The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1905-12-13

ad been passed pleaded with hin,
ven with tears, up to the very gates
| i the prison 10 return to the f4itn
hat he had sbjursd
Ard now they urge, With SONS
,npnr, that the stern action OF Lhe
Missionary Board of the Uoi;ed Rreth
rel, xE Dlyfop, OHIO, IN sum narily
.xpell1ng b m on evidence OF his re-
! lrorresslou precipitated the final
downfall.
A FATHER SACRIFICE.
Well m.gnG Lue word Of nlsslonar
es vail over his loss, for his story
reads like rarely beautiful romance
If olden times.
IL was In the daVs of bali a century
lgone, VIXEN the light Of civilization
vas drawing in darkest Africa, that
he great chief of the Imperial tribe,
tha most powerful warllke of thos'
i. m IS, and the R:v. Samuel Fl'cking
er, pioneer among the missionaries Ut
che United Brethren, met in solemn
conference tn arrargs treaty OF com
mercs aad peace. From tha5 time the
friendship of tine lief for ihe enthu
siast;c young missionaries Wsrned aad
grew DEF per with the years.
Too o d to change the faith OF his
arcestorB, hr said be would make ro
IF ,rt 10 inp. d, the york OF the rnls
slynaries anoLg his p.ople. Preotn
ly tie aged chief saw the CONNER
cal value # a good, friendly under
standing with the gentlemen wh' were
in a p mitiOn to hf.ng him so M lch
g. od trade from England aid AIeri
ca.
Chief OF his poople ani heir app.r.
ent tn bis place way his fine strappinR
stri 2ling Of f Teen years-ihe one
hope of his lilo, the sole re m embrance
Of the woman who died years before.
And when Mr.. F.ickinger, who had
the lad uud .r his tuision, at last beg.
sed the Chief to rellnguiSh him for
good, saying that he would taks him
to his own home in Dayton, America,
the old man ,nsented
And The first years Of the young
cher, life in America In the home OF
the good man who had brought him
90 this coun5ry were years Of golden
promise. E ON the earliest days o
his arrival his trend had been to rsli-
gion.
And so to school and to college be
went, taking ftst prize IN history
literature and Tue class CT. ..
My path in lie is c1oseu," he
s Id, with smile that sho we'd every
sl:amins tooth 10 his head. L will
be q worker IN the vineyard." To the
Theological SO ninary he went, again
graduating with the highest houorS.
His way was ear. For West A 'rlca
hs sailed, and on the coast for twenty
years he labored,. winning converts
every where ard becoming famous fol
hi elcqueDce and power, until his re
turn to Dayton.
And when he m arriad woman OF
his own racs and settled down into
ministry Of the home CT u ca, 1t seem
ed that the main work, If bis life was
complete. But the split b3tWaeu tue
r adIcal and Conservative factions oi
the United Brethren drove him first
20 one side AID 5hen to the other and
a5 last back to West Africa.
And nuw those who know his story
cite two peculiar rcun1stances almost
uano' iced at The Jlm., b 1t now recAl
ID in aVivid memory.
T1ers was in bis whole attitude
crouch, an animal stealth that scot
chudder tnrCusn those who WATCHED
him. .
1t may be that in the storm OF COD
ren5ton between the two factions OF
the church The first sense OF rebslllon
AGAINST bis I'D ,pted falbh-jhe rebel
II n that had long lain smouldarlrg ir
his nearl-arose strong and Clear with
ID him.
! Yet he bravely went la,k to hi:
duty. The rememb brance VI the goot
man-now SO long in bis graVs-a aht
had taken him by the har d, beld hin
fast. But the devoted heart that har
been part of himself, that had g!ver
fervor and force to his work. was
rome. Yet to those who wal C led hin
Closely now-as was seemingly tbs
same gealle prote cJor of the poor anc
tae stricken that he had ever been
His mission school grew larger anc
larger; his church grew more and
more powerful; bis influence the w:d
sr. His Converts to Christianity were
fund by the thousand along the whole
line of the West African coast His
art as a preacher had mellowe1 and
rlpened with the years.
II was on the night Of a Sunday
three years ago that he returned tU
his cottage looking very tired and old.
Tne services OF that day had been
more than Usually exhaustipg N v r,
they said afterward, had he preached
so well. H. uad take Sincerity" Tor
dis text. 1t was an address to be re-
mem oersd for all tlns. BIZ 1t WAS
cecallel af5erwlrd that right In the
heart of his sermon hs had come TO a
iulian dad sd)p, hi, hand u2lit5e1
IS tn u "a to bsspsak silenc', hii eyes
ixe / on vacancy, MS whole expires ion