Letters and Journals, with the Narrative of His Escape

" O Lord, Thou picked out me from darkness, forsaking my parents whom I did love, and bringeth me here, passing boundless ocean very safely, no hurri- cane, no tempest, but always fair wind. O Lord, Thou let me acknowledge thy holy Word every day, and maketh me warm bed to lie down in, and prepareth me nice table to eat enough. O Lord, no man can do such goodness and mercy for me but Thou only. O Lord, wash away my sins, take up my evil heart and give me right spirit to understand and remember thy holy Word; and let my eyes and ears be good to see and hear thy holy Word more and more. O God, wilt Thou help me to destroy many gods and idols? Please destroy them with thy power and let me be comforted. O Lord, I will never keep thy name in vain, and I will try to obey thy commandments as I can. I ask Thee for my helpers, teachers, parents, and all brethren; keep out from them illness and temptation. For thine is power and glory and kingdom forever. Amen."

Andover, January 1, 1866.

I am very well and had a most comfortable New Year. O, I may say I never had such a comfortable New Year in my life, because I had enough of all things that I wanted without any trouble and labor. O dear Sir, I feel your kindness and goodness from the top of my head to the extreme of my feet, and I wish you to know that since I came here how happy I am, and how successful as follows: —

In the school I had recitations in arithmetic from decimal fractions until duodecimal, and I heard many scholars read or spell in English. O dear Sir, it seems to me I have found a kind and godly neighbor called Mr. Flint, who lives in Mr. Hidden 's house. He teaches me every evening the arithmetic, and I have recited to him through reduction, signs, definitions, vulgar fractions, decimal fractions, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, interest, and compound interest, until commission. A few days ago he gave me a small geography, and hears me recite about it; and lets me write some compositions, and corrects them for me; and Mrs. Flint explains to me the New Testament every evening, too. I have memorized Beatitudes, Lord's Prayer, golden rule, 22nd Chap. Math. 37th verse, 3d chap. St. John 16th verse, 1st and 23d Psalms, and Ten Commandments, and I have read in the New Testament until the 17th Chap. Luke; and I have read out from the Old Testament the escape of Israelites from Egypt; their stay in a wilderness, eating and dressing by God's miracle; Moses' death; Daniel in the lion's den; three wise men in the strongest fire; the strongest man Samson; the miracle for a widow and Naaman in the time of Elijah; and I have stopped in his room every evening to recite out these things.

Mr. Hidden and his sister take care about me verykindly, and I feel very comfortable, as if I had been in my father's home. I think all these things belong to the providence or mercy of God, and I must glorify, love, and obey Him. I hope and believe too He will bless you and your whole family. I would like to see you sometime.

Andover, January 20, 1866. I am very well through God's mercy and your care. Dear Sir, I am not able how to explain my great thankfulness to you, but in my mind only. When I rest from my study I always remember God's mercy and your care, and give thanks to Him, and pray to Him for you, "Bless him who helps the poor for thy name's sake." Please tell me when your friend will go out from Boston to Yokohama. I hope to send letters to my father and my friend who lives in Hakodate to let them know of my present success....

Andover, February 23, 1866. I am very well through God's mercy since I commenced my hazardous adventure. When I called on Him who made heaven and earth and sea and all that in them is, my sorrow turned into joy and my misery changed to success. Oh, I may surely say that it is very wonderful and marvelous that such success has fallen on me. I passed through many thousand miles of water very safely, without hurricane, tempest, or any trouble. Also, a kind and religious man... hears me recite in arithmetic... and his wife explains to me the most holy and valuable book in the world, entitled the New Testament, and tells about one Saviour Jesus Christ, who was sent down from his father to enlighten the darkness and save sinners. In the Academy I am studying reading, spelling, English grammar, and arithmetic; also, I have a Bible lesson every Sabbath. All the teachers and scholars, and many who know about me, are interested in me and love me, and some give me things to please me. But these things they don't do for my sake, but for the Lord Jesus Christ. O dear friend, think you well who is Christ; the same is the light that shines in darkness. It is not the light that comes out from the sun, moon, stars, and candles; but this the true light that shines on the benighted and wicked world, and guides us unto the way of salvation. The light of candle is blown away, but this is the true light of eternal life and we can in no wise blow it out. And we may take this light through Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might believe." See John, 3d chapt. 16-17 verses, New Testament.

