"I don't know how you feel, but I assure you it has been a great
pleasure to me to have found myself in this humble church, and hearing
Divine service in this wild country."
Both Swinton and Major Henderson expressed the same opinion.
"I am not afraid of being laughed at," continued Alexander, "when I tell
you that I think it most important, wherever we may be during our
travels, to keep the Sabbath holy, by rest and reading the service."
"With pleasure, as far as I am concerned, and I thank you for the
proposal," replied Swinton.
"And I am equally pleased that you have proposed it, Wilmot," said Major
Henderson; "even we may be of service to the good cause, if, as we pass
through the land, the natives perceive that we respect the Sabbath as
the missionary has requested them to do. We are white men, and
considered by them as superior; our example, therefore, may do good."
The evening was passed away very agreeably with Mr S, who was
inexhaustible in his anecdotes of the Caffres. He informed them that
Hinza intended to call the next morning to receive his presents, and
that he would be interpreter for them if they wished it.
Alexander, having thanked the missionary, said, "I think you mentioned,
sir, that some of your brother missionaries have their wives with them.
Since you have told us so much of the precarious tenure by which you
hold your ground here, and I may add your lives, I think that the wives
of the missionaries must have even more to encounter than their
husbands."
"You are right, sir," replied the missionary, "there is no situation so
trying, so perilous, and I may say, so weary to the mind and body, as
that of a female missionary. She has to encounter the same perils and
the same hardships as her husband, without having the strength of our
sex to support them; and what is more painful than all, she is often
left alone at the Mission-house, while her husband, who has left her, is
proceeding on his duty, at the hourly peril of his life. There she is
alone, and compelled to listen to all the reports and falsehoods which
are circulated: at one moment she is told that her husband has been
murdered; at another, that he is still alive. She has no means of
hearing from him, as there is no communication through the country; thus
is she left in this horrible state of suspense and anxiety, perhaps for
many weeks. I have a letter from a brother missionary, which is in my
writing-desk, wherein the case in point is well portrayed; I will get
it, and read that portion to you." Mr S went to the other end of the
room, and came back with a letter, from which he read as follows:--
"Having been detained among those distant tribes for nearly two months,
report upon report had been circulated that the interpreters and guide,
as well as myself, had all been murdered. On my arrival within forty
miles of the station, I was informed that all doubt upon the subject had
been removed by a party of natives who had passed the Mission station,
and who pretended an acquaintance with all the particulars of the
massacre. We had been travelling the whole day, and night had come on;
I was most anxious to proceed, that I might relieve the mind of my dear
wife, but the earnest remonstrances of my little party, who represented
it as certain death to all of us to cross the plains, which were
infested with lions and other savage beasts who were prowling in every
direction, at length induced me to wait till the next day. But scarcely
had day begun to dawn when I sallied forth, without either arms or
guide, except a pocket compass, leaving my fellow-travellers to bring on
the waggon as soon as they should arouse from their slumbers. This
impatience had, however, well-nigh cost me my life; for having to wade
through many miles of deep sand with a vertical sun over my head, I had
not accomplished half the journey before my strength began to fail, and
an indescribable thirst was induced. Nevertheless, I reached the
Mission in safety, and with truly grateful feelings to the great
Preserver of men. A few minutes prior to my arrival, the wife of one of
my brother missionaries, little imagining that I was at hand and alive,
had entered our dwelling, to apprise my wife of the latest intelligence,
confirming all that had been said before respecting my fate, and to
comfort her under the distressing dispensation. At this affecting
crisis, while both were standing in the centre of the room, the one
relating, the other weeping, I opened the door, bathed in perspiration,
covered with dust, and in a state of complete exhaustion. `Oh, dear!'
cried our friend; `is it he--or is it his spirit?' I must, my dear sir,
leave to your imagination the scene which followed."
"Yes, sir," said Mr S, folding up the letter, "a missionary's wife, who
fellows him into such scenes and such perils and privations, does,
indeed, `cleave to her husband.'"
"Indeed she does," replied Mr Swinton; "but we will tax you no longer,
my dear sir. Good-night."