LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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178 FIRST VISIT TO EUROPE. especially some Frenchmen. I often sat by the group of these pleasure-seeking people, and to my great sur­prise I find them talking nonsense and laughing over something which is not laughable at all. There are two very hard workers among us; one German doctor, my pupil, and one English gentleman. The former studies seven hours a day, and the latter reads day and night. A.s I said before, I have not formed many acquaintances because I cannot enjoy their com­pany. Their chief enjoyments are only eating, drink­ing, and indulging all sensual pleasures; they excuse themselves by saying that their natures demand it. In so giving themselves up, how do they distinguish themselves from a mere brute? I had a real hot argument with two Germans the other day. I do not know whether I have done any good for them, but at any rate I put them into a cor­ner. They afterwards confessed to me that my argu­ment is from the spiritual and ideal side, but theirs is from observation among the common mass of the human race. They told me, also, that I learned my argument from priests. The sea is getting more quiet, and we may possibly celebrate Thanksgiving at Yokohama. It was very hard for me to bid you farewell, and I am still feel­ing that I am taking some vacation trip and cannot fully realize that I am so soon to enter ministerial life. Certainly I shall realize it when I see a multitude of benighted people before my eyes. I shall omit here my deep reflection upon my past life. With regard to my present feeling, you may think it very strange. Only explanation I can give you is as follows:-In my past experience I have always found myself cold, self-possessing, and also somewhat indifferent,

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