O dear friend, I have nothing to repay your kindness, but will send only "study the Bible," and my photograph. Please care for your health and study the book I have mentioned above. O alas! it is not the country's law to study the Bible and worship one tender and merciful Father who made us, loved us, and gave his only begotten Son through whom we may be saved. But the law ought to be broken because it is made by the Devil, the King of the world. The world was not made by the Devil, but by our true Father who gave unto us his true law. O friend, whether then is right to hearken unto the Devil more than unto God, please judge you. If the fierce Devil persecute you for righteousness' sake, don't trouble yourself. I am sure your God will protect you from evil, and though your body should be killed, your soul would be received unto Him, and you would dwell in the brighter place with eternal life. I would like indeed to go there with you.

Your truly friend,

Andover, April 9, 1866.... I am very glad springtime has come and weather becomes warmer and pleasanter day by day, birds singing here and there, and grass becoming green on the wayside, fields, and hills. I hear farmers will sow seed in the ground pretty soon. I say myself, I must try to sow seed in my heart and mind, that I may bear fruit unto everlasting life. When I grow weary by study I take a walk for exercise. Now it is too warm to wear my overcoat, and the overcoat which you gave me for spring wear is very suitable for this season. I feel very happy for your charitable love. I have spent this vacation in reading, writing composition, drawing, and translating the Gospel of John in the Japanese language. Please accept these, in which I have written account of the Japanese reli- gions, and care for your health, and give my regard to Mr. Hardy and your whole family.

Andovek, July 24, 1866. So you (like the Samaritan) relieve me from the misery, and help me to get good education, therefore I will call you my neighbor. Nay, I will call you my mother whom God gives me. I pray to Him for you day and night that He may bless your family bountifully. He knows our hearts and desires. If we ask Him faithfully, He will answer us with best thing.... O, be cheerful to help me (a poor boy, like a wingless bird). Our Father which art in Heaven will rejoice your charitable deed, and will reward to you with the best thing.... I am very glad I got through arithmetic in this term. I will take algebra and grammar in the next term. My eyes are not very well, but I expect they shall be strong if I stop my study little while and take much exercise in this vacation. This afternoon I must go to the exhibition of the Academy, therefore I 'have not much time to write many things to you. Please give my love to Mr. Hardy and tell him be very careful for this hot season.

Andover, September 10, 1866.

... Mrs. Hidden's aunt, called Mrs. C, commenced to be weak from the last spring and grew worse and worse. Now she is in the point between life and death. In the evening of the last Sunday I went in her chamber and waited on her a little while. Though her mind turned aside, she seemed to me more quiet than any rest time. I told her: "Mrs.

C, I pray to God for your blessing and I believe

He will answer my prayer. Won't you pray to Him? I think He will hear your prayer and bless you." Then she answered: "Joseph, I thank you for your kindness," bursting in tears; and she cried out quite loud, " O Lord, have compassion on me, and show me thy mercy through Jesus Christ." She cried twice in this manner. At that time Mrs. Hidden was downstairs. She heard then this crying, and thought very strangely, and came up to her chamber door and asked me: "What matter is it?" I told her she made prayer. She said: "Does she make prayer? I never heard her make prayer, nor noticed it in my life. I am very glad about it." Then she asked her: "Do you trust in Jesus?" She said: "Yes, live or die, I trust in Him." She is aged about three score and ten, but never said anything regard Jesus, nor made prayer; but from my single question in that Sabbath evening she turned her heart unto Him who takes sins away from the world.... I believe the Lord will hear her earnest prayer and guide her into everlasting habitation....

