The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-07-18

Sketch of the Life of Great Missionary.

The following article was composed
and read by Miss Roy Nance before
the Baptist Young Peoples Union of
the First Baptist Church in this city
at recent meeting. 1t has been ind
ly furnished THE INTELLlGENcER for
publication, and We know it will be
read with interest by all our readers.
-EDIToR
Paulcrspury, in Northamptonshirc,
England, was the scene Of William
Carey's birth, August II, 17Gl
His father, Edmund Carey, at the
time Of William s birth, was weaver
in very humble circumstances, but af
tcrwards obtained the two.fold Office
Of school master and parish clerk in
the village. William was taught by
his father, and soon manifested great
desire for knowledge His bed room
was most interesting one, being filled
with birds bird eggs, insects, plants,
ETC.. for he was most enthusiastic
student Of natural history and botany,
cvnciug here, as everywhere else, a
most rcsolutc perseverance, in all he
undertook. At the age of sixteen
years he was apprcnticed to shoe
maker, and began learning that trade,
which his own rare life has almost hal
lowed. His master was an Episcopa-
lian, but when Carey was converted he
united with the Baptist Church, and
began to preach by the time he was
eighteen years DID, Before he was
twenty the marriage with Dorothy
Placket, which proved an unsuitable
one, was consummatcd. In few years
the sickness and death Of his little
daughter, and his own long-continued
illness, caused much pccuniary embar-
rassment, and almost starvation. How
ever, his younger brother and friend
came to his relief, and helped him to
remove to Piddington, where, in ad-
dition to his shoe making, he kept an
evening school. Afterwards he preach
ed, though not as ordained minister
and pastor, in Earl's Bartons and 9TH
er places for several years, after which
he became regular pastor Of Moulton
Baptist Church, but with so small a
salary that he had to teach school for
a support.
From this time on the one great
theme Of his life was to give the gos-
pei to the hcathen. In this he was
discouraged, even ridiculed, by al his
friends, at first including the minister
who was his spiritual adviser, Dr.
Ryland. But the Spirit call had
reached Carcy's very soul, and was not
to be put aside. Again and again he
called together different Christian
workers, begging them to do some.
thing towards this great work. FL
nally, at one of the annual Associa-
tions, Carey preached from Isaiah 81 ::
2, 3, on extending the Kingdom. From
this Scripture they chose for the motto
Of their Society these two divisions ::
expect great things from God. At
tempt great things for God" The re-
sult Of this sermon was a promise
from the ministers to form some def
mite plan at the next meeting. That
meeting was held Oct. 2, 1892, col
lection was taken, and the vital ques-
tion of where and how they should
begin was discussed.
A DIR. Thomas, who had been in In
dia before as surgeon in the employ Of
the East India Company, was desirous
: Of returning to India as medical mis-
sionary ; SO when Carey offered his
own services the Society decided to
send both of them. Carey met an
other great discouragement in his
wife's unwillingness to 60 with him,
but greater trouble arose in getting
passage. The Captain of the English
ship on which they first embarked,
having received information that these
passengers had no license to go sum.
marily elected them, paying back only
a part Of the money. But We can see
how this hindrance was entirely of
God, for on their return to Carey s
home DR.. Thomas was able to persuade
Mrs. Carey to accompany her husband.
Passage was finally obtained on board
a Danish vessel, and the little band
made their departure June l3, 1893,
and arrived in India Nov.
For some time they endured many
hardships, but after six months Carey
was employed in an indigo factory
and thus supported his family for five
years.
Two years before India became
part Of the British Empire a few
e.oo,