Part 8 (1/2)

CHAPTER XXIX

ATTACKED WITH CLUBS

THE 1st January 1861 was a New Year's Day ever to be remembered Mr and Mrs Johnston, Abraham, and I, had spent nearly the whole time in a kind of solemn yet happy festival Anew in a holy covenant before God, we unitedly consecrated our lives and our all to the Lord Jesus, giving ourselves away to His blessed service for the conversion of the Heathen on the New Hebrides After evening Fao to their own house, only some ten feet distant; but he returned to infore clubs, and having black painted faces Going out to the them, what they wanted, they replied, ”Medicine for a sick boy”

With difficulty I persuaded theet it At once, it flashed upon uise of paint, that they had come to murder us Mr Johnston had also acco my eye constantly fixed on them, I prepared the medicine and offered it They refused to receive it, and each -stone I faced the, and you toothe boy or co their clubs, as if for action, they showed unwillingness to withdraw, but I walked deliberately forward and an to leave

Mr Johnston had gone in front of them and was safely out But he bent down to lift a little kitten that had escaped at the open door; and at thatin behind, ai which Mr Johnston fell with a screa towards his ferociously leapt in their faces and saved his life Rushi+ng out, but not fully aware of what had occurred, I saw Mr Johnston trying to raise himself, and heard him cry, ”Take care these men have tried to killthem sternly I demanded, ”What is it that you want? He does not understand your language What do you want? Speak with reat clubs and s sprang at their faces and baffled their blows One dog was badly bruised, and the ground received the other blow that would have launchedwas a little cross-bred retriever with terrier blood in hiers, and which had already been thehow s furiously upon thees fled I shouted after them, ”Re to e body of ht or tenhere and there fro too Verily, ”the wicked flee, when no man pursueth” David's experience and assurance ca, as very real:--”God is our refuge and our strengththerefore ill not fear”

I, now accustomed to such scenes on Tanna, retired to rest and slept soundly; but my dear fellow-laborer, as I afterwards learned, could not sleep for one moment His pallor and excitement continued next day, indeed for several days; and after that, though he was naturally lively and cheerful, I never saw hi, 1st January 1861, the following entry was found in his Journal: ”To-day, with a heavy heart and a feeling of dread, I know not why, I set out on st the sick I hastened back to get the Teacher and carry Mr Paton to the scene of distress I carried a bucket of water in one hand and medicine in the other; and so we spent a portion of this day endeavoring to alleviate their sufferings, and our work had a happy effect also on the minds of others” In another entry, on 22d Decest the poor Tannese As we pass through the villages,and old prostrated on the ground, showing all these painful synant diseases In soes few are left able to prepare food, or to carry drink to the suffering and dying How pitiful to see the sufferers destitute of every comfort, attention, and re or remove their disease! As I think of the tender manner in which we are nursed in sickness, the ive relief, with the comforts and attention bestowed upon us, ratitude of Christian people!”

Having, as above recorded, consecrated our lives anew to God on the first day of January, I was, up till the 16th of the month, accompanied by Mr Johnston and soes areatly helped me But by an unhappy accident I was laid aside whenI observed that Mahanan, the war Chief's brother, had been keeping too nearboth to do my work and to keep an eye on him, I struck , ”I did not do that,” but doubtless rejoicing at what had happened The bone was badly hurt, and several of the blood-vessels cut Dressing it as well as I could, and keeping it constantly soaked in cold water, I had to exercise the greatest care In this condition, aes to administer

