Camp, 1888
“I must write hastily,” he wrote to his sister early in 1888, “for we are busy with the special mission, and to-night are to set out for Mengnanapuram. It has been rather a mixed business in Palamcottah. Dear old Bishop Sargent, than whom none is truer to the Gospel of Christ, has unconsciously stood much in the way of organising the work, simply because he does not know what a mission such as you have in England really is. He kept all the arrangements in his own hands, and never showed the programme even to me, so that, as I expected, when the missioners came it proved that everything was out of gear. The work has therefore been anything but smooth. However, I trust that all has been overruled and that souls have got a blessing. Our people are very shy of the after-meeting kind of thing; but if only the truth strikes their heart, that will not matter so much. It is rather a difficult way of conducting a mission through an interpreter, and many of the phrases so familiar to us in the work at home do not convey the same idea here at all. ‘Anxious souls,” Closing with Christ,” Finding assurance,’ and such expressions, have to be much modified amplified is the word he would have written later before they are fully intelligible to our people here. However, it is time they were educated into the idea of special missions, and this will prove, I trust, an epoch in the history of the Tinnevelly Church.
“I like our mission preachers very much. I shall be chiefly associated with Baring Gould, who will be with us till the end of February. Perhaps you know that he has a church in Blackheath. Gilbert Karney, the C.E.Z.M.S. Secretary, is our other preacher. He speaks with power and knows his Bible thoroughly.”
The mission was planned so as to reach both Christians and Hindus in different centres of the district. In some places there were difficulties owing to passing troubles. “May we have guidance and rest in these perplexities,” he writes. Some times the ground was well prepared:
“Found the people solemnised by a recent visitation of cholera, which carried off some seventeen persons; consequently services very devout and after- meetings very solemn.”
The last meeting of the series must have sent the missioners to their knees:
“B. G., on ‘My Spirit shall not always strive ‘; a very trouble some service, as the people, in spite of entreaties, would persist in going in and out; irreverence striking. After-meeting quiet, I myself pacing the verandah to keep loungers away. A sad conclusion to a solemn time.”
In one place a series of open-air meetings for the heathen resulted from the mission, but the missioners made no attempt to tabulate results. Their work was with their God.
Meanwhile Sir Fowell Buxton with his son and a cousin of Mr. Carr’s had arrived, and we find Sir Fowell with Mr. Baring Gould addressing the senior students at the C.M.S. Tinnevelly College, “each splendidly in his sphere, a grandly-directed word.” And then came the regretful farewell:
“Deputation from Palamcottah Christians to wish B. G. God-speed; a touching meeting. Last confab with B. G. How I shall miss him! What a help he has been to me!”
A little expedition was planned to show the remaining guests something of the country.
“March 2. — Reached Pavanasam after tedious journey and sleepless night. After tea, to the waterfall, which was not very full of water, but scenery lovely. Had a glorious bathe and nice climb, our friends Carr, Buxton, and M’Innes doing some shooting. Then back to the madam [shelter made for pilgrims]. Afternoon, out again; saw the sacred fish in the river. Had a nice scramble up a mountain gorge. After dinner,
went to V for meeting with Christians, Buxton, Carr, and
I giving little addresses.
“March 3. — Had a nice scramble up the riverside above the falls, then back for a grand bathe in the pool, and picnic breakfast. Left about 2.30 for Palamcottah; most trying, tedious journey by bullock cart. Had to grieve over my impatience.”
Missionaries in hot lands will understand that last allusion. To those who travel in lavish ease, or to whom the vicissitudes of Eastern journeying are just so many delightful adventures, there may be slight temptation; but the less fortunate who find broken nights, noise, delays, and a hot confusion, weariness to the flesh, require careful preparation of spirit if their journeys are to be concluded in peace. The writer of this journal was never in the habit of calling unpleasant things by pleasant names where he himself was concerned: “A day of terrible rush: callers, business accounts, journey preparations. Have to confess to impatience and irritation.” This is one of the plain-spoken entries of a year or two later. But where it was a matter of other weary travellers, “tiredness” was the word that covered quite furious irritability; and there was no end to the kindly little contrivances to save fellow-travellers from being overtired.
