls 
 and boys are made much of in Japan ! Children 
 there always carry a charm ; indeed, it is con- 
 sidered indispensable to the preservation of their 
 
134 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 life. This sacred relic is often a written sentence, 
 to be got from any priest ; or the model of a little 
 dog, or fox, and is put into the richly ornamented 
 charm bag, already tied round its waist. In 
 addition to this, they carry what we in England 
 might imitate, viz., a pretty embossed card with the 
 child's name and address written in full, which, 
 in case of its straying from its home, would 
 enable the police, or any humane person, to 
 gladden the heart of the distracted and distressed 
 mother and child. Children, when they begin to 
 walk, do not get their little pates entirely shaven, 
 which is always the case during the first year ; 
 but the barber, at short intervals, shaves a round 
 patch on the crown, leaving a band of hair to 
 grow in a circle. This custom varies according to 
 the sex and age, and the varying fashions of the 
 different localities. Japanese juveniles are, like 
 other children, fond of toys, and their parents 
 rarely grudge the money spent on them. The 
 frank and bright countenances of both boys and 
 girls are, I feel sure, due to the pains parents take 
 to make their children happy, and by their gentle 
 and thoughtful ways avoid spoiling their tempers, a 
 thing often done when childish mistakes are visited 
 by hard words and cruel blows. The prettiest 
 sight in child-life in Japan, to my mind, is that 
 of the girls turning out on New Year's Day, in their 
 best attire of richly coloured silks, on which 
 are stamped decorations of cherry, plum, and 
 other blossoms, as well as the bright red maple 
 
Echoes from Japan. 135 
 
 leaves. Their hair, on this day of days, is done up 
 to perfection, each wearing in it an artificial sprig 
 of some favourite flower. They stand for hours at 
 the door of their respective homes, playing at 
 battledore and shuttlecock. The streets, during the 
 first week of January — now that they have adopted 
 our calendar — are lined with children at play. 
 The suspended huge lanterns, with the family crest 
 prettily painted on them ; the tub containing 
 branches of pine, plum, and bamboo on either side 
 of the entrance, and red-boiled lobsters laid on a 
 few fronds of ferns turned inside out, placed over 
 the doorway (as is the mistletoe with us), are in 
 keeping with the glee and hopefulness of the 
 rising generation. " Om^-de-tau " (I wish you happi- 
 ness) is the salutation on every lip on this auspicious 
 day. As a rule the weather is cold, but dry and 
 clear. The notes of the oriole, first harbinger of 
 Spring, are already heard, and branches of the plum 
 blossom are gathered and put into large antique 
 vases, covered with historic decoration : it being the 
 first flower of the season, its beauty and sweet scent 
 give universal satisfaction. The oriole and plum 
 blossom are associated in the mind of the Japanese 
 in general, as well as in that of artists who make it 
 a favourite subject, whether for wood-carvings, 
 bronze-castings, or silk wrappers. 
 
 A Little Samurai. 
 
 I should like to tell you now of a little boy, only 
 nine years old. He was the son of a Samurai, i.e., 
 
136 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 a gentleman, and was brought to me during my 
 earliest years in Japan. His father, shortly after 
 the revolution of 1868, bought and re-fitted a 
 small steamer at a great cost, and became a mer- 
 chant. His boy was the light of his eyes; and 
 when placing him under my care, he honoured me 
 with boundless confidence. My pupil had a stock 
 of all sorts of paper, and every variety of vegetable 
 paints, brushes, gums, and paste. He had a way 
 of producing a fac-simile of his father's steamboat 
 in folded paper, which quite astonished me. One 
 would almost think he had studied naval science, 
 and had passed a successful examination. Funnels, 
 masts, a flag with red ball on white ground, and life- 
 boats, occupied their respective places. He would 
 attach a fine thread to the prow, and with one hand 
 pull it along the table, imitating at the same time 
 the noise of the engines, " choh ! choh ! choh ! " 
 Thus, this much-loved pupil passed hours happily 
 and profitably. The expert manner in which he, for 
 a child his age, used his paint-brush made me some- 
 times think that one day he would make his mark 
 in the world as an artist ; but he is now (1889) in a 
 large commercial city of the West, a junior member 
 of a firm. My pupil, at first, showed great aversion 
 to learning ; but having a tender conscience, he was 
 soon led to see that it was right to apply himself 
 and make the most of his time and opportunity ; 
 thus he made fair progress. He had special taste for 
 drawing and sketching, and when allowed to have his 
 pencil and colours, hours would soon pass rapidly. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 137 
 
 Of this I was most thankful ; for at first I could 
 not speak Japanese, nor could he speak English. 
 At this time, the husband of my servant was a 
 printer in a newspaper office near to us. On his 
 returning home, I gave my pupil leave to go to him 
 for an hour every evening to learn the news of the 
 day. Thus he was diverted between study, recrea- 
 tion, and social intercourse, and home-sickness was 
 held in abeyance. During this time the Satsuma 
 war was raging, startling things were reaching our 
 ears day by day ; but my little charge, instead of 
 being alarmed by all he heard and learned from the 
 printer, would seize the first opportunity he could 
 to depict, most graphically, the impressions he had 
 received of what was going on at the seat of war at 
 Kagoshima. Imperialists and rebels were familiar 
 scenes in those days ; and the skill displayed in 
 the description he gave of heads, arms, and legs, 
 bestrewing the ground in a mass of frightful 
 debris, was truly wonderful. His indulgent father 
 then made him a present of a box of soldiers, 
 made to order ; also, some men-of-war and gun- 
 boats. These he would arrange in battle array ; 
 and, of course, his conservative spirit conceived 
 of nothing but the rebels being beaten and put 
 to rout by the imperialists. He always furnished 
 himself with a good supply of foolscap paper, 
 and as soon as he felt tired of reconnoitring 
 and marshalling his troops, he would take to paint- 
 ing vessels letting off their formidable guns at 
 one another. He would dip his paint-brush in 
 
138 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 vermilion, and blow hard on it, which caused the 
 bespattered paint to look exactly like fire issuing 
 from the cannon's mouth. All this displayed great 
 originality, and it gave me much pleasure to see 
 him prefer spending his leisure time in this way, 
 than that he should be spending it unprofitably. 
 
 Kinder-Garten a la Japonaise. 
 
 Another amusement of the healthy kind pursued 
 by two of my boy pupils, arose from their love of 
 gardening. They were provided with two separate 
 wooden frames, one foot deep and seven by five 
 feet long ; these they filled with soil. A favourite 
 natural scene was evidently in their minds ; very 
 often their own lovely country with its manifold 
 islands. The peerless Fuji-san was reproduced by 
 a piece of flint, pyramidically shaped, the top of 
 which was white, representing the cap of perpetual 
 snow, which this hoary mountain always wears. 
 The liliputian maples, pines, bamboo, plum trees, 
 bought for a few cents, are put deftly into the 
 ground with their tiny trowel of Japanese make. 
 In one nook, under a few shrubs, is what answers to 
 a waterfall. "Whence this white stream?" is 
 queried in thought. The gardeners have a way 
 of supplying every fresh fancy of their young 
 patrons. They actually grind white pebbles, or 
 glass, for the purpose of strewing it on the would-be 
 beds of waterfalls, seas, lakes, rivers, and thus the 
 most perfect imitation of water is produced. But 
 
Ecliocs ffoiii Japan. 
 
 139 
 
 this is not all. The sea is alive with men-of-war 
 and junks. The lakes are full of tiny steamers 
 and small boats with sails hoisted ! The rivers, 
 
 SN'OWBALL. 
 
 (Japan is not a tropical coimtry, as viany suppose!) 
 
 which are, at regular intervals, spanned with 
 perfect imitations of their own quaint bridges, are 
 full of bamboo rafts and men propelling them. 
 
140 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 This flotilla and series of bridges are all made of 
 fine-baked china like all the rest. Terra firma has 
 also its towns and villages, castles, mansions, and 
 villas, each and all animated as it were with a variety 
 of the human species plying their various crafts. 
 There goes the blind am-ma (shampooer), trudging 
 along the street, blowing his double-barrelled whistle 
 so as to announce his arrival ! Here comes the 
 nurse, carrying her charge on her back ! Yonder, 
 under the trees on the banks of the river, are the 
 easy-going storks, taking it very leisurely! The 
 scene would not be perfect without the modern 
 policeman, carrying his shillelah under his arm — 
 and all made of china, bear in mind ! " After this, 
 surely there cannot be more," do I hear you say ? 
 Pause a moment ! . . . What! a Japanese so selfish, 
 so irreligious as to forget to build a temple, or set up 
 a shrine ! Look at yonder hill-top to the left ! 
 All those broad-eaved structures are temples I 
 pagodas ! — the habitations of the gods ! And do you 
 not see the string of pilgrims, with broad-brimmed 
 hats, wending their way in and out among them ? 
 And those bald-pated gentlemen with rosaries in 
 their hands, are they not the Buddhist priests? 
 It may seem a woful waste of time to spend a few 
 minutes studying child-life in Japan, and again as 
 many minutes to write it down ; but I must confess 
 that such ingenious, simple amusements, made me 
 often wish I were a child again. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 141 
 
 Kinder-Garten, No. 2. 
 
 Before leaving Osaka, in 1881, I visited a 
 Normal School, when, with my teacher, we were 
 shown into all the various class-rooms. The 
 teachers ciphered on the black-boards with an air 
 that left one satisfied as to how competent they 
 were for the post they filled. The pupils stood as 
 we entered each room, and bowed when we retired. 
 On being introduced to the head-mistress of the 
 infant department, she led us to a large garden. A 
 more engaging sight could not be seen ! The 
 children were not older than seven, and not younger 
 than four years. They were dressed in all the 
 colours of the rainbow. The plat of ground where 
 they played represented the islands of Japan, so this 
 explained the unevenness and irregularity of the 
 parterre. This offered a practical lesson to the 
 infant mind of the geography of their own country, 
 embracing land, seas, rivers, and lakes. The 
 courteous school-mistress, who conducted us through 
 the garden, said, " We teach the infants on the 
 Kinder-Garten principle." And well pleased we 
 were to be eye-witnesses of its good effect. Little 
 mites were asked to show us Fuji-san, and Lake 
 Biwa. This was no sooner said than done. Fuji- 
 san was represented by a stone, in the shape of a 
 pyramid ; Lake Biwa was minus water on this 
 occasion, as the tiny hollow, which represented its 
 bed, contained only a few pebbles. The Island of 
 Awaji was guarded by a miniature bamboo fence. 
 
142 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 " It was there (says mythology), that Izana-gi and 
 Izanami-no-mikoto began to create the Japanese 
 empire ; hence the fence, denoting sacredness." 
 The head-mistress impressed us as being both 
 mother and teacher. The Httle dots, with that 
 grace peculiar to the Japanese generally, turned 
 round and bowed as we retired, and said, 
 " Sayonara." We also bowed and said " Good-bye." 
 
 The Carp ascending the Waterfall. 
 
 (see cover.) 
 "Figlit the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." — I Tim. vi. 12. 
 
 It is a common sight to see, on Japanese works 
 of art, and in picture-books, a carp trying to 
 swim against a strong current or waterfall. This 
 allegorical picture has a very interesting history, 
 and is derived from a Chinese story. In some 
 part of China there is a strong current, called 
 Rio-mon, or Dragon's Gate. This stream is looked 
 upon as sacred ; so that, if any fish succeeds in 
 scaling it^ it becomes a dragon.* The passage is 
 very difficult, it being rocky and steep, and every 
 fish except the carp fails in the attempt. Very 
 often, at the birth of a son, a carp is sent to the 
 parents as a present. 
 
 This emblem seems to me to illustrate the 
 courage which, at the present moment, characterises 
 Japan. She is facing what look like insurmountable 
 
 * The dragon is said to be the ruler of the vapoury elements. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 143 
 
 difficulties ; but, unless her people will embrace 
 the truths of Christianity (not a religious creed 
 merely), and have the love of God shed abroad in 
 their hearts by the Holy Ghost, they will find in 
 the end that they have spent their labour on that 
 which satisfieth not. The true Christian also may 
 be compared with the carp. He has the motive 
 power of love to God and his glory, and con- 
 sequently leads, day by day, an overcoming life. 
 " This is the victory that overcometh the world, 
 even our faith^ 
 
 "Be strong, and very courageous." 
 
 Children's Festivals. 
 
 The fifth of May is the day of the boys' festival. 
 Indoors an exhibit is made of the models of all 
 sorts of weapons, such as swords, lances, bows and 
 arrows, etc., and sometimes even of the heroes and 
 heroines of reputation. The origin of this display can 
 be traced to the warlike disposition of the ancient 
 Japanese to familiarise their sons to the sight 
 of implements of war, and thus foster up their 
 brave spirits from infancy. Early in the morning, 
 the young boys go to the nearest marshes, and cut 
 down flags, which they trim in the shape of swords 
 or sabres, and indulge themselves for the rest of 
 the day in sham-fights, and are as happy as the 
 day is long. It is for this reason that it is also 
 known by the name of the Feast of Flags. In 
 addition to these, there is a martial array of 
 
144 
 
 Echoes from. Japan. 
 
 banners and pennons floating from the top of long 
 bamboo poles rising high above the roofs. Many 
 of these are made in the shape of a carp, often of 
 immense size. They are simply bags of paper or 
 silk, coloured in the natural hue ; but when the 
 breeze gets through the mouth and fills the sides, 
 it produces a wriggling of the body extremely 
 lifelike. The carp is considered as an emblem 
 of perseverance, on account of its great dexterity 
 in ascending rapids, and even cataracts. 
 
 The girls celebrate their festival on the third of 
 March. They have also a complete display of 
 dolls, representing high-life, with all appendages. 
 This is called Hinamatsuri, or the Feast of Dolls. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 J^ragmntts. 
 
 THE Rev. C. H. Spurgeon says, that "T/ the 
 Lord will arouse Christian workers to carry 
 on vigorously tlie work of evangelisation amongst 
 the wonderful people of Japati, she may ere long 
 become tJie 
 
 Britain of Asia." 
 
 The position of Japan in Asia corresponds so 
 greatly with that of England in Europe that her 
 people seem to claim justly a special amount of 
 attention from us. Like the British Isles, she has 
 an insular position, and her maritime power is being 
 rapidly and successfully developed, and is likely 
 soon to make her the most important naval power 
 in Asia. Already her coast is guarded by a navy 
 of thirty-one men-of-war, some of which have 
 been constructed for the Japanese Government in 
 European dockyards, and some in their own naval 
 yard at Yokosuka ; and it is not only in war-ships 
 that the Japanese have followed our example, they 
 
 10 
 
146 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 have also given great attention to their mercantile 
 service, and have already several lines of British- 
 built steam-ships which carry on a constantly 
 increasing commerce with China, Corea, and 
 Russian Asia. 
 
 Advancing. 
 
 The military force of Japan, which has always 
 shown itself efficient and reliable, has lately been 
 greatly reorganised on the German model ; discip- 
 line is rigidly enforced, and the weapons used 
 are all of the latest European types. The postal 
 and telegraph arrangements are excellent : the 
 promptitude and regularity of the deliveries are 
 not excelled even in England. There are nearly six 
 thousand miles of telegraph lines laid down, con- 
 necting places at home, and communicating with 
 foreign places by means of a submarine cable. 
 Education in Japan is carried on in a thorough 
 and systematic manner ; University, Colleges and 
 Schools being arranged on the American and 
 European systems. 
 
 Changing for the Better. 
 
 The Japanese are sometimes said to be too 
 changeable ; but it must be confessed that in these 
 matters they have decidedly been changing for the 
 better. The spirit of progress has awakened Japan 
 from centuries of_slumber, and called her to assume 
 her place as the pioneer of liberal measures in Asia. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 147 
 
 JiNRIKISHA. 
 
 Travelling is rendered easy in Japan by the Jin- 
 rikisha, which can most conveniently be hailed 
 at any moment of need, so that it is easy to 
 travel by highways, byways, winding streets and 
 alleys to the destination for which one is bound. 
 If a long journey is to be made, the speed may be 
 augmented by adding one or two more men. The 
 sensation when the good natured pull-men choose 
 to move at their fastest rate is most delightful. They 
 will halt at the first tea-house they come to, and 
 wringing in water the towel they wear round their 
 heads, will wipe the perspiration from their faces, 
 and after refreshing themselves with a sip of tea 
 will start off again to the next halting-place. They 
 can accomplish journeys of thirty or more miles in 
 one day, and their charge is very moderate. They 
 receive their fare with a series of bows. 
 
 Railways. 
 
 A network of railways for the whole country is 
 projected, and already there are nearly 1,000 miles 
 of rail along the coast and inland. In 1871, seven- 
 teen miles composed the first railroad. This makes 
 travelling in Japan much more easy than in Corea 
 and China, where locomotives are as yet scarcely 
 known. 
 
 The Press. 
 
 The Press has immense influence in Japan, and 
 as in England, that influence is capable of being 
 
148 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 good or evil. Under Christian management, 
 however, it may become a powerful instrument for 
 winning the people to Christ. 
 
 Scenery. 
 
 The country of Japan is extremely beautiful : 
 nearly everywhere in the interior the traveller nieets 
 with cone-shaped hills clothed in verdure to their 
 summits, and with rich foliage in the valleys below. 
 In spring, the country is ablaze with azaleas and 
 other flowers, and presents a most beautiful ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 The valleys are cultivated everywhere, and rice, 
 millet, wheat, barley, maize, and sweet potatoes 
 abound. The sound of mountain torrents and 
 waterfalls mingling with the murmur of insects, 
 and the songs of birds, fill the hilly fastnesses with 
 music. Gigantic pines and cedars reign in many of 
 the forests among a great variety of other trees. 
 
 The Japanese are intense admirers of Nature. 
 They seem to be made for their country and their 
 country for them. In the spring and autumn they 
 sally forth in parties in boats and Jinrikishas to 
 see the plum, cherry, and peach blossoms, the 
 peonies, chrysanthemums, and a magical show of 
 maple. The Japanese are always so impressed 
 with the generosity of Nature, that they seem to 
 feel that on certain days they must pay their 
 respects to her. Like the fashionable world, they 
 are alive to her presence when she holds court and 
 gives i-eceptions for all sorts in the height of the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 149 
 
 season. Such outings are called nagame (behold- 
 ings). 
 
 The favourite plum blossom is the emblem of 
 undying love, because, in the early spring, and even 
 in winter, it bursts open and flourishes in the atmo- 
 sphere of frost and snow; hence the place it occupies 
 as a decoration at marriage-feasts, reminding the 
 affianced pair that the trials and difficulties of their 
 future life must be overcome by love. Royalty, I am 
 told, would regard it as a misfortune were circum- 
 stances to prevent them from sharing in these rural 
 festivities. It is interesting to notice the boat-loads 
 of young and old, and cavalcades of Jinriki- 
 shas that go and come by watercourses and 
 highways at such seasons. The month of April 
 is the most popular, for in it the cherry blossom 
 flourishes. They fill their conventional lunch boxes 
 with supplies for the day, which they spend in spots 
 where they can feast their eyes on the beauty of 
 the trees so gorgeously apparelled. The chrysan- 
 themum Beholding comes off" later ; also that of 
 the maple, when hill-sides look brilliant, as if 
 dipped in vermilion, with the exception that the 
 rich and luminous mass is here and there relieved 
 with some evergreen, such as cedar, pine, and 
 holly, and all is canopied by an exquisite azure 
 sky. This, of all the floral Beholdings is the 
 most magical, and worthy of the skill of the many 
 occidental and native artists daily on the spot 
 endeavouring to transfer it, if possible, to canvas. 
 There is also the Snow Beholding, which has a 
 
ISO Echoes from Japan. 
 
 special fascination for artists who visit plantations 
 of pine and such evergreens — as on them the snow 
 makes picturesque terraces, which they like to paint 
 on silk. 
 
 The Moon Beholding 
 
 takes place in the autumn, when the gazers stand, 
 if possible, on the bank of a river, or on a bridge, in 
 order to see it reflected in the clear and still water. 
 Pictures of real merit are often produced from the 
 reflection of the moon in the waters. They also 
 like to look at it through the trees. 
 
 The Creator. 
 
 There are many in Japan now as well as in the 
 past, who ascribe glory to their ideal Creator for 
 the lavish way in which he has beautified their 
 country with his good things. 
 
 The Book of Books. 
 
 The Japanese are not only ready to move forward 
 with the tide of European methods, but also for 
 the reception and spread of the Gospel. The 
 sacred Scriptures are printed whole and in parts, 
 and freely circulated, as well as a large variety of 
 other Christian literature. Many reverently regard 
 the Bible as the " Book of Books," and it is touch- 
 ing to see a devout Japanese handle the sacred 
 volume. He clasps it in both hands and then 
 elevates it, in the meanwhile bowing reverently as 
 if he realised that he owed his creation as well as 
 
Echoes from Japan. 1 5 i 
 
 . his redemption to it ; and yet it is only within the 
 last fifteen years that this change has passed over 
 the minds of thousands with regard to the Bible. 
 Before that period it was regarded as a collection 
 of fables and records of history touching outside 
 nations, and by many, as a book full of deadly* 
 teachings. I have often watched with interest some 
 of my own pupils pore over its contents for hours 
 together, and now and then raise their heads, 
 exclaiming, " This is truly a wonderful book ! 
 but is it true ? If true, why don't your people 
 practise its precepts ? So many of them drink, 
 oppress, and lead immoral lives, and are imperious 
 and rude in their manners." It was often difficult 
 to give a satisfactory answer. Generally, I told them 
 that " God meant everyone to know His mind and 
 will as recorded in the Book, and then left them 
 free to obey." Those to whom much is given, from 
 them m.uch will be required ; and how heavy is our 
 responsibility, who have so long enjoyed the price- 
 less possession of an open Bible ! 
 
 The Japanese do not smoke opium ; but women 
 as well as men are inveterate smokers of tobacco ; 
 spirit drinking used to be unheard of among the 
 women, but I regret to say, on official authority, 
 that such is not the case at present. 
 
 The income of the Japanese Government is 
 62,397,570 dollars, of which 13,697,723 dollars is 
 the tax paid for Japanese sake (spirits). In 18S6, 
 
 * The tares of discord sown by the Jesuits, who visited Japan in 
 the 1 5th century, led to this misconception. 
 
152 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 imported spirits amounted to 500,000 dollars. This 
 iniquitous traffic is daily increasing. The enemy 
 of souls is everywhere taking advantage of the 
 apathy of the Church, he follows in the wake of 
 civilisation, and provides the natives of newly- 
 opened countries with all that the perverted appe- 
 tite appreciates. Oh, what a privilege to be able to 
 enter such a country as Japan, and carry the Gospel 
 to stem the rising tide of sin ! 
 
 The Japanese want to see us as we are in family 
 life, and to adopt our customs. What a responsible 
 and enviable opportunity is given to us to give 
 shape, tone, and stability to a nation which, from 
 the centre to the circumference, from the base to 
 the summit, beats with a desire to be to Asia what 
 England is to Europe ! 
 
 Imperial Race. 
 
 The Japanese are an imperial race in a higher 
 sense than the term is understood by us. They 
 have none of the sad traces with which serfdom 
 on the one side of them (Russia), and overbearing 
 mandarins on the other (China) have branded 
 millions of honest toilers. 
 
 Religions. 
 
 Strictly speaking, there are but two religions in 
 Japan, viz., Shintoism and Buddhism. The first is 
 peculiar to Japan, and means the law (or religion) 
 of the gods. The second was introduced from 
 
Echoes from Japan. 153 
 
 Corea in the third century, and, shortly afterwards, 
 Confucianism, which originated in China ; its founder 
 was the patron saint or sage of that country. 
 
 The emblem of the Shinto religion is a polished 
 mirror; its teaching is, "Be righteous," "Keep a clean 
 conscience,'' " Your actions reflect your character." 
 
 Buddha promises his votaries nirvana, or state of 
 eternal repose. To attain to this, many incarna- 
 tions in the bodies, first of animals and subse- 
 quently of men, are necessary. 
 
 The Confucian philosophy enjoins obedience and 
 devotion to parents, and promises the filially pious 
 a long life of happiness, but leaves him in un- 
 certainty as to the future. 
 
 A Bright Future. 
 
 A Japanese artist said to me, lately, " Teacher, I 
 find that, since I have begun reading the New 
 Testament, a fiUure is linked with my life. I 
 suppose the reason why Japanese, Chinese, and In- 
 dians do not put perspective into their drawings 
 is because Buddha and Confucius have not given 
 them a future ; and the reason why English artists, 
 on the contrary, put so much perspective into their 
 drawings is because Christianity reveals a bright 
 future, and lifts the heart above the material gains 
 of this life." 
 
 They respect Law. 
 
 The Japanese are a submissive, law-abiding 
 people. Taught, as they have been for ages, to 
 
1 54 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 regard their emperor as a direct descendant of the 
 creator of their charming country, and to regard it 
 an honour to lay their lives down for him if need be, 
 it can be easily imagined what reverence and sub- 
 mission they yield to the voice of the throne. One 
 would be inclined to think that, among such a people, 
 democracy would be a system of government which 
 would be regarded as an exotic plant difficult of 
 cultivation. It is to be hoped, however, that the 
 Japanese Government will not hamper and oppress 
 her people with taxes, and thus breed and foster 
 the discontent from which we in England are, to a 
 great extent, suffering. 
 
 Simple Habits. 
 
 The Japanese are, as a . rule, exceedingly simple 
 in their mode of living. There are times, however, 
 when festivities are carried to excess. The more I 
 saw of them, the more convinced I felt that I lived 
 among a people of truly great minds, and that all 
 they stand in need of is the Gospel. I remember 
 how, time after time, pupils from a distance would 
 drop in and say they would like to take lessons 
 in English from me, acting as if they were under 
 deep obligation to me, when, indeed, it was I who 
 felt under obligation to them. Frequently, some of 
 them would come a long distance to conduct me to 
 their nice homes. The exquisite cleanliness of each 
 was what first struck me, even the large stones that 
 decked the grounds, and the tiles that covered the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 155 
 
 roof looked as if they received care and attention. 
 Not an atom of anything but what added interest 
 to the scene met my eye. These dwellings were 
 not showy in the least — the architecture was very 
 simple, the houses being built with wood. The 
 sliding partitions were covered with pretty designs, 
 flowers, birds, and crests. The grounds were laid 
 out with curiously trained pines and maples ; but 
 there is nothing that answers to our unrivalled park 
 lands and grass lawns in England. Such decora- 
 tions, in nature and in art, blended, I thought, nicely 
 with the sober but rich attire of the elderly dames, 
 as well as the bright obi (sashes) of the younger 
 ladies. And their almost solemn yet sweet manner, 
 while we partook of a specially prepared repast, was 
 in keeping with the surroundings. I often felt, as 
 I bade them farewell, that an indissoluble heart- 
 link had been formed between us ; and, when my 
 pupils after a while left me, my prayers followed 
 them. God met them, and some of them have 
 learned to call Him, "Abba, Father." Pray for 
 them, and not for them only, but for the millions in 
 Japan who do not know the glad tidings of a 
 Saviour's love ; and that the time may soon come 
 when the Sun of Righteousness shall rise over that 
 land with healing in His wings. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ^ ^Crip to tl)e fgacone frills. 
 
 " Come ye yourselves apart, and rest awhile." — Markvi. 31. 
 
 THE Hacone Hills are about forty-five miles 
 from Yokohama. The missionaries are glad 
 of this cool resort in the month of August, when it 
 is very hot in the plains. • 
 
 After a five years' soul-winning campaign among 
 the sailors, I felt a strong inclination to go there 
 for change and rest, more especially as my little 
 school was disbanded for the time being, and the 
 lease of my cottage was out. I procured my pass- 
 port, and hired a Jinrikisha and two men, and set off 
 by way of the Tokaido, the famous King's highway 
 of Japan. 
 
 The sky was as clear as a looking-glass, and 
 reposeful Fuji-san* stood out in bold relief, only 
 that he wore a girdle of mist. 
 
 * The Japanese compare this phenomenal mountain to Nirvana. 
 Itisnearly l3,ooofeetabove thelevelof thesea. Tradition says that 
 it and Lake Biwa came into existence on one and the same day. Its 
 apex resembles the corolla of a water-lily, a configuration to which 
 the Japanese attach importance. In all the Buddhistic temples 
 Buddha is seen seated on what represents a full-blown lotus. This 
 snow-white flower is said to typify the soul that has passed through 
 the purgatorial fires into Nirvana. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 157 
 
 The tea-houses en route have decHned from the 
 
 flourishing state of bygone days, when the daimios 
 
 and their retainers came and went with great pomp. 
 
 But many of the Ochayas, as the tea-houses are 
 
 called, are very pretty, and I think prosperous, 
 
 especially one of those we halted at. The boards, 
 
 mats, and screens were, as usual, clean and bright. 
 
 Tea and cake were served in the usual way. The 
 
 maids who waited on us were neatly dressed. My 
 
 Jinrikisha men went at a splendid pace, evidently 
 
 bent up6n taking me as far as Odawara that day ; 
 
 but night was setting in, and we concluded it was 
 
 safer for them and me to take rest and shelter at a 
 
 second-rate hotel we had come to. The room 
 
 placed at my disposal was enclosed with a net, 
 
 which smelt " reeky," as we say in Scotland. Sleep, 
 
 in spite of all the precautions against the audacious 
 
 mosquitoes, was rendered impossible by the presence 
 
 of another class of insect met with everywhere. 
 
 Early in the morning, on taking a cup of tea and a 
 
 little rice, I paid my bill and left. The air was 
 
 cool, and Nature so still that it seemed almost 
 
 a pity to disturb her ! The absence of singing 
 
 birds, where there is so much to associate with 
 
 them, was conspicuous. Very soon, however, the 
 
 croaking of frogs, and the discontented, complaining 
 
 voices of a variety of insects, as well as the presence 
 
 of butterflies, assured us that those beautiful slopes 
 
 and bamboo groves were not altogether destitute of 
 
 life. On coming to a river we saw a crowd of men 
 
 and women waiting to be forded to the other side. 
 