On such occasions, in this mode of transit even, the conversations that I had with dear Mr Johnston wereHe had, however, scarcely ever slept since the 1st of January, and during the night of the 16th he sent for ue and fever, I could not go to hi the proper quantity for a dose, but that he quite understood already He took a dose for hiave one also to his wife, as she too suffered frohts in succession, and both of the sleep He caue-fever, and said with great anis, ”I have had such a blessed sleep, and feel so refreshed! What kindness in God to provide such re , ”Mr Johnston has fallen asleep, so deep that I cannot awake hiled to ot to his bedside, and found him in a state of coreat difficulty we succeeded in slightly rousing him; with a knife, spoon, and pieces of wood, we forced his teeth open, so as to adood effects, and also other needful medicines For twelve hours, we had to keep him awake by repeated cold dashes in the face, by aan to speak freely; and next day he rose and walked about a little For the two following days, he was soed to keep hiain fell into a state of coma, from which we failed to rouse him At two o'clock in the afternoon he fell asleep--another Martyr for the testi his young wife in indescribable sorrohich she strove to bear with Christian resignation Having rave, o alone at sunset laid him to rest beside my own dear wife and child, close by the Mission House

CHAPTER xxx

KOWIA

ANOTHER tragedy folloith, however, ht of Heaven amid its blackness, in the story of Kowia, a Tannese Chief of the highest rank Going to Aneityum in youth, he had there become a true Christian He married an Aneityumese Christian woman, hom he lived very happily and had two beautiful children Some time before the measles reached our island he returned to live with me as a Teacher and to help forward our work on Tanna He proved hist thenified in his whole conduct, and every way a valuable helper towas tried by his own people to induce hi hi these, they threatened to take away all his lands, and to deprive him of Chieftainshi+p, but he answered ”Take all! I shall still stand by Missi and the Worshi+p of Jehovah”

Fro insults, all which he bore patiently for Jesu's sake But one day a party of his people came and sold some fowls, and an iht and offered to sell theain to me Kowia shouted, ”Don't purchase these, Missi; I have just bought thean toround on all present, and then onout of sleep, and with flashi+ng eyes exclaimed, ”Missi, they think that because I am now a Christian I have become a coward! a woman! to bear every abuse and insult they can heap upon me But I will show them for once that I am no coward, that I am still their Chief, and that Christianity does not take away but gives us courage and nerve”

Springing at one hty club fro it in air above his head like a toy, he cried, ”Coainst your Chief! My Jehovah GodHe will help s, for He inspires h they are men of peace Come on, and you will yet know that I am Kowia your Chief”

All fled as he approached them; and he cried, ”Where are the cowards now?” and handed back to the warrior his club After this they left him at peace

He lived at the Mission House, with his wife and children, and was a great help and coo st the people than any of the rest of our Mission staff The ague and fever on me at Mr Johnston's death so increased and reduced me to such weakness that I had become insensible, while Abraha to consciousness I heard as in a dreaht recover, so as to hear and speak with hi at him, I heard him say, ”Missi, all our Aneityumese are sick Missi Johnson is dead You are very sick, and I a Alas, when I too aet you a cocoanut to drink? And ill bathe your lips and brow?”

Here he broke down into deep and long weeping, and then resumed, ”Missi, the Tanna-men hate us all on account of the Worshi+p of Jehovah; and I now fear He is going to take away all His servants from this land, and leave my people to the Evil One and his service!”

I was too weak to speak, so he went on, bursting into a soliloquy of prayer: ”O Lord Jesus, Missi Johnston is dead; Thou hast taken him away from this land Missi Johnston the woman and Missi Paton are very ill; I am sick, and Thy servants the Aneityu O Lord, our Father in Heaven, art Thou going to take away all Thy servants, and Thy Worshi+p from this dark land? What meanest Thou to do, O Lord? The Tannese hate Thee and Thy Worshi+p and Thy servants; but surely, O Lord, Thou canst not forsake Tanna and leave our people to die in the darkness! Oh, make the hearts of this people soft to Thy Word and sweet to Thy Worshi+p; teach them to fear and love Jesus; and oh, restore and spare Missi, dear Missi Paton, that Tanna may be saved!”

Touched to the very fountains of an under the breath of God's blessing to revive

A few days thereafter, Kowia caI co death now, and I will soon see Jesus”