Sunday, March 4th (“a day of real rest and peace, better than a thousand “) was followed by camp, and the next characteristic entry in the journal is:
“P, a village where we had good and long audience.
Spoke, but vainly I fear, for no liberty. Feel how little I am doing for Him Who saved me.”
“The heathen in South India are getting very active,” he writes to a friend on March 9th. “They are flooding the country with Hindu tracts written against Christianity in the most objectionable form. Further, they are raising funds and sending preachers all over the Presidency to preach publicly against the doctrines of Christianity. It shows, at least, that they are feeling the force of the Christian attack. But it is sad to see men publicly preaching, not to show the way of salvation, but simply to abuse a Gospel which comes to them with messages of life and peace. It shows how earnest we should be in testifying to the truth of God. With so many heathen still unevangelised and with nominal Christians to be stirred up, there is no need to be idle, as you may well conceive.”
Follows the familiar round of packing and unpacking, striking tent and pitching tent, riding, walking, or travelling by bandy to villages within reach of camp; finding here, “a crowd springing up as if by magic near a gaudily decorated temple,” there, no one who would listen at all; study, Tamil and English; times with Indian workers, sometimes cheering, sometimes disappointing; enquirers to the tent; curiosity gazers; hopes, fears, all, as ever, alternating in a monotony which is not monotonous, but at times not very inspiring. It was one of the two specially hot seasons of the year, and towards the end of March an attack of fever ended in what might have proved a serious breakdown.
“March 13. — Overtaken by darkness coming home, and had to ride straight to the Kytar Road and so back. Hot rides and unknown roads sadly trying to one’s patience. Lord, give me Thy patience!
“March 16. — Out of sorts all day with splitting headache “[first experience of sun-fever, and with it upon him he went out preaching morning and evening, not knowing the seriousness of it];” had to lie down several hours.
“March 18. — Had to speak sitting. Alas, that outward circumstances so interfere with holy things!
“March 24. — Attack of violent sickness. Morning, large crowd, good attention. Read with D. After a very trying
day, evening to S. Good, quiet crowd, and after preaching,
pleasant journey back in the moonlight. Hail, day of rest!
“Sunday, March 25. — Preached on ‘Let me die the death of the righteous.’ Pastor administered Holy Communion, I helping him. This service knocked me up. Afternoon, took the mission boys for Bible reading. At night there was a lamp light service, but I did not feel up to taking part. So hard to enter into the spiritual when the body is out of sorts.... Oh for a heart set above physical weakness, set on Christ!
“March 28. — Carr [who had joined the band] spoke by interpretation; a nice word. To me a trying day. Good for nothing.
“March 29. — After a sleepless night, had to preach in Tamil Church. God only helped me. A terrible day, like a century.”
On April 12 the struggle which had been too long prolonged ended, and the journey up to Kodaikanal, hill station above fever line nearest to Tinnevelly, was undertaken, though under difficulties. The last part is thus described after train and bandy to foot of hills:
“Found a pony and coolies ready at 3 a.m. The pony turned out to be a useless thing, and it was with great effort and some walking on my part we got half-way. Then there was nothing for it but to walk. Dragged myself painfully three miles, for I had no strength, and then had just to ask Divine help and intervention. Oh, how faithful is God! Met just then boy and provisions, which Mrs. Schaffter had kindly sent to me. No sooner refreshed by these than a chair and bearers turned up from somewhere, and I was taken easily the last three miles.”
The bracing hill air and the care of fellow-missionaries soon put things right.
“Feeling much stronger and better. Finished Mozley on The Baptismal Controversy, and thankful to have read him. Glorious walk with Harcourt. with grand views. Changed over to a lovely little room. May it be a sanctified one to me.... Read Tamil and Hebrew Psalms. Oh for more heart towards Thee! Glorious hill climb in morning; exquisitely beautiful views. Read some chemistry with great relish, also some Greek Testament. Thank God for renewed health.”
