LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

240/372

224 MISSIONARY JVORK IN JAPAN. cannot picture out to you our present critical condi~ tion so th:'tt you could fully understand the impending difficulty and our pressing want. ''When I undertook to start our school in the city of Kyoto, I wa.~ rather compelled by law to ask per­mission from the central government both for estab­lishing it and for employing foreign te:whers. }i'or foreigners are not allowed to remain in an interior city like Kyoto unless they are employed by natives. As my American friends gave me funds to start a school and the American Board agreed to furnish me teachers, I was naturally obliged to assume a position of proprietorship. My written application for a school was first presented to the educational depart­ment, with the approval of the Kyoto governor. But it was contrary to the regulation of said department to employ regular missionaries as te~chers either in the public or private schools. It was my first obsta~ cle. But through Mr. Tanaka's special favor I se­cured permission for Dr. Davis to enter the sacred and ancient capital of Japan. When it was done I rejoicingly said, 'Miraculous!' When we had fairly started our school we began to preach the gospel in a most quiet possible way. But the truth spoken in a private room became known throughout the city, and caused a great alarm among the priests in the region. They got up a great meeting and presented their united application to the governor to stop our preaching alto­gether. Then the governor summoned me to his of­fice and requested me not to preach any more in my house. But I asked him, if a friend of mine comes to my house and inquires after a truth, would his Ex~ cellency intend to compel me not to give any reply? He answered in the negative. Then I asked him if

※このページを正しく表示するにはFlashPlayer10.2以上が必要です