158 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 We got on board an unwieldy-looking boat. At 
 one end were some small cattle, kagos (litters), and 
 Jinrikishas ; at the other end the passengers. In- 
 stead of going straight across to the pier on the 
 opposite side, the boat was rowed along the bank 
 against the stream, a distance of a hundred or more 
 yards, when all of a sudden a signal was given to 
 " hold on tight." My bearers, in consideration of 
 my ignorance of what it all meant, asked me to sit 
 down. The boat then darted like an arrow down 
 the centre of the river, and in a second or two we 
 struck against the pier, which threw the passengers 
 into collision, and provoked a hearty laugh from 
 one and all. The quadrupeds, however, stood 
 unmoved. The banks of those mountain streams 
 or rapids were lined with elongated wicker-work 
 barricades, called snake-baskets, filled with large, 
 round pebbles. The force of the current, without 
 recourse to this primitive invention, would, in a 
 short time, carry all before it. Another hour's ride 
 and we reached Odawara. We turned into a large 
 hotel patronised by farmers and pilgrims. Instead 
 of being served with tea, they gave us a delicious 
 drink made from roasted barley. I paid my men, 
 and engaged a porter to carry my baggage to the 
 top of the ascent, viz., Miyanoshita, where I 
 intended to stay a few days at least. Irregularly 
 shaped hills and ridges, covered with grass, met my 
 eye constantly while I followed my guide through 
 a thickly-shaded wood resonant with a variety of 
 chirping birds and noisy katy-dids. After a slow 
 
Echoes from Japan. 159 
 
 trudge of two hours I reached the summit. The 
 population of Miyanoshita proper is principally 
 composed of a few hotel-keepers. I chose the 
 place my porter conducted me to. The hotels are 
 not so spacious as those on the Tokaido, but they 
 are very airy and clean. The landlord and landlady 
 came and welcomed me by bowing again and again 
 on bended knee, and giving orders to the maids to 
 bring tea and confectionery. Tea was served on a 
 plain but uncommon wooden tray. The neatly 
 piled contents of a curious shaped china dish were 
 pink and white ground rice cakes — mere " mouth- 
 fuls " — cut in squares. The tea was poured out by 
 the lady-like hostess in tiny cups, and the maid, 
 kneeling at her right, passed it on to me with 
 a solemn bow. They sat gracefully on their 
 cushions, with feet tucked out of sight. I had to 
 apologise for my awkward posture. The sound 
 of the waterfall near by, and the rustling of the 
 trees of the forest in which this unique village 
 lay embedded, had the effect of sending me to 
 sleep. All around this many-roomed, open dwelling, 
 emerald cone-shaped hills greet the eye. On 
 arriving at Miyanoshita I thought I had reached 
 the summit ; but no, far from it ; there are yet 
 heights on heights. As a foreigner, I was of course 
 an object of interest, and several of the guests, 
 male and female, felt they must come and greet 
 me. I took with me a Gospel, several tracts, and a 
 small romanised Japanese hymn book. Among 
 the visitors were students from Tokyo. I asked 
 
i6o Echoes from Japan. 
 
 one of them to be so good as to read a marked-out 
 portion aloud, which he did, stopping now and 
 then to express approval, and give opportunity to 
 his audience to do the same, for they all seemed 
 deeply interested. I then sang a hymn, reading it 
 verse after verse as I went on. To some of them 
 this was very novel, but not to the male visitors 
 who had been to the Treaty Ports, and had attended 
 the preaching places. They told me that a missionary 
 from Yokohama had visited the place lately, and 
 preached the doctrine in the villages and hamlets 
 of the district. I found out eventually that the 
 preacher was a gentleman who had learnt Japanese 
 in London, and could preach in that tongue soon 
 after his arrival in Japan. I visited some of the 
 guests in their rooms, and found an interesting 
 young man named Inosuk6 who persistently read a 
 Chinese gospel I had given him. In this, as in 
 every hotel of this village, hot spring baths covered 
 the greater part of the ground floor. These are 
 constantly availed of by the visitors from all parts. 
 The simple contrivance by which these baths are 
 supplied is noteworthy. Bamboo trees take the 
 place of pipes. These are laid horizontally along 
 the hill-sides, terminating, I presume, at the hot 
 water springs, possibly miles away. On touching 
 them one finds out that the temperature is not far 
 from boiling point. The baths are not unlike a 
 baptistery, lined with boards instead of zinc. At 
 one end there are two small openings for admitting 
 the hot and cold water ; at the other end there 
 
Echoes from Japan. i6i 
 
 is an outlet which gives the bath a chance of 
 being perpetually clean and inviting. I walked one 
 day across the hills to a village, where I found some 
 acquaintances from different parts. The neatness, 
 tastefulness, and superiority of the hotels over those 
 of Miyanoshita and Aishi-Noyu was very striking. 
 The missionaries and native Christians who come 
 to these places have an enviable opportunity of 
 speaking a word for the Master, by having little 
 meetings among the Japanese visitors who are, 
 summer and winter, to be found there. Here, 
 treaty restrictions do not prevent the foreign 
 missionary, any more than the native, from sowing 
 the seed, and letting the light shine. Many a 
 Japanese traces his conversion to having been 
 spoken to by an evangelist at some of those 
 summer resorts ; and frequently on their return to 
 Tokyo and Yokohama, the missionaries are visited 
 by them at their own homes, or preaching places, 
 just as if they had wakened up to realise that the 
 missionary was not the " bogie " they were, by 
 some means or other, given to understand. Having 
 spent a somewhat restful few days at this hill-top, 
 I paid my bill and proceeded to Hacone on foot, a 
 porter carrying my luggage. We went along a 
 gradual ascent, passed through Aishi-Noyu, where 
 we halted to reconnoitre the vast environment of hills 
 and hollows. This village is by no means so select 
 as that of Miyanoshita. The people who patronise 
 the baths are not of the well-to-do class exactly. 
 Here, for the first time, I had an opportunity 
 
1 62 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 of seeing more than twenty people sitting to their 
 necks in a sulphur bath. After an hour or more's 
 trudge we reached the Tokaido, modernised by the 
 presence of telegraph posts and wires. Two letter- 
 carriers brushed by us, puffing and blowing, as if 
 their lives depended on getting to their destination 
 at an hour all but expired. Each carried two small 
 packets, suspended at each end of a bamboo pole. 
 They were girded with a loin cloth simply, and the 
 perspiration was pouring off their sun-burnt bodies. 
 How suggestive, I thought, they were of the words, 
 " Salute no man by the way " .' We now sighted the 
 Hacon6 lake. Fuji-san seems to be looking down 
 in her deep clear waters, and gratefully acknow- 
 ledging that her placid surface contributes much to 
 his comfort ; for without stirring from his kingly 
 throne, he can see his numerous progeny (the 
 Hacon^ hills) reflected in it. 
 
 Next day I joined some of my American 
 friends to the top of one of the highest peaks of 
 this celebrated range. The grass reached to our 
 shoulders. We went single file, holding on to a 
 strong rope. We would fain have rested en route ; 
 but how did we know but the slimy snake might 
 object to our making so free in a domain, where 
 indeed we should not feel surprised were it proved 
 to us it held sway .' This seasoning of suspicion 
 spurred us onwards, and thankful we were when 
 we reached the summit, which was smoothly matted 
 with what looked exactly like the cranberry shrub, 
 so peculiar to the Scottish hills. In a remote 
 
Echoes from Japan. 163 
 
 corner we saw a fissure nearly overgrown with 
 stunted shrubs and creepers, making it impossible 
 to peer into its depths. Doubtless he it was 
 who vomited forth the shower of black boulders, 
 bestrewing the peak from summit to base, thus 
 creating a picturesque devastation all around. Far 
 away at the horizon, we saw clouds of smoke and 
 ashes. " Ah ! " we exclaimed, " it is the safety-valve 
 of this circuit " — the active volcano called 0-shima. 
 Our next turn-out was along the full length of the 
 Hacone lake. Our boat was a somewhat capacious 
 one. Gorgeous vegetation abounded on either side ; 
 and as we were near to the shore going, we had 
 a good opportunity of inspecting the variegated 
 foliage, which always means a great variety of trees. 
 Conspicuous among them is the pink flower of the 
 saru-suberi, as it is called (from saru, a monkey, and 
 suberi, slippery), the supposition being that the 
 monkeys, which abound in the Japanese forests, 
 are always defeated when they attempt to climb it. 
 It looks exactly like a tree off which the bark 
 has been peeled. On landing, we walked along a 
 well-beaten path till we reached (I am afraid to 
 think of it) a honeycomb of danger. The Japanese 
 call the place 0-ji-koku (lit. Great-hell). As we 
 wended our way up-hill through a romantic wood, 
 we found that the temperature was very suggestive 
 of a Turkish bath. We had at length reached the 
 top of a gradual slope. Trees and shrubs were few 
 and far between in this desolate, steamy place. The 
 geyser was throwing its lava into mid air : its 
 
164 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 groans and moans, how suggestive of distress and 
 inextricable difficulty ! Ferns, moss, and other 
 tin}'' plants abound here, but they are pale ; and no 
 wonder — the marvel is that they exist at all — for 
 nature, instead of being attired in green, partakes 
 of the colour of the sulphur which abounds in every 
 direction. We have to follow our guide closely, 
 otherwise the many tiny footpaths might prove a 
 false step, to say the least. By leaning heavily 
 upon our umbrellas we can break the crust of 
 earth on which the uninitiated might step at any 
 moment to his disadvantage by getting his feet 
 scalded, if not exposing his life to greater peril. 
 Here is what looks like the bed of a river ; there 
 a meandering streamlet of cold, clear water runs 
 over the sulphur-washed pebbles ; yonder rises a hot 
 spring, nearly at boiling point, and joins partner- 
 ship with its gurgling, rippling neighbour a little 
 further down. Some Japanese are at work here 
 every day. They fill straw bags with the only 
 product of the place, viz., brimstone. This is used 
 in cities and towns for providing invalids with 
 sulphur baths. Surely this place would not be true 
 to its name were it entirely without that unpopular 
 reptile called a snake. Here and there we caught 
 sight of it gliding silently out of our way. We 
 retreated early, and thankful we were that no evil 
 had befallen us. The most home-like sight in the 
 forest-world my eye rested on, on that day, was the 
 raspberry plant (I can scarcely call it a bush), a 
 foot or so in height, bearing the well-known fruit. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 165 
 
 Such, however, is without the rich flavour of that 
 known in England. The hills, with the glorious 
 sunset casting its golden reflections on them, 
 attracted our attention as we wended our way by 
 land and water to our respective hotels. We, at 
 intervals, struck up a favourite hymn of praise. 
 How could we help doing so, surrounded as we 
 were with such a display of our Father's unsullied 
 handiwork, to say nothing of His protecting care ! 
 All His works praise Him, and His saints do give 
 Him thanks ! Here, missionaries have opportunities, 
 as at all inland places, for preaching the Gospel. 
 Our passports, as British and American subjects, 
 only entitle us to travel for health. But to get 
 permission to hold meetings in a private house or 
 hotel, all that has to be done is to ask leave of the 
 civil officer of the place, and it is granted. And 
 whether the European is forbidden to preach be- 
 yond treaty limits or not, it is gratifying to know 
 that the Japanese are at liberty to do so. And, 
 with and without the co-operation of the foriegn 
 missionary, one hears of how such-and-such a place 
 has been visited by the native evangelist, and how 
 gladly the people have congregated to hear the 
 glad tidings of salvation of the grace of God 
 proclaimed by Him. I attended Gospel meetings 
 in this place, when a crowd assembled each time. 
 Ere many years shall have passed, the Japanese 
 will be dispensing with the services of their western 
 brethren, for the truly saved among them seem to 
 feel that woe to them, also, if they do not preach 
 
1 66 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 the Gospel to their people. I hope that they 
 will, in the meanwhile, be learning from the 
 manner of life of all foreign missionaries, that they 
 are men and women of God in life, in doctrine, 
 and charity. 
 
 Miss G and I Leave for Yokohama. 
 
 The whole household came and bowed and 
 wished us " Good-bye." We felt how little can be 
 done by such weak tools as we are ! Yet, in our 
 hearts, we regretted to leave such interesting people 
 in ignorance of God and His free and full salvation. 
 We can but pray, however, that the day is not far 
 distant when this nation shall bow down before Him 
 who will have all men to be saved, and not before 
 dumb idols, as heretofore. Our porters had no sooner 
 shouldered our luggage than we followed them on 
 foot through the village towards the Tokaido. 
 The day was exquisitely fine ; very soon we glided 
 into one of the most beautiful passes or glens in 
 the country. The gigantic cryptomeria are peers 
 among all the trees of the forest, and there is a 
 splendid variety, judging of the variegated display 
 of foliage, which covers a vast area ; our three hours' 
 tramp was anything but tedious. 
 
 We passed enormous rock boulders, nearly as 
 round as a cannon ball. The water oozed freely 
 all over one of them, and the modest sweet- 
 scented Yu-bana (a species of polyanthus) grew 
 in thick tufts at irregular intervals. This flower 
 
Echoes from Japan. 
 
 167 
 
 is unknown in England. We asked our men 
 to make a halt so as to reach us some few sprigs 
 to take with us in memory of the superb gullies 
 
 TEA-HOUSE MAID. 
 
 and ravines of Hacone. On reaching Yumoto, at 
 foot of the descent, we entered a beautiful, newly- 
 built tea-house, called Fuku-sumi. I saw an old 
 
1 68 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 pupil of mine in this place ; we were pleased to 
 have met so unexpectedly. Our porter, on re- 
 ceiving his fare, returned to his home. We had 
 great difficulty in procuring J inrikisha men. They 
 are more difficult to deal with inland than at 
 Yokohama. They charge double fare', and take 
 advantage of strangers. The day was beginning 
 to wane, and we had a long way to go. At last, 
 after much parleying, two men offered to take us 
 to Odawara. But we found, to our sorrow, that 
 they were very inefficient, so that we had often to 
 alight and walk in the dark. On reaching Odawara, 
 our next difficulty was to procure a place to put up 
 in for the night. Finally, we enquired at the house 
 of worthy people, who were friends of missionaries ; 
 they begged of us to enter. The head of the house 
 lighted his lantern, and went to the local officer 
 and told him that we had arrived late, and could not 
 proceed further that night ; what was to be done ? 
 Permission was given to him to shelter us, which he 
 and his gentle wife did most cheerfully. Early 
 next morning we left for Yokohama, feeling 
 thankful to God for putting it into the hearts of 
 strangers to show us kindness. 
 
 On my arrival I found that my tried faith was 
 rewarded by a letter which contained a fresh proof 
 of my Father's care. So I thanked God for putting 
 me into the furnace and bringing me scathelessly 
 out of it. 
 
 " What more than others I deserve ? 
 Yet God hath given me more." 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 il^ohj ©rtmtals in ILonlion mag tre rracifjctt. 
 
 ^ ''I was a stranger, and ye took lie in." — Matt. xxv. 35. 
 
 IN addition to all that I have said, and will say, in 
 reference to the facilities for evangelistic work 
 in Japan, I should like to make a few suggestions, 
 as to how we may become missionaries without 
 having to leave England. At present there are more 
 than one hundred Japanese in this country — the 
 greater number being in London and its environs. 
 Many of these are students at our Universities, 
 public schools, and in connection with commercial 
 houses in the City. There are also many repre- 
 sentatives of other Eastern nations, more especially 
 our Indian fellow-subjects. In no way can we 
 more effectually help forward the cause of missions, 
 and strengthen the hands of those who have 
 already crossed the seas, and are bearing the 
 burden in the heat of the day than by seeking out 
 those strangers, and like true lovers of souls, prove 
 to them — in spite of all they may see and hear to 
 the contrary — that Christianity is, beyond doubt, 
 a Divine reality. In England, they are, practically, 
 set free from much that acts as trammels and 
 hindrances to reaching them, and their embracing 
 Christianity in their own lands. 
 
I/O Echoes from Japan. 
 
 How IT Strikes a Stranger. 
 
 A Japanese student in London said lately, he 
 thought his own people had hitherto over-valued the 
 state of things called civilisation. Many years ago 
 they had heard much about the blessings which re- 
 sulted from it, and they were led to expect something 
 much greater and better than what actually exists ; 
 not that he looked for perfection, for he frankly 
 admitted that there were many excellent insti- 
 tutions, but the sad fact remained that there were 
 many vicious elements which counteracted the 
 good. He said this in accordance with his best 
 reflection, or unbiased conclusion from observed 
 facts, and not as the result of any national or 
 race prejudice. " We can see," he added, " that 
 Christianity is the religion of love, and its influence 
 and efforts are certainly wonderful ; but we cannot 
 help asking why so much disunion exists among 
 Christian people. Its benevolence extends to the 
 utmost parts of the earth, and yet it seems power- 
 less to make its votaries willing to worship their 
 common Father at a common altar." But in spite 
 of this inevitable suspicion, he concluded, " That 
 Christianity had mitigated the evils and injustices 
 of modern civilisation, and that if Christian people 
 could forget minor differences and misunderstand- 
 ings among themselves, and attest the true spirit of 
 love before the whole world, their influence and 
 confidence would be much enhanced." .... 
 
 My experience in dealing with strangers sojourn- 
 ing in London, has taught me that the above 
 
Echoes from Japan. lyi 
 
 candid remark is but a sample of how we are re- 
 garded by all Orientals, while we and they are at a 
 distance from each other, i.e., while we Christians 
 are neglecting to obey the injunction, '^ Be not 
 forgetful to entertain strangers." Those of them 
 who have been brought nearer to us, admit that 
 their first impressions were misty and mistaken. 
 " I was a stranger, and ye took Me in," saith 
 our Lord. Took Me in ! means personal and 
 mutual intercourse ! So that they cannot help 
 feeling and seeing that God is among us. 
 
 By inviting them to luncheon, dinner, or to spend 
 the Sunday with us, and taking them to bright 
 Gospel services and Bible readings, where they can 
 see heart and soul put into the teaching, preaching, 
 and worship of the true God, great good may be 
 done. 
 
 Indeed, many things will suggest themselves to 
 soul-winners. Our love for the heathen in this age 
 of progress (when Easterns come to our shores by 
 thousands) may be gauged and tested by God, by 
 the efforts we are making to win them to Him on 
 the spot. We have already lost glorious opportuni- 
 ties. Numbers of Oriental students, who have 
 spent years in our midst, have returned without 
 having been spoken to once about Jesus and His 
 love. As already stated, they cannot help seeing 
 the efforts we are making in sending missionaries 
 to their people, but our apathy towards those of 
 them who are here is apt to be misunderstood. 
 Who can estimate the numberless pit-falls and 
 
172 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 snares, waylaying the stranger, which may be 
 obviated by 
 
 " Little deeds of kindness, 
 And little words of love " ? 
 
 I have already proved how large-hearted English 
 Christians are. In this respect they stand alone ; 
 for all that is needful in order to elicit sympathy 
 and practical help in any worthy cause, is to 
 have their attention drawn to it by accredited 
 persons. ^ 
 
 Many incidents could be cited to prove the 
 blessed results of efforts of this sort in this great 
 city. I pray God that His children may be more 
 than ever on the look out, touching " How 
 OrienMs in London may be reached." All that is 
 wanted is a loving heart. 
 
 I feel profoundly thankful to God for the way He 
 has made it, thus far, easy for me to introduce my 
 foreign friends to His own children in this great 
 city. This is a day when many are running to and 
 fro. The Easterns, like the Queen of Sheba, are 
 coming to see things for themselves. May they 
 before their return to Japan, be brought into living 
 contact with Jesus, and thus be forced to say, " It 
 was a true report which I heard in mine own land 
 of thine acts, and of thy wisdom : howbeit I 
 believed not their words, until I came, and mine 
 eyes had seen it : and, behold, the one half of the 
 greatness of thy wisdom was not told me : for 
 thou exceedest the fame that I heard." What a 
 TESTIMONY ! 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 ©0afea Notes. 
 
 OSAKA is a city of 362,000 inhabitants. It is 
 situate on the south-eastern part of the 
 province of Settsu, and near the mouth of the Yodo 
 river. It is divided into four Ku or divisions, viz., 
 eastern division, western division, southern division, 
 and northern division. It has nearly 400 bridges, 
 so that travellers from the West have called it, 
 the " Venice of Japan." Some of the streets run 
 at right angles, and are kept very clean ; each 
 householder being responsible for the front of his 
 own dwelling. 
 
 The famous castle of Osaka, built three hundred 
 years ago, by Toyotomi, Hideyoshi — the Iron 
 Duke of Japan — is in the eastern part of the 
 city. The site on which it stands was, originally, 
 called Ishiyama. Some of the hewn stones are so 
 large that one wonders how they were carried there, 
 considering the primitive appliances of the times. 
 Our well-informed Japanese teacher told me that it 
 is supposed that several rich daimios, living in 
 distant provinces, presented them to the great 
 soldier. 
 
174 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Temples. 
 
 There are two large Buddhist temples in the 
 middle of Osaka, called Mido. The one to the 
 south, is called Minami-no-mido ; the one to the 
 north, Kita-no-mido — viz., southern temple and 
 northern temple. They belong to the Nishi- 
 Honguanji sect. Some of the carved works of the 
 celebrated Hidari-Jingoro are to be seen here. 
 There are, besides, paintings of Domonomatahei. 
 The name given to the high-priests of the Honguanji 
 is Monzeki. Their headquarters are at Kiyoto, and 
 on paying Osaka an official visit, all the old people 
 come up to them in order to obtain their bene- 
 diction. Another name given to these ecclesiastics 
 is Ikiniorai, or the living representatives of the gods. 
 In this city there is a street entirely composed of 
 temples, viz., Teramachi (temple street). The 
 celebrated temple and pagoda of Tenoji is in the 
 south-eastern part, and the original one, built by 
 the famous prince, Shotoku-taishi, was the first 
 Buddhist temple of Japan. 
 
 On visiting this place one day, I was struck by 
 the tattered appearance of the interior of a cloister 
 not far from the entrance. The clothes and play- 
 things of children hung on the walls. The bell 
 rope, which the priest at that moment held in his 
 hand, was festooned with the charm bags and 
 other personal relics of the children for whom he 
 was offering up prayer in inimitable cantos. Young 
 women, conducted by their mothers-in-law, came 
 
Echoes from Japan. 17S 
 
 and went with their hearts crushed with sorrow. 
 I entered into conversation with one of them, but 
 her heart was too full to give me a verbal answer 
 when I asked her if she had lost a little one. She 
 had been to Shotoku-taishi's shrine to dedicate her 
 departed treasure's playthings to him, thus pro- 
 pitiating his favour on its behalf 
 
 " How then shall my daughter, my winsome, wee child. 
 Find her way through the shadows so lonely and wild?''' 
 
 is a translated Japanese couplet showing how the 
 yearning mother heart follows her child through 
 the barren solitudes and cold, deep river of the 
 Buddhistic purgatory. I need not say it was, at 
 least, my privilege to shed a sympathising tear with 
 this mourner. And when we think of how ready 
 they are to receive the comfort which the Gospel 
 alone can give, how can we have the heart to keep 
 it from them any longer ? 
 
 Wholly Given to Idolatry. 
 
 I feel it is not too much to say of Osaka that it 
 is a city wholly given to idolatry. One uproarious, 
 extravagant festival is followed up by another in 
 quick succession. But, I always felt as I gazed on 
 the frantic crowds at those matsuris (festivals), 
 that such a condition of things was more to oitr 
 discredit than it could possibly be to theirs, by 
 having left them so long groping in the dark. This 
 is their way for "making the god happy!' or, of 
 expelling ill-luck, whether in shape of disease. 
 
176 
 
 Eclwes from Japan. 
 
 non-success in business, or otherwise. Ho^\' can 
 they know and do better, so long as we retain the 
 key of knowledge of the only living and true God ? 
 
 A DAIMIOS CASTLE. 
 
 But, while I speak thus, I must bear testimony 
 to the fact that the precious Gospel has been 
 preached at Osaka for man)- years by a goodh' 
 
Echoes from Japan. 177 
 
 number of American, and a few English mission- 
 aries. The net has not been let down in vain by 
 them, as a few extracts on page 220 will show. I 
 give God thanks for the presence of so many 
 American and English missionaries. I feel specially 
 thankful that Miss Tristram and Miss J. Holland 
 are at work in that large city. And yet, with some 
 thirty or more foreign workers, and an efificient 
 staff of native evangelists, one cannot help exclaim- 
 ing, " What are these among 362,000 souls ! " 
 
 The sketch on page 179 represents the interior 
 of a place of worship, and passers-by looking 
 curiously on the prostrate congregation during 
 prayer. It is touching to watch the faces of a 
 Japanese audience as they listen attentively to the 
 preaching, and, like a cornfield bending to the 
 passing wind, they, at intervals, bow assent en 
 masse to what appeals to their sense of right. 
 
 At Osaka. 
 
 After spending five years at Yokohama my steps 
 were directed to Osaka. The father of one of my 
 pupils had long cherished the hope that his son 
 would, one day, accompany me to England. But 
 this was most unexpectedly put a stop to by a 
 heavy commercial loss which he had just then 
 sustained. My strength being a good deal ex- 
 hausted when I left Yokohama, I felt that a visit 
 to England would be beneficial, but the change to 
 Osaka had so far restored me, that I made up my 
 mind to accept an invitation to tarry among them 
 
178 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 for one year at least. The little sister of my dear 
 resident boy pupil joined us. She was a most 
 engaging child, and, like most Japanese girls of her 
 station and age (nine years), she was never so 
 happy as when in full dress. The day her mother 
 and servant brought her to me she wore a crfepe 
 garment stamped with cherry blossom, birds, spiders 
 and spider's webs, in permanent colours. The 
 thought of being separated from her mother for 
 the first time in her life made her act very naturally 
 by shedding a few tears, which she tried to hide. 
 She was not only a good, but a clever girl. 
 
 In less than one year she could read " Peep of 
 Day," " Line upon Line," and the Gospels, as well 
 as any English girl her age. In her second year 
 she could speak a little English, and understand 
 the meaning of much that she read in the Royal 
 Readers she used as school books. 
 
 This was proved to me accidentally, when on orie 
 day Tennyson's poem, the " May Queen," formed 
 her reading lesson. I could see, as verse after 
 verse was read, that her face grew pale, and her 
 voice faltered ; she closed the book, put it into my 
 lap, and sobbed as if her heart would break, while, 
 with great effort, she said, " I cannot read this 
 lesson, it is too pitiful" — i.e., touching. Time after 
 time, as we sat together reading a chapter in 
 the English New T^istament, and discoursing at 
 intervals on the "Love OF GoD IN Sending 
 His Son," and the "Happy Home Above," my 
 pupils would, one and all, say with emphasis, 
 
Echoes from Japan. 
 
 179 
 
 
 r*! l! 'T i 
 
 -^^--^^izir 
 
 %%Tiyy-. 
 
 ! rT-rrH^TtTf-T/ . 
 
i8o Echoes from Japan. 
 
 " Ten-koku-iki-tai " (I should like to go to heaven). 
 This may seem so small a matter, as to be scarcely 
 worth relating. But to me, dim although it is, it 
 is but the " Hosanna to the Son of David," repro- 
 duced in smiles, gestures, and unuttered prayers of 
 " babes and sucklings." 
 
 Japanese Christians have but a child's grasp of 
 things that are full of significance to us ; and we are 
 apt to force Our meridian measure of light upon 
 them when indeed the dim dawn of " line upon 
 line ; here a little, and there a little," would, at 
 this stage, have a more telling effect. 
 
 In about one year five interesting boys, the sons 
 of gentlemen, were brought to me ; and as I was 
 provided with a house, and the school fees of my 
 Japanese, and a few European pupils being sufiS- 
 cient to meet current expenses, I felt all at once 
 started on a fresh campaign. As at Yokohama, 
 I endeavoured to make the access I had to them 
 the means for reaching them, directly and in- 
 directly, with the Word of God. I was not 
 placed under any restrictions by the parents of my 
 pupils as to what their children were to be taught. 
 They had no settled prejudice against Christianity, 
 but believed that a knowledge of English had a 
 more practical bearing than anything else I could 
 teach them. The boys were told in my presence 
 by their parents that they were to obey me, and 
 learn their lessons well. Every injunction was 
 responded to by a profound bow. It was a pretty 
 sight to see those well-dressed parents and children 
 
Echoes from Japan. i8i 
 
 sitting, vis-d-vis, and at one and the same time 
 enjoining and assenting. 
 
 A Cordial Response. 
 
 Another happy recollection of Osaka is the 
 readiness with which some few of the Japanese 
 students from the College came to me, on being 
 invited for three nights weekly, to get assistance in 
 English pronunciation and dictation. When they 
 proposed some arrangement as to how I should be 
 remunerated, I suggested that nothing could repay 
 me like seeing them . come on Sunday and read 
 with me in the New Testament ; for it was the book 
 which gave us knowledge of God as revealed in 
 His blessed Son Jesus Christ, as well as the know- 
 ledge of the Holy Spirit, manifested in the acts 
 and lives of the apostles, etc. The proposal met 
 with a most cordial response, far beyond my 
 expectations. 
 
 The week evening text-books were the " Peep of 
 Day " and " Line upon Line " series. 
 
 It was most gratifying to watch these book- 
 worms, as ever and anon their faces brightened, and 
 they would draw each other's attention when they 
 read of some miracle, or a parable as related by 
 our Lord. I give these simple instances of how 
 they, even at this early stage (1872 — 1881), read 
 the Scriptures, and the use that can be made of 
 their thirst for learning to lead them to the 
 Saviour. 
 
1 82 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Impromptu Meeting. 
 
 One of the pupils who attended this class took 
 me aside, one evening, and said, that if I would 
 promise to be present, he would ask the guests in 
 his hotel to come and listen to a Gospel story read 
 to them, by himself, out of the HOLY BOOK. I 
 was only too glad to answer in the affirmative, and 
 fixed the evening for meeting with them. They 
 hurried over their dinner, so as to be in time to 
 hear the reading of the Scriptures. It was de- 
 lightful to see their engrossed attention while a 
 simple Gospel narrative was read without note or 
 comment. This informal meeting may appear a 
 trifling thing to relate ; but I do so to show how 
 much wayside seed may be sown through the in- 
 troduction of a pupil, pupils' friends, or servant. 
 For my object in writing this book is not to treat 
 on great subjects, but on such as are apt to be 
 overlooked by many who possess the talent for 
 such service. 
 
 Stories about the True God. 
 
 Another instance to show how ready the 
 Japanese are to come to Gospel services and 
 Bible-classes, I may state that on one occasion 
 two of the C. M. S. missionaries took it in turn to 
 come to our house in the city, to address a small 
 meeting of men and women. All I had to do in 
 order to bring them together was to hang a small 
 
Echoes from Japan. 183 
 
 paper lantern outside the door, with the announce- 
 ment, written on it in Japanese : 
 
 "We are telling Stories about the True 
 
 God at 8 o'clock ; 
 
 All are Welcome to attend." 
 
 Again, in the same house, I invited little children 
 to come to me every Sunday morning for half an 
 hour to sing hymns and learn one passage of 
 Scripture. It was astonishing how those little 
 mites picked up the hymn and tune, and repeated 
 after me such verses as " Suffer the little children 
 to come unto Me," " God so loved the World," etc., 
 until they were learned. This unpretending start 
 was suddenly put a stop to by cholera having 
 broken out in our neighbourhood. My seven 
 charges were called, /w tern., to their homes, and I 
 was advised to take a house in the foreign settle- 
 ment, where we resumed our operations after the 
 desolating disease had subsided. 
 
 British Blue-jackets. 
 
 Another pleasant recollection, is when a band 
 of British blue-jackets, who had been at the time 
 cruising at Kob6, twenty miles down the coast, 
 paid me a visit. It was most refreshing to be thus 
 visited by a party of out-and-out Christians — some 
 of them old friends. A crowd of Japanese gathered 
 round my door wondering, no doubt, what the 
 
184 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 singular invasion could mean. We spent about 
 two hours in singing hymns, reading and prayer. 
 After tea they left with the young Christian officer 
 under whose charge they were permitted to come. 
 
 " Thou dost refresh thine heritage when she is 
 weary." 
 
 The late Lady Parkes. 
 
 Another happy recollection is when the late 
 Lady Parkes, who had been on a visit to Kobe, 
 came and spent a day with me. Our subject of 
 conversation was the only one, as she used to say, 
 "WORTH TALKING OF." I have rarely met any 
 who had the tact and power to lead off in a spiritual 
 conversation at all times, and in all places, that she 
 had. In speaking of things that related to Christ, 
 she only yielded to her spiritual instincts, and desire 
 to witness a good confession as she had opportunity ; 
 just as if she felt that " Time was short." 
 
