The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-02
,IananeSe Christianity.

Several incidents have recently come
to my knowledge which illustrate ID a
most interesting manner the fidelity
of the japanese when they have
adopted the Christian religion. The
first of them is connected with a man
who is now preaching the religion OF
the Bible in Osaka. lie was educated
in the United States, and or his return
to Japan he was offered a position un-
der the government worth about hf-
teen hundred dollars per annum, and
which he declined because it would
interfere with his determination to
preach the gospel to his countrymen.
For several years after entering upon
those labors his annual income only
amounted to seven-two dollars, and
is to-day only about $500. On
one occasion, after his wife had con
planned to him Of their hard lot and
expressed a wish for a little money, he
took a watch that he happened to
have-his greatest treasure-and hay
ing sold it, gave the proceeds to his
wife with the remark that she now
had more money than was ever pos
sessel 10y the Saviour of the world,
who had never had a home, and was
always beset by cruel enemies, while
they not only enjoyed a home, but had
all the rice they needed. The health
of this man was so very delicate that
he had to take a prolonged rest after
every religious service, and was in
constant danger of dying from fatigue
and want.
Another incident that I would
mention is connected with a poor
blind woman: Her support was de-
rived from the employment OF sham
pooling, and her income was barely
sufficient to feed her mother, two
children and herself from day to day,
and when her pittance did not hap
pen to come in, the following day was
one of fasting and of special prayer;
and she was wont to mention the fact
as something remarkable, that she
had lever found it necessary to 60
without food on the Sabbath, thereby,
proving the goodness of the Almighty
towards those who try to be his faith
full children.
A church which some of these poor
people attended was under the special
patronage of a rich japanese lady
who stipulated that all the women
who made their appearance there
should come dressed in cotton clothes,
so that the poor might not be morti-
fed by being seated with the rich in
their gag attire-the result of this
mandate having been to convene
large and greatly interested assem-
blies. And thus it is that the derided
heather eXemplify their devotion to
the Christian religion!
And still another striking incident
was tu this effect: a manly boy,
whose heart had been touched by the
spirit of Christianity, resolved to at
tend a Sunday-school against the
wishes of his father, who was a
protligate unbeliever. On the evening
of every day that he attended the
school he was regularly whipped by
his father with a piece of rope. After
this had been going on for several
weeks the boy appeared before his
father one Sunday morning, and hand
ing him the instrument of torture
made this request: Father, as you
are determined to whip me every time
I go to Sunday-school, and l am de-
termined to 60, l would ask you to
punish me now before I disobey your
orders, so that I may not have to
think of the coming punlshmon mt wi en-
studying the Bible in Sunday-school."
The result of that boys pluck was to
bring his father and all the family
within the fold OF a happy Christia,
ife.-Cha1ies Lanman IN n. Y. o.
SeTTeT.