Andover, October 27, 1866.... I am very well through the tender care of God. I enjoy very much my studies in this term. My eyes are quite well, so that I can study during the day, and in the night, least one hour and half or two. In the beginning of this term I took Eomans for my evening study, and read through it a week ago. Mr. Flint interested me very much and explained it for me. Now I am reading first Corinthians. Last Friday Capt. Taylor's wife wrote a letter to me, and told me lie will sail to China again and he would like to see me before his voyage. Therefore I wanted to see him very much. But I thought within my heart that I must spend some money for going up and coming back. But in the Saturday morning Mrs. Flint gave me a ticket, and Mr. Hidden presented to me one dollar bill to spend it in Boston. After our morning prayers in the Academy I went to Boston... then I went to Charlestown to see Capt. Taylor. He was there on board the ship and seemed very glad to see me. Forenoon I stayed there with him, and it was very pleasant to me to spend a few hours with my old acquaintance. Afterwards he took me to Boston to get dinner, gave me his thin overcoat which is very suitable for this season, and bought for me a very nice hat, though I did not tell him about it. After a quarter of five o'clock he came to the depot with me, bought a ticket for me, and said good-by, bursting in tears. O Mrs. Hardy, is it not wonderful that the providence of God has fallen on me, a poor Japanese, so much?

Last Monday M told me my trunk had come.

Mrs. Hardy! when I opened the trunk I said within my heart: "What shall I do to you?" because you give me so many things as your own boy. Not these things only, but my education, hoping that I might do great good to my native land. I think, though you help me so much, you hope no reward from me, because you know I am poor. Therefore I may say surely that your heavenly reward shall be increased. Please remember the words of the Lord Jesus how He said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."... Last Monday evening Mrs. C died. I think she is sitting now by the right hand of

Jesus. A few weeks ago Mrs. Shedd asked to you about my joining the Seminary Church, and she wrote to Mrs. Flint that you are approved of it. If you and Mr. Hardy approve it, I shall join it the next communion. Now I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins, and we shall be saved through Him. I love Jesus more than anything else. I cast whole self to Him and try to do right before His sight. This is my vow. I will go back to Japan and persevere to turn the people to Jesus from Devil. I determined myself to Jesus so fast that nothing can separate my love from Him. But my flesh is weaker than my spirit, therefore I wish to join church and to unite in Christ, that I may grow more Christlike and I may do great good to my nation for his name's sake. If you approve it, please give me answer in the next week. Please care for yourself and -give my love to Mr. Hardy and all your family. I would like to see you sometime....

Andover, December 25, 1866. It is the beautiful morning of Christmas. I feel very bright and happy, and I am thankful to Heavenly Father for his remarkable care on me from the time of my landing on Boston till now, as you know yourself surely.... The communion of the church in the Seminary will be observed in the next Sunday. I shall join to it in that time and shall be baptized in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Perhaps you will be very busy on the last day of this week, therefore I dare not say: "Please come up here and spend the next Sabbath with me." But I should be very happy to have you and Mr. Hardy present at the communion season....

Andover, May 18, 1867. Since I departed from you I wanted to write a few lines to ask how you are, but I was just as busy as bees with my studies.... After the class got through the study of natural philosophy they took botany for the remainder of the term. I hesitated to take it because I thought I could not spend my time for flowers. My teacher was in favor of it and told me it was a very fine study, just as useful as natural philosophy; so I was obliged to take it, and borrowed his book, because it costs so much. I did not like to get it without consulting you. It is very hard to remember names of flowers, but I enjoy very much, being encouraged to it by that God would not forsake me, because He cares £or the minutest flower. I would like to have a book of my own. If you please, send 3 our word by M and let me know if I may buy it or not. Also my teacher and Mr. Flint advised me to commence geometry.... The class in the Academy was too far advanced for me to enter it, so Mr. Flint offered to hear me recite half an hour each day.... I like to see the Japanese Commissionary, but I think better for me to hide myself from them, because I am runaway boy and the law-breaker of the government....

I left Andover^on the 25th July to visit my friends who live in North Chatham. When I came to

Boston I met showers many times, but I carried my trunk from the Maine depot to the Old Colony depot in the interval of many showers.... I took my seat unfortunately in the back part of the car, not knowing future occurrences. When we came to Tremont the conductor called out the changing of the cars, but I was reading a book in which I was much interested, and the same time a pretty heavy shower passed us, so that I could not hear his calling. When I thought that I had come to an halfway place where I changed cars when I came to Chatham the last time, not knowing the cars changed some time ago I asked a gentleman how far is the place where I may change cars to go to Chatham. He said, "Chatham! " much surprised, and told me "you have the wrong train now. You cannot go to Chatham to-night because this will go to New Bedford." I told the conductor about it and showed him my ticket to Chatham. He was a very good and kind man. He said: "You cannot help it now, and you must go to the next station, New Bedford;" and he said also he would not charge me at all. I came to Fair Haven about 7 o'clock p. M. Between it and New Bedford there lies a large river. I crossed it by a ferryboat and arrived at the city of New Bedford safely.