Here friendships were formed with missionaries of the Madura mission and with C.M.S. missionaries from Travancore. But the Plains called, and June 1st records:
“The Schaffters, Carr, and Ardill breakfasted with us, and we got all coolies off and a fair start by 1 p.m. Half-way down had a picnic tiffin and reached tope [grove at foot of hills] about 6. Then bandy confusion, and off to Periakulam, where we dined with the younger Chandlers [American Madura missionaries]. After dinner more bandy confusion, and off by about 10 p.m. for station, which we reached about 4.35 a.m.
“June 2. — Luggage scenes. And then off in train. Arrived in Palamcottah about 2 p.m. God fit me now for His work!”
The busy week after return from the hills closes as usual with “Looking forward to Sabbath rest and joy.” Rest and joy were apparently granted, for the last word of the next entry is: “Carr preached on ‘Thy Kingdom come ‘; very sweet and sound. Happy day; a delight.”
Once more we have pages of the ordinary round; and yet from another point of view there is something kaleidoscope-like in the variety of the days’ details. A real life was being lived as it is being lived to-day wherever sowers go forth to sow in the morning and in the evening, knowing not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether both shall be alike good. It held its dull hours, and its vivid hours, and its hours of sore self-searching; when to this sower, as to all true sowers, the longing to see the seed spring up grew almost too strong for expression, and the heart insisted upon questioning, Why does it not spring up more quickly? Lord is it I? An outward “joining the Way,” if that had been the objective, would not in some cases have been difficult to effect; but that was never for one moment the aim of this itinerating band, and the inward and spiritual is something more keenly contested by the powers of evil than any — except those who have set their hearts upon it, and it alone — will understand.
“June 12. — Preaching in four spots, including Brahman quarter. At one spot we found people were apostate Christians; had been baptised and bore Christian names. Had a solemn talk with them, and they promised to consider their ways with a view to return. Alas! how one misses conviction of sin in these preachings! Visitors to tent. One old man who listened to me, but seemed soulless and only wanted to try to borrow a pen. A young Brahman clerk in Sub-Registrar’s office here, willing to talk and hear the message.
“Then to V, where a large crowd, including many Brahmans, heard quietly. Some of the leading Brahmans sat on a verandah near me, and we had a word together after the preaching. On the way home had the misfortune to fall with my pony, which shied at some cows or buffaloes. Pony cut, and my left shoulder in pain. [He was rather badly hurt, but engaged a bullock bandy, and went on with his work as usual.]
“Visitors — the Christian Sub-Registrar. I had a solemn talk with him about his responsibility as the only Christian in this place, and then we had prayer together. I like the man, but he gives me the idea of want of moral power.
“Large crowds of Naiks [north country caste], but, in spite of their quiet behaviour, hard. Getting concerned about in different character of our work and about fleshliness of my own life.
“People heard well, quite different in their disposition to the previous preaching among them, and assented to the truths proclaimed. Would that they were touched by them!
“Fair crowd, but alas! the same spiritual deadness and in difference. The catechist is an old man, but spoke with great spirit and feeling.
“Went to a little village, the people of which formerly came over to Christianity and built a church, but are now back in devil worship. One man said that prosperity had returned since they had apostatised. Poor souls!
“Dismissed the bandy man I have had for some ten days. Seems really touched by what he has seen and heard, and expresses his determination to become a Christian. May the Lord bring it to good effect, and then I shall not have had my accident in vain. A night visit from the lineal descendant of the famous Polygar (who defied the British in the eighteenth century). He will not come out in the daytime, lest the people should see him, and so visited me at night. Sunday with Christians. Processioned streets with lights and music, and drew a large crowd into a rich Nadan’s courtyard, the people all seated in a great square below us. Enjoyed this day with the congregation.
