,,missionary ,,annals4 7,a ,,series47 ,a ,,story ,,of ,,one ,,short ,,life1 #aghc to #ahah4 ,,by ,,elisabeth ,g4 ,,stryker4 ,,chicago3 ,,woman',s ,,presbyterian ,,board ,,of ,,foreign ,,missions ,,of ,,the ,,northwest1 ,room #dh1 ,mc,cormick ,block4 ,,copyright1 #ahhh1 ,,by ,,woman',s ,,presbyterian ,,board ,,of ,,missions ,,of ,,the ,,northwest4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,i4 ,,ancestry--,,birth--,,boyhood--,,conver sion 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #g ,,ii4 ,,college--,,the ,,haystack--,,efforts ,,to ,,spread ,,the ,,interest ,,in ,,foreign ,,missions 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #ab ,,iii4 ,,obookiah ,,in ,,hawaii--,,in ,,america 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #af ,,iv4 ,,the ,,sandwich ,,islands ,,with ,,and ,,without ,,the ,,gospel 4 4 4 4 #bj ,v4 ,,mills ,,at ,,andover--,,the ,,american ,,board 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bb ,,vi4 ,,an ,,apostolic ,,journey ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #be ,,vii4 ,,mills' ,,second ,,tour 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #bh ,,viii4 ,,the ,,american ,,bible ,,society--,,the ,,united ,,foreign ,,missionary ,,society 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #ca ,,ix4 ,,the ,,american ,,colonization ,,society--,,mills1 ,,as ,,its ,,agent1 ,,visits ,,africa 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #ce ,x4 ,,the ,,last ,,journey 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #dj ,as ,i write1 ,i have in my mind a row of intelligent boyish faces4 ,manly souls look through bright eyes4 ,my heart responds to the beats of affection beneath jacket and cut-away4 ,i see also a row of girlish faces1 in which ,christian and womanly graces are dawning4 ,i feel the warmth of pure young hearts beginning to swell with generous desires4 ,these are my real friends4 ,beyond them ,i see rows and rows of boys and girls whose sympathies and interest ,i would gladly claim4 ,,preface4 ,those among us interested in the young people1 the boys and girls of our ,churches1 somewhat realize the lack of material wherewith to stimulate and nourish these young workers4 ,the apiarist studies the nature of the insect which must yield him its sweets1 and discovers that the nature of the cell and the food affects the difference in the bees4 ,we have long watched our boys and girls1 and either we do not care what they yield1 or we are dull not to notice that what surrounds them and enters into their minds1 is surely deciding their natures4 ,white clover honey can only be made from white clover blossoms4 ,what they read and what they may be induced to read concerns us as mission workers4 ,individual tastes make many by-paths in the field of literature1 but the girls all enjoy the windings of romance1 and the boys delight in the highway of adventure4 ,but1 they say or think1 ,missions1 their history and progress are so stupid1 they have no decent heroes and heroines4 ,we like ,robinson ,crusoe1 and ,little ,women1 and the ,arabian ,nights6 ,but do we not know that the stories of the lives of some of our missionaries1 well told1 may stand side by side1 upon the book-shelves and in the hearts of our young people1 with the pages of ,de ,foe and ,louise ,alcott8 ,many a boy and girl1 charmed by the life and fortune of some unreal1 and oftentimes unworthy1 hero1 has attempted to make copy in his or her own life4 ,missionary lives are not lacking in the spirit1 adventure and romance which are so fascinating4 ,with these ideals in their minds1 may we not expect followers of the ,judsons1 the ,moffats1 the ,fiskes and the ,rankins8 ,the writer1 who has humbly undertaken to re-tell an old tale1 is neither a ,de ,foe nor an ,alcott4 ,she finds she can borrow neither of their pens4 ,her own1 conscious of its inexperience1 finds its only relief in the fact that the story is its own strength4 ,,samuel ,j4 ,,mills4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,ancestry--,,birth--,,boyhood--,,conver sion4 ,our country is quietly enjoying the benefits of a great activity4 ,foreign ,missions are still feeling a noble impulse1 and the origin of this force was1 under ,god1 in the heart and brain of ,samuel ,j4 ,mills4 ,it is a name known to us1 but a history almost forgotten4 ,only upon the shelves of some antiquarian1 or in the undisturbed library of some old homestead can a volume be found bearing the title ,mills' ,memoirs4 ,take it down1 blow the dust from the leaves yellow with sixty-seven years1 and you will find the narrative related in the stately1 old-time style1 and somewhat laudatory and expansive4 ,he had no son1 as ,adoniram ,judson had1 gladly to record the details of his busy life4 ,the writer was ,dr4 ,gardiner ,spring1 who laments having failed in the attempt to obtain what appeared to him to be important information4 ,we are thankful to him for gathering even these rare fragments4 ,from a sketch of ,salmon ,giddings1 the ,damon ,memorial1 a letter from a relative of ,mills1 and the life of ,henry ,obookiah have come a few incidents and facts1 but mainly in the record of ,dr4 ,spring have we found our ,story of ,one ,short ,life4 ,such hid treasure should find the light1 even though quarried by unskillful hands4 ,biographies are apt to seem discouraging1 in the beginning2 the attention being riveted upon the supposed hero1 meets with a shock in finding it has been following the history of his great-grandfather4 ,the scattered energies are then directed upon the grandfather1 only to meet with a second delay4 ,again recovering1 and following the father's fortunes1 the son1 the subject of the work1 is at last introduced4 ,the great-grandfather of our hero must be brought in just long enough to answer one question4 ,he was once asked1 ,how did you educate four sons at ,yale ,college1 and give each a profession8 ,his reply was1 ,almighty ,god did it1 with the help of my wife4 ,the grandfather 7of our hero7 was drowned while some of his children were still young4 ,his widow1 committing their babes to the ,god of the fatherless1 especially offered for ,his service1 a son named ,samuel ,john4 ,he became a minister1 and for many years was settled in ,torringford1 ,connecticut4 ,he was eminent for his ability and character4 ,mrs4 ,stowe said of him--,he was one ingrain ,new ,englander4 ,of all the marvels that astonished my childhood1 there is none ,i remember to this day with so much interest as ,father ,mills4 ,this was the name by which he was extensively known4 ,his wife was a woman exemplary and devout4 ,being assured that the three preceding generations were commandment-keeping1 we shall see how the ,lord showed mercy unto the fourth4 ,almighty ,god and a true mother secure for many a man's sons1 not only education1 but large efficiency and honor4 ,the seventh child1 born ,april #bast1 #aghc1 