six miles. Dr. Baxter also went with us to spend the Sunday. On arriving there he was much exhausted, and ate but little dinner, though he continued to converse as usual. I feared malarious fever, and as Dr. Baxter was invited by Dr. Mullens to share his tent, I asked him kindly to watch over him, and if he noted any untoward symptoms to report to me. All Sunday he remained in bed, and though he had fever he doctored himself, and said he should be all right on the morrow. In the morning at 5 a.m. he was decidedly worse, but later on was better, and got up. We remained in camp all day. Towards evening an obstinate fit of vomiting set in, after which he called Dr. Baxter and myself, and placed his case in our hands. We did our best, but decided that it would be better to move camp next day, as it was so cold at Rubeho." "Next morning, Tuesday, the 8th, he was better, and able to walk a little. He was, however, carried all the way to Chakombe, eight miles farther on our journey. He arrived very exhausted, but rallied after a cup of arrowroot had been given. He, however, incautiously drank largely of very cold water, which brought on the vomiting again. Various remedies were tried, and at last he obtained relief and got some sleep. During the night he sent for me, asking me to advise him respecting a troublesome bowel complaint, with which he had suffered for many years. After a time his trouble was met, and he dosed off to sleep. Next day, Wednesday, the 9th, he was decidedly worse, and suffered a great deal of pain. Dr. Baxter and myself never left him for any appreciable time after this. Inflammation of the bowels had set in, and he sank into delirium, and died quite from exhaustion at 5.30 a.m., on Thursday, July 10th, 1879. "When we realised that no human aid could save him, we sank upon our knees by the bedside, and with streaming eyes commended him to the care of the All-wise Father, who was about to receive him; and even as we prayed he departed for a better land. After more prayer for guidance, we carefully wrapped the body in sheeting, and then in blankets, and lifted it into a hammock. After packing up everything we started for Mpwapwa, twenty-nine miles distant. This place we reached on the following morning, having made two very quick marches. With their brotherly sympathy and regard, Dr. Baxter and Mr. Last made all arrangements for the burial, but there being no boards about the place suitable for a coffin we were in straits as to what to do. At last Dr. Baxter suggested that we should take the side of one of the London Missionary Society's carts which were left here by Mr. Thomson. This was quickly done, and a very good coffin made from them by Mr. Last himself. This, covered with white cloth, and lined inside with the same material, received the corpse, and it then lay all night in the tent awaiting burial on the morrow. A pleasant site on the side of a hill, overlooking the plain beneath, had been selected as the site for a burying-place. Here a grave was dug in the hard ground, and with a kind forethought which did him great credit Mr Last had cut a road to the place from the main road. On the morning of Saturday, 12th July, 1879, a very mournful procession started from Mr. Last's house for the burial ground of the Church Missionary Society's Mission at Mpwapwa. Solemnly and silently the procession wended its way down into deep gorges and up the sides of steep ravines, now along a level road and across a little hill. On either side the primeval forest stood in all its beauty, the lighter foliage of the mimosa mingling with the darker green of huge castor oil plants. Forest trees and a thousand different shrubs made an effect decidedly pretty. Overhead the bright morning sun glints on the hill-tops behind and above us, and shines on the plain beneath and in front of us. Not a sound is heard, save an occasional whisper and the steady tramp, tramp of the men who carry the burden. Just before arriving at the grave the solemn words of Holy Writ sounded in the stillness, 'The days of our years are threescore years and ten,' &c. After placing the coffin near the grave, and anon lowering it into it, Mr. Griffith offered prayer, and then read the ordinary burial service. I then closed the service with a short prayer. Another look at the coffin, and he is left in peace. When we turned from the grave we fully realised our loss; but the Almighty arms were around us, and we were comforted. We propose to erect a stone structure over the grave, and put a head-stone or a head-board." Mr. Griffith, another of the party, thus supplements this information :"Mr. Last has kindly prepared a board for a head-stone at the late Dr. Mullens's grave. The wood is very good, and appears to be a species of mahogany. This THE DISASTER AT CABUL. 