 " Faithful may we constant be, 
 Called and chosen, Lord, by Thee, 
 Till our earthly course be o'er. 
 And we rest for evermore." 
 
 It is now some years since Lady Parkes and, 
 latterly, her husband. Sir Harry, have passed off 
 this scene. Yet little traits that adorned their 
 characters come frequently before my mind. One 
 of these is, when, on the last night of 1875, the blue- 
 jackets and myself held a midnight prayer-meeting 
 in the Church school-room at Yokohama. To our 
 
Echoes from Japajt. 185 
 
 surprise, Sir Harry and Lady P. entered, and in 
 their wonted genial way wished us a Happy New 
 Year. They were the only members of the British 
 community who, on that evening, favoured us with 
 their presence. Much might be added to record the 
 deep gratitude which my friends the sailors and I, 
 then and since, felt for the hearty interest Sir Harry 
 and Lady Parkes took in the good work going on, 
 in those days, ashore and afloat. 
 
 A Pastoral Visit, 
 
 A pastoral visit, now and then, from a spiritual 
 father in the faith would do a world of good to the 
 missionaries. And if they and their native churches 
 were in the habit of looking forward to receiving a 
 pastoral visit, it would create a sense of the oneness 
 of the Christian family, and react most healthfully on 
 the Church both at HOME and ABROAD. One of the 
 most striking features in mission work among the 
 Christians of Japan is, their sense of responsibility 
 for sending the Gospel to their own countrymen to 
 places where they have emigrated. It can be truly 
 said of them as of the Thessalonians — "From you 
 sounded out the Word of the Lord" For the 
 Japanese Christians have sent native evangelists to 
 their brethren in the Sandwich Islands, Corea, and 
 to various parts of Japan. Moreover, we are in this 
 great city, London, brought into contact with 
 earnest Japanese, who tell us, in our own tongue, of 
 the great things God has done among them. I 
 have also grateful and happy recollections of the 
 
1 86 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 excellent opportunities I had of seeing and judging 
 of the progress of the Lord's work, through the 
 kindness of the American missionaries, who invited 
 me to pay them visits, both at Kyoto and Kob6. 
 
 It is well-known that the American missionaries 
 are systematic and hard workers, and have the 
 ■ talent of provoking others to good works. 
 
 The American missionaries seem also to realise 
 the importance of a native agency ; for no matter 
 how well the missionary may speak the language, 
 one learns more and more that the Japanese mind 
 must be handled by a Japanese mind. They have 
 been educated to reason things out, and there is 
 less time wasted when combated by one from 
 among themselves. 
 
 The Japanese at Home. 
 
 I had frequent opportunities of visiting the 
 homes of my pupils, and it was then that I un- 
 learnt false ideas which I had imbibed about Japan 
 from the reports of sensational writers.* 
 
 I saw how necessary it is to know them in their 
 daily life before they can be rightly understood. 
 Very often we see the lady of the house waiting 
 on her visitors at meals. She takes to this work 
 in a cheerful, matter-of-fact way. 
 
 * " A snail overturning the castle wall with its horns " is a 
 Japanese proverb, expressive of impossibility. A Japanese scholar 
 quoted it one dSy in my hearing, in reference to those who wrote 
 books on the domestic life and moral condition of the Japanese, 
 before they had learnt the language and the character of the people 
 from personal observation. A thing which cannot be done in a day ! 
 
Echoes from Japan. 187 
 
 In my ignorance, I often remonstrated with her 
 by saying it made me feel uncomfortable to be 
 waited on. But my entreaty seemed as absurd, to 
 her, as it would be to ask a chivalrous English 
 gentleman to discontinue showing little attentions 
 to his beloved wife, or lady friends in general. 
 What I wish to impress on the reader is, that to 
 wait on her visitors does not degrade her in the 
 eyes of her people, any more than in her own. 
 
 This custom, with its advantages and dis- 
 advantages, is, in common with many of Japanese 
 old usages, dying out. It is Christianity alone 
 that can impart that chivalry towards the weaker 
 sex which we, as a nation, love to encourage, and 
 which we need to cultivate a little more than we 
 do if we would come up to the Scriptural standard, 
 viz., " By love, serve one another." This is 
 something higher and better than what the WORLD 
 calls gallantry. 
 
 Moral Training. 
 
 The Japanese do not show their feelings by 
 kissing and terms of endearment, as we do : but 
 they love one another for all that ! Their extreme 
 reserve on this point is the outcome of their sense 
 of delicacy and moral training. 
 
 Let those who say that the Japanese know 
 nothing of love, go and stay in a family of the 
 middle class, and they will soon see that the wife 
 is kindly treated ; though, of course, she is sub- 
 ordinate to her husband in every respect. The 
 
1 88 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 husband's devotion often shows itself in what we 
 would call pampering. Look into her wardrobe, and 
 see how her carefully put away silk and cr^pe dresses 
 proclaim attention from the husband ! Watch his 
 countenance when she is laid on a sick bed ! All 
 that money can procure is ungrudgingly provided, 
 as well as the best medical aid. Does she wish to 
 spend a whole day at the theatre ? all that is neces- 
 sary is that, for her own and husband's credit, she 
 should be properly attired and chaperoned. If, 
 however, she is inclined to be too much given to 
 pleasure, he expresses his love in another way by 
 sending her to a lonely country place, to stay with 
 a poor relative, who is expected to give her " disci- 
 pline, DRILL, and DUTY; and when she wants a 
 change, to give her DUTY, DRILL, and DISCIPLINE," 
 and thus correct her in time ! In a few months 
 she is restored to her own home, and, doubtless, 
 the first thing she does is to acknowledge, as she 
 salutes her husband on bended knee, that the 
 discipline, although humbling, was the best cor- 
 rective that could be devised. Her lord listens 
 meekly, looking as grave as a judge; but in his 
 heart he loves her ; it would, however, be contrary 
 to etiquette to say how glad he is to see her, 
 and how lonely the house has been without her. 
 With an air of coolness and affected contempt he 
 will tell her to be careful, and not repeat her folly, 
 lest ! She leaves his presence half crest- 
 fallen, and half inclined to smile ; and the husband 
 smiles too, but only inwardly ! 
 
Echoes from Japan. 189 
 
 One Thing Thou Lackest. 
 
 A Japanese gentleman has lately afifirmed that, 
 "7/" we look into the relation between the parents 
 and their children, and the mutual relation among 
 brothers and sisters, he will not hesitate to declare 
 that we shall find far deeper feelings of love in Japan 
 than in other countries, where society consists entirely 
 of individual units. If we take the whole community 
 of Japan, he does not think that the people, as fellow- 
 countrymen, love one another in less degree than those 
 of other civilised states^ Yet, with all these superior 
 advantages which Japan holds over every other 
 Eastern nation, and over many in this country, yet 
 " ONE THING THOU LACKEST ! " is written legibly 
 on her walls. The only elevating and purifying 
 influence is Christianity ; and until she has this, she 
 will not be truly stable, nor permanently happy. 
 
 Entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Fujita 
 Denzaburo. 
 
 Just as I was preparing to leave Osaka for 
 England in 1881, the father and mother of one of 
 my pupils honoured me with an invitation to stay 
 with them for a week or two. They had no idea 
 what a boon this was to be to one who wished to 
 inspect the family life more closely than could be 
 done by simply calling on them. Their curiously 
 constructed dwelling, the best in Osaka, was a 
 pleasant study. It was a pattern of neatness, to 
 begin with, inside and out, indeed the tiles looked as 
 
1 90 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 clean as a new penny. The mistress and her train 
 of servants devoted much of their time to needle- 
 work, and the various duties which necessarily 
 devolve upon women everywhere. The home 
 expenditure was carefully entered into a book, and 
 balanced on the reckoning day by the mistress, and 
 handed over to the head of the house. 
 
 The female hairdresser came twice a week to re- 
 arrange Mrs. Fujita's hair. Only an artist can put 
 up a Japanese lady's hair properly ! An hour, at 
 least, is spent over it. 
 
 The Love Cup. 
 
 No pains have been spared to make my visit at 
 Mr. F.'s happy and profitable. I. asked all sorts of 
 questions about every thing I saw. On one evening, 
 Mr. F. had a party of gentlemen to dine with him ; 
 also minstrels were called in to play and dance before 
 them. Mrs. F. and my pupils sat for hours with 
 me in my room, while the feasting and music went 
 on below. They with characteristic good nature 
 answered all my questions. When the guests retired, 
 I was asked to join Mr. and Mrs. F. in the prettiest 
 little room I saw in Japan. My presence at that 
 unusually late hour (9 p.m.) gave surprise and 
 pleasure ; and my hostess smilingly told her husband 
 of my astonishment at the account she gave me of 
 his own and friends' carousals : the response met 
 with consisted of a series of dignified bows. He 
 then clapped his hands, instead of ringing a bell, and 
 the sliding doors were pushed back, and a servant 
 
Echoes from Japan. 191 
 
 entered, and at once fell forward on hands and feet. 
 Orders were given to bring in the apparatus for 
 making tea (kiki-cka), and soon a large and rare- 
 looking stove made its appearance, with a round 
 black metal pot and ladle. The pot soon bubbled 
 and boiled; and then the master of tea ceremonies 
 enters, with the queer-looking tea bowls, a box 
 containing ground tea, teaspoon, a bamboo whisk, 
 and tea cloth. The bowl in which the tea was made 
 was handed to me. I did not like to drink alone, 
 and said so ; whereupon my host explained that 
 only one bowl of tea was made at a time, and was 
 passed round, each one taking a sip. He said that 
 three hundred years ago the tea-soup, or love-cup, 
 had been a very popular institution. Ri-kiu Hide- 
 yoshi's, master of ceremonies, was not only an adept 
 at the making of tea, but had also brought the 
 manufacture of tea-bowls to a high degree of per- 
 fection. I ventured to say that it seemed to me to 
 be a pity that so much money should be spent on 
 a custom which was a mere relic of an effeminate 
 age. " I believe," he replied, " that if the custom 
 were revived amongst us, it would tend to coun- 
 teract the increasing love for wine and spirit 
 drinking." 
 
 Our host kept a man constantly employed to 
 ransack all the old art shops in the place, and buy 
 up any old tea-vessels he could find. He has a 
 wonderful collection of them, and showed me some 
 of the oldest and most valuable. Some of them 
 were worth one hundred to one thousand dollars 
 
193 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 each. An old man comes at regular intervals to 
 make bags of silk and satin, for holding and pre- 
 serving these valuable relics. 
 
 Were I to relate all that I saw at Osaka alone, 
 and which my friends took great pains and pleasure 
 in explaining to me, I should have to write much 
 more than I have space for. I owe special thanks 
 to my pupils, and Mr. Nakamura, our teacher, for 
 their untiring efforts in contributing to my notes on 
 Japan. I am, day by day, seeking to requite the 
 debt of gratitude which I owe them, by asking 
 God my Father to bless, preserve, and prosper them. 
 Nothing delights me more than hearing from them, 
 which I do occasionally. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Nishikawa, Mr.* and Mrs. Fujita 
 Denzaburo, Mr. and Mrs. Munakata, are prominent 
 among those in Osaka who had throughout acted 
 most considerately and kindly towards me. May 
 the Lord bless them, and save their souls, for 
 Jesus' sake! 
 
 MiNO 
 is a place about ten miles outside Osaka. Here 
 are glens and a waterfall. Mino must be seen in 
 order to be appreciated, especially in October, when 
 a brilliant show of maple tints predominates. A rain- 
 bow spans the cascade always when the sun shines. 
 Monkeys often perch here on the boughs of trees, 
 looking morosely at all who come and go. There are 
 small shrines at the entrance of this gorgeous ravine. 
 
 * Mr. Fujita Denzaburo is the merchant prince of Japan, and is 
 represented in the City of London. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 91 STrip to ^rima (August, isso). 
 
 "The strength of the hills is His also." — Psalm xcv. 4. 
 
 ARIMA is a pleasant summer resort, consisting- 
 of a community of straggling villages and 
 hamlets, in the prefecture of Hiogo, about eighteen 
 miles inland from the open port of Kob6. 
 
 Missionaries and others residing at the treaty ports 
 go to this cool retreat during the months of July 
 and August. Amah and I left Osaka at 12 o'clock 
 noon, and went by rail as far as Kob6, where we 
 hired our Jinrikisha and two pull-men, and thus 
 pursued our journey. The further we got inland, the 
 more romantic the scenery became. The running 
 streams — rippling and gurgling as we wended our 
 way, seemed to salute us like old friends, for the 
 wooded glen through which we passed, bore a 
 striking resemblance to familiar places in Scot- 
 land. The villages and scattered hamlets are half 
 hidden amongst a profusion of rich vegetation. 
 The houses are built simply of wood and clay, and 
 are not always so suggestive of comfort as our 
 experience of the Japanese domicile would lead us 
 to expect. The cots are, however, compactly 
 13 
 
194 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 covered with a thick thatch of coarse grass, and 
 here, as at other places, one sees the iris growing 
 in irregular tufts all over the roof 
 
 The soil of this district is fertile ; and, judging 
 from the square patches of millet, rice, wheat, 
 barley, cotton, Indian corn, and sweet potatoes, 
 which frequently meet the eye, it is also very pro- 
 ductive. One longs for the plough of civilisation 
 to visit these inland places, if only to elevate the 
 condition of the thrifty farming population, who 
 seem not to have the comforts their toil and steady 
 going habits deserve. 
 
 We arrived at Arima at 6 o'clock. We stayed 
 at a second-class Japanese hotel, which was not all 
 that we could have wished, but of which we made 
 the best for the time being. 
 
 Arima is imbedded among a community of hills. 
 The people are thrifty, steady, and independent. 
 They have few needs, and live contentedly amidst 
 the beautiful scenery which surrounds them. 
 
 The trade of the place seemed to be freely and 
 equally divided among the inhabitants ; and this, I 
 think — with the absence of drink, which destroys 
 the happiness and contentment of so many homes in 
 England — is the cause of the look of independence 
 and satisfaction, which the visitor cannot fail to per- 
 ceive. Monopolists, it appeared to me, could neither 
 flourish, nor be tolerated in such a place as this. 
 
 I saw but few children playing about, the reason 
 being, as I presumed, that they (like East End 
 match box and envelope makers) were busily at 
 
Echoes from Japan. 195 
 
 work all day with their nimble fingers : for every 
 alternate house seemed to be a factory on a small 
 scale. 
 
 It is in the bamboo basket shops that we see the 
 taste and skill of the villagers, running in a different 
 direction to that of agriculture. Many of the things 
 in these shops are exact imitations of what English 
 and Americans use. The manufacture of articles 
 made from bamboo and straw, seems to go together. 
 Heaps upon heaps are to be seen in tasteful variety, 
 and the makers are at one and the same time retail 
 and wholesale dealers. The trade carried on in 
 this class of goods, both with the Europeans and 
 native traders, contributes much to the flourishing 
 condition of the locality. 
 
 Nature's Waterpipes. 
 
 As a rule, the houses here are surrounded with 
 plots of ground, shut in by rude dykes, or bamboo 
 fences. The water is conveyed to the village from 
 a distance, by means of wooden aqueducts of 
 immense length. Bamboo trees, when cut down, 
 very frequently, supply the place of waterpipes. 
 The water itself is most wholesome, clear, and 
 tempting. There are two public baths to which 
 the natives resort. These are supplied in much 
 the same way they are elsewere in Japan. 
 
 The Japanese are in the habit of bathing en 
 famille at their homes, especially the mother and 
 children, the husband alone taking the precedence 
 in this, as in everything else, by having the bath 
 
196 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 all to himself. The labouring classes, however, are 
 not fastidious, for it is a common sight to see a 
 group of at most ten availing themselves of the 
 accommodated space of fifteen feet square. They do 
 not swim about, but sit to their necks in the water. 
 This is to the Japanese not a luxury merely, but 
 a necessity. It is very puzzling to them how 
 Europeans can dispense with such an inexpensive 
 advantage, as a warm bath, at any rate, once a day. 
 One thing struck me at Arima as being most 
 homelike, viz., flocks of chickens and ducks. I 
 saw no horses, except those passing to and fro as 
 beasts of burden. 
 
 Here, as elsewhere in Japan, the people are as 
 happy as they are industrious. At the back of the 
 village there is a temple ; in front of which are two 
 flights of steps. One would suppose that they 
 led to a more magnificent edifice than is the case ; 
 but, in common with many other buildings of the 
 sort, the glory has departed from it, for the 
 worshippers are losing confidence in their idols ; 
 and as they are flourishing in temporal affairs, are, 
 like the Westerns, becoming engrossed in amassing 
 wealth, and are to all intents and purposes saying : 
 " Let us eat, drink, and be merry.'' In a wing of the 
 temple I found a number of children congregated, 
 humming their lessons. 
 
 The deserted look of the whole place, absence of 
 fuming incense, lighted candles, the forlorn and 
 impoverished appearance of the priests, all indicated 
 that there is a decline from the state of affluence 
 
Echoes from Japan. 197 
 
 which once obtained among them. The presence 
 of certain idols proved, also, that in times past 
 many had recourse to this temple in order to do 
 them homage. 
 
 As I turn away from this depressing scene, and 
 revel with delight in the glorious panorama before 
 me, the unsullied work of God's divine finger, I am 
 forced to say that "Every prospect pleases, and only 
 man is vile." But let us proceed to the waterfall 
 (Tsu-dzu-mi-no-taki). The pathway winds in a zig- 
 zag direction, until it ends at the edge of aji almost 
 dried up mountain stream. No doubt at one time 
 it could boast of a bridge, or something of that 
 description, but the storms and furious waterfloods, 
 issuing at times from boundless sources, far above 
 us, in common with much else, have carried it away. 
 But for such uprootings of trees, by the force of 
 wind and torrents, the enjoyable devastation, which 
 contrasts so beautifully with the richly covered hills 
 all around us, would not exist. 
 
 The hill to our right is well nigh perpendicular, 
 and, gazing at it from its base, we see nature cap- 
 ping it with a canopy of white cloud, as if intelli- 
 gently doing honour to so august and majestic a 
 scene. Pines and fir trees crown these cone-shaped 
 heights, and at the base are to be seen scrub-oak, 
 chestnut, and bamboo. There is nothing here that 
 represents our fully-developed English oak. 
 
 Another shrub, peculiar to the Arima hills, is the 
 san-sho. Its blossom and leaves resemble those of 
 the mountain ash ; its leaves are used for flavouring 
 
198 Eclwes from Japan. 
 
 soups ; its fruit is a pungent peppercorn. This 
 plant is also often seen in flower pots, and sold by- 
 market gardeners for a few cents. 
 
 Blae-B£rry. 
 
 In the course of my rambles I alighted on a spot 
 where abounded our well-known Scottish "blae- 
 berry." The sight brought to my recollection early 
 associations. It was a veritable blae-berry bed, 
 bearing sparsely its own fruit. Yet the Japanese 
 poet could not, with the Scottish bard, sing, "Where 
 the blae-berries grow 'mang the bonnie blooming 
 heather," for the only thing of a Scottish origin that 
 kept it company was a soft bed of golden moss. 
 
 The waterfall itself can scarcely lay claim to the 
 name, as it is only about 10 or 12 feet in height, 
 diverging into two and living a twin life, flowing 
 on in endless song — a spring of water that never 
 runs dry. 
 
 This cascade is much resorted to by the natives, 
 who stand under its dashing foam as one of their 
 summer luxuries. At the base of the precipice it 
 disappears, as it enters a deep cavern, screened in 
 front by a neck of rock, alongside of which is a 
 bridge of planks. An old man, who is evidently 
 tollkeeper, expects to receive a few cents from all 
 who make use of it. From this platform a good 
 view of the waterfall is obtained. A little lower 
 down the stream appears again, and flows meander- 
 ing over a pebbly bed for a considerable distance. 
 The flora of the place are about the same as at 
 
Echoes from Japan. 199 
 
 Miyanoshita. The azalea, wild camellia, and other 
 flowering shrubs, abound here ; but now, in the 
 autumn, all look sere, and flowerless. The honey- 
 suckle, with a variety of the vine tribe, each in 
 beautiful blossom, trailing over the trees and shrubs 
 abound in every direction. 
 
 YU-BANA. 
 
 In visiting a grotto, on the western side of the 
 village, I lighted on an enormous boulder, covered 
 with moss ; and here and there on the summit I saw 
 sweet tufts of the yu-bana. This flower is as rare 
 as it is delicate, the gardeners only are acquainted 
 with it. It richly deserves a place among the 
 honourable company of hot-house plants, though I 
 have strong suspicion that it will not flourish in 
 any other than the place assigned to it by Nature. 
 Its colour is violet, and not unlike the potato flower 
 in its formation, but most delicate and sweet scented. 
 Its leaf is long and thick, something like that of the 
 primrose. 
 
 I saw nothing of the tsuta-mam6, or pea ivy, 
 which is so frequently seen at other places, festoon- 
 ing and clasping itself around cedars and stately 
 pines, until their branches look picturesquely en- 
 tangled in it. The juniper seems to be quite a 
 native of the soil, for each shrub was crowned with 
 a crop of its own berries. Whether or not the 
 Japanese have discovered the use it is put to in the 
 manufacture of gin, I cannot say ; though doubtless 
 the herbalist and the apothecary have, in common 
 
200 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 with a thousand other rare roots, barks, leaves, and 
 fruits, turned it to a good account. I am glad, 
 however, to bear testimony to the fact that Japanese 
 women are not drinkers, and in keeping with much 
 that I discovered as praiseworthy in their character, 
 I have not once, during my sojourn of nine j'^ears 
 among them, seen a woman under the influence of 
 strong drink. ' That drunkenness is on the increase, 
 is a fact which cannot be gainsaid, I regret to say. 
 The hills at Arima range more widely apart than 
 they do at Mino (a place outside Osaka, celebrated 
 for its autumn tints). A few are conical in shape, 
 rugged and steep. Immediately above the village 
 there is a clear mineral spring, which the natives 
 call " Tan-san-sui." It strikes me that the in- 
 habitants are, as yet, but little aware of its 
 medicinal qualities and virtues, for such a spring 
 in Europe or America would be shut in with an 
 elaborately built pump-room, and resorted to by 
 thousands. As to the bird tribe, I observed the 
 lark,,and the oriole. The mellow notes of the latter 
 being at this time subdued by the humming and 
 querulous hissing of the thousands of insects, which 
 congregate in trees and bushes, especially the cicada. 
 
 Butterflies. 
 
 Butterflies, of uncommon size and beauty, flit 
 about in every direction. At night our light attracts, 
 through our open windows and verandahs, rare 
 and beautiful moths. The walls and ceilings of 
 our rooms afford ample scope for entomological 
 
Echoes from Japan. 
 
 20 1 
 
 research ; but beyond expressing admiration for 
 their magnificently painted wings, we had no 
 inclination to deprive them of life and liberty by 
 
 CARPENTER AT WORK. 
 
 carrying them off as trophies, leaving this to 
 naturalists from the western world, already to be 
 seen on the spot, embracing the land of the " Rising 
 
202 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Sun,'' as a wide field for the cultivation of their 
 taste and talents. On my return home to Osaka, 
 I went across the mountains ; not so much because 
 of its being a shorter route, but that I might get a 
 better view of the glorious sweep of hills, valleys, 
 plains, and streams, under the dominion of the 
 "King of Day," careering in strength, and dispersing 
 blessings everywhere in this realm from which it 
 sprang and had its birth. Japan means " Spring 
 of Day,'' or " Sun's Source." 
 
 Arima certainly looks blessed and grateful for 
 the lines having fallen to her in pleasant places. 
 In the ascent, the journey was rendered easy and 
 pleasant by a winding pathway, newly made from 
 base to summit. The mist fell insensibly, and soon 
 it penetrated to the skin. 
 
 The soil is very rich, and much finer grass carpets 
 the ground than one generally sees in Japan. Some 
 cows, employed in carrying loads of merchandise, 
 were met by us. Here, to all appearance, landslips 
 are things of frequent occurrence in rainy weather. 
 As we drew near to the top, we passed under a 
 curiouslyconstructed tunnel-shaped arch. The water 
 oozed out overhead, and stalactites were formed. 
 The current of air passing through it at that moment 
 was too fresh to be pleasant. Quite at the top of 
 this continuation of hills, we found the temporary 
 abode of the man, with his wife and children, who 
 served us in passing, with tea, cake, and water- 
 melon. Now, on surveying this vast scene in all 
 directions, silence took possession of us, as if in 
 
Echoes from Japan. 203 
 
 recognition of the mute, and yet eloquent, presence of 
 Nature. And notwithstanding the respective charms 
 of what we beheld and admired on the plains below, 
 yet we had had practical proof that " Distance 
 lends enchantment to the view ! " After this, we 
 commenced to descend in the direction of Sumiyoshi, 
 the scene changing as we moved onwards, but 
 continuing in panoramic beauty and effect. As we 
 pursued our course in the winding pathway, the 
 hues of green grass, wherewith the sugar-loaf shaped 
 hills were clothed, became varied. The sun, already 
 above the horizon, was casting up darts of gold, 
 and, like a gigantic sunflower, was compassing the 
 vast tract of sky, land, and water. One felt con- 
 strained to halt for a moment, and endorse the 
 language and feelings of the poet king : " The 
 sun . . . 7'ejoiceth as a strong man to run a race " ; 
 the snow-white clouds are scattered by its appear- 
 ance, and between its golden corona lies the blue, 
 calm sea. For some time I mistook it for the sky, 
 until suddenly a prettily rigged barque began to flit 
 and float in gleeful play on the placid main. Oh ! 
 how we deplored the want of talent to reproduce 
 this enchanting scene with pencil or pen, and so let 
 less privileged friends at a distance, possessed of 
 capacities for appreciating the " Beautiful," far 
 beyond what we could lay claim to, luxuriate, in a 
 measure, in this never-to-be-forgotten " Beholding." 
 As we approached the plain, the scene became 
 less captivating, our winding pathway leading 
 us alongside undulating ravines and murmuring 
 
204 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 brooklets, and the clematis, morning-glory, and 
 common pink, profusely illuminated the green 
 carpet on both sides. " O Lord, how manifold are 
 thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all : 
 the earth is full of thy riches!' Psa. civ. 24. 
 
 The American missionaries, and their efficient 
 native evangelists, manage to bring many of the 
 villagers together on Sunday evenings, and they 
 listen most attentively to the preaching. Even in 
 this out-of-the-way place — Arima — there are a few 
 who have embraced the precious promises, and laid 
 hold on eternal life. May God's saving health and 
 way of salvation become increasingly known here, 
 as in the many towns and villages all over the 
 land ! " Then shall the earth yield her increase ; and 
 God, even our own God, shall bless us!' Psa. Ixvii. 6. 
 
 N.B. — More than thirty years ago, a bed-ridden child of God, in 
 Scotland, on my having presented her with a bunch of spring 
 flowers, pressed them to her breast, closed her eyes, and looked 
 as if wrapt in adoration. Suddenly the silence was broken by 
 
 herself, saying : " Oh ! , I often say to myself, What must the 
 
 beauty be that is in Himself when He has put such beauty on the 
 Jlcrwers^' I have never forgotten the remark, and I have often 
 felt its truth and force when spending a few days at a summer 
 resort in different parts of Japan. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 ^atzl Htfe at ©safta. 
 
 " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." — Isa. Iv. I. 
 
 NOW that my happy visit at Mr. Fujita's is at 
 an end, and my cases are packed, and sent 
 to the shipping office in readiness for leaving for 
 England soon, I cannot do better than spend the 
 remainder of my time among the Japanese, and see 
 them as they are in hotels. The landlord and his 
 wife are old friends of one of my pupils, and, for 
 his sake, they have given me a hearty welcome. 
 
 As a rule, the hotel-keepers in Osaka do not care 
 to entertain foreigners, as they soil their mats. 
 On conducting me to my room, my host clapped 
 his hands ; this was at once responded to by an 
 audible hoi-i-i. Immediately a maid pushed aside 
 the sliding door, and knelt to receive her orders, 
 and was told to bring the hyi-bachi (fire-boxj, tea, 
 and cake. " He,'' was the reply, and off she went. 
 They apologised for the poor room placed at my 
 disposal, as well as for the noisiness of the servants. 
 Orders were given to spread the coverlets, and to 
 bring the kotatsu. Of these, there are different 
 kinds ; mine consisted of a large earthenware bowl 
 
2o6 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 full of ashes, with a ball of ignited charcoal buried 
 in it : this was covered with a square wooden frame, 
 with cross bars at side and top to let out the hot 
 air. It was placed on what represents a mattress, 
 and over it were laid the upper coverings. In a very 
 short time this shake-down was warm enough to be 
 enjoyable, especially in the first week in March, 
 when, as with ourselves, the weather is rather sharp. 
 The kotatsu is not only of use at night, but 
 also in the daytime. Ladies, very often while at 
 needlework, sit in a circle round it, with a pretty 
 silk coverlet placed over it, so as to get the full 
 benefit of the warm air. To us this might seem a 
 luxury ; but, as the servants, as well as their masters 
 a'nd mistresses, avail themselves of it, we may look 
 upon it as one of the common necessities of life in 
 Japan. At five o'clock a.m., the servants of this 
 hotel are expected to be up, and at work. The cook 
 seems to be a very religious man ; the first thing 
 done by him is to go outside, and turn his face 
 towards the East or Zr/, where the shrine par 
 excellence of the "Sun Goddess'' is situate. He claps 
 his hands, raising them reverently to his bowed 
 head, and then he rubs and claps them again, pray- 
 ing audibly the whole time. On entering the 
 house, he goes through the some performance in 
 front of the Kami-dana or shelves, on which are 
 placed the tiny tablets, as well as offerings of food 
 and flowers. He then begins to light his fire. I 
 told him one day that his heart yearned for 
 happiness, and that the gods he worshipped would 
 
Echoes from Japan. 207 
 
 never give it ; that there was a true God who loved 
 him, and that He longed to bless him, and make 
 him happy. "He, hi, naru-hodo!'' (Yes, yes, 
 really !) was all the reply I got. Shortly afterwards 
 I gave him and the maids tracts in their own 
 language. They looked at them with astonishment, 
 and bowed, thanking me, and at once sat down and 
 read them in a sing-song way, now and then 
 exclaiming, "Really! How good!" They returned 
 the tracts as soon as they had done reading them, 
 but I told them to keep them, whereupon they 
 skedaddled to their mistress's room to show what I 
 had given them. How deeply I regretted at this 
 moment, my run-down health, and being obliged to 
 leave such interesting people ! The maids enjoy 
 waiting on me ; my questions amuse them. The 
 clerk of the hotel sits behind a grating casting his 
 accounts, with the abacus before him, and piles of 
 thick account-books around him. 
 
 Domestic Sorrow, and my Trip to Nara. 
 