in this ,torringford home1 was a son1 named after his father1 ,samuel ,john4 ,the child grew to be a mighty instrument in ,god's hand1 which ,he in ,his wisdom selected1 knowing the fineness of the material with which he dealt4 ,that we too may know something of the tempering of the steel1 we are permitted a reverent glance into that pious mother's bosom4 ,before the birthday came she continually dedicated the little life beneath her heart to the ,god who is pleased to accept such gifts4 ,during all his childhood he received the most careful ,christian training4 ,nourished in such a home-garden1 and shined on by such mother-light1 we cannot wonder that the child grew toward the ,sun1 and that the roots of religious character struck deep and spread wide4 ,when but a little child he showed an unusual concern of conscience4 ,at fifteen the town in which he lived was greatly aroused and revived4 ,his friends and acquaintances received the blessing1 and he was deeply interested1 but the revival passed1 leaving him with a bitter1 rebellious feeling in his heart4 ,about this time1 one fine cold winter morning1 a merry sleigh load drove from his father's house4 ,he1 with his brothers1 sisters and cousins1 about eighteen in all1 went to spend a few days with his uncle in ,west ,hartford4 ,samuel had recently come into the possession of a fine farm4 ,he was gay and ambitious4 ,his companions fearing his good fortune might make him feel a little too high minded1 sought to tease him4 ,the evening before their return1 after eating nuts and apples1 they agreed to have a little singing4 ,they struck up ,hark1 from the ,tombs a ,doleful ,sound1 to the tune1 ,bangor4 ,they sang it slowly and solemnly1 now and then casting at him glances from their mischievous eyes4 ,he sat a silent listener1 while their song1 sung in fun1 made an earnest impression of which he could not rid himself4 ,soon after his farm was sold1 and at eighteen he determined to go to ,litchfield and study in the ,academy4 ,as he was leaving home1 his mother's anxious heart could not let him go without enquiring for his soul's health4 ,other mothers know the pain she suffered1 when he told her for two years ,i have been sorry ,god ever made me4 ,she replied to him as her wise heart prompted her1 and sent him on his way4 ,she went where all mothers of boys must so often go1 to her knees1 alone with ,god4 ,he had not gone far on his journey when he met a ,friend4 ,it was the ,good ,shepherd1 whom that mother's urgent prayer had sent searching for the wanderer4 ,it was as if he had met ,christ in his path4 ,he looked up at the great trees and down at the blossoms1 and in everything saw ,god4 ,he became so impressed with the perfections of the ,holy ,one he had so long resisted1 that he lost sight of himself4 ,he sat down in the woods to wonder and to pray4 ,it was not until some time after that he realized any change in himself1 and not until he returned from ,litchfield did his father perceive it4 ,his conversion was thorough4 ,not only was he turned about1--his face ,god-ward instead of self-ward1--but he was impelled toward those sitting in darkness4 ,in his childhood1 from his mother's lips1 he often heard stories from the lives of ,brainerd1 ,eliot1 and other missionaries4 ,he heard her prayers for them and their great undertakings4 ,once he heard her say1 ,i have consecrated this child to the service of ,god as a missionary4 ,now it was his joy to follow those noble examples1 and to fulfill his part in the plans of ,god and his mother for him4 ,his parents approved of his determination1 though the thought of separation tore their hearts4 ,his mother said to him1 ,i cannot bear to part from you1 my son4 ,when he reminded her of her vow1 she burst into tears1 and never after made complaint4 ,to his father he said that he could not conceive of any course of life in which to pass the rest of his days1 that would prove so pleasant1 as to go and communicate the gospel of salvation to the poor heathen4 ,this desire to spread the ,gospel grew to be a sublime purpose1 and from it he never wavered4 ,he set about his plannings1 with this supreme end in view4 ,thanking ,god for his own salvation1 he laid his life in ,god's hand1 imploring ,him to use it for those who had as yet no knowledge of that mercy4 ,the ,lord took him from the plough1 as he did ,elisha4 ,he left the field for the college4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,college--,,the ,,haystack--,,efforts ,,to ,,spread ,,the ,,interest ,,in ,,foreign ,,missions4 ,he entered ,williams ,college in the spring of #ahjf4 ,during his first visit home in ,june1 he connected himself with his father's church4 ,a college course means to some young men four years of frolic1 or worse4 ,to others it is an opportunity to cram knowledge1 that shall by-and-by astound the round world and they that dwell therein4 ,to one1 at least1 it was the time for choosing smooth stones for his combat with the giant adversary1 whom he was brave enough to meet alone1 if need be1 in the name of the ,lord of ,hosts4 ,as a scholar he was not brilliant1 but as a ,christian he was a bright and shining light4 ,to serve ,god was the highest aim of his life4 ,first of all1 he served ,him upon his knees4 ,he used to pray often and earnestly1 alone and with others4 ,he pursued his studies for the after use he might make of them1 not for his own accomplishment4 ,as he visited his friends in their rooms1 and walked with them through the groves1 the subject dearest to his heart was oftenest the theme of his conversation4 ,to one friend he said3 ,though you and ,i are very little beings1 we must not rest satisfied till we have made our influence extend to the remotest corner of this ruined world4 ,his life was so consistent1 his disposition so sweet1 his manners so winning that every one was his friend4 ,those who had been unfaithful to their vows were reproved1 and those opposed to religion were induced to follow his example4 ,during his first year there was a revival1 which seemed to come in answer to his earnest prayers4 ,many of his comrades became ,christians1 and so earnestly that they laid aside or sanctified their old ambitions1 and prepared to spread through the earth the fire kindled by this devoted youth4 ,a mission band of boys were examined as to their knowledge of ,samuel ,mills4 ,where was he born8 asked the leader4 ,under a haystack6 replied a small boy4 ,had the question been1 ,where was the ,american ,board of ,foreign ,missions born8 the answer would not have been so far from the way4 ,its baptismal naming came some years later1 but under a stack of hay in a meadow1 near ,williams ,college1 it was born1 nursed and prayed over4 ,about fourteen years earlier foreign missionary organization had begun across the ,atlantic4 ,on this side1 the attention of ,christians had been occupied with