April, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
135
Jinsaburo SPEAKS HIS MIND B y OPAL LEONORE GIBBS
Day by day it is becoming cold. The blind massager [masseur] makes lonesome and mournful sounds on his flute tonight as he sticks his way along the muddily road. I am glad I am not blind, but many are blind inside, I think, such as Tanaka San. This man has come to Bible class, though he cannot do English at all. When Mr. McEdward asks him, “Are you mar ried?” he replies, “No, I am virgin.” And he mistakes all the time in such funny words. I say he is innerly blind because he has many home troubles and decided to live in our quiet church. So he brings his bed- mattress and rice pot and a basket of ki mono and stays in the holy house o f God. Pastor Fujimoto wishes to eject him, but he does not eject. And at last Mr. Me-
Akin to the problems of Christian young people in America are the struggles dis closed as a graduate o f a Japanese uni versity, Jinsaburo, speaks his mind. The necessity o f supporting his mother and his young brother and sister by working as a clerk in an uncle’s shop in Tokyo was a bitter disappointment to this ambitious young man, who yearned to go to an American university. ■ It was in fellowship with other young Japanese in the mission church that Jinsa buro was helped by the pastor and the mis sionaries, Mr. and Mrs. McEdward, to make choices that resulted in a very real Christian growth. On Christmas Eve, in response to the Japanese evangelists ap peal for the gift of “ the myrrh o f sacri fice fo r Christ,” Jinsaburo surrendered his dream o f going to America and found new joy in the Lord. A continuing source o f conflict between old and new customs has been his aunt’s purpose to choose a wife fo r him, as this month’s portion o f his diary shows., . D ecember 28. T oday I saw Matsu Chan and inquired his mother’s health. She is almost recovered. This friend of mine is so excellent a man that when his father chose for him a wife, he did not expostu late even with one word. I think he has very gentle spirit. Still I, feel I have settled the marriage desideratum as every masculine should set tle it. I explained to Aunt that I felt it a most miserable and humiliating thing to be so demeaned as to have my wife chosen by another, and I could never consent to it. I begged her at least to wait She, finally consented to me, though she said the go-be tween had discovered very beautiful and able girl for me. I assisted Aunt to know that I hated this girl already without see ing her and could not marry to one so hated. She looked strange and fearful, but surely she understands that the great Ja pan is changing. Our country is lifting up her head proudly with modern customs of social and economic life. We are city men and need not to be pasted tight to hoary country customs. I have thought to look covertly at the girls in our church, and I saw one which viewed very modest and lovely with head bowed and eyes lowered. But when I asked about her to Hayashi San, I learned to my disgustment that she is already mar ried. Perhaps I shall ask my friend to beg our good pastor to seek for me in the fu ture. [A s a missionary in Japan, Mrs. Gibbs has had many contacts with Christian Jap anese students. This narrative, as well as the phraseology and spelling, she bases up on her personal acquaintance with the young man she calls “Jinsaburo .” -— E dito r ] PART III
Edward was compelled to go to the Ta naka house and require his older brother to make a place for him. He seems foolish about many things, and often we have a laugh at him. Once the Mrs. missionary says to him, “What is your business ?” and he says, “I am a locomotive.” He is studying to be civil en gineer but I do not think he will reach to success. 31 st of D ecember . Until I knew Christmas celebration, I always believed New Year was happiest time for all, And in truth, it is very joyful everywhere. The shops have all stood the pine and bamboo branches before their doors, and tied on the rice straw with good luck papers from thea^priest San. And streamers hang brightly across streets till they look very gay as if troubles were for ever drowned in the river, Lethe. In our house, I have been pounding the , rice paste, for Uncle said the servants were young and slender and I must assist. So I did— don-don-don! —over and over, till now my back pains me somewhat. But we have many large cakes o f mochi, which is this rice paste. Aunt placed two o f them with golden rorange on top before the shrine where hides my father’s name tablet, and the father of Uncle, too. By our for mal gate also stands the tree branches as always at such time, with good fortune ar ticles hanging—orange,, c h a r c o a 1, and prayer papers.- i I have just now hasted to the chicken shop and bought three hundred mdm-nie [one mom-me equals about one tenth of an ounce] of white meat and two hundred of black meat, also some fatty part. I did not wish such female tasks, but file maids, Aunt, and Mother have all broken their bones with work today, so Uncle, says sternly, “O f what use is a big lazy fellow like me but to assist?” The seven' vege tables and bean cake are bought and Akiko has helped the servant to cut them. The house is new cleaned from bottom-side to top-side, and new kimono have reached completion, I think. I also have new one of brown silk with wadding o f raw silk within. O f course we shall not sleep this whole joyous night except the children. Surely Uncle may not, for his accounts have not reached any finishment. He is laboring with frowns and sweats: over them at 'pres- ent. I suppose a true Christian clerk would ask to aid him, but this clerk very much hates accounts. However, I had bet ter recall the gift of myrrh and attend him. F irst day of N ew Y e A r . Omedeto, rhy good Journal! The' new year has opened propitiously, and we have all taken our age. I learned that foreign ers add a new year only on the anniversary of birth, which is .very inconvenient, .1 think. W e Japanese have such, anniversary [Continued oh'pa'ge- 14S]" «•»•M
Courtesy, N.Y.K. Line
Made with FlippingBook HTML5