 I have been in this hotel nearly a month. The 
 swallows are actually building their nests inside the 
 entrance, a circumstance which the people of the 
 house consider lucky. The only child in the family, 
 a girl of four, is frantic with excitement. Is it the 
 boldness of the swallows, brushing by her as 
 tamely as if she and they had been nurtured 
 together, and therefore understood each other, that 
 makes her so jubilant } It is difficult to say. 
 Everyone who enters is struck by her bright 
 
2o8 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 chirping manner as she hops about, while with 
 a salaam and an 0-hairi (please enter), she salutes 
 all the guests who cross the threshold. In the 
 evening a dark cloud hovers over the household ; 
 the maids look pale and sad, and the mother is out 
 of sight. "Where is your mistress?" I inquired. 
 " She is with 0-Haru-san, who is dangerously ill." 
 " What is the matter 1 " I asked. " She has had a 
 fit, and the doctor thinks she cannot live," was the 
 altogether unlooked-for reply. " I trust the pet of 
 the parents is not to be taken from them," I in- 
 wardly prayed as I returned to my room. The 
 doctor had paid the little sufferer his second visit, 
 but no hope was given that she would see another 
 day. The parents looked the picture of misery, 
 the grandmother none the less so. I was a sufferer 
 too, and all the more because I could render no 
 assistance. The mother, as if taking advantage of 
 all the guests being asleep, gave way to weeping 
 aloud : " You have not said ' good night ' to your 
 mother ; saj/, good night ! say, good night ! " I heard 
 her say to her lambkin who was sinking fast. The 
 servant went and fetched the grandmother, who 
 was asleep near by ; she came directly, and, like 
 Hagar, sat at a distance from where the child lay, 
 as if she had not the courage to see it depart : her 
 grief was not wild, but deep. The doctor paid 
 them a third visit, his servant accompanying him, 
 carrying a lantern, on which were prettily painted 
 the name and crest of his master. On entering 
 the sick room, the mother's disconsolate sobs were 
 
Echoes from Japan. 209 
 
 for the time being suppressed. He felt the child's 
 pulse, and in a moment our wistful ears heard 
 him say, " She is dead ! " The grandmother, 
 burying her face in her hands, would at intervals 
 take a sheet of paper (pocket handkerchief) out of 
 her sleeve, and wipe her eyes, and mutter to herself 
 " Dead ! Impossible ! " It was only yesterday that 
 she played about the place, and said " Ohayo" 
 (Good morning) to all who entered. The mother's 
 wild grief was most affecting. "Dome!" (ex- 
 clamation) was uttered by one and all, as they 
 poured in to express their sympathy. I, at last, 
 about 3 a.m., felt strengthened to go and join the 
 mourners. On entering the room, I found it full 
 of relations and friends, and the little body of the 
 departed child was lying on its pallet, looking as 
 rosy and sweet as if sleeping; and so it was. I 
 assured the mother that it was well with the child ; 
 that if she trusted in Jesus as her Saviour, she 
 would meet 0-Haru again ; she bowed and thanked 
 me, but I felt that all present regarded my words 
 as an expression of condolence merely. " Do not 
 grieve too much, or you will make yourself ill ! 
 O-Haru-san has gone on a long journey," her 
 relations kept saying to her. Fresh friends came 
 and went at intervals, showing their sympathy 
 more by expressive bows than by words. The 
 nearest relations were busy writing letters to 
 friends at a distance, inviting them to the funeral. 
 This scene was a very harrowing one, and I some- 
 times wondered whether, like the Chinese, they 
 14 
 
210 Echoes from. Japan. 
 
 would not attribute the death of their little one to 
 their having a foreigner under their roof; but it 
 made not a shadow of difference, they were as 
 kind and as attentive as ever. Oh, that I could 
 bear this burden with them, or what would be 
 infinitely better, teach them to cast it on the 
 " Burden-Bearer " ! There were no superstitious 
 observances that I could see ; at any rate, for six 
 hours after the death. They sat in the stooping 
 attitude of desolated hearts around the body of 
 the living, and I believe, happy departed spirit. I 
 intended to leave that morning for Nara, in 
 the company of a party of missionaries who were 
 going there for the day, but I felt the impropriety 
 of so doing, while the whole house was mourning. 
 I told them this, but they entreated me to go, 
 saying, "Your remaining with us will not bring 
 her back." As I felt that if I were out of the way, 
 they might feel at greater liberty to attend to the 
 obsequies of their dead treasure, I took my leave 
 of them sadly. The day was very fine ; my two 
 Jinrikisha men trotted fairly the long distance of 
 twenty miles, stopping for rest at the different tea- 
 houses en route. Villages, temples and shrines 
 appeared at short intervals all along the journey. 
 The fields were beginning to look green, especially 
 the wheat patches. The nearer we came to Nara, 
 the more we realised how much attention was 
 given to the cultivation of tea. I found my friends 
 enjoying their pic-nic under the shade of a spread- 
 ing cedar. We went through some of the temples 
 
Echoes from Japan. 211 
 
 and exhibitions of antiquities of this ancient capital ; 
 but I felt too tired to enjoy all the sights and to 
 ask questions, so I made up my mind to stop at 
 the largest hotel in the town and take a survey 
 next day. All my friends left for their homes. 
 
 " Come unto Me .... I will give you rest." 
 
 The place is alive with pilgrims — what a sight! 
 They are seeking their Creator, and He is seeking 
 them. They look weary and disappointed ; some 
 of them have been to the head-quarters of Shinto- 
 ism, and others are going there ; this they have 
 done for ages. Oh, mystery of mysteries ! How 
 much longer will those who are entrusted with the 
 Gospel leave them seeking rest where it cannot be 
 found .? 
 
 The constant inflow of pilgrims, with their 
 tinkling bells, gives the place a peculiar, and, to 
 my mind, a monotonous character. I met a group 
 of interesting women, to whom I gave a few tracts. 
 They were looking towards the western mountains, 
 behind which, at that moment, was sinking the 
 setting sun, which had a peculiar magenta appear- 
 ance. One of the women said, with a solemn 
 face, that Ten-shoka-dai-jm£- (Sun-goddess) was ill, 
 thus accounting for the peculiar tinge ! 
 
 The hotel where I am is evidently constructed 
 with the view of accommodating the long processions 
 of pilgrims, which arrive at certain seasons of the 
 year. This, it seems, is an auspicious time, for no 
 fewer than 500 are at this moment (March 31st, 
 
212 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 8 o'clock p.m.) in the lower story, washing their 
 feet. And what a Babel ! Of course, all have 
 something to say to the maids who wait on them. 
 What with the clapping of hands, and other 
 noises, to say nothing of the clatter of dishes, the 
 marvel is that the human brain can stand it. One 
 would think that, as I was not a pilgrim with a 
 broad-brimmed hat, gourd, and tucked-up garment 
 I should not be one of the number who required 
 to have their feet washed. But yes ; a smiling maid 
 came to me with a wooden footbath and towel, and 
 asked me to let her wash my feet. I assented, and 
 in five minutes I was, in common with 500 of my 
 fellow creatures, enjoying the comfort which feet- 
 washing after a journey always gives. The maid,, 
 instead of shrinking from me, a stranger, seemed 
 to take to me, and begged of me not to feel lonely. 
 She told me that European gentlemen had lodged 
 with them before, but not ladies. She then served 
 me with rice and a few nick-nacks, and, on saying 
 0-yasumi (Good night!), I gave her some tracts 
 to give to the other maids. 
 
 Suddenly the hum of voices ceased, and the 
 contrast was so great that to break the intense 
 lull would be a relief A lady in the room next 
 to mine opened the sliding door between us, and 
 said, " Good night, foreign lady, we are near you, so 
 don't feel lonely^ I thanked God for this little 
 ripple or touch of nature, in the midst of what 
 seemed an unbearable stillness. I did not rest 
 well that night; whether my sleeplessness was 
 
Echoes from Japan. 213 
 
 caused by the strain of the previous evening at my 
 hotel in Osaka, or by the depressing effect of seeing 
 so many pilgrims trudging on foot for hundreds of 
 miles seeking rest for their immortal souls, I cannot 
 say. At dawn, about five a.m., the maids were up, 
 and, soon after, the perpetual jargon of 500 voices 
 prevailed. After that, the clatter of dishes, and 
 sliding partitions being pushed into their receptacles 
 for the day. " If to sleep was impossible before," 
 I say to myself, "there is far less chance for it now " ; 
 so I made up my mind to have a quiet nap after 
 the pilgrims had departed. As soon as they had 
 done breakfast, the maid brought me a basinful 
 of hot water and a towel. I dipped the latter in the 
 water, and then wrung it out — according to the cus- 
 tom of the country — and wiped my face. Another 
 good wring, and I wiped it dry. In a minute, several 
 persons stood outside, peeping through the creaks 
 and crannies to catch a glimpse of the first Euro- 
 pean some of the pilgrims had ever seen. In 
 about ten minutes, the hubbub of many voices died 
 away, as one after another took their leave of host 
 and hostess. I craved for a little sleep, but the 
 maid told me it was their custom to clear the room 
 of all bed clothes, and then dust everything. Thus 
 my request to be left alone for another hour was 
 unheeded. The day was exquisite. I found my way 
 to the Dai-butzu-do, or temple of Buddha, where 
 I sat for half-an-hour on the steps in front of 
 this idol. A few curious lookers-on gathered 
 around me, among them a man who professed 
 
214 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 to be a guide to any visitors who cared to employ 
 him. He gave me a printed statement of the 
 date of the casting, as well as the component parts 
 and dimensions of this enormous statue, viz : — 
 
 The Dai-butzu of Nara. 
 
 Height 53 feet, or 7 feet more than that of the 
 Kamakura Dai-butzu. 
 
 Length of face ... ... i6-ft. o-in. 
 
 Breadth of face ... ... 9-ft. 5-in. 
 
 Length of eyes ... ... 3-ft. 9-in. 
 
 Length of ears ... ... 8-ft. 5-in. 
 
 Its face is said to express supreme indifference to 
 all that is going on in the lower world, or having 
 reached the nirvana. We then proceeded to the 
 Ni-gatsu-do. Lighted candles abounded, and the 
 hum of voices, as the priests and people intoned and 
 bowed in the presence of their respective idols, was 
 very painful. Binzuru, the god-of-healing, had 
 his face and other parts of his body nearly rubbed 
 off by the frequent rubbings of devotees. What- 
 ever portion of the body is afflicted, they rub the 
 corresponding part of the idol's person, and, by such 
 means, they expect to get well. Stalls and shops 
 abound here, where there are charms and every 
 variety of priestly invention calculated to appeal to 
 the religious sentiment of the worshippers who go 
 and come by thousands. The loftiness of the cedar 
 trees is very remarkable ; the temples, of which 
 there are many, are shaded by them. Here, as in 
 many parts of Great Britain, " The deer across the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 
 
 215 
 
 greensward bounds." Along a well-beaten path- 
 way are old women with stalls, on which are laid 
 dry bean-curd cakes. They press the sale of them 
 upon every passer-by, so as to perform the 
 
 meritorious deed of ministering to the servant of 
 Kasuga (a Shinto god), with whom the deer is 
 always associated in art, if not in fact, according to 
 the belief of the superstitious. The tame creatures, 
 
2i6 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 forced by hunger to wander about these traps, come 
 quite close to one, and eat the cake out of his 
 hands. Familiar terms with the human species 
 have not improved their appearance, I think. They 
 seemed to me to have lost their native dignity. 
 The park or wood in which they roam is a very 
 wide one, and, doubtless, in many respects, superior 
 to Richmond and Bushey parks ; but well-kept 
 walks, fine grass, primroses, and birds that sing 
 vigorously, like the thrush and blackbird, are always 
 to me a great want. I paid my guide for his help ; 
 and my two Jinrikisha men, who chose to wait to 
 take me back to Osaka, said it was time to start. 
 They took me by a different route, across the hills, 
 on the return journey. In less than an hour we 
 got into a beautiful glen, where Nature gave us 
 fresh insight into her vast realm. 
 
 On reaching Osaka, I went straight to my hotel, 
 and found that preparations were being made to 
 give a great feast to all the relations and friends, and 
 thus " make the spirit of O-Haru-san happy." 
 Would that they could find their chief joy in being 
 able to say, " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
 taken away ; Blessed be the name of the Lord" ! 
 The funeral had taken place on the previous 
 evening, and already the father and mother had 
 paid the resting-place of their darling a visit. 
 " Why did you go to the grave so soon ? " I asked 
 " Lest she should find it lonely," was the reply. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Secular (Etiucation in ^z ilHisstotx Jtelli. 
 
 " Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." — i Cor. x. 31. 
 
 MUCH has been said lately, in England, for 
 and agaiyist secular education as a means 
 for prosecuting missionary work. From the little 
 experience I have had in this departure, I may, 
 perhaps, be allowed to say a few words. 
 
 It is not secular education, it seems to me, that 
 hinders or promotes missionary work, but the 
 teacher. For example, if the teacher's motive and 
 aim is to get at the class of people who can only 
 be reached by his becoming tkeir servant for Jesus' 
 sake, he will be sure to meet with success. And on 
 the other hand, if his motive and aim is to promote 
 education for its own sake, or earn a living — good 
 and right in its place, although this is — he is, so far 
 as fitness for the Lord's work is concerned, but a 
 dead man. 
 
 I am sure that God will use every legitimate 
 means that comes in one's way in order to honour 
 His great name, on those to whom He sends His 
 servants. 
 
 A gentleman who has lived for many years in 
 
2i8 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 India, writes : — " Having been saved by grace, and 
 freed from Satan's power by that same grace, we 
 are free to love and serve Him, and not as any 
 school of Theology may dictate, but as He, oh, 
 praise His name ! may lead. In India, I found 
 an unspeakable advantage, particularly among 
 Europeans, for they could see that I was living 
 among them, earning my living as they wefe. So 
 when I spoke to them, it was not as a "professional," 
 as they were pleased to call the ministers, but for 
 the desire of the glory of God, and their salvation. 
 Indeed, I, many a time, got a hearing when a 
 minister, as such, would not. Oh, my heart bleeds 
 for many of those dear devoted souls, because of 
 the treatment they sometimes get, and from pro- 
 fessedly Christian people too ! " 
 
 It is one thing to engage in secular work, in 
 order to live for oneself, but quite another to work 
 with hands and brain, in order to live for God t 
 The former is earthly and lawful ; but the latter, 
 apostolic and heavenly. " For me TO LIVE IS 
 Christ ! " may become the motto of the mechanic 
 who is a man of God, as well as that of the most 
 consecrated and scholarly theologian. 
 
 American Professors 
 and teachers, in colleges and schools, in Japan have 
 had the honour of commending the Bible and its 
 Author to their pupils, long before the missionaries 
 could see their way to engage directly in working 
 for their Master. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 219 
 
 Prominent among many names which might be 
 mentioned are Captain James, Mr. W. Clark, and 
 Mr. J. Ballagh. The field has since been reinforced 
 with many such workers in common with mission- 
 aries, and they are to-day reaping a golden harvest 
 as the result of the patient, unassuming toil of 
 those Christian teachers. 
 
 In Harmony 
 with what Mr. Eugene Stock says in his excellent 
 remarks on Christian educators (in the Christian, 
 of May 24, 1889), I should Hke to say that I met,, 
 and now hear from, lay workers in Japan, who 
 went there with no other object than that they 
 should bring the Japanese to the feet of Jesus. A 
 gentleman from Edinburgh, who arrived in Japan 
 in 1 880, has been engaged as a teacher of English 
 in different parts of the country ; and directly, and 
 indirectly, he planted the Word of God as the 
 source of that knowledge so all-important in all 
 lands — even the knowledge of the living and true 
 God and Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent. This 
 young Christian teacher reached Japan with 
 absolutely nothing but the living God and His 
 unfailing promise to lean on. And surely this was 
 enough ! " It is enough for the servant that he be 
 as his Lord." 
 
 He was nurtured in a refined home. He left it 
 and all that he held dear in life for Jesus' sake, and 
 is willing to be counted a fool if only he can 
 honour and serve his MASTER in a field where 
 
220 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 labourers are few and far between. His faith at 
 first was severely tested. He was not connected 
 with a society or any party of Christians, though 
 bound up in the bundle of life with all who call on 
 the Lord out of a pure heart. He received nothing 
 from the Gentiles, nor from the Church of God, but 
 accepted from the Japanese a salary far below 
 what they were willing to offer him. He thus 
 convinced the natives that gain was not his object 
 in coming among them. He sought not theirs but 
 them. He is, in a peculiar sense, a man of God 'and 
 a servant of Christ. 
 
 I state this to show that God has diversities of 
 operations in His vast field, and a variety of tools 
 in His laboratory. 
 
 Extracts from an American Missionary Report. 
 
 " The past year has been one of steady expansion in the 
 evangehstic department of work in this field, and of 
 remarkable growth in the educational department. 
 
 " The Membership of the churches has advanced from 623 
 to 818, being an increase of 30 per cent. The larger portion 
 of this increase has been in the City of Osaka and in Sakai, 
 a town of about 40,000 inhabitants, seven miles to the south 
 of Osaka. 
 
 " At this latter place, 36 have been received on profession 
 of faith, thus tripling the little band of believers that had been 
 gathered there a year ago, and the first of April brings a 
 further addition of ten Members. This rapid development 
 is due to the faithful efforts of the native evangelist, with the 
 co-operation of the Osaka Church, and specially to the 
 presence and labours of Miss Colby, who has lived in Sakai 
 the greater part of the year. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 221 
 
 " With reference to the four Osaka churches, we have to 
 report in general that each church is crowded every Sunday. 
 
 " Even Temma, which opened its new building only one 
 year ago, has not one seat vacant. Two of the other three 
 are exerting themselves to the utmost to erect new buildings 
 on new sites and the third to enlarge before the end of this 
 year. Each is blessed with an earnest an d intelligent English- 
 speaking pastor, as well as a strong force of capable and 
 devoted labourers. But the second church (the Naniwa) has 
 met with a sad loss in the death of their beloved Paul 
 Sawayama. Although for a year past he has been lost to the 
 community, his death has stricken the hearts of us all, and 
 especially of his faithful church. He lived just long enough 
 to pass the tenth anniversary of the church and of his ordina- 
 tion as their pastor. He was the first ordained pastor in 
 Japan, and perhaps it is not too much to say that he was the 
 most widely beloved pastor' in Japan. Over one thousand 
 Christians of all denominations attended his funeral. 
 
 " In the Treasurer's report of Naniwa church at its tenth 
 anniversary, it appeared that the contributions of this church 
 alone for all purposes have averaged 800 en (dollar) for the 
 past three years. 
 
 " The preaching meetings in and around the city, sustained 
 by the four churches, have, in all cases, shown a steady 
 increase in interest and numbers, four new places have been 
 opened. The Members of the Naniwa church (among whom 
 are some of the older scholars of the Girls' School), have for 
 months been making regular visits to a town named Amaga- 
 saki, five miles from Osaka. The meetings were small for 
 some time ; but, after a special effort to move the people 
 to attend the services, things took a sudden turn in favour 
 of Christianity. A former student of the Doshisha is now 
 labouring there, and is entirely supported by the congrega- 
 tion. He is able to secure a regular audience of sixty or 
 seventy, a large number of whom are of the better class ; six 
 of this number are to be baptized in June. 
 
 "Another school enterprise is the Women's Industrial 
 
222 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 School opened last January. This school has about 150 
 Members, mostly from the merchant and professional classes. 
 Already it has been instrumental in bringing some women 
 into the churches, while many others are studying the Bible, 
 and thus learning things which will be of more lasting benefit 
 than the knowledge of foreign ways. 
 
 " In this connection we must also mention a Boys' School 
 for English which has been opened in Nara, during the past 
 three months, under Christian influences. It has sixty 
 scholars who attend at different hours of the day. In the 
 evening class there are six priests connected with the 
 Dai-butzu temple in Nara. 
 
 " These institutions in the country especially are proving 
 themselves to be very valuable agencies in spreading the 
 knowledge of Christianity among classes not hitherto reached. 
 Within two years there has been a vast increase in the 
 enthusiasm and intensity with which the study of the English 
 language has been pursued ; and, within a few months, under 
 the inspiration of the Empress and the larger emulation of 
 the Capital, there has arisen a great desire for European 
 styles of dress, for ladies as well as gentlemen, and for a 
 knowledge of Western etiquette, table manners, etc. 
 
 " With this there has, of course, sprung up an increased 
 desire for a knowledge of Western sewing, knitting, cooking, 
 dressmaking, and other household arts. The leaders of the 
 people have determined to adopt Western civihzation en 
 masse ; and we may add that, with this determination, there 
 has come a disposition to look favourably upon Christianity ; 
 especially as the moral basis for the new fabric of society." 
 
 Consecrated European Evangelists 
 
 who desire to give their whole time to Gospel 
 work among the masses, will find a wide and 
 effectual door open before them in Japan. But a 
 thorough knowledge of the native tongue and of 
 the character of the people will be absolutely 
 
Echoes front Japan. 223 
 
 necessary in seeking to labour efficiently and 
 abundantly. " Who WILL Go ? " 
 
 I do not hesitate to say, on the authority of 
 Japanese Christian gentlemen now in England, as 
 well as on that of carefully weighed conclusions 
 I have come to, that the present moment is the 
 golden one if loyalty to Christ, and sound instruction 
 in the truth are to be set in motion through the in- 
 strumentality of men and women of God from the 
 West. This enviable chance for serving Christ may 
 elude our grasp if we are not careful. The influx of 
 Western ideas has profoundly modified the life and 
 thought of the country. The old religious systems 
 are rapidly losing their hold on the people, and 
 the barriers of prejudice and superstition, which 
 formerly obstructed the spread of the Gospel are, 
 in a large measure, broken down. 
 
 In political and social life the last twenty-five 
 years have produced undreamt-of changes in Japan, 
 and unless the restraining influence of Christianity 
 is brought to bear upon them, the progress of the 
 country may become too rapid and lead to dan- 
 gerous consequences. " WHO WILL Go ? " It is 
 noteworthy that God " Shut to the door " in Japan 
 three hundred years ago. The Jesuits had then 
 bid fair to bring Japan into the same bondage 
 Spain is yoked with now. Had they succeeded, 
 we should to-day find it more difficult to con- 
 vert them from Romanism than from Paganism. 
 God's set time to rid them out of the hand of 
 the oppressor of souls has evidently come. Her 
 
224 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 hermetically closed doors are thrown wide open 
 and no man can shut them ! " Who WILL Go ? " 
 
 Gleanings from Letters lately to hand, etc. 
 
 " My object in work, you know, is to bring the knowledge 
 of the Gospel to souls, not to make converts to a church. 
 I have already begun a school for men, at the request of the 
 Japanese themselves, in a heathen house. The house 
 belongs to a Company, and the managing partner lends one 
 room. About twenty men have joined. I and a friend 
 teach them English, from eight to nine, and from nine to 
 nine thirty, they have Bible instruction. 
 
 " I am holding, also, in the same room, a Sunday-school of 
 boys and girls. Twenty came last Sunday, and all behaved 
 well and attentive. I am beginning with the " Peep of 
 Day." The landlord, although a heathen, allows his wife 
 and children to attend : it is very interesting. I take 
 pictures with me each Sunday, and my little organ on a 
 Jinrikisha. A young Japanese Christian, who knows a few 
 words of English only, having studied the lesson previously, 
 gives the Japanese colloquial to the children. The class is 
 supposed to consist of children about fifteen years of age. 
 They all know a very little English, so that we sing hymns 
 in English and the translations in Japanese. I consider you 
 gave me a very good impression of the country and people. 
 I am so very glad God in his love has brought me here. I 
 was never happier — J. M. Holland, Osaka." 
 
 " I must write to thank you for your earnest and kind 
 words for Japan,* every word of which I can confirm as 
 being true. I long for England to do more for this land. I 
 can, from experience, testify that there is much to be done, 
 and a kind and loving heart will always find a welcome from 
 a Japanese. Yokosuka, as you know, is the naval dockyard 
 of Japan. Two men-of-war are launched every year. I teach 
 the officers' wives English. 
 
 * In ray " Open Doors in Japan." 
 
Echoes from Japan. 225 
 
 " I am teaching the younger pupils to sing hymns, and am 
 much needing a helper. I am the only foreigner in the place 
 I have had many difficulties since I came to Japan, but the 
 Lord has been tenderly caring for me, and I am thankful to 
 have been brought to this suimy land. I am sure the dear 
 Lord is working in the hearts of many, and what is needed 
 is the teaching of His Holy Word. I had a Bible class at 
 the Tokyo Charity Hospital, composed of fifty members. I 
 often wish I were younger — it is difficult to acquire the 
 language. I send you this short line to encourage you to 
 help Japan all you can in England. — A. M. Swift, Yokosuka, 
 NEAR Yokohama." 
 
 "Some people regard the institutions of the European 
 model as the best thing to be relied upon. Others insist on 
 the wide diffiasion of Western science among the people, as 
 the only hope of regenerating the nation. When the people 
 are so hotly disputing these problems, we consider that this 
 is a golden opportunity for giving to the Christian Church of 
 Japan the supreme importance, thus making her the instru- 
 ment of promoting the evangelization, not only of Japan, but 
 of the whole Eastern world. We want to convince our 
 rulers that Christianity forms one of the historic bases of 
 European civilization, and that the Christians constitute the 
 PURIFYING BODY OF CITIZENS in money worshipping and 
 power-intoxicated nations of the West. Once this is proved 
 to the conviction oi leading minds of fapan, the evangeliza- 
 tion of the land will be quickened, and the eflforts of 
 evangelists and missionaries will tell on the people with 
 greater force. Now, it is part of our business to collect facts 
 and books which might be useful for this purpose ; and I am 
 sure that nothing can help us better than to come in close 
 contact with Christians of this country ; and if you will 
 kindly give us opportunities of seeing good Christian people 
 and Christian institutions, you will place both us and our 
 country under great obligations to you." — M.U. 
 
 N.B. — Should friends feel disposed to send me such hooks as will help to 
 counteract the deadly influence of infidelity in Japan, or any useful, nicely 
 bound Christian works, I shall be glad to forward them. 
 
 15 
 
226 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 The Gospel in a Mountain Village. 
 
 Yokohama. 
 
 Rev. E. Loomis : — A young Christian from Kumamoto 
 recently went to a distant mountain village to become 
 a teacher in the local school. There was living in the same 
 place a young man of about the same age, who had been 
 adopted by the most wealthy person in that region. When 
 he learned that the teacher was a Christian, he would not 
 associate with him at all, and for a considerable time tried 
 to make it as unpleasant for him as he could. 
 
 But the teacher was not deterred from the path of duty, 
 and in time won the confidence and esteem of the one who 
 had hated and opposed him. Then a warm friendship sprang 
 up between them, and the teacher was able to lead his friend 
 to a belief in and acceptance of Christianity. 
 
 When the father of the young man heard of what 
 had happened, he threatened to disown and cast him out if 
 he did not give up this new and hated religion ; but these 
 threats were of no avail, as the son said that the presence of 
 Christ in his heart was of more value than either gold, houses, 
 or lands. 
 
 When the time came for the young man to be baptized, 
 the father was present. Both returned to their home, and 
 by neither word nor act was there any manifestation of 
 opposition. On the contrary, the father seemed to be con- 
 vinced of his former error, and allowed his son to do as he 
 chose. 
 
 This young man has been chosen to be the head man ot 
 the village ; and when he goes to the Christian services every 
 Sabbath, he takes all his associates and officials with him. 
 In this way the triumph of Christianity in that place is fully 
 attested. 
 
 Preaching on Ship-board. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Brandram, .C.M.S., was recently going from 
 Oita to Osaka on a small Japanese steamer, and, for 
 
Echoes from Japan. 227 
 
 some reason, there was a delay in the course of the passage. 
 There were about forty persons in the cabin with himself, 
 and one of them asked him if he would not preach to them. 
 Mr. Brandram replied that he had come to Japan for that 
 purpose, and it would give him great pleasure to speak to 
 them ; but, as there were a large number of passengers, he 
 did not wish to compel anyone to hear him speak, and so he 
 would first like to know if there was any objection to a 
 Christian service being held then and there. 
 
 Then a judge, who was among the passengers, asked if 
 there was anyone who was opposed to having a missionary 
 preach to them. Not an objection was raised, but, on the 
 contrary, all seemed quite desirous to hear what this foreigner 
 had to say. 
 
 Mr. Brandram was much pleased, and gave them a plain 
 and simple gospel sermon. There was close attention on the 
 part of all, and much interest and pleasure was shown by the 
 hearers. As there was quite a diversity in the capacity of his 
 auditors, Mr. Brandram feared that his discourse might not 
 be acceptable to some who were men of superior learning and 
 position. 
 
 But to his great pleasure and surprise, the next day the 
 judge repeated the illustrations and points that he had given 
 them, and said that they were very good : and then he added, 
 "Preach just like that all the time. We all like to hear such 
 good and plain doctrine as that.'' Another service of a 
 similar character followed. 
 
 Among the passengers was a young man of wealth from 
 near Tokyo, who was travelling for pleasure. He was so 
 much interested and pleased with what he had heard that he 
 came to Mr. Brandram, and said that he would like to 
 become a Christian. This led to a most pleasant conversa- 
 tion with him ; and, on reaching Osaka, he was introduced 
 to some of the Christians living at that place. 
 
 The result was, that he decided to postpone his return to 
 his home, and stay a while in Osaka in order to hear more of 
 the precious doctrine. He then sent a telegram to his father 
 
228 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 informing him of his plans, and said to his new-found friends, 
 " This is so good that I want to learn all that I can, and 
 then go home and tell my parents and friends." 
 
 A few days later he sent a letter to Mr. Brandram, saying 
 that he had given his heart to the Lord, and was happy in 
 his love. And now he has gone to his home to tell others 
 what great things the Lord has done for him. 
 
 Climate of Japan. 
 
 A glance at the position of Japan on the map bespeaks the 
 similarity of climate with that of the British Isles. 
 
 Japan is 24° 6' 50° 56', N. 
 
 „ 122° 45' 156° 32', E. of Greenwich. 
 
 The northernmost islands, Hokkaido and Hondo (main 
 part), are very much what Scotland and England are 
 respecting cold and heat. In Shikoku and Kiushiu the 
 jummer and autumn are much warmer and longer. 
 
 In 1887 the annual budget of Japanese estimates reported 
 86 centenarians, of which 68 are women. 7,330 lived to the 
 age of 90, of which 4,955 are women. 414,727 lived to 85. 
 145,942 lived to 80 ; 1,738,505 died at 50, of these 853,587 
 were women. 
 
 Time. 
 
 There are 8 hours 38 minutes 20 seconds difference 
 between the time in London and Tokyo. 
 
 Population. 
 
 The population of Japan is nearly 40,000,000. 
 
 „ „ Tokyo (the Capital), 1,122,000 
 
 ,, „ Osaka, 362,000. 
 
 „ „ Kyoto, 246,000. 
 
 „ „ Yokohama, go,ooo. 
 
 British subjects in Japan, 1,200. 
 German and French about 600. 
 Americans about 600. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 229 
 
 iWore ffileaninga from " aniKtran JForEtgn iWtssion 
 Eettets." 
 