their new homes and the needs of the destitute near at hand4 ,there were societies of domestic missions2 but no scheme to touch hands ,god-blessed with hands idol-cursed1 had ever been devised before the ,lord of both put it into the heart of ,mills4 ,god called him out of the midst of the bush4 ,the bush was this haystack1 but the place became holy ground4 ,the ,lord said3 ,i have surely seen the affliction of my people1 and have heard their cry4 ,come now1 therefore1 and ,i will send thee4 ,this commission filled his soul4 ,he gathered a few of his friends in a grove1 to tell them his convictions and his hopes4 ,what was his surprise and joy to find that the ,angel of the ,lord had appeared to them also4 ,a sudden thunder storm came upon them here1 but his retreat1 his place of safety1 was near by4 ,he led them under the haystack1 and there they talked together1 and with ,god4 ,and there they continued to meet through two seasons1 and finally formed themselves into the first ,foreign ,missionary ,society of this continent4 ,its object was to effect in the persons of its members a mission to the heathen4 ,from the spot where the haystack once stood1 now rises a marble shaft1 bearing aloft a globe1 underneath which is inscribed3 ,,the ,,field ,,is ,,the ,,world4 ,the ,birthplace of ,american ,foreign ,missions1 #ahjf4 ,,samuel ,j4 ,,mills1 ,,james ,,richards1 ,,francis ,l4 ,,robbins1 ,,harvey ,,loomis1 ,,byram ,,green4 ,at every commencement1 the college president leads to this monument a procession of alumni1 students1 and guests4 ,prayer is offered that the spirit of missions may still prevail at ,williams1 and that the traditions of the past may be maintained4 ,in these years public opinion was decidedly opposed to the enterprise of these young men4 ,even good men thought their zeal extravagant and expected it soon to subside4 ,in order to arouse sympathy and a right sentiment1 they devised various means4 ,they discussed their projects with ,christian people4 ,they distributed missionary sermons4 ,a list was made of the names of distinguished ministers1 to whom these young men made frequent visits1 urging their suit4 ,among them1 the first to take fire1 was ,dr4 ,worcester4 ,with one of them1 ,dr4 ,griffin1 ,mills asked to be permitted to study theology4 ,said the ,doctor3 ,i had always refused such applications1 but from the love ,i bore to him1 ,i agreed to criticise one sermon a week4 ,after that exercise he would commonly sit and draw letters very moderately and cautiously from his pocket1 reading passages to me on some benevolent project4 ,at length ,i perceived that studying divinity with me had been quite a secondary object1 that his chief object was to get me engaged to execute his plans4 ,as soon as ,i discovered that1 ,i told him to bring out his letters and all his plans1 without reserve4 ,mills became convinced that they could not expect help from the ,churches unless the number was increased of young men ready to devote their lives to this cause4 ,he and his friends then separated for the purpose of establishing societies in other colleges4 ,mills went to ,yale1 hoping there to find kindred spirits4 ,this was not the case1 but ,god had sent him for another purpose1 and that to know ,obookiah1 a heathen boy from the ,sandwich ,islands4 ,this acquaintance greatly increased his zeal4 ,sometimes a little seed1 wafted by the wind1 is borne far from its mother plant to take root in a foreign soil3 but its fruit may be returned whence it came4 ,this little lonely heathen child1 blown by seemingly cruel and adverse winds1 was tossed upon our ,christian shores by the good hand of ,god4 ,the ship which brought him touched other and idolatrous lands1 but he was not to put his feet down till they could be planted in the right place4 ,that his life touched ,mills' life1 both being quickened1 is perhaps reason enough for giving here a portion of ,obookiah's history and that of his native land1 if there were not another reason1 and that the opportunity1 here afforded1 of following a stream of influence to its sea4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,obookiah ,,in ,,hawaii--,,in ,,america4 ,henry ,obookiah was born in ,hawaii1 about the year #agib4 ,when about twelve years old1 two parties contending for dominion1 disturbed the peace of the island4 ,he alone survived the persecution of his family4 ,he was captured and carried home by the man who killed his parents1 but finally made his way to an uncle4 ,though he was well treated1 he suffered from loneliness4 ,he said of himself1 ,when ,i was at play with other children1 after we had made an end of playing1 they return to their parents3 but ,i was returned into tears1 for ,i have no home1 neither father nor mother4 ,poor boy am ,i4 ,he determined to go to some other country1 and forget his sorrow4 ,the captain of an ,american vessel showed him kindness1 and consented to take him on board4 ,he brought him to ,america1 and took him to his own home in ,new ,haven4 ,henry was a clumsy1 stupid-looking boy at this time1 his appearance not revealing the undeveloped depths of his nature4 ,he made the acquaintance of some of the students at ,yale ,college1 and of the ,rev4 ,e4 ,w4 ,dwight4 ,these friends becoming interested in his welfare1 offered to teach him4 ,he accepted their aid with avidity1 and made wonderful progress1 at the same time becoming more and more lovable and attractive4 ,a fun-loving disposition soon showed itself4 ,he had great difficulty in pronouncing the letter r1 giving it the sound of l4 ,every day his teacher tried to help him1 saying1 try1 ,obookiah1 it is very easy4 ,this seemed to amuse the boy greatly1 though as yet he could not express himself in ,english4 ,some time after1 when he could speak more readily1 he was describing to his teacher some of the customs of his native land4 ,clasping his hands together1 and adjusting his thumbs1 he formed a cup which he raised to his lips to show how his countrymen drank from a spring4 ,his instructor tried to do the same1 but before he could reach his mouth with his hands the cup would be inverted so that the contents1 had there been any1 would have been spilled4 ,obookiah laughed heartily and said1 try1 ,mr4 ,dwight1 it is very easy6 ,one day he mimicked the gait of some of his friends so cleverly1 that there was no mistaking whom he intended to personate4 ,his teacher then mocked his own awkward style1 when he exclaimed several times3 me walk so8 ,being assured that it was true1 he rolled upon the floor until his mirth exhausted his strength4 ,after being instructed about the true ,god1 idol worship seemed to him ridiculous4 ,he said1 ,hawaii gods6 ,they wood1--burn4 ,me go home1 put 'em in a fire1 burn 'em up4 ,they no see1 no hear1 no anything4 ,then added1 ,we make them4 ,our ,god1 looking up1 ,he make us4 ,after ,mr4 ,mills arrived in ,new ,haven he