The spiritual development of Boon Itt, including both the
obstacles surmounted and the high attainments, will not be rightly
appreciated until one considers the environment of his early
childhood. Maa Tuan left the mission compound at Bangkok upon the
death of her father, and returned to Bangpa with the family. She
was then about fifteen years old and had not yet taken a public
stand for Christianity, although there is every evidence that
the period of her Christian training at the mission more than
counterbalanced the pagan influence of the years that immediately
followed. None of the family were Christians, and the constraint
of custom would involve them in religious practises in common
with the neighbourhood. Then marrying an unbelieving husband, the
young woman could not effectually exclude those influences from
the life of her own children, even though her husband might have
been tolerant of the Christian faith. Like children the world over,
hers were susceptible to the subtle influences of the religion
that prevailed in the village. So it happened that during the
first eight years of his life, the most impressionable period of
childhood, Boon observed the religious customs of Buddhism, the
festivals, the parades, the birthday celebrations, the funerals,
and at the same time would unconsciously absorb the ideas of this
religious environment. It will not be surprising, therefore, if we
find later that some of these ideas had taken deep root in his mind.
Upon entering the mission school he came under a more exclusively
Christian atmosphere. Concerning his reaction to this condition,
Dr. Eakin writes:
“The religious side of his nature developed slowly. The seed
sown by his mother’s teaching had not yet taken root in his
heart.... He was regular in attendance in Sunday school and
church. He went to the midweek meeting as the boys of the
school were expected to do. His lessons were well learned
because he delighted in study and he would not disappoint his
mother; but his soul was still in the dark.”
At once upon reaching Waterford, Boon enrolled in the Sunday
school and continued faithful in attendance until he left for
boarding school. On his return home during vacations he resumed his
accustomed place in the village church with Dr. and Mrs. House.
During this earlier period he united with the Presbyterian Church
Dec. 7, 1879, under the pastorate of Rev. A. B. Riggs, D.D. The
following letter, written by Boon to his mother at that time, has
recently come to light:
“WATERFORD, Jan. 5, 1880.
“DEAR MOTHER:
“It is a long time before we get letters from each other. I
hope you are getting along nicely in the school. I am well
and happy.
“I have something to tell you. I think God has answered your
prayers for my conversion. I have given my heart to Christ,
and own Him to be my God and Redeemer forevermore. I have
joined the Presbyterian Church. Pray for me to be obedient
and faithful to what I have promised. At first I dreaded to
join before so many people, but when I had done it I felt
a great deal happier. When church was out some folks shook
hands with me and said they were very glad to have me join.
I hope I will see grandmother, uncles, aunts, my brother and
all the folks become Christians; then if we do not meet each
other here on earth we would meet in the other world....
“A gentleman by the name of Willcox has a military school
at Granville, about sixty miles north of Waterford, and the
board and schooling is four hundred dollars a year. He made
a great offer to Mrs. House to take me free, if she would
provide my clothes and books and expenses in vacation from
June to September. And now in about two days more Kawn and I
are going up there.
“The folks in Dr. House’s family say that they will miss us
very much, and we are sorry to leave them. Is this not a
wonderful thing that the Lord brought about for us to go to
this school? It all came about in this way. Mrs. House went
and talked to the ladies of Granville and told them about
Siam, and told them about us. No other boys ever had such an
offer as this. Then a few kind ladies of Waterford gave us
sheets, pillowcases, towels and other things that we will
need.
“It all came of the Lord, so blessed be His name forever.
Give my love to all.
“Your affectionate son,
“BOON ITT.”
In spite of the devout expressions in this youthful letter, Boon
privately intimated to friends that he had not altogether given
up the religion of his native land. One who knew him well recalls
that Boon said he still believed Buddhism in his heart and that he
would return to it when he went back to Siam. Upon being asked
why he then had made a profession of Christianity he said it was
because Dr. Houses’ life was “so terrible”—by which he explained
that the godly character of Dr. House overcame all his arguments
against Christianity. He could not contemplate all that Dr. House
was doing for him in the name of Christ and at the same time deny
the Christian religion. His love for the doctor impelled him to
declare for Christ.
Recalling now the influences of his early childhood, it will be
evident that his private expression did not signify duplicity but
rather indicated the presence of vague but unsolved problems. When
a child who has been reared in a wholly Christian environment
becomes converted, that process is chiefly a spiritual change. But
for one brought up in the midst of pagan influences to change his
religion means to change his entire character, ethical principles
and even his theory of existence. Somewhere between these two
extremes was the condition of Boon at the time of his joining
the Church. His conviction concerning the Christian religion,
encouraged by the influence of his dearest friends, enabled him to
make a confession of faith. But his heart outran his head. In his
mind there were still unexpressed but perplexing questions.
The nature of one of these questions is shown by an incident quoted
by Dr. Eakins:
“At one time, in his sophomore year, if my memory serves me
correctly, he went to call upon the minister who served as
pastor to the students, and the minister asked him to tell
of any special difficulties he found in the way of becoming a
professor of religion. After a thoughtful pause Mr. Boon Itt
said that his chief difficulty was that he could not see that
there was a personal God. The minister thought that he was
caviling, and he reproved him for trifling with the truth.
From that time on the minister had lost his opportunity to
do the young student any good in a spiritual way. Sometime
afterward, through the gracious operation of the Holy Spirit
in his heart, he was brought to see that truth, to recognise
the love of God in Christ, and to accept salvation through
the Cross. It had been a long slow process, as it is usually
with the Siamese, but it was complete. He was convinced
beyond the possibility of a doubt, and he made a full
surrender of himself to do his Master’s will.”
Perhaps the incident referred to occurred during the period of
religious awakening among the students of Williams College, which
took place while Boon was there. The common spiritual invigoration
reacted with unusual power upon the individual whose mind was
seeking light. That revival served to quicken his spiritual life
and enabled him to make safely the transition from the youthful
stage of habit and training, across the frail bridge of doubt
that spanned the chasm of unbelief. By it he entered into a
conscious experience of grace and assumed a volitioned course
of life directed by personal devotion to Jesus Christ. The seed
of the Gospel planted by maternal teaching and nurtured by the
affectionate training of foster parents now, under the warmth of
the Spirit and the dew of holy emotions, flowered into a full-blown
religious character of rare beauty and fragrance. How real that
conversion was is indicated by the reply which Boon gave to a
fellow-student in the seminary who, interested to know what might
be the sense of sin for a man while still in paganism, inquired of
him what his experience had been; to which he replied, “I did not
know that I had sin until I became a Christian.”