The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-09-11
THE MORNING STAR.
The Career of the Great Gospel Ship
Commander Garland to Wed a Mis-
siOnary of the South Pacific Islands.


The career of the great missionary
ship Morning Star and of its devoted
commander, Captain George f. Garland,
is of much interest, and especially at the
present time, as he is about to be welded
to lady whose life has so far been de-
voted to the self-sacrificing and arduous
work of spreading the Gospel among the
heather. The missionary ship and its
work as the instrument of the American
Board of Foreign Missions is known
among Christian people all over the
world, and it's prov has plowed the har-
bors of hundreds of islands, and its well
come hull has been anchored off many
towns and villages where the blessed
Word had been hitherto almost, if not
entirely, unknown. 1t has been one of
the greatest missionaries of the world,
and of its career Christianity may well
be proud.
The Morning Star now lies in the har-
Dor at San Francisco undergoing repairs.
1t was built at Bath, Me-, in 1884, and is
the fourth vessel bearing that name. 1t
is $50 feet long, 26 feet beam and is
registered at 40 tons. The third Morn
ing Star, the predecessor of the present
boat, was lost in gale off the Island of
Kusiac in February of 1888, and the
second was, singularly enough, wrecked
off the same dangerous island. The
present missionary ship is barkentine
rugged, and is the pride of her COM,
mander and crew. Capt Garland, who
took charge of the ship in 1887, had been
an officer on the third vessel of that
name for four years. He is man of fine
appearance and excellent address, per-
feet gentleman, and no one, to look at
him, would suspect that he had followed
a seafaring life for upward of a score of
years. He is not 40 years of age, is
gentleman whose mind and heart seem
devoted to the work in which he is en-
gagged. His initial voyage was on the
ship Horatio Harris, on which he was
sailor before the mast" and he tells
many interesting anecdotes of his voy-
age to San Francisco. Since he took
cruises have been successfully made,
and he is highly regarded by all with
whom he has had dealings.
He is now away ION leave" and is
stopping with relatives at Dedham. He
intends to be married Thursday of this
week to Miss Sarah L. Smith of Newton
Centre at the residence of her mother at
that place, and the ceremony will be
very quiet and strictly private. The
lady of his choice is the daughter of
Mrs. H. B. Smith and was a missionary
in charge of girls training school for the
Gilbert and Marshall Islands in the
Southern Pacific, and which was located
on the Kusiac Islands for five years from
1886. She returned to her mothers
home at Newton last July, on account of
i'll health. She had been very success
full in her chosen work The school over
which she presided often had as many as
33 pupils-eleven from each of the
islands above mentioned. The young
lady was only 81 when she responded to
the call of the board of missionaries, and
it was made especially to supply the
school for women at this group of
islands, as mems school had been en-
joying vigorous growth for several years
previous. The little lady was slender,
dark-eyed, and seemed quite delicate,
but her heart was in the work Uefore
her, and she sailed away for her mission
among these ignorant women of the
Southern seas. At first the task seemed
impossible of accomplishment, but her
courage was indomitable, her devotion
entire and her determination sufficient
to surmount all obstacles. Once year
the gladstone visit of the missionary
ship brought tidings from home and
friends, and the laborer for the Lord con-
tinued her work year after year, and
finally was rewarded to witness the
beneficial results, and find that the dark
skinned members of her sex were slowly
but surely benefiting from her teachings
and becoming able to teach their sisters
the glorious truths of the Gospel and to
spread among them the refining in
Hnn of ntxy iUnf NJ
savages they have learned to attire
themselves neatly, preserve proper de-
pertinent and teach others how to be
civilized. The women have even been
found better students than their brothers
of the mems school, and they have more
easily accustomed themselves to the
changed manner of dress and behavior.
The departure of their beloved teacher
was very painful to the pupils, as well as
to Miss Smith, and as an illustration of
the influence welded over them for
good, Capt. Garland mentioned recent
surprise given their teacher. They had
learned the date of her birthday, and
quietly and swiftly they gathered masses
of flowers and gigantic ferns. The
former they arranged in tasteful banks
and pyramids. With the latter-verita-
BILE giants of the tropics-they made a
great arch at one end of the room. The
tall heads of the ferns and palmettoes
were covered with the folds of the
American flag, which, gracefully looped,
surmounted all, while just at its apex
hung a picture of the Morning Star
under full sail. Then the girls, each
clad in light chintz dress, seated them
selves, as was the custom, on the low
straw mats, and while their faces beamed
with pleasure, greeted their teacher with
a song which she had translated and
taught them. 1t was typical and
touching picture, the tall palmettoes,
over them the red, white and blue, so
dear to every American heart, and,
guarded by its folds, the noble ship that
had brought knowledge and truth and
kindliness to these children of the
tropics. The successors of Miss Smith,
who latterly had been ably assisted by
Miss Crosby, are Misses Hopkin and Lit
tie, two graduates of Oberlin College.
Captain Garland says that the head
quarters of the Morning Star are al
Honolulu, and that the regular cruises
are now among the Marshall, Gilber
and Caroline islands. The principa
duties are to take supplies to the numer
Gus missionary stations. These islands
are aOOuJ zOOO miles ITOm hOuOluu, dl'
lie northeast of Australia. He says the
inhabitants of the Marshall and Gilber
Islands are peaceable, and it is safe fol
strangers to venture among them, bu
that in some parts of the Caroline
Islands, while it is not understood tina
they practice cannibalism, yet they hav
been known to eat up prisoner and h
be very dangerous acquaintances. Yer!
few weeks pass by without fgh
among the natives, and although tn
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