The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-06-20

also has branches and dormitories in
many of the educational institutions
here. The Young Woman's Christian
association has lately come to Japan
and is opening dormitories for young
women students. Both these organi-
cations do Bible class work.
This suggests a characteristic phase
OF mission work in Japan-the conduct
ing of Bible classes. Every missionary,
from the newest recruit to the Oldest
veteran, has measure of this to do.
Some Of the Bible classes are as
! large as many congregations. The
| secret of all this is, as is apparent TO
everybody concerned, the desire of
the Japanese to learn English. The
eagcrness of the natives in this par
! ticular is nothing short OF a craze
! Frequently | have had young men
aCcost me and enter into conversation.
purely for the purpose of practicng
their little stock of English. Some.
times this sort of thing is rather Try.
ing, but the missionaries have had
their patience we'll trained They
take the Japanese on any terms and
find. they say that out of Bible
classes attending from purely selfish
motive. have come many of the most
earnest converts and Christian work.
ers.
Other mission lands have many mis-
sionary hospitals: in Japan there are
only two, both maintained by Ameri
can Episcopalians. one at Osaka nd
one here The reason for this is that
the Japanese have their own physi
clans and hospitals. st. Luke's hos.
pital in Toxic, is fully endowed, and
could not we'll be abandoned. AS a
matter of fact, it is so popular and
successful that it is entirely self-sup-
porting. II has fine quarters near
church for Europeans and large boys
school on the Protestant Episcopal
compound.
Baseball and Missions,
Often hear the question raised as
to whether Christianity is having any
practical effects upon the character
OF The converts That is not so sim
ple a Question to answer as would at
first appear; the missionary is really
working for his converts grandchil.
drcn Yet | must admit that ! have
run across cases that are not without
meaning. After speaking at the oldest
university in Japan, an Institution
dictinctivelv not Christian, ] was en-,
tcrtained at luncheon by the presi-
dent. and six OF the leading professors
were invited to he present. One Of
these was man who in appearance
s.rikingly rcsembled the young col.
Iege Y. NJ. G.. A. men in America, and
he himself was an active Christian
worker. and responsible for the relig,
ions organization existing in the col.
Iege | learned that his standing was
high among the professors and his
influence among the undergraduates
pronounced.
On another occasion 7 met Il middle
aged man who has invented a process
for making articles Of wearing appar.
cl-~necktiCs, ShawlS. purses. hats,
fanny vests, etc.-from wood shavings,
He said he WAS about to introduce his
novel wares into America. Question
ing him further, he said that about Is
wears ago he became a Christian.
that awakened in him desire to bet
ter himself and to do something for
Japan. The result is this invention,
Perhaps the most curious of many
unexpected evidences of Christianity
in this city is the crack baseball team
in the Wascda university, an instltu-
tion with more than 1000 students.
The Japanese have taken ardently to
American sports, and this particular
team made successful tour OF the
Pacific coast last year. IT owes its
efficiency to Rev. F. Merritield, Bap,
fist missionary who was star on the
University of Chicago championship
baseball team d few years ago. Mer-
rifield goes three days a week to
Wascda to coach the team for the sake
of the opportunity thus given him to
do Christian work among the stu
dents.
Of many forms of this sort Of indi-
rect missionary work | have learned
directly and indirectly. One night l
met with a fine body of business and
professional men who are organized
into an English Speaking society. y
and hold their meeting in the home OF
a Quaker missionary. There are doz-
ems of sewing classes among the Jap.
auese women missionaries. Some
missionaries take the children of
prominent Japanese into their homes
to teach them the American way of
living. The son and heir of the late
Gen. Kodomo, the foremost military
figure in Japan, has, with the son OF
another general, been dining weekly
at the home of one of the Young
Mems Christian association secre
taries.
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles.l
Moments That Tell.
BE not discouraged with youl
work. neither with your life. NJ
work faithfully done has ever beer
! waSt nd and M life tr,,lu 1iUod hoe oyo,