Part 9 (1/2)

Thereafter followed a change in Hannington's life--he prayed an to think much of him, and to pray earnestly for him; and finally wrote to him a serious, siton

The letter was unanswered for over a year; but co to find that there were better things to be done in life than cliff-cli pleasant parties at Oxford, it wrought its purpose, and for spent soton went up for his ordination examination He did very well the first day; the second he was ill and could do nothing; the third the same; and when he was dismissed by the bishop he was in a state akin to despair

The next examination was better, but he was nervous, and found his mind at times a hopeless blank He passed, but not in such a way as he desired At the examination for priest's orders he came out at the top of the list

The first portion of his life as a curate did not see any mark upon his Devonshi+re flock His audiences were sleepy, and paid little attention to his ser to make a short cut to a place where he was to conduct service He was consequently late in arriving, and found the congregation waiting On explaining why he was late to the clerk:--

”Iss,” said that official, ”we reckoned you was lost, but now you are here go and put on your surples and be short, for we all want to get back to dinner” Truly he was no Wesley in those days!

But to hiht ca afterwards he could write, ”I kno that Jesus Christ died for me, and that He is mine and I am His”

After little ton was appointed curate in charge of St George's, Hurstpierpoint, near Brighton By his earnestness he roused the people to a fuller faith and to better works Finding much drunkenness in the place he turned teetotaler, and persuaded e He started Bible classes, prayerlight in his own parish, but he also went about the country and assisted at revival ht and helpful ton heard of the violent deaths which had befallen Lieut Shergold Smith and Mr O'Neil in Central Africa From this time he became draards mission work in that district

It was not, however, till the year 1882 that he finally entered into arrangeo to Africa

Their high estiathered from the fact that he was appointed as leader of the expedition which was being sent out

It was a horrible wrench at last to leave wife and children ”My ony that still cleaves to ood-bye to the little ones Thank God the pain was all on one side 'Come back soon, papa!' they cried” His wife had resolutely ive hith the shi+p left England I watched and watched the retreating tow-boat,” he continues, ”until I could see it no longer, and then hurried down below Indeed, I felt for the moment as one paralysed Now is the time for reaction--to 'cast all your care upon Hih, both his inal aianda

In the first journey the expedition started from the coast at the end of June, 1882 After twointo the interior, amidst the constant difficulties which beset the African traveller, he writes on 1st August: ”I a, but it does not take away the joy of the Lord, and keeps one low in the right place”

On, on they went Fever was so heavy upon higled forward, insisting upon placing a weary coht himself to have ridden

By 4th September they reached Uyui, a place which was still far distant from Lake Victoria (or Victoria Nyanza); and noas at death's door So intense was the pain he suffered that he asked to be left alone that heso, the expedition started forward again on 16th October, Hannington being placed in a hao no further He was utterly broken down by continued fever; and, though the thought of returning to England without acco his mission was bitter to hiain in London How favourable was the iton had already made upon the Missionary Society is apparent from the fact that the bishopric of East Equatorial Africa was offered hi Palestine to confirm the churches there, he arrived in Frere Town on the west coast of Africa in January, 1885, and spent severalBy July, 1885, he was ready to atteanda

He determined to try a different route from that taken before, in order to avoid the fevers from which the previous expedition had suffered so terribly

After surh Masai Land he had by October reached within a few days' journey of Uganda; but there, on the outskirts of the kingdoht to enter, a martyr's death crowned his brief but earnest mission life

On 21st October, 1885, the bishop had started froet a view of the river Nile when about twenty of the natives set upon him, robbed hied along, so hi hih the bishop believed he was to be thrown over a precipice or murdered at once, he could still say, ”Lord, I put , ”Safe in the arth, after a journey of about five miles, he was pushed into a hut, and there kept prisoner Whilst in this place he endured all kinds of horrors Laughed at in his sufferings by the savages, almost suffocated by the bad smells about the hut, taken out at times to be the sport of his captors, unable to eat, full of aches and pains, he was yet able to look up and say, ”Let the Lord do as He sees fit,” and to read his Bible and feel refreshed

On 27th October he writes: ”I am very low, and cry to God for release” On the 28th fever developed rapidly Word was brought that anda Three soldiers fro orders for his release, doubtless conveyed instructions that the bishop should be put to death

It seea had so on his suspicions, without taking any trouble to ascertain the facts of the case, had sent the fatal command