Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-02
Copyright. 1896. by II. Rider Haggard.
CHAPTER /.
THE DEFAMATION.

THE DEPUTATION.
tTas the age of miracles gone by or is 1t
still possible to the voice OF faith calling
aloud upon the earth to wiring from the
dumb heavens an audible answer to it's
prayer? Does the promise uttered by the
master of mankind upon the eve Of the end
"Who SO that believeth in me, the works
that | do he shall do also : and
whatsoever We shall ask in my name, that
will l do still hold good to such as do
ask and do believe?
Let those who study the history of Rev.
Thomas owen and OF that strange man that
carried on and completed his work answer
this question according to their judgment.
The time was a Sunday afternoon in
summer, and the place a church In the mid
land counties. 1t was a beautiful church,
ancient and spacious; moreover, 1t had re-
Gently been restored at great cost; 700 or
800 people could have found sittings in 1t,
and doubtless they had done so when Buss-
combe was a large manufacturing town, be-
fore the failure Of the coal supply and
other causes drove away its trade. Now
it was much what it had been in the time
of the Normans. a little agricultural village
with a population of 300 souls. Out of this
population, including the choir boys, ex-
actly thirty-nine had elected to attend
church on this particular Sunday; and oil
these, three were fast asleep and four were
doing. Rev. Thomas owen counted them
from his seat in the chancel, for another
clergyman was preaching; ana, as ne
counted, bitterness and disappointment took
hold Of him. The preacher was a "Deputa-
ton sent by one of the large missionary
societies to arouse the Indifferent to a sense
of their duty toward their unconverted
black brethren in Africa, and incidentally to
collect cash to he spent in the conversion
pf the said brethren. Rev. Thomas Owen
had himself suggested the visit of the
Deputatlon and labored hard to secure him
a good audience. But the beauty of the
weather. or terror of the inevitable sub
scription, had prevailed against him. Hence
his disappointment
Well he thought, with a sigh, II have
done my best, and | must make 1t up out
OF my own pocket"
Then he settled himself to listen to the
sermon.
The preacher was a battered looking in
dividual of between so and 60 years of age,
gaunt with recent sickness, patient and I'M
imaginative in aspect. He preached ex-
temporaneously with the aid of notes; and it
cannot be said that his discourse was re-
markablo for interest, at any rate in its
beginning. Doubtless the sparse congrega-
ton, so prone to slumber, discouraged him;
for Offering eXhortations to empty benches
is but weary work. Indeed, he was med
itating the advisability of bringing his ar
gument to an abrupt conclusion, when.
CHANGING to glance round, he became aware
that he had at least one sympathetic
listener. his host, Rev. Thomas owen. From
that moment the sermon Improved by de-
grees, till at length it reached a really
high level of excellence. Ceasing from
rhetoric, the preacher began to tell Of his
own experiences and sufferings in the cause
amongst savage tribes; for he himself was
n missionary of many years standing. He
told how once he and a companion had
been sent to a. nation, who named them
selves the Sons of Fire, because their god
was the lightning, if indeed they could be
said to boast any gods other than the Spear
and the King. In simple language he mar
rated his terrible adventures among these
savages, the murder of his companion by
command. of the Council of Wizards. and
his own flight for his life, a tale so inter-
esting and vivid that even the bucolic
sleepers awakened and listened OPEN
mouthed.
but this is by the way he went on;
'for my society does not ask you to sub
scribe toward the conversion of the Children
of Fire. Until that people is conquered.
which very likely will not be for genera
tions, seeing that. they live in Central At
rica, occupying a territory that white men
do not desire, no missionary will dare again
to visit them"
At this moment. something caused him to
look a second time at Thomas Owen. He
was leaning forward in his place listening
eagerly, and a strange light filled the large,
dark eyes that shone in the pallor of his
delicate and nervous face.
There is a man who would dare. If he
were put to It," thought the Deputation to
himself. Then he ended his sermon.
That evening the two men sat at dinner
In the rectory. 1t was a very fine ~rectory,
beautifully finished; for Owen was a man Of
taste, and had the means to crafty II. Also,
although they were alone, the dinner was
good-so good that the poor. broken-down
missionary, slipping his unaccustomed port,
a vintage wine, sighed aloud in admiration
and involuntary envy.
What Is the matter? ?" asked Owen.
Nothing, Mr.. Owen then. of a sudden
thawing into candor. he added: THAT is,