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1U.E AMERICAN MISSIONARIES. 361
medicines were free, and that the expense was all
paid by Christians in America.
All this, with the talk with Doctor Gray and a
further conversation with Doctor Burmer, so powerfully
affected Honda Jiro that he at once made up
his mind to live in Yokohama and to learn from
these men more about Jesus and the religion which
sent out such missionaries. Going back to Yedo to
arrange his affairs with the Fukui officers, he took
with him a copy of Doctor Grey's translation into
Japanese of the Four Gospels in manuscript.
" It is a rough draft and merely a beginning,"
said the doctor, as he looked kindly over his spectacles
at Honda, and smiled with a merry twinkle
of the eye. " You are a scholar, and will find many
infelicities in it. I shall be especially thankful if
you will compare the Chinese version arid mine and
write out your copy," he added seriously, as he
grasped warmly Honda's hand, and said : The entrance
of God's words give and light, may your soul
come into the full day of obedience and love to
Christ."
Honda thanked him heartily, and took his journey
to Yedo. After three weeks he received permission
direct from his feudal master in Fukui, through the
influence of " the old prince," as the ex-daimio Matsudaira
was now called, to remain two years in
Yokohama. With this permission came also an
unsolicited appointment as agent for the clan, at
a small salary sufficient for his support. Evidently
the old prince had divined his plan and was encour-