LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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PREFACE. ALTHOUGH personally acquainted with Mr. Nee­sima and familiar with the main events of his life, the reading of his letters and journal made upon me a fresh and deep impression. It seemed to me that no pen could reveal the personality of the man or tell the story of his life so effectively as his own. To say that one possesses certain qualities is well; to see these qualities in action is better. With no thought of the public ear, Mr. Neesima, in his cor­respondence and journals, disclosed himself with the simplicity and modesty peculiar to him, and with the truthfulness of one who, unconscious of an audience, asks for no verdict. I have therefore endeavored to let him speak who speaks best, and this volume is essentially an autobiography. From the large amount of material at hand all that does not contribute to a vivid impression of Mr. Neesima has been, I trust, re.. jected; the intent being, not to write the history of the Japan mission, but to show forth this man in the light of his own acts, utterances, and thought. One other purpose has rendered this work a sacred one to a son. Mr. Hardy was averse to everything of the nature of a biography of himself. It is some-

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