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Show STORY OF THE TOTTORI KINDERGARTENS The historic old city of some 30,000 with its foundation laid in mediaeval days when some shogun saw only a swamp full of ducks and named it Tottori. a place for taking birds, is on the shore of the Sea of Japan, one hundred miles north of Kobe from which it is separated by rough picturesque ranges that set it off from the influence of modern life; so that it has been a field of peculiar interest, and a difficult one to evangelize. Eleven years ago a railroad penetrated to the isolated spot, and brought many changes. In the earlier days Miss Talcott and Miss Denton used to make the difficult tour there, and Mrs. Bartlett taught the little Japanese neighbors in her own home along with her children, and that is the beginning of the kindergarten work. Our Board began to give to the work in 1908. When asked some years later how it came about, one of the missionaries said, "We asked the W. B. M. P., because we noticed you always did what you undertook to do.'' There is the challenge, how have we met it ? At the time we became interested in the station it w^as in charge of Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Bennett who are still there, and our association with them has been extremely happy. The Tottori Kindergarten, known as the Aishin, Love and Truth Kindergarten, was housed at first in a made over rambling Japanese dwelling; but five years ago the people themselves undertook a remarkable campaign for funds to build a beautiful modern play-room, spacious and sunny and set in a large garden. Prominent non-Christians who had sent their children there, and the faithful Woman's Society set to work together and accomplished the seemingly impossible. And afterwards a piano was purchased! through the efforts of the same Christian women, who use methods that closely parallel those of our own Women's Societies. The new building is a trust admonishing us to keep our work up to the standard. Said to be the best school of its kind in the province, it draws visitors who come to learn how to conduct their own schools. The children in the Kindergarten usually number sixty with a large waiting list, and each year at least half of them are graduated. [ 6 0 ] |