became a friend of ,mr4 ,dwight's1 and being often in his room1 occasionally heard this boy recite4 ,he became greatly attached to him1 and began to cherish a plan for his future4 ,he wanted to see ,obookiah a ,christian1 educated1 and then a missionary to his native land4 ,one evening ,mr4 ,mills had not been long in ,mr4 ,dwight's room1 when ,obookiah came in with a very gloomy face4 ,he said he had no place to live2 ,mr4 ---- didn't want him any more1 and ,miss ---- had threatened to take away his new clothes4 ,mr4 ,mills told him he would take him to his own home1 and that he had clothes enough for both4 ,this cheered the poor1 disconsolate fellow1 who soon went with ,mr4 ,mills to ,torringford1 and was placed under the care of those whose benevolence was without a bond or check1 or a limit to confine it4 ,here he spent a part of the year #ahaj1 and was treated wisely and affectionately4 ,mrs4 ,mills taught him the ,catechism1 and her son ,jeremiah assisted him in his studies4 ,at different times1 and frequently1 their house was his home4 ,he became gentle and refined in his manner1 a ,bible-loving1 earnest1 prayerful ,christian4 ,his friends who had been so careful in the training of his mind and heart1 had not neglected his hands4 ,he was taught much that was useful and practical1 particularly in farming4 ,he surprised all by the quickness and eagerness with which he learned4 ,he was both inquisitive and acquisitive to a remarkable degree4 ,he persisted in knowing and getting1 that he might impart what he had gained to his own countrymen4 ,to return to them for their enlightenment1 was his consuming desire4 ,he visited many families1 and many of the churches of ,new ,england1 always creating a deep interest in his mission4 ,many people who had affirmed that the heathen could never be reclaimed from their low estate1 were forced to change their opinions after seeing and knowing ,obookiah1 and were inspired to pray and give for his and other unevangelized races4 ,the presence of ,obookiah in this country1 as well as of other heathen youth1 together with the desire to educate some of our own ,indians1 led to the formation of the ,foreign ,mission ,school1 at ,cornwall1 ,mass4 ,this school was under the care of the ,american ,board ten years4 ,its pupils were from many different nations4 ,in #ahbf it was discontinued1 for by this time the missions were able to educate the young at their several stations4 ,obookiah was pursuing his studies here1 when1 in the beginning of the year #ahah1 he was stricken with typhus fever1 and suffered several weeks4 ,on the #agth of ,february1 #ahah1 he shook hands with all his companions present1 and with perfect composure addressed to them the parting salutation of his native language1 ,alloah e--my love be with you4 ,mrs4 ,stone1 in whose house he died1 and who cared for him with ,christian kindness during his sickness1 said1 ,this had been one of the happiest and most profitable periods of her life2 that she had been more than rewarded for her cares and watchings by day and night1 in being permitted to witness his excellent example1 and to hear his godly conversation4 ,almost immediately after his death1 missionaries1 inspired by his life1 hastened to accomplish his cherished purpose1 the establishment of a mission in the ,sandwich ,islands4 ,mills was far from home1 but returning at the time1 not knowing ,obookiah had died1 he said to a friend1 ,if it please ,god that ,i may arrive safely1 ,i think that ,i shall take ,obookiah and go to the ,sandwich ,islands and there ,i will end my life4 ,from that day to this1 missionaries and missions1 schools1 churches and ,christians have multiplied1 till all those islands name the name of ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,sandwich ,,isles ,,with ,,and ,,without ,,the ,,gospel4 ,surely the isles shall wait for me4 ,the missionaries found upon these islands naked savages1 without books1 education1 or courts of justice4 ,the people were slaves1 governed arbitrarily by chiefs4 ,it was a nation of debauchees1 thieves and drunkards4 ,there were no marriage laws4 ,two-thirds of the children born were destroyed4 ,if an infant was ailing or troublesome1 the mother scooped a hole in the ground1 covered the child with earth and trampled out its life4 ,the aged and infirm were taken to the brow of a precipice and pushed over4 ,the sick were removed to such a distance that their groans could not annoy1 and left to die4 ,the insane were stoned to death4 ,god opened the way for the missionaries by a revolution which did away with idolatry1 but did nothing for the uplifting of society4 ,some of the noblest specimens of our ,american manhood have devoted their lives to these desolate1 far-away creatures4 ,the mention of one will suffice as a sample of the salt that purified those bitter and filthy waters4 ,when he stepped on shore at ,hilo1 in #ahcb1 it was to stay till his work was finished--and he lived beyond the three score and ten4 ,such a life is a rebuke to the restlessness of many modern workers4 ,for forty-two years he labored patiently in pressing himself and what he knew upon ,hawaiian youth--nearly a thousand in all--many of whom are now pastors1 leading lawyers1 men of affairs1 missionaries to ,micronesia1 and the men who stand for righteousness in the native churches4 ,great events and advances in science were exciting his native land1 but he worked on1 struggling for things unseen and eternal4 ,amid uninspiring surroundings1 and performing many menial duties1 he led a high spiritual and intellectual life1 not seeking honor1 but service--thereby gaining honor1 and the rest that remaineth4 ,as for the results of such consecration1 wisdom and work1 the facts are a marvel in history4 ,any prophecy in regard to them would have been thought a wild dream4 ,these islanders have taken their place among the ,christian nations4 ,marriage is considered honorable1 the family established1 as well as schools1 churches and a government1 whose constitution ordains that no law shall be enacted at variance with the word of the ,lord ,jehovah1 or with the general spirit of ,his word4 ,in proportion to the population1 there are more readers than in ,boston4 ,the proportion of true ,christians is as great as anywhere in ,christendom4 ,they are decently clad1 their homes are comfortable1 even sometimes going so far as to possess a melodeon and a sewing-machine6 ,they have progressed in agriculture1 commerce1 the industries1 literature and the arts4 ,it is a regenerated nation4 ,the ,american ,board has erased this mission from its list and transferred all responsibility to the ,hawaiian ,evangelical ,association4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,mills ,,at ,,andover--,,the ,,american ,,board4 ,from ,yale ,college1 ,mills went to ,andover to study theology4 ,soon after entering1 his dear