A Sketch of the Life of REV. Joseph Hardy Neesima (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1890 Excerpt: ...All true patriots should do this. Please help us, as far as you are able, to accomplish our purpose and do this work. Unless we receive your help, we cannot succeed in this great purpose." In the early part of 1884, it became evident that the strain of the last nine years had so exhausted Mr. Neesima, that he must have a complete change. He had tried in vain to rest in Japan; he could not escape from the many calls which pressed upon him everywhere; he could not forget the great work he had undertaken; it was always before his eyes and upon his heart. He at last yielded to the earnest solicitations of his friends, and accepted Mr. Hardy's generous invitation to go to the United States by way of Europe, and on the 6th of April, 1884, he started from Kobe on his long journey. He landed in Italy at Naples. His daily journals from the time of leaving Japan, until he left Switzerland, are very full; they are little encyclopedias of information on every subject; it is wonderful to see how much information he gathered, and especially, are they very full on the educational side. He visited all the schools and colleges he could, and minutely inspected their whole plan of teaching, studies and buildings, and wrote out all the details. lie secured letters of introduction to the men who were at the head of the Catholic Colleges in Italy and inspected them very carefully; also the Waldensian Theological school in Florence. He spent several weeks in the Waldensian valley and carefully studied the history, the persecutions, the school system and the ways of working of that Church. From there he went by the St. Gotthard route into Switzerland; his note books are full of his pencil drawings to illustrate the architecture, and, especially, grape raising, cheese making, ...