The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-12-15


the good man who had brought hih,
to this country were yearslof golden
promise, From the earliest days OF
his arrival his trend had Been to reli.
.glop.
my path In life Is chosen,n he
said, with q smile that showed every
gleam lnglt tooth In his head. II will
be a worker in the vineyard TO The
theological seminary he went, again
graduating with the bighest' honors.
His way was Gear. For West Africa
he sailed, and on the coast for twenty
years he labored, winning converts
every where ard becoming famous for
u, elcqueLcs and power, until his re
turn to Dayton. d.
And when he married q woman CT
his own race and settled down into q
ministry Of the home 6, ron, IT seem
ed that the main work, Of his life was
complete. But the split between the
r .dioal and Conser vative factions Of
the United Brethren drove him first
to one side 81 d then to the other ard
at last back to West Africa.
Aud now those who know his story
cite two peculiar circumstances ALMOST
uanoiiccd at the time, bat now recall
cd In avivid memory.
TnCre was in bis whole attitude q
crouch, an animal stealth that sent a
G ulder thrt ugh those who WATCHED
MIN.
1t may be that Ia the storm Of cOn.
tention between the two factions Of
the CHURCH .he first sense OF rebellion
against his sd)pted faith-she rebel
lion that had long lain smCulderlrg In
his heart-arose strong and clear with
IN him.
Yet he bravely went lax to his
duty. The remembrance Of the good
nan-now sc lorg In his grave-who
had taken him by the hard, held him
fast. But the devoted heart that had
been part OF himself, that bad given
feIvor and force to his work. was
gone. Ye5 to those who watched him
closely now-he vas seemingly the
same gentle prott ctor Of the poor and
the stricken that he had ever been.
Ills mission school grew larger and
larger; his church grew more and
more powerfu his H. tiuenoe the wild
ar. His converts to @ %lristianity were
found by tho thousand along TIE whole
line Of the Weat African coast. His
art as a preacher h,d M, lowed and
ripened with Gne years.
II was on the night Of a Sunday
three years ago that he returned to
his cottage locking very tired and old.
The ser vices OF that day had been
more than u,ually exhausting N v r,
they said Of erward, had he preached
so we'll. He had take Sincerity" for
his text. IL was an address to be re
memhered fer all time. BIT 1t was
recalled af1erward that right in the
heart OF hiS sermon he had como to a
sudden dead stop, his hand uplifted
as Though to bespeak sileEc., his eyes
fixed Oh vacancy, his whole expires Ion
az one who listens fr ,m afar. Then,
az If with q great IF TT he reoL veleu
his thoughts, sighed pcep'y and 70
sumed his discourse.
Il an very weary" he said to his
servants. "To.night while | mas speak.
ing, l heard tie S und OF che prayer
song that | rtmemper In my youth.
The song seemed to be born Ia upon
me from the V ry depths OF the forest
[ heard the Voices OF my brethren
tatscd as though to call me.
When they entered the room In the
morning his b9d was empty. Yet they
did not search tor him, bus after the
manner OF their race, quietly sat do WI
at their doors ard waited.
Aud at last there ca me a dark time
when, they say, for twenty one long
days he vanished frt m the ken Of al
who had known him.
DLwn,d bright and beaut full the
morning Of the twenty. 80 cond day
and before the eyes OF his am 2 ! -er
wants he sto)t-jha sam, yet IL 4
formed. For the first Time la I TT,
years lie "a himself.
Within a week the chu ca In VIC
ne bad preached W s empty and the
schoolhouS1 a dismautled ruin. Tue
edilice OF two generations was destroy.
ed.
Little it rocked to him that the
council OF the church In far away
America bad solemnly expelled him
for II fl ielity to the brotherhood. For
the first time In his life he breathed
the air Of freedom.
And nov from out the recesses OF
the Afr.cln forests, ten mil away
from the coast, came CHASTITY stories
vi the sacrifices # ,rcd up by the
6iibes Of the Imperial In return for the
restoration Of their chief; Of death
fcasts In which the fl sh II children
and women was eaten.
Sp cA and scouts, creeping through
q thtu and paths, C ma upon them,
and told f the chef OF the Imperri
selted with his wives OH a pile OF
rocks around him, his men dancing
the dance OF death )ver a corpse.
Aud IN a Wild medley of justice and
revenge, police and soldiers alike we're
on the trail Of the former missionary
10 hunt him, by day and night, until,
In his o"n camp, surrounded by his
men, he was caught and forced to sur
render, and led, a captive, to Sierra
Leone. Ma York American.
Ate InpLcd Su do.
P Mottt,n,o a.. t.It -