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diff --git a/23123.txt b/23123.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..da5a2dc --- /dev/null +++ b/23123.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2008 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Old Daniel, by Thomas Hodson + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Old Daniel + +Author: Thomas Hodson + +Illustrator: Unsigned + +Release Date: October 20, 2007 [EBook #23123] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD DANIEL *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +Old Daniel; or, Memoir of a Converted Hindoo and Description of Village +Life in India. + +By Thomas Hodson, with Introduction by the Rev W. Arthur, M.A. + +Published about 1877. + +________________________________________________________________________ +The title of this book is somewhat odd, for, though certainly greatly +about the life and doings of Chickka the washerman, and his conversion +to Christianity, the memoirs are certainly not his, and indeed it is a +little difficult to see whose they are. Not apparently those of Thomas +Hodson, who is mentioned frequently in the third person, and who appears +to be as much of an ordained minister as the Reverend W. Arthur. +Strange also is the fact that the title page promises an Introduction, +but what we actually get, on the very next page, is a Preface. + +However, these are minor grumbles, because what you do get is a head-on +description of village life in India, as promised, and some very nice +illustrations. + +As Editor, I must hasten to say that Thomas Hodson, the author of some +of the short chapters, is no relation of mine. In fact my ancestor +Thomas Hodson, who also worked in India, but as an administrator, was +only a small child in England at the time the book was published. But +my family have had a long connection with India, and that has led to my +own great interest in the Indian sub-continent. I was very interested +to read and edit this book, and commend it to anyone who would like to +know more about Indian Village Life 150 and even 200 years ago (the hero +of the tale was born in 1799). + +Although this book is constructed from pieces written by devoted +Missionaries, and although they deride the local Gods and religious +practices, I do not think the book is very convincing as an argument for +Christianity, although I describe myself as a Christian. N.H. + +________________________________________________________________________ +OLD DANIEL; OR, MEMOIR OF A CONVERTED HINDOO AND DESCRIPTION OF VILLAGE +LIFE IN INDIA. + +BY THOMAS HODSON, WITH INTRODUCTION BY THE REV W. ARTHUR, M.A. + + + +PREFACE. + +I can now, in my mind's eye, see Chickka, the washerman, as if I had met +him yesterday; and I can see the mud houses of Singonahully, the mud +wall of the village, and the temple of Runga, as if they were all before +me. Yet five and thirty years are passed and gone since the afternoon +when, in quest of medical aid, I rode past the village, hoping yet to +see it the abode of many follower's of Christ, not knowing that I was +never to see it more. At that time Chickka was still a heathen. He was +then between forty and fifty years of age, a grey-headed, resolute, +self-controlled looking man. + +At the mission-house of Goobbe we knew Chickka well. He was often +present at our family prayer, but gave no signs of any religious +conviction; and I cannot remember that he ever expressed more +disapproval of idolatry than many did, who to this day have continued in +their heathenism. Certainly I had no idea of the processes through +which the mind of the washer man had passed. It would have been hard to +conceive that one so ignorant and so simple, had as a boy, all untaught, +seen as clearly the vanity of idols as well-instructed men could do, and +had in his own simple way taken practical and striking steps to convince +others of the justice of his views. + +In the lifelike narrative of Mr Hodson,--where every touch is that of +one who has lived among the people, till their sayings and their doings, +their surrounding scenes and modes of thought, are all familiar,--the +reader will find a very curious light upon the processes of thought +which, in the deepest night of paganism, may be passing in the mind of a +labourer's lad who knows not a letter. We may feel assured that similar +lights are shining in the darkest places now, and that millions of young +minds are being prepared, as was the mind of Chickka, to turn from dumb +idols to serve the living and the true God. Even were the incidents +detailed in the following pages those only of the life of a single boy, +they would be of great interest. But it is not as incidents that give +interest to the story of an inward change of one mind, or of the outward +windings of one life, but as a sign of what is going on in multitudes, +and as a foretoken of the changes that are to come, that the highest +interest attaches to such scenes as that of Chickka breaking the +serpent-gods, turning the sword-gods into plough-shares, refusing to bow +to the idol, or speaking lightly of the great god of the vicinity when +his car was burned. Even the procession, which in all forms of +idolatry, from that of India to that of Rome, forms an important +instrument of public impression, failed to command the feelings of +Chickka. How many men in countries where weeping Madonnas are exhibited +have been tormented with the same curiosity which seized Chickka on +seeing the tears streaming down the cheeks of Mari, the goddess of +diseases! But seldom have courage and opportunity combined to carry the +inquirer to a conclusion so decisive as that which rewarded the research +of the poor washerman's son. I seem now as if I could trace the boy, in +the struggling grey of the morning, down the gentle slope, till he +reached the tank, found the spot where the idol had been cast into it, +and, daring to break its head, laid bare all the mystery of the tears. +That, too, was a step preparing him for the great change when he was to +turn to One who is not the work of men's hands, but is the Maker of the +mighty and the weak. And the same influences which prepared Chickka, +and which eventually changed him into Daniel, are now at work in, I +repeat it, millions of minds, where the influences are as much unseen +and unsuspected as were at the time those of which the reader will find +the account so striking. + +Good Edward Hardey, whose words were the first that were sent home to +the heart of the washerman with the power that quickens dry corns into +sprouting seeds, and good Matthew Trevan Male, who baptized him as the +firstfruits unto Christ in Goobbe, are both gone to their rest. Many +others who have sowed on that field are also gone. Daniel has ended his +course in peace. And still the harvest is not reaped. But the harvest +is to come. In such a work delay, disappointment, and the deferring of +hope are to be taken as but a call for more faith and more prayer. If +the lights struggling in the heathen mind of Chickka were but an example +of what is taking place in the minds of many, so also the change by +which Chickka became Daniel, the steadfast Christian, was but an example +of thousands of thousands that are yet to come. `Behold, I make all +things new,' says He who caused the light to shine out of darkness; and +in the Mysore He will yet bring forth a new and glorious creation. In +that country, at this present time, a terrible famine is making ravages. +Even that calamity may be overruled for good. At all events it gives +fresh emphasis to the call for all followers of Christ to enter in and +work for God, where the harvest indeed is plenteous and the labourers +are few. It may be that even in times of trial the Spirit will be +poured out from on high, and that God will yet gladden with tidings of +great joy the hearts of some to whom those fields are unutterably dear, +and who have long waited for the full corn in the ear. + + W. ARTHUR. + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +DANIEL'S PARENTAGE. + +Before Daniel was baptised his name was _Chikkha_, but we will call him +Daniel from the beginning to the end of this little memoir. He lived +sometimes at Goobbe, and sometimes at Singonahully. Goobbe is a large +market town in the kingdom of Mysore, and Singonahully is a small +village about two miles from Goobbe. The Wesleyan Mission premises are +situated between these two places. If my young readers, for whom this +little book is written, will take a large map of India, they will see +`Goobbe,' in Latitude 13 degrees 19 minutes North, and Longitude 77 +degrees East. It is fifty-five miles north-west of Bangalore, and about +seventy north-east of Seringapatam. + +Many years ago,--it is not known exactly how many--a man of the +Washerman caste left his native village and came to Singonahully. He +brought his family with him, but left behind a box containing an idol +and some other sacred things, in charge of the village priest. This man +was Daniel's grandfather. In Singonahully he entered into friendly +relations with the old village washerman, who was nearly blind, and +helped him in his work. In due time one of the blind man's daughters +was given in marriage to Daniel's father, whose name was Veera Chickka. + +Daniel was born May 4th, 1799, or according to his own phraseology, "I +was born on the day Seringapatam was taken by the English." It may here +be observed that many of the middle and lower classes of the Hindoos do +not keep any correct record of the time when their children are born, so +that if no event of importance happens about that time, there is +generally no means of ascertaining the age of anyone in such families. + +Daniel's father was always a poor man, so that his son was never sent to +school; and he was never able either to read or to write; but, when +quite a child, he manifested a very clear judgment in many things, and +especially in the view he took as to the worship of idols. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +DANIEL'S FIRST PROTEST AGAINST IDOLATRY. + +One day when Daniel was about ten years old, and living with his father +in Goobbe, a relation of the family came from Toomcoor, on what, to him, +was a very important matter; and he said to Daniel's father, "Well, +Veera Chickka, your father shut up our goddess in a box and left it, in +his village, in care of the temple priest, and there she now remains. +The goddess has had no worship paid her from that time to this; she is +angry, and a great calamity has, in consequence, come upon me and my +family. Come now, let us fetch the goddess from our ancestral home, and +worship her here in this place." The goddess referred to was Lakshmi, +the wife of Vishnu, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. When little +Daniel heard this proposal, it seemed foolishness to him, and at a +favourable opening in the conversation he said to his relation, "The +goddess Lakshmi has blessed you with wealth, but she has left us in +poverty; when she gives us prosperity we will worship her, but not till +then." Both Daniel's father and his visitor looked at the boy angrily, +but said nothing; however, in the end his father decided not to fetch +the idol. + +The following is another proof of Daniel's decision; and it shows what a +clear view he had of idolatry before he ever heard a word of Gospel +truth. The account is given in his own words. