LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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188 MISSIONARY WORK IN JAPAN. desire was, naturally, to visit his aged parents, from whom he had now been separated for nearly eleven years, and who had removed from Tokyo to the castle town of Annaka. He accordingly set out at once by jinrikisha, a light two-wheeled vehicle drawn by a man, a conveyance which hau been introduced during his absence. TO MR. AND MRS. HARDY. ANNAK.\1 JAPAN, December 22, 1874. I have informed you of my safe arrival in Y oko~ hama, where I stopped only one night and half a day, going to Tokyo on the 27th. I left Tokyo on the same afternoon for home, where I arrived on the mid­night of the 28th. I traveled in a jinrikisha (cart drawn by men) twenty hours without taking a least rest except for meals. I hired three men for the pur­pose, one for myself and two for my baggage. They ate five times in twenty hours, spending nearly an hour for each meal They ran sixty miles within fif­teen hours, four miles for an hour. It was my inten­tion to remain in Yokohama three days. But when I once stepped on the dry land, my dear native soil, I could not wait even three days. Hence I hurried towards home. When I came here it was midnight. Therefore I disliked to disturb my parents' sleep, and slept in an inn in this town. The following morning I sent word to my father. Then I came home and was welcomed by my aged parents, sisters, neighbors, and old acquaintances. My father was ill for three days and could not move himself on account of rheu~ matism. But when he heard of my safe arrival he rose up and welcomed me with the fatherly tender~ ness. When I hailed him he stooped down without a

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