 Rev. H. Loomis writes : — "About twelve miles from the 
 great city of Nagoya is a beautiful valley, in which lies the 
 little village of Midzuno. It is one of the oldest settled 
 portions of Japan, and in the hills near by are some caves in 
 which people dwelt before the modern style of constructing 
 houses was introduced. The whole village contains about 
 five hundred inhabitants." . . . Here the people are 
 idolaters : in times of trouble they appeal to the false 
 gods. . . . On hearing of the new religion they concluded 
 it must be better than that in which they had been taught, 
 so inquired of a native pastor, Mr. Yamamoto, who preached 
 Jesus to them, and immediately they lost all confidence 
 in the false religion and accepted the true. Mr. Loomis 
 visited this place, and thus writes : — " In the meantime the 
 number of believers increased, and the good work extended 
 to other places. A church has been formed, consisting of 
 about forty members, and a suitable house of worship was 
 recently completed." They are like the Bereans in this 
 village, giving great attention to the reading of the Word. . . . 
 Some of the women could not attend the services at this time, 
 as they had to watch the rice crops, but a special service was 
 held for them in the afternoon, and the men took their 
 turn in watching the grain. 
 
 " We were invited to one of the most neat and comfortable 
 houses in all that region. We were told that the owner was 
 one of ten Christians, and I afterwards met him at Osaka 
 as the elder and representative of his church in the meeting 
 of the General Assembly. We were provided with refresh- 
 ments, and returned with grateful hearts for what we are 
 continually permitted to witness of God's gracious blessing 
 upon the Christian work in this land." 
 
 Rev. J. B., of Osaka, writes: — "The total number of 
 ■communicants reported (at the meeting of the Presbytery, 
 1888) was 1,178, being a gain in six months of 128 persons. 
 
230 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 The gain in membership during the past year was 282, 
 The money contributed (by the Japanese) during the past 
 year was 1,357 silver dollars 80 cents." 
 
 One of the most interesting features in the history of the 
 Christian Church in Japan is that revivals have sprung up 
 through very simple, unpretending means from among the 
 Japanese themselves. The above extract, relatfed by Mr. 
 Loomis, is a sample of many that might be cited but for 
 limited space. 
 
 The Scripture Union 
 
 is mightily at work. This most promising association was 
 formed within the last few years, and now its membership 
 exceeds thirteen thousand. 
 
 Kyoto (or Miaco). 
 
 I regret to say that space will not admit of my dwelling on 
 the ancient capital Kyoto, and its beautiful natural scenery. 
 I have already referred to it as an educational and evan- 
 gelistic centre. One cannot feel too thankful for the way in 
 which God is honouring His great name through the instru- 
 mentality of Mr. Neejima, his co-workers from America, and 
 an efficient staff of native evangelists, among the 246,000 
 souls of this city. The tentative thriving work of Mr. 
 Neejima is much to be commended, and, through God's 
 goodness, its success is due to the wisdom and care dis- 
 played in handling the Japanese mind at a difficult moment ; 
 i.e., shortly after the grim edict, which appeared on all the 
 notice boards throughout the land, had been revoked : — 
 '■'■ So long as the sun shall warm, the earth, let no Christian 
 be so bold as to come to Japan, and let all know that the King 
 of Spain himself, or the Christians' God, or the great God oj 
 all, if he violate this command, shall pay for it with his 
 head." The wolf must have committed great havoc among 
 the Japanese, or surely such words would never have been 
 
 penned "With God all things are possible.'' "Who can 
 
 set thorns and briers before me, that I should not go through 
 
Echoes from Japan. 231 
 
 them ? " are words which may be aptly quoted as we look 
 back on the career of Protestant missionaries in Japan. 
 " God has indeed set before them an open door." " Praise 
 His name ! " 
 
 The New Constitution in Japan. 
 
 In February, 18S9, Japan, with much anticipation and 
 splendour, proclaimed her intention of becoming forthwith 
 wholly assimilated with the civilised nations of the West, by 
 the promulgation of the New Constitution ; and now she is 
 again preparing to have it enforced on a much grander 
 scale, in February, 1890. It is then that the elected peers 
 and members of Parliament will sit for the first time. A 
 national exhibition will be opened at Tokyo in April or May. 
 This would be such a nice time for Christian tourists to visit 
 Japan, in order to join their Japanese brethren in celebrating 
 the event. 
 
 Extract from the " Church Missionary Gleaner." 
 
 Tokyo, February it,th, 1889. 
 
 Your readers will, I am sure, be interested and thankful 
 to hear that religious liberty has at last been officially pro- 
 claimed in this country. February nth will henceforth be 
 more than ever a red-letter day in the calendar of Japan. 
 It is the day annually observed in honour of Jimmu Tenno, 
 who is regarded as the first emperor of the country, and 
 from whom the Japanese claim an unbroken line of descent 
 for their emperors down to the present time, and from 
 whose reign they also date their era ; this year being, ac- 
 cording to Japanese chronology, 2549. And this was the 
 day selected for the promulgation of the new Constitution, 
 an event looked forward to with the greatest eagerness by 
 the whole nation. It must suffice to say here very briefly 
 that this Constitution is framed somewhat on the lines ot 
 that of our own land, provides for a House of Peers and a 
 House of Representatives, confers many civil liberties on the 
 people which they have not enjoyed hitherto, and — what 
 
232 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 your readers will be specially interested to hear — contains a 
 clause granting to all subjects of Japan freedom of religious 
 belief. Practically, there has been no interference on the 
 part of the Government, in late years, with the religious 
 belief of individuals, no obstacle placed in the way of 
 Christian teaching ; but this is the first official proclamation 
 of full liberty in this respect, so that Christianity will now 
 stand on a different footing in the eyes of the people 
 generally, many of whom have, no doubt, hesitated to lay 
 aside their old suspicions of the religion of Western lands, 
 because there has hitherto been no recognition of it on the 
 part of their rulers. 
 
 The day was a grand one in Tokyo, and all over the 
 country ; according to native newspapers, the grandest day 
 Japan has ever seen. It would take a long time to give any 
 adequate idea of the impressive ceremony at the palace, 
 where the Emperor, in the presence of the Empress, princes, 
 princesses, noblemen, cabinet ministers, the Foreign Diplo- 
 matic Corps, and other officials, Japanese and foreign, and 
 last but not least, several editors of leading Japanese 
 journals, delivered a speech, and formally handed the draft 
 of the Constitution to the Prime Minister, Count Kuroda ; 
 or of the Royal Procession through the streets, the Empress 
 riding with the Emperor, in the same carriage, a thing 
 unheard of before ; the splendid state carriages, specially 
 built in Europe ; the gorgeous liveries ; the crowds of 
 orderly, merry people, dressed in their best, lining the 
 route ; the processions of schools, large and small ; the 
 wonderful decorations ; monster ornamental cars drawn by 
 strings of oxen and towering above the heads of the people ; 
 triumphal arches lit up at night with scores of electric lights, 
 flags, and lanterns innuirierable. The people all through 
 the country had been roused to an extraordinary pitch of 
 enthusiasm over the promulgation of this new Constitution. 
 They feel that Japan now, more than ever, stands foremost 
 in the matter of civilisation amongst the nations of the East, 
 the only kingdom in Asia that possesses a constitutional 
 
Echoes from Japan. 233 
 
 government, the only one that enjoys perfect religious 
 liberty. 
 
 The Christians have not been behind, but rather before, 
 their fellow-countrymen in the interest taken in this great 
 event. Our own little band of converts of their own accord 
 arranged for a service in church to seek God's blessing on 
 the day, and in the evening a general meeting for praise and 
 thanksgiving was held by Christians of all denominations in 
 the large public hall, originally built for the purpose of 
 delivering lectures to combat Christianity. One of the 
 speakers said that the promulgation of the new Constitution, 
 which had taken place that morning, was sure to give a 
 great inipetus to the spread of Christianity, for that there 
 were many Nicodemuses in different parts of the country 
 who would now come forward. 
 
 From " A Sabbath in Osaka," in the " Missionary 
 Herald" for January, 1888. 
 
 The writer, Rev. C. P. Blanchard, is describing a visit to 
 the Congregational Churches in that city. "The usual 
 attendance is about two hundred ; to-day it is only twenty- 
 five less. The large number of adult classes and their 
 attentive earnestness in the study of the Word are pleasant 
 features. Each late comer, as he takes his place in the class, 
 first reverently bows his head in silent prayer. Two hundred 
 or more little wooden tablets, each about eight inches in 
 length by two in width, covering a large space on the wall, 
 attract our attention and awaken our curiosity. Each tablet 
 hangs on a separate pin, and native characters are written 
 upon it. This is the roll of the church. Each member's 
 name thus hangs conspicuously on the sacred walls of the 
 house of God. This is the general custom among the 
 churches. It certainly has much to recommend it. It would 
 seem well calculated to develop the sense of individual re- 
 sponsibility for each member thus to see, every time he 
 .enters the church, his tablet bearing his name. Certainly he 
 
234 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 will not wish to be unnecessarily absent, for a silent witness; 
 against him is hanging on the walls. 
 
 There is little in the exercises of the school to distinguish 
 it from schools at home. The pastor makes a brief closing 
 address, evidently applying the truths of the lesson with 
 earnestness and directness. A hymn is sung. How strange 
 yet sweetly familiar " Rock of Ages '' sounds sung in a 
 tongue no syllable of which you can understand ! It was 
 refreshing to notice, as the closing prayer was offered, that 
 every head was reverently bowed, and to hear, at its close, a 
 fervent amen uttered, not by the pastor, but by the entire 
 congregation. * * » * * 'Vcis. pastor chooses his text 
 and shapes his discourse to meet his evening audience, 
 which is largely composed of those who have not accepted 
 the claims of the gospel. Some are interested in Christianity, 
 some are indifferent ; probably few are hostile. His theme 
 to-night is "the man without a wedding garment." The 
 preacher has a manly bearing, an unusually intelligent, 
 attractive face, and is exceedingly easy and graceful in his 
 address. He speaks with great fluency, without manuscript, 
 gestures freely, and not unfrequently turns to his Bible to 
 illustrate or clinch an argument. His fervour increases as he 
 proceeds, and a glance at his interested audience assures us 
 that he is a popular orator of no mean ability. Our regret that 
 he spoke in an unknown tongue was increased by a sketch 
 of the sermon afterwards given us. It was full of gospel truth, 
 and abounded in happy illustration. Here is a single ex- 
 ample of its felicity. The presumption of the man who 
 presented himself without the prescribed dress, and of the 
 class he represents, was made vivid to his audience by a 
 fitting allusion to the royal reception given by the Emperor 
 during a recent visit to the city, when the only condition 
 attaching to the invitation was that each guest appear in full 
 foreign costume, the newly prescribed court-dress. It is easy 
 to see what effective use he could make of such a timely 
 illustration. 
 
 So closed a day of rare privilege. It left the conviction 
 
Echoes from Japan. 235 
 
 that the churches of Japan, if these of Osaka are fair 
 representatives, are very fortunate in their ministry and the 
 ministry equally happy in their churches. With such churches 
 and such a ministry the future of the kingdom is full of hope. 
 As illustrative of the rapid growth of these churches, take 
 as an example the last one visited. Formed eight years ago 
 with nine members, it added to its membership three the first 
 year, seven the second, fourteen the third, fourteen the 
 fourth, twenty-one the fifth, forty the sixth, fifty the seventh, 
 and fifty-two the eighth. Multiply these figures by four and 
 you have the approximate growth and membership of the 
 four churches. All but one of these are compelled either to 
 rebuild or enlarge their house this year. This, with the 
 necessary enlargement of the Girls' School, which they 
 unitedly sustain, lays a burden upon them that would appal 
 a less courageous people. 
 
 Those who met the Christian philanthropist, Mr. Shimada, in 
 England, may be interested to hear that he is elected to represent 
 his party at the next (and first) parliament in Tokyo next year. 
 He not only needs, but would value our prayers. He and his 
 friend, Mr. Uemura, are anxious to develop the girls' and boys' 
 Christian schools under their management. A self-supporting lady 
 helper would be invaluable to them at this stage, as well as other 
 help. I state this for the convenience of those who might desire to 
 correspond with them. 
 Address — 
 
 Mei-ji jogakko Uyeno Park, 
 
 Tokyo, Japan. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Jloral etontiition, 
 
 "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." — Isa. i. S- 
 
 I. T T UMAN nature is exactly the same in 
 X X Japan as it is in any other country, so 
 that her people cannot be said to be' highly moral. 
 Yet I think that, without the counteracting in- 
 fluence of Christianity, the drunkenness and all 
 its attendant evils would have dragged us as a 
 nation far below the example Japan sets before us 
 to-day — though, let it be understood, I am far from 
 seeking to prove Japan to be a model in this 
 respect. It is the purifying influence of Christianity 
 that has given the British people that unrivalled 
 energy, vein of benevolence, and excellence of 
 character peculiar to them — despite their many 
 drawbacks. Immorality, crime, and poverty are 
 prevalent in Japan, but not nearly as conspicuous 
 as in England, unless it is at the treaty ports, 
 where many of the money-making and demoralised 
 Westerns are a snare to women weak enough to 
 be ensnared by them. But it would be unfair to 
 judge of the morality of the Japanese by what we 
 see at the treaty ports, and just as wrong to 
 condemn wholesale our own country people who 
 
Echoes from Japan. 237 
 
 live there because there are base characters among 
 them. 
 
 2. God forbid that the streets of Japanese towns 
 should ever be disgraced with the presence of 
 public-houses and sottish men and women as in 
 Great Britain. We have, indeed, cause to bow our 
 heads in this respect, and there is much besides 
 that is detrimental to our far-famed reputation as 
 a Christian nation. I feel forced to make this 
 remark in passing ; otherwise I would far rather 
 not allude to a subject which is not in my line, 
 but leave it to those who have a morbid pleasure 
 in parading the vices of a people who are so ready- 
 to learn from us all that is worthy of being 
 imitated. " For what have we that we have not 
 received?" The only thing that can elevate an 
 individual and a nation permanently is vital (not 
 nominal) Christianity. England's government, civil 
 laws, and home-life are based on Biblical principles ; 
 hence England's greatness ! The British people, 
 as such, enjoy liberty of conscience, and believe 
 in the Sacred WORD which God's love and mercy 
 brought down ; and in the measure its counsels are 
 heeded, in that measure are they free and happy. 
 
 If Japan will train up her children to search the 
 Scriptures with as much ardour as she has in the 
 past trained them to observe the moral injunctions 
 of heathen sages, God will set her on high ; she will 
 become the "head, and not the tail," among the 
 nations. 
 
 " Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and read : 
 
238 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 no one of these shall fail, none shall want her 
 mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his- 
 spirit it hath gathered them!' This is the royal 
 road to prosperity and bliss ! May God move our 
 hearts with compassion towards the lost and 
 perishing, and give them the Bread of Life, that 
 they may live. 
 
 Share the Blessing. 
 
 "Keep none of it till the morning." 
 
 " Here is a story from Japan which should do us 
 all good. 
 
 " A poor man who is a Christian has to work all 
 day away from home. He has put up the following 
 notice on the door of his house — ■ 
 
 " ' I am a Christian, and if any one likes to go in 
 and read m.y Good Book while I am out they may. 
 The Buddhist Priests need not come here. I do not 
 want them any more.' 
 
 " People go into his house and read his Bible. 
 
 " Would that we had more of that natural child- 
 like desire to have others share in the blessings 
 which we enjoy that this poor Japanese has ! " — 
 Extract from " C. M. S. Gleaner!' 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 (Appeal.) 
 
 " We do not well : this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold 
 our peace." — 2 Kings vii. 9. 
 
 IF we cannot see in a crucified and risen Saviour 
 sufficient motive to tempt us out of England, 
 we have as yet but a feeble apprehension of his 
 love to us. We look at the Cross of Shame, and 
 see, at one and the same time, God's eternal 
 abhorrence of sin and love to the sinner laid 
 perfectly bare. We believe that the middle wall 
 of partition is broken down, and the flaming sword 
 of justice quenched, and that our Great High 
 Priest has entered into the presence of God for 
 us, and has come out to bless us in the divine 
 person of the Holy Ghost ; and yet many, in this 
 age of enlightenment and facilities for going into 
 a// the world on His errands, seem to be com- 
 plaining that no man hath hired them. The Lord 
 of the harvest says to such, even at this ELEVENTH 
 HOUR, " Go ye also into my vineyard." How in- 
 tensely one longs to convince consecrated men and 
 
240 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 women in England and everywhere, of the glorious 
 openings there are in Japan at this moment for 
 living among her people, and proving by their 
 manner of life and conversation that they seek not 
 theirs but them ! 
 
 Who will go? 
 
 I would also fain prevail on Christians who are 
 set free from home claims, and who are in pos- 
 session of a large or small income, to take a higher 
 and more influential ground than those who are 
 held in by the bit and bridle of man-made rules, 
 to go to Japan, and be AT HOME daily to receive 
 all who come unto them. The Japanese are 
 beginning to iind out that England's far-famed 
 home-life is worthy of imitation, so that an oppor- 
 tunity offers in this direction to show how God 
 can be honoured with our substance, as well as 
 personal influence. Gold and silver truly dedicated 
 to God can never hinder, but help. Oh, that grace 
 may be given to Chmtians who own lands, gold, 
 silver, gifts, &c., to glory in their possession, because 
 it gives them multiplied facilities for going right 
 among those who are so ready to judge of our 
 love to the Shepherd that died for his sheep, by 
 seeing that we give ourselves as well as our means. 
 Jesus Christ is appealing to you, who are His 
 consecrated stewards, on behalf of millions over 
 whom His heart yearns with intense pity and love. 
 
 In Japan, for example, your presence as self- 
 supporting workers, whether as individuals or 
 
Echoes from Japan. 241 
 
 families, will be a greater testimony (to a certain 
 class) to the reality of the Gospel than it can 
 possibly be by going under the care of a mission. 
 The latter has its place, and God forbid that I 
 should level shafts at missions, for we have every 
 reason to feel encouraged with the success which 
 has attended the efforts already made by the 
 missionaries. But as we are apt to forget the 
 " diversity of operation " already referred to, I draw 
 the reader's attention to this open door in passing. 
 
 Oh, for grace in us to imitate the Queen of 
 Sheba's act of self-surrender, by going to the 
 uttermost parts of the earth to proclaim the love 
 and wisdom of a greater than Solomon ! Thus, 
 rising to the occasion and pressing need, we should 
 be able to convince Easterns of the vital difference 
 there is between nominal and real Christianity. 
 " Who will go ? " 
 
 There are excellent men and women of God 
 who are daily splitting hairs by endeavouring to 
 prove " apostolic methods. Scriptural ground, fitness 
 for service," and various departures ; but they fail to 
 see that the most effectual and practical way for 
 attesting what they teach, is that the " Call from 
 Macedonia " should be responded to by themselves, 
 and go and carry the carefully winnowed and 
 garnered grain, and sow it broadcast among the 
 spiritually famine-stricken nations. Prompt action 
 of this sort would soon disabuse our minds from 
 all difficulty as to Who is who, and What is 
 WHAT. I am persuaded that nothing else will do it. 
 16 
 
242 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 God has entrusted us with much treasure : — time, 
 health, learning, reason, eyesight, hearing, temporal 
 and spiritual endowments, friends and relations, 
 and many facilities for proving our devotion to 
 Him. We should not forget, moreover, that in 
 addition to all our accountabilities, it is a steward- 
 ship or trust to be enjoying the protection and peace 
 by which the illustrious reign of our beloved Queen 
 is characterised, both at home and abroad. 
 
 May we, then, in the light of the Coming Day, 
 on which the counsels of the heart are to be made 
 manifest by Jesus Christ, ask Him to enable us to 
 become " good stewards of the manifold grace of 
 God." 
 
 I feel more and more that we must ask God to 
 arouse us and help us to realise what an honour 
 and responsibility it is to be put in trust with the 
 Gospel, and say with King David, " Both riches and 
 honour come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all ; and 
 in Thine hand is power and m.ight, and in Thine 
 hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto 
 all. But who am /, and what is my people, that we 
 should he able to offer so willingly after this sort f for 
 all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we 
 given Thee" May God, in his mercy, remove the 
 nightmare we are under, and turn every church, 
 chapel, and meeting-room in the land into wailing 
 resorts, because we have failed to carry the Gospel 
 to this prepared people ! Nothing can clear us for 
 having withheld it so long but making haste and 
 giving it to them now. And nothing can more 
 
Echoes from Japan. 243 
 
 effectually enforce the undeviating teachings of the 
 Book of books, like the " living epistle" filled with 
 the Spirit. " WHO WILL GO ? " 
 
 " The day is breaking everywhere, and God deliver 
 lis from dawdling at the dawn of such a day." 
 
 "Oh, that dying, yet undying love ! " 
 
 "And Jesus went about all the villages and 
 cities, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching 
 the gospel of the kingdom, healing every sickness 
 and every disease among the people. But when He 
 saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion 
 on them., because they fainted, and zvere scattered 
 abroad, as sheep having no shepherd" 
 
 The ten thousand villages, to say nothing of 
 towns, all over Japan, will give a hearty welcome to 
 those who are controlled by that love which always 
 flowed from the heart of Jesus, when brought in 
 contact with his untended sheep. WHO WILL 
 GO? The Japanese are creating a literature of 
 their own type, and, in 1887, 85,000 English books 
 were imported. Educational works are much in 
 demand, and so are philosophical writings of the 
 deadly-nightshade order. What have Ingersoll and 
 Bradlaugh done for the true elevation of Westerns } 
 Are they likely to elevate Japan ? " Doth a fountain 
 send forth at the same place sweet water and 
 bitter 1 " 
 
 I often wonder how true Christians, entrusted 
 with means, can afford to deprive themselves of the 
 blessing it would bring to their own souls, by failing 
 to go where they are so much needed NOW, instead 
 
244 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 of being tethered, muzzled, and hampered with 
 Saul's armour at home. But I must not indulge in 
 riddles ; my meaning is plain, viz., I long for God's 
 servants to be very simple, and having received 
 their call to service, to look to Him and His Word 
 for guidance — this would lead them to see the 
 unwisdom of giving Easterns cumbersome obser- 
 vances. " The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth 
 life." But unless the simplicity referred to is the 
 outcome of the direct teaching of the Holy Spirit, 
 and not that which suits one's own fancy or national 
 taste, it is as deserving of censure as tawdry 
 ritualism, or "mass in masquerade." Whatever 
 brings a soul into bondage, or fails to prove edifying 
 to it — let it be at "Friends'," "Brethren's," or 
 Baptists' meetings— is as offensive to God as that 
 described in Isaiah i. 13. 
 
 Hear the Word of the Lord! 
 
 ..." Bring no more Vain Oblations ! " . . . 
 
 " God is a Spirit : and they that worship Him 
 must worship Him in spirit and in truth." May 
 God, in compassion to Easterns, send those to 
 them who are under training at the " BACKSIDE OF 
 THE DESERT " ; those who will, in the power of the 
 Holy Ghost, play skilfully on the Gospel bells 
 by repeating the " CoMES," — " Fear nots," — 
 "Blesseds are ye" of Jesus. I am sure that 
 the best and soundest of teachers, are those who, 
 by word and example, lead souls to crop for 
 
Echoes from Japan. 24S 
 
 themselves in the green pastures of truth. A 
 friend of mine said one day, " I find that what I 
 listen to at some meetings is very comforting at 
 the time, but it soon vanishes ; while what I dig 
 out of my Bible, abides." A Bible-reading Brahmin 
 once wrote to a missionary as follows : — 
 
 " We are beginning to see through you. You are 
 not so good as your Book. If you were as good as 
 your Book you could convert India in five years!' 
 
 Home Missions. 
 
 The Japanese Christians are doing all they can 
 to manage their own home missions. But at this 
 critical moment our assistance will be of greater 
 value to them than at a later date. Hundreds of 
 Christian students often go to distant towns and 
 villages to preach Jesus to their people. 
 
 " Nippon den do Kaisha " is the name of the 
 lately organised society for promoting missionary 
 work in Japan. Professor Wadagaki, Imperial 
 College, Tokyo ; Professor Bunji Mano, Engineering 
 College, Tokyo ; and Professor T. Watas6, Agri- 
 cultural and Colonisation Department, Tokyo, 
 are personally known to many in this country. 
 They have the spiritual need of Japan much at 
 heart. Mr. Neejima Doshisha Kyoto would, with 
 them, give a hearty welcome to Christian tourists 
 who wish for information about this Christian work, 
 and would turn to excellent account donations 
 sent by their brethren and fellow-labourers in 
 England, towards the spread of the Gospel. 
 
246 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 The Master will soon be here ! We shall hear 
 him say, " Give an account of thy stewardships He 
 will then gird Himself, and make lis to sit down 
 at meat. He will remind us of how we visited 
 Him in prison, clothed Him, fed Him, and the 
 joy it gave Him that we saw Him in His members. 
 Oh, let not Satan out-manoeuvre us of our privilege ! 
 Now is our time for witness-bearing, our only 
 opportunity for proving our loyalty to Him ! 
 
 Postscript. 
 
 In order to make this book the pure and simple expres- 
 sion of personal observation in Japan, I have endeavoured 
 to confine myself almost exclusively to my jottings and 
 to what has left an indelible impression upon my memory. 
 I feel under deep obligation to my Japanese friends in 
 London and in Japan for the valuable help they have given 
 me by permitting me to take extracts from their letters, 
 and for informing me on points — up to date — altogether new 
 to myself, and which, I trust, will be of interest to the reader. 
 
 There are, besides, a few extracts from American and 
 English Missionary Reports, viz., " The Church at Home 
 and Abroad," " C. M. S. Gleaner," clippings and re-quoted 
 extracts, &c., altogether unknown to me as to their author- 
 ship ; but for which, in common with other help, I offer 
 hearty thanks. I must also express gratitude to the many 
 friends, and others, whom I only know by name, for order- 
 ing "Echoes from Japan" in advance, a circumstance which 
 has greatly encouraged me. 
 
 The book makes no pretension whatsoever to being a 
 complete and organised account of Japan and her people, 
 but is simply what it professes to be, echoes from that country, 
 or the substance of notes taken in the intervals of a busy life. 
 I feel that, from a literary standpoint, it contains much that 
 will be trying to the critical reader, but since the good of 
 
Echoes from Japan. 247 
 
 Japan is my only motive in casting these seedcorns on the 
 flowing tide of abounding literature, I bespeak forbearance 
 and charity, and ask the reader rather to entreat Him 
 (who so graciously condescends to choose the "foolish 
 things of the world to confound the wise; and the weak 
 things to confound the things which are mighty "), to use 
 the feeble echoes which hereby reach His ear by leading 
 many earnest workers to go and live among the Japanese. 
 Were the writer, moreover, in possession of those gifts 
 which are so necessary in order to write in a popular and 
 telling style she would feel equally inadequate to undertake 
 the work in hand, as in transcribing one's thoughts for 
 God's glory we must say of all we have by nature and 
 by education, &c., " / cannot go with these; for I have 
 not proved them." It behoves us to act thus in every 
 engagement entered on in Christ's Name ; otherwise failure 
 will be the result. 
 
 The extracts from the letters of our true-hearted and loyal 
 men-of-war's-men, and likewise from those of my sister (who 
 laboured happily among them at Shanghai, China), are 
 so closely linked with the work given me at Yokohama, 
 both ashore and afloat, that I offer no apology for appending 
 them. Besides, I feel that they are necessary in order to 
 show out the blessed fruit of the great grace which was upon 
 them. It is a good thing to give thanks unto God at the 
 remembrance of those Pentecostal days. 
 
 A learned friend has favoured me with a paper on the 
 Japanese language, but limited space prevents my intro- 
 ducing it here. I need not remind the reader that, although 
 I am able to continue in constant happy intercourse with 
 Japanese visiting our Metropolis, I contemplate returning to 
 Japan as soon as I receive my marching orders. The 
 Master says, "Be not ye the servants of men.'' An 
 advanced Christian once asked me, " Would you be willing 
 to go to Japan as our missionary?" " I would rather go 
 as GoiPs sent one," was my reply. " There are diversities 
 of operations, but One is our Master, even Christ." 
 
JAPANESE. 
 
 "t U y r P t^ ^ 
 
 y V X a ^ >s ^ 
 
 A ^) TU ^ y Y ^ 
 
 "^ ! 2 ^. ^ ^ -fe 
 
 i 4 ^' ^ y y 
 
 y ^ 7. Y ii 
 
 s. y- y y u y 
 
 John iii. i6. 
 
APPENDIX I. 
 Jottings from mp Not0=booft. 
 
 "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and 
 raighty things, which thou knowest not." — Jer. xxxiii, 3, 
 
 IN a month after my arrival, I was enabled, by 
 the good hand of my God upon me, to rent a 
 small bungalow of three rooms, the largest not 
 more than eighteen feet by ten ; for which I pay 
 sixty dollars per quarter. When it became known 
 that I was prepared to receive a few pupils, several 
 of the English and American residents sent their 
 children to me. 
 
 The variety of evergreens, trees near, and at a 
 distance, make Yokohama such a contrast to 
 Shanghai, at this late season (December). 
 
 I am feeling quite at home in my little cot. A 
 man, his wife, and baby, live in the outhouse, next 
 to the liliputian kitchen. The man goes out early 
 to work at his trade, and comes back late. The 
 baby is strapped on his mother's back while she 
 sweeps my rooms, cooks, etc. 
 
2 so Echoes from Japan. 
 
 God has satisfied my longings, with His own 
 presence, far beyond my expectations. The half 
 cannot be told. 
 
 I teach my European pupils in the morning. The 
 Japanese come in the afternoon. Their determi- 
 nation to learn is unexampled. History and Natural 
 Philosophy are studied by some. They are wearing 
 European hats for the first time in their lives, 
 evidently, for frequently on going away they forget 
 to take them with them, and think nothing of 
 leaving them in my charge till next day. 
 
 H.M.S. Cadmus has arrived. Some of the 
 Christian sailors belonging to her called on me, 
 bringing with them a note of introduction from 
 my sister. They began to sing and pray at once, 
 and were like " giants filled with new wine." Some 
 of our English neighbours raised a storm, objecting 
 to our unconventional worship. They sent out 
 their servants with tin kettles and gongs, but " God 
 stopped the mouth of the Lion," and gave us rest. 
 
 My little bungalow is full of melody, and my 
 health is much improved. I can see clearly that 
 God meant me to come to this favoured land, to 
 give the blue-jackets a welcome. Would that all 
 Englishmen were such a credit to the British flag 
 as they are ! True Christianity makes them con- 
 tented, loyal subjects. They pray for the Captain, 
 officers, and ship's company ; thus fulfilling the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 251 
 
 Divine command — i Tim., chap, ii., verses i, 2 
 and 3. 
 
 When out this morning, I saw a battalion of three 
 hundred marines march along the Bluff. The 
 thought flashed through my mind, " Why not tend 
 these as well as the blue-jackets?" The index 
 finger of Faith was ever and anon referring me to the 
 walls of Jericho, and to weak instruments, gaining 
 victories. But at last the Master Himself seemed 
 to draw near and say, "Go with the Name of Jesus 
 to the dying 1 " and with these words I felt my 
 marching orders were distinct and clear. The set 
 time had come. Oh, how beautifully everything 
 fitted in ! the gates of brass, and bars of iron, 
 melted away. The sense of God's presence was 
 overpowering, and gave me the conviction that " He 
 was making bare His holy arm, and that the shout 
 of a King was among us." This fresh expression of 
 God's favour was no small encouragement to one 
 who only a few months previously felt ready to 
 halt. It was not a work of which the " Church " 
 would make anything, as our method was very 
 simple, and outside the ruts and grooves of human 
 formula. 
 
