JUST one more story of a native convert, and then I must turn to other scenes, for much remains to be told, and I know Harold will not forget that I promised to tell him something about real lions.
You will, I think, remember that Mah Myat and her husband were working people, who lived at a small village at no great distance from the mission station. I think they had only one rich neighbor, a man who, having been an officer in the army, and also holding a good situation under government, had become the owner of quite a large property. Do you think he was a happy man? Ah, no, I am quite sure he was not, for try as he might he could not forget that a day was coming, how soon he could not tell, when the nice house he had taken so much pains to build, as well as his fields of rice and bamboo, would not belong to him any more. He must leave them all and go away, he did not know where. In other words, he knew that he must die.
He knew he could not carry his money into the grave with him, and he was quite willing to spend it freely, if by so doing he could buy the forgiveness of sins, and be sure of happiness after death. He took long journeys to almost every temple he could hear of, making costly offerings to the idols, and giving large sums of money to the priests. But he only grew more anxious and unhappy, till hearing one day that a poor woman who lived near him, and was very ill, had said "that she was not afraid to die," said, too, that her sins were all pardoned, and that she was trusting in the work of another; he became greatly interested, and made up his mind to call at the cottage and find out for himself if what he had been told was really true. He went and found Mah Myat suffering great pain, but very happy in soul. Too ill to talk much, she told him in a few simple words she had found pardon and peace through faith in the finished work of Christ, and begged him to go to Mr. Judson, who would, she said, give him a book from which he would learn more.
And so in much weakness some tiny seeds of truth were sown. God, and He only, knew how much fruit they were to bring forth.
A few days later and the officer sat by Mr. Judson in the zayat, asking questions as humble and as teachable as a little child, nor was it long before he too could rejoice in Christ as his own precious Savior.
The rainy season that year proved a long and trying one, and Mrs. Judson, who had a fresh attack of fever, became so very weak and ill that the doctor told Mr. Judson he must take or send her to England, as he did not think she could live if she remained in Burmah. Mr. Judson felt he could not leave his work in Rangoon, so after husband and wife had prayed together, it was decided that Mrs. Judson should undertake the voyage alone. We may be sure the parting of Mr. and Mrs. Judson was a very sad one. But they were learning how to trust in God, not only for themselves, but, which had at first seemed harder still, for each other.
Sea breezes did Mrs. Judson much good, when after a long voyage she reached Liverpool there was a faint tinge of color in her cheeks, and her eyes had something of their old light in them. Many friends of the mission both in England and Scotland gave her a loving welcome to their homes. Shall we leave her among them for a time and return to the husband in his far-off home?
One of Mr. Judson's fellow laborers was a very clever doctor named Price. Perhaps it is owing to the great heat of the country, also to the strong light of the sun, that the number of blind persons in India is so great. Soon after his arrival in Rangoon, the skilful way in which (by the blessing of the Lord) he had treated several of these cases began to be talked about, and even reached the ears of the king, who for some months had been suffering from a troublesome complaint of his eyes. He thought it would be a good thing if the foreign doctor could cure him, so sent a boat to Rangoon with a royal order commanding his attendance at Court.
As Dr. Price had not been in Burmah long enough to learn the language very well, he wished his brother missionary to go with him as interpreter. Mr. Judson, thinking it might be the long-looked-for opportunity of making the sweet gospel known to the king, consented. So after saying a hasty goodbye to his friends at Rangoon, they both stepped into the boat.
On reaching Ava, they were told the king would see them at once, so they were conducted into the royal presence, and very kindly received. After talking for some time to the doctor, the monarch turned to Mr. Judson, and addressing him as "man in black," said:
"You are not another doctor, are you?”
"No, your Majesty," he replied, "I am a teacher.”
"Ah, yes, I remember, of the new religion. Are there any of my subjects who believe in it?”
"I do not know of any at Ava, O King."
"Are there at Rangoon?”
"Yes, there are a few," was the reply.
“Are they foreigners or Burmese?” was the next question.
It must have been a trying moment; as the king, who had given orders that all his subjects should attend the idol temples, would perhaps be very angry with those who had dared to disobey him, and order them to be imprisoned, or even put to torture.
But Mr. Judson did not forget that he was God's servant, and must speak the truth, so he said:
"Some are foreigners and some native Burmese.”
The king was silent for a short time, but soon began to talk of other things; so the missionary could only thank the Lord for this another proof of His tender love and care.
They were kept at Ava for many weeks, and the king, who found his eyes were getting better, often sent for them. One day, when he seemed in a more than usually good temper, they asked leave to buy a piece of ground near the palace.
"What do you want it for?" the king asked.
"We, with your royal permission, O King, will build a zayat or preaching-place, where any who wish it may hear our sacred books read and explained.
The king said they might have the ground, but on being reminded by a Buddhist priest that it had once belonged to a temple, and that the idol might be angry, ordered another piece of land to be given or sold to them.
It took a long time to find a spot on which no one tried to hinder their building, and longer still before they were allowed to take possession of it. But the zayat was built at last, and Dr. Price, with Mr. Judson, set out for Rangoon, having promised the king they would return to Ava as soon as the hot season was over.
The voyage only took seven days. But Mr. Judson, who was down again with fever, must have been very thankful when it was over, and he could lie down in the mission-house.
Another long illness followed, but even before he was strong enough to sit up he was at work translating other portions of scripture into the native language. And so by the end of the year the whole of the New Testament was ready for printing.
Mrs. Judson, who had heard of the illness of her husband, lost no time in returning to Burmah, and in a few months the two faithful workers for Christ had again the joy of meeting.