The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-05-03
The Last Awful Night.


in the New Hebrides group. They
had for considerable time been in
peril of their lives among the canni-
balls, and had been threatened and
abused and ordered to leave. A plague
of measles had reached the island, and
the heather attacked the mission and
sought to break up the worship of
Jehovah as the cause of all their ills.
By wonderful providences they had
from time to time been delivered, cry
ing to God for help and being saved
out of all their troubles. At length
the cannibals grew fierce and ferocious,
and Mr.. Patton was driven from his
mission station, and, fleeing for his
life, they at length reached another
station occupied by Mr.. Mathieson.
On the third day of February the canni-
balls came to the mission house, and
forced Mrs. NJ athieson to show them
through the premises. Mr.. Patton had
providentially that morning bolted
himself within a closet and was busy
writing. The cannibals went through
every room in the house, but, failing to
see Patton, concluded that he had gone
inland, and so left quietly, disappointed
praise God for another deliverance
which man had neither planned nor
accomplished. But the danger was not
over. Patton had no weapons but an
empty revolver which missionary had
given him some time before, and with
which on one or two occasions he had
frightened the savages away. The
story Of {" the last awful night" on the
island is thus told by Mr.. Paton
Worn out with long watching and
many fatigues / lay down that night
early and fell into deep sleep. About
ten O'Clock the savages again sur
rounded the mission house. My faith
full dog CIutha, clinging still to me
amid the wreck of all else on earth,
sprang quietly upon me, pulled at my
clothes, and awakened me, showing
danger in her eye glancing at me
through the shadows. | silently awoke
Mr.. and Mrs. Mathieson, VINO had also
fallen asleep. We committed ourselves
| in hushed prayer to God, and watched
them, knowing that they could not see
US. Immediately a glare of light fell
into the room! Men passed with fam
ing torches; at first they set fire to the
!
fence connecting the church to the
dwelling. house. In few minutes the
house, too, would be in flames, and
armed savages waiting 10 kill US on at
tempting to escape!
Taking my harmless revolver in the
left hand and little American toma.
hawk in the right, plead with Mr..
MathiesOn to let me out and instantly
again to lock the door on himself and
wife. He very reluctantly did so, hold.
ing me back and saying, Stop here and
let us die togetherl You will never re.
turnp
said, Be quick Leave that to
God. In few minutes our house will
be in flames, and then nothing can save
u.s. ~ ~
He did let me out, aud then locked
the door again quickly from the inside
and while his wife and he prayed and
watched for me from within, ran to the
burning reed fence, cut ii from top tC
bottom and tore it up and threw it bach
into the flames, so that the fire could no
by it be carried TO our dwelliDg.house
i saw on the ground shadows, as i
something was falling around me, anC
started back. Seven or eight savage;
had surrounded me, and raised thei
great clubs in air. | heard shout
Kill himl kill hml' One savage trie(
to seize hold of me, but, leaping from
his clutch, drew the revolver from IN,
pocket and leveled it as for use, m,
heart going up in prayer to God. said
Dare to strike me, and my Jehoval
God will punish you. He protects us
and will punish you for burning thi
church, for hatred to his worship an,
people, and for all your bad conduct
We love you all; and for doing you GOO
only you want to kill us. But our Co
is here now to protect us and to punisl
you.'
They yelled in rage and urged eacl
other to strike the first blow, but tn
Invisible One restrained them. stoo,
invulnerable beneath his invisible shiel
and succeeded in rolling back the It'd
of fl lme from our dwelling house.
g AT this dread moment occurred al
incident which my readers may eX
plain as they like, but which l trac
directly to the interposton of my God
7 A rushing and roaring sound came iron
, the south, like the noise of a might
! engine or of muttering thunder. Ever
mead was instinctively turned in tina
i direction, and they knew from prevou
I hard experience that it was one of thei
, awful tornadoes of wind and rain
Now, mark, the wind bore the flame
1 array from our dwelling-house; had
: come in the opposite direction no powe
on earth could have saved us fror
being all consumed 1t made the wor
of destroying the church only that of
few minutes. but il bronght with il