The morning call., 1893-08-28
HER LIFE'S STORY.
A Japanese r1aiden Talks
of Religion.
Two Missionaries Who Have Been
Laboring With View to Res
cue Children in Japan.

A timid. demure little japanese maiden
made her first appearance as public
speaker in the cause of missionary work
last evening at the First Cum berland
Presbyterian Church. Her name is Miss
Yone Hara. She and Mrs E. NJ. Dren-
nen landed here last Wednesday from
Japan and leave to-day for the East
The ladies have worked together as
missionaries in the Mikado's kingdom,
and the Cumberland Presbyterian Mis-
sion held a special meeting last evening to
hear their experiences, Mrs. +. B. Gray
being in the chair.
Miss Yone, who wore her national
dress. apolOgized very prettiIy for not
speaking the English language better.
She spoke it with perfect distinctness,
however. although rather slowly, and her
simple little story brought tears to the
eyes of many Of her hearers. Yone's ex-
periences did not sound like a nineteenth
century story. They recalled the days Of
the early church when Christians were
struggling for light in the midst of
hrathendOm.
II was botn." she said, "about twelve
miles from Toxic, and both nv mother
and grandmother were earnest Buddhists.
We used to worship idols every morning
prayers, and sometimes we visited the
temples. when the priests explained the
mysteries OF religion, which as child
found 1t very hard TO understand.
w hen L was IL years old | fell very
sick, and We went to Toxic to consult a
great physician there. BY chance Jap
anese Christian tract fell into my hands,
and read IT. becoming very much inter
esled i'll the story of Christ who
thought must be some saint. Then mother
became interested. and we read Christian
books together. but father for bade It..
'Y ou know in japan the women have OF
the liberty that women have here. When
the husband gives an order he must be
Obeyed. But though father scolded more
| and more. mother hid herself and studied
the Christian story that we found so inter-
estnk, and the more she read the more
gentle she became.
For long time we had a struggle be-
tween Buddhism and this, to us, new
religion. After a while L was sent to a
mission school, where read the Bible and
Buddhist books, but at last / con nfessed
Christianity and was baptized. Then my
parents wanted me to 90 home, and that
meant that l must marry But meant
and mean still to work the rest of my life
for my sisters who are sitting in dark
ness"
Miss Yone's parents became converted
and gave their consent to her devoting her
lie TO teacnlng. ln speaking OF her work
she said: ut lies principally among
women, visiting from house to house.
They often ask, why do you follow the
foreigners religion instead of that of your
fathers?'
Il tell them that this is not foreigners
religion. but one for all the people Peo-
pie in Japan are eager to hear about
Christianity. but laborers are so few.
ask You earnestly to send more workers" :"
Mrs. f. NJ. Drennen spoke interestingly
about her work In japan where Miss Y0ne
had been her assistant. She stated that
the object of the Cumberland Presbyterian
mission is n OF to teach the Japanese Chris
tianity alone, but TO rescue the girls from
slavery worse than death. There is
more poverty in that country than here,
and many parents are compelled to sell
their daughters. Often, too, the parents
die or girls are stolen and brought up
from childhood to lead a disreputable
life."
These unfortunate children are taught
every art and fascination of the siren, and
have nothing but vice instilled into them.
One OF the objects of the mission Is to res
cue and educate them.
At the conclusion OF the proceedings
Miss YOne sang a hymn in Japanese,
which gave good deal of satisfaction 70
the audience.
Mrs. Drenuen and Miss Yone are in
America for years leave of absence
Ihey Will speak In various parts of the
country on behalf of missionary work.