Evening journal., 1909-10-27


Heroes Of Missions in the Islands.
Written by Charles s. Eastman.
In earth's great darksome depths the
miner wrought.
Glad 10 behold
That from tho worthless tons OF ore
was brought,
An ounce Of gold.
Through weary years one helped a
cropping soul,
when loi so bright
There flashed from the abyss of SINS
control.
A gloam OF light
-E. NJ Russell.
Our topic refers especially TO the
Islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean,
and by looking at a map Oh this Sec
ton Of the globe il will be seen what
an immense number Of these islands
there are.
These have long been commonly called
the South Sea Islands. an expression
which always used TO be associated
with terrible canniballsm. and the
, depths Of savage degradation; re-
3 gion TO venture into which was 20 run
the risk Of being eaten by the blood
significance 20 Us, however; when we
speak Of the Fiji islands. the Samoan
islands, the Hawaiian islands and
others; the we'll informed know them
to be beautiful Christian commune
=. ties whore the natives by their zeal
and earnestncss often put to shame
. the Christians in our own land. Whence
this marvellous transformation How
came the gospel 10 these isolated peo-
pies, FAR separated from the centres
p Of Christian influence and civilization,
a prey to cruel traders and unscrup-
4, ulous merchantmen? The FIRST word
OF our topic tells the story-"Herocs."
=, Talk OF bravery Talk Of couragei
= Tho courage OF man who leads a
= company into battle with the band
= playing and everything TO inspire the
! heart is nothing compared TO the hero
!, ism Of those noble missionaries who
!, selected for their field Of labor the
= darkest places Of a sinful world far
+, from home and friends. facing martyr
dom In hundred horrible forms, and
= constantly going through hairbrcadth
escapes, yet who pressed on their
6 works undeterred by the prospect of
a tragic end until the result Of their
lcfforts Is ono of the glorious triumphs
4, of modern Christianity.
I. The boast OF Augustus that he found
NJ Rome a city OF brick and left IL a
y city OF marble is oclipsod by a mob
Ter sentiment on a tablet an memory
b, lof John Geddie who went 70 the Sa-
4, moan Islands. II reads when he
= landed I'm 1S4S there were no Chris
tians here: when he left there were
. no heathen" BY simply changing the
:. date the same could be said Of two
disciples named John, not 10 mention
- a multitude OF others whose life worl
~ was to make Christians out OF can
= nibals one, John Williams visite'
m many islands i'm the South Seas, an'
=. was finally murdered on Erromang'
island Of the New IIebrides, where IN
natives mistook him for one of th
"a cruel white traders from whom the
A had suffered. Today the natives OF the
~ island are sending the gospel By the
49, own missionaries 10 ncighhoring II
lands. The other, John Patton. ott'
- called "The Apostle 20 the New lic'
rides" was called by Spurgeon. IT
King Of the Cannibals." No missio
ary ever had O more thrilling eNpc
icnce than he and his wonderful aut
Il biography Is among the most powe
III, iful influences Of our times IN turnii
linen towards missions This may
had at our Public Library and ever
nr Endeavorer should get Il ana read
VI Space viii not permit telling
the many other heroes Of the island
such as James Chalmers, "Ihc Gres
Heart of New Guinea" who. after
thousand escapes was murdered
1901 BY a tribe 70 which he was bring
st. ing the gospel; Pattison. the nobl
IN hearted Bishop Of Milencsia, who wa
finally murdered by some natives
0N mistake for some iniquitou5 trader
IT. who had painted their boat in i'm
mt iation Of his to lure them into slavery
>, Titus Coan, who went TO the Hawaiia
Islands IN 1894, preaching amid tremer
ng dous difficulties. and who by 1870 ha
.he himself received about 1900 porsoI
ial into the church, Samuel Marsde
Apostle TO the Maoris Of New Zoalan
M and q host Of other. Wherever the
Is a spark of civilization IN the Sou
sea Islands It is because the gosp
% has been preached there. All Sou
leu Sea literature Is due to missionary G
ma fort. for there Is not a single case
lso record OF the reduction 20 writing
IL a Polynesian language o-ner than
ich - Christian worker . hc propf
au- Isaiah, IN saying "The works Of rigf
ase eousness shall be peace" Expresses
ust most striking outward change wrong
.or- by Christianity in IN eislands-pea
and security where before were W
49,, constant war. and cannbal revels.
Let us take a lesson from these 81,
ious heroes. and though We may I
P'i be called TO foreign fields OF scrv
lon lot US emulate their spirit in doing
non work which God gives rs, rememb'
ort- ing the words OF our hymn.
They climbed the steep ascent
lses heaven
ans, Through peril. toll and pain
0 God, 10 us may grace be given
iyh' To follow IN their train.
Sc Central G. 4. Society will hold
Ssw Halloween Social Friday evening. {
ain tober 90
,,,,. On Wednesday evening Hanover
- T. Society viii pack a Christmas
s COR the Mountain Whites. This y
- be preceded Sy q short business me
nos ing
lent Tuesday evening next the Wilriir
nies ton c. r. Union will meet AZ
'om- Lukes Reformed Episcopal Chur
y OF Eighth and Monroe streets. AS
Hate special attraction Mr.. Reed hes
- ranged for some Echoes from the 81
o s convention.
and.
:. s'ss at THIN FOLKS MADE PLUM