Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-28
LIFE IN FAR JAPAN
Educational Work Now Being
Carried On
LYING AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
These Ass the Chief sins Of tbs japanese.
Their Life Is Net 30 Pure and A<s-
thet,e a. Many Think.

An air Of expectancy lowered over
the meeting Of the woman's. Foreign
Missionary society Vt the Parx church
yesterday afternoon. Miss Susan seaFie,
. graduate Of Wellesley. college aud
for eight years principal of kobe col
legc In southern Japan, was expected
to address the meeting and delcga-
ton of young ladies had gone 70 the
train to meet her. Mrs. l.. 4. Rowland
Dreaded aud tho exercises opened with
the Angling OF hymn and devouous
led with prayer by the Rev. ID. +. Brad-
ley.
Japan was tho subject for the after
noon and several Japanese pictures
were passed around, one being . pic
sure Of Kobe. Mrs. j. II. Martin read
an entertaining article descriptive OF
Kobe college and Surroundings. Mrs.
J. Morgan Smith read q selection. alter
which Miss SeaYle, who had arrived In
the meantime. addressed the ladies.
She said: $50 much has been written
and said about Japan that it seems
like and old story; yet people are 20 in-
terested Ia all that pertains TO the
Japanese that l am encouraged TO
speak of my Qrls, my home and my
friends in Japan. am sometimes
.. aaked why there 10 need of missionary
work there il the people there are so
@sthetic, % refined. 90 lovely; but that
10 only one side of the story. The
other side 10 full OF misery, ignorance
and suffering. The divorce laws are
still after the teachings of Confucius.
A man man may divorce his wife for
seven reasons, prominent among which
10, of course, infidelity. There are
other reasons. She may be divorced if
she 10 not q good housekeeper, II she
tells lies and II she talks TOO much.
Faults Of the japanese.
.But the women has no such divorce
privileges and her husband may COM
nit ali these sins aud escape censure.
The great faults of the japanese are
lying and licentiousness. The concu-
bine il . recognized person in ali
classes, and the present heir to the
| throne 10 illegitimate a. We look upon
those things. One man, now Christ
| ian. had ten wives before he found one
that suited both himself and his
mother. The women are ignorant.
| There are some that read what would
correspond to our second reader here,
| but books which require intelligence
and culture cannot be read by them.
Education 10 90 generally denied them
that their language is entirely different
| from the language proper. The women
have no resources beyond their homes,
where they are treated In oil respects
| like servants. When their home duties
are finished they may, If they can
| read, busy themselves with an impure
story; for nearly every work of fiction
in Japan 10 immoral. Though out
wardly polite their conversation 10 far
from our standard of purity and ever
the talk of the young girls IN the
schools 10 not chaste or pure. But they
are gradually coming TO feel The Chris
THANKING influences of the school, and
the Japanese in general are becoming
desirous of having their women edu-
Gated. There arc few Christian mothers
among the school girls and the heather
home 10 very hard place for a,Chris.
tanned school girl to return to. The
girls pray earnestly for their parents
but the task of creating Christian
homes in Japan 10 . hard. one. The
educational work is the best means tc
draw the people and hold them
Japanese teachers are needed TO spread
the truth in their own language.
Work Of the Native Teachers.
"The time is coming when foreign
teachers will not be needed. Though
the girls in the college pay their board
So per month, and tuition, yet . grant
is needed from the home boards q
complete the salaries for the teachers
pay for repairs, taxes, etc. Many ol
the graduates are married and arr
making Christian homes. They love t
come to the school, but We are forced
to deny many for lack of room. Al
appeal came from the Japanese to rails,
the grade and introduce IN academica
course, and we felt that that was an in
dication that God wanted Us to 20 for
ward. We are not asking for much
only enough to meet present needs, bu
il does not do to plan too little II
japan, for things move 50 fast. WneI
the first building WAS put up, tn
; japanese gave several hundred dollars
when the second building WAS put ur
they again contributed, and when tn
dormitory Was erected, our Japanes
friends raised and brought US $500 q
help, 90 you see they are trying har
TO do their own work. They are nc
yet able to carry it on. for they ~
poor and needy"
Miss Searle closed with IN eloquer
and pathetic appeal for funds, 10 b
gwen - . thank Offering Sy those
whom the Lord has given, 70 aid in th
, erection of . science building and
! nauslc hall, many Christian believin
that the study, or acquiring of must,
: 10 next in importance TO the Bible stud
, - the Japanese have % little idea {
, praise service. It's hoped 70 raise So
600, . portion of which hss alreAd
been subscribed, though the create
, bulk Of the amount IS yet to be pledges
Misc Searles 10 the guest of Mrs. s.
Whitney. She win remain in the CT,
over Sunday. She will address NEE
> ing of the Young Ladies' society Of th
| Plainfield Avenue Congregation
church this afternoon.