“My mistress taught me, sir; and made me promise to teach her baby when he was old enough; and to go to you for more instruction. But I was alone, and afraid. I sometimes got as far as the big banyan tree on the corner, and crawled away again so trembling with terror, that I could scarcely stand upon my feet. At last I found out Ko Shway-bay, and he promised to keep my secret; and he gave me books, and explained their meaning, and taught me how to pray, and I have been getting courage ever since. I should not much mind now, if they did find me out and kill me. It would be very pleasant to go up to Paradise. I think I should even like to go to-night, if the Lord would please to take me.”
It was two or three weeks before the missionary resumed his customary place in the zayat by the wayside. His hearers were scattered widely; in the neighboring jungles, in far-off towns, and in that other place from whence “no traveller returns.”
Where was his last hopeful inquirer?
Dead.
Where the priest?
Dead.
Where the philosopher?
Fled away, none knew whither.
And the poor old water-bearer?
Dead—died like a dog in its kennel; and but that some pitying Christian had succeeded in discovering her at the last moment, without a human witness. But—and the missionary’s heart swelled with gratitude to God as he thought of—there were other witnesses, nobler, tenderer, dearer to that simple, lone old creature, than all the earthly friends that ever thronged a death-bed; and these had been her bright, rejoicing convoy to the Saviour’s presence.
Oh! how full of awe, how fearfully laden with the solemn interests of eternity, appeared this wondrous work of his! And how broad and clear seemed his sacred commission, as though at that moment newly traced by the finger of Jehovah!
[Illustration: _FINIS_]
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Transcriber’s Note
On p. 65, there is an unmatched opening double quotation mark. There does not seem to be a clear place to close it, and were it removed, the following words (“he himself heard him mutter...”) make better sense.
The final line on p. 244 seems to end a paragraph (‘...to open the gate.’). However, the first line on the following page begins in mid-sentence (‘...used to carry’). It is apparent that p. 244 should end with ‘I’, which we have adopted.
Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original.
33.17 [‘/“]having prepared myself Replaced. 65.30 [“]just before the drop fell Removed. 98.36 How do you know[?] that? Removed. 113.20 [n/m]ust be briefly mentioned Replaced. 134.13 mentioned Moung Thah[-]lah Inserted. 230.19 with a dozen Burmans[./,] Replaced. 227.3 who will do the work better.[’]” Inserted. 244.30 to open the gate. [I] used to carry Added. 256.34 He could not recover her.[”/’] Replaced. 287.8 a strip of country along the[ the ]sea Removed. 303.24 [‘]Virtues they have Removed. 314.14 In the “Threefold Cord,[”] Added. 324.37 with which he striv[ /e]s to comfort Restored. 328.19 spears, knives, etc[,/.] Replaced. 383.12 [‘]_wages_’ Added. 453.17 the translation of[,] the New Testament Removed. 513.7 over the whole earth[’/”] Replaced. 555.42 composed the passive limbs decent[ /l]y Restored. 595.22 become a sincere inquirer[,/.] Replaced. 598.29 I shall not want you—go![”] Added. 598.30 The ver[a]ndah was thronged Restored. 600.2 receive his spirit[’/”], Replaced.