Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-29
Christian Endeavor Hour


Christian Endeavor Hour
Conducted by Grace Livingston Hill-Lutz.
For Sunday. August 60. 1908.
Topic-Foreign Missions: Cyrus Hamlin and Mis-
sions in Turkey. ! Corinthians. TX : ID %.
The ancestors of Cyrus Hamlin were
Huguenots. driven out Of France by the
edict Of Nantes. Cyrus was born in Ac-
ton, Mass, in 1911. His father died while
he was a baby, and it is said that nothing
but the care of the weakly baby kept the
lovely mother from sinking under her sor-
row. Cyrus was not a promising child
and people told his mother that his head
was too big and she must never hope to
bring him up.
The mother was beautiful and charm
ing woman. the daughter of Col. Francis
Faulkner. who, like Cyrus grandfather.
Hamlin fought in the revolutionary war.
She brought up her four children-there
were two sisters and a brother older than
Cyrus-in the fear of the Lord The b.
BILE was read daily in the home, the Sab
bath was reverenced and kept free from
all unnecessary labor. and although the
meeting house was two miles away and
unwarmed in the severest weather. save
by an occasional footstove, the family
were seldom absent from service.
Cyrus proved to be strong and hearty.
in spite Of all predictions. and grew up To
do hard work on the farm which the
father had left them.
In the long winter evenings one Of the
family would read aloud while the others
| worked at various things. The reading
was mainly historical and biographical,
and the Bible was read before retiring.
Each child also had a system of reading
the Bible through. one chapter day and
five on Sundays. They also read the Mis-
| sionary Herald. which was then called
the Panoplist. and were especially inter-
ested in every item of missionary news.
The foreign missions were then so few
that they knew them intimately and the
children. it is said, believed in them with
all their might.
About 1921 the church which they at
| tended was asked to educate a heather
boy in Christian school in India. Twelve
dollars would educate boy. Every Sum-
day a man stood by the church door as
the people were going out and held out
to them contribution box for the pen
MES. The people were much interested In
the work and striving to do all they could.
but a penny was much harder to earn In
those days than now.
First Gift to Missions.
The great holidays then were Thanks
giving Day. Fourth of Judy, election
day and annual muster. This last was
the greatest of all. for then the regiment
turned out and everyday went to see.
One annual muster morning Cyrus. then
iday alone. as his brother was i'll. His
mother gave him seven cents as spend
ing money, and with this he was expected
to get his lunch of gingerbread and buns
and knickknacks. and as it was plenty
for his needs. and more, she said to him,
Perhaps, Cyrus. you will put cent or
two into the contribution box at Mrs.
Farrar's." He tells himself of this:
LAS I was trudging along 1 began to
question. Shall l drop in one cent or
s-l.~ ~lNkI 1,nl not6 M
or two. I finally decided on two. and
felt satisfied. Five cents would furnish
all could eat and more. too: but after
time conscience began to torment me:
Five for yourself. and two for the
for souls" So 1 said four for ginger
bread and three for souls. / could not
make a firm stand there very long. and
said three for gingerbread and four for
the souls of the heather. would have
pride The boys would find out that had
only three cents! but ! was at Mrs.
Farrar's open door. and there was the
contribution box: and l had the seven
cents in my hand. l said, Hang 1t all.
I'll dump them all in, and have no more
bother about it.. So l did and went
away contented. played shy of the re-
freshment stands, and by or 4
o'clock 1 had stated myself with military
glory. and made for home. 1 had been
lutely nothing after my early breakfast.
was Just as tired as a little boy could
be who had never tasted in that way be-
fore. I burst into the house and cried
out.
Mother. I'm as hungry as bear.
1 haven't had a mouthful to eat to-day"
Why, Cyrus. have you lost the
money / gave you?
No. mother: but you didn't give it
to me right. If you had given me eight
CT &c 7 ho iytl oI
it half and half. But you gave me
seven. I couldn't divide it so / dropped
it all in together.
When Cyrus was a little older the
family physician advised that he be given
an education, as he was not strong
enough to stand farm work for he had
not been growing for three years. So he
became a silversmith and jeweler as a
preliminary. in his brother-in-law's es-
Establishment in Portland. Here he worked
at his trade and studied. He attended
DR.. Payton's Bible class and was deeply
influenced by him. One evening he was
asked if he had ever thought of being a
minister and he promptly answered that
he was engaged to Mr.. Farley for three
years more and could not think of it I'M
til then. But the conflict. such as he
had waged in his childhood was fought
over again in his heart. and finally God
made his way plain before him SO that
he could no longer hold back. He had
joined the church in Portland in 1923. He
spent a year at BridgtOn Academy and
then entered BOwdoin College. where he
was graduated with high honOrs in the
class of 1884.
While in college Monsoon and Lyman,
the martyrs of Sumatra. were preparing
for their work at medical college The
claims of the heather We're urged upon
him. and he soon offered himself to go.
He took his theological course at Bangor
Seminary and during his third year sent
his written statement of his readiness to
enter the mission field, expressing his
preference or interest especially in Africa
or China. He was ordered to CONSTANT
nople. however, though there was a de-
lay of some months on account of a low
state of the treasury Of the board.
At last An order came to sail in about
three or four weeks He was married to
Henrietta Jackson September g. 1888, and
rea ched Boston Sent en1Ier q for his .ordi-