137
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
April-May, 1933
B y OPAL LEONORE GIBBS
Japan
"
M / £ S ! o t ü S
Tokyo,
A P f t Ü [The author of this three-installment story is a missionary in Japan. " Jinsaburo’s Journal is hardly fiction,” she writes, “for nearly everything in it happened just as recorded. I have tried to picture the average student of the better class exactly as we find him. The style of English is that of a university graduate who has majored in that subject.”-— E ditor .] CHAPTER I J anuary 21. Ikebukuro, No. 3841. T oday my professor in English composition suggested to the students of his class that they write a diary Or jour nal in English. He said we need not to show the writing to another, but if we shall write as many as 5,000 words,, he will add yet one credit more to our grade. He declared further that he trusted our honor to say truthfully when we had accomplished the finish of it. I do not know at all the way of writing a journal, but anyhow I feel some satisfaction that it is not needful to speak the 5,000 words in English. Such a task would, I think, be inconceivably difficult. . My friend, Mr. Matsumura, met with me at the sta tion this morning, and we discussed about this business, but he does not decide to write as I do, for he likes not so much the studies in English. I like very much indeed ! On the tram, as we went to the Higher English School in Kanda, we saw a foreigner who was very tall, and we wished together that we Japanese were tall like that, with a commanding presence. At noon intermission, we two went to a restaurant for lunch. There was rice of course, meat croquettes, and raw cabbage. Matsu Chan, as I often call my friend, does not like raw cabbage, but I reminded him of what was printed in a magazine he himself lended to me. It was concerning vitamins. Japanese people do not eat vitamins in suffi ciency, so they cannot make original productions as dther nations. Raw cabbage has many vitamins. When I had thus remonstrated with him, he ate all his cabbages. And I was surprised that I could so much influence him. We returned to Ikebukuro together, as his house is not so far from me. Near the road is a vegetable shop, and we saw many cabbages piled up. They are not cheap now, but I said, “I will now buy a cabbage and take to my room to nib ble like the rat, as I study.”
He said, “I will buy also, then our minds will become very keen.” So we asked for them and gave the money, but I forgot • we had no wrapping cloth, except the fine ones around our school books. So with many laughs, we proceeded home, with each cabbage on an arm. My house was so near that no one saw me but the servant of a neighbor. I did not look at her, but my back felt her laughing. -I stay with my uncle, as my father lives in Osaka where are not such good schools as in Tokyo. Uncle saw me return with the cabbage and growled like a bear. “Why do you demean yourself by carrying such a thing openly ?” I begged his pardon and passed quickly to the rear of the house where is my room. The cabbage I placed in a box in the cupboard, so the, room will not become malodorous. I have eaten some, but it is still very large. Now I do not know how to end the journel writing, but if I sign my name once, it is enough, I think. I shall write it backwards, as do foreigners, with the family name last. Very strange way to do. J insaburo T a jim a . J anuary 25. This is not so cold a day, and the sun shining brightly over makes it the perfect weather of great Japan. I did not see Matsu Chan, so perhaps he is ill. But the tall for eigner was again on the tram with me. I thought his hair was red, but it is actually the color of foreign tea after milk is in it. He looks quite young and has a very high nose. We Japanese all have low noses, and I do not like it. Today there was a strike on the electric company, and it happened before we reached to Kanda. I did not know if the foreigner could understand about the strike, so I ad dressed him, of course, in English. He was very kindly and gave his name-card, on which was written “Stuart McEdward.” We left the tram together and began to walk. He informed me that he teaches English Bible in another school, also in Kanda. I told him I had seen Christian Bible at the house of a friend, and he said he teaches it also at his home Thursday evening and would I please to come? He said many men come, and they had fine times together. We spoke on assorted topics as we walked along. Among these was concefning my faith. I explained to him that my faith was like the incomparable Fuji mountain. Buddhism, Confuciusism, Mohammedism, and Christianity climb up
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