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +SNAKE-WORSHIP. + +When I was about eleven years old, my brothers and sisters were +suffering from boils, and my parents asked a fortune-teller what they +should do to get rid of them. He told my parents that the boils had +come in consequence of their neglect of serpent-worship, and that the +children would be cured if my parents would again worship snakes. These +reptiles often take up their abode in white-ant-hills, after the ants +have vacated them. My parents had been in the habit of worshipping +serpents two or three times a year. Their custom was to pour milk, +clarified butter, curds, etcetera, etcetera, into the holes of a +white-ant-hill, when they knew there was a venomous serpent inside. The +libations were accompanied by fastings, prayers, prostrations, and many +ceremonial purifications. And now to remove the boils from their +children they resolved to comply with the fortune-teller's directions, +and go through a grand performance of serpent-worship. They accordingly +consecrated two old stone idols, made in the shape of serpents, and +commenced the worship of them. I thought this was all foolishness, and +before the whole of the ceremonies could be completed, watching my +opportunity, I broke each snake-stone into two or three pieces, and +threw them away as common stones. When my parents saw the broken +images, and knew that it was I who had broken them, they were +exceedingly angry, and my father said, with fury, "Son! is it proper to +do so? Other gods may be false, but the Serpent-god is not. The +children are suffering from the anger of the Serpent-god, and now you +have broken his images, so that his wrath is increased; and what +calamity will happen to us it is impossible to say." + +After my father was a little calm, I said to him, "Father, I believe +that this worshipping snakes and their stone images is all nonsense. +What connection can there be between boils on a human body and the image +of a serpent? Have patience; no calamity will happen. Should any +trouble come, we will then conclude that the serpent is a true god; and +I will, in that case, get two other images made, and putting them in the +place of the two broken ones, they shall be consecrated and receive +regular worship." My father thought I was a strange child. However, in +a few days, my brothers and sisters were quite well, and the belief of +my parents in snake-worship died away. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +BIBLE IN THE CANARESE LANGUAGE. + +Daniel, at that time, had no teacher but the Holy Spirit. There were no +Bibles in the Canarese language, which was the language spoken by +Daniel; there were no Protestant Missionaries where he lived; no schools +in which Hindoo children could be taught to read the Word of God; and no +means whatever for acquiring a correct knowledge of the way to heaven. +Had these means of salvation been in existence when Daniel was a boy, he +would have been taught to worship the true God, and might have been +instrumental in the conversion of many people. But his youth was spent +in ignorance and in the service of Satan. Thank God, there is now a +change for the better. There are Missionaries who preach the Gospel in +many parts of the Mysore country; there are schools for children, and +also for those converted young men who wish to be taught how to preach +the Gospel to their own countrymen. The Scriptures are translated into +the Canarese language, and may be had everywhere at a very cheap rate +indeed. A copy of the Canarese Bible, printed at the Wesleyan Mission +Press, in Bangalore, and beautifully bound, was presented, with Bibles +in other oriental languages, to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, +on his late visit to Madras. This is a very different state of things +from that which existed when Daniel was a boy. But there is very much +yet to be done. The Missionaries have made a good beginning, but the +work has to be completed; every man, woman, and child has to be +converted; and therefore the young Missionary collectors all over +England, have need to renew their efforts, that many more Missionaries +may be sent to India every year. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +DIALOGUE BETWEEN A GENTLEMAN AND A SHEPHERD. + +We will now return to our history of the boy Daniel. In the same year +that he broke the stone serpents, he played a trick on some impostors +who were taking part in a religious procession, which the shepherds of +Singonahully and the neighbourhood had got up. The shepherds in the +Mysore country are very ignorant and very superstitious. This may +partly be accounted for from the fact that they live with their flocks +in the open fields daily, from morning to night, associate little with +their fellow-men, and seem shut out from all means of instruction. A +very learned Brahmin, who was at one time the Reverend William Arthur's +Canarese teacher, wrote a number of `Village Dialogues,' and in one of +them the shepherd is most admirably described. The following extract is +made in order to show the shepherd's ignorance, his creed, and his mode +of worship. It is a fit introduction to the Shepherds' procession which +little Daniel interrupted. The extract is part of a supposed dialogue +between an English gentleman passing through the country and a shepherd, +whom he happens to see near the public road: + +The shepherd had a handkerchief round his head, a grey woollen blanket +tied like a hood, and a six-cubit piece of cloth round his loins. +Behind him came a flock of sheep, and behind the flock, in front, and on +both sides there were barking dogs. The shepherd had a stick in his +left hand, which he laid upon his left shoulder; in his right hand he +had a long switch, and under the armpit a bag, in a small net of +hemp-cord network; the net hung from the shoulder on the left side. +Calling "Hus-si, hus-si, kiy-yo," to the sheep which were straggling on +all four sides, he brought them together and drove them along; going +sometimes before, and sometimes behind. Whilst he was going behind, he +saw an English gentleman coming along in a travelling carriage, and said +to himself, "Who in the world is this? A gentleman coming, as I'm +alive! Why should I stay in his way? I'd better hide myself a bit." +So he got behind a hedge, and fearing lest the sheep should stray, as he +kept peeping and looking out every now and then, and huffing them with +his cry, "Hus-si, hus-si," this gentleman saw him, and called out, "Ho +Sir, _Gowda_, come here." _Gowda_ is the head man of a village, and the +word was used on this occasion respectfully. Hearing which, the +shepherd said to himself, "What trouble has come now? He's calling me +to come to him. If I go to him, I cannot tell what he may do to me. +And if I don't go, I cannot tell what will happen. But they say that +English gentlemen never do harm to anybody. Though I hear him, I'll +just keep quiet as though I didn't hear, and if he calls again, I'll +go." The gentleman, seeing the shepherd's great perplexity, and knowing +that it was through fear that he did not come, again called out, "Ho +Sir, Gowda, Gowda, come here; don't be afraid; I won't do anything to +you; you need not give me anything; come here, come and have a talk." +On which the shepherd thinking within himself, "If I don't go to him +after this, he may get angry, and I can't tell what he will do," delayed +a little, as though driving his sheep; when the gentleman again called, +"Come." "There is no getting out of it, I must go," said the shepherd +to himself; and came near, and stood with the stick across his +shoulders, holding the ends of the stick on both sides with his hands, +swinging the switch that he held in his right hand, stooping, moving his +head from side to side, and shuffling his feet. Seeing the shepherd, +who thus came and stood, the gentleman entered into conversation with +him, as follows: + +G. "Well, Sir, _Gowda_, who are you?" + +S. "I am a shepherd, my lord." + +G. "What is your name?" + +S. "My name is Bit-tare Shikkanu, Sir." (The words mean, "If you let +him go, you won't catch him again.") + +G. "Bravo! If one let go your name, he won't catch it again, eh? +Well, what is your god's name?" + +S. "_Bir-ap-pa_ is our god, Sir." + +G. "_Bir-ap-pa_, eh? what is he like?" + +S. "That's good, Sir. What should god be like? It is in this temple." + +G. "How do you worship your god? and how often?" + +S. "We worship our god once a year, or once in two years, or if we miss +that, once in three years. When the worship is made, there is a great +gathering, numbers of people come--wind instruments, cymbals, +tambourines, drums, flags, beggars, devotees, stoics, bearskin-capped +shepherd-priests,--and as for brahmins, they are without number; they +abound wherever you look. Besides these, shops, cocoa-nuts, plantain +bunches, and bundles of betel leaves, innumerable mountebanks, +ballad-singers, tumblers, companies of stage-players; all these, a great +gathering, Sir. Then worshipping god, presenting flowers, lighted wave +offerings, offerings of money, of ornaments, votive offerings, and +consecrated cattle; persons who give their hair, cocoa-nut scramblers, +lamp bearers, offerers of fruit and flowers,--many people come together, +and we worship our god _Bir-ap-pa_." + +G. "Is the temple, where your god is, very clean?" + +S. "Yes, Sir. If god's place is not clean, what is? God is set up in +a stone temple. Once a year, or once in six months, if we open the door +we open it; if we don't, we don't. Nobody goes there at all except at +the feast. If a temple like this is not clean, what is, Sir?" + +G. "But don't you sweep the floor and sprinkle it with water every +day?" + +S. "Who is to sweep it every day, eh? Once in six months, once in +three months, or once a year, the priest opens the door, and if there be +a feast or full moon, he sprinkles and sweeps a little, colours and +whitewashes the walls with red earth and with white earth, streaks them, +brings mango leaves and makes them into festoons over the door; and if +we worship and bring flowers, we do; and if we don't, we don't. Such a +god is our god, Sir." + +G. "Bravo! a very fine god indeed! But what do you do to this god at +the feast? Tell us a bit, and let us hear." + +S. "What can I tell you, Sir? We are silly shepherds; all our language +seems queer to you." + +G. "Never mind, tell me, _Gowda_." + +S. "Well, Sir, eight days before the feast, the priest must get his +head shaved, bathe himself in water, and take but one meal a-day. +Having thus taken but one meal a-day for eight days, he, on the +feast-day worships the god in the temple, praises it, prostrates +himself, and begs it to do us all good. He then comes out and kneels in +the court of the temple, near a stone pillar in front of the god. He +shuts his eyes, and rests on his hands and knees. When he has taken +this position, all who have come to the festival to worship our god +_Bir-ap-pa_, bring cocoa-nuts, and going up to the pillar where the +priest is kneeling, they take the cocoa-nuts in their hands, and press +upon one another, each crying, `I am first, I am first.' Then ten of +the most respectable people come out, stand apart from the rest, make +the people who are pressing forward stand back, and take the cocoa-nuts, +which the people have brought, into their own hands. Four others, +strong men, stand near the priest; the elders hand the cocoa-nuts to +them; and they keep on breaking them on the priest's head; the priest, +all the time, having his eyes shut, is down on his hands and knees +before _Bir-ap-pa_, holding out his shaven head, until great heaps of +cocoa-nut fragments are piled up as high as an elephant on both sides of +him. And though so many nuts are dashed against his bare skin, the +priest feels no pain, and never utters a sound which indicates +suffering. Such a glorious god is our god, Sir. No matter what trouble +threatens he wards it off. He always takes care of us." + +G. "How is it, master shepherd, that you do such a silly thing as this? +There is a trick in breaking the cocoa-nuts on the head of the priest. +The people who break the cocoa-nuts are clever jugglers. They have a +store of cocoa-nuts which have been previously broken and stuck together +again. They substitute one for the other, and so deceive the people." + +S. "How it is, Sir, I don't know. You are a gentleman and you +understand it. I only say what everybody says, Sir." + +The above dialogue shows a shepherd's creed, his ignorance, and his mode +of worship. And it was a festival, a procession, and worship such as +this that the shepherds of Singonahully were celebrating when Daniel +interfered. The following is his own account. