The Blackpool Herald. — 1889-02-08 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

ENTERPRISE.  "FOREIGN MISSIONARY FAILURES." TO THE EDITOR. DEAR SIR, —Lately I have read in your paper letters by a correspondent signing himself "Lover of Facts," and am surprised no one seems to try and rectify the delusion that the 'Lover of Facts is working under. lam not a missionary, nor am I even a local preacher, as we often hear it said, nevertheless I cannot see myself that foreigo missions are a failure. Some nineteen years ago, I arrived on a certain Saturday at one of the Sandwich Islands, called Honolulu. On the following morning (Sunday), while in the act of preparing for a walk on shore, I was almost electrified by the chimes of the belle. Well, you can imagine the rash of thoughts that came into my mind • it took me back to my school days, my home, and the happiness it gave me no tongue can tell, to know that "Our God" was also glorified among the heathen of the Sandwich Islands. I went on shore, had not walked far ere a gentleman touched me on the shoulder (seeing me to be a stranger) and kindly invited me to the church service, which I gladly accepted. "Lover of Facts" is trying to show the public that foreign missions are a failure; he may succeed : I know not ; but this I do know, that thousands go and come to and from these islands yearly, and how do we know the number that are brought back to their childhood days by the chimes of the bells in such an outlandish place and are ultimately brought into the fold again? (I am now referring to civilized and educated people). Well, from Honolulu we took voyage to Euderbury Islani with a living cargo of 180 Cannackers (as the natives are called) and 180 Chinamen, to inhabit the above Island. When we arrived, to my surprise, all that was to be seen was the hulk of a ship, which I ascertained from the captain of our living cargo was a p monger vessel from L indon with 300 souls on board, and had foundered there. A brig was passing this island about three weeks afrer, called the " IC-rnemhaha," and seeing the distress signal on the island, I hove to, put her boats out, and ' took on board the shipwrecked people, and at Honolulu they were safely landed. Why did they go to Honolulu? Because the captain knew that the mission work was being established there, and there was safety. A few years before this occurrence Captain Cook was murdered at this same Honolulu, and his crow had to escape for their lives. This is no "Foreign Missionary Failure!" And "Lover of Facts" speaks of the tremendous sum of money subscribed yearly from England —(£1,250 000)—for missionary work abroad. Put the hard cash on one wde of the scales, and put the treasures tla:at our Eng ish people have laid up in heaven on the other, and then ask the qoestion, "Are foreign missions a failure ?" For myself, I felt proud to see that we English people are at the head of am list. It is no diahouour. With regard to the pamphlets that we have at ' home about mission work abroad, we know comparatively nothing, as the people at home could not credit the work the missionary has to endure before he comes to anything like the gentleman farmer of which I read in the correspondence, and I think that unless these things did net happen, that we should not go on so well with mission work. We must look at the heathen; he steadily becomes to know that there is one All Seeiog eye on him ; he at last gives himself up to serve the true and living God. It is time then fur the ' servant of God to show his authority, or else it is poslible that the new converts would take the missionary's place (or try) and make gods of their own. Without a head we cannot stand. I put the missionary as the head of his bearers, and he must hold authority so that they may continue in grace arid increase in the love of God. I trust "Lover of Facts" will come across some one who has travelled, and can show him that mission work is I no "failure."—Yours truly,