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MR. WILLIAMS IN THE ORIENT.
A Specimen Visit.
When Mr. Williams reaches home, no
doubt he will give reports of his tour to
the great profiting of hearers and readers.
But it has occurred to me that some
slight notes from the angle of vision of
the field workers might add to the interest.
Inasmuch then as our Nagoya field
was the last to receive his visit and as
he has just said good-bye to U3, with
your kind permission I would like to offer
a few notes on this, the only part of
his tour which I saw.
Reaching us late Saturday night, he
thereby escaped all reception except
that of a couch. Instead of being weary
% next morning, after such late hours and
after half a year of steady strain, he wa3
the first one up that bright Sabbath day.
As he preached in the First church last
October this time he spoke to the youthful
Second congregation, a most receptive
soil for his message. For it was a
review of impressions received in Korea
and China, and all the splendid achievements
either in progress or already attained.
He closed with three general im*
pressions: 1. In the other religions
there is some moral good. 2. But the
.supreme need of all the nations is the
spiritual gocd, salvation and life of Christ.
3. Our victory is certain. The whole of
his address was listened to with the
closest attention, but as he reached those
closing thoughts, that spirited young audience?they
are mostly students?could
hardly sit still; they were on the verge
of either weeping or shouting for joy.
That afternoon he addressed, the gathering
of our little foreign community consisting
of resident missionaries of several
micoiAno o?/l no wa ?????? * V* X
uitoijiuud, auu caiuo vci j ucai iu tilc
hearts of all by his words of comfort and
encouragement.
Monday morning after addressing the
girls at the prayer hour in our Girls'
school, he was escorted to Gifu (25 miles
northwest). Here"lhi3 spring 1 found a
school principal who is not only willing,
but frankly glad to have me teach the
students from the Bible, so I have been
going there every week and teaching all
who would attend from tue upper classes.
Upon my request the principal was most
happy to have Mr. Williams address 'the
whole school, so this day we went for
the purrose. And to see the great school
hall pa<&ed with those 600 youth was an
Inspiring sight and a unique opportunity.
After some music by Mrs. McAlpine, a
short address was delivered by the governor
of a distant prefecture, who was
once a student in this school and happened
there on that day. His remarks
on the need ot combining morals with
education to build character, were an excellent
introduction to Mr. Williams address.
The latter after giving various
scenes and impressions of his tour,
pressed home upon the students their
great opportunity and responsibility to
answer the query, "Japan leading the
Orient, but whither?" The cablegram
which came some years ago from Japan
to a conference in Nashville. Opportunities
to address students like this, 1
have heard of, as occurring not ipfrequently
in other parts of Japan, but in
this fiercely bigoted Buddhist region this
is the first time I have known of it at
all, so I am proportionately happy over
t
I
HE PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOI
it. A good meeting with the believers
completed our day there. And next
morning we went to Tsushima for another
school address of the same kind.
The principal there is secretly favoiable,
but he never would uave risked consenting
had I not given him the precedent
of the Gifu school. But once consenting
he wa3 very cordial, and but for an unfortunate
missing of connection of trains,
we should have had a comfortable abundance
of time to address the 500 students
there. Even as it was, we packed
into twenty minutes about as much of
the truth as we dared to risk, seeing
there are some 40 sons of priests among
the students, and the principal was afraid
eney would give him trouble if he allowed
us too much latitude.
Wednesday, the last day, was in some
respects the best of the whole. Accompanied
by Mrs. McAlpine and the two
new ladies from the Girls' School, we
took the morning train for the fifty-mile
run out northeast to N&katsugawa, the
central town of that region. As we
could only give the one day to the whole
region, at several points the Christians
came to the train to greet Mr. Williams
and have a little message from him. At
one place there was such an interesting
crowd that his fathful camera caught a
photo of them. Representatives from the
various points had been caired, and early
in the afternoon we had a most profitable
and enjoyable meeting with them, and in
connection with some of their plans for
self-support Mr. William's suggestions
were most helpful. The sight of us five
foreigners, especially the three ladies,
strolling through that town to and from
the afternoon meeting, was a line advertisement.
and in consequence at the
night meeting the church was crammed
to its utmost. Most likely, their desire
was mainly to see the ladies and hear the
wwusic on the new organ just purchased,
but in addition they heard a clear and
strong presentation of the Gosper
Rising before dawn at the Christian
Inn, we took the first train home to finish
the left-overs in the eltr nnri let. Mr
Williams do a slight bit of sight-seeing
before taking the express that afternoon
for Kobe.
