,transcriber's notes3 ,unusual and      
inconsistent spelling is as printed4    
,new original cover art included with   
this e,book is granted to the  public   
domain4                                 
,,the ,,story ,,of ,,dr4 ,,duff         
,,by                                ,a4 
,l4 ,o4 ,e4                             
----------------------------------      
,,first ,,edition1 #b1jjj ,,copies4     
----------------------------------      
,illustration                           
,,madras3              ,,the ,,christian
 ,,vernacular ,,education ,,society4    
,c4 ,k4 ,s4 ,,press1 ,,vepery4          
--------                                
#ahhb4                               #a 
,anna4                                  
,,contents4                             
------------    ,chap4        ,i4       
,,boyhood ,,and ,,youth4       ,,ii4    
,,taking ,,up ,,the ,,cloak4      ,,iii4
 ,,perils ,,of ,,the ,,deep4       ,,iv4
 ,,landed ,,at ,,last4        ,v4       
,,beginning ,,work4       ,,vi4         

,,first-,,fruits4      ,,vii4 ,,the     
,,koolin ,,brahmin4     ,,viii4 ,a      
,,convert',s ,,story4       ,,ix4       
,,driven ,,home4        ,x4 ,,tumults   
,,and ,,threats4       ,,xi4 ,,glimpses 
,,of ,,inner ,,life4      ,,xii4 ,a     
,,holiday ,,without ,,rest4     ,,xiii4 
,,in ,,india ,,again4      ,,xiv4       
,,golden ,,sunset4                      
,,the ,,story ,,of ,,dr4 ,,duff         
,,by                                ,a4 
,l4 ,o4 ,e4                             
------------    ,,chapter ,i4           
,,boyhood ,,and ,,youth4    ,listen to  
the story of a man who loved ,hindustan1
 and laboured night  and day for the    
good of her sons4 ,his was a life of    
toils and dangers1  of cheerful work and
 brilliant success4 ,in the list of     
heroes who have  dared1 and of gifted   
men who have done much1 ,dr4 ,duff may  
well find an  honourable place4    ,in a
 farm-house near the middle of the land 
of ,scotland1 lived a pious  couple of  
the name of ,duff3 to them was born a   

son whom they called  ,alexander4 ,the  
couple were not rich in worldly wealth1 
but they had  that which is better than 
gold1 the fear and love of ,god4 ,as    
their  child grew old enough to         
understand stories1 his father delighted
 to  tell him of holy men of old1 of    
martyrs who had died for the faith4  ,he
 spoke to his little son also of lands  
far away1 where dwelt boys  who had     
never even heard of a ,saviour4         
,alexander ,duff lived to be  a renowned
 man1 honoured by nations1 but he always
 remembered with  reverence the pious   
father who had first1 in a humble home1 
sown in his  heart the seed which was to
 become a goodly tree4    ,in his       
boyhood young ,duff had two remarkable  
dreams4 ,once he dreamed  that the great
 day of judgment had come4 ,he beheld   
the holy and  terrible judge seated on  
great white throne1 and millions upon   
millions  of human beings appearing     
before him1 to receive their final      
sentence4  ,some were condemned to      

everlasting punishment1 some were       
granted  eternal life4 ,the heart of the
 dreamer was filled with terror4 ,little
  ,duff knew not what his own fate might
 be1 whether he would be sent to        
,heaven or ,hell4 ,the boy shook on his 
bed with terror1 and when his turn  for 
judgment came1 trembling with fear      
awoke4 ,never was that solemn  dream    
forgotten4 ,it was as a voice from      
,heaven crying1 ,repent ye1 the  ,day of
 ,judgment is at hand2 prepare to meet  
your ,god6    ,the other dream was less 
painful1 but scarcely less striking than
 this4  ,the ,scotch boy lay by the     
banks of a stream1 and there he fell    
asleep4  ,he dreamed that he saw in the 
distance a light more bright than the   
sun4 ,presently from the midst of the   
great light came a magnificent  chariot 
of gold1 adorned with jewels1 drawn by  
fiery horses4 ,the  exceeding glory on  
which he gazed filled the boy's soul    
with awe4 ,the  heavenly ,chariot       
reached his side1 and from it came a    

gentle voice  which was not the voice of
 man1 ,come up hither1 ,i have work for 
thee  to do4 ,in trying to arise to obey
 the divine call the young dreamer      
awoke4    ,alexander ,duff told the     
dream to his parents1 and many many     
years  afterwards he told it again to   
his grandson1 so deep was the impression
  which it had left on his mind4 ,that  
dream was as a voice from heaven1       
,there is holy work1 ,oh6 child1 for    
thee to do in the future4 ,the world  is
 a great corn-field1 ,god gives to thee 
a sickle1 and bids thee go  forth and   
reap4    ,duff had not only dreams in   
boyhood1 but he had also deliverances   
from  danger to remember in after years4
 ,once when he was lifting water out  of
 a rushing stream1 he fell in and was   
nearly drowned4 ,at another time  he and
 a companion lost their way at night in 
a dangerous place where  there were deep
 bogs1 and a lake into which had the    
wanderers fallen1  they would have      
almost certainly perished4 ,bitter was  

the cold1 and  deep was the darkness4   
,the poor boys struggled on and on1     
dreading  to slip down some unseen      
precipice1 or to fall into some deep    
water4  ,they tried to cheer each other1
 but their voices grew faint1 their     
strength was failing1 they were obliged 
to sit down to rest4 ,then the  poor    
children cried to ,god to save them4    
,suddenly1 as if in answer  to prayer1 a
 bright light flashed before them4 ,it  
disappeared almost  instantly1 but the  
gleam was enough4 ,the boys sprung up   
from the snowy  ground on which they    
were in danger of being frozen to death1
 ran  forward1 and stumbled against a   
garden wall4 ,the light had been but the
  flare of a torch used by some men in  
night fishing1 but it had been  the     
means of drawing the boys towards a     
cottage where their shivering  bodies   
were warmed and fed4 ,from that cottage 
they could be safely  guided to the home
 of ,duff's father4 ,often1 when he was 
a man1 did ,duff  in times of trial and 

danger remember that sudden flash of    
light4 ,he  thought that the ,god who   
had sent it to guide the wandering lost 
boy1  would never leave or forsake the  
afflicted man who cried to him in the   
darkness4    ,duff went to school in the
 town of ,perth1 and was so diligent in 
his  studies1 that when he left ,perth  
at the age of fifteen1 he was the  head 
scholar4 ,he then studied at ,st4       
,andrew's college1 and carried off      
prize after prize4 ,duff was strong in  
body and strong in mind1 and  of a brave
 and cheerful spirit4 ,if he wrote an   
essay1 people read it  with admiration2 
if he made a speech1 they listened with 
delight4 ,he  had unusual power to      
convince and persuade4 ,there was an    
earnestness  in the youth1 which united 
with remarkable talent made his         
influence  great1 but we have no reason 
to think that this rendered him vain4   
,as  a friend1 ,duff was obliging and   
kind2 as a companion1 pleasant and      
cheerful4    ,on ,sundays he gathered   

children around him to teach them such  
holy  lessons as he himself had learned 
from his father4 ,duff was full of      
mirth1 but he suffered no impure jest or
 oath to fall from his lips4  ,the holy 
spirit of ,god had shed life into the   
young man's heart1 and  it was shown in 
his words and actions1 as we may trace  
the course of  a stream which we do not 
see by the bright verdure1 the flowers1 
and  fruits which grow on its banks4    
,thus ,duff's course as a college       
student was one of activity1            
cheerfulness and success4 ,can we doubt 
that his life in ,scotland was a  happy 
one8 ,dearly did he love his country1   
his family and his friends1  and with   
such talents as his1 he was likely to   
rise in the world4 ,why  should ,duff   
ever leave his beautiful country and    
those to whom he was  dear8 ,yet ,duff  
did leave all with a willing heart1 he  
exchanged his  pleasant studies for hard
 and toilsome work1 he went thousands of
 miles  from his father's home to dwell 

amongst strangers4 ,why he did this you 
will see in the following ,chapter4     
----------------        ,,chapter ,,ii4 
,,taking ,,up ,,the ,,cloak4    ,amongst
 the friends of ,duff there was one to  
him especially dear2 this  young man's  
name was ,john ,urquhart4 ,theirs was a 
love to last unto  death1 and even after
 death1 for its strength was this3 that 
both the  friends adored the same ,lord1
 both delighted in ,his service1 and    
both  looked forward to dwelling        
together in a bright home beyond the    
grave4    ,often when ,duff went in     
holiday time to his parents' house1 he  
talked  to them much about ,john        
,urquhart4 ,he told how one day         
,urquhart1  addressing his              
follow-students1 had told them that he  
was going to  devote himself to         
,missionary work1 and charged every one 
of his  companions to think seriously   
over the subject of spreading the       
,gospel  in heathen lands4 ,the name of 
,john ,urquhart had grown quite familiar

 to  the parents of ,alexander ,duff1   
from the accounts of him given to them  
by their son1 as he sat and talked with 
them by the cheerful fire-light  in     
their home amidst the ,grampian ,hills4 
,perhaps ,duff's mother sometimes       
thought1 ,i am glad that it is ,urquhart
  and not my ,aleck who is going so far 
away4 ,my clever son will be a  pastor  
and dwell near us1 and ,i shall hear him
 when he stands in the  pulpit1         
preaching the ,word with that eloquence 
which every one praises6  ,i shall watch
 his success1 oh6 with what gladness and
 pride6 ,i wonder  if ,urquhart has a   
mother1 and1 if so1 how she can bear to 
part with  such a son6 ,i am thankful   
that my ,aleck is not to be a           
,missionary like  his friend4    ,a time
 arrived when ,alexander ,duff came home
 for his winter vacation  with a sad    
heart and a burdened mind4 ,his parents 
welcomed him1 as  usual1 with tender    
love1 and he brightened up to cheer     
them2 nothing  seems to have passed at  

first to awaken his mother's fears4     
,doubtless  she spread the table with   
the nice bannocks of barley meal which  
she  had prepared with her own hands1   
and stirred the fire to a brighter      
blaze1 and fondly gazed on the face of  
her son1 now a fine young man in  the   
prime of his strength4 ,duff sat and    
talked of many things1 for when  he     
returned from college he had always much
 to tell1 and he related  stories with  
such spirit1 that it was ever a pleasure
 to listen4 ,but  it surprised ,duff's  
parents that he did not so much as      
mention ,john  ,urquhart1 the favourite 
friend who used to be a principal theme 
of his  talk4    ,what of your friend   
,urquhart8 at last exclaimed the father4
    ,a change came over the face of     
,duff4 ,doubtless his heart beat faster1
  not only because his father's word had
 touched a wound1 but because the       
moment had come for him to say something
 which he too well knew would  give his 
dear hearers pain4    ,urquhart is no   

more6 cried ,duff1 thus suddenly        
announcing the death  of the youth who  
had devoted himself to ,missionary work1
 but who had  been summoned early to his
 rest before he could enter on such     
labours4  ,then1 gathering courage to   
say what he felt must be said1 ,duff    
slowly  and wistfully added1 perhaps    
glancing at his poor fond mother1 ,what 
if  your son should take up his cloak8  
,by which he meant1 should take up  his 
,mission work and go out to ,india in   
his place4 ,you approved the  motive    
that directed the choice of ,urquhart1  
you commended his high  purpose4 ,then  
,duff added the words which announced   
his own dedication  to the cause1 words 
which must have thrilled to his parents'
 souls1  ',the cloak is taken up4'      
,the father and mother were at first too
 much startled to speak4 ,we are  not   
told what followed4 ,the parents were   
pious indeed1 but they may  have felt   
somewhat as holy ,abraham felt when     
called on by ,god to offer  up the only 

son whom he loved4 ,we do not know      
whether the mother threw  her arms round
 the neck of her son and wept1 or if the
 father's face  betrayed an inward      
struggle4 ,we only know that both       
parents consented  at last to part with 
their hope and pride1 never perhaps in  
this world  to behold his dear face     
again4 ,they would not hinder him from  
obeying  the call of his ,god1 heard in 
his childhood's dream1--,come up hither1
 ,i  have work for thee to do4    ,and  
what was this work taken up by ,duff1 as
 a legacy from his friend1 a  work for  
which he was ready to leave and to      
suffer all8    ,ere the ,lord ,jesus    
left earth ,he gave a last charge to his
 disciples1  ,go ye into all the world1 
and preach the ,gospel to every         
creature4    ,in the command followed a 
promise1 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even
 unto  the end4    ,obeying that        
command1 and resting on that promise1   
from the earliest  ages ,christians have
 gone forth to give glad tidings of     

salvation to  other nations4 ,men1 aye  
and women1 have cheerfully left country 
and  home to say to those thirsting for 
eternal life1--    ',ho1 every one that 
thirsteth1 come ye to the waters6' ,we  
have found  the ,fountain of life1 and  
we bid you also come and drink4 ,oh6    
,weary  and heavy-laden with the burden 
of sin1 come to ,him who has taken away 
'our sin4' ,christ has opened the door  
of heaven to us1 and we would not  enter
 alone4 ,come dear brothers--sisters1   
come ,hindu1 ,mahomedan1 ,sikh1  come   
all ye children of men1 share with us   
the inheritance of glory1  share with us
 the ,kingdom of ,heaven6    ,what ,duff
 thought of a ,missionary's calling may 
be shown from his own  words4 ,a        
,missionary ,committee had offered to   
send him out to labour in  ,calcutta1   
and after much prayer and searching of  
heart he was able to  write thus3--     
,i am now prepared to reply to the      
,committee in the words of the  prophet1
 'here am ,i1 send me4' ,the work is    

most arduous1 but is of  ,god and must  
prosper4 ,many sacrifices painful to    
flesh and blood must  be made1 but not  
any correspondent to the glory of       
winning souls to  ,christ4 ,with the    
thought of this glory ,i feel myself    
almost transported  with joy2 everything
 else appears to fall out of view as    
vain and  insignificant4    ,mr4 ,duff  
was now ordained as a clergyman1 and    
before he departed for  ,india1 preached
 missionary sermons and gave discourses 
which came with  much force from one who
 was offering himself up1 body and soul1
 for the  cause for which he pleaded4   
,in one church1 with tears gushing from 
his  eyes1 thus the young missionary    
spoke3--       ,there was a time when ,i
 had no care or concern for the heathen1
 that  was a time when ,i had no care or
 concern for my own soul4 ,when1 by the 
grace of ,god1 ,i was led to care for my
 own soul1 then it was that began  to   
care for the heathen abroad4 ,in my     
closet1 on my bended knees1 ,i  then    

said to ,god1 ',oh6 ,lord6 ,thou knowest
 that silver and gold to give  to this  
cause ,i have none2 what ,i have ,i give
 unto ,thee2 ,i offer ,thee  myself1    
will ,thou accept the gift8    ,duff    
tried to comfort and cheer his parents4 
,he prayed his dear mother  not to make 
an idol of her son4 ,he wrote lovingly  
to his father1--       ,will you be a   
loser by so giving me up to the ,lord1  
and so praising  ,him for ,his goodness 
in having called me to so mighty a work8
 ,no1 ,god  will bless you with the     
blessing of ,abraham1 will enrich you   
with his  faith and reward1 and will    
reward you a thousand fold for your     
willing  resignation and cheerful       
readiness in obeying ,god's command4    
,the ,lord  bless you and my dear       
mother6    ,and so ,alexander ,duff     
prepared to go forth to a strange land1 
and a  people whose language he knew    
not1 believing it to be likely that he  
never would return again to his dearly  
loved ,scotland4                        

