THE DEATH OF NAMAKEI.
IN claiming Aniwa for Christ, and winning it as a small jewel for His
crown, we had the experience which has ever marked God's path through
history,--He raised up around us and wonderfully endowed men to carry
forward His own blessed work. Among these must be specially commemorated
Namakei, the old Chief of Aniwa. Slowly, but very steadily, the light
broke in upon his soul, and he was ever very eager to communicate to his
people all that he learned. In Heathen days he was a Cannibal and a
great warrior; but from the first, as shown in the preceding chapter he
took a warm interest in us and our work,--a little selfish, no doubt, at
the beginning, but soon becoming purified, as his eyes and heart were
opened to the Gospel of Jesus.
On the birth of a son to us on the Island, the old Chief was in
ecstasies. He claimed the child as his heir, his own son being dead, and
brought nearly the whole inhabitants in relays to see the _white_ Chief
of Aniwa! He would have him called Namakei the Younger, an honor which I
fear we did not too highly appreciate. As the child grew, he took his
hand and walked about with him freely amongst the people, learning to
speak their language like a Native, and not only greatly interesting
them in himself, but even in us and in the work of the Lord. This, too,
was one of the bonds, however purely human, that drew them all nearer
and nearer to Jesus.
It was this same child, who, in the moment of our greatest peril, when
the Mission House was once surrounded by savages who had resolved to
murder us, managed in some incredible way to escape, and appeared, to
our horror and amazement, dancing with glee amongst the armed warriors.
He threw his arms around the neck of one after another, and kissed them,
to their great surprise,--at last, he settled down like a bird upon the
ringleader's knee, and therefrom prattled to them all, while we from
within gazed on in speechless and helpless terror! He roundly scolded
them for being "Naughty! Naughty!" The frowning faces began to relax
into broad grins, another spirit came over them, and, one after another,
they rapidly slipt away. The Council of Death was broken up; and we had
a new illustration of the Lord's precious work,--"A little Child shall
lead them."
The death of Namakei had in it many streaks of Christian romance. He had
heard about the Missionaries annually meeting on one or other of the
Islands, and consulting about the work of Jehovah. What ideas he had
formed of a Mission Synod one cannot easily imagine; but in his old age,
and when very frail, he formed an impassioned desire to attend our next
meeting on Aneityum, and see and hear all the Missionaries of Jesus
gathered together from the New Hebrides. Terrified that he would die
away from home, and that that might bring great reverses to the good
work on Aniwa, where he was truly beloved, I opposed his going with all
my might. But he and his relations and his people were all set upon it,
and I had at length to give way. His few booklets were then gathered
together, his meager wardrobe was made up, and a small Native basket
carried all his belongings. He assembled his people and took an
affectionate farewell, pleading with them to be "strong for Jesus,"
whether they ever saw him again or not, and to be loyal and kind to
Missi. The people wailed aloud, and many wept bitterly. Those on board
the _Dayspring_ were amazed to see how his people loved him. The old
Chief stood the voyage well. He went in and out to our meeting of Synod,
and was vastly pleased with the respect paid to him on Aneityum. When he
heard of the prosperity of the Lord's work, and how Island after Island
was learning to sing the praises of Jesus, his heart glowed, and he
said, "Missi, I am lifting up my head like a tree. I am growing tall
with joy!"
On the fourth or fifth day, however, he sent for me out of the Synod,
and when I came to him, he said, eagerly, "Missi, I am near to die! I
have asked you to come and say farewell. Tell my daughter, my brother,
and my people to go on pleasing Jesus, and I will meet them again in the
fair World."
I tried to encourage him, saying that God might raise him up again and
restore him to his people; but he faintly whispered, "O Missi, death is
already touching me! I feel my feet going away from under me. Help me to
lie down under the shade of that banyan tree."
So saying, he seized my arm, we staggered near to the tree, and he lay
down under its cool shade. He whispered again, "I am going! O Missi, let
me hear your words raising up in prayer, and then my Soul will be strong
to go."
Amidst many choking sobs, I tried to pray. At last he took my hand,
pressed it to his heart, and said in a stronger and clearer tone, "O my
Missi, my dear Missi, I go before you, but I will meet you again in the
Home of Jesus. Farewell!"
That was the last effort of dissolving strength; he immediately became
unconscious, and fell asleep. My heart felt like to break over him. He
was my first Aniwan Convert--the first who ever on that Island, of love
and tears opened his heart to Jesus; and as he lay there on the leaves
and grass, my soul soared upward after his, and all the harps of God
seemed to thrill with song as Jesus presented to the Father this trophy
of redeeming love. He had been our true and devoted friend and
fellow-helper in the Gospel; and next morning all the members of our
Synod followed his remains to the grave. There we stood, the white
Missionaries of the Cross from far distant lands, mingling our tears
with Christian Natives of Aneityum, and letting them fall over one who
only a few years before was a blood-stained Cannibal, and whom now we
mourned as a brother, a saint, an Apostle amongst his people. Ye ask an
explanation? The Christ entered into his heart, and Namakei became a new
Creature. "Behold, I make all things new."