“Began to study Acts of the Apostles as the pattern book of missionary operations, and found much spoil. Preaching to the heathen in the little hamlet where our church is, and found them dull, ignorant, and hardened.
“Over the river is a temple where there is a great yearly festival; seems some doubt about its origin; some say that Hanuman [the monkey god through whose prowess Rama’s queen, Sita, was delivered from the demon Ravana] found a jewel Sita dropped there [when Ravana was carrying her through the air to Ceylon], and stopped to pick it up. During last night and most of to-day scores and scores of bandies and hundreds on hundreds of sheep and goats passed this way, and a continuous .tream of people. Their only object seems to be to enjoy uemselves and have a good feast. It was to these passers-by that we preached this morning.”
This temple is exceptional in the south, being the only one open to those of the people who offer and consume animal sacrifices. It is built upon the bank of a river which at the time of the festival is a wide expanse of sand.
“As the people streamed back from their festival, had a running preaching for about two and a half hours. I noticed that on the top of most of the returning bandies the dried carcases of the slain goats and sheep, or portions of them, were tied.... HOAV helpless we are to effect anything.
“The pastor seems much respected here [Pannaivilaij. It was pretty to see him greet and invite with loving concern the Brahmans. They came and heard quietly and courteously. Large crowds. Two Shanar young men seem more than half persuaded, but God alone can bring it to good effect. Talk with the youth who formerly came for instruction to Palamcottah, but afterwards returned to his friends. He had come two miles up the road to meet me.”
This was the beginning, as it proved, of a true joy. The lad came back to Christ, fought through the long battle, and is now a worker in another mission. It was he who said, in speaking of his return to his beloved but temple-shadowed home: “I never knew before how dark it was.”
“Preaching in streets again, and afterwards evening lecture on Religion and History. Afterwards, several adverse speakers who, prejudiced by bigotry, misunderstood the lecture. The chairman, a Brahman, made a long speech, in the course of which he said: ‘We Hindus don’t know our own religion. We have fallen; we have adopted idol worship: the golden gate is shut in these days. But if the Christians have one Saviour, in the Vishnu incarnations how many have we got! ’
“Evening lecture again on the same subject as last night; more present, including Tahsildar [Government official]. Some of them sorry for their want of courtesy last night, and spoke kindly. The chairman said, ‘We must look into our Vedas and see if there be any way of light.’ God bless these educated Hindus, trying to hold the impossible though they be.”
In a neighbouring village, devil-worship was going on: “The idol was garlanded and lights were burning and a man was going to dance with strings passed through his pierced sides.” A contrast that to the Brahmans’ lecture-room; but the kaleidoscope deals in contrasts. Sometimes a word dropped from Hindu lips was caught up and treasured. “Preached outside Christian church. One man said, as he left the morning preaching, ‘They have both milk and honey.’”
“I am getting concerned about the itinerating work,” he writes to his sister towards the close of this year.” We preach and preach to hundreds and hundreds of people, but find little or no response. There must be something wrong in our mode of work, or way of putting the Gospel, or in ourselves, chiefly the last, I think. Anyhow, there is want of touch somewhere. I am wondering what to do. What I long for is a little community of bachelor missionaries to be always at work in the district, sharing each other’s sorrows and joys and living a life of greater simplicity than we do at present, trying to stir up native Christians to real self-denial, which is little understood by them. Perhaps I am dreaming; but I feel more and more that we ought to make a new departure somehow. Ask God to give us special guidance....
“At the church here [a little northern hamlet] are two missionary graves, those of Every and Barenbrack, the first two to give their lives for North Tinnevelly. They both died of cholera, and within a year of each other — 1858-59. Ragland also died in the latter year, and his body was to have been brought here for interment; but the little river which flows near was in flood, and so they were obliged to bury him apart in Sivakasi. There is something specially touching about a missionary grave in heathendom. It leads us to pray, in the words of our beautiful Common Prayer: ‘Give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of Thy heavenly kingdom.’”