----------------        ,,chapter ,,iii4
    ,,perils ,,of ,,the ,,deep4    ,mr4 
,duff did not go forth alone2 he was    
given a faithful partner in  all his    
joys and sorrows1 a gentle helper in his
 work4 ,just before  the young          
missionary was ordained1 he married the 
pious ,miss ,anne  ,scott ,drysdale1 who
 for many years proved to him one of    
,god's richest  blessings4    ,in the   
month of ,october #ahbi1 in a ship      
called the ,lady ,holland1  the young   
couple embarked for ,india4 ,they knew  
not the sufferings  and dangers that lay
 before them ere they should reach      
,calcutta1 but  farewell is a bitter    
word1 and it was doubtless with heavy   
hearts and  tear-dimmed eyes that some  
of the travellers saw the shores of     
their  native isle recede in the        
distance behind them4    ,very rough    
weather was encountered by the ,lady    
,holland4 ,day after day  there was a   
succession of gales4 ,many inhabitants  
of ,india have never  seen the sea1 the 

black water as they call it4 ,let them  
imagine what  it must be when nothing is
 to be seen around but furious waves1   
with a  strong sky above1 and how one   
must feel when tossed on the surface of 
the water4 ,the ship plunges like a     
terrified horse1 now borne aloft on  the
 top of a huge billow1 then swept down  
into what looks like a watery  grave    
from which she may never arise4 ,there  
is violent motion which  allows not a   
minute of rest2 were it not for little  
wooden fences made  on purpose1 the     
dishes would roll over from the tables1 
the sick would  fall out from the beds6 
,many of the passengers are lying in a  
grievous  state of exhaustion4 ,the     
violent shaking1 plunging1 and rolling1 
make  them feel as if taken with deadly 
sickness1 they can neither rise nor  eat
 till the fury of the gale be spent4    
,illustration    ,week after week the   
rough weather continued1 and the ship   
was detained  by various causes1 so that
 it was not till at least four long     

months  had passed that the ,lady       
,holland had nearly reached the ,cape of
  ,good ,hope1 the half way station on  
the way to ,calcutta4 ,how glad the     
storm-tost passengers must have been at 
the thought of being1 though  but for a 
short time1 on firm solid ground1 and   
able to look on green  trees once more6 
,but the ship was never to reach the    
port1 a time of  terrible danger was    
near4    ,on the #acth of ,february1 at 
the dead hour of night1 when lamps had  
been  put out1 and most of the          
passengers had gone to rest in their    
cabins1  at that time the accident      
occurred4 ,those who had closed their   
eyes  in sleep were suddenly awakened by
 a violent shock1 which almost made     
their hearts stand still with fear6     
,what could have happened to the  ship6 
,the frightened passengers sprang from  
their cots1 they rushed on  deck1       
wrapped in blankets1 sheets1 or whatever
 was near1 only to find  their worst    
fears realised4 ,the vessel had struck  

with violence on a  sandbank1 her back  
was broken1 she must ere long go to     
pieces6 ,the wild  foaming waves were   
sweeping over her like hungry tigers    
eager to devour  their prey4    ,mr4    
,duff had been half undressed when the  
shock took place4 ,he too  ran up on    
deck1 where he met the captain of the   
,lady ,holland1 who  exclaimed in       
agony--    ,oh6 ,she's gone6 ,she's     
gone6    ,it would be difficult to      
describe the scene which followed on    
that  awful night of the shipwreck1 so  
as to bring it before the minds of      
those who have never been in a storm at 
sea4 ,passengers were on the  deck1     
terror depicted on their faces1 as far  
as they could be seen in  the dim light1
 they could neither stand nor sit       
without clinging to  some object near4  
,all felt as if death were near1 and    
after death the  judgment6    ,one      
voice1 that of an officer1 was heard to 
utter the bitter cry1 ,what  will become
 of me1 ,i have been such a hypocrite6  

,the wretched man knew not how to face  
the ,judge of quick and dead  before    
whom he might so shortly be summoned to 
appear4    ,a few of the passengers were
 ,god-fearing people1 and they even at  
such  an hour1 were calm4 ,duff was one 
of these for whom death had lost its    
worst terrors1 he knew that ,god ruled  
the storm1 and that the way  to ,heaven 
was as short from a foaming sea as from 
the most peaceful  deathbed4    ,the    
missionary's clear voice was heard over 
the dashing of the waters  and the roar 
of the wind4 ,duff called out that as   
all might suddenly  be summoned together
 to give their final account1 they had  
better join  in prayer as best they     
could for deliverance1 if such were     
,god's holy  will1 or if not1 for       
preparedness to meet ,him4 ,all         
passengers clustered  around the        
missionary1 holding on so as not to be  
swept off the deck  by the waves1 whilst
 the man of ,god poured forth his soul  
in earnest  supplications4 ,oh6 ,what a 

never to be forgotten prayer meeting was
 that  in darkness and danger1 on the   
billow-swept deck of the wreck6         
,meanwhile the captain and crew were    
doing all that they could to launch  the
 longboat which might afford a means of 
escape from a sinking  vessel4 ,the task
 was one of extreme difficulty2 the sea 
was a mass of  foam gleaming white      
through the darkness now dimly lighted  
up by the  moon4 ,at last1 the work was 
accomplished1--the longboat was heaving 
up  and down on the waters near enough  
to the ship for the terrified people  on
 the deck to get in4 ,but it could not  
hold more than one third of  those on   
board the doomed vessel4    ,no doubt   
the quiet prayer had calmed the spirits 
of those who had  joined in it1 for now 
a very striking display of unselfish    
,christian  love was shown4 ,unmarried  
men said to those who were married1 ,you
 go  with your wives1 you are two1 we   
are only one4 ,the wives had declared   
that they would not go without their    

husbands4    ,but none of those on deck 
were to be lost4 ,through ,god's mercy  
the wind  abated2 the little island of  
,dossen1 like a place of refuge1 was    
near4  ,the longboat with another       
smaller boat were able to make three    
trips1  and so at last each one of the  
shivering1 dripping passengers and crew 
was landed safe on the desolate isle4   
,soon after the last trip had been made1
 the longed-for daylight  appeared4     
,before dawn there was no means of      
knowing whether the place  was          
inhabited4 ,dreary enough was the scene 
revealed by the opening day4  ,the      
island was merely a haunt of sea-birds1 
and the only persons to be  found on it 
were two men employed to collect their  
eggs4 ,but the sight  of these two      
,dutchmen was welcome to the poor       
desolate shipwrecked  sufferers who had 
lost their all1 especially as the       
strangers possessed  a cooking-pot1     
under such circumstances a valuable     
acquisition indeed4    ,the poor        

passengers and sailors dispersed1 some  
to collect eggs1 some  to collect grass 
and seaweed with which to feed a fire2  
others remained  beside the pot         
constantly employed in boiling          
sea-birds' eggs1 as that  was their only
 food4    ,no doubt1 ,mr4 ,duff thought 
of the shipwreck of the great           
missionary1  ,st4 ,paul1 saved like     
himself1 from a watery grave1 and cast1 
like  himself1 desolate upon an island4 
,but what gratitude must have filled    
his soul when he looked on his beloved  
wife1 preserved to him through  all that
 night of terrible danger6 ,they had    
indeed lost their worldly  all1 their   
clothes save what they actually wore1   
their property1 money1  and books1      
wedding-gifts and parting keepsakes2 all
 was lost to them  but each other1 and  
their calm firm trust in ,god2          
shipwrecked and  stript of every earthly
 possession they were still rich in     
faith1 and  each happy in the love of   
the other4    ,a sailor is seen         

advancing eagerly towards them4 ,what is
 it that he  holds in his hand8         
,something which the waves have washed  
ashore from  the wreck4    ,what is the 
,missionary's surprise and delighted    
wonder when he  recognises his own      
,bible and an old ,scotch psalm-book1   
somewhat  shattered indeed1 but received
 with adoring gratitude as a gift from  
the ,lord6 ,would a bag of gold or a    
bracelet of costly diamonds have  been  
such a welcome treasure6    ,all the    
shipwrecked people were deeply affected 
by what they regarded  as a message from
 ,god4 ,they knelt down on the white    
sand1 whilst ,dr4  ,duff held a touching
 service4 ,the ,missionary read the     
#ajgth ,psalm1  so suitable for these   
who had cried unto the ,lord in their   
trouble1  and been delivered from their 
distress4 ,fervent prayer and grateful  
thanksgiving followed the psalm4    ,for
 days the passengers and crew remained  
on the desolate island1 till  they were 
relieved by a vessel sent from ,cape    

,town1 to which tidings of  the         
shipwreck had been forwarded4 ,with what
 thankful joy they at last  landed on   
the shores of ,africa1 the inhabitants  
of ,cape ,town crowding  to see the poor
 tempest-torn wanderers1 and to show    
them sympathy and  kindness4 ,several   
weeks passed in this haven of refuge    
before the ,duffs  were able to embark  
in another vessel called the ,moira1 to 
pursue  their voyage to ,calcutta4      
----------------        ,,chapter ,,iv4 
,,landed ,,at ,,last4    ,if the        
,missionaries hoped that they would now 
in peace and tolerable  comfort pursue  
their voyage to their long desired      
haven1 they were to  be sadly           
disappointed4 ,it seemed as if wind and 
waves joined together  to keep them back
 from ,india4 ,the experience of the    
,duffs in the  ,moira was not to be very
 unlike theirs in the poor wrecked ,lady
  ,holland4    ,contrary winds drove the
 vessel far out of her course1          
increasing to  such a hurricane that she

 nearly went down into the depths of the
 sea4  ,not till the end of ,may did the
 poor half exhausted travellers see the 
little pilot ship which was to guide    
them up the ,hoogly to ,calcutta at     
last4    ,in thought we can see the     
missionary ,duff1 with his tall form1   
handsome  face1 animated manner and     
sparkling eyes1 standing on the deck1   
and  pointing out to his wife the       
distant land beyond the heaving waters1 
and crying out1 ,that is our ,india1    
yonder is our future battle-field1  so  
long hoped for1 so long desired6    ,the
 long muddy flat of ,saugar island      
indeed was nothing beautiful  to look   
at1 yet was full of interest1 and       
welcome was the sound of  dropping      
anchor in the rapid stream which flows  
by its shore4    ,the long ocean-voyage 
was over1 but the river had its perils  
as great  as those of the ocean4 ,see   
how the clouds in big black masses      
gather  before the sun4 ,make ready1    
brave sailors1 a storm is coming1 and   

will  be upon you soon6 ,it came--the   
terrible monsoon in all its fury6 ,in   
vain  had three anchors been thrown out 
from the ,moira1 anchors and cables     
cannot hold her2 like a baited animal   
breaking loose from the stake1  she     
struggles on the furious whirling       
waters4 ,driven before the roaring      
gust1 the ,moira is hurled on a         
mud-bank1 she is in a position of  awful
 peril4 ,nothing can be done to save    
her1 for not even moonlight  now        
relieves the horrors of the darkness    
only lit up by flashes of  lightning6   
,has the missionary come so far1 and    
already endured so much only to  perish 
close to the land which he has vainly   
tried to reach6 ,it was a  terrible     
night indeed1 and with the wild monsoon 
sweeping around them1  thus helplessly  
standed1 how anxiously must the poor    
passengers in  the ,moira have waited   
for daybreak6 ,it came at last1 and     
there was at  least light enough to show
 them their danger4    ,the appearance  

of the river was very fearful2 the wind1
 whirling round  in cyclone gusts1      
raised columns of water which broke into
 foaming  cataracts4 ,what had been land
 was so flooded that it looked like a   
widening of the river4 ,yet to reach it 
was the travellers' best chance  of     
safety4 ,there was a large tree not far 
off standing out of the  water4 ,by     
swimming1 some men managed to carry a   
rope from the ship to  it1 which they   
could fasten to its branches4 ,along    
this rope a boat was  moved to the tree1
 and by its means the travellers were   
landed on  ,saugar island1 if that term 
can be used when they had to stand up to
  their waists in water6    ,oh6 ,what a
 close to a long toilsome voyage1 what a
 rude welcome  to ,india6 ,battered by  
the gale1 drenched to the skin1 the     
twice  shipwrecked ,duffs with their    
companions struggled on till they came  
to  the first ,hindu village which they 
hoped to enter1 and find at least  a    
little rest in some hut however mean4   

