St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-03-08

us two returned missiOnaries-Rev. Mr..
Taylor, who spent several years in the
Gilbert Islands, and the Rev. Mr.. Will
son, who spent seventeen years in
Northern India. Monday morning at
half-past ten o'clock there was double
wedding in our chapel, and the crowd
was nearly as great as at the ordination
services. The wedding ceremony was
performed by the Rev. II. S. Bennett,
University pastor, assisted by the Rev.
Prof. A. K. Spence, Dean of the Facul-
ty. The bridal parties then retired to
the parlOrs where they received the
congratulations of the students, teachers
and friends. At two o'clock we all
went down to st. Johns Chapel, one OF
the largest colOred churches in the city,
where the farewell meeting was to be
held. There were present many clergy
men nearly all of whom made interest
ing addresses. The tive missionaries
with their wives were seated on the
platform where all could see them.
Near the close of the meeting, the
Rev. A. P. Miller and Rev. A. E. Jack
son made few farewell remarks to the
people. Mr.. Miller appealed to the
students of Fisk University to cOnse-
crate themselves to God and be willing
to go wherever He might send them.
He hoped they would always be ready
when the call came to say, "Here, Lord,
am |, send me-" and not "Here, Lord,
am |, send him." He wished that the
motto of every colored institution in the
city might be, "Her sons and her daugh-
tiers are ever ON the altar" He said he
wished to assure all who were present
that he was not leaving America with
any feelings of dependency.
Now the readers of the CaledOnidn
may think that these poor cOlored stu
dents wOnld not have to make many
sacrifices in leaving their native land
and going among a heather people;
but when | tell you what they have
really given up to become missionaries
perhaps you will think differently. The
young men were both fine students and
bid fair to be leaders among the colOred
people. They were studying theology,
and the Institution had great hopes for
their future usefulness as preachers in
this Southern land. You know at pres
ent there are not great many thor
oughly educated colored ministers in
the South, and these young men had
hoped to be able to do great work for
their down -trodden and despised race.
Like other young men they had high
aspirations, and it was quite hard for
them to leave all worldly ambitions
behind them and go to that dark and
benighted land from whence came their
ancestors.
Mr.. jackson leaves behind him an
aged grandmother who has taken care
of him ever since he was little child,
when his mother was taken from him.
She is now over eighty years old and
has depended upon her grandson for
support for some time. Mr.. j. went to
Gainesville to bid her good bye, and
when he left she was very much I'M
reconciled to his going to Africa. Mr..
Miller is an orphan, and has several
younger brothers and sisters depending
upon him for support. He has thus far
been able to provide for them by teach
ing part of the year. His own ex-
penses in the University have for some
time been paid by Gen. b. Fisk of New
York City. Miss Hildridge, (now Mrs.
Jackson,) has mother and sister living
sevelal hundred miles from here, but
she did not have time to go and see
them. Prof. Spence telegraphed for
her mother to come here but she was
too poor to pay the travelling expenses,
and besides she wrote that she did have
clothing suitable to come. She gave
her consent for her daughter to be
married and 60 to Africa, and sent her
goodbye in letter.
Miss Roberts, (now Mrs. Miller,) is
the only child of her mother and she a
widow. Mrs. Roberts came and spent
several days with her daughter, and the
silent sorrow of that poor cOlOred wO-
man was touching to behold. She said
she was willing Ada should go as
missionary for she had given her to
the Lord. And then the leaving of
Fisk University forever was very hard
for our young friends, for it has been
the only pleasant home they have ever
had. They have only enjoyed few
years of comfort and happiness, and
now they cheerfully given up every
thing that was pleasant to them for
life of hardship and deprivation in their
fatherland. When all the preparations
were completed for their departure, and
the carriage was at the door to take
them to the depot, the bell was rung
and the entire family assembled in the
chapel for evening devotions, after
which came the last farewell greetings,
and our young friends left us for New
York. They will remain there until
Saturday, when they sail for Africa by
way of Liverpool. They are appointed
to the Mendi Mission, situated in the
ShebrO country, West Africa, about
seven degrees north latitude. This
mission was opened in 1888, but there
has not been much done there of late
as the American Missionary Association