New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-21
Morristown. N. J.. Oct. Is. 1895.
THE DESERTS OF MISSIONARIES.

THE DESERTS OF MISSIONARIES.
THEIR WORKS CHARACTER AND ATTAlNNENi'
CALL FOR PRAISE. NOT DETRAcrloN'
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Permit a word TO supplement ie''ei "
your issue OF this date. entitled "M.sso ns III tue
East" and the general benofcences attending ms
sionary work. wherever done. l write on another
lne-o defend this class OF Christian laDoreFs from
not nfrequent aspers!on made by processing
Christians. that missionaries are men who' ihie-
rlor in those mental and other a;tainments quaih!
ing them for pulpit or paroch.al Work al home'
are sent abroad good enough timber for paglhs'
At recent dinner table. in particular. this state
ment made. ard a lady was quoted as autnor-
ity for the statement that a steamer voyage
with a band OF miss -onares no religious services
we're held by them. and nothing In their conduct
Indicated their profession and calling
Ny own sea experience. a large one, negatives
this statement as to religious exercises on ship
board. for l have never known the Sabbath to
pass on sail or steam vessel. that religious SER
vices not held in some form. ! repealed the
slur these people an utterly ndefensioe ATTACK
and protest against these detractlons OF nooe
band OF and women. They are entitled 10
H. CHEST praise in their labors. They emlnently
self sacrificing; the conditions OF life in any mis-
sion field insure prlvat.ons. These embrace all
the conditions that no. few, ministers IN the
home field ever endure. They are separated from
home families. friends social ties; live under en-
forced economies, in some fields live amon5 peo-
pie who restrained from personal violence TO
them only through fear Of National retr.bution.
The acquisition OF the Chinese. Pail, Armenian.
Turkish and other languages requires an intellect
ual power quite equal to that exercised here by
American pastors in learning Hebrew and the
Latin and Greek OF our colleges The results OF
their abors demonstrate the power. spiritual, mo-
raj and intellectual. exercised in Their respective
fields Of labor, power not inherent. but Des a,
to an end by the Master in whose name they nave
gone TO His work.
tyns. Coans. Lvingstones. Scudders. any more than
all home ministers are AleXanders. Hodges, CoXes,
Springs Halls. Van Dykes Storrses, and the Ike.
And their work, viewed IN relation TO the number
OF missionaries ard the results ~ conversions IRON
pagansm, Will compare iavcraby with results IN
the domestic field. The secretary OF the Fresny-
terrain Board OF Foreign Missions writes me under
date Of September %, IN reply to letter for IN
formation repelling these lndefensible statements
There are 6y9 mss onaries connected with the
Presbyterian Board the fore field there
approx mately 1900 m Missionaries OF the Protestant
missionary societies n foreign fields the number
Of communicates reported May l for the cur
rent year was 5z,lo4 ana in 1885, Protestant ms
communicants Adhercnfs would be counted as
between 3.cO,1,0 and 100000"
These results are not accomplished by men and
women OF medocr.,y. And as sneers ard dspar
dSement are often thoughtlessly made wthOut re-
hect.on on the sequences Of unrehccted state
ors TO pause in Their uncai.ed-for attacks. or
should do so, as they VIII confirm the faith OF those
IN their iaoors they deserve praise. not detrdc-
And incidentally, referring to Charles Wimot's let-
ter OF this date on Br d2et Murphy's case and
others, In relation 10 a National party founded
on the lines he presents add hat the cause OF
temperance has earnest advocate wherever the
RUE. among Christian Civilizations sO-called that
natona. intemperance with its bale:ul sequences.
facts for thoughtful minds render.
Brooklyn, oct :, 1895. NORMAN D. SAMPSON.