,but alas6 ,from prejudices of  caste1  
the villagers would not take the poor   
weary ones in6 ,here was a  trial of    
faith and patience4 ,doubtless ,duff    
felt far less for himself  than for his 
loving faithful wife4 ,turned back from 
the village1 the  shipwrecked sufferers 
took refuge in a temple1 and there1     
drenched with  mud1 in a terrible state 
of exhaustion after the fearful night1  
the  ,missionary pair remained for a    
while4      ,when the tidings of their  
state reached ,calcutta1 help was       
quickly  sent4 ,after some time dinghy  
boats began to appear2 in one of these  
,mr4 ,duff and his patient wife at last 
reached ,calcutta1 the city of  palaces1
 where by a ,scotch clergyman they were 
hospitably received4 ,the  journey from 
,london to ,calcutta with such a        
succession of disasters1  had taken them
 more than eight months to accomplish4  
,when the natives  of ,india heard of   
the perils surmounted by the ,missionary
 ,duff1 the  remark was made1 ,surely   

this man is a favorite of the gods who  
must  have some notable work for him to 
do in ,india4    ,what ,duff himself    
thought of his troubles may be seen by  
what he wrote  in a letter on the day   
following that of his arrival in        
,calcutta4       ,the loss of earthly   
comfort and possession is a rich gain   
indeed1  when accompanied by the        
increase of that treasure which nothing 
can  diminish4 ,where is faith without a
 victory8 ,where is victory without  a  
struggle8 ,and can there be a struggle  
without enduring trials and             
encountering difficulties8 ,to us1 we   
would pray1 be the toil and the         
hardship and the danger1 and the crown  
of victory for our reward1 or  death    
when maintaining our ,master's cause1   
for an eternal glory4    ,before this1  
,alexander ,duff had written in         
reference to his large  stock of books  
and valuable papers lost in the         
shipwreck of the ,lady  ,holland3--     
,they are gone1 and blessed be ,god1 ,i 

can say gone without a murmur4 ,so      
perish all earthly things2 the treasure 
which is laid up in ,him alone  is      
unassailable4 ,god has been to me a ,god
 full of mercy1 and not the  least of   
,his mercies do ,i find in cheerful     
resignation4    ,thus ,faith turns the  
sands of life to gold4                  
----------------        ,,chapter ,v4   
,,beginning ,,work4    ,the special work
 for which ,alexander ,duff had been    
sent to ,india1 was  to set up a        
missionary ,college4 ,in doing this1 he 
had to meet with some  great            
difficulties1 and some of the most      
trying of them from his own  ,european  
friends4 ,this sounds strange1 and needs
 a little explanation4    ,a great many 
,english people1 some of them doubtless 
sensible and good  men1 thought that    
though ,hindu boys should certainly be  
taught1 they  should only be taught in  
,oriental languages4 ,they might learn  
,sanscrit1  ,bengali1 ,persian1 ,arabic1
 it was said1 but what would be the use 

of  teaching them ,english8 ,some       
persons think the same thing now2 they  
would feed boys' minds with stories from
 the ,vedas1 they would let them  know  
ancient poems filled with impure        
legends1 and become good ,oriental      
scholars1 but to teach ,english is1 in  
such persons' opinion1 to bring  in     
insolent manners1 vanity1 deceit and    
infidelity4    ,dr4 ,duff held a very   
different opinion4 ,he looked on the    
,english tongue  as the key to a rich   
storehouse of science1 wisdom and truth1
 where  eager minds and hungry souls    
might feed1 and so grow to manly        
stature4  ,why only open presses full of
 sweetmeats1 some of them well-known to 
be poisoned with vice1 while a rich     
granary might be thrown open to  young  
,india8 ,duff resolved1 with the        
firmness of his resolute nature1  that  
he would teach ,hindu boys ,english2 and
 in this he was encouraged  by an       
enlightened native1 ,raja ,rammohun     
,roy4 ,the native languages were  by no 

means to be neglected1 but the ,english 
key to knowledge was to  be given to    
,india1 the granary was to be opened4   
,duff saw that it  was not true that his
 pupils must become1 as was feared1 like
 those  worthless natives who had caught
 a smattering of ,english just in order 
more easily to cheat ,europeans lately  
arrived from the ,west4 ,it was  not    
true that because some ,english books1  
alas6 contain the poison of  infidelity1
 that ignorance of the language would   
keep ,bengalis safe  from the evil4     
,we see the truth of this reasoning now1
 but at that time ,duff had to  face a  
strong opposition4 ,before he opened his
 school1 one of the  ,missionary's      
dearest friends came to implore him to  
give up his design  of teaching boys in 
,english4 ,finding all his arguments and
 entreaties  in vain1 the friend rose1  
and shaking ,duff by the hand1 uttered  
this  sad prediction3    ,you will      
deluge ,calcutta with rogues and        
villains6    ,oh6 ,what a strange       

mistake was made by this doubtless well 
meaning man6  ,india has at this moment 
no nobler sons than the boys taught in  
the  ,college of ,duff6    ,the         
,missionary's first efforts to instruct 
in ,calcutta have been thus  described4 
,duff planted himself in the very heart 
of the native town4 ,nor did  he1 as    
some advised1 begin with the erection of
 a grand building which  would do much1 
it was urged1 to attract the pupils4    
,the grand building  was left to the    
future1 and a room of a ,hindu house1 in
 ,chitpore1 a  small ill-ventilated     
room1 was in the first instance         
sufficient4 ,here1  a month and a half  
after landing1 ,mr4 ,duff might have    
been seen in  eager converse1 mostly by 
means of an interpreter1 with five young
 men1  whom ,raja ,rammohun ,roy had    
persuaded to attend4 ,the despisers of  
the  day of small things would have read
 failure over that first day's work4    
,to ,mr4 ,duff it was a hopeful         
beginning4       ,next day twenty-five  

appeared1 and before a week was over1   
the room  was filled at different       
periods of the day with two distinct    
sets of  scholars4 ,two hundred and     
fifty were thus accommodated1 and still 
many  had to be refused4    ,here then  
was the opening work of him who has been
 described as the  ,missionary who knew 
no ,bengali1 and taught boys who knew no
 ,english4      ,an amusing account has 
been given of ,duff's early lessons2 of 
course he  had to begin with the        
alphabet4 ,he who was so learned and    
eloquent was  content to stoop to teach 
boys their ,a ,b ,c4 ,gathering his     
class around  him1 the ,master would    
begin by showing a large pointed ,o on a
 frame4  ,very soon the letter was      
shouted out by some hundred young       
tongues4  ,the letter ,x would follow1  
the word ,,ox was thus formed1 and the  
merry  scholars were delighted to find  
that they had mastered an ,english word4
  ,the teacher then exercised the minds 
of his pupils by asking them  questions 

about the animal whose name they had    
learned4 ,so delighted  were the boys at
 this new1 simple1 and amusing way of   
instruction1 that  when they went out   
into the streets1 and saw an ox pulling 
a cart1 they  would shout ,ox6 ,ox6 at  
the top of their voices4    ,this was   
the first step to something higher4     
,duff was training his boys  to think2  
they were no parrots merely to learn a  
lesson by rote4 ,duff  opened the       
intellects of his scholars1 and at the  
same time won their  hearts by his      
kindness4 ,the work wonderfully grew and
 spread4 ,the hired  house was exchanged
 for a better one1 which was--after the 
lapse of a  considerable time--to be    
succeeded by a beautiful college4       
,after a year1 a public examination was 
held4 ,those who were present  at it    
were surprised at reading of the boys1  
their knowledge of  arithmetic1         
geography and grammar4 ,those who had   
expected that  but little could possibly
 have been done in a year1 listened with

  admiration to the prompt and clever   
answers given by the bright young       
students4    ,here indeed was grand     
success4 ,the desire of the youth of    
,india to  learn under ,alexander ,duff 
became greater and greater4 ,as the     
,master  afterwards wrote1--       ,the 
excitement amongst the natives continued
 unabated4 ,they pursued us  along the  
streets1 they threw open the very doors 
of our palankeens1  and poured in their 
supplications with a pitiful earnestness
 of  countenance that might have        
softened a heart of stone4 ,they craved 
for  ,english reading1 ,english         
knowledge4 ,in broken ,english some     
would say1  'me good boy1 ,oh6 take me6'
 ,some 'me want read good books1 ,oh6   
take  me6'    ,such was the press of new
 candidates that it was found quite     
needful  only to admit by tickets1 and  
to station two men at the door to see   
that no boys came in who could not show 
such a ticket4    ,thus was the blessing
 of ,god given to the first efforts of  

the  ,missionary ,duff for the          
improvement of the boys of ,india4      
----------------      ,,chapter ,,vi4   
,,first ,,fruits4    ,it must not be    
thought that whilst the missionary      
opened the minds of  his pupils1 he for 
one day forgot the care of their souls4 
,what avails  human learning without    
that knowledge which leads to life      
eternal6 ,duff  had seen a parable of   
this in his shipwreck4 ,eight hundred   
volumes  which he had carefully chosen  
were destroyed2 so were the papers on   
the  writing of which he had bestowed   
weeks and months of pains2 but his      
,bible was left to him still6    ,so    
when the flood of death swallows up the 
fruit of mere earthly  labours1 and the 
sage and the idiot alike are cast on the
 shore of  eternity bare of all that    
belonged but to this world1 the ,word of
 ,god  will abide for ever1 the         
,christian's best treasure is left to   
him still4    ,the boys of ,duff's      
school were every day taught pure       

religion1 and  their parents were       
invited to attend during the lesson4    
,one day that lesson was on ,charity as 
described in the ,thirteenth  ,chapter  
of ,first ,corinthians4 ,throughout1 all
 were attentive1 and  the minds of a few
 became intensely riveted1 while the    
glistening eye  and the changeful       
countenance reflected as in a mirror the
 inward  thought most clearly4 ,at last 
when the concluding words of the        
inspired  description of heavenly love  
was given1 'endureth all things1' a     
youth  who but a few days before had    
risen to oppose the reading of the      
,bible1  started from his seat          
exclaiming aloud1 ',oh6 ,sir6 ,that is  
too good for  us6 who can act up to     
that1 who can act up to that4'    ,a    
deep impression was made on the mind of 
one young ,hindu from the  simple       
reading of the words that promise       
blessedness to him who loves  and prays 
for his enemy4 ,for days and weeks the  
youth could not help  crying out1 ',love

 your enemies1 bless them that curse    
you6' ,how  beautiful6 how divine6      
surely this is the truth6    ,duff's    
explanation of the causes and nature of 
rain led his bright lads  to understand 
that it neither comes from ,indra1 nor  
from a celestial  elephant4 ,they felt  
that they had been too long grossly     
deceived in  matters of science4 ,in    
some minds there was doubtless a        
struggle  between the new ideas and the 
old4 ,what becomes of our ,shaster if   
your  account be true8 asked a young    
,brahman4 ,the ,shaster is true1 ,brahma
  is true1 and your ,gurus must         
accordingly be false1 'and yet it looks 
like the truth4'    ,on the occasion of 
an eclipse1 a true exposition being     
given of the  real cause of the wonder1 
a very great shock was given to ,hindu  
prejudice4 ,many of the intelligent lads
 perceived that the wild tales  which   
they had been told about a monster      
attacking the sun1 were not  only false 
but absurd4    ,the movement going on   

was one which could not be hidden2      
,gurus and  ,brahmans1 accustomed to be 
adored almost as gods1 saw that         
,hinduism  itself was in danger4 ,those 
whom it had been their interest to keep 
in  darkness1 were having their eyes    
opened4 ,the ,brahmans determined to    
crush the ,missionary school4 ,a decree 
went forth that whoever attended  it    
should be excluded from caste4 ,it was  
suggested that a yellow flag  should be 
placed before the school to warn all    
,hindus from entering so  dangerous a   
place4    ,the timid people were        
frightened by the threats of those who  
had been  their spiritual leaders4 ,the 
school was almost deserted4 ,only half a
  dozen boys sat on the benches that had
 been crowded by three hundred4  ,but   
the panic lasted for a very short time2 
in less than a week1 back  came the     
deserters4 ,dr4 ,duff went calmly on    
with his duties till his  classes were  
more crowded than ever4      ,in the    
second year of the ,missionary's labours

 in ,calcutta1 he received  a note from 
a ,hindu which must have thrilled his   
heart with joy4 ,it  was written by one 
who had been tossing on an ocean of     
doubt1 but was  now seeing the lights in
 the port4 ,mokesh ,chunder ,ghose sent 
his own  brother to ,mr4 ,duff with the 
following remarkable letter4       ,if  
you can make a ,christian of him you    
will have a valuable one1 and  you may  
rest assured that you have my hearty    
consent to it4 ,convince  him and make  
him a ,christian1 ,i will give no secret
 opposition4  ,scepticism has made me   
too miserable to wish my dear brother   
the  same4 ,a doubtfulness of the       
existence of another world1 and of the  
benevolence of ,god1 made me too unhappy
 and spread a gloom all over my  mind1  
but ,i thank ,god that ,i have no doubts
 at present4 ,i am travelling  from step
 to step1 and ,christianity1 ,i think1  
will be the last place  where ,i shall  
rest1 for every time ,i think1 its      
evidence becomes too  overpowering4     

