The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-07-30
lev Albertus Peters, a missionary

in Oita, Japan, writes:
1.-THE Japanese postof1ce is one Of
the most accommodating institutions
in the world. 1t will do all kinds Of
things that the American postoffice
has never dreamed of. For instance
on February 9, last, the mail carriers
distributed for us throughout this pro-
vince 10000 handbills advertising our
mission work"
This same missionary relates the fol-
lowing interesting story:
"A man and his wife came to this
Office to see me and announced that
they wished to be baptized. Looking
up my card index, I found that this
man was received July l, 1912. Thus
he was one of our earliest inquirers
by mail, but nothing had been heard
from him for more than year and a
half. He told me that one of my as
sistants had once called on him, and
showed me the card Of the young man.
On inquiring as to his faith, found
that he really knew quite good deal
about the gospel, told him that being
baptized was too important and sol
emn a thing to be done off hand, but
that would arrange to have someone
go and instruct him. Mr.. Otsubo, our
earnest young preacher at Hill, fifteen
miles from the applicants home, I'M
dertook to do SO, and mapped out a
course of instruction in preparation
for baptism.
"a few weeks later Mr.. Otsubo call
ed and told me about his experience
in going there. He travels part of the
way by rail, then by automobile, and
the last few miles ON foot. The place
is one of the back country districts in
the hills.
after he had been there two or
three times, the people got well
enough acquainted to tell him the real
reason why they had gone to Oita to
see him. 1t appears that the wife's
brother fell ill of some nervous
trouble. The doctors could do nothing
for him, and in spite of prayers at va
rioas shrines, the use of charms, ETC.,
the patient got steadily worse.
Eat last the wife, who, up to that
time had not approved of herfhus-
bands leanings towards the Christian
religion, said: They say that the
Christian God is the one who made all
things. Do you SUPPOSE He could
heal this disease If we should ask
Him? The husband thought there
was no harm in trying.
Neither of them had ever been in
a Christian meeting or had ever seen
any one pray, so they did not know
very well how to go about it, but they
had read in the gospels about the
Father in heaven, so they went out Of
doors, looked up at the sky, and pray
ed earnestly for the recovery of the
sick man, making at the same time
solemn vow that if their prayer was
answered they would go to 0ita and
worship God at the Elsielkwan (my
ofice), which they seem to have look
ed upon in way Gods headquarters
In Oita Ken--God grant that it may be
so in thuth!
"Their proceedings sounds very
naive. Some would call it superstiti-
Gus or childish, but it was really an
important and solemn thing. AS truly
as Elijah on Mount Carmel, these peo-
pie were putting God to the test, 20
see whether He was different from
the other gods they knew of. And
God stood the test! The patient i'm
mediately got better.
Accordingly, these people came to
Oita to perform their VOW"
The Layman's Day.
A certain mems Bible class is con-
tributing one hundred dollars a year
for the support of Southern Metho-
dist circuit in China. Making semi
annual remittance the treasurer
wrote letter, in which he said:
1--WE have formed teams, and for
the second time have visited every
home belonging to our church. We
never mentioned money. Fancy a
Methodist committee going out on an
every-member visit and not asking for
money! Well, we talked Sunday
school for parents and children, ask
ing them to stay for preaching SER
vice. boosted" our church and pastor
as the best in town land this is sol.
"This has done the class good, as
men read the word and prayed in the
homes that had never done so public
ly in the church, and it has stirred up
an interest in spiritual things among
our people.
"Our pastor is splendid man. We
are indeed delighted to have him; but
the time has gone by for the laymen
of the church to sit idly by and ex-
pect the pastor, with the aid of few
godly women. to carry on the work of
the Lord.
go we labor in his name at home,
and send ON little of our substance
10 snread the glad tidings abroad,