 The red-coated marines join the blue-jackets 
 nightly, to get comfort for their sin-sick souls : and 
 others declare, with their sunlit faces, that the 
 darkness has passed, and the day-star has arisen 
 in their hearts. I have not a doubt now, that the 
 
252 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 burdened feeling I had about visiting the camp 
 was a guiding voice. 
 
 New Year's Eve, 1874. — We gave a tea and watch 
 meeting in the Church schoolroom. The Captain 
 of H.M.S. Thistle has lent us the Flags of all 
 nations. We only asked for two — the English 
 and American. He also sent a detachment of 
 men to put them up. A petty officer on board is an 
 earnest Christian, and helps on the work. Several 
 of the Missionaries came and addressed the meeting. 
 We had a good time. The Chaplain, Rev. E. W. 
 Syle, was so encouraged by eight marines recently 
 converted, applying to him for admittance to the 
 "Lord's Table," that he sent me a truly kind 
 Christian epistle, and three five dollar notes, saying 
 that my visit to Japan was a venture of faith which 
 God had evidently owned. See R. M!s letter on 
 page 298. 
 
 My hands are full of truly spiritual and happy 
 work among the sailors and marines. My pupil, 
 Hirano-san, is a great help and comfort to me. He 
 grows in grace. The sailors love him. He visits the 
 ships with me, carrying books and tracts, and enjoys 
 our meetings on board as well as those on shore. 
 As I have the means and opportunity, I send a note 
 to one or more ships, inviting a small party of 
 sailors to tea. The Christians on each vessel are 
 glad to pilot the unsaved ones to my house. The 
 fifteen dollars enabled me to give many small treats. 
 This social pastime gives such a nice opportunity 
 
Echoes from Japan. 253 
 
 for passing on the words of Jesus to the weary and 
 heavy laden, far away from Him, as well as from 
 kith and kin. As a rule the unconverted sailors 
 are public-house resorters, when allowed ashore on 
 " leave days," so that inviting them to one's house, 
 and showing them little deeds of kindness, and 
 speaking words of love for Jesus' sake, often avert 
 much harm to body and soul. 
 
 The Thalia has arrived straight from Hong Kong, 
 and not via Shanghai, like the other vessels. There 
 are three very spiritually minded men on board. I 
 asked them "who directed them to me?" "The 
 Lord directed us, Miss," was their reply. It was my 
 privilege to welcome them in " His blessed Name." 
 They are true men of God : the right sort of visitors 
 to heathen shores ; they are praying missionaries, 
 and true fellow labourers with me in the Gospel. 
 
 The ship Thalia has gone on a cruise : she 
 may be away for one or two weeks. We have 
 agreed to pray for a greater blessing on the ship's 
 company as well as on the battalion ashore till we 
 next meet. 
 
 Lady Parkes has called to see me. I did not 
 expect to find her such an advanced Christian. She 
 spoke feelingly of God's wisdom and love, and of 
 how she had learnt in the furnace, that which could 
 never have been learnt out of it. I had a fresh 
 sense of God's presence, while we sat together, and 
 
254 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 spoke of Him. When I returned her call, I found 
 out that she was as ready as ever to show her 
 colours as a Christian. 
 
 March. — Another happy chat at the British 
 Legation. After luncheon, we talked for hours of 
 God's goodness and ways of dealing with us. 
 
 Lady P entered heartily into all I had to say 
 
 about the work on board the ships and in the camp. 
 She used her influence with captains and officers 
 from the vessels to give me a welcome on board ; 
 so that, through God's goodness, I attribute my 
 access to the sailors to her. Happy the country 
 whose ambassador's wife takes such a pronounced 
 stand against the recklessness and scepticism which 
 generally characterise Europeans in Eastern lands ! 
 
 Another truly profitable evening amongst the 
 marines. God is blessing us. 
 
 Nice letters from the Cadmus men, en route for 
 Hong Kong, viA Shanghai. They are " sowing 
 beside all waters." They visit the missionaries at 
 the different ports, viz., Kobd and Nagasaki, and 
 attend their prayer meetings. 
 
 My friends, the sailors, seem overflowing with 
 joy, but they are perfectly free from excitement. 
 Oh, for many such men ! They remind me of 
 David's three mighti€s. They know how to keep 
 rank ; their eye is ever on their Great Captain, and 
 
Echoes from Japan. 255 
 
 they only move at his bidding. We are meeting 
 daily to pour out our hearts for more blessing on 
 the British and American fleets on the coasts of 
 Japan and China. Prayer in the Holy Ghost is a 
 rare thing, it seems to me, but these men know 
 how to deal with God ; and so they bring down 
 blessing. 
 
 We are arranging to give a large tea, and have 
 already invited sailors from the vessels to meet the 
 marines. God has given us faith to believe that 
 there will be showers of blessings. Captain 
 Woolcomb, of the Thalia, lends me all the help 
 in his power. It is the Lord's doing. Praise His 
 Name ! 
 
 The more I have to do with the sailors, the more 
 I see how completely self has been cast out, and 
 Christ is showing himself through the lattice (or 
 thin veil of flesh and blood). Oh, that this 
 state of things might obtain everywhere amongst 
 Christians ! Satan knows that a God-wrought 
 unity is the most powerful preaching in the world ; 
 everything short of this is religion in the flesh. 
 
 Some of the Thalians were asked to accept pro- 
 motion in their different departments, but they 
 begged to be permitted to decline it. The captain, 
 however, after a while insisted on it, and, as servants, 
 they felt that they must obey their master. The 
 lowest rung on the naval ladder was, to them, a 
 
256 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 more enviable arena for displaying the grace that 
 wrought so mightily in them than the highest 
 could possibly be. O Grace of God, how lowly 
 thou art ! 
 
 My room barely holds all the men who come 
 from the Thalia and camp alone ; most of them 
 the fruit of our last Gospel meeting. " Praise God 
 from whom all blessings flow ! " 
 
 Day by day the sailors retire to the gully below 
 my cottage, and there pour out their hearts in 
 prayer : when they come in their faces look radiant. 
 They are active workers, they dole out " the bread 
 of life " to the hungry on board, and in the hospital 
 and prison. 
 
 A dear sailor said to me to-day, " We see from 
 the Word that the early Christians came together to 
 remember the Lord's death, and it is laid on our 
 hearts to do the same." This somewhat novel idea 
 did not take me by surprise, for I had often wished 
 that all Christians met more simply than they do. 
 It was my privilege to offer them my sitting-room, 
 whenever they wished to make use of it. 
 
 One Sunday evening, after the Lord's Supper, I 
 discovered a packet of dollars had been left on a 
 chair in the room where we worshipped. Thinking 
 it had been mislaid by one of the men, I kept it 
 until next day, when I questioned one of the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 2$y 
 
 greatest (because grace had made him one of the 
 least). His only reply was, " We have given it to 
 the Lord, Miss," and then slipped out of my way. 
 Of course I concluded that the sacred offering was 
 to be spent in the blessed work, to which we were 
 one and all called. Teas, etc., were seasonably 
 provided by it, as a means of gathering together 
 their unsaved shipmates to hear the Gospel, and by 
 several such unlooked-for, voluntary offerings, from 
 time to time. Never had money been offered in a 
 more princely fashion ! It was the King's current 
 coin ! They gave unto the Lord, and not to the 
 cause. It is a grand thing to be filled with the 
 Spirit 1 We are misers until we are ! The dew of 
 Pentecost is on everything the Church afloat does. 
 
 The Thalia has a large band of faithful witnesses 
 now ; they show a bold front to the enemy on 
 board their ship. They are men wondered at by 
 the whole crew. 
 
 The Word of God is full of point and power to 
 our hungry souls. Some of the young Christians 
 say that they have lost all longing to return to 
 England. The Golden Gates of the home above 
 seem so near, that they only want to be used, no 
 matter where or how, " Until He come." 
 
 17 
 
258 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 A Worker among the Sailors at Shanghai 
 
 ATTACKED BY CHINESE RIOTERS. 
 (Extract.) 
 
 I am very much affaid that the news of my 
 disaster will have reached you before this, and no 
 doubt frightened you. I was most miraculously 
 taken through it all. I could not have been in 
 greater danger of my life ; and yet, I am now so 
 far recovered that I can scarcely realise that I was 
 at all in it. For hours my place was mobbed, but 
 I could not anticipate danger to myself I felt that a 
 few Chinese, who were having a bad feeling out on 
 the landlord, were creating the mob. Had I known 
 that it was a feeling against the French generally, 
 I should have got away, but I had no fear from 
 beginning to end. Even when the rioters came up- 
 stairs I could not believe that they would strike 
 me, until they did it, and then I left them. I had 
 no idea that I should be thrown down in the street : 
 I was not " dragged down " by my hair (as stated 
 in the local papers), but tripped up by a Chinaman, 
 who put his foot on mine ; and though I received a 
 great many blows, they did not seem to hurt me, 
 only my wrist was much mutilated, and deep scars 
 made in my forehead, but both are nearly healed up 
 now. It was a clear case of being in the lions' den 
 and not devoured. Though the natives of Shanghai 
 enjoyed seeing the French get beaten, a few Ningpo 
 men, who knew me, thronged round me in the 
 
Echoes from Japan. 259 
 
 tea-shop to save me. The rioters were composed 
 of all sorts of wheel-barrow men, boatmen, and 
 opium smokers. I was in a state of perfect calm, 
 and when, as at one moment, death seemed inevit- 
 able, I resigned myself. I knew that it must be 
 instant death, or instant deliverance ; and so it 
 proved. They were crying out, "She is French, and 
 she must be killed." At this moment I recovered 
 consciousness, and with a last, lingering breath, as 
 it were, God enabled me to shout out, " I am not 
 French, but English ! " On having declared myself a 
 British subject, a great calm pervaded the crowd. . . 
 I have not, through God's grace, shed one tear, nor 
 have I had a single emotion of regret, since I have 
 been thus dealt with. I know that it is God's hand, 
 in love, that has permitted it all ; and I have no 
 doubt that it will be to the furtherance of His cause 
 
 and glory. It was a great blessing that Mr. W 
 
 and Mr. C called then. We were having a Bible 
 
 reading and prayer meeting in the upper room, 
 before the sailors' meeting came on, and were 
 paying no attention to what was going on below. 
 My friends, in trying to save me, got severely 
 injured about the head, and were carried off to the 
 hospital, in a state of unconsciousness. The wreck 
 of nearly all my things was brought to me. I am 
 asked by the British Consul to put in claims ; but 
 I feel I cannot, for I heartily rejoice in suffering 
 thus for Christ's sake. 
 
 This is a fiery trial to my faith, but I do not 
 think it strange, for God's gold must go through 
 
26o Echoes from Japan. 
 
 the fire. " And when He hath tried me, I shall come 
 forth as gold." This passage has been much in my 
 mind of late: "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier 
 of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi " {j.e., 
 God's dedicated ones for holy service). He shall 
 purge them as gold and silver, " that they may offer 
 unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." God's 
 offerings must be made to Him, in His own prepared 
 vessels. ... I do not know yet what God 
 means me to do. At present I am full of work 
 again among the sailors. . . . 
 
 I hope you will get this before any other news. 
 I do not feel very strong yet, so must stop. 
 
 J. McL. 
 
 There is a great deal of the parade of Good 
 Templarism cropping up lately, and many of the 
 sailors and marines, who seemed to take delight in 
 reading the Scriptures, and joining in prayer, have 
 grown quite cold, which is a grief of soul to the 
 more spiritual on board the ships, and myself. 
 
 Lady P has invited me to conduct a young 
 
 ladies' Bible reading at the Legation every Wednes- 
 day afternoon ; and Mrs. C invites me to have 
 
 a Bible reading for adult ladies at her house, every 
 Monday. " There is a running spring in our Bibles ; 
 but, alas ! we often fail to dig deep enough, and so 
 come short of being refreshed." 
 
 Dr. H , and his successor. Dr. L , are 
 
Echoes from. Japan. 261 
 
 more than willing that I should visit the English 
 naval hospital ; this proves to be a wide door, and 
 effectual. 
 
 Too full of blessed soul-winning, and soul-tend- 
 ing work to take notes. 
 
 Mr. Robertson, the Consul, is quite willing that 
 I should visit the British gaol, on Tuesdays, Fridays, 
 and Sundays. This is another door which seems 
 to open of its own accord ; and it affords opportunity 
 for sowing and reaping. 
 
 It is rumoured that H.M.S. Thalia will be leaving 
 shortly for England, vi& Shanghai and Hong Kong. 
 This is a sore trial to us all, for the Lord has made 
 us so united. 
 
 A large band of the Thalids sailors comes ashore, 
 nowadays, earlier than usual. Amah and they 
 are busy at coffee and tea making for one hour in 
 the afternoon. Half their number sing hymns in 
 the open air, while the other half are taking their 
 tea in my little schoolroom. They enjoy this 
 picnic style of refreshing themselves before our 
 evening meeting commences. It is such a treat to 
 have a room which one can offer them. They bring 
 their own bread and butter, and coffee and tea, with 
 them. Amah delights to cater for them. 
 
 We went to the front of the British Legation to 
 
262 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 sing hymns, by way of saying farewell to the friends 
 whom God had raised for us on this foreign shore. 
 The Thalians are leaving soon, and Sir H. and 
 Lady P., and family, are going to their newly-built 
 house in Tokyo. After coming away from the 
 Legation we called at Mr. C.'s, to serenade them 
 also. We knew that they would be glad to hear 
 those sweet songs of Zion. We were urged to come 
 into the dining-room. It was a pretty and novel 
 sight to see a few of the pride of the British Navy 
 occupying some nineteen or twenty seats, and 
 with uplifted faces, singing heartily. The spirit 
 of prayer and praise rested upon them ! Before 
 coming away the young ladies handed them tea, 
 out of their best china. These noble men looked 
 as if they were on God's errand ; and so they were. 
 Any amount of attention, when on His business will 
 not elate. All that the world could bestow could not 
 promote them ; its contempt could not degrade 
 them, its passing glory is as dross to those who 
 tread the King's courts. They wished their kind 
 friends, and mine, farewell, for their ship was under 
 sailing orders. 
 
 The Thalia and her band of witnesses have left. 
 Our parting meeting seemed a repetition of that 
 referred to in Acts xx. 38. The ship's company, 
 according to the inflexible rules of the Royal Navy, 
 were soon to be disbanded, so that they had sorrow 
 upon sorrow. Some were to be transferred to other 
 ships, in different parts of the world ; and those 
 
Echoes from, Japan. 263 
 
 who had served their time were going home for 
 good. It pays to become so united, so as to learn 
 what a rock the cementing love of Christ can 
 produce, out of what would, otherwise, be poor, 
 fragile clay. We praise him for giving us such a 
 unique sample of Pentecostal times. 
 
 Dear Hickey is in the Royal Naval Hospital. 
 When the anchor of the Thalia was being weighed, 
 the chain struck against his leg, and broke it in two, 
 so that he could not join his brethren. He wept 
 over his separation from them much more than over 
 his broken leg; but in the hospital he grew in grace, 
 and witnessed a good confession. 
 
 The Cadmus most unexpectedly pays Yokohama 
 another visit. The noble band of Gospel heralds 
 called on me about 6 p.m. They said that "the 
 Lord sent the Cadmus to Yokohama again, and not 
 the Admiral " ; we say so too. 
 
 We went to the camp. Some seventy or eighty 
 met for Bible reading and prayer, and we had a 
 time of blessed refreshment. 
 
 The Lord makes himself increasingly precious 
 to us as time goes on. Some marines called in the 
 evening. The sacrifice of praise and prayer never 
 grows stale or tedious. 
 
264 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 THE PARSONAGE. 
 
 (A temporary abode.) 
 Nearly all the large and small vessels of the flying 
 squadron are in the harbour. My sitting-room, at 
 present a large one, is full of blue-jackets and 
 marines every afternoon and evening. R. B., from 
 H.M.S. Frolic is " out-and-out." He brings the 
 unsaved here in large numbers. He, like the 
 Thalians, is a "true fisher of men." Such help- 
 meets are invaluable to a solitary, but happy, 
 labourer like myself. Human learning could not 
 produce such workers ; nor could all the gold in the 
 world purchase such. We rarely have money 
 hitches ; our wants are easily supplied. The field 
 is open before us, and God says^ " Go forward ! 
 slack not thy pace unless I bid thee.'^ 
 
 God has so abundantly owned our little social 
 teas that he makes provision for such efforts, and 
 sends the money, before we ask Him for it. 
 
 My sister has arrived from Shanghai. The 
 vessel she sailed in got aground in a fog, but she 
 and her fellow passengers met in the cabin to plead 
 with God ; and while in prayer word came to them 
 that all was right. How great is His goodness ! 
 
 A friend in England, from whom I have not 
 heard for several years, has sent me a kind letter 
 and a gift of money, which is a very timely help. 
 
Echoes from, Japan. 265 
 
 It being holiday season, and my pupils absent for 
 six weeks, there is no human prospect of making 
 the two ends meet. But the "Mighty Man of 
 Wealth" is above such extremities, and to-day he 
 says : — "Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter r 
 He seems to be educating me into a life of trust, 
 sometimes through trial, and sometimes through 
 glad surprises — " handfuls of purpose," which he 
 lets fall by the way. Few know the heavenly art 
 of giving " as unto the Lord Himself" consequently, 
 the giver and the receiver come short of blessing. 
 
 I have not been writing home at all about the 
 glorious work, nor even speaking of it, lest Heaven's 
 sweet bloom should get rubbed off. But there is a 
 time to speak, and a time to keep silence, for all 
 that. 
 
 Cheering letters from the Thalians ; they are at 
 Shanghai. They say that Mr. S. D. C. Douglas 
 is sent of God to that place, he is preaching Jesus, 
 in the power of the Holy Ghost, in the cathedral 
 and theatre. The Lord laid it on my heart to 
 invite Mr. Douglas to visit the ports of Japan. We 
 are praying daily that he may be brought to us, full 
 of the only power and qualification which God can 
 own and bless. 
 
 H.M.S. Audacious and Charybdis are fresh in. 
 There are a few earnest Christians on each ; but 
 they do not make the same effort in bringing the 
 
266 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 unsaved to our Gospel tea meetings the other sailors 
 have done. They say that a woman ought not to 
 speak to men. This surely is the device of the 
 tempter. There is no place in Scripture where a 
 command is given to women to confine themselves 
 to women in Gospel work ; it is the human judgment 
 that has so regulated it. I only aim at getting souls 
 into the lifeboat. The Charyldis men are holy 
 men of God for all that, and are full of the love of 
 Christ. I honour them for acting up to the light 
 they have ; but there is danger of misapplying it. 
 
 The sailors visit the Hospital, and help their sick 
 brethren. Surely this state of things is but a sample 
 of the Pentecostal blessing of early date, when 
 saved souls went "everywhere preaching the 
 Word." , 
 
 Every day is a time of refreshing to our souls ; 
 whether we meet in my house, in the hospitals, 
 ships or prison, our searching of Scripture is a 
 business that pays. 
 
 My sister is returning to Shanghai ; the sailors 
 there are longing for her return, and I must not 
 detain her any longer. (See sailors' letters.) 
 
 September. — Mr. S. D. C. Douglas has written 
 to me from Kob6 ; the Lord is sending him. I 
 have invited all the missionaries, and Mr. Robertson, 
 the British Consul, to meet Mr. Douglas as soon 
 
Echoes from Japan. 267 
 
 as he arrives, so as to arrange about the mission. 
 Mr. Fishe, of C.I.M., has helped me to get posters 
 ready, announcing the week of mission services, 
 to be conducted by Mr. Douglas. 
 
 Went on board the U.S. flagship, and had a 
 bright meeting. Thirty men attended. The captain 
 and officers of this, and all the American men-o'-war, 
 are always very courteous. 
 
 Went to General Hospital ; several convalescents 
 present. They seem harder and more difficult to 
 make an impression on than the blue-jackets in 
 Royal Naval Hospital. 
 
 Sunday. — Went to several vessels ; the day being 
 rather rough, the men did not expect me, and 
 'turned in ;' but as soon as they were told that I was 
 on board they ' turned out ' directly, looking rather 
 sleepy, but not put out in the least. This made 
 me feel that they appreciate the Word of God. 
 
 My little I and myself went on board H.M.S. 
 
 Vigilant to-day. The captain gave us a hearty 
 welcome, and placed his cabin at our disposal. It 
 was soon iilled with men dressed in their best 
 Sunday uniform. The wind and waves got up 
 before we had finished our meeting. The captain 
 ordered the ship's gig to take us ashore. He said 
 it would not be safe to go in a sampan ; besides, 
 there was none to be had, as all the boatmen had 
 
268 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 made for the shore as soon as they saw the storm 
 coming on. The ship's doctor sat at the helm, and 
 in a few minutes we were being rowed by ten men, 
 who pulled hard against the majestic waves. 
 
 Wrote to Captain Ryder, of H.M.S. Vigilant, 
 for special leave to be given to several of his men. 
 Truly nothing cheers me like seeing the unsaved 
 come to my house. 
 
 Eight men have come, and we had a Gospel 
 address after tea. 
 
 Mr. S. D. C. Douglas has arrived. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Cargill have invited him to stay with them. Our 
 meeting of conference passed off beautifully. 
 Everything fitted in to a T. The Bible readings 
 at Temperance Hall, as well as the Gospel services 
 held nightly in the church, are much resorted to, 
 
 and by many greatly appreciated Even the 
 
 enemies of the truth crowd to hear the missioner : 
 such gnash their teeth at him. The press hurls 
 its missiles also, but he is impervious to them all ; 
 he sticks to the simple word of testimony, and 
 appeals to the consciences of the people, and not to 
 their brains. The missionaries have been greatly 
 cheered and refreshed, and so have other Christians. 
 Mr. Douglas visited the U.S.S. Saco with me ; we 
 had a nice little meeting on deck ; and we sang 
 " Gates ajar." 
 
Echoes from Japan. 269 
 
 Several Bible readings have grown out of this 
 movement ; but the world has such a deep hold 
 on people here, and such blessed exercises soon 
 languish. 
 
 Lady Parkes has invited Mr. Douglas to the 
 Legation, at Tokyo, and there he has fresh oppor- 
 tunities for preaching Jesus and the Resurrection. 
 The foreign residents here need to be often visited 
 by non-compromising servants of God, like Mr. D. 
 If an uplifted Saviour is not enough to tempt holy 
 men and women of God out of England to look 
 after His sheep, what can ? 
 
 Moved into a New House. 
 
 No notes taken lately. Mr. Douglas's meetings 
 have been so engrossing that all my spare moments 
 have been taken up. 
 
 Have had much happy time with the dear blue- 
 jackets lately. The sailors have indeed received 
 Jesus into their ships. The officers are struck 
 with the change in some of the men. "Thou 
 makest the outgoings of the morning and evening 
 to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest 
 it : thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, 
 
 which is full of water." He has been all 
 
 this to us ! Praise His Name ! 
 
 I visited the Charybdis to-day, and found she 
 was coaling ; the ladders were all drawn up, but I 
 
270 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 managed to get on board somehow. The Christian 
 sailors wept for joy to see me. They have given 
 up trying to discourage me from speaking to men. 
 
 They acknowledge the power of the Spirit 
 
 at our meetings, but are at a loss where to draw 
 
 the line Some of the officers and the doctor 
 
 spoke highly of them : they see that they are men 
 of God. 
 
 New Year's Eve, 1876. — The Charyhdis Christians 
 have brought a few men ashore to tea. As they 
 had special leave given them, we tarried in prayer 
 and praise, before God, until midnight. We had a 
 most profitable time 
 
 New Year's Day. — " Faint yet pursuing." I see 
 in the sailors what I find is lacking in myself, and 
 in most Christians, viz., a Christlike tenderness, 
 they " weep with those who weep." Went for an 
 hour to the gaol, had a nice time with the sad- 
 looking prisoners. There were seven men present, 
 one of whom has passed from death to life, through 
 reading a Bible, ktely given him. 
 
 All my pupils are back, and my young friend 
 Miss H helps me greatly. 
 
 Faith severely tested. My quarter's rent of 
 seventy-five dollars due to-morrow, and I have not 
 anything in hand towards it ; pupils' fees not due 
 until next week. I feel intensely the dishonour of 
 
Echoes from Japan. 271 
 
 not paying it on the very day, as. usual ; but " Truly 
 my soul waiteth upon God : from Him cometh my 
 salvation." — Psalm Ixii; i. 
 
 It was a bright and sunny day. I went as usual 
 to the ships and hospital. Called, on my way, at 
 British Post Office, to enquire about the next 
 departure for England. The Postmaster handed 
 me a letter which had lain there a whole week — I 
 had no communication, in those days of blessing, 
 with any but God Himself; so never called for 
 letters. I recognised the handwriting of a succourer 
 of many, and of me also. I opened it, and found 
 a cheque enclosed. I took it straight to the bank, 
 and found that, to a cent, it was enough to cover 
 my rental ; and I went home, and spent the evening 
 
 praising and blessing God This, however, is 
 
 but one of several such God-given surprises ; and I 
 only relate this instance of His tender care, that 
 the reader may see and learn that God is as good 
 as His word, and that, " Blessed are all they that 
 put their trust in Him." The only thing that 
 should concern the Lord's servant is to be filled 
 with the Spirit. " Our wants shall be His care." 
 
 Sunday. — My resident Japanese pupil I 
 
 slipped out of the schoolroom on to the verandah, 
 while we were having our Sunday class for English 
 children, and began to cry in an uncontrollable 
 manner. At last we discovered, that putting the 
 " innocent boy " — Joseph — " into the pit," was what 
 
272 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 proved too much for his tender heart. I am so 
 glad the sailors pray for my dear charges. 
 
 One of the Charybdis sailors weeps like a 
 child when I speak of life's lessons. He is most 
 Christlike, and I accept him, and the other brethren 
 
 as sent of God to me at this time. W and 
 
 P called, and sat some hours with me ; spent 
 
 most of the time in prayer. They are leaving for 
 Shanghai, and have come to wish me " Good bye." 
 
 Heard from the Charybdis brethren : they are 
 at Shanghai. They sent me a most tender epistle, 
 and a small offering. " A sweet savour of Christ " 
 truly. Nothing could be more unlooked for, and 
 nothing more timely. 
 
 A touchingly kind letter from Lady P ; she 
 
 invites me to spend the day with her at Tokyo, so 
 as to talk of the ^^ only subject worth speaking 
 about." 
 
 Sunday. — Went to several vessels. Very wet. 
 The Captain and Officers of H.M.S. Vigilant were 
 surprised to see me. They were hesitating about 
 going ashore to Church. The Captain said, in a 
 pleasant, cheery way, " If you have ventured out. 
 on such a day as this, we too may venture ashore." 
 
 Went on board H.M.S. Atidacious. What a 
 monster vessel ! A truly enviable field for anointed 
 
Echoes from, Japan. 2^^ 
 
 workers. The large congregation on board have a 
 chaplain. He has written me a kind letter, thank- 
 ing me for kindness to his men. 
 
 Went early in the morning to U.S. Alert. 
 
 Had a full meeting Very rough on the 
 
 water. Visited other vessels also. 
 
 Went on board the Egeria ; she, like the Frolic, 
 is favoured with a Christian captain, who heartily 
 appreciates the interest taken in his men. 
 
 i8 
 
APPENDIX II. 
 
 preface to tije betters of 18Iue=3ac&rts. 
 
 SOME few weeks before setting sail for England, 
 I undid my bundle of sailors' letters (already 
 well thumbed by me and other readers), and began 
 to ask myself, " Is it really the thing for me to 
 cling to these treasures any longer, by making 
 room for them in my circumscribed travelling 
 cases ? " While thus turning the matter over in 
 my mind, I was carefully packing articles of in- 
 trinsic value, given to me by my dear Japanese 
 friends, as tokens of love and gratitude. Much as 
 I prized the articles of valuable china, lacquer and 
 drawings, I could not say of them as I could of the 
 sailors' letters, " Ye are unto God a sweet savour 
 of Christ." Thus my scruples fled, and the letters 
 found for themselves a place in my box, as well as 
 retaining one in my affections. Since my return to 
 England, a dear friend copied them neatly and 
 legibly, which made it a pleasure to hand them for 
 perusal to many of God's people, who felt inter- 
 ested in this gracious movement of the Holy Spirit 
 among the sailors. 
 
 From time to time the opinion has been ven- 
 tilated as to whether it was right to withhold 
 
Echoes from Japan. 275 
 
 from the Church so interesting and remarkable a 
 testimony to God's grace and power among our 
 Blue-Jackets. These opinions, in connection with 
 carefully weighed and matured conclusions, indicate 
 to my mind, that to declare His and not our 
 doings, is our privilege as labourers together with 
 Him. M. McL. 
 
 The Church of God Afloat. 
 
 Extracts from the letters of sailors, addressed to 
 my sister, who, with the late Mrs. John, laboured 
 among the Chinese and sailors at Shanghai* 
 
 H.M.S. Thalia, at Yokohama, 
 
 "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and 
 heard." — Acts iv. 20. 
 
 " How true the words, ' He openeth, and no man 
 shutteth': He speaks, and who can resist His voice.'" 
 He opens the heavens, and showers blessings 
 which exceed our farthest thoughts. So it is with 
 us. Now, dear sister, Jesus of Nazareth is passing 
 by. Yon ' lovely man,' now in glory, is knocking 
 at the door of many hearts and demanding entrance. 
 His still small voice is saying ' Come !' His saints 
 
 * Feeling that the story of the blessed revival among the blue- 
 jackets and marines is better told by themselves than it can 
 possibly be by me, is my only reason for submitting these extracts 
 to the reader. I find it impossible to leave out allusions to the 
 human instruments — who have learned, in the secret of God's 
 presence, to say, " To us belongeth confusion of face," etc. — without 
 robbing the simple narrative of its full force. 
 
2/6 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 take up the strain with tearful eyes, re-echoing 
 ' Coriie, oh, come ! ' 
 
 " This is, indeed, a happy time for us, for it is as 
 though the gentle tread of His footsteps is heard 
 in our midst, advancing quietly to one here and 
 one there, and taking up his abode with Him. 
 Souls are born to Jesus ; oh, what a happy time ! 
 He has our heart's praise. Join us, dear sister, in 
 our note of thanks for the wonderful manifestation 
 of His love and presence at this time to us. 
 
 "Although never having seen your face in the 
 flesh, I make bold to write to you in your sister's 
 name. Her hands are so full of work just now, 
 that she can scarcely find time for writing, so she 
 grants me the pleasure. Perhaps you know of her 
 intentions of giving a tea to the men of the 
 Ringdove, Thalia, and British camp, for the pur- 
 pose of getting a number together to tell them of 
 Jesus. On Monday last, her desires were realised. 
 Oh, how beautifully the Lord brought it about! 
 It was such pleasure to see more than two hun- 
 dred in the room together taking tea. After tea 
 we had a gospel meeting ; and oh the joy in 
 hearing loving, truthful hearts pleading with the 
 lost and dying, pointing them to Him, the sinners' 
 Friend, the sinners' Saviour 1 And Jesus was there, 
 dear sister — the tearful eye and bending head told 
 that. The gentle rustle of His garment was heard, 
 whilst loving, pleading words declared, ' Touch but 
 the hem.' Not with any desire to set up the 
 creature, but the rather to glorify the Master, I must 
 
Echoes from Japan. 277 
 
 confess the joy I felt in hearing their loving words 
 to the unconverted. They seemed so full of Him 
 and His love, that words failed to convey to others 
 the depths of joy they had in their inmost soul to 
 Him. Yet, as with a mother's heart of love, and as 
 those standing between the living and the dead, 
 they pleaded, ' Why will ye die ? ' Why turn from 
 you this cup of blessing, when it is at your very lips ? 
 Drink, oh drink, and live ! It was not a word of 
 fear that was spoken, but a word of love. 'Yet 
 there is room,' was re-echoed, for you, O sinner I 
 for you, ' O lost one ! ' For you. with drooping 
 head and sorrowful heart ! Yes ! for you. ' O taste 
 and see that the Lord is good : blessed is the man 
 that trusteth in Him.' 
 