,oh6 ,with what delight must the        
faithful ,missionary have read such a   
letter6 ,with what fervour must he have 
prayed that the enquirer should  never  
never pause1 until he found rest indeed1
 and for ever1 at the  feet of the      
,blessed ,jesus6    ,such a prayer was  
granted4 ,the brave young ,hindu dared  
to come out and  confess ,christ openly 
by baptism4 ,mokesh ,chunder ,ghose     
stood forward  as the first convert     
given to ,duff4 ,the young man's own    
account of his  conversion1 given before
 many witnesses is too interesting not  
to be  inserted here4 ,after long       
silence ,mokesh ,chunder ,ghose thus    
broke forth4       ,a twelve month ago  
,i was an atheist 4 4 4 and what am ,i  
now8 ',a  baptized ,christian6' ,a      
twelve month ago ,i was the most        
miserable of  the miserable1 and what am
 ,i now8 ,in my own mind 'the happiest  
of the  happy4' ,what a change6 ,how has
 it been brought about8 ,the            
recollection  of the past fills me with 

wonder4       ,when ,i first came to    
your lectures it was not instruction    
that ,i  wanted4 ,instruction was the   
pretext2 a secret desire to expose what 
,i  reckoned your irrational and        
superstitious follies was the reality4  
,at last against my inclination1 against
 my feelings ,i was obliged to  admit   
the truth of ,christianity4 ,its        
evidence was so strong that ,i  could   
not resist it4 ,but ,i still felt       
contrary to what ,i 'thought4' ,on      
hearing your account of the nature of   
sin1 and especially sins of the  heart1 
my conscience burst on me like a        
volcano4 ,my soul was pierced  through 4
 4 4 ,i was in a hell of torment4 ,on   
hearing and examining  further ,i began1
 ,i know not how or why1 to find relief 
from the words  of your ,bible4 ,what ,i
 once thought most irrational ,i soon   
found to be  very wisdom1 what ,i once  
hated most ,i soon began to love most1  
and now  ,i love it altogether 4 4 4    
',in spite of myself ,i became a        

,christian4'  ,surely some unseen power 
must have been guiding me6 ,surely this 
must  have been what your ,bible calls  
grace1 free grace1 sovereign grace6     
,such was the simple1 straight forward1 
manly confession of ,alexander  ,duff's 
first ,hindu convert4                   
----------------        ,,chapter ,,vii4
    ,,the ,,koolin ,,brahmin4    ,mokesh
 ,chunder ,ghose was not long to stand  
alone4 ,he was followed by  a ,koolin   
,brahmin1 ,khrisha ,mohun ,banerjea1 now
 a well-known and much  respected       
,christian clergyman4 ,of a candid1     
enquiring disposition1 he  had been     
convinced of the errors of ,hinduism    
before he had received  ,christianity as
 truth from ,god4 ,he was at the head of
 party of  deep-thinkers who would no   
longer consent to be duped1 and his own 
very  high rank as a ,koolin ,brahman   
made him an object of special wrath to  
his former co-religionists4 ,they       
fiercely demanded of ,banerjea's family 
they should disown him1 on pain of      

themselves losing their caste should    
they refuse to do so4    ,the reformer's
 family called on him to renounce what  
they called his  errors1 and own his    
belief in the ,hindu religion1 or be for
 ever cast  out from his home4 ,the poor
 young man chose ruin rather than       
falsehood4  ,banerjea left his home at  
night with some of his friends who held 
the  same views as himself4    ,we left1
 wrote he1 the home where we passed our 
infant days2 we left  our mother that   
nourished us in childhood2 we left our  
brother with  whom we associated in our 
early days2 we left our sisters with    
whom we  sympathised since they were    
born4    ,personal danger was added to  
private grief4 ,as ,banerjea and his    
friends  were returning1 a furious mob  
broke loose on them1 and it was with    
some difficulty that they made their    
escape4 ,no wonder that the ,koolin     
,brahman fell into a fever4 ,he had as  
yet lost all1 without any positive      
gain2 he had left ,krishna but he had   

not found ,christ4       ,i was         
perfectly regardless of ,god1 he wrote  
at a subsequent time1  yet1 as a        
merciful ,father ,he forgot not me6     
,dr4 ,duff sent a native friend to      
invite ,banerjea to his house4  ,blessed
 was the hour when the out-cast reformer
 crossed a ,christian's  threshold4     
,banerjea's own description of the      
interview must be given4       ,mr4     
,duff received me with ,christian       
kindness1 and enquired of the  state in 
which we all were4 ,he openly expressed 
his sentiments on  what we were about1  
and while he approved of one half of our
 conduct  he lamented the other4 ,he was
 glad of our proclamation against error1
  but sincerely sorry at our neglecting 
the truth4 ,i told him that it  was not 
our fault that we were not ,christians2 
we did not believe in  ,christianity and
 therefore could not consistently       
profess it4 ,the  ,reverend gentleman   
with great calmness said that it was    
true that  ,i could not be blamed for my

 not believing in ,christianity so long 
as ,i was ignorant of it1 but that ,i   
was certainly guilty of serious  neglect
 for not enquiring into its doctrines   
and evidences4 ,this word  enquire was  
so uttered as to produce an impression  
on me which ,i cannot  sufficiently well
 describe 4 4 4 ,i was so struck with   
,mr4 ,duff's words  that we instantly   
resolved to hold weekly meetings at his 
house for  religious instruction and    
discussion4    ,persecution drove the   
reformer to a ,european lodging house1  
for not a  native dared to shelter him4 
,banerjea narrowly escaped death by     
poison6  ,but the former ,koolin        
,brahman went on earnestly with his     
search after  truth1 and at length he   
found it4 ,knock1 and it shall be opened
 unto  you4 ,banerjea desired to be     
baptised in the house of the ,missionary
  who had led him to ,christ1 and was   
so1 in the presence of many of his      
friends who still remained ,hindus4     
,after prayer by another clergyman1 ,mr4

 ,duff thus questioned the              
convert3--,do you renounce all idols1   
superstitions1 and all the  frivolous   
rites and practices of the ,hindu       
religion8    ,to this the former ,koolin
 ,brahman replied1 ,i do1 and ,i pray   
,god that  he may incline my countrymen 
to do so likewise4    ,do you believe in
 ,god the ,father and ,creator of all2  
in ,jesus ,christ  as your ,redeemer1   
and in ,his ,sacrifice as the only means
 whereby man  can be saved2 and in the  
sanctifying influence of the ,holy      
,spirit8    ,to this ,banerjea with     
emotion replied1 ,i do1 and ,i pray ,god
 to give me  grace to do ,his will6     
,then the convert received the pure     
water of baptism1 and the company1      
kneeling1 engaged in prayer4 ,thus was  
gathered in ,alexander ,duff's  second  
sheaf in ,calcutta4                     
----------------        ,,chapter       
,,viii4    ,a ,,convert',s ,,story4     
,i will not attempt to give an account  
of half the lads whom ,mr4 ,duff  first 

taught to think1 then to pray1 then to  
leave all and dare all  for the sake of 
religion4 ,they formed a noble band1 of 
whom some are  still living in positions
 of usefulness and honour even in the   
distant  ,panjab1 while others1         
represented on earth by their children1 
have  gone1 like their loved            
,missionary1 to join the ,blessed above4
 ,but the  story of the third youth who 
became a convert is so interesting1 that
 a  chapter must be given to him4       
,illustration3 ,,gopinath ,,nundi4      
,one morning a young man named ,gopinath
 ,nundi came into ,mr4 ,duff's  study1  
and bursting into tears exclaimed1 ,can 
,i be saved6    ,he told how the last of
 a series of lectures given by the      
,missionary  had driven him to seek the 
advice of ,banerjea1 who prayed with    
him1  and sent him to ,mr4 ,duff4       
,bitter trials were afterwards endured  
by  this young convert1 such as are     
experienced now by many ,hindus and     
,mahomedans who1 when convinced of the  

truth of ,christianity1 take up  their  
cross and follow the ,lord4 ,gopinath   
was cast off by his family1  after      
enduring first their entreaties1 then   
their abuse4 ,the most  painful wrench  
was when ,gopinath heard his old        
mother's cry of anguish4  ,the convert  
wept1 but was granted strength to keep  
firm4    ,he threw up his arms and      
turning hastily away exclaimed1 ,no6 ,i 
cannot  stay6    ,he knew that the ,lord
 ,jesus ,christ hath said1 he that      
loveth father or  mother more than me is
 not worthy of ,me4    ,it was about    
twenty-five years after that painful    
scene that ,gopinath1  then a ,christian
 pastor1 had to pass through one more   
terrible still2  the same grace that had
 supported him through the first trial1 
bore him  up in the last4    ,in the    
dreadful time of the ,mutiny in #aheg1  
,gopinath1 then a married  clergyman of 
,futteypore1 had to endure a confessor's
 sufferings1 and  almost met a martyr's 
death4 ,of his sufferings1 when         

attempting with  his wife to fly from   
the murderous foe1 a shortened account  
shall be  given1 chiefly in his own     
words4       ,we travelled till #i ,a4  
,m4 when both ourselves and our dear    
children1  7two of them six years1 and  
the baby one year old17 felt tired and  
sat  down under the shade of a tree4    
,the poor children cried most bitterly  
from hunger4 ,we laid our petitions     
before that ,god who fed ,his people    
with manna in the wilderness1 and indeed
 ,he heard our prayer4 ,we saw  in the  
distance a marriage procession2 ,i went 
up to them and they gave  me five pice1 
which enabled me to buy suttoogoor2 with
 this we fed the  children and resumed  
our journey4    ,at night the poor      
exhausted travellers found shelter in   
the house of a  kind ,hindu1 and in the 
early morning started for ,allahabad4   
,there1 ,gopinath goes on1 we saw with  
heartfelt sorrow that the  missionary   
bungalow was burnt to ashes1 and the    
beautiful church  totally disfigured4   

,on our arrival swarms of ,mahomedans   
fell upon us4  ,a ,hindu goldsmith took 
us into his house1 and kept us safe     
during the  day4 ,at sunset1 when we    
left his protection1 we fell into the   
hands of  some other ,mahomedans4 ,when 
we saw that there was no way of escape1 
and the villagers ready to kill us1 we  
begged them hard to take us to  their   
head the ,moulvie1 who for some days    
assumed the supreme authority  there4   
,when we were brought before him1 we    
found him seated on a chair2  surrounded
 by men with drawn swords4 ,we made our 
salams1 upon which he  put to us the    
following questions3--       ',who are  
you8'--',christians4'       ',what place
 do you come from8'--',futteypore4'     
',what was your occupation8'--',teaching
 and preaching the ,christian           
religion4'       ',are you a            
,padri8'--',yes1 ,sir4'       ',is it   
you who used to go about reading and    
distributing tracts8'       ',yes1 ,sir1
 ,i and my catechist4'       ',how many 

,christians have you made8'       ',i   
did not make any ,christians1 for no    
human being can change the  heart of    
another1 but ,god1 through my           
instrumentality1 brought to the  belief 
of ,his true religion about a couple of 
dozens4'    ,this roused the man's fury4
 ,he exclaimed that ,gopinath deserved a
 cruel  death2 he threatened to cut off 
his nose1 ears1 and hands1 and to make  
slaves of his poor little children4     
,then1 perhaps moved by a little  pity1 
the ,moulvie offered not only to spare  
but to favour ,gopinath if  he would    
become a ,mahomedan4 ,the converted     
,hindu replied that he would  prefer    
death4 ,the same offer was made to      
,gopinath's wife1 and she  returned a   
like brave answer4    ,the ,mahomedan   
sent the family to prison1 saying that  
he would give them  three days to       
consider4 ,the prison was shared with a 
,european and some  native ,christians4 
,after relating to each other their sad 
stories1  the whole afflicted party1 at 