mother died4 ,his grief was passionate4 ,he mourned for the loss of her face1 her voice1 her prayers1 but not as one without hope4 ,at ,andover he met some of his former friends1 and found new ones whose hearts the ,lord had stirred--,newell1 ,judson1 ,nott1 ,hall1 ,mills6 ,names to shout at the sleeping saints of this our day6 ,lives to uphold to the view of our self-pleasing generation6 ,these men organized a second missionary society1 similar to the one at ,williams4 ,they met to pray and plan4 ,their prayers were answered and their plans resulted in the formation of the ,american ,board of ,commissioners for ,foreign ,missions4 ,if the objections made to their plans were here rehearsed1 the arguments would sound very familiar2 they are the same1 in spite of their repeated death-blows1 that array themselves against the plan of missions to-day4 ,the assailants of this cause are not students of history4 ,there is no such thing as opposition1 or even indifference1 to ,christian missions1 unless there is ignorance behind it4 ,these young men succeeded in gaining the sympathy and alliance of some of the prominent pastors1 and the professors in the seminary4 ,to the annual meeting of the ,general ,association of ,massachusetts1 at ,bradford1 ,june #bg1 #ahaj1 they presented the following paper3 ,the undersigned1 members of the ,divinity ,college1 respectfully request the attention of their ,reverend ,fathers1 convened in the ,general ,association at ,bradford1 to the following statement and inquiries3 ,they beg leave to state1 that their minds have been long impressed with the duty and importance of personally attempting a mission to the heathen2 that the impressions on their minds have induced a serious1 and they trust a prayerful1 consideration of the subject in its various attitudes1 particularly in relation to the probable success and the difficulties attending such an attempt2 and that after examining all the information which they can obtain1 they consider themselves as devoted to this work for life1 whenever ,god in his providence shall open the way4 ,they now offer the following inquiries1 on which they solicit the opinion and advice of the association4 ,whether1 with their present views and feelings1 they ought to renounce the object of missions1 as visionary and impracticable2 if not1 whether they ought to direct their attention to the ,eastern or ,western world8 ,whether they may expect patronage and support from a missionary society in this country1 or must commit themselves to the direction of a ,european society2 and what preparatory measures they ought to take previous to actual engagement8 ,the undersigned1 feeling their youth and inexperience1 look up to their fathers in the church and respectfully solicit their advice1 direction and prayers4 ,,adoniram ,,judson ,,jr4 ,,samuel ,,nott ,,jr4 ,,samuel ,j4 ,,mills4 ,,samuel ,,newell4 ,the names of ,rice and ,richards were struck off for fear of alarming the ,association with too large a number4 ,this paper was referred to a special committee1 who indorsed the sentiment and submitted a plan to the association1 which was carried into effect by the appointment of a ,board of ,commissioners for ,foreign ,missions4 ,after much exertion and inquiry at home1 ,judson was sent to ,england to learn if help could be expected from the ,london ,missionary ,society4 ,he found that society willing to take the young men under its care and support1 but not ready to assist the new ,board4 ,the ,american society soon received aid within its own boundaries1 which was a far better beginning than to be dependent upon outside resources4 ,mrs4 ,mary ,norris1 the wife of one of the founders of ,andover ,seminary1 bequeathed thirty thousand dollars to the ,board4 ,god's ,spirit generally revived the churches1 opening the eyes and hearts of ,his people1 their purses as well1 though not many of the latter were well filled in those days4 ,god only has a full record of the anxious courage and faith which was exercised by the supporters1 managers1 and appointees of the ,board during those first struggling years4 ,under the care of this board ,mills and his friends placed themselves1 and by it most of them were sent out in the year #ahab4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,an ,,apostolic ,,journey ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states4 ,from the first throb of his ,christian life1 the heart of ,mills beat like a soldier's4 ,he called out the recruits1 captained the forces1 and died in service--a hero6 ,in his student days he had a compelling influence upon his classmates1 and even then showed signs of generalship in his faculty of organizing4 ,the establishment of the ,foreign ,mission ,school was largely consequent upon his suggestions2 in the formation of the ,american ,board he was one of the foremost personal instruments4 ,studies finished1 his heart firm in his lofty purpose1 highborn schemes began their struggling claim for his attention4 ,the world with all its lands stretching their help-beckoning fingers1 was persuading him4 ,over the home land1 his and ours1 he turned his penetrating glance4 ,he saw occasion for vast concern1 and here was his first response4 ,to go first1 opening the way for others through the tangled wilderness1 was his design1 his master-plot4 ,that divine ferment at ,williams ,college worked the good of home1 as well as of foreign1 missions4 ,having chosen a companion-spy1 the ,rev4 ,john ,schermerhorn1 soon after his graduation in #ahab1 he went to view a goodly land1 which he desired to have the people of ,god go up and possess4 ,this tour was undertaken under the patronage of the ,connecticut and ,massachusetts ,home ,missionary ,societies4 ,heretofore these societies had prayed and wept over young missionaries sent to the uncivilized wilds of ,western ,new ,york6 ,the plan of ,mills and ,schermerhorn was to travel through the wide territory lying between the great lakes and the ,gulf of ,mexico1 to learn the moral condition of the inhabitants1 and scatter what good they might4 ,the map of this region1 as published in ,morse's school atlas of #ahbc1 is curiously different from the maps of the present day4 ,the state and territorial lines have been altered1 those green1 pink1 and yellow blanks have become densely freckled and wrinkled1 by the dots of cities and towns1 and by the complicated tracery of railroads4 ,these travelers did not telegraph their intended arrival1 nor sleep and dine their way to their journey's end1 on the ,flyer1 and then rest in some palatial hotel at last4 ,each mounted his horse1 taking with them by way of baggage all that was necessary for the trip1--tent1 provisions1 clothing and ,bibles4 ,they plodded through miry swamps1 they climbed up and down almost perpendicular ledges1 and cut their way through canebrakes with a hatchet4 ,when they had creeks to