 " On the following evening we had our Tuesday 
 night meeting at 57, Bluff. The brethren brought 
 as many as they could, especially those whose 
 hearts were moved on the previous night. They 
 had a happy time. There are eight of our men 
 from the Thalia who feel deeply concerned about 
 their souls. We cannot limit the Spirit's power ; 
 therefore, we cannot define who are really His. 
 Yet, time alone will tell, for the new life must 
 show itself. Some men from camp, also, are 
 deeply concerned. Oh, pray with us, dear sister, 
 that the Spirit's power may clinch the words 
 spoken upon the fleshy tables of their hearts. We 
 are co-workers with Him, and with one another, 
 and feel the necessity of being faithful witnesses to 
 our once dead, but our now living and exalted 
 
278 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Lord. 'The night cometh, when no man can 
 work.' May we think of this. To-day may be 
 our last. Our barque may drop anchor to-day on 
 that beautiful shore. Then there will be no time 
 for work. Oh, let us remember this ! Here, we 
 labour ; in the glory over yonder, only over yonder, 
 we rest. But as we labour, may we learn to stoop 
 and kiss the feet, as it were, of our dying shipmates 
 or friends. His message of love is put into our 
 hands to take to them, not to keep to ourselves. 
 Then, as we go, may we scatter the good seed of 
 the kingdom, fully expecting to see it spring up, 
 some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred- 
 fold. 
 
 "Dear sister, please remember us much in prayer. 
 God has put the wheel in motion ; ask for strength 
 in us to keep it revolving. The Spirit greet you 
 all in love. Please remember us to the brothers 
 with you, especially the young ones of Modeste* 
 
 " Tell them the Lord has answered prayer. We 
 mentally prayed for her, as she steamed out of 
 Nagasaki, without one follower or lover of Jesus in 
 her, but He took her to the right place. To Him 
 be all praise ! Your dear sister is quite well in 
 health ; her only desire is to spend and be spent in 
 the service of her Lord. 
 
 " Excuse this hasty note, and accept the love of 
 the brethren." 
 
 * This vessel left Shanghai in a few months afterwards with a 
 large party of saved sailors and a few officers. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 279 
 
 H.M.S. , 
 
 Yokohama. 
 Addressed to my Sister at Shanghai, who sometimes 
 wrote helpful letters to us. 
 
 Dear Sister in Christ, — Many thanks for 
 your words of exhortation to the lambs of the 
 flock. Would to God that not the lambs only, 
 but also those older and stronger in the faith, 
 would heed God's voice, when speaking to them 
 through His revealed Word ! Why so many un- 
 certain sounds falling upon the ear ? Is it not 
 because God's Word is so little understood, or 
 acted upon? What is to hinder a child of God 
 in this dispensation from attaining to a similar 
 experience to that of Paul or Peter ? There is 
 nothing, I think, on God's part, but we are 
 " straitened in our own bowels." I prove, dear 
 sister, that God's truth is very often known in the 
 head, but not acted upon in the life. Many, I fear, 
 stop at knowing what they ought to do, but they 
 never do it ; therefore they prove that the truth 
 has only entered the mind, and never gone home 
 to its place in the soul. I get no deep manifesta- 
 tions of Jesus, by simply knowing what I ought to 
 do, it is in the keeping of the commandment of love 
 that I get blessed (although in His rich grace He 
 blesses " exceeding abundantly above all that we 
 ask or think ") ; and I think it is clearly taught in 
 the Scriptures, that the believer may .not expect 
 any blessing, apart from the continual " Fight " or 
 " Work " or " Watch." God is a rewarder of those 
 
28o Echoes from Japan. 
 
 who diligently seek Him, and I feel that every 
 believer upon every stage of experience, is called 
 to put forth daily, hourly, his strongest efforts in 
 digging deeper into God's heart of love, if his 
 desires are " to grow in grace and in the knowledge 
 of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ." 
 
 Dear Sister, you can sympathise with me, when 
 you know how I am placed here, in the ship. The 
 seed of God's Word, which has, by some honoured 
 sower, been sown broadcast amongst the men of 
 this ship has, by the Spirit's power, been quickened 
 into life, and springing up, bears fruit ; some 
 thirty, some sixty-fold. I seem to realise myself as a 
 servant, to whom is committed the care of those 
 tender plants^ Upon the early training of a child 
 depends, to a great extent, the position or character 
 of that child in after-life. So with these young ones. 
 " If" (as you said) " the milk given them is diluted, 
 they are deprived of the nourishment requisite for 
 their development into manhood " ; therefore, their 
 growth is but little, and slow. There is great respon- 
 sibility, therefore, upon us older ones, that we, by 
 example and word, train up those young ones in 
 the way God would have them take (not in a way 
 after us), giving them for their good, the sincere 
 milk of His Word, coupled with the Living Bread. 
 But what makes me happy, is to know that Jesus 
 has the reins. He tenderly watches over His weak 
 ones. He takes all care from me, if I willingly give 
 it to Him. But I want your prayers, dear sister. 
 Pray much, that as a body we may grow up bright 
 
Echoes from Japan. 281 
 
 reflectors of Him who loves us. We much prize the 
 meetings at your sister's house. We thankfully 
 take such good provision by the way ; feeling that. 
 He who spared not His own Son for us, has also 
 given us a " Bethel " in a strange land. Please re- 
 member us to the sailor brothers with you. We are 
 placed in peculiar circumstances, but we are called 
 to honour Him. Oh, may we learn how to value 
 aright the Father's greatest gift, that our lives may 
 testify to the love in our hearts ! 
 
 It is rumoured that the Thalia will relieve the 
 Modeste ; if so, I hope to see you. Pray for us, 
 dear sister. With Christian love. 
 
 I rejoice to know your work is prospering. How 
 sweet to do some little thing for Him, and to 
 realise His approving smile and cheering " well 
 done " ! This is a joy the world knows nothing of. 
 They scorn the work, they scorn the workers, but 
 eternity will unfold who is really wise. We do not 
 want their approval, it contents us to know that 
 He knows. 
 
 H.M.S^. , 
 
 Kobd 
 Departure from Yokohama. 
 
 Dear Sister in Christ. — Knowing you are 
 anxious to get a line or two from some of us, I 
 embrace this quiet opportunity of writing, accord- 
 ing to promise. 
 
 The parting cloud is gradually passing away, 
 and the clear sunshine of God's eternal love is 
 
282 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 shining upon us in stronger beams than ever. To 
 me, the parting was a happy one, because the dear 
 presence of our loving Jesus was realised, speaking 
 words of consolation, and pointing onwards to 
 blessings yet in store for us. He seemed to say to 
 me, "All thy wellsprings are in ME" ; sit lowly at 
 my feet, and learn to die to yourself, your friends, 
 or your relations, and you will find in me that 
 unspeakable peace and consolation that wealth, 
 life, meetings or partings can never disturb. He 
 says to us : " Your place is up with me in the 
 heavenly places ; for I delight in the sons of men. 
 At my table, feasting upon the riches of my grace, 
 is the place I set apart for my little flock, because 
 your sin-stained garment is gone for ever, and the 
 spotless robe of righteousness has taken its place." 
 Oh, may we learn to walk in deep humility with 
 the Father, and with His Son, to take our place 
 as those redeemed by blood within the veil, doing 
 the will of God ! He says : " Draw near ; why 
 hesitate or fear ? The wrath is gone, the cup is 
 drained to the very dregs, the avenging sword of 
 justice is satisfied, and your greatest foe is con- 
 quered." Let us draw near, then, in full assurance 
 of faith, daily rejoicing in the grace which has 
 saved us, and comforting our hearts by knowing 
 that the crown of glory, which fadeth not away, 
 will be placed upon our heads by Him who loved 
 us, and who gave Himself for us. His " little while " 
 falls sweetly upon our ears. But in His absence, 
 dear sister, let us be of those who take our place 
 
Echoes from Japan. 283 
 
 without the camp, lamp in hand, and hurtling, 
 waiting for and hastening unto the coming of our 
 Lord. 
 
 Some of the brothers felt it much in parting, 
 but you will rejoice to know that they look through 
 the gloom, and see Him who is invisible. As a 
 body, we feel that it is amongst the " all things " 
 that are to work together for our good : therefore 
 we say, " Go before us, Lord, and we will follow," 
 experience teaching us how sweet it is to be " any- 
 where with Jesus." The world around us still 
 frowns, longing for a God that will please the desire 
 of their reprobate minds. They set themselves 
 up against the Lord, and against His Christ. " But 
 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh : the Lord 
 shall have them in derision." He has set up Jesus 
 as Lord and Christ, before whom every knee shall 
 bow ; and sad it is to know that, in the face of all 
 this matchless love, wicked man, by his daring 
 impiety and open rebellion, covered by the cloak 
 of profession, tries to usurp the authority of God's 
 dear Son. Yet he declares, " Yet have I set my 
 king upon my holy hill of Zion." Can frail 
 humanity overturn this ? It cannot ; for He must 
 reign until every power is brought under His rule 
 and survey. " God is not in all their thoughts," is 
 still the solemn verdict, pronounced now as of old, 
 by Him who cannot lie ; yet vain, boasting worms 
 of a day glory in their improvements, and shout, 
 with one universal cry, " Not this man, but Barab- 
 bas ! " But soon will this be brought low, for the 
 
284 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 wrath of God will be poured forth upon this doomed 
 world, because they heed not His invitations of 
 grace, but tread under foot the Son of God, and 
 put Him to open shame. But in his own accepted 
 time, "now" He pleads with sinners. He says : 
 " Be wise, be instructed," " Kiss the Son, lest He be 
 angry, and ye perish by the way, when his wrath is 
 kindled " ; but he delays his judgment, " for the 
 longsuffering of God worketh salvation." He with- 
 holds His hand, for there is yet a wandering 
 prodigal in the far-off land feeding upon the husks, 
 there is yet another who must hear those gracious 
 words, " Son, or daughter, be of good cheer ; thy 
 sins, which are many, are forgiven thee, go in 
 peacer Oh that every child of Adam could hear 
 that cry, and prove by experience the deep reality 
 of being a Christian, not in name only, but in deed, 
 and in truth ! 
 
 Hoping to hear from you soon, we remain. 
 
 Yours in Christian love, 
 
 Christians of Thalia. 
 P.S. — Pray for us. 
 
 " He will, never leave us." 
 Some of the brothers, if not all, felt the parting 
 at Yokohama, and some shed tears of sorrow 
 mingled with joy, on leaving the birthplace of their 
 precious souls. They said that they had parted 
 with friends in England on several occasions, but 
 never felt it so much as parting with those beloved 
 ones at 57, Bluff, Yokohama. I am thankful to 
 
Echoes from Japan. 285 
 
 say that the Lord has carefully led us thus far on 
 our journey, according to His own blessed promise ; 
 and His promise is : He will never leave us nor 
 forsake us, neither shall any man pluck us out of 
 His hand. You must be much in prayer with us, 
 dear sister, that the Lord may keep us near to 
 Himself, and make us to continue in one heart 
 and one mind. I thank the Lord that He is 
 keeping us, as yet, and all the brothers seem to 
 be trying to enter into deeper knowledge of our 
 Lord Jesus, and the love of God seems to be 
 knitting us closer together every day, and that 
 gives us much joy and encouragement to go on ; 
 but still we are encamped with deadly enemies, 
 those who are trampling God's love under their 
 feet, and putting Christ to an open shame ; but 
 still our cry must be, " Arise, O Lord, arise ! gird 
 on Thy mighty sword, and scatter them before us," 
 and let us not be discouraged ; for we are under 
 His command, and He has promised us that we 
 shall come off, more than conquerors, through Him 
 that loved us. 
 
 H.M.S. , 
 
 Hong Kong. 
 
 Dear Sister in our Risen Lord, — I received 
 your kind letter of the nth inst. on Tuesday last. 
 I have not yet read it to all the brothers, I am 
 waiting until the stores are disembarked, when we 
 hope to get our quiet corner on the lower deck 
 again ; then there will be a fair opportunity of 
 seeing all together. We arrived here on the 
 
286 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 i6th inst., but having Mr. Blackett down with 
 small-pox, we were put in quarantine for three 
 days. The disorder is not amongst any of the 
 seamen, and his is the only case with the officers. 
 He is recovering rapidly. Do you see anything 
 
 of our dear brother H now, at the Naval 
 
 Hospital ? We received such a comforting letter 
 from him the day we received yours, but as neither 
 of you mentioned anything of each other, we 
 thought, perhaps, you had discontinued visiting, 
 and so missed seeing him. 
 
 We could gather from his letter, who was his 
 constant companion in his sufferings, and the joy 
 and delight of his soul. It was Jesus only. No 
 other love came in between theirs, consequently, 
 Faith's eye pierced through things seen, and saw 
 in Him the chiefest among ten thousand and the 
 altogether lovely. 
 
 Oh, for power to fix our gaze on Thee, Thou 
 spotless Lamb of God : to give Thee the highest 
 place in our affections, that Thy will and desires 
 may be our will and desires also ! Then shall we 
 be in the position to receive honour and blessing 
 from Thine own hand ; and beholding Thee, who 
 art invisible, our souls will be so captivated with 
 the glory there is in Thyself, that casting aside 
 our garments, we will forsake all, and follow Thee. 
 As Christians, we find many things are apt to cleave 
 to us, which retard our progress Zionward. " But 
 thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
Echoes from Japan. 287 
 
 Runners in the Race. 
 
 We are runners in the great race to glory ; but 
 hear the instruction given, " let us lay aside every 
 weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, 
 and let us run with patience." This is our practice 
 as Christians. All things else should be as dross ; 
 things behind forgotten, and things before earnestly 
 pressed forward to. He knows if this is the one 
 desire of our hearts, dear sister. He knows if our 
 hearts are continually singing, 
 
 " O worldly pomp and glory. 
 
 Your charms are spread in vain ; 
 I've heard a sweeter story, 
 I've found a truer gain. 
 
 " Where Christ a place prepareth, 
 There is my loved abode ; 
 There shall I gaze on Jesus, 
 There shall I dwell with God." 
 
 May it be so for His own dear name's sake ! You 
 are anxious, I know, to know of the little flock. 
 In His own words, " He feedeth His flock like a 
 shepherd." " He preserveth the feet of His saints, 
 and takes them beside the still waters of His love." 
 The Lord is indeed good to us, dear sister. The 
 same little band that you knew at Yokohama are 
 still quietly pressing toward the mark. There are 
 things that occur amongst us which must charac- 
 terise any body of Christians ; as, for instance, 
 some living beyond this confusion and bearing 
 fruit a hundred-fold. Others learning the lesson 
 that self cannot be trusted, others requiring a word 
 
288 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 of exhortation, or, perhaps, reproof, etc. Thus we 
 go on, but as a body coming out from Egypt, 
 and embracing the pilgrim's character. We are 
 anxiously waiting to get our little corner again. 
 He will give it us in His own time. I will, if 
 possible, go on shore before finishing this, and, 
 perhaps, you will get more news, 
 
 H.M.S. , 
 
 Shanghai. 
 
 Addressed to my Sister when on a Visit to me at 
 Yokohama. 
 
 Dear Miss . — Feeling how deeply you 
 
 are interested in us, I make bold to send a little note 
 
 with Brother T 's letter. On our arrival from 
 
 Ching-Kiang, on the 3rd inst, we were somewhat 
 surprised to know of your visit to Yokohama. We 
 thought something of importance had called you 
 away, in the way of sickness or pressure of circum- 
 stances happening to your sister ; we are still in 
 suspense, as no intelligence has reached us concern- 
 ing you. I look at it as God's time for making this 
 long-wished-for visit, and I hope, in a week or two, 
 to see you here again, bringing your dear sister 
 with you. 
 
 We feel truly thankful for the use of the little 
 room ; it was very kind and thoughtful of you. We 
 had been asking the Lord to open a way for us to 
 come together to remember His dear Son's dying 
 love ; therefore, when the note came, we took it as 
 from the Lord. We have been there several 
 
Echoes from Japan. 289 
 
 times ; last Lord's day we spent a happy time 
 there, breaking bread together according to his 
 command. I felt the blessed Lord was really in 
 our midst to bless : it is a glorious privilege to meet 
 around His presence, and talk to Him face to face. 
 May we prize it more and more ! Shanghai is all 
 astir just now — Christ crucified, the sinner's only 
 hope, is proclaimed in simplicity to any who may 
 trouble to hear. A gentleman, making a tour, has 
 arrived (I think, by the last English boat), and he 
 seems to be turning the place upside down ; he 
 preached twice in the large cathedral on Lord's- 
 day ; and he also delivers gospel addresses in the 
 theatre every night of the week, besides special 
 meetings for prayer held in other places. I do 
 not know his name, or anything of him ; but it 
 appears Christ has touched his heart not his head, 
 so he is constrained to testify of Him. Time is 
 short ; I cannot say more. Hoping soon to see you 
 here again, 
 
 I remain, in Christian love. 
 
 H.M.S. , 
 
 Shanghai. 
 
 Addressed to my Sister when on a Visit to me at 
 Yokohama. 
 
 Dear Miss . — Many thanks for your kind 
 
 letter of July 31st. We were truly glad to hear 
 from you, and to know of your proposed return to 
 19 
 
290 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Shanghai in a fortnight, D.v. I should have written 
 before, but as I understood your intentions were to 
 remain away only one month, we all expected you 
 back again by this, bringing your sister with you. 
 I feel the brothers will be glad when you return, 
 for more reasons than one. They often remark, 
 " Shanghai is not like Yokohama." We have 
 often been to your little room, up to last Sunday 
 week, but from that time we have not felt free to 
 go there any more. The alterations in the build- 
 ing, and extension of the large house, have 
 completely closed up your little room. The house 
 the coolie lived in is pulled down, and another 
 erected in connection with the little room, so there 
 is no passage between : the only way of entrance 
 is by passing through the new house, or the house 
 on the other side, which is now occupied, I suppose, 
 by the former resident. We all feel desirous of 
 getting another house for you ; but as we do not 
 know the locality which is best suited for you, we 
 are content to wait until you come. However, we 
 will invite you back * ; the Lord will provide a house 
 and home. I was at the Hall last Sunday ; the 
 meeting was purely a gospel meeting ; several 
 persons took part, but it was all in a simple strain. 
 Christ Jesus our Lord was upraised as the sinner's 
 
 * Surely this is a fresh proof that the Holy Ghost, who filled the 
 Christians of earliest date, filled these men also ! They " were of 
 one heart and of one soul : neither said any of them that ought of the 
 things which he possessed was his own ; but they had all things 
 common." — Acts iv. 32. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 291 
 
 Saviour, and the speakers besought the hearers to 
 be reconciled to God. It is the best meeting I 
 have attended there. It spoke to me of better 
 things to come. 
 
 Oh, for that nothingness that would keep self 
 always in the shade ; not caring to move, or speak, 
 or act, unless in accordance with the divine mind ; 
 and from the constraining love of Jesus to sit thus 
 as nothing at His feet, and to be content to sit still 
 •and let Him bless me, is, I feel, my hardest task ! 
 May He, in His rich grace, turn my captivity, and 
 fill my mouth with laughter, and my tongue with 
 singing! The Lord knows I ask for nothing 
 here ; my ambition, Jesus, nailed to His cross, my 
 greatest concern now is to be like Him in character 
 as I wend my way, amongst this wicked and crooked 
 generation, towards the glory in store for me. My 
 ignorance and self-will He graciously bears with, 
 causing me to prove daily my emptiness as a man ; 
 but, at the same time, revealing Himself to my 
 soul in richest grace as the chiefest amongst ten 
 thousand, and the altogether lovely. 
 
 There is a decided change in the weather here, it 
 is much cooler now than it was three weeks ago, 
 but it is still very warm, during the day, in the sun. 
 The Mosquito arrived here yesterday. She is to 
 relieve the Swinger at Hankow. We hear' that the 
 Frolic is coming here as our tender ; if so, we hope 
 to see Brother B . 
 
292 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 Marching forth Singly. 
 
 The Lord is tenderly leading his little flock here 
 beside the still waters ; it appears as if we are 
 come into port (on purpose to get a time of quiet- 
 ness and refreshment), to get the younger ones for 
 the trial they will, experience in the parting the 
 one from the other. I suppose if things go on in 
 their regular course, twelve months from this will 
 find us scattered in many different places. The 
 ship being paid off, the brothers will have to march 
 forth singly, with perhaps difficulties surrounding 
 them ; and confess the dear name of Jesus, either 
 amongst their unconverted friends, or in the com- 
 pany of new shipmates they will have to sail with, 
 for perhaps four years ; this will require much 
 grace. The brothers feel this, therefore they cleave 
 to the strong One for strength. 
 
 Please give my Christian love to your sister- 
 Many thanks for her kind letter we received the 
 mail before last; we hope to see her to bid her 
 farewell before we take our final departure for 
 England ; the brothers send their Christian love. 
 Accept the same from yours in Jesus. 
 
 H.M.S. . 
 
 Shanghai. 
 
 , . " I cannot wonder at your surprise in 
 not getting a line or two from me for such a length 
 of time ; but my delay was caused chiefly through 
 
Echoes from Japan. 293 
 
 the expectation of seeing you here with your sister. 
 Knowing, also, that several of the brothers had 
 written (thus letting you understand that the LORD 
 is a wall of fire around us) it gave me rest. Many 
 thanks for your letter, written on your return from 
 Kob6. We were thankful to know that you were 
 well, and also to see by it, your sister's intention 
 of coming (D.v.) by the next mail. We were 
 anxiously expecting her on Saturday last, but on 
 receiving the letter, we saw that His ways are not 
 as our ways. However, we are looking forward to 
 next Saturday. I am glad to know you get some 
 men from the Charybdis to come to your house." 
 
 Perfection. 
 
 " I hear and read of those who have attained to a 
 degree of perfection far above many, in fact, above 
 most Christians ; but it cannot be perfection in 
 themselves, for their carnal mind is as little likely 
 to be tamed as my own ; these must, in a measure, 
 experience seasons of emptiness and depression as 
 others, for it is only as their faith remains un- 
 shaken, and their confidence firm in Him who 
 never changes, that victory can be gained — the 
 victory that overcometh the world is our faith. This 
 is clear in my own short experience, for there have 
 been times when I have been driven to trust, as it 
 were, and I always proved the Lord to be far, very 
 
294 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 far beyond my expectation. Unbelief has limited 
 His powers and brought depression ; whilst, on the 
 other hand, faith has settled the matter by saying, 
 ' God is able! 3-nd the result has been a settled 
 peace and deep conviction that all is well. I am 
 thankful to say the Lord has taught me many 
 things since I last saw you ; I can discern the 
 secret of His power through faith in Jesus. In 
 the main, my confidence is unshaken in Him, and 
 my joy is sweet ; but there are seasons of dimness, 
 which, I think, all are subject to. Do you think it 
 possible for one to live always without a cloud or 
 shadow of a doubt ? If so, I am still in the back- 
 ground as to my joy. I am, I know, far behind as 
 to knowledge, but I feel I have as much right to 
 'joy in God, through Jesus Christ,' as any. All 
 things are to me dung and dross, but yet I find I 
 am apt to cling to them. My ambition is to be a 
 servant in the Father's house. Grace has made me 
 a son : do pray, please, that the results of that 
 grace, working effectually in me, may fit me for 
 the servant's part." 
 
 Farewell. 
 
 " According to promise, I pen these lines to you in 
 order to give you my parting letter. 
 
 " I merely wish to write to you by way of 
 acknowledgment for the many kindnesses and 
 much good you have been the means, in God's hand. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 295 
 
 of doing us. The grace of our dear Lord working 
 effectually in your heart, enabled you so to act as to 
 leave deep impressions on each of our hearts, which 
 time or alterations of any kind can never erase. 
 You appeared to us as one the Lord had raised up 
 to act for Himself in the glorious work of calling 
 dead and sleeping souls into life and liberty, the 
 example shown by your unflinching zeal and craving 
 desire for precious souls yet unsaved had a telling 
 effect upon the hearts of the young brothers, and I 
 trust it will result in causing them to follow the 
 soul-gatherer's narrow path, after the examples 
 shown them in their younger days. Your constant 
 visits to the ship in all weathers were beautiful 
 lessons to them, besides the many and various ways 
 in which grace shone out to enlighten and instruct. 
 They could not only hear you say, but they could 
 see you acting, those precious words, ' The love of 
 Christ constraineth me,' and that love was impart- 
 ing not to live to yourself but to Him who died for 
 you and rose again. Oh, may that power of love 
 still enable you to patiently endure every opposition 
 you may meet in your endeavour to proclaim the 
 name of our dear Lord Jesus ! I am writing this 
 just to let you see that the good you have been the 
 means of doing us is not forgotten ; it is highly 
 appreciated by us. Do not despond or grow weary 
 
 of well doing, dear Miss , but go on still as before, 
 
 letting that rich love control your life. The Lord 
 has noticed and acknowledged your labours for 
 him in the past, why not again ? If any has a right 
 
296 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 to feel encouraged in their work for the Lord, it is 
 yourself. What further proof do we require that the 
 Lord's hand is with us, than the Conversion of souls ? 
 None, surely ! Well, then, here are proofs enough 
 to convince you that the Lord's hand was with you 
 in your work. If you have faithfully finished the 
 work the Lord has given you to do amongst sailors, 
 perhaps the Lord may again favour you as a 
 channel to convey blessings to others in another 
 line. But ye have need of patience. He tells us, 
 ' Be not weary in well doing : for in due season ye 
 shall reap, if ye faint not.' If your eyes are on the 
 Lord Jesus, fixed \hex&, and if we are walking in the 
 sunlight of His presence, within the sound of His 
 still small voice of love, and the language of our 
 hearts is, ' My God, the spring of all my joys,' there 
 is little opportunity of Satan getting us occupied 
 with our own goodness or feelings within, or with 
 our failure or weakness. It is only by a steady, 
 fixed gaze on the Lord Jesus, now living for us 
 within the veiil, that we may hope to rise above 
 ourselves or the present scenes of strife and discord 
 through which we are passing. Our desire is to 
 shine as lights, and reflect the glory of our Lord : 
 is it not ? Well, then, let us follow the directions 
 in his Word. 
 
 " Oh, may we flee from everything that does not 
 come up to the Word of God, or exalt the blessed 
 person of his Son ! I am impressed of late with 
 the necessity of following the Word simply and 
 faithfully, even if it is in direct opposition with all 
 
Echoes from Japan. 297 
 
 our feelings and voices within.* I must close. We 
 shall perhaps leave for Hong Kong at the end of this 
 month. If spared I hope to write again. 
 " With true Christian love, 
 
 " I remain, your brother in Christ." 
 
 Half-hearted Christianity. 
 
 "Mr. Douglas," writes a sailor, "spoke very plainly 
 and pointedly to those who take their stand as 
 teachers and masters. He let them understand what 
 he thought to be the cause of this easy, half- 
 hearted Christianity, which harms nobody and 
 saves nobody. I hope they were benefited by his 
 clear declaration of the truth. I feel, if there was 
 the individual purging and close abiding in Jesus of 
 every individual who professes His Name, it would 
 result in something very different from the present 
 state of things. The 'trumpet would give a certain 
 sound,' and His dear Name be glorified. I am 
 struck with the disorder that reigns around me. 
 In the world all is confusion, because the sceptre is 
 not in the rightful hands. Satan reigns, and the 
 language from the hearts of the majority of his 
 subjects, is rebellion against Him, whose rightful 
 
 * At this time an unscriptural perfection had reached the shores of 
 China and Japan. So they felt the need of steering clear of quick- 
 sands. Our first great trial was the spiritual death that prevailed 
 everywhere. The outpoured blessing among the sailors resulted in 
 calling forth much earnest prayer. Our next season of refreshing 
 all along the coast was through the visit of the Rev. S. D. C. Douglas. 
 The sailors were charmed with his sound and powerful teaching. 
 
298 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 place it is to reign. But the time is coming when 
 He will reign ; for God will interfere, and with His 
 own hand set things in order, wresting the sceptre 
 from him who now wields it, and placing it in the 
 hands of his dear Son. In this, His time of 
 rejection, we are called to follow Him, glorying in 
 the Gross, and the privileges of suffering for Him." 
 
 Extracts from the Letters of a Royal 
 Marine stationed at Yokohama. 
 
 I need scarcely tell you that among men situated 
 as we are, almost isolated from the rest of the 
 world, we are left pretty much to our own resources 
 for spiritual instruction; and where there is no 
 shepherd, the sheep are almost sure to be scattered. 
 We number about 300 in our battalion, nearly all 
 young men ; and where we have neither the influ- 
 ence of female society, nor the example of godly 
 men to restrain us, morality must sadly suffer. It 
 is true we have a chaplain attached to us, and a 
 good one too, whom we all love and respect ; but 
 his duties are so various, and his time so much 
 occupied in attending to them, that we only get 
 the benefit of his instruction for a very small 
 portion of the time. But I thank God one person 
 was induced, and moved by His Holy Spirit, to 
 come among us at last, and by His blessing her 
 efforts have not been unattended with success. 
 
 I had been so long grieving the Holy Spirit 
 that I despaired of receiving forgiveness, until I 
 
Echoes from Japan. 299 
 
 learnt that " He is able to save them to the utter- 
 most that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever 
 liveth to make intercession for them." I felt the 
 Spirit working mightily within me, and I was 
 fearful of any longer refusing to listen to its warn- 
 ing voice, remembering God has said, " My spirit 
 shall not always strive with man." I struggled 
 earnestly with prayers, and tears, for forgiveness, 
 feeling my own unworthiness, but trusting in the 
 atoning blood of Christ which " cleanseth from all 
 sin ; '' and I thank the Father of all mercies that I felt 
 the truth of that blessed promise of our Saviour, 
 "Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast 
 out." 
 
