CHAPTER I. _EARLIER DAYS._ PAGE Introductory Note 3 Kirkmahoe 4 Torthorwald Village 5 Our Villagers 6 Nithsdale Scenes 7 Our Cottage Home 9 Our Forebears 12 An Idyll of the Heart 16 A Consecrated Father 19 Accepted Vows 21 Happy Sabbath Days 22 Golden Autumn of Life 26
CHAPTER II. _AT SCHOOL AND COLLEGE._ A Typical Scottish School 31 An Unacknowledged Prize 32 A Wayward Master 33 Learning a Trade 33 My Father’s Prayers 34 “Jehovah Jireh” 34 With Sappers and Miners 36 The Harvest Field 38 On the Road to Glasgow 39 A Memorable Parting 40 Before the Examiners 42 Killing Work 43 Deep Waters 44 Maryhill School 45 Rough School Scenes 46 “Aut Cæsar Aut Nullus” 48 My Wages 49
CHAPTER III. _IN GLASGOW CITY MISSION._ “He Leadeth Me” 53 A Degraded District 55 The Gospel in a Hay-Loft 56 New Mission Premises 58 At Work for Jesus 59 At War with Hell 62 Sowing Gospel Seed 64 Publicans on the War Path 65 Marched to the Police Office 67 Papists and Infidels 69 An Infidel Saved 70 An Infidel in Despair 71 A Brand from the Burning 72 A Saintly Child 75 Papists in Arms 77 Elder and Student 81
CHAPTER IV. _FOREIGN MISSION CLAIMS._ The Wail of the Heathen 85 A Missionary Wanted 85 Two Souls on the Altar 87 Lions in the Path 89 The Old Folks at Home 92 Successors in Green Street Mission 95 Old Green Street Hands 97 A Father in God 97
CHAPTER V. _THE NEW HEBRIDES._ License and Ordination 101 At Sea 102 From Melbourne to Aneityum 102 Settlement on Tanna 105 Our Mission Stations 106 Diplomatic Chiefs 107 Painful First Impressions 108 Bloody Scenes 109 The Widow’s Doom 111
CHAPTER VI. _LIFE AND DEATH ON TANNA._ Our Island Home 115 Learning the Language 116 A Religion of Fear 118 With or Without a God 119 Ideas of the Invisible 120 Gods and Demons 121 My Companion Missionary 122 Pioneers in New Hebrides 123 Missionaries of Aneityum 125 The Lord’s Arrowroot 126 Unhealthy Sites 127 The Great Bereavement 129 Memorial Tributes 131 Selwyn and Patteson at a Tanna Grave 133 Her Last Letter 134 Last Words 137 Presentiment and Mystery 138
CHAPTER VII. _MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA._ Tannese Natives 141 “Tabooed” 142 Jehovah’s Rain 143 “Big Hays” 144 War and Cannibalism 145 The Lot of Woman 146 Sacred Days 148 Preaching in Villages 149 Native Teachers 150 The War Shell 151 Deadly Superstitions 152 A League of Blood 154 Chiefs in Council 155 Defence of Women 157 A League of Peace 157 Secret Disciples 159 A Christo-Heathen Funeral 159 Clever Thieves 160 Ships of Fire 164 H.M.S. _Cordelia_ 166 Captain Vernon and Miaki 167 The Captain and the Chiefs 168 The _John Williams_ 169 Evanescent Impressions 170 A House on the Hill 171 In Fever Grips 171 “Noble Old Abraham” 172 Critics in Easy Chairs 174
CHAPTER VIII. _MORE MISSION LEAVES FROM TANNA._ The Blood-Fiend Unleashed 179 In the Camp of the Enemy 180 A Typical South Sea Trader 182 Young Rarip’s Death 183 The Trader’s Retribution 185 Worship and War 186 Saved from Strangling 187 Wrath Restrained 188 Under the Axe 191 The Clubbing of Namuri 193 A Native Saint and Martyr 195 Bribes Refused 197 Widows Rescued 197 The Sinking of a Well 198 Church-Building on Tanna 199 Ancient Stone God 201 Printing First Tannese Book 201 A Christian Captain 203 Levelled Muskets 204 A French Refugee 205 A Villainous Captain 208 Like Master—Like Men 209 Wrecked on Purpose 212 The Kanaka Traffic 213 A Heathen Festival 215 Sacrifices to Idols 218 Heathen Dance and Sham Fight 219 Six Native Teachers 221 A Homeric Episode 222 Victims for Cannibal Feast 223 The Jaws of Death 224 _Nahak_ or Sorcery 226 Killing me by Nahak 227 Nahak Defied 229 Protected by Jehovah 230 “Almost Persuaded” 231 Escorted to the Battle-Field 232 Praying for Enemies 233 Our Canoe on the Reef 233 A Perilous Pilgrimage 236 Rocks and Waters 237