With much regret personally, because
of the parting, we said good-bye; but we
fe'.t very thanaful for his visit, for it has
undoubtedly done much good in many directions.
To the missionaries, it has assuredly
been most helpful; we have had
opportunity to talk over various points
and problems and fully explain ourideas
far better than by writing. The
" Christian? have been receiving new ideas,
expanded views and new inspiration from
the living message he has brought them
from their brethren in China and Korea,
as well as from the church in the homeland.
As noted above, his practical suggestions
concerning their plans for selfsupport
have come with greater weight
from him as an nfflcial r?nrP8ont#Hvo nf
the home church, than our words could
have had; and the deference with which
they were received was most pleasing.
The outside public has been more widely
reached by his words than would have
been possible by any other plan just now.
In evidence, note the addresses to those
schools aboye described. That is a precedent
established in which we most
n*- ftiiV
JTH. # July 14, 1909.
greatfully rejoice, and one which we hope
to utilize hereafter as often as suitable
speakers pass through. If some of tbe
Laymen's representatives will let us know
in time hereafter, this will be an excellent
way for them to help us. The good
which this tour has been to Mr. Williams
himself is not for us to say, but it stands
to reason that such a result should be
abundantly true. Hencefortn he will
"bear witness of that which he hath
seen," and, as the Japanese proverb says,
nyaKu Dun wa lKken nl shikazo." (A
hundred "hears" don't compare to one
see.") If in the past of his career, as.
editor or conference leader, ne has ever
been guilty of a prosy sentence, he can
never commit such thing again. As his
copious notes of his daily experiences
with us recall these scenes, he will simply
be bound to talk interestingly. And
then the thousands of views which hi3
camera has caught will so liven up the
pages of "The Missionary" and the lantern
meetings, that the peofile over tnere
will also feel that they have been on the
journey' too. In the final analysis therefore
great good will redound to the entire
Church by his tour. People who - have
previously had dim, hazy notions of the
work here will only need te come under
the spell of Mr. Williams' influence a
while, and the problems, difficulties and
abounding joys will stand out before them
{ r? 1lirin.v It**#*..
.lout, uuco. i ncir interest ana prayers
will become more definite and earnest,
and the Forward Movement will become
a ground principle in their lives.
R. E. McAlpine.
Nagoya, Japan.
COULDN'T FOOL HIM
Doetcr Was Firm and Was Right.
Many doctors forbid their patients to
drink coffee-but the patients still drink it
on the sly and thus spoil all the doctor's
efforts, and keep themselves sfck.
Sometimes the doctor makes sure that
the patient is not drinking coffee and
there was a case of that kind in St. Paul,
where a business man said:
"After a very severe illnet>3 last winter
which almost caused my death, the doctor
said Postum was the only thing that
I could drink and he just made me quit
coffee and drink Postum. My illness was
caused by indigestion from the use of
tea and coffee.
"The state of my stomach was so bad
that it became terribly, inflamed and
finally resulted in a rupture. I had not
drunk Postum very long before my lost
blood was restored and my stomach was
well and strong and I have now been
using Postum for almost a year. When
[ got up from bed after my Illness 1
weighed 98 pounds and now my weight
is 120.
"There is no doubt that Postum was
the cause of this wonderful improvement.
I shall never go back to tea or
coffee but shall always Btick to the food
drink that brought me back to health
and strength."
Look for the little book, "The Road to
Wellvllle," in pkgs. "There's a Reason."
Ever "read the above letter? A
one- appears from time to time. They
are genuine, true, and full of humain
interest. >