 It would be impossible to convey to you an 
 adequate idea of the happiness we feel in serving 
 our blessed Lord and Master Jesus Christ, nor the 
 extent of the blessings wherewith we have been 
 blessed. God has, indeed, been gracious to us, and 
 has added to our number. It is, indeed, a great 
 conquest when one sinner has been drawn from 
 the ranks of Satan to swell the number of our 
 pilgrim band. People who are not acquainted with 
 the interior economy of a body of men in H. M. 
 service, cannot realize the extreme difficulty of 
 doing, or being, different from those by whom one 
 may be surrounded, and the great moral courage it 
 requires to separate from them. Men who would 
 not fear to engage an enemy three times their 
 number, or charge boldly to the cannon's mouth, 
 in the service of their country, shrink like cowards 
 
300 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 from the bare thought of ridicule ; but when once 
 that stronghold is broken down, there is then no 
 difficulty. When we left England, there was not a 
 man, I think, in the whole battalion who openly- 
 professed Christ ; nor do I think there was one, 
 either officer or private, who would be found at any 
 time reading God's Word. Oh, it was so gratify- 
 ing on Easter day, to see eight going to receive the 
 Holy Communion* in public, and in presence of 
 their comrades ; gratifying not only to those who 
 partook of that sacred feast, but also, above measure, 
 to those who had been, through Christ, instru- 
 mental in bringing about such a consummation. 
 My own feelings I cannot describe ; there was a 
 time when I looked upon the sacred precincts of 
 the communion table with a kind of superstitious 
 awe, as something unapproachable, unattainable 
 to such as I, and now that I was in reality 
 drawing near — as I felt — God's immediate presence, 
 it was with fear and trembling, but still with un- 
 utterable thankfulness, that I was counted worthy. 
 Oh, pray for us, dear friends, that we may be made 
 strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus, and 
 that our numbers may be increased, remember- 
 ing that every recruit to our ranks is, indeed, a 
 soul saved from hell, and a great weakening of 
 the picquet chain which Satan has thrown so 
 adroitly round the way of escape for our perishing 
 conirades. 
 
 * The Royal Battalion of 300 men had their own chaplain, and 
 officiated at Christ Church, Yokohama. 
 
APPENDIX III. 
 
 Crumbs from the Letters of a Soul- 
 Winner AT Shanghai. 
 
 Shanghai 
 
 I have been feeling like John in the Island of Patmos for 
 a long time. But it is a blessed spot, and only those who are 
 true to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus 
 Christ, get sent there. It is there we hear the voice of Jesus 
 in risen power, and the revelation of Jesus Christ is im- 
 parted. Have you got " Woman's Work,'' the January 
 number ? Mr. Pennefather's lesson for February is beautiful, 
 ■" Death for Jesus' sake." Christians are afraid of the dying 
 daily, and that is the secret of the lack of power ; and it is 
 in vain Christians ask to be made powers for God's glory,, 
 unless they accept it in the way of the Cross. Paul would 
 say of most Christians of the present day, " They are the 
 enemies of the Cross of Christ." This was said of Christians 
 by Paul : they went certain lengths with him, but when they 
 saw the Cross, they turned aside, for they minded earthly 
 things. 
 
 It is delightful to hear all you say about the camp and 
 sailors. It seems distinctly given you from God. God will 
 bless it more and more. Weary not ! Faint not ! " I know 
 thy works, how thou hast laboured, and hast not fainted for 
 my name's sake." The Word of God is a mine of wealth to 
 my soul. I rejoice in it as one that findeth great spoil. I 
 want you to keep before God in prayer, to show me in 
 July whether I can come to Yokohama for a month. I 
 would not think of asking for a reduced rate. Some Chris- 
 tians approve of asking for it ; but it seems to me to be 
 
302 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 unscriptural to do so. The silver and the gold are His. It is 
 one to be offered a passage gratuitously, but quite a different 
 thing to ask for it. The servant of God should not be under 
 obligation to the world — no, not from a thread to a shoe- 
 latchet. He will only make plain paths for our feet as we 
 are looking to Him for guidance. How much we need the 
 simplicity and confidence of little children ! The thought of 
 not being cared for by their parents never crosses their 
 
 minds. 
 
 ***** 
 
 I have not the least regret for disconnecting myself with 
 
 the ; on the contrary, much cause for joy. Few 
 
 see with me ; but I am quite indifferent to man's opinion, so 
 conscious am I of God's leading. . . . I am sure God means 
 we should not trust to, or lean on, man at all. I received your 
 last on Wednesday. I am so glad of what you say about 
 the camp and Sunday-class among the Japanese lads. I 
 think you have a glorious opportunity for spreading the 
 knowledge of the truth. I am sorry I have not a supply of 
 Chinese books to send you. Send to Mr. Mateer for Chinese 
 Bibles. There is much prayer made for you by the sailors. 
 
 G. G. never forgets you. Mrs. • has written, asking for 
 
 incidents of missionary work in Japan that might interest 
 their working parties. I thought you might give a little 
 account of gospel work among the Japanese, only don't sit 
 up late to do it — the sailors say you work so hard.* 
 ***** 
 
 I am sorry you made up your mind so much for me to 
 come. I cannot feel it would be right for me to leave 
 Shanghai for any place just now. I should enjoy the change, 
 I have no doubt, if I had distinct guidance from God about 
 it, but I have not : and the visit, consequently, if taken irre- 
 spective of such guidance, would prove fruitless, and to be 
 regretted. My present position is one of waiting, and it is 
 
 • Felt for five years like one wound up by God for a work which He meant 
 me to do at His charges, and I went on unweariedly in it. Praise His name ! 
 "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory," &c. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 303 
 
 impossible for anyone to judge for me as to my course. 
 It is a path in which our soundest sense and most enlightened 
 judgment can have no verdict ; for God's thoughts are so far 
 above our thoughts and His way above our ways. It is the 
 path in which all God's children should ever be found, or 
 failure and disappointment will be the canker that will not 
 fail to sap out the strength which ought to be preserved until 
 God's time of action comes. He leadeth in the paths of 
 righteousness — the path in which we shall not be making 
 mistakes — and He leadeth "for His name's sake." I see 
 very few people. I am kept in perfect peace. It is such a 
 change: the PEACE keeping our hearts and minds, to our 
 trying to keep it ! I hope you pray much for me. I need 
 wisdom to walk before God amid an opposing world, and 
 church, too. The writer of the Chinese letter (enclosed) 
 would like to go to Japan as your helper. 
 
 ***** 
 
 I feel sure that God would have his labourers look to him 
 alone for all their wants. I never mean to tell anyone how 
 I am situated, but God alone. He has been tenderly weaning 
 and schooling me of late. It is better to trust in the Lord 
 than to put confidence in man. ... I think what you say of 
 
 Lady P and other friends wishing to contribute to the 
 
 support of your work at Yokohama, is very nice. But I think 
 you have acted wisely in declining it. Unless all the con- 
 tributors were of the same turn of mind as Lady P and 
 
 Mrs. C , with yourself, it would, sooner or later, as 
 
 you say, bring you into bondage. We must be prepared to 
 be misunderstood, and even blamed for the truth's sake. I 
 am quite in the dark as to my future proceedings, and I am 
 quite willing to remain so day by day, living according to the 
 Scriptural command, doing whatsoever my hand findeth to 
 do, and doing it with my might. How much blessing we lose 
 by not observing this command, viz., " Take no thought for 
 the morrow'" ! It is a positive command, and most Christians 
 break it. I am a wonder to myself what I am facing. . . . 
 But I expect greater trials to my faith than I have yet met 
 
304 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 with. I am glad you enjoy the meetings with the sailors 
 ashore and afloat. There is nothing real in this world but 
 dealing with souls in communion with Jesus. Oh, to know 
 it more ! 
 
 With regard to going to Japan, I feel still that I should 
 like to spend a month with you ; but such changes have 
 come over Mrs. J.'s plans lately, that, for the present, my work 
 is in Shanghai. If the interesting work among the sailors — 
 and which God has so abundantly blessed — is not followed 
 up with a firm hand just now, and set on foot for some 
 time, it might flag, and be difficult to get it re-adjusted. 
 All earthly advantages even health, must be put last. It is 
 such joy to see God at work among the sailors. I have 
 
 asked Mr. Xa give himself to the work (and I will gladly 
 
 give it up to him), and I will go and work with you in Japan. 
 But this I could not think of doing, unless one gave himself 
 entirely to it, and did not take it up as a recreation only. 
 
 I am delighted to think you are having so much blessing 
 in your own soul, and in your work. To be used of God we 
 ought to be dead to everything else but the prosperity of His 
 kingdom. And thus it shall be, if we are yielded up to Him 
 for life-long service. Mrs. C. died the other day : it was like 
 gazing into heaven to witness her departure. I was with her 
 three nights. 
 
 * * » « * 
 
 I am making book-markers of the kwetzu (Chinese 
 braid) for the sailors' Bibles. Is there any way of getting 
 cheap Bibles at Yokohama t As yet I do not see my way to 
 go to Japan ; but I have no doubt it will be made plain if it 
 is right for me to go. The change later on would, I have no 
 doubt, be beneficial, even if I cannot leave the heat of Shanghai 
 this month. 
 
 * * ♦ * » 
 
 I have not said half of all I wish to write about. Tell me 
 about the temperance movement. I cannot countenance the 
 theatrical style in which it is carried on at Shanghai. I believe 
 in temperance, but not in the way it is conducted. The Curlew 
 
Echoes from Japan. 305 
 
 brethren are now at Tientsin. I get such nice letters from 
 them. They say that there is so much made of Templarism, 
 that they had to take a stand against it ; and they are suffering 
 much from Christians on land, who, I think, are not so out- 
 and-out as they are. 
 
 I feel strongly that God would have me regard the work 
 among the sailors more as my work. Deair Mrs. J. is 
 likely to be taken up with other work. It will be a trial to 
 me to lose her fellowship, for we have worked with one mind 
 and one soul in the blessed work among the sailors ever 
 since its commencement .... Of course, people will think 
 me out of my mind, as they already do, for daring to trust 
 God for all my need. But this is nothing compared to the 
 joy it gives me to see my work cut out for me by God. There 
 are scores of Chinese girls whom I have taught to read God's 
 Word in their own tongue ; but nothing has rejoiced my 
 heart like the work God has given me among the men-o'-war's 
 men, especially. I would as soon work at Yokohama with 
 you, except that my school of twenty-five Chinese girls can 
 be carried on just the same if I remain here : and there 
 is no end to what I can do in an indirect way among the 
 Chinese women. My work among the sailors has impressed 
 a good many of the Chinese. My Amah has got greatly 
 blessed through seeing the sailors so happy. She even 
 imagines the cat must be sharing the blessing, because it runs 
 to and fro madly (a bit of Chinese credulity I). 
 
 I have great trials from opposition. It is a case of the 
 devil raging, but I have never been in a state to bear it 
 more, though I feel it keenly. I do not expect anyone here, 
 except the sailors, to see with me. I never have felt God's 
 gracious leading as I do now. " He maketh me to lie down 
 in green pastures." I am full of writing always to the various 
 ships that leave. I should very much like to be among the 
 marines in the fulness of blessing. I feel confident that, as 
 soon as God sees right I should go, He will open up my way 
 20 
 
3o6 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 in a manner worthy of Himself. I will send you a long- 
 letter next Week, and will begin it this week. 
 
 # * * # * 
 
 I moved into my new home a fortnight ago to-day. 1 am 
 beginning to gather a few Chinese girls. The room is large 
 enough to hold eighty or a hundred. I have taken a most 
 important step, and had I not felt God leading me every step 
 I should have broken down long since. My faith is often 
 sorely tested, but I joy in each test for Jesus' sake. I can 
 never regret the' step. 1 could not have taken it without deep 
 views of God's power and faithfulness. And it is a step 
 which no one would be justified in taking unless they were 
 led into it by God Himself, though God would have all His 
 children yield themselves to have His perfect will wrought in 
 them. My arm is not strong like the other yet, but the scars 
 on my forehead are all healed (referring to the injury met 
 with in the riot) but I am bearing the heat well. 
 
 # # * # * 
 
 The brethren on the Cadmus have shown me true brotherly 
 kindness : they have papered two rooms ; have done car- 
 penter jobs, scrubbed floors, etc. Some of them declared 
 that they got a great deal more blessing by doing it than if 
 they attended meetings. Some of them have wonderfully 
 grown in grace. The Curlew men gave me a stove, and 
 helped me in various ways ; so, you see, we have all things 
 in common ! 
 
 ***** 
 
 I was very glad of your last, especially to hear that 
 
 takes so much interest in the work among sailors. I can 
 truly say myself, that 1 have never been engaged in any work 
 for the Lord in which I have been so consciously used by 
 Him ; nor have I been so blessed in my own soul since I 
 began, now two years ago, to speak to H.M.S. sailors. 
 ***** 
 
 I may say that all my days and hours are taken up with 
 meetings for them, also conversation and writing. I feel 
 fairly launched out in the work ! I could not do so much for 
 
Echoes from Japan. 307 
 
 the sailors had I not disconnected myself from . This 
 
 has been a year of waiting on the Lord, to know what He 
 would have me do, as I told you before. My work among 
 the Chinese girls has been much circumscribed and retarded 
 for lack of funds ; and this I see to be wonderfully over- 
 ruled by God. [This house was set fire to by the rioters, 
 and work among the Chinese entirely broken up for a time.] 
 « « * * # 
 
 I received yours, of no date, yesterday. The Dwarf is 
 here. God gives me strength to study His Word, and to speak 
 for hours to the sailors ; although I have but little strength 
 for other work. I need a change for my work here ; but I 
 am strong on doing as I feel led. God will show His way 
 about it. He opening my way, it would be nice to go to 
 Japan in November, and you to come back with me at 
 Christmas. But we must not be making plans. I have 
 received your last by S.S. Ulysses. It is matter of great 
 thankfulness that God is at work, as you state, from time to 
 time. There would be no end of work, I feel convinced, if 
 we were fitted channels, and then willing to remain channels 
 only. While self is in the ascendency it will seek its own, 
 and mar the work. 
 
 * » » ♦ * 
 
 I trust the reason why you have not written so much lately 
 is the same reason that has prevented me from writing to 
 you and nearly all my friends, viz., souls are being gathered ; 
 and I feel they must have all my time. My room is 
 crowded almost every evening, as well as the evenings of the 
 regular meetings. Last Sunday morning a friend led three 
 merchant-ship sailors here for me to speak to them. They 
 left deeply impressed. Two decided to follow Christ, but 
 were ashamed to confess it. Two hours later one returned to 
 make confession with his lips of the joy he found ; he said 
 he could hardly give himself time to swallow his dinner, he 
 was so ashamed of himself for acting the coward when he 
 saw me in the morning. 
 
308 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 My soul triumphs in the Lord daily, even when my faith is 
 tested as with a red-hot iron. God is with me, and for me. 
 
 Oh, what gain ! I rejoiced in all Mr. M told me about 
 
 your work. As dear Miss Weston says in a letter to hand, 
 " It only wants a wholly surrendered heart in order to realise 
 
 the power of Christ in work." 
 
 J. McL. 
 
 Extracts from Letters addressed to Sailors in 
 H.M. Ships. 
 
 By MY Sister, who welcomed them to her Tent. 
 
 And many a Sailor has had cause to thank God for the 
 sympathy too rarely shown them in far off parts. 
 
 My dear Friend and Brother in Jesus, 
 
 In case you might have an opportunity of distributing 
 tracts on H.M.S. Thistle.^ or other vessels, I send a few ; they 
 will help to pave your way while endeavouring to speak a 
 word for Jesus, or inviting them to come ashore to the meeting. 
 I think a great deal about you in your difficult post ; but ever 
 remember that your position is only difficult while viewing it 
 in the scale of your own strength, which is weakness in the 
 power of the Holy Ghost. I can imagine a ship of war to be 
 a magnificent platform on which to exhibit the life of Jesus. 
 Jesus requires of us to be nothing to Him or for Him at our 
 own charges : it is the power of the Holy Ghost alone acting 
 mightily in us that can enable us to achieve victories over the 
 world, the flesh, and the devil. Oh, then, dear friend, ever 
 yield yourself to be filled with the Spirit ! I was reading 
 this morning in Mark i. Jesus was in the wilderness with 
 •wild beasts; but there aiigels ministered to Him. And so 
 with you, or any sailor who ministers for Jesus among 
 untractable, wicked men, angels minister still. 
 
 ***** 
 
 The Mosquito is here (Shanghai) on a flying visit. This is 
 the only ship of war in harbour. I believe in just what you 
 say — to be nothing, and Him all in all. We shall be all God 
 
Echoes frotn Japan. 309 
 
 wants us to be when we are as nothing. Oh, may He teach 
 us this more and more ! Love to all the dear brethren afloat. 
 I send a packet of the " Christian." 
 
 At Yokohama. 
 
 My sister and I went to the British Legation in Tokyo, on 
 
 Thursday. I enjoyed the ride in the train. Lady P is 
 
 a genuine Christian. How 1 wish we had such another lady 
 
 at Shanghai ! After luncheon. Sir H and Lady P 
 
 took us to see the Mikado's Park. What a contrast Japan is 
 
 to China ! 
 
 * # « • # 
 
 I do so regret not having written to you since I left 
 Shanghai. The receipt of your letter last Saturday glad- 
 dened my heart. It is perfectly delightful to see how God is 
 
 leading you forth The Spirit unites our will to God, 
 
 or sinks it in His. When the flesh has the reins the liberty 
 it gives brings us into bondage, and we say, " O wretched 
 MAN THAT I AM ! " But the Holy Spirit's reign works in 
 accordance with the will of God, and never wounds the 
 conscience, so that we may ever have to say, " Blessed be 
 God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ ; " 
 and rejoice that there is such a command as, " Let not sin 
 reign in your mortal bodies''' 
 
 * # * # . # 
 
 Dear little Ippay is at Osaka for his holiday. My sister 
 misses him very intensely, and she may go to Kobd to fetch 
 himby the 22nd of this month (August). Pray for me, that my 
 visit to Yokohama and Japan ports may not be in vain for 
 souls. Yokohama needs the stirring up a man of God like 
 Mr. Douglas may give it. 
 
 At Shanghai. 
 
 I was thankful for your very kind letter. I have missed 
 you so much, but I cannot regret that you go about the 
 
3IO Echoes from Japan. 
 
 world a burning and a shining witness. There is good feel- 
 ing with Christians of the several ships. There are two 
 additions on the Ringdove, and four on the Modeste. Your 
 words in the Temperance Hall had effect on D. He is 
 really converted now. He came on the following Monday to 
 me, feeling very miserable. To-morrow, Christmas-day, I 
 hope to have about sixty or seventy men from the various 
 ships. I often think of the help you were to me the last tea. 
 Affectionately yours in Christ, J. McL. 
 
 # * # # * 
 
 God tries and strengthens my faith from day to day. One 
 of my printed letters was blessed to one of the Ringdoves 
 men. I sent about 2,200 printed letters and cards about the 
 shipping and settlement ; pray for a blessing on them. 
 There are over thirty Christians in the Thalia since she 
 went to Yokohama. My sister goes on board every Sunday. 
 » # # * * 
 
 " Confess your faults one to another." 
 I received your last kind letter the other day. It was so 
 good of you not to have scolded me for not writing you. You 
 will be glad to hear that I have had great joy of the Chris- 
 tians on since I last wrote. I told you I charged 
 
 and with hindering the work. came half an hour 
 
 before the meeting to acknowledge the sin with shame, 
 and to ask prayer.* He was quite broken-hearted, poor 
 fellow. Before the meeting began, he asked the brethren for 
 prayer. He owned he grieved the Holy Spirit, and disgraced 
 us all ; it was a sweet, unmitigated confession. I felt the 
 Spirit fill the room, and we had great blessing that night. 
 
 * I believe the besetment of a sailor, at home and abroad, is strong drink. 
 But my only reason for giving this extract to the reader is, in order to show the 
 absolute necessity there is for judging ourselves repeatedly before the Lord, 
 and when the sin becomes known, to acknowledge it to one another, before the 
 soul can prosper. Secret malice, backbiting, jealotisies, pride, &c., are equally 
 calculated to cause a blight, and hinder communion with God and with one 
 another. Why are some of the places of worship and prayer-meetings we attend 
 so dry? It is to be feared that the reason is, we are not honest with ourselves, 
 like the dear brother here referred to. 
 
Echoes from Japan. 311 
 
 I sent him a note on board every day after that, to comfort 
 him, and he came every night to see me. Last Sunday night 
 
 I went on board the , and had a word with over a 
 
 hundred of them. Owing to petty jealousies, some of them 
 kept away from the meeting ; this made me very unhappy 
 and sad. When I returned, at ten o'clock, I wrote to each, 
 and asked every one of them to come and confess their faults 
 one to another, and for us all to humble ourselves before 
 God. We went on Tuesday evening. They all came except 
 — — , who was ill, but all right in soul : we had rich blessing. 
 There was tender confession on everyone's part, and much 
 blessing was the result. They all confessed it was of God I 
 invited them. I asked them from six to seven, an hour before 
 the meeting commenced. I told them it would be mockery 
 in us to meet for edification and prayer, as if all were right, 
 until we had the breaches of ill-feeling repaired. Ever since 
 they have been adding cubits to their stature. For the first 
 time there were several of the unsaved from the Palos and 
 Vigilant here, and I spoke the Gospel to them from Isa. Ixv. 3. 
 After they left, I led the Modest^s attention to Acts i., and 
 showed them how God would have them, in the strength of 
 the peace and joy He was giving them, wait for power with 
 which to witness for Jesus in their ship. I told them if they 
 would fall in with God's way, He would give them the ship, 
 for she only wanted witnesses ; she was already saturated 
 with the Gospel. 
 
 * * * * * 
 
 I must tell you that again I am like Paul, " without a 
 certain dwelling-place," and this letter and myself are 
 covered with dust and grit. The house is pulled to pieces 
 for alterations. You would feel for me if you were here ; 
 but, " strengthened with all might, according to his glorious 
 power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness," 
 works wonders ! To be more central, I could wish for another 
 place at once. Pray for me. He answered prayer for the 
 Modeste, why not for me ? I have no room for the sailors 
 now. I and my things are penned and packed in the little 
 
312 Echoes from Japan. 
 
 iroom at the back. Two men from the Midge were here for a 
 long time this afternoon ; they left deeply impressed. Is it 
 
 not strange that never brings any unsaved to see me ? 
 
 What can I make of it ? I am so glad to hope that there is 
 nothing of this mistaken exclusiveness among the Thalias 
 What a refreshing it will be to me to give the whole thing, 
 into their hands, if they are truly free, and liberated, not 
 crystallized men ! It would be nice if my sister could see her 
 way to meet them here. And I should like to return with, 
 her to Yokohama for a month. L. and B. will not join us in 
 our meetings ; and when they call, they never seem to be in 
 the spirit for prayer. They puzzle me exceedingly. They 
 want to be set at liberty at meetings. And the worst of it is, 
 they put me into bondage. I heard lately from Mrs. John, 
 who is at Hankow. I am glad to say she was delighted with 
 the Modeste Christians, and thinks I must feel " greatly en- 
 couraged." Oh, pray for the Modeste J All that can be done 
 for a ship has been done for her. She seems lifted up to 
 heaven in privileges. What we want is men valiant for the 
 truth ; men who are themselves all they would have others 
 to be. Such only can minister the word of rebuke with power. 
 People are in such ignorance of God's Word ; every short- 
 coming, it seems to me, is to be traced to that. We want 
 ever to steep our souls in the truth. I was so pleased to have 
 learnt from my sister that you remember our Lord's dying 
 love in her room, in pentecostal freshness and power, and not 
 after any human sect. How much I long to have men around 
 me whom I could feel had strength and resolution, and see 
 the necessity of this ordinance, and seek to gather for this 
 purpose, in obedience to His command, and get the bless- 
 ing which must follow its being ever done in its primitive 
 reality ! Without this we should dwindle into formalism, 
 like many Christians who began well. As a woman, I 
 can see how I cannot take the active part which is neces- 
 sary in this ordinance ; and I see none sufficiently strong to 
 fegard it in its simplicity that I could suggest the matter to. 
 I Can see how alone, with a sister like-minded with myself, 
 
Echoes from Japan. 313 
 
 I could take that part, but not with brethren." But in preach- 
 ing the gospel, or the study of the Word with others, I can 
 say, " My God helpeth me." 
 
 ***** 
 There is great cry for union, and I long and pant for true 
 unity ; but experience has taught me that true unity is not 
 brought about until each believer dares to be first a unit — 
 alone before God. Much of what is accepted as unity is only 
 kept together by what " Anna Shipton " calls " (Ae honey of 
 Nature^' ; and we know well, though Nature's honey is sweet 
 and adhesive, that it cannot stand the storm and rain ; and 
 much of what keeps Christians together is some attraction 
 or advantage of Nature. — J. McL. 
 
 • The writer refers to real Christians of any denomination, and not to 
 ** Brethren," so named only. 
 
(fTondusian. 
 
 " And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me 
 drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, that is at the 
 gate ! " — I Chron. xi. 17. 
 
 (i) I cannot help feeling that the guilty apathy 
 of the Church of God towards the perishing world, 
 is one reason why ritualism, spiritualism, evil 
 doctrines and infidelity are stalking unblushingly 
 through the land. The great necessity of the times 
 is a force of valiants who will run every risk for 
 Jesus' sake ; those who, like David's mighty men, 
 will not count their lives dear unto them, in order 
 to gratify the longings of their King. Oh, why 
 are we not more quick of scent, more ready to 
 apprehend the meaning of the heart-thirst of David's 
 ANTE-TYPE ? 
 
 Why are not our numberless conferences more 
 productive of the results that characterised the early 
 church, when anointed men and women " went 
 everywhere preaching the Word " ! Oh, how 
 feebly have the most advanced teachers and evan- 
 gelists drunk of the love which is in the heart of 
 Jesus for the sheep for whom he laid down His 
 
Echoes from Japan. 315 
 
 life ! Those who have drunk of the living waters 
 deepest ought to be to the fore-front of the battle, 
 and show by their fearlessness and loyalty that 
 they are not their own. May God multiply confer- 
 ences and Bible readings all over the land ! such are 
 the spiritual halting-places by the way ; but let us 
 beware, lest we fail to hear the warning voice in 
 Ezekiel xxxiv : " Woe be to the shepherds of Israel 
 that do feed themselves ! SHOULD not the SHEP- 
 HERDS FEED THE FLOCKS ? " Our abundant know- 
 ledge and revelations are not enough, we need 
 tender shepherd hearts, who will seek out the 
 diseased, lame, lost, etc. It is to be feared that 
 many of us lack the power and tact of commanding 
 the companies of tired, hungry, woe-begone souls 
 to sit down on the grass, in order to minister to 
 their necessities. 
 
 (2) It would be pessimistic to say that t]ie state of 
 things was better thirty years ago than at present. 
 The forces at work proclaim that a king — OUR 
 King — is coming ! It may be at midnight, at 
 •cock-crowing, or in the morning! Yet there are 
 credentials which a waiting church ought to dis- 
 play, but such are covered up with the dust and 
 grit of worldly conformity and indifference, as well 
 as with the millinery of rife ritualism. Where are 
 those who weep over this doomed world — those 
 who are moved with compassion towards the " multi- 
 tudes " in lands still un-evangelised ? These were 
 prominent features in the Good Shepherd and H 
 early followers. 
 
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 Being Predous Fromises arranged for Da'ly Use; with Brief Experi- 
 mental Comments. 3s. 6d. Persian Morocco, red and gilt edges, 7s. 6d. 
 '"The Cheque Book of the Bank of £aith' is suitable for family use, or for 
 sohtary prayer. It consists of a series of texts from the Bible, both from the 
 Old and New Testaments, with a short commentary upon them. There is one of 
 these texts for each day in the year. Each of them contains a promise of God, 
 which, as the writer remarks, may be compared to a cheque payable to order, 
 to be endorsed by faith, and presented in due time. There is much that is 
 comforting in the volume, which will, doubtless, be largely used in households.'* 
 
 The Mornmg Post. 
 
 Sfax Stnbentg. 
 LECTURES TO MY STUDENTS; A Selection from 
 
 Addresses delivered to the Students of the Pastors' College, Metropolitan 
 
 Tabernacle. By 0. H. Sfubsxoh, President. Krst and Second Series. 
 
 Price 28. 8d. each. v x j ,■ i.^ 
 
 " We have read this work with a feeling very nearly approaching to denght. 
 
 Nothing that Mr. Spurgeon has printed has so thoroughly pleased us, and few 
 
 of his works are calculated to be of greater practical service. It abounds in 
 
 words of wisdom ; it is rich in humour, but richer in human and spiritual 
 
 experience." — Nonconformist, 
 
 COMMENTINa AND COMMENTARIES: Two lec- 
 tures addressed to the Students of the Pastors' College, together with 
 a Catalogue of Bible Commentaries and Expositions. Price 28. 6d. 
 " Every candid reader wiU admit that, in impartiality, in terse and telling 
 brevity, in wisdom sharpened into wit, in unaffected zeal for Christ's cause, 
 and. above all, in robust common sense, this volume has few equals, if any. 
 
 L^Leranry World 
 
MT SEBMON-NOTES. A Selection from Outlines of 
 
 DiaoonTsesdeliTereil at the Metropolitan Tatemaole. Parti. Genesis to 
 Proverbs— I. to LXIV. Part II. EoclesiasteB to Malaohi— LXV. to 
 CXXIX. 2s. 6d. each. Parts I. and IL bound together in one Volume, 
 Cloth, 5s. Part III. Matthew to Acts— OXXX. to CXCV. Part IV. 
 Eomans to Revelation. CXOYI. to CCLXIV. 2b. 6d. each. Parts HI. 
 and IV. bound tof^ether in one volume, price 5b. 
 When a preacher, he he lay or regjilar, finds himeeU severely pressed for a 
 
 subject^ he will find here an outline clearly drawn, a good deal of flUing up 
 
 and a httle lot of stories or pithy bits to season the whole. 
 
 SPEECHES by C. H. SPiniGEON AT HOME and 
 
 Abroad, In Paper covers, Is. Cloth, 2b. 
 The pieces are in the main given as they originally appeared ; in the majority 
 of instances the author is made to speak in the first person j bat this is not the 
 case throughout. The reader 'will also find that the principal subjects are 
 admirably reported. 
 
 THE SWORD AND THE TROWEL: A Monthly 
 
 Magazine, Price 3d. Yearly vols., 5s. Cases for binding, Is. 4d. 
 It commands a large circulation among almost all classes of CShristians, and 
 as a religious periodical, it noTv occupies a position second to none. It records 
 the works of faith and labours of love which are the honour of the various 
 sections of the Church, and it contends most unsparingly against the errors of 
 the times. It is an accUrate record of the rel^ous movements which emanate 
 from the Metropolitan Tabernacle, but its advocacy is far fram being confined 
 within that area. No pains will be spared to render the Magazine growingly 
 worthy of the widest circulation.— Editor, C. H. SPURGEON. 
 
 THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE: its History 
 
 and Work. With 33 Dlustrations. By 0. H. Sevbobon. Price, in 
 
 paper covers, Is. Bound in cloth, 2s. 
 " Profusely illustrated with portraits, facsimiles of forgotten caricatures, 
 and other engravings, quaint and otherwise, is likely to rival * John Plough- 
 man ' iri'^opularity. Containing between one and two hundred octavo pages, 
 the matter might easily have been spread out into a five or six shilling volume ; 
 but, as Mr. Spurgeon desires to write for the people^ he publishes his works at 
 prices to suit the pockets even of the poor." — Christian World. 
 
 JOHN PLOUGHMAN^S TALK ; or, Plain Advice for 
 
 Plain People. Illustrated. By C. H. Sfuboeon. In stl£f covers, Is. 
 
 Cloth, gilt edges, 2s. S60th Thousand 
 
 " Sacy and pungent ; very plain, and to the purpose. No fear as to 
 
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 nothing racy \maaid.'''— ^Watchman. 
 
 JOHN PIOUGHHAN'S PICTURES ; or, More of his 
 
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 ** Every page is full of sayings well calculated to teach the people the charms 
 of religion, and the happiness attending sobpr industry."— CAWsWan World.