Part 1 (1/2)
A Story of One Short Life, 1783 to 1818
by Elisabeth G Stryker
PREFACE
Those airls of our Churches, somewhat realize the lack ofworkers The apiarist studies the nature of the insect which must yield him its sweets, and discovers that ”the nature of the cell and the food affects the difference” in the bees We have long watched our boys and girls, and either we do not care what they yield, or we are dull not to notice that what surrounds the their natures White clover honey can only be made from white clover blossoms What they read and what they may be induced to read concerns us as mission workers Individual tastes irls all enjoy the windings of rohway of adventure ”But,”
they say or think, ”Missions, their history and progress are so stupid, they have no decent heroes and heroines We like Robinson Crusoe, and Little Wohts!” But do we not know that the stories of the lives of some of our missionaries, well told, may stand side by side, upon the book-shelves and in the hearts of our young people, with the pages of De Foe and Louise Alcott? Many a boy and girl, charmed by the life and fortune of some unreal, and oftentimes unworthy, hero, has attempted to make copy in his or her own life Missionary lives are not lacking in the spirit, adventure and ro With these ideals in their minds, may we not expect followers of the Judsons, the Moffats, the Fiskes and the Rankins?
The writer, who has humbly undertaken to re-tell an old tale, is neither a De Foe nor an Alcott She finds she can borrow neither of their pens Her own, conscious of its inexperience, finds its only relief in the fact that the story is its own strength
SAMUEL J MILLS
CHAPTER I
ANCESTRY--BIRTH--BOYHOOD--CONVERSION
Our country is quietly enjoying the benefits of a great activity
Foreign Missions are still feeling a noble iin of this force was, under God, in the heart and brain of Samuel J Mills
It is a naotten Only upon the shelves of some antiquarian, or in the undisturbed library of so the title ”Mills'
Memoirs” Take it down, blow the dust from the leaves yelloith sixty-seven years, and you will find the narrative related in the stately, old-time style, and somewhat laudatory and expansive
He had no son, as Adoniraladly to record the details of his busy life The writer was Dr Gardiner Spring, who la failed in the attempt to obtain what appeared to hiathering even these rare frags, the Damon Memorial, a letter from a relative of Mills, and the life of Henry Obookiah have come a few incidents and facts, buthave we found our Story of One Short Life Such hid treasure should find the light, even though quarried by unskillful hands
Biographies are apt to see riveted upon the supposed hero,the history of his great-grandfather
The scattered energies are then directed upon the grandfather, only tothe father's fortunes, the son, the subject of the work, is at last introduced
The great-grandfather of our hero h to answer one question He was once asked, ”How did you educate four sons at Yale College, and give each a profession?” His reply was, ”Alrandfather (of our hero) was drohile so
His , co their babes to the God of the fatherless, especially offered for His service, a son named Samuel John He becaford, Connecticut He was eminent for his ability and character Mrs Stowe said of hilander Of all the marvels that astonished my childhood, there is none I remember to this day with so much interest as Father Mills” This was the name by which he was extensively known His as a wo assured that the three preceding generations were co, we shall see how the Lord showed hty God and a true mother secure for e efficiency and honor
The seventh child, born April 21st, 1783, in this Torringford home, was a son, nahty instru the fineness of theof the telance into that pious mother's bosom Before the birthday came she continually dedicated the little life beneath her heart to the God who is pleased to accept such gifts During all his childhood he received the arden, and shi+ned on by such reard the Sun, and that the roots of religious character struck deep and spread wide
When but a little child he showed an unusual concern of conscience
At fifteen the town in which he lived was greatly aroused and revived His friends and acquaintances received the blessing, and he was deeply interested, but the revival passed, leaving hi in his heart
About this tih load drove from his father's house He, with his brothers, sisters and cousins, about eighteen in all, went to spend a few days with his uncle in West Hartford Samuel had recently coay and aht ht to tease hi nuts and apples, they agreed to have a little singing They struck up ”Hark, fro it slowly and solelances from their , sung in fun, made an earnest impression of which he could not rid hihteen he detero to Litchfield and study in the Acade hoo without enquiring for his soul's health Other mothers know the pain she suffered, when he told her ”for two years I have been sorry God ever made me” She replied to him as her wise heart prompted her, and sent him on his way She here all o, to her knees, alone with God
He had not gone far on his journey when he ent prayer had sent searching for the wanderer It was as if he had reat trees and down at the blosso saw God He became so i resisted, that he lost sight of himself