The morning call., 1892-11-11
4 MISSIONARY PIONEER.
Thirty-Three Years Service
in Japan.
Interesting Review CT Long Life of Re-
ligious and Literary LsbOr-A Light
Upon Sir Edwin Arnold.

"I have come to the end of my missionary
career" said Rev. DIR. j. &. Hepburn TO a.
CALL reporter at the Occidental Hotel yes
terday.
DR.. Hepburn of the Presbyterian Board
Of Missions was the first American mission
airy to Japan. where he has spent thirty
three years of faithful service for his
church.
During all these long years he has been
engaged in literary as we'll as religious
work. and as we'll as being one of the three
who translated the Bible into japanese from
the original Greek and Hebrew writings is
the compiler of q Jarane5e-Eoglish and
English-Japanese dictionary, which has
gone through four editions and Is the
standard reference Of both countries.
al went out round the Cape Of Good Hope
in q sailng-ship in 1889" said DR.. Hepburn.
ave left the United States in April and
reached Yokohama in October.
MY wife. who was Miss Clara Leete of
Connecticut. accompanied me, and has been
my faithful helpmate Ia japan through all
these years of service in the church.
1T Is on account OF her health that IN
now leaving Japan. She suffers heavily
from neuralgia and we are going to spend
tie winter in California for our healIh's
sake before We return to Pennsylvania.
where / belong.
Japan was In pristine condition when
we arrived there. There had been 10
change for $50 years and the feudal system
was in full blast.
Commodore Perry had made his trip In
1854. under instructions from Secretary
Webster, and arranged treaty Of friend
ship with Japan by which ShiDwrecked
American whalers were to be protected
from cruelties till then shown to them.
1T was not TIL some time after that Con-
sui Harris was appointed to Snimoda-and
then made Minister at Tokio-that the pres
ent treaty under which VIC foreigners now
live was drawn up.
During. all these years Japan has made
tremendous stride in Christianity. We
number 10000 Protestants, with several
hundred churches. The Roman Catholics
number another 10000, and the Greek
church under Russian missionary enter
prise adds another 20. 600 to the followers OF
Christ.
IL worked for seven years at spare inter-
walls upon my dictionary. The first edition
was published in 1867, the second in 1872.
the third In 1888. and the fourth in 1891.
THE Bible translation was commenced
In 1874 and we completed the New Tesla
ment in 1880. The Old Testament was
commenced on in 1882 and completed in
1887"
Speaking of Sir Edwin Arnold. Dr.
Hepburn remarked:
''Sir Edwin's Light Of Asia could never
have been written had he not been brought
mp under Christian teaching. He threw the
dtiliUNAcS VI SHliot htOUUu bUuuUa anu
made the latter parsonage a far more ideal
character than he was in reality.
I'm that work he exhausted himself, as
can be seen In the weaker work that fol-
lowed in his Light of the World He
robbed Christ to enrich Buddha.
THE Buddhists in Japan received him
with open arms as brother. That was on
his first visit.
''But Sir Edwin was completely carried
away by the women of Japan, and his letters
on Japan and the Japanese, while they
eulog!Zed the women as angels Of poets
dream, spoke so slighiiDgly of the men that
on his second visit he was by DO means the
same favorte."
Referring to the scandals connected with
Sir Edwin In Japan. DR.. Hepburn said:
''Sir Edwin Is not moral man. His man.
ner of living In japan was highly disap-
proved OF by all sections Of the foreign
community, and donbt If the United States
or England will smile goodna.uredly upon
his ideas OF lfberality or laxity in morals.
with regard TO the charges against Jap
anese renissness In commercial honor and
business integrity. must admit that 1t is a
very sore complaint and apparently we'll
founded among all foreign merchants and
traders there. They have no hesitation in
repudlating contracts at their own conven-
ience, and otherwise failing in commercial
codes of honor. 1t is part of our mission
airy work to reform that phase of their
character"