cross they swam their horses4 ,at night they camped1 often in the rain and sometimes without food4 ,more than once they were serenaded by ,indian war-whoops and the howling wolves4 ,stopping at town or settlement they were made cordially at home in hut and cabin4 ,in some places they perceived bright prospects1 the germs of future cities1 and were often urgently besought to stay and preach the gospel permanently4 ,they found everywhere the ,sabbath profaned1 only a few good people in any one place1 and ,bibles rare possessions4 ,in some places the people were longing for the ,gospel4 ,in all the leading towns they formed ,bible societies1 and everywhere preached and distributed ,bibles1 which were gladly received4 ,from ,nashville they went down the ,cumberland and ,mississippi with ,general ,jackson and fifteen hundred volunteers4 ,in ,new ,orleans they gained the consent of ,bishop ,de,bury to distribute the ,scriptures in ,french to the ,french ,romanists1 who made up three-fourths of the population of the state4 ,they found no ,protestant church in the city4 ,they here organized a ,bible society1 and remained several weeks to preach and to hold prayer-meetings4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,mills' ,,second ,,tour4 ,in the year #ahad ,mr4 ,mills having obtained the assistance of some of the eastern ,bible societies1 and having chosen as companion the ,rev4 ,daniel ,smith1 started on another tour through the ,south and ,west4 ,they went laden with ,bibles and the prayers of ,christian friends4 ,they went through ,pennsylvania1 ,ohio1 ,indiana1 ,illinois and ,missouri4 ,in all these states they found the people exceedingly destitute of religious privileges1 and a lamentable want of ,bibles and missionaries4 ,they found ,american families who never saw a ,bible1 or heard of ,jesus ,christ4 ,there was only one minister to ten thousand people if equally placed2 but there were districts containing from twenty to fifty thousand without a preacher4 ,these men were light-bringers to this valley of the shadow of death1 as ,mills called it4 ,they found ,english soldiers1 ,french ,romanists1 colored slaves1 our own dear countrymen1 greedy for the bread of life4 ,they traveled more than six thousand miles2 they passed through a variety of climates2 they endured perils in the city1 perils of the wilderness1 perils on the rivers and on the sea1 that they might cast that bread upon the waters which you and ,i are finding after many days4 ,mills arrived for the second time in ,new ,orleans1 soon after the celebrated battle of ,january #h1 #ahae1 and cheered many hearts by his coming4 ,he visited the soldiers in prison1 the sick and wounded in the hospitals2 kneeling on the bare floor where they lay1 he prayed and talked with them1 sang for them1 and gave them ,bibles2 he preached in camp4 ,the ,philadelphia society had given him a quantity of ,french ,bibles4 ,the people were clamorous for them4 ,they thronged the distributor's door1 and remained even after the notice had been given that no more could be had until the following day4 ,they came sometimes from great distances4 ,in one week a thousand copies were given away4 ,in one instance a ,romish priest assisted in this work4 ,the bishop acknowledged the deplorable state of the people1 and preferred their having the ,protestant version to none at all4 ,when these adventurers in ,christ's kingdom visited ,st4 ,louis1 they found it a place of two thousand inhabitants1--a tumble-down ,french village1--built mainly of wooden slabs and poles set vertically1 and well daubed with mortar mixed with straw1 though there were many log houses4 ,in a school-room they delivered the first ,presbyterian or ,congregational sermons ever preached on the west side of the ,mississippi4 ,they were gratefully received1 and had crowded audiences4 ,the people would gladly have supported either one could he have stayed4 ,but the immediate duty of these explorers for souls was to return to the churches which had sent them out1 to report what they had discovered1 and to beg that men be sent to these waste places which were waiting to be made to blossom4 ,all ,new ,england was roused to effort by their appeal1 and the next year ten or twelve men responded to the summons4 ,in #ahdh the word gold was whispered in ,california and heard all over the world4 ,the gold-hunters pressed forward from every corner of the earth4 ,it was not thought a hard thing to turn one's back on home1 friends and country1 for the sake of gold1 though that glittering promise was1 to most of those who searched1 like the bag at the end of the rainbow1 and all the riches of this world make themselves wings4 ,the promises of ,god are sure1 and the riches which ,he bestows are everlasting2 and yet to the call1 gold and glory1 young men answer by the thousand1 while to the cry1 ,christ and a crown1 they respond by the dozen6 ,choose ye this day whom ye will serve4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,american ,,bible ,,society--,,the ,,united ,,foreign ,,missionary ,,society4 ,during these two missionary journeys the heart of our apostle was swelling with the woes of the sin-bound1 and his brain contriving for their release4 ,upon his return he settled in ,new ,york state1 and spent two busy years in working out his purposes4 ,while waiting for their maturity he was most of the time in the large cities1 particularly ,new ,york4 ,here he spent what might have been leisure1 in visiting the poor in the neglected districts4 ,he also wrote many letters2 and in the churches1 and everywhere1 and upon everybody1 urged attention to the world's great needs1 and their great duties4 ,as the result of this planning1 waiting and working1 he was permitted to see formed the ,american ,bible ,society1 and the ,united ,foreign ,missionary ,society4 ,on the subject of city evangelization1 he advanced ideas which we at this striving time might well study4 ,the entire destitution of religious privileges which ,mills had witnessed in the ,west and ,south1 and the great desire of the people for the word of ,god1 with their inability to supply themselves1 made him eager for the formation of a ,national ,bible ,society1 which should be large enough and strong enough to supply such great want4 ,he had some hope of having the matter brought out at the general assembly of the ,presbyterian church2 but it was thought best to have it come about through the existing ,bible societies1 rather than have it bear the features of any denomination4 ,the matter was kept constantly before influential people by this indefatigable man1 and at last on the #hth of ,may1 #ahaf1 delegates from the different ,bible societies of the ,united ,states convened in ,new ,york city1 and resolved unanimously to establish1 without delay1 a ,general ,bible ,institution1 for the circulation of the ,holy ,scriptures1 without