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DEDICATED WITH SINCERE REGARD TO MARIA MANION VERBECK THE HELPMEET F0 HIM AND THE MOTHER OF THE CHILDREN Contents CHAP. PAGE PREFACE n I. A GLANCE IN PERSPECTIVE 17 II. THE KOPPEL 39 III. IN THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY 48 IV. A GLANCE AT OLD JAPAN 69 V, IN NAGASAKI FIRST IMPRESSIONS 80 VI, POLITICAL UPHEAVAI 100 VII. THE DOORS OPENING 115 VIIL THE REVOLUTION OF 1868 I4a IX. TRIP TO OSAKA 157 X. CALLED TO THE CAPITA 180 XL TUE BIOGRAPHER IN TOKIO 317 XII. AMONG ALL SORTS AND CONDITIONS OF MEN . . 040 XIII. THE GREAT EMBASSY TO CHRISTENDOM . . 255 XIV. DECORATED Y THE EMPEROR 277 XV, PREACHER AND TRANSLATOR .... . . 301 XVI. A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY 3 7 XVII WEARY WITH THE MARCH OF LIFE ., 348 List of Illustrations DR. VERBECK IN 1897 Frontispiece. FACING PAGE GUIDO AND MARIA VERBECK 62 MESSRS. G. F. VERBECK, S. R. BROWN, AND D, B. SIMMONS 66 STUDENTS IN THE GOVERNMENT SCHOOL AT NAGASAKI 122 WAKASA, His Two SONS AND RETAINERS, 1866 . FIRST SCIENCE CLASS, IMPERIAL UNIVERSITY, 1874 J A JAPANESE GRADUATE OF RUTGERS COLLEGE . .172 IMPERIAL UNIVERSITY OF JAPAN, 1871 186 IMPERIAL UNIVERSITY IN TOKIO, 1874 272 JAPANESE BIBLE WITH ITS CASE 284 JEWEL OF THE ORDER OF THE RISING SUN . 4 SYNOD OF THE UNION CHURCH, 1887 324 PASSPORT FOR DR. VERBECK AND FAMILY . ... 330 MONUMENT OF DR. VERBECK, ERECTED BY THE GRATEFUL JAPANESE . . . . . 356 Preface AT the direct and urgent request of the friends of the late Dr. Guido Fridolin Verbeck, Ver beck of Japan, the greatest, under God, of the makers of the new Christian nation that is com ing and even now is, I have written the story of his life, in my own way. I had no desire, nor was any desire expressed by others that I should paint in words the picture of animmaculate saint, or set forth a being of supernal powers. Neither have I the taste or the ability to enter into the minutiae of ecclesiastical politics. Let others write of these, or do justice to his work as a churchman. I have told in outline the story of one of the nursing fathers of a nation, even of Christian Japan. I have striven to portray a faithful brother-man and a child of God, one whose tender love to his Father was shown in a life hid with Christ and a constant ministry of service to his fellow-men, I have wrought not for those who knew Verbeck, but for those who knew him not. I knew Verbeck of Japan during four years of intimacy in the Mikados empire. Thrice visiting his birthplace, Zeist in Holland, I learned many facts about his early life and his unconscious preparation for wonderful work in the Far East XL Preface I have had access to the file of his lettets, from 1860 to 1898, written home to the secretanes ot the Boaid of Missions of the Reformed Church in America, and to many of those sent to his own relatives, as well as to his own diaues, note books, and to other documents lent me by his daughter. Nevertheless, Verbeck was mightier in work than in word, and left relatively com paiatively little writing of a peisonal nature. To all who have in any way aided me, I return sin cere and hearty thanks. The bulk of the book treats of what led gave Guide Verbeck to do, as quietly and as unseen as if he were leaven hid, Verbecks work belongs less to the phenomenal than to the potent. It was just when men were asking do missions in Japan pay and even when good people tn the Reformed Church almost weary in welldo ing, were hinting at abandonment of their japan Mission, thatGod by means of true servants wrought His most wonderful work of educating the Japanese for their new life. Vigorously suppressing my own opinions and views of things ecclesiastical I have let Dr. Ver beck tell his own story, and, also, show his own powers and limitations. With other things and persons, Japanese and foreign I have been more free in comment and criticism In the Introduc tion, I have sketched briefly Verbeck as s man of action, rather than of words...