DEAR young friends, I want you to go with me on an imaginary journey. Once more we will pay a visit to that pleasant New England home, where, nearly twenty years before, a little girl of six had dressed her dolls or learned her lessons. The old brown house is but little changed, its garden is still gay with flowers, and the tall maple-trees that shelter the farm buildings, still put on their lovely autumn tints of crimson and gold.
But as we did not come to look at trees or flowers we must not linger among them, so we will go into the house, thinking, it maybe, of the child who used to play there, and wondering what changes the years have brought to her. Ah! there she is: a child no longer, but a tall, graceful woman. We are only just in time to hear her say "Good-bye" to her old home, for in a few days, perhaps hours, she will have left it, never to return.
I have already told you how Ann Haseltine was led to Christ. Knowing Him as her own precious Savior, and loving the One who had first loved her, we are not surprised to find that she had often wished, if according to the will of God, too, that a way might be opened for her to go to India, learn the native language, and there work for the Lord among the women and girls of that far-off land. So when the future missionary Judson asked her if she were willing to leave the home and friends of her girlhood, and go to Burmah as his wife, she believed the call was from God, and said "Yes" with all her heart.
It was on February 6th, in the year 1812, that Mr. and Mrs. Judson, who had at that date been married only a few weeks, sailed for India. Their voyage was a long and trying one, and they had to learn many lessons of patience and simple trust in the love and care of their heavenly Father before they were allowed to begin work among those whom they had traveled so far over ocean and land to seek.
They had been at sea a hundred and twelve days when the ship's captain, calling them on deck, pointed out a far-away coastline, and said they were within a few days' sail of Calcutta. The Judsons, we may be sure, were much pleased, and looked long and anxiously; but they could not see much, only a range of mountains, those of Golconda, among which some of the largest and most valuable diamonds in the world have been found. Two days later they cast anchor in the Bay of Bengal, and as the wind was in their favor were able to begin to sail up the Hoogly, a branch of the great river Ganges, so near land that they were able to see not only groves of palm and cocoanut-trees growing almost close to the water's edge, but also great numbers of Hindoo huts or cottages.
Mrs. Judson was greatly interested, and wrote to her friends in America: “These native houses are very small, but built so closely together that the people must be very near neighbors. Indeed, I was reminded of the crowded dwellings in which the very poor live in the back streets of our large towns; only these huts look very much like haystacks; they have no windows or chimneys. A few natives seem quite busy, some fishing in the river, others working in the rice fields; but by far the greater number are sitting or lying idly in the sunshine.
"We have seen a few pagodas; they are much larger than the houses, and seem to have been built with more care.”
Do you know what a pagoda is? It is the house or temple of some Hindoo idol, and I am sure that the sight would lead our little band of missionaries to pray earnestly that they might soon be able to tell these poor people in their own language about the only true God, and of His wondrous love in the gift of His own Son. (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).)
A surprise awaited them at Calcutta. They did not know any one in that busy town, and yet almost before they had time to step from the boat on to the landing-stage they were warmly welcomed to India, and as they listened to the friendly voice and grasped the outstretched hand of William Carey, they would, I think, forget that the stranger was other than an old and very dear friend.
Carey took them into his study and showed them the work that had cost him long years of steady, patient work, translating the Bible into one of the many languages of India. He then prayed with Mr. and Mrs. Judson, asking the Lord to use them as His honored servants in the dark land to which they had come. I do not know if he had time to tell them much about himself, but his story always seems to me one so full of interest that I am going to tell you who he was and why he went to India.
Born in a village in one of our Midland counties, the son of poor hard-working parents, but little time or money could be spared for his schooling; so he grew up without learning many things most boys are now taught. He was converted to God in early life, and often as he sat quietly working at his trade (that of a shoemaker), he would think of the words of his risen Lord, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:1515And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)), and wonder why so few Christians had gone, till large tears filled his eyes, and a deep longing to go himself in his heart.
Sometimes he would get a few Christians together, show them what is called a missionary map of the world, in which all the places where idols are served and prayed to are painted black, and ask them if they did not think it high time that English Christians should try to send the good news to the perishing millions of India?
William Carey had to pray and wait for a long time before the way was made plain for him to go to India. But the Lord, who had Himself put that deep love for souls into the heart of His servant, allowed him to go and do good work both in preaching the gospel and making translations of the scriptures.
But the Judsons were not going to stay in Calcutta, and we must follow them on their journey. They had gone fifteen miles up the country, when Mr. Judson received an order commanding his return to Calcutta, as he was required to attend at the Government House. He went, but much to his surprise found that he, as well as some other foreigners, were under orders to leave India, and sail at once for England or America.
This must have been a great, almost a crushing, disappointment to both husband and wife; so great, that the only way in which they could bear it was by taking it to God in prayer and asking Him to open a door for the message of His grace in that land of heathen temples and idol worshippers.
After laying the matter before the Lord, the Judsons thought there might have been some mistake in the order, and decided to remain in India till they could get letters from England advising them what to do.
The few months that followed must have been a time of great trial, as they were obliged to be almost constantly moving from place to place, and were not allowed to settle or build a house anywhere.
It was not till almost the close of the year that the long-looked-for permission to go to Burmah was given, and with glad and thankful hearts the missionary and his wife went to live among a people who had not even heard of the Lord Jesus.
"But was Mr. Judson able to preach to them?" some of my young friends may ask. No, not for a long time; for as the Burmans did not understand English, and he could not speak their language, he had to find a teacher and study very hard indeed, not for a week or even a month, but for two whole years, before the native Burmans were able to understand what he wanted to say to them.