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +THE CRY OF "SNAKES! SNAKES!" + +After some of the ceremonies had been performed in honour of the +shepherds' god, _Bir-ap-pa_, certain consecrated things were carried by +the priest, and others by his wife, to a particular tank, or artificial +lake, where special washings and other purifying ceremonies had to be +performed. The shepherds and their relations were accompanied by +musicians, dancing-girls, religious beggars, and many others. They also +had a Brahman to perform the appointed purifying ceremonies at the tank. +These being completed the procession came back with great pomp. The +priest, his wife, the hired Brahman, and some others, walked on garments +which had been spread in the way on purpose for them to walk on. As the +wife of the priest came along carrying a _Kalasha_, a particular kind of +water vessel, which for the time, with its contents, was held to be pure +and sacred, she pretended to be under the influence of some god. She +began to swing and roll herself about in a most strange manner, trying +to make the multitude believe that _Bir-ap-pa_, or some other god or +goddess, had entered into her. She struck and kicked those persons who +tried to hold her, and abused many in very foul language. I saw and +heard all this, and thought the woman was a great hypocrite. I could +not believe it possible that any god or goddess would compel a woman to +act in such a foolish way. I said to myself, "What a shameful impostor +this woman is!" After thinking a little as to what I could do in order +to expose her, and shew the people that she was deceiving them, I +watched for a favourable opportunity, and then cried out, "Snakes! +snakes!" as loud as I could. This produced immediate confusion. The +priest and his wife, through fear of being stung by the snakes, tried to +get away; no one knew which way to run; some were knocked down, and the +sacred things which the priest and his wife were carrying fell to the +ground and were broken. "The worshippers of _Bir-ap-pa_, and the mob of +followers all dispersed in vexation and grief; but I went home greatly +amused." + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +SWORDS BEATEN INTO PLOUGHSHARES. + +In the second chapter of Isaiah, and the fourth verse, we read, "They +shall beat their swords into ploughshares;" and by the context we know +that these words are part of a description of that universal peace which +will follow the preaching of the Gospel in every part of the world. +This beautiful poetic image made use of by the prophet Isaiah, has been +adopted by many writers ancient and modern, and the words are often +quoted by eloquent public speakers, when referring to millennial times; +but it is probable that none of them ever expected to hear of the words +being literally fulfilled. This, however, was accomplished in +Singonahully by our little friend Daniel. We have seen that Daniel's +heathen name was `Chickka,' and his father's name was `Veera Chickka,' +that is _hero Chickka_; but whether any deeds of heroism were ever +displayed, either by Daniel's father or by any of his ancestors, is not +upon record. However, we do know that when his old grandfather left his +native town and came to live at Goobbe, though he did not bring the +image of the family goddess with him, he did bring some old swords which +had been in the family very many years. These swords had often been +worshipped by Daniel's forefathers. We may here observe, in passing, +that all Hindoo mechanics and other workpeople regularly worship their +tools and other instruments by which they gain their living. They put +up any of their implements as representations of _Vishwa Karma_, the +architect and artificer of the gods, (_Vishwa_ means the World or the +Universe, and _Karma_ means Work), and pray to these tools for success +in business, war, agriculture, etcetera. Thus a carpenter places a +hammer or a saw before him, and putting both his hands to his forehead +bows to the instrument, and asks for its help in the work to be done. +The barber worships his razor; the blacksmith worships his bellows; and +the farmer his plough, oxen, etcetera, etcetera. Daniel's forefathers +having worshipped these old swords, Veera Chickka continued the +time-honoured custom. On a special occasion he invited his relatives +and friends to come and join in the worship, and in the feast which +always followed it. This happened when Daniel was about thirteen or +fourteen years of age. Preparatory to the worship, his parents cleaned +the rusty swords, decorated them with flowers, and placed them upright +against a wall. When the proper time came, they and their visitors made +offerings to the swords, of plantains, cocoa-nuts, rice, etcetera. +After this, they burned incense to their ancestors who were the original +owners of the swords, and then falling prostrate before them they all +cried out, "O, our gods, prosper us: O, our gods, defend us." After the +worship was over, all the visitors partook of the feast prepared, passed +the evening pleasantly in conversation, and the next morning returned to +their own homes. Daniel says, "I was much impressed with the +foolishness of all these proceedings, and I said to myself, `What +benefit can be derived from the worshipping of these old swords? I am +determined to put a stop to this in some way.'" He thought the matter +over several days, and by that time his plan was formed. So one day, +when no one saw him, he took the swords, with the box in which they had +been carefully placed, and started for the blacksmith's shop. But on +the way he met his brother, who stopped him, and the following +altercation ensued, as given in Daniel's own words: "What is that you +have got in the box? and where are you going with it?" said my brother. +I replied, "O, nothing in particular." But he would not allow me to +proceed without his looking into the box and having a plain answer to +his question. I therefore said, "Brother, as our people have been +accustomed to worship these old swords, I think they had better be made +into some proper shape. I am therefore taking them to the blacksmith, +that he may put them into his fire and make an idol of them." My +brother, on hearing this, was quite shocked, and said, "Do you mean to +say that you are going to break up these sacred relics, which have been +handed down to us from our heroic forefathers? I think you are mad. I +will go immediately to our father and tell him what you are doing." So +saying he went home in great anger, and I went on to the blacksmith. +When I arrived at his shop, I found several men outside waiting to get +something done to their agricultural implements, and they all looked at +me very enquiringly. I said nothing, but put down my box of swords, and +sat upon it. At length the blacksmith said: "Well, Chickka, what have +you come for? What have you got in that box?" I opened the box and +shewed him the swords. On seeing them he said, "What have you brought +these things here for?" I replied, "These old swords have been +occasionally worshipped as gods in our family; but I don't see that any +benefit can be obtained by worshipping such things; in their present +shape they are useless; I think they may be made into something useful. +I have therefore brought them here for you to make ploughshares of +them." As soon as I had uttered these words, all the farmers present +seemed terrified, and one man exclaimed, "If you do this, your family +will never prosper; these are gods." I said, "Very well, we will see +whether they are gods or not, we will give them a fair trial. We will +put them into the fire, and if they are gods they will jump out: and if +they are not gods they will melt like common iron: let us see." The +blacksmith did what I wished. He made one ploughshare immediately, and +the others afterwards. The lookers-on said nothing, but they doubtless +expected some dreadful calamity would happen to me. When my father +heard what I had done, he was very angry, and said, "This boy is born to +destroy our gods and customs." For several days he would not allow me +to enter his house: but in two or three weeks my father's displeasure +passed away, and the matter of the swords was not mentioned again. But +all the members of our family complained that I never bowed to the idol +when I passed the temple as they and all the other people in the village +did. To this, when questioned, I had only one answer, namely, "I don't +believe that any image made by human hands can be God." This boy was +evidently taught of God, without the aid of any human means. He could +not read; the example of his parents and friends was bad, very bad; and +he had never heard one word of Gospel Truth. + +Everyone who has seen an English plough will know that a few old swords +would not supply material for one English ploughshare, but an Indian +plough is a very different thing, and is well represented by the +accompanying sketch. All the iron required is a little bit at the point +which enters the ground. The plough is very light, and may easily be +carried by a _boy_ from the farmer's house to his field in the morning, +and back again in the evening. A _man_ may be often seen carrying _two_ +ploughs, one on each shoulder. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +INDIAN AGRICULTURE. + +We may imagine that the first plough ever used in India was a crooked +branch of a tree; and we may also imagine that when a suitable branch +could not be found, the skill of the best mechanic in the locality was +called into exercise to make something that would do as well as a +crooked branch. Then, in the course of years, some original genius +improved upon nature by adding, when needed, a harder substance than +wood; and hence the bit of iron now added to form the Indian +ploughshare. Beyond this the farmer who lived a thousand years since in +the Mysore country did not venture to go; and the present race of +cultivators, relying with implicit confidence on the wisdom of the +ancients, look with suspicion on all proposed improvements. This +primitive instrument, represented in the engraving, having been tied to +a bar of wood laid across the neck of two bullocks, and placed under the +management of a ploughboy, the ground is scratched a few inches deep +after every shower. This process prepares the ground for the seed, and +nature being generous, a very fair crop is produced. In the Mysore +country the farmers were never so prosperous as they are at the present +day. Thanks to English authority, the people are not oppressed as they +were under the despotic rule of their own native princes. The +Government is the great landlord; the rent of round has not been very +much increased; the taxes have been reduced, and the produce of the soil +fetches three times the price it did forty years ago. + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +HOW A SCHOOLMASTER BECAME A GOD. + +We have seen how some old swords were worshipped by Daniel's parents and +friends, and we will now show how, many years ago, a god was made out of +an old schoolmaster, and is worshipped at the present day. The legend +is that, about two hundred years ago, there lived in Goobbe a very +efficient schoolmaster, who was celebrated all over that part, of the +country for his learning, wisdom, and sanctity. He lived to a good old +age, and then died. The respect in which he had been held during his +life was manifested at his funeral, when there was a very large +gathering of mourners. His death was looked upon as a public calamity. +But he would doubtless soon have been forgotten had it not been for the +gratitude and activity of one of his pupils, named Burree Gowda. This +man had, during the course of twenty or thirty years, become very rich, +and a person of considerable influence. He attributed all his success +in life to the teaching and good example of his old schoolmaster, and he +felt disposed to do something to perpetuate his memory. He therefore +one day called together all the influential men of Goobbe, amongst whom +there were probably a few of Burree Gowda's fellow-students, and to this +assembly he opened his mind fully. He enumerated the excellencies of +his old teacher, and stated