The Doshisha

A Letter to Mrs. Hardy

Neesima wrote the following letter to Mrs. Hardy, telling her about a letter he received from his father.

                                                                      Amherst 
                                                                April 27, 1868

I received your kind letter and check and an inclosure from Japan in due time. I thank you for your kind request for my illness. I feel almost better, but Prof. Seelye still keeps me in his house. I do not know what I should do for his kindness but thanks only. He is very much afraid that I should take cold again because the weather is so changeable and unpleasant, and does not allow me to go to recitations. So I am still staying in his house. He pleases to have me in his home very much because Mrs. Seelye does not yet come back from Albany. But I must go back to my room soon as I can. When I received your check I thought it would be very hard work for me to obtain so much with my own hand and felt grateful for your gift. When Prof. Seelye's man brought me your letter he told me, "this is from your home," not knowing truly where it came from. When I looked at its direction I perceived it came from you, but I felt some soft thing in it like Japan paper, so I replied him "probably it may be." Then I opened it. It was really a letter from home. My father told me he wrote me sometime ago before that, but I have not received it yet. He says his family is all well except my mother, she has been so anxious of me since I took my adventure. My sister wrote me also. They send their especial regards and much thanks to you. Beside that, there is great confusion among the people. The people of Yedo have great fear that the enemy of Shogun should attack the city, so my father and all wish me come back. But I am not his own. How can I go back now, having a plow on my hands? I must prepare myself for my Master's work. Yet I think I can do great good for my mother here. I can pray fervently for her. God is present everywhere, so I trust He will take care of her. If l go back now I suppose I must go to war. I do not wish at all to kill myself in such a barbarous war. But I devote myself to go to battle against Satan, taking the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Will you remember my mother in your prayers? I pray for her many times a day. I hope God will preserve her life till she may hear the word of life.