THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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Upon accepting the invitation o f the ladies in charge to enter the school, when they would come and see none o f ¿heir own na tionality they would say “all Chinese,” bow very low and walk away. Finally, by tell ing three o f them that if they stayed they would be a help to the teachers, the preju dice was overcome and since that time the Japanese have outnumbered the Chinese. Four different superintendents have been in charge o f the work—Mrs. A. C. Dres- bach, Mrs. W . T. Stewart, Mrs. C. D. Floyd and Miss Sara Van Wagener. The school is in session six nights a week for ten months o f the year, with English teach ing four nights and Bible two. During the months o f July and August only the Bible is taught—this feature o f the work is in progress twelve months o f the year. The attendance varies with the season. During the winter months when the boys are working, or attending school, the enroll ment is about sixty-five, but when spring comes and they go away from the city for their summer’s work, a smaller number attend. For the first time last year giris were admitted to the school, and at one time this year nine were in attendance. At every session o f the school a chapter is read from the Bible, a hymn is sung, a prayer offered by one Japanese boy, another by a Chinese boy and all unite in the Lord’s prayer at the close. Many o f the boys spend six nights o f each week at the school. The superintendent receives a sti pend, included in the church budget, but the teaching is volunteer. Each teacher devotes one evening each week to the class. This is- simply a labor o f love and the appreciation o f the boys and their advancement in the work are the rewards; but those connected with the school feel well repaid for the effort put forth and the sacrifices made, for there is no Chris tian work that brings greater returns. One o f the boys o f the mission said that when ,he first came to the school he studied to find out what it was that the teachers had that he had not—that would make them willing to give o f their time, money and
themselves to teach the Chinese and Jap anese boys, and he found out that it was the love o f Christ in their hearts and he decided that he wanted it, too. Since that time he has been a most earnest and con secrated Christian. Like the disciples o f old, when one has found Christ he imme diately goes in search o f some brother or friend whom he wishes to see converted. “Does this work pay? Is anything accomplished by all this output o f time, energy and money?” asks some Skeptical one. This has been answered in part. During the life o f the mission—thirteen years—about 400 Japanese and 200 Chinese have been converted, have been baptized and joined either the First Presbyterian church or some other o f his choice. That these conversions are genuine and that the converts are trying to carry out Christ’s last command, “ Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” is evidenced by the fact that wherever these boys go, whether into lumber or rail road camps, canneries or hotels; whether in the large cities o f the United States, China, Japan or Alaska, they remain loyal to the church and to the teaching received m the mission—no matter what their envi ronment. This is shown by the letters which they write to the teachers and by persons wholly uninterested in -or unac quainted with the school who have come in contact with the boys in their various vocations. Dr. William Niccolls Sloan, in his book, “ Spiritual Conquest Along the Rockies,” thus writes o f an experience in Montana, where he discovered a Japanese prayer meeting: I was not a little surprised to learn that eighteen o f the number were pro fessed Christians and members o f the Pres byterian church. I learned also that about half o f them were converted in the Pres byterian Mission in Tokio, Japan, and the rest in the Presbyterian Mission o f Seat tle, Washington, sustained by the First Presbyterian Church, o f which Rev. M. A. Matthews, D. D., is pastor. They had all been associated with this mission and when
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