his conviction that the good schoolmaster +was something more than an ordinary mortal; indeed, that he was an +incarnation of some deity; adding that, being divine, he ought to be +worshipped. To this opinion the assembly assented. He next proposed +that a temple should be erected, and all arrangements secured for the +schoolmaster being worshipped as the god `Goobbe-appa'--that is, +Goobbe-father. All agreed to this also, as being calculated to benefit +the people of Goobbe, as well as to do honour to the schoolmaster. But +when Burree Gowda proposed to meet all the expenses himself, we may +fairly conclude hat the proposal was carried by acclamation. In due +time the temple was built, an idol (the bust of a man with a face of +gold) was made, and, with the usual ceremonies, "_Prana pratishta_" was +performed. This is a special ceremony, by which the Hindoos think life +is imparted to an image, or that a god is made to enter into an idol. +Thus they supposed that the deified old schoolmaster entered into the +image of `Goobbe-Appa,' which had been made for him to dwell in. And +there, in that temple, he is the most popular god of all within twenty +or thirty miles of Goobbe. He is not only worshipped daily by many who +live in the town, but also once a year by eight or ten thousands of +people who, at the anniversary, come in from all the adjacent towns and +villages. + +When Daniel was about fourteen or fifteen years of age, he had to take +part in one of these annual festivals. It appears that some rich man, +probably a descendant of Burree Gowda, had determined that year to have +a specially grand procession. He, therefore, months before the time, +began to make preparations. He had a car, or carriage, made, purchased +fireworks, lamps, torches, etcetera. The washermen far and near were +told to bring cloths of different colours with which to cover and +decorate the car, and payment for them was promised. Some people +brought garlands of flowers, evergreens and other foliage as presents; +so that when the procession started at midnight, with thousands of lamps +and hundreds of torches burning, the vast crowds of people gazed with +wonder and delight. Daniel had to attend and help to decorate the car +with such cloths as his father had been called upon to supply. This +being done, he had to carry a torch. The procession had not proceeded +very far before some of the cloths on the car took fire, either from the +lamps or from the fireworks, and a terrible confusion was immediately +produced. The priest of the temple, who was riding upon the car, was +very severely burned, while shrieks and cries were heard on every hand +from many who had been knocked down and injured. When the priest was +helped out of the burning car he ran into some deep water to cool +himself. The idol also was taken out of the flames, and finished its +journey in a palanquin. Daniel says, "I saw all this: and at the time +when the priest came out of the water, he ordered me to walk by his +side, and light the way for him with the torch which I had been directed +to carry; but as I proceeded, a sharp thorn ran into my foot, and gave +me great pain, so that I could not walk, but was obliged to sit down. +The priest commanded me to get up, and come along with him. I said, `Be +patient, my lord; I am suffering from a thorn in my foot.' However, in +a very loud and angry tone he said, `Get up, I command you, and come +with me after the god.' Then I felt angry too, and replied, `Why do you +bawl out in that way? The god does not want me; but if he does, I +cannot come; I am lame; he may help himself.' On hearing these words of +contempt for the god, the priest abused me very much, took the torch +from me, and ordering another person to carry it, he left me on the +ground trying to get the thorn out of my foot. Whilst I was lying there +in great pain, I heard a cry of `Thieves! thieves!--robbers! thieves!' +and saw many men running back from the burning car to the town. I +learned afterwards that a great many robbers had laid their plans to +enter the town quietly as soon as the inhabitants had left their houses +and shops to join the _Goobbe-Appa_ procession. The thieves did not +accomplish all they planned to do, but they stole very much valuable +property." All that happened at this festival served to convince Daniel +that `Goobbe-Appa' was as helpless as any other idol, and that the +so-called worship was senseless. + +This whole account of `Goobbe-Appa' shows how Hindoo ideas as to. God +and His worship differ from the ideas of Christians who have been +favoured with the Holy Scriptures. And the account will, it is hoped, +excite pity for the Hindoo men, women and children; and induce the +juvenile collectors, as well as others, to renewed efforts for sending +more Missionaries to India. + +At the annual festival, which lasts ten days, the Missionaries are fully +engaged distributing tracts, preaching, and conversing with serious +inquirers who have come from distant towns and villages. The +accompanying sketch, in which a Missionary is preaching, was taken near +the entrance to the town of Goobbe, close to the `Mantapa' in front of +`Goobbe-Appa's' temple. A mantapa is an open temple, or halting-place +for an idol on procession days. + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +THE IDOL WHICH SHED TEARS. + +When Daniel was about sixteen years of age, the cholera broke out for +the first time in Goobbe. It prevailed for about eighteen months, and +many persons died of it every day. The inhabitants of Singonahully, and +of all the other villages round about, were in consequence very much +afraid to enter the town. One day, during the prevalence of this +disease, an ass belonging to Daniel's father was missing. It had +strayed, and Daniel went from Singonahully towards Goobbe in search of +it, but without any intention of entering the town. On his way he met a +great crowd of people. There was in the crowd something different from +anything of the kind he had ever seen. He noticed that many of the +people had their bodies painted yellow, and there was to him something +very strange in their appearance, dress, and conduct. As he was gazing +at the people and walking slowly along, he stumbled, and fell over a +dead body, probably a victim of the cholera. He was very much alarmed; +and as he got up from the ground in agitation and terror, he saw his +uncle coming towards him, who, thinking Daniel was going into the town +of Goobbe, threatened to beat him, and said, in a very angry tone, "Why +are you going to that cursed place?" To escape his uncle, Daniel run +into the thickest part of the crowd, and he then determined to go along +with them, and see what was to be done. As they proceeded slowly +towards the large tank, (lake), he saw that a few men near the front +were carrying an image of clay in the shape of a woman. She had been +worshipped to avert cholera, and now the worshippers were taking the +idol to throw it into the tank, as the last act of their devotional +ceremony. Daniel was a close observer of all that was done, and he saw +at one time, when those who carried the idol held it up higher than the +heads of the people, tears run out of its eyes. Many persons in the +crowd saw the tears, and they all fell prostrate before the image of +clay, and cried aloud, "O mother, why are you shedding tears? Tell us +what grieves you, and we will do whatever you require." The priest, +immediately pretending that the goddess had entered into him, commanded, +as if the idol spake, that more sacrifices should be offered. On +hearing this, all the people stood still. They did not go on towards +the tank, but remained just where they were, until the animals could be +brought for the chucklers to offer them in sacrifice. The _chucklers_ +are the lowest class of persons in India, and to Europeans it is +unaccountable that, under any circumstances, they should be called upon +to act as priests. But so it is, in some localities. They sacrifice to +Mari, as the goddess who sends and takes away cholera and all epidemic +diseases. There is good ground for the opinion that these outcasts are +the descendants of the original inhabitants of the country, and that +they have been subjected to degradation by a succession of conquerors. +Their invaders found them with a creed, and certain customs to avert +diseases, with which they have never interfered. Hence the present +practice. After the Goobbe procession had waited a long time, fifteen +buffaloes and a few sheep were brought and sacrificed near the idol. +This having been done, the weeping goddess was satisfied, as shown by +her shedding no more tears. The people took this as a very favourable +indication that the cholera would cease from that moment. They +proceeded to the tank, threw the idol into it, and returned to their +homes rejoicing. Daniel, who had witnessed all these proceedings, had +his curiosity excited, and thought there must be some deception in the +matter of the idol shedding tears. And in this sceptical mood he went +home to Singonahully perplexed, but resolving to get at the truth if +possible. The idol had not been thrown into deep water, and he +determined to rise early next morning, go to the tank, and examine the +head and eyes of the idol. He did so, and the following is his own +account: "Before daybreak I ran from my father's house to the place +where I had seen the idol thrown into the water, and I found it, just as +it had been left the previous evening. I saw many plantains, +cocoa-nuts, and other things, which had been offered to the idol, +scattered about on the ground. Such as were not spoiled, I collected in +order to take them home with me. Having done this, I commenced my +examination of the image. I broke its head, and the whole mystery was +revealed at once. I found in the head an earthen vessel, round as a +ball, with two small holes in it; these corresponded with the eyes of +the image; and I perceived that when the vessel had a good quantity of +water in it, if those who carried the image made it lean forward a +little, a small quantity of water would ooze out of these holes, and +trickle down the face of the image like tears. I rejoiced greatly that +I had found out the trick by which the people had been deceived; and, +chuckling, I took up the fruit which I had collected, and went back to +Singonahully without anyone knowing what I had done. I was afraid to +take my load of cocoa-nuts and plantains to my father's house, lest I +should be questioned as to where I had been and what I had done; so I +hid all my booty in a hollow banyan tree outside the village, and +resorted to this store-house whenever I wanted a treat. However, when +my young friends and others saw that every day I had an abundance of +good things to eat, they were desirous of knowing where I got them. +After a little delay, I told one of my young friends, not only where I +obtained the fruit, but also an that I had done with the idol. He was +terrified; and running into the village, he published the whole affair. +The villagers were alarmed; they feared some dreadful result, and +wondered at my wickedness. From Singonahully the news was soon carried +to Goobbe, and I was summoned to appear before the chief magistrate of +the town. He heard all that my accusers had to say, which I admitted to +be true. He was very angry, and said to me, `On account of your +wickedness, the cholera has not been removed yet, and as a punishment +you must be imprisoned for a long time.' I was immediately sent to the +jail; but after I had been confined there two or three days, I had an +opportunity of speaking to the magistrate; and I then told him how the +people had been deceived, and cheated out of their sheep and buffaloes, +and how I had discovered the trick when I broke the head of the idol. +He was evidently annoyed, either at the deception practised on the +people or at the fact being discovered; and after a few minutes' +hesitation, he released me from prison." + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +DANIEL IN TROUBLE. + +About that time Daniel's mother became insane, and her friends