To Susan H. Hardy

                                                                 August 26, 1867

. . . I was received by Capt. Taylor's father's family kindly and welcomely. They are all pleasant and social people and they treat me as their own family. I am thankful to God for his perpetual care to me. Though I had nothing with me when I left Japan, yet I do not suffer at all for the destitute of the daily necessity. He gave me you and others as friends to care me. Therefore I do prove this precious verse: "Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord God is with thee withersoever thou goest." When I read this verse my grateful feeling towards Him caused me many streams of tears. . . . I do not read much this vacation, but I read the Book and a few pages of geography every day. I hope my eyes will grow strong enough to enter into new study in the next term. I love study dearly, so that I cannot leave it entirely. . . . Now we have quite number in the family. The sum of them is twelve. We went to the seashore yesterday and dug out one bushel of clams, and we shall go to woods to-morrow to get blackberries if it be fine weather. . . . Though I do not write to you very often, I do feel grateful for your kindness always, and mention you in my prayers daily for your prosperity in this world and future blessing in the another. . . . I have communicated very often to Japanese who are in Monson Academy. I think a youngest of them is a fine scholar, and I hope he will become a good instrument for the future civilization of the benighted Japan.