LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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APPEAL TO THE BOARD. 229 university in ,Japan, in order to raise up Christian ministers, Christian physicians, Christian statesmen, and even Christian merchants. Christians must not be charged with being ignoramuses, or we shall not get the respect of the people. We shall be ridiculed for our ignorance as well as for our faith. It is well for us to remember and practice our Saviour's words, 'be wise as serpents.' Try to send out choice men, men of the New Testament spirit, of broad education and strong character, possessing the power of adapta. bility. And I earnestly beg of you to give us a fund to save the life of the Kyoto Mission and to raise our educational standard so as to make our school the cen­tre of Christian power and influence. I have freely expressed my humble opinion. May God give you and the gentlemen of the Board help to see our pres­ent critical position, is the prayer of your unworthy child." Throughout this whole period Mr. Neesima wrote fully and freely to Mr. Hardy of all his trials and per­plexities, but his letters are absolutely free from per­sonalities and contain explanations where one might look for reproaches. The spirit of hope and faith al­ways dominated that of discouragement, and there is no trace of fault-finding. Stronger even than the tes­timony of his colleagues in the various missions as to his bearing under these trials is that of these letters written in confidence, wherein he poured out his whole heart as a son to his father. From these letters a few extracts are taken. "I am staying in an old Buddhist temple in a sub­urb of the city. While I am at home I receive con­stantly visitors who take up my time. As a large portion of them come on business, I cannot avoid them

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