were all +of opinion that she was possessed of an evil spirit. This troubled +Daniel, for he loved his mother very much. The remedy for such cases +was prescribed, and the foolish ceremonies were duly performed by +Daniel's father. After several months the poor woman recovered, and it +was supposed by all the friends and neighbours that her cure was +produced by the ceremonies, charms, and incantations which had been +made. It does not appear that Daniel raised any objections to the +performance of these superstitious ceremonies, or, on the other hand, +that he had any faith in their efficacy; but he rejoiced greatly when +his mother was restored to soundness of mind. Daniel says: "When I was +about nineteen years of age, I gave myself up to many wicked practices, +and my conduct for many months was very immoral. Our family was poor, +and I determined to leave Singonahully for some place where I might get +on a little better in the world. But one of my uncles, who was a +wealthy man, interposed, and took me to his house. He set me to work in +his fields, and assist him generally in agricultural operations. Whilst +so employed, I wished to be married, but met with two difficulties: the +first was poverty. My father had no money; and as the marriage +ceremonies and feasts are always expensive, I knew not what to do. Then +there was another hindrance: the father of my intended wife withdrew the +consent he had formerly given to the marriage, on account of my conduct +in connection with the cholera goddess. But my generous uncle +interposed, and induced him to give his consent. And then he removed +the other difficulty by paying all the marriage expenses himself. With +this uncle we lived many years in Goobbe; and when he became an old man, +I managed his farm for him, and at the same time I carried on my work as +village washerman." + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE. + +THE FIRST SERMON PREACHED IN GOOBBE. + +On the 1st of September, 1836, Goobbe received the first visit of a +Protestant Missionary. The following is an extract from Mr Hodson's +Journal: "After spending a few days with Captain (now General) Dobbs at +Toomcoor, I rode over to Goobbe, a distance of twelve miles. When I had +arrived within about a mile of the town, I was met by a number of the +principal inhabitants, who expected Captain Dobbs. On finding out their +mistake, they politely paid me the compliments intended for their local +governor. They accompanied me to the `gate of the city,' and their +trumpeter gave notice to the whole town that `a person of distinction' +had arrived, and it was very soon known to every one who loved to hear +news that the visitor was a Missionary. After breakfast, which Captain +Dobbs' servant had prepared for me, I went into some of the principal +streets of Goobbe to make my observations on the suitability of the +place for a mission-station. In one of the streets I met with a +Christian young man, who had been schoolmaster at Toomcoor, who rendered +me some assistance. After taking an extensive survey of the place, I +returned to the first gate, and seeing a large shop, open to the street, +unoccupied, I took possession of it, and requested the young man above +mentioned to read part of a Canarese tract which he had in his hand. A +few people entered the room, but the greater number stood in the street, +about two feet below the shop. Novelty brought a congregation of about +one hundred, to whom, after the young native man had done reading, I +gave a short address on the plan of salvation, and an exhortation to +repent and believe in Christ." When this first little sermon was +preached in Goobbe, Daniel and his wife had been living there several +years. This day was the commencement of a new era in Daniel's life. +Hitherto, from his youth up, though he despised idol-worship, he knew +nothing about the one true God. Like his neighbours, he believed there +were millions of gods, who filled various offices in the government of +the world. He had heard of many incarnations of the chief deities, +whose good and evil actions are recorded in books held sacred by the +Hindoos. He had very confused notions about a future state, but thought +there would be a `judgment' of some kind, followed by rewards and +punishments. Also, like all other Hindoos, he was of opinion that when +a man dies his soul does not go direct to heaven or to hell, but that it +passes into some other body: it may be the body of a human being, or it +may be into that of a beast, a bird, a fish, or an insect. And then, +after millions of migrations like these, the soul either finds a +permanent state of existence according to its fate, or its identity is +lost by being absorbed into deity. + +Shortly after Daniel heard the first Gospel sermon, Mr Franklin, an +assistant Missionary, was sent by Mr Hodson from Bangalore to Goobbe, +to make certain arrangements for building a mission-house. With him +Daniel had long and interesting conversations. He says: "I was walking +one morning with Mr Franklin outside the town of Goobbe, looking at +some land which he thought would be suitable for building a +mission-house upon, and, turning, he saw some tombs. He took hold of my +hand, and said, `What are those?' I replied, `They are tombs--that is, +the place where the dead are buried.' He added: `You and I must die and +be buried. We shall turn to dust; but there will be a resurrection of +the bodies of all men, the raised body will be re-united with its soul, +and dwell for, ever either in happiness or in misery. The true +worshippers of the one true God will go to heaven, and the others to +hell. These truths are written in the Christian's _Shastras_. Mr +Hodson and I intend coming to live at Goobbe, and then we will teach all +the people the way to heaven.' I was not much impressed with what he +said about the Christian Scriptures, but replied, `When Mr Hodson +comes, I hope I shall be employed by him as his washerman?'" + + + +CHAPTER THIRTEEN. + +WESLEYAN MISSION COMMENCED AT GOOBBE. + +In April, 1837, Mr and Mrs Hodson went to live at Goobbe. At first +they dwelt in tents, and then they built a little cottage, of which the +accompanying sketch gives a fair representation. The walls, about six +feet high, were made of mud, the roof was thatch, and the rooms were +small and few. But the Missionary and his wife found it very +comfortable when the weather was fine, though when it rained they were +subject to many little inconveniences. This mission cottage, situated +on the brow of a rising ground, commanded a pleasant and extensive +prospect. In the front there was a view over hill and dale, wood and +water, for fifty or sixty miles. On one side the low flat lands, well +watered from a large tank, were covered with rich crops of rice. On +other sides there were patches of varied cultivation, interspersed with +clumps of trees, as well as large tracts of uncultivated land, used as +common pasturage for all the cattle of the town. To these unenclosed +grounds cows, sheep, etcetera, were driven out every morning, and after +grazing all day, were brought back into the town of Goobbe every +evening. Occasionally, a shepherd's boy, reclining on the ground near +his sheep, played sweetly on an instrument, newly made by himself out of +some hollow vegetable stalk, but which in an hour or two, on its +becoming dry or injured, he would break and throw away as a useless +`bruised reed.' The Missionary has often sat at his cottage door +admiring these beauties of nature, when unexpectedly a few graceful +timid antelopes have run across the garden in front of him, adding life +as well as beauty to the scene. On a Sunday morning he often fancied +every thing appeared clearer, brighter and more beautiful than on other +days. There was, however, one dark cloud hanging over all this +loveliness, in the fact that the town of Goobbe, just at the foot of the +hill was wholly given to idolatry: + + "Every prospect pleases, + Only man is vile." + +The Missionary and his assistant went forth daily from their poor abodes +carrying the riches of the Gospel either into one of the streets of +Goobbe, or to some of the numerous villages within seven or eight miles +of the mission cottage, and preached in the open air to as many people +as they could collect; and when a congregation could not be obtained, +they went from house to house, and thus made known the plan of +salvation. When they went the first time to any village the people +stood in the attitude of attention, but what they heard was so new, that +more of wonder than intelligence was manifested by all. After a few +visits, when information had increased a little, there was still a +manifest disinclination to accept the truth. Because, for a Hindu to be +told that in order to salvation he must forsake the idols which his +forefathers have worshipped for hundreds of years, and adopt the creed +laid down in the _Shastras_ of another nation, is to him the height of +absurdity. And it very frequently happened that at the conclusion of a +sermon the Missionary would hear some one say, "Very good, all very +true; your religion is good for you, and ours is good for us." + +Very few of the people were able to read, so that the distribution of +tracts was very limited. They invited all serious enquirers to the +cottage to talk about Christianity. Amongst the women who came, some +had sickly children with them. On seeing this, Mrs Hodson administered +some simple medicines, which cured several, and their parents +attributing the cure to the favour of the Missionary's God, they were +for a time very anxious to hear more about Jesus Christ. Reports of +these cures were exaggerated, and so mixed up with the New Testament +accounts of the miracles performed by Jesus Christ in raising the dead, +opening the eyes of the blind, etcetera, that one poor woman brought her +child, who had been blind three years, in hopes that Mrs Hodson would +be able to restore its sight. Amongst the more intelligent visitors was +Daniel: and one evening, just after the tent, as a residence, had been +abandoned for the thatched cottage, Mrs Hodson went with her husband to +see Daniel's village, Singonahully. No English lady had ever been in +the village before, so that there was considerable excitement produced +by the visit. Mr Hodson says, "As we drew near to the gate of the +village we saw two or three boys running to let their parents and others +know that the Missionary and his wife were coming. On entering, Daniel +showed us his house, and in a very short time nearly all the people of +the village, men, women, and children, were gathered together." Having +such a large congregation, Mr Hodson preached a short sermon, but with +very little good effect, especially on the minds of the women, for their +attention was evidently much more occupied with the shape, colour and +material of Mrs Hodson's dress than with anything her husband said to +them. + + + +CHAPTER FOURTEEN. + +VILLAGE WASHERMAN. + +Daniel was by this time regularly installed as Mission Washerman. There +is no such person as a _washerwoman_ amongst the Hindoos. Men do the +washing in India, and their manner of doing it is very different from +the English mode. Instead of using wash-tubs, etcetera, etcetera, as an +English washerwoman does, the Indian washerman loads a donkey or two +with the dirty clothes, takes them to a tank of good clean water, and +there, in the open air, he performs all his purifying operations. Close +to the water's edge there is placed a sloping piece of wood, or a large +flat stone. The washerman standing close to it, dips the cloth or +garment into the water, and taking hold of one end gives the other, +which has been dipped, a good swing in the air and brings it down on the +wood or stone with a heavy splashing thump. This is repeated again and +again, until the cloth or garment is clean. It is then laid out on the +grass or rock to dry. In this way Daniel and his relatives had done all +the washing required by the farmers and others, in Goobbe and +Singonahully, for many years. In their cases ironing or mangling was +never thought of. When, therefore, Daniel