America McCutchen Drennan

Yet, she organized classes in English language for young men; the Chautauqua Circle was formed and a periodical started; children's meetings and old women's meetings were held; Sunday schools were introduced; a Christian Endeavor Society was organized; and orphanage was started; and a girls' school was opened.

[3] Her father, John McCutchen, a Virginian by birth, soon after the close of the American Revolutionary War moved to southern Kentucky and located in what is known as the "Cumberland Country".

Mrs. McCutchen was a convert of the "great revival of 1800", that religious awakening that swept over Kentucky and Tennessee, resulting in the organization of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

She had the care of two orphan children, the son and daughter of Mr. Witherspoon's brother, and Drennan's father was growing feeble, so she felt it necessary to stay near him.

Here, her influence was such that, in a short time, everyone connected with it was converted to Christianity, and a revival started which reached many in the town outside of the school.

After the American Civil War, which ended in 1865, she stopped teaching to devote herself to the care of her aged father and the two adopted children.

[6] Knowing that through the young men in her class, she could reach other people, she devoted much time to them, providing them with entertainment and preparing a pleasant room where they could come for recreation.

All this was extremely interesting to Drennan, and she remained on the streets so long that she was overcome by the heat, and forced to resort to the ever-ready and convenient jinrikisha, to be brought back to her boarding house.

Miyoshi San and others of her pupils visited her at Kobe, and the time was spent in teaching English and learning what she could of the Japanese language.

She first taught the young men the Bible lesson, a picture story, and the songs to sing, and they afterward repeated it all to the children.

[2] In the fall of 1883, while waiting for the opening of the girls' school, which took place in January, 1884, Drennan organized a Christian Endeavor Society.

The need of more room was of even greater necessity than an interpreter, but it was some time before a new school building was erected to accommodate the rapidly increasing patronage.

By this fire, the school was well advertised, so that there were more day-pupils than before, and notwithstanding the great loss sustained and the want of room which compelled her to give up some of her boarders, it was more than self-sustaining.

[9] The accumulation of care and work, together with crowded sleeping apartments and bad water, caused her health to fail, and she was compelled to resign from the school.

This work began in November with only two pupils, but she knew not discouragement, and very soon, through Bible classes for young men, and inquiry meetings for all, a little church grew, which was organized with ten members in January, 1889.

[9] About March 7, 1889, the president of the government school sent an urgent request to Drennan to come to Yokkaichi, a station about 20 miles (32 km) from Nagoya.

[9] In September, 1891, with money sent her by two young me from Kentucky, she rented a house in the best part of the city, where the people were wealthy but hard to reach.

The young pastor had been called away to see his mother, who was dying, so, without having time to rest from her journey, she was compelled to return to Ueno, feeling that the duty lying nearest now was to comfort her troubled people at home.

[11] Drennan remained in Kyoto until March 1893, when she returned to her home in Ueno so feeble that her physicians wrote a letter recommending that she go to her native country for health.

As the work was well organized at Ueno, she moved to Tsu in January, 1893, where her life represented the same busy line of teaching, visiting and holding religious service.

In July 1893, just before leaving Tsu, she wrote that she had succeeded in having all her girls provided for during her absence, and also had arranged her work so that it would not suffer.

E. E. Morris and the church in Marshall, Missouri, with the consent of the Board of Missions, undertook the support of Drennan after her return to Japan.

She immediately returned to Tsu, and started, with her helper and three other girls, to go the additional ten miles to Shiroko in jinrikishas.

[15] Between Tsu, Shiroko, and Ueno, Drennan attended and superintended twelve weekly, five monthly, two semi-monthly meetings each month, with the prospect shortly of opening work in two other towns, this being in addition to Bible Training School, home duties, and general oversight of all the woman's work.

[16] In the fall of 1896, in her round of work, Drennan found a family consisting of a mother, two sons and three daughters, all very old and very poor people.

[19] In the year 1901, a great wave of religious influence swept over that country, known as the "Twentieth Century Movement in Japan."

[21] Drennan had planned to attend the meeting of the Woman's Board at Huntsville, Alabama, and also to visit friends in Kentucky and Tennessee.

She was unable to continue the journey, and was quite ill until she rallied, and on May 24, accompanied by Mr. McCutchen, she went to Pilot Grove, Missouri, the home of her childhood, to visit Mrs.

One of the Japanese girls, Daisy, she left with her sister, Mrs. Bell, at Pueblo, Colorado, but O Tsura San went with Drennan as her companion and nurse.

She gave directions for her funeral expenses, and requested that the small amount left over be given to the two Japanese girls, Daisy and O Tsura San.