,gopinath's suggestion1 knelt down to   
pray4 ,whilst they were thus engaged1   
one of the guards came and kicked       
,gopinath on the back1 bidding him pray 
after the ,mahomedan form or hold  his  
tongue4    ,illustration3 ,,cheke and   
,,gopinath ,,nundi4    ,the next day a  
youthful officer1 named ,cheke1 sorely  
wounded1 was added  to the band of      
prisoners4 ,gopinath tended him as well 
as he could1  which seems to have made  
the daroga angry1 for he put ,gopinath  
into the  stocks4 ,a party of           
,mahomedans now came1 and again         
,gopinath was offered  immediate release
 if he would deny his faith4    ,the    
almost dying ,cheke cried with a loud   
voice1 ,padri1 ,padri1 be firm1  do not 
give way6    ,and ,god enabled the      
sufferer to keep firm1 though he saw his
 poor wife  dragged from him by her     
hair1 and brutally wounded in the face4 
,three days passed1 but ,god withheld   
the ,moulvie from fulfilling his  threat
 of murdering his heroic prisoner4 ,a   

fourth--a fifth day found the           
,christian family still enduring their  
ordeal of fiery trial4 ,on the  sixth   
day the ,moulvie came to the prison1 and
 mockingly1 asked his poor  captive if  
he were comfortable4    ,how can ,i be  
comfortable when my feet are fastened to
 the stocks8 was  the reply2 yet        
,gopinath added an expression of        
submission to the will  of his ,heavenly
 ,father4    ,but the parent could not  
forbear asking the tyrant how he could  
be  so cruel as not to allow a drop of  
milk to a poor innocent baby4 ,the      
sufferings of his helpless family must  
have been to ,gopinath even more        
grievous than his own4    ,but these    
sufferings were near their close4 ,brave
 ,europeans and ,sikh  soldiers were now
 at hand2 a fierce fight ensued1 and the
 ,moulvie's  followers were utterly     
routed4 ,gopinath and his family were   
free6 ,who  can describe their delight  
when they found themselves rescued by   
,god's  almighty power1 with the yet    

higher joy of feeling through all that  
awful trial of faith they had been kept 
from denying their ,saviour6 ,how       
devout must have been their             
thanksgivings to ,him who had brought   
them  through that ,valley of the       
,shadow of ,death into light1 and joy1  
and  freedom6    ,gopinath and his wife 
lived to re-organise the church in      
,futteypore  though they were not very  
long afterwards called into the presence
 of  the ,heavenly ,king whom they had  
so faithfully served4--,what cause had  
,dr4 ,duff1 7he had then received the   
title of ,doctor17 to rejoice over  the 
convert who so many years before had    
come to him in tears with the  cry1 ,can
 ,i be saved6                           
----------------        ,,chapter ,,ix4 
,,driven ,,home4    ,let us return to   
the earlier days spent by our           
,missionary in ,calcutta4    ,alexander 
,duff had started for ,india a          
remarkably fine and powerful  man4 ,but 
hard work1 fiery heat1 and long         

fatiguing journeys taken  in the course 
of his labours1 ere many years had      
passed1 brought  him to the brink of the
 grave4 ,first he had violent jungle    
fever1  but recovering from this1 he was
 soon again at his work4 ,remittent     
fever came on2 ,duff struggled on1 loth 
to give way4 ,but when severe  dysentery
 followed1 the once strong man was      
reduced to a state of utter             
prostration4 ,an experienced doctor     
pronounced the sufferer's state to  be  
almost desperate1 but very little hope  
was entertained of saving the  life of  
,mr4 ,duff4    ,however1 after awaking  
from a long deep trance1 the sufferer so
 far  revived that he could be taken on 
board a ship4 ,the sick ,missionary     
could hardly endure the idea of leaving 
his work in ,india4 ,he implored  the   
doctor to send him on a short voyage and
 not all the way to ,england4    ,i     
devoted myself to the ,lord1 he pleaded1
 to spend and to be spent  in ,his      
service in this land4    ,the doctor    

almost sternly replied1 ,in the last    
nine months you have  suffered more from
 tropical diseases than many who have   
passed their  lives in ,india3 let not a
 day be lost6    ,and so1 looking the   
wreck of his former self1 after four    
years of very  hard but very successful 
work1 ,mr4 ,duff for awhile took his    
leave of  the land which he loved4 ,his 
feelings towards ,hindostan were        
expressed  in words which he wrote at a 
later period4       ,wherever ,i wander1
 wherever ,i stay1 my heart is in       
,india1 in deep  sympathy with its      
multitudinous inhabitants1 and in       
earnest longings  for their highest     
welfare in time and in eternity6    ,it 
was a comfort to the ,missionary that he
 was able to leave his work  to be      
carried on by wise and pious men1 of a  
like spirit with himself4    ,it was on 
a ,christmas day that the ship which    
carried ,mr4 ,duff and his  family1 7for
 he was now father as well as husband7  
entered the ,firth  of ,clyde4 ,once    

more the ,highlander trod the soil of   
his dear native  land1 once more he     
looked with admiring eyes on the        
beautiful city of  ,edinburgh1 with its 
bold hills1 and picturesque castle4     
,the sea-air had greatly restored ,mr4  
,duff1 and the pure breezes of          
,scotland seemed to give him new life4  
,but what measure of strength was       
renewed to him1 was freely to be        
expended in the cause of ,missions4     
,duff had not come home to rest4 ,if he 
could not work in ,india1  he would work
 for ,india still4 ,he would rouse      
,scotland1 aye1 and  ,england too1 to   
give more freely1 to labour more        
heartily1 to pray more  fervently for   
the benighted ,hindus4    ,only the     
fervour of his zeal enabled the         
,missionary to undergo the  great       
fatigues which followed his return to   
his country4 ,amidst the  frosts of     
winter or the heats of summer travelling
 ,north1 ,south1 ,east  and ,west1 ,mr4 
,duff addressed hundreds of             

congregations all over the  land of     
,scotland4 ,twice he visited ,london1   
and other large cities of  ,england4    
,often1 when almost exhausted1 the      
,missionary would make long  speeches in
 crowded meetings1 he was known to do so
 even when just  rising from a sick bed4
 ,mr4 ,duff's thin gaunt form1 his worn 
wasted  face1 pleaded as well as his    
voice4    ,on one occasion when ,mr4    
,duff began to speak1 it seemed as if he
  could only utter a few sentences1 and 
he was conscious that many were  gazing 
at him1 fearful1 as was afterwards said1
 that he would soon  drop on the floor4 
,but oh6 the power of eloquence which   
,god gave to  that almost worn-out man6 
,though ,duff's voice at last so failed 
that  it was an effort to bring out a   
whisper1 and he was so drenched with    
perspiration as to feel as if dragged   
through the sea1 the effect of  his     
speech was wonderful4 ,down the cheeks  
of even stern hard men the  tears were  
flowing4 ,those who had cared little    

whether ,india's millions  went to      
,heaven or ,hell1 were now ready to join
 heart and hand in the  effort to save  
them4 ,the rich gave largely1 children  
joined in penny  subscriptions1 the poor
 gave gladly of their little4 ,oh6 ,that
 the  natives of ,india knew how much   
self-denial is shown by some of the     
humble subscribers to missions2 what    
warm sympathy and loving pity is  felt  
in ,britain for nations in darkness1 who
 have not yet welcomed the  tidings of  
,salvation6    ,a lady who had seen ,mr4
 ,duff at a ,communion service thus     
described him3  ,he seemed like one from
 ,heaven2 and he looked so ill1 as if he
 might  have passed away as he broke the
 bread4      ,let us give a short       
specimen of the eloquence which1 by     
,god's blessing  on it1 made hearers not
 only give money1 but in some cases     
themselves  to the holy cause of        
missions4 ,let the voice of ,duff1 ,oh6 
reader1 speak  to you as from the dead4 
,you cannot look on the earnest face of 

him who  almost died in the work of     
bringing sinners to ,christ1--but       
imagine the  missionary now before      
you1--imagine his words as addressed to 
yourself1  his piercing gaze fixed upon 
you1 his appeal made to your heart6     
,collect what is fair and lovely in     
every world1 what is bright and         
dazzling in every sun 4 4 4 and after   
having united these myriads of  bright  
orbs into one glorious constellation    
combining in itself the  concentrated   
beauty and loveliness of the whole      
created universe1 go  and compare an    
atom to a world1 a drop to the          
ocean1--the twinkle of  a taper to the  
full blaze of the noontide sun1 then may
 you compare  even this                 
all-comprehending constellation of      
beauty and excellence to  ,him ,who is  
the brightness of the ,father's glory1  
who is ,god over all1  blessed for ever6
       ,and yet1 wonder ,oh6 heavens1   
and rejoice ,oh6 earth6 this great and  
mighty and glorious ,being did1 for our 

sakes1 consent to veil ,his  glory1 and 
appear upon earth as a ,man of sorrows1 
whose visage was so  marred more than   
any man's1 and ,his form more than the  
sons of men6  ,oh6 is not this love1    
self-sacrificing love1 love that is     
'higher than  the heights above1 deeper 
than the depths beneath6' ,oh6 is not   
this  condescension1 self-sacrificing   
condescension1 condescension without a  
parallel and without a name6 ',god      
manifest in the flesh6' ,god manifest   
in the flesh for the redemption of a    
rebel race6 ,oh6 is this the wonder  of 
a world1 is not this the astonishment of
 a universe6    ,then referring to the  
angels who had witnessed the wondrous   
coming of  ,christ to earth1 the fervent
 speaker went on3       ,tell me1 ,oh6  
tell me if in their cloudless vision it 
would seem  aught so marvellous1 so     
passing strange1 did they behold the    
greatest  and mightiest of a guilty     
race1 redeemed themselves at so vast a  
price1 4 4 4 issue forth in the         

footsteps of the ,divine ,redeemer into 
the waste howling wilderness of sin1 to 
seek and to save them that are  lost6   
,duff himself had thus gone forth once1 
thus was he eager to go forth  once     
more4 ,in vain was he tempted again and 
again by offers of  honourable          
employment1 which would have given him  
ease and comfort in  the land of his    
birth4 ,it was not that ,duff did not   
love ,scotland2 no1  he passionately    
loved his country4 ,he declared that as 
regarded his  own comfort1 he would     
rather have the poorest hut1 with the   
homeliest  fare1 and the bleakest cleft 
of ,scotland1 than be the possessor of  
the  stateliest palace in ,bengal4      
,i would go1 cried the true-hearted     
,missionary1 not because ,i love        
,scotland less1 but because ,i humbly   
and devoutly trust that1 through  the   
aid of ,divine grace1 ,i have been led  
to love my ,god and ,saviour1  and the  
extension of ,his blessed cause on earth
 still more4    ,and so1 as soon as he  

was well enough to return1 ,mr4 7now    
,dr47 ,duff  prepared for another long  
voyage to ,india1 accompanied by his    
loving  faithful wife4 ,they both had a 
sore sacrifice to make1 for they left   
their fondly loved children behind4 ,for
 eleven long years the parents  were    
never to look on their faces again1 and 
one little darling they  were never     
again to behold in this world4 ,when    
,dr4 ,duff preached his  farewell       
sermon1 the listening people were in    
tears4    ,we will not stop to give an  
account of the outward journey4 ,it was 
a  very long one1 and again1 before     
landing in ,calcutta1 the travellers    
encountered the monsoon4 ,for twelve    
hours the fierce hurricane raged4  ,but 
at length the haven was reached1 and    
,dr4 ,duff again set his foot on        
,india's shore1 to begin once more his  
loving labours for the welfare of  her  
children4                               
----------------        ,,chapter ,x4   
,,tumults ,,and ,,threats4    ,education

 work grew fast and increased1 as the   
banyan-tree sends down  shoots that     
themselves grow to be trees4 ,before    
,dr4 ,duff had reached  the age of      
forty1 there were three colleges and    
many schools belonging  to the ,scottish
 mission4 ,many indeed were the         
learners1 but it is only  now and then  
that one is found bold enough and       
faithful enough to come  out openly and 
declare what he believes in his heart4  
,such a one was  ,umesh ,chander        
,sirkar4    ,for two years the ,bible   
teaching in the college had deeply      
impressed  the soul of the young ,hindu4
 ,his friends in alarm1 advised him to  
study  infidel writings2 they would     
rather have him devoid of all religion  
than a believer in ,christ6 ,they would 
rather1 as it were1 put out  his eyes1  
than let him fix their gaze on the      
,saviour6 ,but what ,umesh  ,chander    
read made him but the more firmly a     
,christian4 ,he was youthful1  only     
sixteen2 he longed to keep with him his 

sweet child-wife1 then  only ten years  
of age4 ,for two years the young couple 
in the dead of  night studied the       
,scriptures together2 at no other time  
could they have  been safe from         
interruption4 ,it was a sight to make   
angels rejoice when  the youth1 his own 
heart glowing with holy love1 taught the
 child-wife  to look to ,jesus as the   
,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life6 ,umesh 
,chander's  words dropped like seed on a
 rich soil1 the little ,hindu wife      
showed  herself worthy of her husband4  
,at last ,umesh ,chander put into the   
girl' hand that wonderful allegory1  the
 ,pilgrim's ,progress4 ,the quick mind  
of the little ,hindu grasped  the       
meaning of the parable4 ,when the girl  
of twelve read the  description of      
,christian's flight from the ,city of   
,destruction1 she  exclaimed1 ,is not   
this exactly our condition8 ,are we not 
now living in  the ,city of             
,destruction8 ,is it not our duty to act
 like ,christian1 to  arise1 forsake    

all1 and flee our lives8    ,the brave  
child's words seem to have brought her  
husband to a decision4  ,the next       
idol-festival gave an opportunity for   
flight4    ,it was a ,sabbath evening2 a
 meeting for prayer had been held with  
native converts4 ,after it1 ,dr4 ,duff  
had retired to his own room4 ,it  was to
 him a time of great anxiety and trial4 
,news from ,scotland had  troubled him  
greatly4 ,dark clouds seemed to be      
gathering round2 even  his brave heart  
was oppressed with care4 ,such seasons  
come to try the  faith of the most      
devoted ,christians4 ,dr4 ,duff was     
wondering how ,god  would interfere to  
deliver ,his people from their          
distresses1 when his  sad thoughts had a
 delightful interruption4    ,suddenly  
,umesh ,chander with his brave little   
wife1 and ,jugadishwar1 a  convert who  
had aided their escape1 appeared before 
him6 ,in the joy of  his heart the      
,missionary exclaimed1 ,the ,lord be    
praised6    ,but a terrible tumult was  

to follow4 ,not even ,gopinath's        
conversion had  excited such a          
commotion4 ,umesh ,chander's father was 
a man of great  power as well as        
bigotry2 he was the treasurer of the    
,mullik family who  possessed enormous  
wealth4 ,the ,mulliks and ,sirkars with 
their numerous  followers besieged the  
house of ,dr4 ,duff1 the place of refuge
 which  had been sought by the youthful 
pair4 ,the mob attempted violence1 they 
were full of wrath and fury4 ,dr4 ,duff 
had to keep his door fast closed  to    
prevent the fugitives thronging in and  
carrying off his guests by  force4      
,finding that they could not rush in1   
the ,hindus changed their  mode of      
attack4 ,the scene was changed to a     
court of justice4 ,umesh  ,chander's    
father1 boldly lying1 declared that his 
son was but fourteen  years of age1 and 
that ,dr4 ,duff was keeping him in his  
house by force  and against the boy's   
own will6 ,what must that religion be   
which needs  the prop of falsehood6     

