Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-01-23
FROM THE FAR-oFF ORIENT.
Miss Floy Patton, Missionary to
Japan. Communicates With Her
Home FRIENDSHIP Is Pro-
crossing Nicely.

pEd y lhSSSA
listened to with close attention:
ToKUsHIMA, 50 Honcho Avenue,
Japan, Dec. 10, 1ss5.-My Dear Friends:
| write this letter from sheer Joy and
I IN sure that you, too, will be glad
when l tell you what has made me sc
happy, and yet it will seem very little
too, but here it is: To-day 1 made a
talk at children's meeting. Nothing
that / e did in my life before gave
me one-half the JOY that this does.
When I came to the last sentence,
which was "Little children, Jesus
loves you," l felt that my whole soul
went out to them, and all the sixty
little faces in front of me just seemed
to break into light. They looked like
it made them so glad.
| don't want you to think that L
trusted to the spur of the moment,
and got up there and Numbered
through some stuff. 1t was this way:
Of course, the little talk was very
short-only ten sentences. We have
the same pictures that you use in
Sunday School. This lesson was
ssDavid and Goliath" First, with my
bible woman, we carefully studied
the whole story from the bible. Then
we made out the general outline. OF
course she led the meeting. Then !
wrote out in English what I wanted
to say and with her help put it into
Japanese, having her to go over and
over it to see that it was not only
good Japanese, but beautiful Japan
ese. My bible woman is highly ed
ucated and speaks elegantly. Then l
thoroughly committed it to memory,
and, not forgetting the true source OF
help, it seemed as easy as though it
were English and ten times better.
I i have so often been told that there
would be no Joy when I did tell them
the old story in their language, as it
would sound hollow and insipid, but
no, 1 really felt that the holy spirit
clothed the skeleton.
I have been here just a month in
the work, and Tuesday we had our
second woman's meeting and I gave
my first little talk to them
at that time. 1t was only John. 3:16 and
two or three sentences abut Gods
love for us and the Lords Prayer.
Of course, l tell you all this because
it is our work and 1 know you are in
terested in all the details.
One reason why 1 will begin to talk
at the meetings, aside from the fact
that I can't keep my mouth closed, is
that 1 have noticed that SO many mis-
sionaries speak only through their
bible women and rarely, if ever, get
the intense meaning we wish to con-
yey; also they form the habit of de-
pending on them and afterward find
it almost impossible to trust them
selves to speak. While they will talk
freely to the same persons at any
other time, they r like the ladies at
home-"they can't speak in meetin'.'
Yesterday a ship came in that had
been out thirty days. Oh! the sea is
boisterous now; but how glad 1 was
to get home mail. While reading it
different ones came in and asked some
questions, but 1 was across the Pacific
and at home again. They told me
afterward they smiled and went out
Every letter brings some sad news,
and SO much to be thankful for, too.
1 must tell you of our reception.
given by our church people here. II
was at the ~Postmaster's house. Now
that e the uppermost place
among the "upper ten." Such g
great big house, all the inside doors
(walls) taken out, forming an i'm
mense audience room. Now imagine
the room, walls 7 feet high, thick
mating on the floor, and two small
flower vases with pretty ~chrysanthe-
NUNS sitting on the floor, and not
another article in the room. Mr.. ant
Mrs. Hope and 1 were the guests, sc
we were royalty treated. Each one
had a fur rug to sit on on the floor
We arrived there at 3 O'Clock, stopped
on the front porch, took off our hats
cloaks, gloves and shoes and left then
there, then entered, just barely get
ting inside the door (polite) and drop
ped on the floor, facing that grea
room full of people, and bowed ant
bowed till we were tired and thel
commenced again and bowed some
more. Then we were begged to TAXI
the seats of honor, which we finally
did; twas polite to wait, you know
We then had the welcome addresses
songs, ETC., with prayers also. Ther
to my unutterable establishment they
called on me to make a speech, witt
MIR. Price as my interpreter. l beg
ged him to say just anything and
would swear to it, but he said no; the.
would not appreciate it if I did no
say it first. But he promised to sa.
something very nice regardless o
what 1 should say. So l got up ant
said a few things with the feeling tina
I was talking to blank space. Thel
Mr.. Hope did likewise. After tina
the fun began. We had refreshment
tea, of course, and the very fines
of Japanese confectionery. am yer.
fond of it now. Also we had the in
evitable sweet potato; yes, sweet po
tato, boiled, sliced and eaten cold
just SO. never did like them, but
gulp them down till / nearly chok
and they have them everywhere I GO
even to call. They think it dreadful
If a foreigner can't eat their food, 8
1 always make a brave attempt. Blu
to return to the reception. We the,
played games-Blind Mans Buff, etc
etc. really and truly enjoyed it, an
never did l go anywhere with sue
misgivings, as it was a miserable
rainy day and 1 had taken some colo
but | soon forgot all that.
like our church people SO mucl
| have visited 10 every home now.
keep q "church boek"-that is, a Lii
of all the members and those inter
ested-and visit them regularly. L g
out every afternoon, but two after
Moons / have the children's meetin,
At first | remained at home tw