Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-06-07
Emma Michener-in MemorIam.

even hen, her sainted spirit had taken il,
Ii, avenward flight" And of the still, lIa
nee and Tho folded hands only the am sei,
snew" In the shadow of this sor 'ow
could l still 20 on? All, heart of m int,
'ts vlclory-a grand, a glorious victory!
While teaching in the public schools Of
Philadelphia her soul was drawn out t.
Africa aad its benlghted people. She
thought to satisfy these convictions by
giving up her position and teaching the
colored children OF the city. In this she
vas eminently successful, and mission
work in which she engaged brought forth
much fruitage, but her soul was still unsat-
isfed.
! In the fall Of 1879 Miss Michener called
upon the secretary of the Philadelphia
branch TO talk about her desire to 90 as
missionary to Africa. Other fields with
! their pressing needs were presented to her,
and she was told of the deadly climate and
overnOwing graveyards of the country
which she had chosen; but to all she
answered: Il believe the Lord calls me
to 90 to Africa; 90 to Africa because it
is most degraded and needs me most"
| At .he farewell meeting Of the st.
Church, Philadelphia. OF which she was
a member, when her classmates presented
her with gold watch, she said: II have
| been asked, IF knew should die from
the effects of tho climate, would 1 still
persevere in going" I can only answer.
Yes. If | can he the humble means Of
the conve rsion of one soul in that land
before my ca th, would 60, for that one
might be the instrument in Gods hands Of
bringing m any precious, immortal souls
to Christ"
March ), 1880, she set sail for Africa.
On the 18th the vessel was wrecked on the
rock at IIolyhead, Wales, but by means Of
he small boats they were all saved.
After the rescue she wrote that while in
the leaking, open boat, in the darkness, it
came into her mind: II thought God had
called me to 60 to Africa; but if he wants
ne to 60 up from watery bed tonight,
/ I'll is we'll"
Under tho Fathers keeping care she
reached Africa April 18th, joined Miss
Ilarp at Monrovia and taught there for
lort time.
Many calls coming for her to 20 10
}assa, about eighty miles down the coast,
,e, accordingly, the latter part OF May,
ltrtcd for that place.
eioro her. She says: "Oh. how l
-mbled at the thought, and prayed that
might choose wisely! I believe that
God wants mo to 60 right out among the
alivcs."
J A. soon rs she folt that this was God s
work. for her, she began to question how
was to be done As tho result, she
lrunod grant Of one hundred acres Of
Goccuped land, in any spot in Liberia
which she might choose, and had it made
1t in the name of tho Woman's Foreign
| Visionary Society.
July l2th, she, in company with the
,antlomsn and lady with whom she
o mrdel, started for the interior, to select
site for the mission grounds and build.
ugs.
All overland travel is done in liam.
uooks, the extreme ends of which are
stened to long, thick pole. A pillow
to rest ones head on is placed in the ham
mock. 4 native at each end places the
pole upon his shoulder, lifts it up and
lrots away
On the first day they travelled in ham.
mocks, by boat, and the last three miles
IN foot, and at night sweotly rested in Il
thatched mud cottage.
Upon the second day she met those who
I'm away, from fear, having never seen a
white face before.
The third morning she had about twenty
miles to travel, in order to reach spot o.
which she had heard glowing accounts
, they tried to discourage her, telling her
the paths were closed up and there were
SIX rivers to cross. Her reply was: "We
: will try, and if God approves this days
y undertaking he will carry us through
) safely" They soon came to one of the
> rivers, the water coming nearly up to Q
mans waist, but her boys lifted her upon
L their heads and carried her safely over.
Borne by three naked natives, in ,
. hammock, through dense forest inhabt
" ed only only by wild beasts and savages
1t with the pathway so ovcrgrown that sh,
% had to cover her face and hands to kee,
= them from being torn, and yet she felt nj
l. fear. She had placed herself in God
~ hands and was sure he would take care O
~ her.
y Reaching the hill for which she started
10 she was delighted, and clapping her hand
Is cried, Eureka" Then with tears run
Il ming down her cheeks she sang, "Prais,
God from whom all blessings tlow."
I'll All around was one vast panorama O
81 beauty. A stream Of water, clear ant
- cold, bubbIed over the rocks, aad ther
u, :" was timber and stone enough to bull,
~ houses and houses.
- Listen to hor words; II never saw
~ people so overjoyed as were those poo
Is natives when they learned that this wa
The place selected for mission. The
II had never seen white face before. On
10 old grandmother clappcd her hands Of
10 her breast again and again, and with tear
Or rolling down her furrowed cheeks oxclainl
H. cd Can it be, can it be that at last som
y one has come to teach us?' Oh, that Co
" may incline the hearts at home to rospont
re to this call from poor, dark benighte,
ey Africa! Do pray for this work and 70
nc
Alas, how quickly, oftimes, do cloud
lie overcast the brightest heavensi Soon SD