,the ,chief ,justice appeared on the    
,bench1 the case was investigated at    
once4 ,the convert was proved to be     
really upwards of eighteen years of     
age4 ,no question was raised about the  
wife2 the brave child was allowed  to   
remain with her husband4 ,both were     
baptised together1 two youthful         
pilgrims starting hand in hand on their 
journey to the ,heavenly ,city4  ,oh6   
,tie of marriage how close and how      
blessed when husband and wife are  one  
in the ,lord6 ,this was the first       
instance in ,bengal of a wedded  ,hindu 
pair receiving baptism together4    ,it 
is some time since ,umesh ,chander      
,sirkar reached his celestial home1  but
 it is interesting to know that his wife
 still survives1 and works  amongst     
,hindu girls6 ,may she win many to enter
 on the same blessed  flight from the   
,city of ,destruction6      ,about a    
week after the double baptism1 the      
tumult was repeated2 another  ,christian
 convert had dared to confess his faith6

 ,baikunta ,nath ,day  took refuge with 
,dr4 ,smith from the storm which his    
conversion had  raised4 ,but the        
protection of this house proved less    
effectual than  that of ,dr4 ,duff's had
 been4 ,while the ,missionary was       
absent1 the  poor fugitive was torn by  
force from the dwelling1 carried off to 
a  relative's house1 and imprisoned in  
chains6 ,and actually ,baikunta's       
family were wicked enough to try to bind
 him in the yet stronger chains  of     
vice6 ,if they could make him utterly   
vile1 they thought that he  would be    
unfitted to become a ,christian4 ,what  
cared they for the ruin  of his soul1 so
 that the family were not disgraced by  
his adopting the  religion of the pure  
and spotless ,jesus6    ,but the dear   
lad was strengthened to resist all the  
temptations which  man or devil could   
bring to drag him down to perdition4    
,and the ,lord  delivered ,baikunta not 
only out of temptation but out of his   
chains4  ,the place of his confinement  

was discovered1 and the law obliged his 
tormentors to give up their prey4 ,the  
,rev4 ,baikunta ,nath now preaches  the 
,gospel of ,christ4    ,the ,hindus     
exerted themselves to the utmost to ruin
 the work of  ,christian education4     
,their efforts at first seemed to have  
great  success4 ,the number of ,dr4     
,duff's pupils had risen to above a     
thousand  in daily attendance1 but he   
lost three hundred youths in one week6  
,nor was this all that tried the        
,missionary4 ,more baptisms fanned the  
flame of bigotry into farther fury4     
,four more ,koolin ,brahmans had        
confessed the ,saviour4 ,a violent      
anti-,christian meeting was held4       
,actually a plot was formed to get rid  
altogether of the great opponent  of    
idolatry1 ,dr4 ,duff4 ,if his eloquent  
persuasive tongue could be  silenced in 
no other way1 it could be silenced in   
death4 ,how easy to  hire ruffians to   
waylay and attack him4    ,dr4 ,duff    
received kindly warnings of his danger4 

,one person wrote1  ,there is1 ,i hear1 
a conspiracy amongst the wealthy ,baboos
 to hire some  ruffians to maltreat you4
 ,if you treat it 7the report7 with     
contempt1  you will go on us usual2 on  
the contrary if you think the report to 
be  true1 you will avoid going out at   
night1 or rather never go the same  road
 twice together4    ,another wrote1 ,i  
have been credibly and seriously        
informed this day  that there is1 or is 
to be1 a plot by which some ruffians of 
the baser  sorts are hired to assault   
you 4 4 4 pray do not at least go out by
  night c4    ,the brave soul of ,dr4   
,duff was not to be moved by personal   
fear4 ,he  published a paper headed ,a  
word of faithful and firm yet kindly    
admonition to some of the ,calcutta     
,baboos4 ,this paper is too long to  be 
inserted in full1 but an extract will   
show the writer's spirit4       ,as to  
the rumour of threats regarding myself1 
,i shall continue to  regard them as an 
idle tale4 ,amongst the ,calcutta       

,baboos there are  those whom ,i respect
 and esteem1 and to whose keeping ,i    
would at any  time entrust my life1 in  
the most perfect confidence of          
friendship  and protection4 ,if others1 
who do not know me personally1 should in
  ignorance of my principles and        
motives1 entertain unkindly or hostile  
feelings towards me1 the fact would be  
in no way surprising4 ,even if  the     
alleged threats were real1 and not the  
progeny of lying fiction1 ,i  should not
 be in the least moved by them4 ,my     
trust is in ,god4    ,and towards the   
end of his paper1 ,dr4 ,duff alluding to
 the well-known  saying that the blood  
of martyrs is the seed of the church1   
thus  shows his calm confidence that    
even his murder could do no real injury 
to the cause of ,god and ,his truth4    
,the first actual missionary martyrdom  
that shall be enacted in  this heavenly 
cause may do more1 under the over-ruling
 ,providence  of ,god to precipitate the
 inevitable doom of ,hinduism1 and speed

 on  the chariot of ,gospel triumph1    
than would the establishment of a       
thousand additional ,christian schools1 
or the delivery of ten thousand         
additional ,christian addresses         
throughout the towns and villages of    
this mighty empire4                     
----------------        ,,chapter ,,xi4 
,,glimpses ,,of ,,inner ,,life4    ,a   
pleasant picture of the great           
,missionary has been given by one of his
  converts4       ,we joined ,dr4 and   
,mrs4 ,duff1 7their children being away 
in ,scotland7  at family worship both   
morning and evening4 ,duff was punctual 
as  clockwork4 ,at eight in the morning1
 not one minute before or after1  the   
prayer-bell rang1 and we were all in the
 breakfast-room1 where the  morning     
worship used to be held4 ,duff was      
always observant of the forms  of       
politeness1 and never forget to shake   
hands with us1 asking us the  usual     
question1 ',how do you do8' ,by the way1
 ,duff's shake of the hand  was         

different from that of other people2 it 
was not a mere formal stiff  languid    
shake1 but like everything else of him  
warm and hearty4 ,he  would go on       
shaking1 catching fast hold of your hand
 in his1 and would  not let it go for   
some seconds4       ,we always began by 
singing one of the grand old ,psalms of 
,david 4 4 4  ,the reading over we all  
knelt down4 ,oh6 how shall ,i describe  
the  prayers which ,duff offered up both
 morning and evening6 ,much as  ,i      
admired ,duff in his public appearances 
in the pulpit or on the  platform1 ,i   
admired and loved him infinitely more at
 the family altar1  where in a simple   
and childlike manner he devoutly and    
earnestly poured  out his soul before   
our common ,father in ,heaven4      ,in 
#ahdg ,dr4 ,duff was deeply grieved by  
news of the death of a dear  and revered
 friend1 ,dr4 ,chalmers1 who was called 
the ,father of the  ,free ,scotch       
,church4 ,dr4 ,chalmers had indeed held 
the highest and most  influential       

position of all the church ministers in 
,scotland1 and an  anxious question     
arose as to who would be worthy to      
succeed him4 ,there  was one man indeed1
 who was felt by many to be most worthy1
 talented1  devoted and wise2 that man  
was ,alexander ,duff4 ,by vote the      
opinion of  the ,free ,church was taken 
in this very important matter2 and the  
result  was that ,dr4 ,duff received a  
call from the ,general ,assembly to come
  back to his native land1 take the     
,theological chair1--and so in clerical 
matters hold the position of leader4 ,so
 certain were some that ,dr4 ,duff      
would with pleasure accept so highly    
honourable a post1 which would  restore 
him to his country and children1 that   
not only individuals1  but writers in   
newspapers congratulated him upon what  
they called his  promotion4    ,the     
young ,church of ,india was struck with 
alarm at the prospect of  losing their  
teacher and guide4 ,duff's converts     
implored him as their  much-loved       

spiritual father in the ,lord not to    
leave them4 ,even to  non-,christian    
natives the news of ,dr4 ,duff's        
probable departure came  like a blow4 ,a
 remonstrance was written by eleven     
learned ,brahmans  desirous of the      
,chief ,good1 to the people of          
,scotland4 ,the ,hindus  pleaded with   
his countrymen that ,dr4 ,duff might be 
left to ,india4 ,they  thus wrote1 this 
illustrious person has devoted his head 
and heart1  and spent large sums of     
money 4 4 4 ,such a man as the ,reverend
 ,doctor  was never seen in this country
 before 4 4 4 ,good men have become sad1
  and bad men are rejoicing4 ,the       
friends of true religion are praying    
that ,god would change the minds of the 
people of ,scotland1 and prevent  ,dr4  
,duff's recall4    ,the infant ,church  
had no need to fear that anything short 
of ,god's ,will  would suffice to make  
their beloved teacher give up his       
,indian work4  ,dr4 ,duff declared that 
he must die as he had lived1 a          

,missionary4       ,the ,church of my   
fathers1 he wrote home1 must see it to  
be right  and meet to allow me to retain
 in the view of all men the clearly     
marked and distinguishing character 'of 
a ,missionary to the ,heathen2'  abroad 
labouring directly amongst them1 at home
 pleading their cause  among the        
,churches of ,christendom 4 4 4 ,for the
 sake of the heathen1  and especially of
 the people of ,india1 let me cling all 
my days to the  ,missionary cause4      
,it must never be thought that it was   
from indifference to his children  that 
,dr4 ,duff endured to be parted from    
them so long4 ,with grief and  bursting 
tears1 he received news of the death of 
his darling little  daughter ,annie4    
,long afterwards1 he thus wrote of her  
in a letter to  his wife4       ,i      
seldom allude to dear child who bore    
your name1 but the sweet image  of her  
often crosses my mind4 ,she was a       
perfectly loveable one1 and  ,i know not
 that ,i ever felt any stroke so acutely

 as her unexpected  death4 ,and even    
still1 when alone by myself1 the thought
 of her  cheerful animated countenance1 
with its sweet expression and lisping   
tongue1 often brings the tear to my eye1
 as now4    ,the brave man1 the talented
 scholar1 had a tender affectionate     
heart2  he loved to play with little    
ones4 ,in his kindness1 he followed the 
steps of the ,blessed ,saviour1 who took
 up children in ,his arms1 and  blessed 
them4    ,still less must it be thought 
that because ,dr4 ,duff was so honoured 
in lands1 near and afar1 and had been   
the means of leading so many  converts  
to ,christ1 that his heart was lifted up
 with spiritual  pride4 ,brahmans indeed
 had declared that there was never such 
a man  seen in the country before1 but  
what did the gifted ,missionary think   
of himself8 ,an extract from ,dr4       
,duff's private journal gives us  a     
glimpse of the brave strong ,christian1 
not as he appeared in the  school-room1 
the lecture-hall1 or the ,church1 but as

 he was when on his  knees in his       
chamber1 alone with his ,god4 ,read and 
ponder over what  follows1 ye who think 
that a man can be justified by his      
works4       ,all my days ,i have been a
 child of ,providence1 the ,lord leading
 me  and guiding me in ways unknown to  
me1 in ways of ,his own1 and for the    
accomplishment of ,his own heavenly     
ends4 ,oh6 that ,i were more worthy6    
,but somehow ,i feel as if the more     
marvellous the ,lord's dealings with    
me1 the more cold1 heartless and        
indolent ,i become4 ,is not this sad1   
is it not terrible6 ,all the finer ores 
are melted by the fire1 the  earthy clay
 is hardened4 ,oh6 ,god1 forbid that    
this should continue to  be my doleful  
case6 ,may ,i be like the gold and      
silver ore1 when warmed  and heated by  
the fire of ,thy loving-kindnesses1 may 
,i be melted1  fused1 purified1 refined1
 assimilated to ,thy own holy nature6   
,oh6 ,lord1  soften1 break1 melt this   
hard heart of mine6    ,if such a man so

 wrote1 so felt1 so condemned himself1  
what mortal on  earth can boast over    
what he is1 or what he has done6 ,the   
devoted1  self-sacrificing ,duff trusted
 in nothing in himself1 his only hope   
of ,heaven was in the ,saviour who died 
for sinners1 the blood which  cleanseth 
from guilt6                             
----------------        ,,chapter ,,xii4
    ,a ,,holiday ,,without ,,rest4      
,when it became known in ,scotland that 
,dr4 ,duff declined going home  to      
become ,divinity ,professor1 he was     
urged at least to return for a  limited 
time4 ,there was so much work to be done
 in ,britain2 so much  good1 it was     
truly said1 might result to the         
,missionary cause by ,dr4  ,duff's      
pleading for it again1 as he had pleaded
 before4 ,it is doubtful  whether ,dr4  
,duff would have consented even to this1
 had he had health1  after ten years of 
hard labour in this second visit to     
,india1 to remain  without a change4    
,but the doctor urged him to go home for

