LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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TRIALS. 221 Christianized, educated, and elevated, they will do more than men for the purification of society. Spe­cial meetings for women were therefore arranged for the evenings of the 26th and 27th. The audience was larger, over one hundred each time. "'When I returned I found one of our students had just got back from Fukichigama, where he had gone to preach; having been obliged to leave on account of the strictness of the local authorities. So I sent him to Kishinowada to take up the work I left unfinished. Besides him, about twenty-six of our school have gone there to take sea-baths. They are mostly young fel­iows, and yet believers. I wish I could inform you more about our work, but I find my work almost be­yond my strength, and am therefore obliged to write you hastily and briefly. Mr. Neesima was often, and at this time especially, embarrassed by differences of opinion prevailing in the Mission. Obstacles of every kind were constantly arising,-obstacles which threatened the very exist­ence of the school and all that had been previously accomplished. Every opportunity was taken by the anti-foreign and anti-Christian party to defeat his plans and arrest the growth of the Doshisha. The fact that, while nominally a Japanese company, the Doshisha was in reality supported by annual grants derived from foreign sources, was made the basis of an attack which very nearly resulted in closing its doors. The renewal of the passports of resident teachers was obtained only after long and persistent efforts, and the course of study was continually subject to the hos­tile interference of the local authorities. The condi­tion of affairs was frequently so serious that the Mis-

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