I knew not anybody there at all, therefore I thought it would be a safe way to find the right kind of people. When I found a church I asked a gentleman about its denomination and its minister's name. He answered me very kindly: "It is an Orthodox church, and the minister's name is Mr. C." I asked him about his residence. He showed me his house very plainly. When I went to his house and rang the bell, a young lady came to the door. I asked her to see Rev. Mr. C a moment. She took me to the beautiful parlor and gave me a chair, saying she would call out Mr. C pretty soon, and she asked me my name. I told her my name very plainly, but she could not get hold of my last name hardly, and went away understanding ^only that my name is Joseph. After a while Mr. C came to the parlor and shook my hand. Then I told him: "I am a stranger. My name is Joseph Neesima. I left Boston this afternoon at four o'clock to go to Chatham, but I took the wrong train, not knowing the cars changed at the station of Tremont, and I arrived in this city unexpectedly. Be so kind as to direct me to a house where I may pass the night with the least expense." He asked me: "Have you money enough to pay for your lodging?" I answered him: "Yes, Sir, I have, but I hope to pass the night with the least expense, because I did not expect at all to come to this city to-night." He thought I was a poor traveler and gave half of a dollar saying: " This may help you to a half of your lodging." I did not take it from him, saying: "No, thank you, Sir, I do not wish to take this from you, but I hope you will direct me to a safe place."

It was quite dark inside of his house, because it was a cloudy evening and it was after seven o'clock. He took me out of his house and told me he would take me to a Seaman's Home, because he thought I was a poor Spanish fishman, seeing my dark complexion and knowing that many Spanish people are coming in the city for the whale business. When I was in his house I could not distinguish his appearance hardly, but I saw him very well out of the door. He is about fifty-six or seven years of age, and his stature is about middle size. He has dark hairs, and some of them are turned to gray. His manner is very simple, yet his appearance is very graceful. He did not talk much, but spoke very distinctly and eloquently. He asked me where I came from. I answered: "I came from Japan." " How long ago?" "About two years ago." "Where do you reside?" "I reside in Andover." Then he said he knew some people there. I asked him whom he knew there, and he said he knew Deacon A. I told him I knew him and I resided a very short distance from his house. He said he knew Prof. E. A. Park, and told me Prof. Park came to the city a few weeks ago to ordain some minister. He asked me what I did there. I answered: "I am a member of Phillips Academy." He asked me how I liked American customs. I — "I like them better than our heathenish customs." He asked how I like the religion. "I like the true God better than gods of wood and stone." He asked how I came over to this country. I gave him a short account of my leaving Japan and how Providence guided me wonderfully to this enlightened country. Then he said he would take me to a different place from that which he mentioned before. He came with me to a large and beautiful Hotel called Parker House, which I supposed the best hotel of the city, and he paid also for my lodging. When I saw him take out money from his pocketbook, I took my money quickly and paid back to him. But he would not take it from me, saying: " When I go to your country and am a stranger, then please show me your kindness," and went away quickly, bidding me good-night. He wrote his name on a paper which I found in my pocket — Rev. Wheelock Craig. I took a nice supper there and slept in a splendid room.... The next morning I took breakfast early. I came back to the same place where I missed the cars to the Cape, and arrived in Chatham little after 3 o'clock p. m., taking a coach seven miles from the centre of Harwich. I was re-ceived cordially by my old acquaintances here, and I was very glad to see them. Before I arrived at the city of New Bedford I prayed to the Lord that he would take care of me and guide me to a safe place. So he answered my prayers and guided me to such a kind and godly man to help to pass that night safely. Perhaps some people, who trust in their own wisdom and do not believe in the providence of God, would say that I was lucky at that time, not thinking of his providence at all. But I can say surely the Providence guided me to a safe place, because I believe nothing can occur without the Providence of God.

North Chatham, 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 pre-cious verse: " Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord God is with thee whithersoever 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 Jajpan.