 a while after  work which had evidently
 shattered his constitution1 and ,dr4   
,duff  submitted to what he felt to be  
the ,will of the ,lord4 ,he gathered all
  the information which he could        
regarding missions in various parts of  
,india to make use of in his addresses  
at home1 and in ,may #ahej found        
himself in his native land1 and in the  
bosom of his family once more4    ,again
 what might have been called the        
,missionary's holiday was employed  in  
the most earnest labours4 ,in hurrying  
from place to place1 from  meeting to   
meeting1 the ,missionary perhaps endured
 as much fatigue as  from the heavy work
 in ,india4 ,thus he wrote in the       
bitterly cold month  of ,november1 when 
on one of his numerous journeys4        
,since ,i left the pulpit on ,sunday ,i 
have scarcely yet got into  anything    
like warmth1 either by night or day4 ,i 
have felt as if the  cold were oozing   
through my whole body from head to foot 
4 4 4 ,and what  with unseasoned rooms  

and unseasoned beds and frosty air1 and 
chills  after full meetings1 ,i feel as 
if it were a kind of living martyrdom   
to be encountering all this 4 4 4 ,but  
most gladly would ,i bear all1  and a   
great deal more1 if possible1 for the   
sake of ,him who so loved  us as to lay 
down ,his very life for us1 were ,i to  
behold substantial  fruit to ,his praise
 and glory4 ,i must however leave all to
 ,him4 ,my own  shortcomings are ever   
before me 4 4 4       ,nothing sustains 
me but the divine assurance that the    
blood of ,jesus  cleanseth from all sin4
 ,blessed ,saviour6 ,who would not      
cheerfully toil  and suffer for ,thee6  
,dr4 ,duff1 exhausted1 yet struggling on
 still1 thus wrote to his wife  when he 
was engaged on one of his preaching     
tours4       ,it is some relief to the  
mind to get disburdened1 and to whom can
 ,i  disburden it if not to you1 the    
partner of my joys and sorrows for      
nearly a quarter of a century4 ,no one  
can over fully know how much ,i  often  

suffer both in mind and body in the     
midst of these frequent1  prolonged1 and
 violent exertions3 and to none but     
yourself can ,i ever  moot the subject  
except in the vaguest and most general  
terms4 ,in the  excitement of speaking1 
the spirit forgets the fragility of the 
body1  and therefore people think me    
strong4 ,oh6 if they could see me in my 
solitary chamber all alone 4 4 4 the    
whole frame feverish1 the whole  nervous
 system from the brain downwards in a   
state of total unrest4 ,the  very       
tendency to sleep gone4 ,going to bed1  
as this morning1 at half  past one1 not 
from sleepiness but from inability to   
sit up longer from  exhaustion4 ,turning
 and tossing from side to side1 and     
longing for  sleep 4 4 4 ,getting up1   
disquieted and unrefreshed1 to meet a   
company  at breakfast1 with aching head 
besides and sorish throat 4 4 4 ,yet1   
the ,lord be praised2 in the midst of   
all this ,i have intervals of real      
spiritual enjoyment1 indeed1 when most  

weak and pained often is that  enjoyment
 proportionally increased4 ,and then the
 favour which the ,lord  shows me in the
 sight of ,his people1 and the good so  
often unexpectedly  achieved1 all this  
makes me feel that what ,i suffer is the
 discipline  of a ,father's rod to keep 
me humble in walking before him4        
,exhausted as the ,missionary was1 he   
could not refuse what he felt to be  a  
call from ,god to visit ,america1 as he 
was earnestly entreated to do4    ,we   
want to be stirred up there2 there is   
plenty of material there1 we  need only 
to be stirred up1 was the appeal which  
,dr4 ,duff could not  resist4    ,he    
knew that in two mighty countries of the
 ,west1 the ,united ,states and         
,canada1 embers1 as it were1 of         
,christian love were smouldering that   
might be stirred up into a glorious     
blaze to illumine half the world4       
,duff's own heart was glowing with zeal1
 he must go1 by ,god's grace1  to infuse
 his own warmth into others4 ,the       

,missionary embarked on the             
twenty-eighth ,january1 #ahed1 for the  
,united ,states of ,america4    ,again  
was ,dr4 ,duff to meet with tempest and 
tribulation1 though not  this time with 
shipwreck4 ,such a gale came that1 in   
the ,missionary's  own words1--         
,it looked at one time as if the vessel 
could not possibly survive  it 4 4 4 ,on
 ,thursday morning the spectacle        
presented by the vessel was  most       
extraordinary4 ,though it still blew    
hard1 the sky cleared with  intense     
frosty air1 exhibiting the ship as if   
one huge mass of ice4 ,the  deck was    
covered with it1 several inches thick1  
the ropes1 spars1 and  rigging2 the     
masts up to their sails1 all well       
encrusted in ice from  two to six inches
 thick4    ,illustration3 ,,new ,,york1 
,,united ,,states4    ,it was doubtless 
a wondrous and beautiful sight that of a
 large ship  turned1 as it seemed1 into 
ice4 ,but not only must the great cold  
have  destroyed anything like comfort1  

but the weight of the quantities of  ice
 sank the ship nine inches deeper in the
 water4 ,of course the hard  crust had  
to be knocked away1 all hands were set  
to work to break off  the glittering    
masses2 and we may hope that the violent
 exercise served  to warm the chilled   
crew of the ice-mantled ship4    ,when  
the vessel had almost reached the       
harbour1 ,dr4 ,duff thus wrote to  his  
wife4       ,to the ,lord do ,i give    
thanks4 ,he hath brought us at last over
 the  stormy billows into a quiet haven4
 ,nor has all this trial been in  vain4 
,when downright ill1 the mind was       
utterly incapable of thought1  but there
 were intervals when1 in spite of the   
sick sensations1 the  mind could        
variously exert itself4 ,the whole of   
the past came up in  review before me1  
all the way in which the ,lord hath led 
me4 ,and ,oh6  how humbling the         
retrospection as regards myself6 ,the   
loving-kindnesses  of the ,lord how     
manifold2 my own shortcomings in every  

way how  manifold 4 4 4 ,in the end ,i  
had no consolation whatever but in      
clinging  as with a death grasp to the  
precious assurance that the blood of    
,jesus  ,christ cleanseth from all sin 4
 4 4 ,i thought that if never heard of  
any more1 and our vessel founder amid   
the stormy ,atlantic waves1 the  ,lord  
might1 in one way or other1 overrule my 
death to the good of the  souls of the  
members of my family and raise up       
friends to them1 and  ensure the        
furtherance of ,his own cause4 ,on these
 points ,i came at  times to a serene   
feeling of resignation to ,his holy     
will4 ,but1 if  spared1 ,oh6 how ,i     
longed to be a new burnished instrument 
in ,his hands4  ,i wait for guidance1 ,i
 wait for light in the path of duty4    
,oh6 for  simple single-heartedness1 and
 self-denying devotion to ,him that     
loveth  us6    ,i will not attempt to   
give a detailed account of ,dr4 ,duff's 
very  interesting visit to that grand   
country1 the ,united ,states4 ,he was   

welcomed with a warmth and enthusiasm   
which quite astonished the  ,missionary4
       ,each one 7in a large meeting7   
shook hands with me1 he wrote1 as if ,i 
were an old familiar friend1 as if he   
knew all about me1 and hailed me  as a  
brother in the ,lord 4 4 4 ,i was lost  
in wonder1 adoring gratitude1  and love4
 ,i approached these shores with much   
anxiety1 in much fear and  trembling4 ,i
 felt an oppressive uneasiness of spirit
 which ,i could not  shake off4 ,my only
 relief was in casting myself entirely  
on the ,lord1  and in praying ,his will 
might be done1 and ,his only 4 4 4      
,surely1 ,i  felt1 this unparalleled    
reception must be a first smile of      
,jehovah4    ,indeed the loving         
kindness1 the generous enthusiasm which 
,dr4 ,duff met  as he passed from city  
to city1 and held crowded meeting after 
meeting  in the ,united ,states and the 
,dominion of ,canada1 was marvellous to 
behold4 ,if ever a man was half killed  
with kindness1 that man was ,dr4  ,duff4

 ,every one was so eager to hear him1 so
 impatient to see him1 that  his small  
remaining stock of strength was utterly 
overtaxed4 ,he wrote1--       ,i am     
driven in spite of myself1 to do more   
than ,i know ,i can well  stand 4 4 4   
,if ,i could multiply myself into a     
hundred bodies1 each with  the strength 
of a ,hercules1 and the mental and moral
 energy of a ,paul1  ,i could not       
overtake the calls and demands made on  
me here1 and from  many other quarters  
since my arrival 4 4 4 ,all very        
delightful1 if ,i  had the needful      
strength4 ,but no strength of any man   
that ever lived  would stand out all    
this 4 4 4 ,as regards this place ,i    
have abundant  satisfaction in already  
knowing that ,i have not come here in   
vain4    ,no1 indeed1 ,dr4 ,duff had not
 come to the ,west in vain1 his labours 
bore  rich and varied fruit4 ,when he   
embarked again for home1 a letter was   
put into his hand containing #cjjj1 or  
at least #cj1jjj rupees for the         

missionary cause from ,new ,york and    
,philadelphia4 ,canada also gave her    
cheerful aid1 and this though ,dr4 ,duff
 had nowhere pleaded for money1  and had
 only spoken of his own special work in 
,india when pressed to  do so at social 
meetings4 ,nor were large subscriptions 
from various  quarters all the results  
of that memorable visit2 ,american love 
for  missions had been stirred up to a  
blaze which has never since died out4   
,the ,united ,states still give some of 
their noblest sons and daughters  to    
work for the ,lord in ,india1 side by   
side with their brethren and  sisters   
from ,england and ,scotland4    ,on the 
morning of his embarkation1 ,dr4 ,duff  
preached for the last time  in ,america 
to multitudes assembled to see him      
depart4 ,with a loving  grateful heart  
he gave the people his solemn blessing1 
and all the  congregation rose to       
receive it4 ,then leaving the pulpit1   
and making  his way through crowds who  
pressed forward to have one more grasp  

of  his hand1 the ,missionary passed on 
to the steamer4       ,there1 wrote an  
eye-witness1 the scene defied           
description4 ,the wharf  and the noble  
',pacific' were crowded with ,christians
 assembled to bid  him farewell4 ,many  
could only take him by the hand1 weep   
and pass  on4 ,never did any man leave  
our shores so encompassed with          
,christian  sympathy and affection4     
,dr4 ,duff's visit to ,america had been 
a glorious success1 but a heavy  price  
was to be paid for it by the exhausted  
,missionary4 ,after his  return home1   
,dr4 ,duff became fearfully ill4        
,congestion of the brain1  followed by  
utter prostration of the over-worked    
mind1 made the once  powerful and       
talented man helpless as a little child4
 ,it was a cause  of deep thankfulness1 
after a long space of time had elapsed1 
to find  that the grand mind was not    
permanently impaired1 that the brain was
  recovering its power4                 
----------------        ,,chapter       

,,xiii4    ,,in ,,india ,,again4        
,long as it was before the invalid      
regained the power to work1 with that   
power came the renewed desire to labour 
in ,india4 ,dr4 ,duff never forgot  that
 beloved land4 ,how the ,missionary felt
 may be shown by part of a  letter      
written in #ahec1 before his last severe
 illness1 to one of the  ,indian        
converts4       ,separated from you in  
body ,i am continually with you in      
spirit1 in the  ,institution and among  
your classes4 ,if ,i am remaining in    
this country  longer than ,i had        
expected1 it is only for the sake of    
,india's welfare4  ,for ,india is ever  
uppermost in my mind1 and my prayer to  
,god is that  she may yet be 'great1    
glorious and free4'    ,at last the     
earnest desire of the ,missionary to    
return to his post  overcame all        
obstacles4 ,on the #acth of ,october1   
#ahee1 for the third and  last time ,dr4
 ,duff started for ,india4 ,he was still
 in weak health1 but  the spirit firm   

and brave as ever4 ,we can imagine the  
welcome which he  received from his     
,calcutta children in ,christ4          
,here an anecdote may be introduced     
which shows that ,dr4 ,duff's power  to 
draw out sympathy and liberality1 was   
not limited to times when he  addressed 
,europeans1 ,americans or ,native       
,christians4 ,at a period when  grievous
 famine desolated part of ,india1 ,dr4  
,duff was requested by a  wealthy ,baboo
 to make an address on the subject in   
his house4 ,the upper  part of the      
dwelling was occupied by native ladies1 
who behind their  purdah could listen   
without being seen4 ,gentle is the heart
 of the  ,hindu2 ,dr4 ,duff spoke not to
 those who were so full of their own    
cares  or pleasures that they could not 
feel for others4 ,plates of rupees  were
 brought down from the ladies for the   
relief of the sufferers from  famine4   
,a very terrible time for ,india was at 
hand1 when the ,missionary  returned to 
her shores4 ,in ,may #aheg the fearful  

