The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-12-30
A REGENT TOUR
JAPAN

/ ana pace, proven 80 HluNual IA ihV'i'HN
that | decided to write it up Tor my own
pleasure. hoping at the same time that IT
NAV give some little pleasure 10 Others
who are willing To read il.
/ Leaving home the previous saturday
| took the little railroad. which the
Japanese Government So kindly built eN
pressly for my convenience, right through
my "diucesc". aud went tO the very end
30 miles-tO the town Oi Nakatsngawa,
where dwclls our preacher, MIR. Oishl.
and quite group Oi Christians. AS NO
meeting was appointed for that night,
We went calling among the people; and
I from the very start. incidents began.
/ Going 10 the house Oi a man who was "a
promising inquirer last spring, and who
/ by this time should have b,-'Ome real
/ Christian. we found Just as We expected.
/ that his faith has grown very cold, M
/ deed scarcely exists at all. But the III
teresting surprise for me was that IN the
| house of this man. then now lives "a
school teacher, whom ! met five or six
years ago. but who even then showed
| interest in the way. This time our nc
duaintance was renewed. and 80 iavora-
! hlv did he receive our message that be-
| fore parting. We frlt hr would not object
! if We offered prayer Tor him. and cOnse-
duently did so. 10 his evident hpprecla-
| tl0p Next morning he came 10 the
Sabbath service. As the night was still
Young. we called at the hospital to see Il
lady. an applicant fOr baptism, whose
saith Oishi san describes as "mOyete Oru
/ (blazingl. She comes from the neighbor-
ing town Sakashita, which has been III
the habit Tor years OF eXpelllng every IN
habitaut who became "a Christian, but
where since last spring Christian services
! have been held at the request Oi the
brothers of this lady, one OF them the
mayor and the other the leading banker
OF the town. This Indy herself, however,
| took no special interest IN the message,
being sufficiently amused in playing the
Japanese harp and banjo. aud in drink
ing the sake (riceWinci which usually
accompanies these instruments. But on
going, two months ago. To the Nakat-
sugawa hospital To care Tor sick friend,
she at once began attending the SAD
| bath services and soon became interested.
Finally she definitely decided 10 acoept
the Saviour. and speedily gave good evl-
dence of being sOuDdly converted. Just
a few nights before my coming, she was
invited 10y friends of former days To at
tend a wine-ieast, they knowing her only
AS one skilled in music and vine. For
special reasons. she felt constrained to
attend. but by the help OF God, she
said. II was enabled to get through the
evening without touching a single wine
4. . ~
but also a great object lesson to the rest
of the company. Next day when We eX-
amined her "a to her faith, she seemed to
have a clear grasp Of the main doctrines
of the gospel. and firm determination
TO stand To her newly adopted principles.
After a Sabbath SO full of happy service
as TO make one forget the dripping
clouds. Monday dawned clear and
bright. giving Oishi and n'e fine day
for our seven mile tramp TO Sakashlta,
the town OF our hospital lady. The
MAYOR and the banker were on the lcok-
out for us, aud at once took us to the
MAYORS home TO be his guests Tor the
niQht. From noon till night we talked
to anv of the family who had time TO
listen, from the aged parents to the
young married son OF the mayor. At
night there gathered in the same hospl-
table home a group of friends TO whom
we declared the word OF life till late
hour. The banker definitely decided, and
asked for baptism, 50 that we expect
now to instruct him with that in view.
The mayor asked me to send him large
print testament so that his old father
could read it easily, and he himself also
expects to use it.
| Another fact OF much interest that day
TO me. though perhaps not important to
Others, was the revival OF the faith OF an
aged Christian living near Sakashita.
He lost his wife last summer and win
her. seemed to lose his trust in God,
saving all sorts OF wild things; so that
we approached his humble cottage In
great doubt of our reception. But his
| first words OF greeting relieved and glad
dened our hearts. He was 80 glad. he
said. to see us, for none near him were
willing to talk with him Of the way.
How glad we were then to spend a time
with him in talk and prayer; and his
nresence that night at the mayors was
n wonderful help to US in the meeting.
We told him so, and that he must never
again saw he was of no service III the
kingdom.
lust across the valley OF the rushing
Kiso river, in plain view from Sakashita'
is the little village OF Iamaguchl. 30
gentle are its people that it IL said there
has never arisen a lawsuit in the town.
In other ways they are so thrifty and in
dustrious that they have won tile DIS
tinction of being named by the authorl-
ties as one of the thirteen "mohanson
(model town. OF the Ken. But, alas, IN
at least one particular they are not a
model: in the matter OF sake-drnklng.
Some OF them, however, recognize this
and are anxious 10 remedy 1t. Ihe
Young men have organized a cluh and
lemployed a school teacher, III his OIL
hours, TO teach them English and other
things. This teacher Is one oi our Chfls
tions of Nakatsugawa. At his sugges-
ton this club recently invited US TO gel
Mr.. Oshima (so well known to temper
ance circlesD and hold n temperance
meeting in their town. The day set ioI
this meeting was the nextday TUESDAY
of our tour. SO, saying good morning
tn our kind friends in Sakashlta, we
went across to "the model town.
There they had our inn engaged and al
night gave us a real surprise in th'
shape OF a foreign supper OF beeisteak
etc. there in the heart OF the hills. Al
the afternoon we had opportunity tt
talk to groups OF our hosts, not only Q
temoerance, but also Of the gospel itself
The night meeting had been warmly
sanctioned by the village office, SO on EN-
tering the large school-hall we wen
ereeled by an audience OF at least BOZ
people from little place OF 200 houses
With wintry winds whistling through
the building, and no fire, this crowd sa
: quietly on the hard floor with onl!
coarse mating on it patiently listenln1'
for three solid hours to US talk oil th
need of breaking with sake" IL wa
the most patient and interested audienc
, have had the privilege OF addressing
for a long time. At the close many he'll
up their hands as willing to meet MI
Oshima next day to organize q brancl
society: and the leaders came with us L
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