The Englishman is not the only one to be touched by a missionary’s grave in heathendom. Nineteen years afterwards, the first of the converts, whose battle story is told later, went to that same little graveyard in sore distress, and seeing those two graves, received comfort. For, with her husband (the pastor) and her young children, she had recently come to the place, and immediately the children had sickened, and no suitable food being obtainable there, the youngest had died. Then the mother, distraught by the confused rollings of the wheels of second causes, lost for a moment her wonted peace, “till I went to the place of graves,” she wrote, “where they had laid my child, and saw those two graves. Then I thought, if two from a far country could give their lives for my country, surely I could give my little child. Thus I was comforted.”
Keith-Falconer’s Life, “a right noble one,” and Ragland’s, were read about this time; for missionary biography was to this missionary at least, then as always, most stimulating food, “nothing like it, next to the Word, for spiritual tonic,” he used to say. But in spite of spiritual tonic, there are entries that tell of burden: “not a satisfactory day’s work to look back upon,” closes a day full of interviews with people apparently not in earnest about salvation. And later, after & long day’s toil in the highways of North Tinnevelly: “But oh, there seems no opening of heart towards the Gospel. Lord, do Thou work!”
There is no glossing over anything felt in himself as inconsistency, want of earnestness, or want of love:
“Have to grieve over falling into petulancy and temper. No excuse, though little things come to try. Have to reproach myself with grievous failure both in walk and conversation. Heavy heart. When? When? — A European in Salt Department died. I was informed of his illness, but not knowing there was imminent danger, did not go in middle of day, and afterwards it was too late. Have to reproach myself bitterly for the neglect. Oh, how indifferent I find myself to spiritual welfare of perishing millions around.”
Again, after a long talk with a hard uncivil man:
“Fear I was tempted into speaking too harshly to him in the endeavour to bring him to Christ, and felt sorry for it afterwards.”
He is not satisfied with preaching and passing on:
“Feeling desire to get closer to the people than in mere street preaching.” But the heart-cry is for the deepest of all:” Somewhat tried by curiosity of people (privacy impossible). Oh for perfect peace and power! Led to see the unreality of my walk, and to desire a simple walk of faith. A day of more definite religious convictions. Oh that they may be deepened!... Day of much conflict with me: oh for holiness!
“I just rode back in time to welcome Bishop Sargent, who has come here this evening to conduct Church Council business,”
he writes upon December 7th.” He came across the sands from Mengnanapuram in a palanquin. He is very feeble, cannot walk alone, and is not able to take part in Church services. And yet here he is going about the district in this inclement weather, heavy rain and flooded ground, and working away at mission business as though he were strong and well! It is of no use saying anything. They all tried to prevent his coming, but in vain. He just ordered his bandy and came off from Palamcottah without telling any of them.
“If we could only get a strong itinerancy, we could make it a stimulating influence all round, by getting all the missionaries out to help us periodically. I believe in a good, warm, strong force in aggressive work. I can’t bear mere driblets of work. ‘Iron sharpeneth iron.’ It would be invaluable to get native catechists into such a spiritual hotbed as that which I long to see here.
“It is strange how happy one can be going about the country alone: I think love of study does much to relieve one of all sense of loneliness. I read a great deal and never get tired of poring over books. Tamil is an endless language; I am just entering on the poetry stage of it. If I can only get a firm grip of it, I should then like to learn Sanskrit, which is the classical language of the Brahmans.”
The year’s itinerancy closes with the prayer:
“Thousands have heard. Lord, who hath believed our report? 0 Spirit of Grace, clothe and anoint us!”
“You may be sure we are full of hurry in fair-time. It is hard keeping our hearts and spirits in any good order when we are in a cumbered condition. He that lives in such a place as this is, and that has to do with such as we have, has need of an item, to caution him to take heed, every moment of the day.”
JOHN BUNYAN.
“A man should not be borne off from himself, or put out of himself, because things without him are ungoverned and disordered; for these disturbances do unhallow the mind: lay it open; and make it common.”
BENJAMIN WHIOHOOTE.