,mutiny broke out4 ,we  will not dwell  
upon the story of horrors1 a glimpse of 
which has been  given in the #gth       
chapter4 ,calcutta was full of          
disturbance and alarm4  ,dr4 and ,mrs4  
,duff lived in the native part of the   
city1 entirely  unprotected4 ,their     
friends implored them to retire to a    
safer place4  ,but the brave pair       
thought it better to remain at their    
post of duty4  ,dr4 ,duff and other     
clergymen went on with their work4      
,one ,sunday there was a very great     
panic in ,calcutta2 the ,duffs and but  
one other couple had the courage to     
remain in their dangerous quarters4     
,but1 as the ,missionary wrote1 ,faith  
in ,jehovah as our ,refuge and          
,strength led us to cling to our post1  
and we laid us down to sleep as  usual2 
and on ,monday morning my remark was1   
'well1 ,i have not enjoyed  such a soft1
 sweet1 refreshing rest for weeks past6'
 ,oh6 how our own  hearts rose in       
adoring gratitude to ,him who is the    

keeper of ,israel1  and who slumbers    
not1 nor sleeps6    ,dr4 ,duff's ,bengal
 ,mission went on growing2 it was       
remarked that it  had never been so     
prosperous as in the ,mutiny year4 ,in  
his ,college  and ,school about twelve  
hundred lads assembled1 receiving freely
  instruction in science and in the     
,christian religion4 ,the ,hindus       
themselves were astonished at the large 
blessing vouchsafed by ,god to  the     
work4      ,in #ahfa ,dr4 ,duff had the 
grief of losing his spiritual son1 the  
,rev4  ,gopinath ,nundi1 whose          
sufferings and heroism in the ,mutiny   
have already  been related4 ,the        
touching words in which the ,missionary 
wrote of the  departed convert1 show how
 dear his native pupil was to his heart4
       ,little did ,i dream when parting
 with him then that it was the last     
time ,i was to gaze on that mild but    
earnest countenance4 ,little did  ,i    
dream when we knelt down together1 hand 
in hand1 in my study1 to  commend each  

other to the ,father of spirits1 it was 
the last time we  should meet till we   
hail each other1 before the throne on   
high1 as  redeemed by the blood of the  
,lamb4 ,but so it has proved4 ,i mourn  
over  him as ,i would over an only son1 
till at times my eyes are sore with     
weeping4 ,it is not the sorrow of       
repining at the dispensation of a       
gracious ,god and loving ,father1 ,oh6  
no6 but the outburst and overflow  of   
affectionate grief for one whom ,i loved
 as my own soul4 ,but he has  gone to   
his rest1 and to his glorious reward6   
,two years more of earnest1 successful  
labour1 and ,dr4 ,duff's own  working   
days in ,india were over4 ,in the month 
of ,july1 #ahfc1 dysentery  again laid  
him low4 ,to save the ,missionary's     
life1 the doctors hurried  him off on a 
sea-voyage to ,china4 ,this remedy was  
insufficient1 and  the devoted ,duff    
himself saw that after nearly a third of
 a century of  almost perpetual work1 it
 was the ,master's will that ,his       

servant should  retire at last4 ,sore   
must have been the struggle in his mind1
 but ,duff  was trained to believe that 
in all things ,god knows best4 ,bitter  
was  the trial of parting to the many   
natives of ,india who honoured and      
loved him1 bitter to the ,missionary    
himself4    ,the following is part of   
his reply to an address from a ,society 
representing all educated non-,christian
 ,bengal4 ,it expresses the  feelings   
with which this apostle of ,india       
quitted her shores for ever4  ,he       
comforted himself with the hope of that 
day when the ,gospel shall  spread      
through the length and breadth of the   
earth4       ,that bright and glorious  
era for ,india and the world ,i have    
long seen  in the vision of faith4 ,the 
vividly real hope of it has often       
sustained  me amid toils and sufferings1
 calamities and reproaches1             
disappointment  and reverse4 ,and the   
assured prospect of its ultimate        
realisation  helps now to shoot some    

gleams of light athwart the darkness of 
my  horizon1 and so far to blunt the    
keen edge of grief and sadness when     
about to bid a final adieu to these     
long-loved ,indian shores 4 4 4  ,some  
of you may live to witness not merely   
its blissful dawn1 but its  meridian    
effulgence2 to me that privilege will   
not be vouchsafed4 ,my  days are already
 in the sere and yellow leaf 4 4 4 the  
sap and vigour  of summer's out-bursting
 fulness have well-nigh gone1 leaving me
 dry  and brittle like a withered herb  
or flower at the close of autumn2 the   
hoar frost of old age1 age prematurely  
old1 grim wintry old age is fast        
settling down upon me4 ,but whether1    
under the ordinance of the ,high and    
,holy ,one who inhabiteth eternity1 my  
days be few or many1 whether my  old age
 be one of decrepitude or of privileged 
usefulness1 my best and  latest thoughts
 will be of ,india4 ,wherever ,i wander1
 wherever ,i rest1  my heart will be    
still in ,india4    ,so1 attended by    

sorrowing1 weeping friends1 the wearied 
wasted  ,missionary went down to the    
ghaut1 and embarked for ,britain4 ,oh6  
,what  tear-dimmed eyes watched him as  
the vessel weighed anchor1 and followed 
him as the ship moved farther and       
farther away1 which bore from his       
,indian children their friend and       
father6 ,at last it was seen no more6   
,dr4 ,duff had departed1 but never to be
 forgotten2 perhaps to this day  there  
is no man's name remembered in ,india   
with deeper reverence and  love1 than   
that of the devoted ,missionary1 the    
gifted teacher1 the  ,christian hero    
whose story we are relating4            
----------------        ,,chapter ,,xiv4
    ,a ,,golden ,,sunset4               
,illustration    ,as this little book is
 specially designed to tell of ,dr4     
,duff's mission  work in ,india1 no     
account need be given of his many       
labours after  quitting her shore4 ,this
 however must be said1 that if ,dr4     
,duff had  reached grim wintry old age1 

in that season1 his life bore richer    
fruit to the glory of ,god and the good 
of man1 than one mortal out of  a       
thousand brings forth during life's     
whole year4 ,and on what labours1  and  
what success the noble ,duff could look 
back1 since in youth's  springtime he   
gave himself to the ,lord6    ,in       
,calcutta1 instead of the hired house   
which could not hold all his  pupils so 
that they had to come in relays1 in a   
splendid building1  which cost #aej1jjj 
rupees1 multitudes have received        
instruction4 ,a  proud man1 in ,duff's  
place1 might have exclaimed3 ,lo6 ,where
 ,i went  forth alone1 in the single    
,free ,church ,mission to which ,i      
belong1 there  have been in the last    
half-century one hundred and fifteen    
,scottish1  and forty-four ,native      
,missionaries1 some still on earth1 and 
some now  in glory2 of these how many   
did ',i' draw to the work6 ,there were  
in  #ahcj 'two' primary schools in      
,bombay and ,calcutta1 now behold 'two  

hundred and ten' ,colleges and ,schools 
in the land1 in which more than  fifteen
 thousand youths and girls can hear the 
glad news of salvation2  how many of    
these institutions owe their beginning  
to me6 ,the ,free  ,church of ,scotland 
alone has numbered #f1deh adult         
converts2 how many of  them were as     
sheaves gathered by me6 ,and this is but
 a part of my work4  ,if a stream of    
liberality flows in the channel of      
missions1 not only in  my own land but  
in others1 how often have the springs   
which feed them  been opened by me6     
,but we cannot even imagine the lowly   
,missionary uttering such words of      
pride1 or even in thought exulting      
presumptuously in the success which  he 
owed to the blessing of ,god4 ,this is  
his own idea of what would be a         
suitable inscription on his tomb4       
,here lies ,alexander ,duff1 by nature  
and practice a sinful guilty  creature1 
but saved through grace1 through faith  
in the blood and  righteousness of his  

,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4      
,and were aught to be added to such an  
inscription1 ,dr4 ,duff would have  it  
but this3 by profession a ,missionary2  
by his life and labours the  true and   
constant friend of ,india4      ,a heavy
 affliction came to ,dr4 ,duff before he
 was called to his  heavenly rest4      
,early in #ahfe the light of his eyes1  
the joy of his  heart1 his beloved wife1
 sank to sleep in ,jesus4 ,dr4 ,duff1 as
 we have  seen1 was a man of very keen  
feelings1 and sore must have been his   
grief as he stood by the grave of her of
 whom he thus wrote3       ,my faithful 
loving spouse1 my other half1 who       
sustained and cheered  and comforted me1
 and was not only the life of my        
dwelling but my very  home itself1 4 4 4
 is gone6 ,she is not1 for ,god hath    
taken her to the  temple above1 to serve
 and enjoy ,him there for ever4    ,the 
aged ,christian did not mourn as those  
without hope4 ,as he writes in  a letter
 to his sorrowing son3       ,what my   

own feelings are ,i dare not venture to 
attempt to describe1  nor would ,i if ,i
 could4 ,the union cemented by upwards  
of thirty eight  years of a strangely   
eventful life1 in many climes and amid  
many perils  and trials and joys1 so    
suddenly so abruptly brought to a final 
close  in this world2 ,oh6 it is agony  
to look on in itself4 ,but when ,i turn 
to  the ,saviour1 and the saintly one   
now in glory1 ,i do see the dark cloud  
so lustred with the rainbow of hope and 
promise1 that ,i cannot but  mingle joy 
with my sorrow1 and we can all unite in 
praising the ,lord  for ,his goodness1  
,his marvellous loving-kindnesses       
towards me in the  hour of our sore     
trial4      ,but one more scene shall be
 given from the life of ,dr4 ,duff1--and
 that  scene is the last4 ,in #ahgh the 
aged ,christian became so ill1 that his 
second son was summoned by telegraph    
from ,india4 ,he arrived in time to     
join with ,dr4 ,duff's daughter and     
grandson in loving ministry to the      

dying saint4 ,the old ,missionary's sun 
was calmly1 peacefully setting1  amidst 
clouds of glory4 ,when the first joy of 
seeing his son was over1  the pilgrim so
 near the end of his journey said1 ,i am
 in ,god's hands  to go or stay2 if ,he 
has need of me ,he will raise me up1 if 
otherwise  it is far better4            
,thoughtful to the last of his friends1 
,dr4 ,duff dictated a list of  about    
fifty persons to whom he wished books to
 be sent as a dying  remembrance from   
him4 ,when told that the doctor thought 
ill of his  case1 quietly the sufferer  
replied1 ,i never said with more        
calmness  in my life1 continually by day
 and by night1 ',thy will1 my ,god1 my  
,god  be done6' ,in my own mind ,i see  
the whole scheme of redemption from     
eternity more clear and glorious than ,i
 ever did4    ,yes1 it was on the       
perfect sacrifice ,christ1 the son of   
,god1 that the  eyes of the dying       
believer were fixed4    ,dr4 ,duff's    
daughter repeated the beautiful hymn1-- 

,how sweet the name of ,jesus sounds    
,to a believer's ear1     ,it soothes   
his sorrow1 heals his wounds1           
,and drives away his fear4    ,the voice
 of ,dr4 ,duff1 so soon to be hushed in 
silence1 exclaimed with  emphasis1      
unspeakable6    ,truly the ,christian1  
whether living or dying1 in that blessed
 name can  rejoice with joy unspeakable 
and full of glory6    ,the ,twenty-third
 ,psalm was afterwards repeated by ,dr4 
,duff's daughter  to her dying father1  
as he lay apparently unconscious4 ,but  
life was  lingering yet1 he responded at
 the end of each verse4 ,how blessed    
when  believers1 passing through the    
valley of the shadow of death1 can      
realise as the ,missionary did1 ,i will 
fear no evil1 for ,thou art with  me6   
,at last the once eloquent lips that so 
often had pleaded with and for  the sons
 of ,india1 could utter no word more1   
yet still the departing  saint knew the 
voices of those whom he loved1 and he   
showed his  consciousness by a tender   

grasp of the hand4 ,the sun of life was 
slowly1 calmly disappearing behind the  
horizon4 ,the voice of the ,master  whom
 ,duff had deeply loved and faithfully  
served1 was bidding him come  up higher4
 ,the disciple was laying down the cross
 for ever1 to receive  the heavenly     
crown4 ,and so1 in perfect peace1       
,alexander ,duff sank  to rest4 ,we     
cannot follow his enraptured spirit as  
it rose from the  slumbering clay1 nor  
conceive the bliss which awaits him when
 the body  too shall rise in the        
,resurrection-day6       ,fulness of    
joy6 on ,christ's right hand to hear    
,love's invitation to draw yet more     
near1--      ,ye blessed children--come6
    ,and now the story of ,alexander    
,duff's life has been briefly told4 ,it 
only remains to add a few words to the  
reader4    ,if you are not yet a        
follower of the ,lord ,jesus1 if you are
 not yet  assured that ,christianity is 
of ,god1 pause and look at the picture  
of a  believer which has been placed    

before you4 ,was it mere natural        
goodness  of heart that made ,dr4 ,duff 
what he was8 ,what nerved him to moot   
difficulties1 danger1 distress with     
unflinching courage2 what made him  not 
count his life dear to himself8 ,what   
made him patient in trouble1  and humble
 in triumph1 working like a giant1 yet  
trusting like a child8  ,do such fruits 
naturally grow on the trees of earth1   
and if not1 must  they not have a       
heavenly origin8 ,duff could have given 
the answer1 ,i  live by faith in the    
,son of ,god who loved me and gave      
,himself for me4  ,duff's course was    
upward1 onward1 heavenward1 because he  
was following  the steps of the         
,saviour1 and pressing forward looking  
unto ,jesus4    ,reader6 ,if you be a   
believer1 then there is also a word for 
you4 ,has  not your conscience          
reproached you while reading the life of
 ,dr4 ,duff8  ,is not his life and death
 a call to us not to stand idly looking 
on  while labourers are sorely wanted in

 the ,lord's great harvest field8  ,is  
there no sheaf which you can bind1 is   
there no work which you can  do8 ,does  
not the example before you rouse your   
languid spirit like the  blast of a     
trumpet8 ,rise and be doing for the time
 is short2 use your  talents1 be they   
few or many1 to the sole glory of ,him  
who gave them2  the fountain from which 
,alexander ,duff drew strength is open  
to you1  the bliss upon which he has    
entered you may share2 waiting1 working1
  praying1 praising1 you too1 with him  
may swell the victor's song1  giving    
glory1 honour1 thanksgiving and praise  
to ,him who sitteth on  the throne1 and 
to the ,lamb for ever and ever6         
----------------        ,illustration3  
,,edinburgh1 ,,the ,,capital ,,of       
,,scotland4