(From the "Bible Society's Reporter.")
A Colporteur's Adventure in Central Asia
I WAS nearing home one evening, and it was quite dark, as I had missed my road twice already owing to the heavy, and protracted fall of snow, when, all of a sudden an immense black substance loomed up in front of us. My driver was a stranger to these parts, and I could not make it out; at last some sparks appeared, and we both saw that it must be a Khirkiz aul, or tent. My driver echoed my question, “Where have we come to? '' We stopped and i got our, quoting to him the Russian proverb: " You'll not die twice, and the once you can't miss," and told him to wait. I took my knapsack and approached the tent looking for a door, which I could not find. I began knocking on the sides of the tent, when a voice from the other side shouted: “This way, here's the door!” It was very low and narrow, but through it I scrambled.
A Khirkiz was squatted near the fire, another lying full length on some rugs, everything looking so cozy and warm compared with the frost and darkness without. I saluted them with their most polite and flattering greeting: "Aman Karandashlar?" (Goes it well with thee, friend, relation?) “Aman! Aman!’ answered the Khirkiz, ' Where are you going?" "I am selling these books, the Gospels," said I.
On hearing these words the man who was lying on the rugs jumped up and took hold of the Khirkiz New Testament, which by this time I had taken from my knapsack. He looked it carefully over, then asked sharply, “How much?" “Forty kopecks," I said.
On this he at once began to undress, washed his feet, as also his hands, then put on better clothes and nicer boots. His toilet finished, he again took the book, and began to read aloud.
He kept on reading for a considerable time before I asked his companion, “Will you buy a book also?" “If the Mullah—his companion then was a priest,— "allows me, of course I shall." The Mullah, however, continued reading, and took no notice of my question.
The other, seeing that the Mullah was so engaged, asked me in broken Russ, “Will you drink tea?" Yes," said I. "Will you eat nuts with us?" "
"Yes, certainly, I thank you," was my answer.
With this he ordered his wife to prepare the meal. She first of all lighted the samovar, which looked as if it were made of cast iron, the color being a dirty black instead of the usual brassy color. This done, she brought some rice flour in a saucer, added a little parts and never lost the road, so that I was convinced God had led me to that solitary aul that night in order to sell them the Word!
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An Emperor's Letter
The Committee of the Bible Society, in June, 1891, sent to the Emperor Menelek of Ethiopia, with a suitable letter, a gift of the Amharic and Ethiopic Scriptures. They have now received a most courteous reply, with the substantial addition of two large elephant tusks—a gift which will, it is hoped, bear testimony for a long time in the Bible House to the good-will of the Emperor, and to the distribution among his people of the Word of God.
The letter expresses cordial and gracious appreciation on the part of the Emperor of the “precious portion of the Holy Scriptures" which the Committee have sent. “They have," he says,” given me great pleasure, and I render ceaseless praise to God for your spiritual gifts and prayers on behalf of myself and my country.'' The Emperor asks that he may water, then worked it up into a fairish lump of dough. She now took the lump and rolled it into the form of a rope, then passed a knife through it, until it was all cut up into small pieces. She next brought a small iron vessel for cooking, hung it over the fire, then dropped into it a questionable piece of tallow or fat, the small pieces of dough going in next. All this time the Mullah was reading aloud.
The wife spread a most dirty tablecloth on straw; then our feast began! My driver only tasted the so-called dough nuts, but I ate with relish, for I was hungry, thinking with myself, “It is not what is put into the mouth that defiles the man, but what comes out of it."
The Mullah now stopped reading and said, “We must buy this book," so my host took one also. Having finished the meal I rose to go, thanking them for the hospitality I had enjoyed, and invited them to come and see me during the holidays. My host asked me where I lived, and I said, “Seven versts from Kronti-Zook." I then asked if we were far off the main road, and found that we were only one verst. My host accompanied me to the sledge, and gave us directions as to the road. So the losing of myself for the third time on a road I knew so well must have meant something. I had lived all my life in those have an Amharic Bible with Commentary, and says that the Scriptures, “those especially in Amharic and Ethiopic," will be treasured by his people. The motto at the top of this welcome royal missive is, “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has Conquered."
An interesting reference to the Emperor's gift and letter occurs in the journal of Gobau Dosta, the colporteur who has rendered important service at Harar. On June 8th he writes:—" I was out of Harar some days, to see the Prince Ras Makonan, who came back from Shoa. His Majesty the Emperor of Ethiopia is gratified by the present sent him from the Bible Society. His Majesty has written his gracious thanks to the Committee in England." On October 2nd the Prince delivered to Goblin Desta the elephant tusks and the letter of the Emperor. The colporteur adds:—" The Word of God is leavening in secret not only the Abyssinian churches, but also our backbiters of the Roman Catholic confession are reading it for the recovery of their souls. I am, glad to say that among the Abyssinians a great desire has sprung up for the Word of Salvation."