The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-05-04
AN AFRICAN ROMANCE.
A Famous Missionary Who Married One
Of Afrlca's DasIsy Daughters.

| - &AessRuN PAf~ftDHHSf VINO MMrft6u ONT
of Afrlca's Dasisy Daughters.
Probably no missionary in the world
has bccn so prominently before the
public in the past two years as the Rev.
George Grenfcll, of the Baptist Congo
Missions. His name will always be as
sociated with the exploration OF most oi
the Congo tributaries that are now
known. He has not only seen more oi
the Congo basin than any other man.
but he Is also careful observer, good
route surveyor and fairly well skilled in
the use OF geographical instruments.
The geographical societies of England,
France aud Germany have sought for
and published contributions from him.
and there Is no doubt that. next to Liv-
fngstone and Krapf. he deseryedly
ranks among the foremost of Africa S
missionary travellers.
Perhaps few of the thousands who
have read the reports of his interesting
journeys are aware that Mr.. GrenfeIl.
who is thorough Eng1ishman, is the
husband of native of Africa His
wife is a eolorcd woman. originally a
heathen. whose tribe has for many years
inhabited the Atlantic coast, little
north of the Congo. He is. perhaps.
the only white missionary in Africa who
has married a native
This strange marriage is said 10 have
come about in this way: Few mission
aries in Africa have had Grenfeli's
large and varied experience, though he
Is still in the prime of life. Before we
heard OF him ON the Congo at all. he
told US much about the Cameroons
country. which the Germans have since
annexed. Grenfell IL ore of the few
men who seem 10 be perfectly adapted
forsueh life rs he is leading. He loves
his wild surroundings. he loves the ex-
plorers' toilsomc life. he seems to endure
the climate as well as native. and his
heart is thoroughly enlisted in the work
of Christian missions. While geog-
raphers have been reading and writing
about the new regions and tribes he
has revealed to the world. he has looked
upon these new countries chiefly as new
fields for missionary enterprises
Grenfell made up his mind long ago
that he was destined TO live and die In
Africa He decided. il is said. after
long reflection, that it would greatly
impair his usefulness If he took a wife
from among the fair daughters of his
native land. He had good reason to
doubt that he would be lucky enough
to find white woman who could en-.
dure as well as he the climate of the
torrid zone. He had not the slightest
desire to marry anybody whose life OF
health would be sacrificed if he took
her TO Africa. or for whom he mighf
have to sacrifice his life work by going
back to England with her. He there.
fore decided when he married to wed a
native of the country.
In the course of time Grenfell met his
fate at the mission station and trading
post of Kabinda. on the coast not far
north of the mouth of the Congo. He
saw among the mission converts a
bright young woman who had received
a fair education in the mission school of
Kabinda. She was comely girl. She
had been instructed for years in the arts
of housewifery by the mission ladies.
dressed in the garb of her civilized sis
ters. was neat and industrious and a
devout Christian. She was, in fact, in
her changed condition one of the best
products of missionary labor Grenfell
believed she would make him a good
helpmate in his future arluous work as
pioneer missionary. In due time they
were married. and from that day to
this. Grenfell's friends say. he has had
no reason to regret the very unusual
choice he made.
1t can be said. on the authority of
Henry NJ. Stanley, that the two babies
who have been boru to Mr.. and Mrs
Grenfell are ''beautiful little children.
The home of the Grenfells is on Stan
ley Pool. but until the past year they
have have not been there much of the
time. Mrs. Grenfell and one of the
children accompanied the missionary
on some of the adventurous journeys in
which he has explored over 5000 miles
of the navigable waters of the Congo
basin. She sat unperturbed and vers
comfortable behind the wire screen
that warded off the shower of arrows
which were launched at the littl,
steamer Peace by the hostile natives oi
Mobang River.
A writer, who evidently had not
heard of Mr.. Grenfeirs little romance.
recently mentioned as proof of the fact
that white ladies can retain their health
and yigor on the Congo that the mis-
sionary, Grenfell, was accompanied on
his long journeys by his excellent wife.
IN. z. San.