was sent for to do the +Mission-house washing and ironing, he expressed his readiness to do the +former, but doubted his ability to perform the latter, and expressed +many fears. But Mrs Hodson shewed him how to wash and also to iron her +dresses in the way she wished to have them done. She made him a present +of an iron, taught him how to use it, so that, in due time, his work was +pronounced satisfactory, and it was acknowledged by all that Daniel +stood at the head of his profession--that his skill exceeded that of any +other washerman within a circuit of many miles round Goobbe. This +little act of kindness in giving the iron to Daniel, was gratefully +remembered by him as long as he could remember anything, and he would +occasionally shew it to visitors. Under other circumstances he would +doubtless have worshipped that smoothing iron as his forefathers did the +old swords. + + + +CHAPTER FIFTEEN. + +FIRST MISSION-HOUSE AT GOOBBE. + +Mrs Hodson laid the foundation brick of the Goobbe Mission House on the +24th of May, 1838. The building was finished on the 17th of August +following, and cost 180 pounds. A few days after it was finished, Mr +and Mrs John Jenkins, with their child, came to live at Goobbe, and had +half the new house (namely, one large room and two small ones) given up +to them; the two mission families cheerfully sacrificing a few comforts +for the benefit of having an additional preacher in the Circuit. We +have seen how Daniel, even when a lad, and without the gospel, treated +idols and idolatry; but after the gospel had been preached to him and to +his neighbours, the people of his village came round very much to his +opinion, greatly to the encouragement of the Missionaries. + + + +CHAPTER SIXTEEN. + +AN ABANDONED HEATHEN TEMPLE. + +On the 11th of October, 1839, Mr Arthur joined Mr Jenkins at Goobbe, +and by that time the fruit of past labour was beginning to appear; not +in the shape of individual conversions, but in an extensive neglect of +idol-worship, particularly in Singonahully. Mr Arthur gives the +following account: "About the time of my arrival, the inhabitants of the +place declared that they had abandoned idolatry, and would no more +honour the temple of Runga. To test their sincerity, Mr Jenkins one +morning, asked them whether he might go to the temple. `O, by all +means.' `Might we enter?' `Yes; go where you like.' `Might we enter +without taking off our shoes?' `Certainly; we don't care who goes, or +how: we have given up the idol.' This was strong proof that their old +feelings had vanished; and, accordingly, at the temple we found no +obstacle to our entrance. Shod and covered, we passed up through the +outer apartment to the sanctuary, where sat the grim image of Runga, +incrusted in the congealed oil and _ghee_ of many anointings, with the +lightless lamp before him, faded garlands hanging round his neck, loads +of dust settled on his person, and part of the roof falling in directly +above. No room remained for doubt. The faith which once adored Runga +had changed into contempt; and we rejoiced over that forsaken idol, as +an earnest of better days. On afterwards enquiring what induced them to +withdraw the confidence they had so long reposed in Runga, they +answered, `You,' (meaning the Missionaries), `told us that the god did +not protect us, but that we protected the god; that if we only left him +alone, we should see that he could not take care of himself; and if he +could not take care of himself, how could he take care of us? Now we +thought that was a _buddhi matu_,' (a word of sense), `and so we +resolved to see whether he could take care of himself or not; for we +felt certain that if he could not take care of himself, it was out of +the question that he could take care of us. Accordingly we discontinued +_pooja_ (worship). We soon found he could not keep the lamp burning, +nor the garlands fresh, nor the temple clean, nor do a single thing for +himself. The lamp went out, the flowers withered, the temple became +dirty; and then,' (they added, laughing) `the roof fell in, just over +his head, and there he sat, _soommanay_ (tamely) under it; so we saw +very well he could not take care of himself. Notwithstanding all this, +we had some fears that the return of their annual feast-day would revive +their love for heathenish merry-makings with a force too strong for +their new convictions. The day came, and we watched the village +narrowly. There was no car, no procession, no music: and, when night +came, no _tom-tom_ was beaten, no rocket sent up, nor any other sign +that it was the day of Runga.' One morning, when preaching in the +village, I observed that the old man who used to conduct the services of +the temple, was not in the congregation; and feeling, for the moment, a +suspicion lest he should have returned to his former occupation, I +asked, `Where is the _poojari_?' A young man instantly replied, +smiling, and patting his person, `O, he has gone to the fields with the +cattle: now that the temple is given up, he must do something for his +stomach.'" + + + +CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. + +AN IDOL THROWN OUT OF A TEMPLE. + +Mr Male, who succeeded Mr Jenkins at Goobbe, has left upon record a +further account of what happened to the idol Runga. He says, "One day +in August, 1842, as I was returning from Toomcoor to Goobbe, I overtook +a Brahman, and in the course of conversation he enquired whether or not +I had heard of what had befallen Singonahully _Runga Swami_. I replied +that I had not. He then said, `_Runga Swami_ has been thrown out of his +temple, and is now outside the door among the stones.' + +"`Well,' I said, `what do you think will be done?' He answered, `Why, +formerly, a great deal of money would have been collected, and with it +many things would have been done to purify the god; and then he would +have been replaced in the temple; but now the people care nothing about +it, no money will be given and nothing will be done. If anything be +said to the people of the village on the subject, they will say, "What +can we do? We have nothing to give: we did not throw the god out, +etcetera, etcetera."'" Mr Male adds, "The remarks of the Brahman were +very true, for the people did not do anything to reinstate the idol. I +spoke to them several times about the downfall of their god, but they +made very light of the matter. However, after the idol had been thus +degraded for many weeks, some villagers, out of pity to the poor old +priest, promised that they would reinstate the idol when they had money +enough to pay for all the ceremonies. The priest, therefore, in order +to preserve the idol from further indignities, and also to commence the +process of purification, put it into a well near the temple, to remain +there, until the villagers performed their promise." The next event, +cheering to the Missionaries, was the baptism of Daniel. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. + +BAPTISM OF DANIEL. + +In the beginning of 1843, the mind of Daniel was brought under a very +powerful and gracious influence of the Holy Spirit, which produced an +ardent desire for salvation. Hitherto he had been an opponent of +idolatry, and he had manifested an interest in the doctrines of +Christianity, but he had never shown any deep conviction of his +sinfulness and danger, nor any desire to obtain pardon and purity. He +had been a diligent hearer of the Word of God, and he had studied its +truths well. The Missionaries had established a school in Singonahully, +and visited it regularly to examine the boys. At these times many of +the parents attended, and took great interest in the progress of their +children. Daniel used very frequently to sit in the school listening to +the lessons, and, though he was never able to read himself, he had his +children taught, and made them read the Scriptures to him day by day for +many years. He was blessed with a very retentive memory and with good +common sense, so that he had a very fair acquaintance with the history, +the biography, and the doctrinal teaching of both the Old and the New +Testament. And now, to this knowledge, there was added that special +working of the Holy Spirit, which produced deep conviction of sin, and +an anxious desire to escape eternal punishment. He says, "I regularly +attended the preaching of the Missionaries, and always felt interested +in what they taught, but I did not feel any serious concern for +salvation until Mr Hardey came to live at Goobbe. Under his teaching +and prayers I was brought to a better mind; but even then there were +some sins which I did not wish to give up. I wanted to save my soul and +yet retain some pecuniary advantages connected with heathenism. I and +my family had often conversed about our all becoming Christians, and +they, everyone of them, always declared that they would follow me. This +cheered and comforted me. But, for a long time, as often as I decided +to go and open my mind to the Missionaries, so often did some strong +temptation turn me aside. I feared my uncle who had been very kind to +me. And then I thought, all my relations will disown me, and they will +unite with other heathens in persecuting me, so that my life will be +made miserable. Thus I went on month after month. But at length, in +answer to prayer, I received power to decide for Christ and against the +world. I went immediately and told Mr Hardey all that was in my heart. +After this, he and Nallamuttoo, the Catechist, daily instructed me and +prayed with me for many weeks. I felt the benefit of this teaching, and +by Divine aid I was able to say, `I give up all for Christ.' One day +while under this course of instruction, I felt very anxious to be +baptised without further delay, and I asked Mr Hardey to fix upon a day +for the baptism. This being done I went home and told my wife and +children what I had done: and they all said, `we will do as you do.' +Mr Male was at this time living in Mysore, but as he had known and +instructed me before Messrs. Hardey and Sanderson came to live at +Goobbe, he was requested by them to come and perform this sacrament of +baptism. On his arrival he had a long conversation with me. He asked +me many questions, warned me as to coming persecutions, and exhorted me +to watchfulness, prayer, and faith. I said, `I believe that in every +difficulty God will be my friend and protector. By Divine help, I shall +be able to endure: and I am prepared to give up all for Christ.'" + +The day fixed for the baptism was Sunday, the 13th of August, 1843; and +the place was the Goobbe chapel, near the fort gate, not the present +chapel, but the one which was first built in that locality. Out of +curiosity many came to see a baptism, and amongst them several of +Daniel's relatives. Mr Male conducted the usual Sunday morning +service, and the large congregation was very attentive, both during the +sermon and whilst he read a portion of the baptismal service; but when +by his movements it became evident to those natives in the congregation +who were nearest to him that he was about to make some use of the water, +which was in the vessel on a table in front of him, they shrunk back +upon the people behind them, and in a moment there was a panic. Some, +not knowing exactly how the water would be used, and fearing that a drop +or two might by chance fall on them, so as to make them Christians +without their consent, rushed to the door; others, in ignorance, +followed; and as all tried to get out of the chapel at once, the doorway +was soon blocked up. Then a few men scrambled out at the windows; and +in the scuffle two or three children were knocked down, but no one was +seriously hurt. The confusion and noise put a stop to the sacred +service for several minutes. But when all the congregation had gone out +except Daniel and his four sons, Mr Male proceeded with the service +without further interruption. The people who had escaped out of the +chapel remained near to it in the street until the service was over. A +few peeped in at the open door and windows to gratify their curiosity. +The father was named Daniel, and his four sons were