note or comment4 ,before closing their sessions a constitution was adopted1 managers elected1 and an address issued to the people of the ,united ,states1 informing them of the project1 and inviting their sympathy and coperation in this benevolent scheme4 ,this was a great day to ,mills1 and those who saw him1 sitting apart1 watching with intense eagerness the deliberations of the convention1 long remembered his delighted face4 ,but how must the resources and usefulness of this society have exceeded even his fond hopes6 ,as its first depository1 it shared the office room of its agent4 ,from time to time it was forced to move to larger quarters1 until the year #ahec1 when it located permanently1 in its well-known building1 ,the ,bible ,house1 on ,astor ,place1 ,new ,york city4 ,this edifice is of brick1 six stories high1 and occupies a solid block4 ,in its first year1 the society received #cg1ggi1 and issued #f1daj volumes2 in its seventieth year 7#ahhf7 its receipts were #ebc1iaj1 and it issued #a1dcg1ddj volumes4 ,in the ,bible ,house1 the working force--manufacturing and executive--numbers about #bej4 ,the auxiliaries which directly and indirectly center in this society1 number about #g1jjj4 ,from this great tree and its many branches1 the leaves have been sent for the healing of nations4 ,there are now but few countries where there are any impediments to the free circulation of the ,scriptures4 ,in our own land the society has afforded relief to its feeble auxiliaries1 has supplied destitute ,sabbath-schools1 has endeavored to place the ,bible in the common schools1 to distribute it among soldiers and seamen1 to furnish hotels1 steamboats1 railroads1 and humane and criminal institutions4 ,by it1 the ,bible has been circulated among immigrants1 the destitute poor1 the freedmen1 the ,chinese1 and 7in the ,douay version7 among ,romanists4 ,at four different periods the society has made exploration among the states and territories1 to search and supply the destitute4 ,proportionately the number of families without the word of ,god is much smaller now than when the society was organized1 notwithstanding the enormous growths in population4 ,the society has attempted to send the ,bible to all the inhabitants of the earth1 accessible to its agents4 ,it has established depots in almost every place where the ,american churches have missions4 ,it circulates the ,scriptures in more than eighty different languages and dialects4 ,in #ahef1 in compliance with a special request1 and by means of a special gift1 the ,society's ,imperial ,quarto ,english ,bible1 bound with extraordinary care1 enclosed in a rosewood case1 and accompanied by a courteous letter1 was sent to each of the reigning monarchs and other chief magistrates of the world4 ,before the art of printing1 the ,bible was the most expensive book in the world4 ,so late as the ,american ,revolution1 in its cheapest edition a volume could not be purchased for less than two dollars4 ,this society now furnishes a copy of the entire book for twenty-five cents4 ,it has made the ,bible the cheapest book in the world4 ,mills1 anxious to see every wheel set in motion for the advancement of ,christ's kingdom1 was restless because of the inaction of the ,presbyterian church in the cause of ,foreign ,missions2 again by his personal influence upon prominent men1 another plan was matured4 ,a committee was appointed by the ,general ,assembly to confer with committees from the ,dutch and ,scotch churches1 and a new society was formed1 called the ,united ,foreign ,missionary ,society4 ,after a few years of efficient service this society was merged with the ,american ,board1 yielding to it its name and affairs4 ,while so busy with these schemes just referred to1 ,mr4 ,mills was collecting all possible information in regard to ,south ,america4 ,he desired to have the way opened for a mission in that country1 and was willing to go himself to make the needed investigations4 ,but it was seven years later when the ,american ,board sent the first men to that field4 ,in spite of these great enterprises1 which must have been so absorbing of time and energy1 this busy man found opportunity and strength to search out the squalid back streets of ,new ,york1 and to go from house to house of its wretched inhabitants1 giving sympathy1 speaking words of ,christian love and instruction1 and where they would receive them leaving the word of ,god and good books4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,american ,,colonization ,,society--,,mills1 ,,as ,,its ,,agent1 ,,visits ,,africa4 ,abraham ,lincoln1 when a young man1 made a journey into the ,south4 ,of all the impressions which those new scenes made upon him1 the one deepest and strongest was that of slavery4 ,it filled him with loathing1 but kindled a zeal which never slumbered1 until it cost his priceless life4 ,it was such a spark which became a fire in the breast of ,mills4 ,what he saw and what he heard1 during those southern tours1 made him a willing martyr for the sake of ,africa's sons and daughters4 ,their degradation made him ready to endure all things if only he could pierce the black cloud overshading them4 ,his first effort resulted in a school1 called the ,african ,school1 for training young colored men to teach and preach to their own race4 ,he then lent essential aid in the formation of the ,american ,colonization ,society4 ,this society was composed of noble-minded men whose pitying attention was fastened upon the bondage1 afflictions and heathenism of their black brothers1 in this so called free land4 ,their aim was to furnish a refuge1 in their own country1 for those who were emancipated here1 and it was their hope that such a scheme would do much toward the abolition of slavery4 ,their first effort was the collection of information3 first1 in regard to the condition of the slave here1 that they might enlist general sympathy in their work4 ,in a letter written by ,mr4 ,mills about this matter1 he said3 ,state facts4 ,facts will always produce an effect1 at least on pious minds4 ,you can easily possess yourself of facts1 the bare recital of which will make the heart bleed4 ,from the extensive observations he had made in the ,south1 and by having the subject so long in his mind1 he was very ready to state facts1 and did so in every time and place4 ,the information needed1 in the second place1 by the society was in regard to a suitable location for the colony1 and the methods which would be required to obtain it4 ,mr4 ,mills was made their agent4 ,he chose as a colleague1 to share his responsibility1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,burgess4 ,after some months of preparation they left ,america1 planning to visit ,england first for information and assistance and then ,africa1 for the accomplishment of their errand4 ,his father says of the good-bye which he bade him1 at