The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-05-05
THE UNITED OPINION, FRIDAY MORNING, MAY S. 1892
Missionary Work IN Japan.

|
1t was an interesting address that Miss
Mary A. Danforth gave in the Methodist
church Sunda y morning on Japan and
her experiences as a missionary there.
Miss Danforth is an easy, graceful talker,
telling her story in an entertaining man.
ner and with an occasional touch of hui
NOR that charms her audience. An alb
stract of her address follows:
The United States is beginning to look
upon Japan as future ally. The rela-
lions between the two countries are close
and friendly. We have come to look upon
Japan as nation where wonderful adj
vancement has been made along all
lines in not many. years past, and you
may. wonder why missionaries should be
needed there. | can tell you in five min
utes why they are needed. The civiliza-
ton we hear so much about only touches
the country in commercial and political
way. The moral standard is hardly bet
ter than it was $500 years ago. Mission
aries are needed to organize schools.
They have them now but only for men.
Women are regarded as much inferior to
men, of not enough consequence to edu-
cate. If Japanese christian goes to
meeting with his wife he is violating
strict social custom. If she goes out
with him at all she will follow about five
blocks behind, carrying the bundles.
The husband invariably refers to his wife
as ''that foolish little thing Try that
on your wife my American friend and
what do you think would be the conse-
uuences? When the husband of ia
panese woman dies she is without means
of support, unable to aid herself in any
way, and she has the choice of three
things, starve, commit suicide or sell her
self. From our schools we send able and
accomplished women, well equipped to
provide for themselves. | recently met
an eminent statesman on the train and
he talked to me of the great responsible
ty this country had assumed in bringing
Philippine islands. | answered him by
saying that we women shouldered that
burden % years ago when we began mis-
sionary work in Japan. The first mis-
sionary in one of the Philippines was a
japanese girl, educated in one of our
schools. This girl was told of the great
task she was to undertake and she an
swered that she would stay on that island
till she conquered part or all of it. We
have two missionaries to go there as soon
as peace is restored. Give us missionaries
and money enough and we will relieve
the statesmen of the burden of civilizing
the savage tribes of the Philippines. In
Japan we teach them how to make chris
tian homes. | know of beautiful home
in one place, ward where christians
were hated and in danger of their lite,
where the influence of christian Japan
ese, a young wife, has led many to follow
her in seeking Christ. We also teach So
cial purity. When we first went there
we were great curiosities, everybody
wanted TO see the Americans. Upon re-
ceiving an invitation to a dinner Miss
Wilson and | said we would attend if the
dancing girls were dismissed, the ladies
allowed to accompany their husbands,
and if the servants were instructed to fill
our cups with water instead of wine. To
our great surprise the host acceded to
our request. The dinner lasted from 2
till 9 p. m and we sat there on the floor
eating dish after dish of food we abomi-
mated. Among the guests there were
high officials accompanied by their wives.
The guests kept drinking their wine to
the health of somebody or something
and we drank water till | thought we
should drown ourselves. | remember
now that [ drank 81 cups of water. AT 9
the wine and being apparently asleep
on the floor, Miss Wilson and | decided to
leave. One of the high officials noticed |
us leaving, arose and said he would see us |
home. He did so, going down the street !
in zig gag manner and singing at the
wave lof social purity in this city felt |
far beyond its borders. Miss Daaforth |
spoke elOquently of some of the thrilling |
experiences she had passed through dur
ing her residence in Japan. At one time
there were riots for three months when
her life was not worth the snap of a fin
ger. The priests hated all christ ians for
the influence they had in disturbing their
terrible practices in the Temple. Chri :
tians were thus in constant danger of
their lives. Then came the earthquake
when for five days and nights they went
without food, sleep and shelter and
%, 900 people lost their lives. Death
stared them in the face for long time
and people died so fast that they could
not bury them. Soldiers were called out
to extinguish fires but, becoming ex-
lausted, they gave up the fight, and the
flames swept through the villages and
swept many into eternity. On the fifth
night of the earthquake the air was so
'oul with burning flesh that. / could only
stand it by placing a wet handkerchief
over my face. When | look back over
hose days | wonder that my hair isn't
white. Yet, with all these dangers
hangers passed through, the one most
spot of my life are the five years
pent in Japan.