named respectively +John, Peter, Timothy, Samuel. There were some hindrances in the way of +Daniel's wife being baptised with her husband and children; but as Mr +Male happened to be passing through Goobbe six months afterwards, he +baptised her then, giving her the name of Sarah, as previously fixed +upon. After the baptism of Daniel and Sarah they continued to live in +the village of Singonahully, without any serious persecution from their +heathen neighbours. This may, perhaps, be accounted for on the ground +that the villagers having no love for idolatry, generally approved of +Daniel's conduct in embracing Christianity. + + + +CHAPTER NINETEEN. + +DANIEL AND THE VILLAGE PRIEST. + +After his baptism Daniel was very consistent in his conduct as a +Christian, and in a quiet way attempted to promote the spiritual +well-being of his neighbours. He was well qualified by his knowledge of +the Scriptures to set forth the truth as it is in Jesus; and was "ready +always to give an answer to every man that asked him a reason of the +hope that was in him with meekness and fear;" and his word was often +accompanied with divine power. He had long disputations with the +village priest, (a nephew of the man who was priest when the idol was +thrown out of the temple). His case is a very interesting one. He was +a sincere enquirer, and became a regular attendant at Daniel's family +prayer. He said one day to the Missionary, "Although I have walked +daily several miles to gather flowers, after bathing and putting on my +temple garments; although I have gone into the temple and made offerings +to the idol; although I have done all this in sincerity to the present +time--this idol, neither in my dreams nor when awake, has ever said, +`Thy sins are forgiven thee.' Although from fear lest the idol should +destroy me, I have fasted and prayed, it never said to me, `Thou shalt +escape hell and enjoy heaven.' Therefore the idol is a lie, and I +forsake it. I embrace Jesus Christ as my Saviour and my God." Mr +Walker gives the following account of him:--"A few days ago, just as I +was leaving the village of Singonahully, after preaching, I saw the +_poojari_ with his guitar in his hand, going off to another village to +beg his bread for the day. I stopped him, and we entered into +conversation on the sin of idol-worship. I told him that in order to +obtain salvation it was absolutely necessary for him to abandon his +idols and embrace Christ as his only and present Saviour. He tried to +appear unconcerned, and said, `It is getting late; I must go for alms,' +and left me. In a few days he came to the Goobbe Chapel, and after the +sermon I spoke pointedly to him, asking him, in the presence of the +whole congregation, if he was desirous of obtaining salvation. He said, +`I am.' I asked if his idols could save him. He answered, `No.' I +then said, `If you will, with all your heart, believe in Christ and +become His disciple, He will save you.' Throughout this conversation +all the people looked at him in amazement. After a few days I went +again to Singonahully, and saw the _poojari_ in company with Daniel. I +preached to a small congregation from a part of the eighth Chapter of +Saint Matthew's Gospel; and in my sermon I proved the divinity of our +Lord Jesus Christ from the miraculous cure he wrought upon the leper. I +showed to them the leprosy of sin; and after dwelling upon the awful +consequences of sin, I exhorted the people to seek for the healing of +their spiritual maladies by faith in Jesus Christ. This done, the +_poojari_ and Daniel accompanied me to my house. At Daniel's request I +read the parable of the Pharisee and Publican, and commented on it. The +next morning the _poojari_ came to my house again, and said he wished to +be baptised. I exhorted him to stand steadfast, by faith in Christ, and +then prayed with him. He appeared to be deeply affected. He came with +Daniel to our next Class-meeting, and joined heartily in our devotions. +In a day or two he came to my house again, and gave me the idol which he +and his family had worshipped for many years." He then went home, and +told his wife what he had done with the idol, and that he had made up +his mind to become a Christian. His wife on hearing this began to beat +her breast and cry bitterly. She threatened to go to the mission-house, +pull out her tongue and die there. The heathen people in Singonahully, +hearing that the priest had given Mr Walker the idol which he and his +family had worshipped, became alarmed, and secured the keys of a temple +inside the village, where the priest officiated daily, lest the idol in +it should also be taken and given to the Missionary. After a few days +the priest's wife ceased her opposition, and began herself to converse +with Daniel's wife and others about the truths of Christianity. The +villagers annoyed the priest in every possible way. As he could not +remain peaceably in his own house, he left the village, and the +Missionary gave him a room on the mission premises. Sunday, December +20th, 1846, was the day fixed on for the baptism. The place was the +chapel in which Daniel had been baptised about three years previously. +The congregation was unusually large, and a solemn awe rested upon the +people. The interest increased as the service proceeded. _Vysha Runga_ +was the priest's heathen name. After he had answered all the questions +proposed to him in the presence of the congregation, he was baptised in +the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and was henceforth +known by the name of Abraham. On the same day he voluntarily took food +with the other Christians, as a public announcement that he had broken +his caste. The Missionaries considered that Daniel was the chief +instrument, in the hands of God, of this man's conversion. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY. + +DANIEL "MADE A MARRIAGE FOR HIS SON." + +In the year 1848 Daniel "made a marriage for his son," and the +Missionaries fearing that he might go to some excess either in +expenditure or in some worldly conformity, gave him special warning, and +watched over the preparations with anxious care. On the wedding day a +great number of the friends of both families assembled, and amongst them +were many heathens. There were present some who at one time had +manifested the greatest hostility to Daniel on account of his baptism. +They had refused him access to their houses, and invoked the most +dreadful calamities upon him and his family for renouncing the religion +of his fathers. However, in many things Daniel had prospered: the +blessing of God upon his diligence had placed him in better +circumstances than he was in when he embraced Christianity. There was a +cheerful generosity in his manner which was well calculated to remove +unpleasant feelings, whilst respect was gained by his consistent +Christian deportment. This was an illustration of the proverb, "When a +man's ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace +with him." After the marriage ceremony was over, all went together to +Daniel's house, which was not large enough to contain half of them. But +he had, as is usual on festive occasions, erected a temporary covering +at the front part of the house, which was very cool and pleasant. Here +at eight o'clock in the evening the marriage supper commenced, and +without a drawback of any kind all went on very pleasantly. But the +Missionaries felt anxious lest there should be, through mistaken +kindness, a yielding in some degree to the customs followed at heathen +weddings. They therefore determined to go from the mission-house to +Singonahully, so as to arrive about the time when the supper would be +over, and heathens, on such occasions, would commence their music, +dancing, etcetera. They thought that if any ill-advised arrangements +had been contemplated they would thus be averted; and also that their +presence would be a mark of interest felt in the happiness of the +newly-married pair. The delight of the Missionaries may be imagined +when, as they approached the house, they not only found all to be peace +and good order, but what was more gratifying, the bridegroom was reading +a Chapter of the New Testament, and Daniel was commenting, at proper +intervals, upon what was read, endeavouring to explain and apply the +words. The Missionaries sat down in the temporary verandah, where they +spent a happy half-hour with the wedding party in religious conversation +and prayer. Daniel was full of joy. This was his "family prayer" on a +larger scale than usual. He said to all present, with gratitude to God, +"When I became a Christian, my neighbours told me that I should never be +able to get my children married, nor even to procure bread for my +family. But God has supplied all my wants. Whatever I have needed He +has given, and I have no fears as to the future." The Missionaries +returned home truly thankful to God for this instance of His preserving +grace. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. + +THE GOOBBE CIRCUIT GIVEN UP. + +Up to this time Daniel had been sustained by Divine power against all +the opposition of his _enemies_. He had been tried and found faithful. +But now he had to endure trial from the conduct of his best friends--the +Missionaries and the Missionary Committee. In the year 1851, the +Society was in debt to a large amount, so that retrenchment was resorted +to, and the Mysore District was one of the sufferers. In this +difficulty the District Meeting decided to abandon the Goobbe Circuit. +In accordance with this decision, not only were the Missionaries +removed, but the Goobbe mission-house, the Goobbe chapel, in which +Daniel had been baptised, the school-rooms, and all other buildings, +were sold. When the idol was tumbled out of the temple, _Christianity_ +triumphed; and when the house of God was sold, _heathenism_ triumphed. +That was not only a bitter day to good old Daniel, but _a terrible blow +to the cause of Christ in Goobbe_. Enquirers after the way of salvation +enquired no more. Some who had taken a few steps in the narrow path +turned back, and never entered it again; while every heathen priest +found in this breaking up of the Mission a powerful argument to keep his +disciples out of the way to heaven. Whenever Daniel went from his own +village to Goobbe, he was derided by the heathen, as Pilgrim was at +Vanity Fair. The blasphemy and ridicule with which he was assailed were +almost unbearable. One day especially he was most severely tried. As +he was going along one of the principal streets some of the `lewd +fellows of the baser sort' were most insulting and abusive; and a few +shopkeepers joined them in ridiculing the Christian. His own account is +this: Some said, "What! did your Missionaries leave Goobbe because they +had no food?" "They had nothing to eat, so they sold the bungalow, and +the schools, and even God's house! Such is your fate. Have they given +you any of the money to live upon?" I replied, "God will not forsake +me. When I was an enemy to God, He protected and took care of me; and +now I am His child, will He forsake me? Never!" They said, "Will your +God maintain you if you sit doing nothing at home?" I answered, "It is +idleness to sit quietly at home. God has given me strength and a mind +to work for my living." One said, "You spoiled your caste when you had +every comfort; you are mad." One man, without attempting to ridicule, +said solemnly, "All that has happened to him was his fate; it was +written in his forehead; let him alone." Of course Daniel was much +distressed. He went home quite cast down, and in tears told his wife +how the people had ridiculed him, and how dejected he felt. But she +comforted him by saying--"We are called to bear all these reproaches for +Christ's sake, and He will support us under them; He will never forsake +us." At night he had a portion of God's Word read to him as usual, and +at family prayer he was much comforted: his faith and hope were +strengthened. In this way he went on for four or five years, without +any human help except an occasional visit from a Missionary, who, on a +preaching tour, turned aside to spend a few hours with him. Daniel +says, "One day the Reverend Messrs. Sanderson and Hardey called to see +us, and I exclaimed, `O, Sirs, we are left here as sheep without a +shepherd. You have planted a young tree, but it is dying for want of +water. The people reproach us, saying, "Your Missionaries having no +food, have sold the mission-house, the schools, and even the house of +God."'" Messrs. Sanderson and Hardey did and said all they could to +comfort and encourage the few forsaken Christians, and their effort was +not in vain. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. + +THE GOOBBE CIRCUIT RECOMMENCED. + +In the course of three or four years there was an improvement in the +pecuniary circumstances of the Missionary Society, and arrangements were +made for recruiting the Mysore District. In connection with these +changes, Mr Hodson returned to India. He landed at Madras January 1st, +1854. After being detained there several months, he went to live at +Bangalore, and paid his first visit to Goobbe on the 16th of April, +1855. He found the old mission-house in a very dilapidated state. It +had become the property of Government, and was used as a travellers' +bungalow--a public rest-house for every traveller passing that way who +needed accommodation. Mr Hodson and Daniel soon had an interview, and +the past days of trial were brought under review. In the midst of all +difficulties and persecutions Daniel had `kept the faith.' In his +conversation with Mr Hodson, he referred to the time when the first +sermon was preached in Goobbe, his being employed by Mrs Hodson, his +conviction of sin, and his baptism. He stated with wonderful +correctness many events that had happened in the Mission from its +commencement to that day; and some of them were referred to with deep +feeling. When Mr Hodson said, "We will try to re-purchase this house, +build a new chapel, and put a Missionary to live at Goobbe again,"--the +good man wept with joy. He said that this revival of the Mission had +been his prayer and hope ever since the Missionaries went away. The +Government re-sold the mission-house to Mr Hodson for the sum they had +paid the Mission for it. Under Mr Sullivan's care the house was put +into complete repair, and a good substantial chapel was built in the +town of Goobbe. Mr Hodson preached the opening sermon, June 12th, +1860. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. + +A CONVERTED VILLAGE BLACKSMITH. + +We have already seen how Daniel tried to bring his heathen neighbours +into the way to heaven; but another instance of his successful efforts +is given by Mr Sullivan, the then resident Missionary: "Runga was a +blacksmith, a very immoral man, who lived in Singonahully. Daniel +instructed him and warned him. He told him of heaven and hell; showed +him that unless he repented and believed in Christ he could not be +saved. Sometimes Runga was attentive, and his case seemed hopeful, but +at other times it was quite the reverse. At length he yielded to +Daniel's invitation, and attended morning and evening in Daniel's house +at the time for family devotions. After that he began to attend divine +service in the Singonahully chapel. He was ridiculed and persecuted by +the heathen, but he held on his way. These means of grace were blessed +to him. He became penitent, and brought forth the fruits of repentance. +The reformation in his conduct was evident to all who observed him. +From being a drunkard he became a sober man; and he resolved never to +take another drop of intoxicating liquor--a resolution which he +faithfully kept to the day of his death. He also became industrious, so +that his wife and children, who had formerly been half starved, and who +were covered with rags and dirt, now experienced a wonderful change. +They had abundance of good food, were well clothed, and their house, as +well as their persons, was always neat and clean. But Daniel, though +pleased with this outward reformation, was not satisfied; he knew that +something more was necessary. He persevered in exhortation and prayer +for the man's conversion to God; and he wished him to make an open +confession of his faith by baptism. As often as Daniel pressed this +duty upon him, so often did Runga declare, `I am not worthy to be called +a Christian; I am not worthy to be as you are. I believe in Christ for +salvation, but I am too vile to be honoured with baptism.' One day, by +way of showing that he had done with idolatry, he took a number of iron +things--not idols, but instruments that had been used in idolatrous +ceremonies by himself and his forefathers--and with his own hands he +made them into reaping-hooks and other useful farming instruments, +preceding his work by the declaration, `These things won't be wanted any +more in their present shape, so I will make something useful of them.' +When he was attacked by a fatal disease, some of the villagers said to +him exultingly, `Ah! you have become a Christian; you trust in the +Christian's God; let us see if He will cure you; He cannot; our god will +kill you.' Daniel said to the sick man, `Do you believe that their god +can harm you?' He said, `No, no!' Daniel's wife then added, `But we +all think you will die; are you afraid to die?' He answered, `I am not +afraid; I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.' When he became worse, and +it was evident that he had not many minutes to live, Daniel said to him, +`Runga, continue to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.' He replied, `I +believe ONLY on the Lord Jesus Christ,' and in a few minutes he died. +He was never baptised, but doubtless he was saved through the merit of +Jesus' death, and Daniel was the chief instrument in his conversion." + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. + +NEW VILLAGE CHAPEL. + +Up to the year 1864, one building in Singonahully, had served the double +purpose of chapel and school-room. This was not according to Daniel's +wish. He thought there ought to be two buildings. And he resolved to +erect a school-room at his own expense, and give it to the Mission, as a +thank-offering to the Lord for a good harvest; for by this time he was a +farmer as well as a washerman. Full of this idea he came to the +Mission-house, and with great modesty spoke of the plan which he had +made. The Missionary approved of having two buildings, but suggested +that instead of building a school-room, it would be better to keep the +present building for school purposes, and erect a new chapel. The sum +which Daniel had set apart was 4 pounds, but this would not build a +chapel. However, the Missionary proposed that Daniel should give his 4 +pounds, and that a few friends should be asked to make up the +deficiency. This was done, and the chapel was built. Four pounds may, +to some persons, seem a small sum, but He who "searches the heart," and +Who approved of the widow's two mites, rightly estimated the value of +old Daniel's gift; and the Missionary Society would have a larger income +than it now has, if all Christians would give the same proportion of +their income as Daniel gave on this occasion. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE. + +DANIEL'S SICKNESS AND HAPPY DEATH. + +When Daniel was over seventy years of age, he said to a friend, "It has +pleased God to take my wife to himself, and I am _now_ an aged pilgrim +near my journey's end. I have been spared to see my children's +children, even to the third generation. I have five sons, twelve +grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. I commit them all to the +hand of the great God whom I serve. I pray that He will bless them, +keep them all in the way to Heaven, and that I may meet them all in +glory. May He help me to wait patiently here until He shall call me +into Heaven through the merit of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God +bless the Missionaries and the Mission work abundantly." + +About twelve months before his death, Daniel caused the following +testimony to be written, "I was born in sin, and I lived in the practice +of all kinds of iniquity. I performed the ceremonies and followed the +customs of our people for many years, but I found no peace in them. +Then I began to think about worshipping the _one_ God, of whom I had +heard something, but I was very ignorant and knew not how to worship +Him. While I was thinking much on this subject, the Missionaries came +and preached the Gospel. I heard the truth; and by their teaching I was +made to understand the way of salvation. I believed on the Lord Jesus +Christ with my whole heart, and then I felt that God, for the sake of +Christ's merit, had pardoned all my sins. Peace and joy sprung up in my +heart: and I now pray for His help to keep me from sin as long as I +live. I am nearly eighty years old; my days are uncertain; I do not +know when I may die. I have no delight in this world, and I hope to +enter the world of glory, through the merit of the death of Christ." + +He became gradually more and more feeble, and for many weeks before he +died was blind and nearly deaf. Mr Haigh, who was then at Goobbe, +gives the following account: "On Saturday evening I went with Mr and +Mrs Hocken to see Daniel. We found him sleeping on a mattress. He +awoke soon after we entered his room, but the attendants found it +difficult to make him understand who we were. He did not answer our +questions, but muttered a few short sentences, and then after a long +pause, he said distinctly, `O, Jesus, take me to Thyself, take me to +Thyself.' When, at length, his son made him understand who we were, the +good old man wept, and said, `Alas! I cannot see them.' At this moment +of clearer consciousness, his son, at Mr Hocken's request, asked him if +he had joy in thinking of Jesus. He replied, `Yes, great joy.'" + +Mr Hocken has given the following account: "On Saturday evening, +October 25th, Mr Haigh, Mrs Hocken and myself went from the +Mission-house to see old Daniel. We found him lying on a mat, and +covered with a white cloth. He appeared unconscious of our presence, +and murmured as one in a dream, `Jesu, Swamy, (Lord), take me to Thy +feet.' It was some time before he could understand who we were, and +then he cried because he could not see us. The villagers crowded round +the door, and watched us with almost deathly silence. I tried to draw +the old man into conversation, but his mind wandered. At intervals he +prayed fervently to Jesus, lingering over, and repeating many times, the +name of Jesus. His mind seemed to be continually running on the thought +that he should soon be with Jesus. We prayed, and made preparations for +giving him the Lord's Supper. As soon as I put the sacramental bread +into his hand, a flash of devout _joy_ lighted up his face, and he +lifted the bread reverently to his mouth. It was a very affecting sight +to see this worthy old Christian taking the Sacrament for the last time. +All his family were deeply moved. When we took leave of him he started +as he took my wife's hand. He said, `This is a little one, whose is +it?' They told him it was Mrs Hocken's. The old man bent over it and +blessed her." + +A few days after this, while the Missionaries were away from Goobbe, +Daniel died; and the Catechist gives the following account: "On the day +of his death he appeared to be much better; his hearing and his sight +were both partially restored. He could see anyone moving about the +room. In the morning, being conscious that he was dying, he asked that +all his people might come around him, and when they had assembled he +exhorted them all to follow him to heaven. He said, `Give my salaam to +the Missionaries, and tell them I die happy; my heart is full of love to +God.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep." + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Old Daniel, by Thomas Hodson + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD DANIEL *** + +***** This file should be named 23123.txt or 23123.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/3/1/2/23123/ + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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