the time1 that he enjoyed peculiar peace of mind1 committing himself entirely to the guidance and protection of the ,almighty4 ,he1 who had endured so many hardships for ,christ's sake1 knew in whom he trusted4 ,after about two weeks' sailing1 they encountered a fearful storm and had need of all their faith4 ,the wind blew furiously for thirty-six hours4 ,the captain ordered the masts cut away and the decks cleared4 ,he remained on deck1 calmly giving orders1 until they were driven almost upon a ledge of rocks4 ,despairing of any safety in the ship1 he abandoned her1 taking his children with him in a small boat4 ,some of those left on board the ship1 in their agony of peril1 were in the cabin1 beseeching the mercy of ,him who rules the violent sea4 ,others were on deck1 where ,mr4 ,burgess1 praying aloud1 commended their souls to ,god4 ,all unexpectedly1 a counter current bore them into deeper water1 past the rocks4 ,all exclaimed1 ,it is the work of ,god6 ,a gloomy night they spent tossing on the sea1 but in the morning quiet came4 ,the mate assumed control1 and by using what crippled forces they could command1 they found their way to a harbor of ,france4 ,from there they proceeded to ,london4 ,they were cordially received by a number of distinguished men and officials4 ,among them ,mr4 ,wilberforce and ,mr4 ,zachary ,macauly1 the former governor of ,sierra ,leone1 who introduced them to the ,duke of ,gloucester4 ,they met everywhere with ,christian sympathy1 and the kindest offers of service4 ,having obtained letters to the governors of colonies in ,africa1 they left ,england for the west coast1 ,february #c1 #ahah4 ,this voyage was a pleasant one1 and brought them in about thirty days to the mouth of the ,gambia4 ,they anchored near the village of ,st4 ,mary's1 and went to inspect this and other settlements4 ,they made the acquaintance of the governors and the ,europeans1 everywhere gathering useful and pertinent facts4 ,they proceeded south1 visiting towns and villages1 and calling upon the kings and head men4 ,on these occasions they were received in the palaver house1 by the chiefs arranged in true ,african style1 regardless of taste4 ,one was described as wearing a silver-laced coat1 a superb three-cornered hat1 blue-bafta trousers1 considerably the worse for wear1 and no stockings or shoes4 ,the insignia of royalty were a silver-headed cane in one hand1 a horse-tail in the other4 ,before the palaver could go on1 the hosts must receive presents1 and as their guests had oftenest been slave traders1 rum and tobacco had become essentials4 ,by means of interpreters they made known their friendly feelings1 and that they had come from ,america4 ,that wise and good men had agreed to help the black people who wished to come to this country2 that the design was a good one1 and would promote the best interests of the black people both in ,america and ,africa2 that if they would sell or give tracts of their unimproved lands1 the people who came would introduce more knowledge of the arts and agriculture1 would buy such things as they had to sell1 and would sell to them such things as they wanted2 that the children were to be educated2 that they had come as messengers of peace and good tidings1 bringing no weapons in their hands--that they did not desire war4 ,they found that ,african kings knew the art of being slothful in business4 ,they seemed to have no idea of dispatch1 but would talk for hours without coming to the point4 ,in general their reception was cordial1 and1 in some instances1 more than that4 ,land was offered them in five different places4 ,their greatest obstacle was the unsavory reputation of the white men who had preceded them1--the slave-traders and merchants1--men who had been gross1 violent and rapacious4 ,one of the natives who saw ,mr4 ,mills and ,mr4 ,burgess in prayer1 said he never knew before that white men prayed6 ,they found that the natives would not be unwilling to give up their superstitions1 and were gratified at the prospect of education for their children2 that they would be glad to have ,god's word1 and the pure religion it teaches4 ,one old man with white hair and beard1 wished for this good time to come at once2 he wanted to know more about ,god's book before he died4 ,the observations and inquiries which had been so conscientiously made by the agents1 enabled them to report to their society that the project was both practicable and expedient4 ,after due consideration of the instructions and recommendations of experienced foreigners1 and the details of exploration1 which this report furnished them1 the society thought it most wise to proceed with the undertaking4 ,after seeking needed individual and governmental aid1 and perfecting so far as possible the organization1 the first colony was sent to ,africa in #ahbj4 ,they endured the discouraging vicissitudes which are generally incident to new settlements1 and in a few years success seemed certain4 ,in #ahdg ,,liberia became an established free republic4 ,the constitution is modeled upon our own4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,last ,,journey--,,brig ,,success1 ,,friday1 ,,may #bb1 #ahah4 ,we have taken an affectionate leave of the clergymen1 the civil officers1 and the colonists of ,sierra ,leone4 ,we are embarked for the ,united ,states1 by way of ,england2 and the continent of ,africa recedes from our view4 ,this is the last entry in ,mills' journal4 ,three months had been spent in ,africa2 months of unsparing toil1 under a scorching sun1 amid depressing pagan scenes4 ,but the undertaking had been reasonably successful1 and tired bodies had been upheld by grateful hearts4 ,on shipboard once more1 with faces turned homeward1 opportunity came for fatigue to assert itself4 ,the strength of ,mills1 never great at the best1 began to fail4 ,a deep spirituality1 which had possessed him through all the journey1 grew stronger and stronger4 ,and as they were wafted1 day by day1 nearer home1 it became evident that his spirit1 too1 was nearing its desired haven4 ,fever burned his body2 but at last eternal health claimed his soul4 ,under a glowing sunset1 he was buried1 to wait until the sea surrenders its dead4 ,the one great desire of his life1 to sit in some quiet corner and teach the perishing1 was unfulfilled2 but ,god through him had sent1 and yet sends1 many teachers to many far corners4 ,thirty-five years1 only1 of mortal life was allotted him in which to accomplish so much2 yet it was time enough1--not because of his uncommon gifts1 but because he knew the secret of well doing4 ,he did not attempt to be the origin--the source1 but gloried in being the channel through which ,god poured ,his great thoughts4 ,no time was lost by obstructions2 the dredge that kept the channel free was prayer--private1 social1 public1 constant prayer1 not for himself1 but for ,god's glory4 ,,the ,,end4