A Letter to Mrs. Hardy

                                                                         Kiyoto
                                                                   Nov. 23rd/75 

Yours of the 4th Sept. was received only a few weeks ago. I was glad to learn that you were all enjoying your good health and spending your summer vacation at East Eden. While I was reading it I could not help thinking of that enjoyable time I had had there with you a year ago last summer. I could almost see with my mental eye, the beautiful scenery of those Islands, your pretty cottage and proud yacht.

I am glad to know that you have enjoying the same things this year as I described above. But alas! You must miss one of your near relations in that cottage. I must beg your pardon for not writing to you oftener, because I have been very busy since last September for inviting a Missionary up to Kiyoto, for getting a house for him for hiring a school house and also for introducing Christianity into the new field.

Besides all of those affairs my health has been rather delicate--chiefly sleeplessness. Hence I was obliged to give up my letter writing almost altogether for some time. The Governor of Kiyoto who has been very friendly to me since last spring, has recently begun to show me his dislikeness of the religion which I profess.

Yae

Before I inform you of late action of the Governor, I must inform you some news, which you doubtless may be interested to hear. I [became] engaged to a sister of that blind man whose interesting account I believe I did give you in my last letter. I kept it secret until very [words missing from transcription].

Kakuma Yamamoto

I thought I might wait until she is received into church but afterward I saw a clear evidence of her conversion, and hence I [became] engage[d] to her without a least hesitation. She is not yet baptized by water, still I trust she is already baptized by the Spirit.

Soon after the occurrence of this happy event, she was discharged from a female school sustained by the Kiyoto Government where she has been a teacher for four years. It was done by the Governor's own decision without consulting the officers of the school because he feared if she should teach Christian religion in the school all pupils would certainly leave off it. She is somewhat like her own blind brother. She is afraid of nobody when she is convinced that it is her duty to do certain things. She has often appeared before the Governor for getting some grant for that school whilst the officers of it were afraid to say to him. Since she became Christian she often spoke of the truth in the school, and moreover her recent engagement to a Christian man excited the fear of the Governor. She was very suddenly discharged from her school but was not sorry at all. She was saying another day "it is all right, hereafter I will get more time to study the Gospel truth."

I enclose her likeness which was taken only a few days ago. As you will soon see it, I hope you will give me some criticism of her. Of course she is not handsome at all. But what I know of her is that she is a person who does handsome. It is just enough for me. I hope you will pardon me for saying too much of her. I don't know yet when our marriage will take place. I think I will let our missionary brethren and sisters decide for us.

Since last summer I have been partly in hotel and partly in private houses, but have recently hired a house myself. There is also a small house separated from mine and yet within this same enclosure. I am going to hire it for my aged parents. I hope they will be able to move up to Kiyoto within this year.

Now let me tell you the late action of Kiyoto Government toward us. I was summoned to the Governor's office yesterday and was told that I should blot out Scriptures. It is very first time that I appeared before Magistrate for Christ's sake. I appeared before him without a least fear and out of my expectation he looked quite mild. He did not command but rather requested to me that I should not teach the Christian religion in my school lest the conservative people, the friends of Prince Satsuma who are gathering now in Kiyoto, might possibly rise up against the Government because she had allowed me to start a Christian School here. For the present I will teach the Christian religion in our own houses instead of teaching it in the school. So in reality I have not lost any. It is still a Christian school. In Japan we can't do much as long as we stay in any hired houses. The landlord has power to drive us out at any time whenever he dislikes our actions.

I knew of the present difficulty a long time ago and persuade Mr. Davis to buy or build a house for our school. For some reason he did not take my advice. Now we have fallen into some difficulty by not having our own house. We will teach Christianity by any way. If we are compelled not to teach the Christian religion we will teach the Christian truth. We will be like an acorn in a bottle. Sooner or later we will burst out. I am fully convinced that it would be best for us to start a new school building right off. Then I can hang up a sign by name on a part of that house and can say to the Government and people this is my home and I can teach Christianity in my own home. As long as I stay in my own house the Kiyoto Government can't remove me. It is a very weak thing for us to live in any hired house here. I hope our brethren will understand our present situation and start to build a school house immediately.

J. H. Neesima