Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-03-03
The storx of NeesIma.

The romantic and touching history of
the Japanese missionary, Neesima, and
his chrysanthemums. which have now
grown famous, is told by Mr. F. Schuy
ler Matthews in "The Golden Flower. a
book about the chrysanthemum which
has lately been issued It is a story of
a great service repaid with fl pwers-but
with flowers which became famous, and
have themselves made famous a beau
tiful life.
Nessima was the name of Japanese
who was born in the city of Yeddo in
1874. As boy he was disposed to
studiousness, and before he was 20 he
received from a friend a small tract,
called "The Story of the Bible. which
was written by Christian missionary
in Chi
The reading of this tract was the be-
ginning of a new life for the young
man. He determined to learn more of
the Light which shone in the East,
and to this end resolved to find his ay
to America, This was no easy task in
those days in Japan, for the strictest
watch was kept over the people to pre-
vent their going to foreign countries.
Neesima left his home, however, and
went to the seaport town of Hakodate,
where he remained for season, plan
ming a means of escape. BY the help
of a friend he concealed himself in
little boat laden with supplies that were
being taken to an American vessel in
the harbor
As the little boat left the quay, an
officer caught sight of it, and called,
~Who goes there?" "Ore dal" ct is I'D
shouted the boatman, and the craft was
allowed to pass.
Neesima reached the vessel in safety,
and the captain concealed him in
closet while the Japanese officers made
tour of the boat before she sailed. At
Shanghai he was transferred to a ship
belonging to the late Alpheus Hardy, of
Boston. He told the master If this ship
that he wished to go to America to be
educated, and was brought across the
ocean by the kind hearted captain. At
Hong Kong he supplied himself with
money by the sale of his sword, the
badge of his social rank in Japan, aud
bought Chinese New Testament.
On his arrival in Boston young Nee
sima was taken to Mr.. Hardy, and told
him of his desire to learn more of the
"Light in the East Mr.. Hardy assured
him that there was indeed a Light in
the East, and that it should shine for
him and his people. He gave Neesima
an education at Phillips Andover Acad.
envy, at Amherst College, and the An
dover Theological Seminary.
Joseph Hardy Neesima. as he was now
called, was ordained to the ministry in
Boston in 1874 and went to Japan soon
after to found the school of the Doshisha,
or %The one Purpose, in Kioto, and he
was connected with the school to the
time of his death.
In 1887 Neesima sent to Mrs. Hardy,
In Boston, collection of some 80
varieties of the chrysanthemum. These
were given by Mrs Hardy to two garden
ers to propagate, and from them came
some of the most wonderfully beautiful
flowers ever seen, of forms hitherto un.
known in this country, whose fame has
filed the Western world.
In the midst of the celebrity attained
by the great white. frosty flower, called
the Mrs Alpheus Hardy" came the
news of the death, in January, 1890, OF
Joseph Hardy Neesima in Japan. With
its comrades. the flower was a dying
token of light and love from the man
whose tongue had often repeated the
words:
@The deyspring from on high hath
visited US, to give light TO them that sit
in darkness and in the shadow of death.