463 will do for a short season. The following inscription is on the board in letters in black paint, and thus more durable :— Rev. Joseph Mullens, D.D., F.R.G.S., died at Chakombe, July 10th, 1879.'" Such is the touching narrative of Dr. Mullens's last days, as it appears in "The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society" for October. In the same periodical there are many resolutions and letters from different Societies indicating the general esteem in which Dr. Mullens was held, and the deep loss which has been sustained through his death. Among them there appears the following: "The Committee of the General Baptist Missionary Society, assembled at Leicester, September 10th, 1879, desired me to express their warmest sympathy with the Directors of the London Missionary Society in the very heavy loss they have sustained through the death of Dr. Mullens. Many of the Committee remember with pleasure the visit of Dr. Mullens to Orissa in the year 1849. They have also a grateful remembrance of the deep interest he took in the Orissa Mission, and of the approval he publicly expressed of the plans adopted by the missionaries for the diffusion of the Gospel throughout the province. They feel that by his removal the Mission cause generally has sustained an almost irreparable loss; but earnestly pray that the great Head of the Church may raise up other equally gifted and devoted men to promote the sacred cause of Missions throughout the world. On behalf of the Committee, "I am, dear Sir, yours faithfully, The Disaster at Cabul. BY REV. J. BUCKLEY, D.D. Cuttack, September 13th. WE were startled and shocked on Wednesday by the terrible news from Cabul. You would hear it earlier at Derby than we did at Cuttack, and I have no doubt that you have later intelligence than has been received here. Our last news is in the Calcutta papers of the 11th. I see that all the papers are calling out for vengeance; and if such vengeance be executed only on mutineers and murderers, I should say that they richly deserved it: but if-as one fears in remembering the past-it be indiscriminately executed, we shall only be sowing the seeds of future troubles. And in this day of adversity let us consider our ways and amend our doings. It was an unrighteous and wicked war. We sowed the wind, and we are now reaping the whirlwind. We had no right to go to Cabul; and if the course madly entered on be obstinately pursued, my belief is that what has taken place will be but the beginning of sorrows. God give wisdom at this solemn crisis to our rulers at home and in this country—is a prayer I try to offer; but when I remember how many faithful warnings were uttered in vain against the ambitious policy pursued, I find it difficult to offer it in faith. While we thankfully remember for our consolation that "the Lord reigneth," let us not forget the weighty teaching of the good old BookRighteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people." 66 Mrs. J. T. Comber. WE are pained beyond expression to have to report the decease of our dear friend, Mrs. Comber. Our readers will remember that so recently as last April she set sail for mission work in Africa. She died on the 24th of August, after eight days' illness, of brain fever. It is a sad blow to the mission; a heavy grief to the family, with the wounds caused by the removal of their daughter Lottie still open; and it will be a pain to many who read these words. Let us pray to Him who is the Resurrection and the Life. It is in the "world of prayer" our burdens may be lifted, and our souls may gain solace and help for the weary and the sad. J. CLIFFORD. ON Lord's-day, September 7th, seventeen were baptized at Cuttack. Damudar preached on the occasion from Matt. xxviii. 20, and Thoma baptized. The address in the afternoon on receiving them into the church was founded on "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." On the same day seven were baptized at Piplee. Niladri preached from "Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire ?" At Khoordah a young man was baptized on the same day. Shem's address at the table was founded on 1 Tim. vi. 12—" Fight the good fight of faith," &c. J. BUCKLEY. Midnapore.-Yesterday was one of the bright days in the Midnapore church; five happy converts were baptized and welcomed to the fellowship of the church. One was from the heathen, a young man who has been receiving Christian instruction for several years. The other four were all of them the children of the Mission, though not one of them is connected with our orphanages. One was the youngest son of an aged Santal brother, whose entire family has now come into the fold of the Good Shepherd. This is one of the most encouraging cases, illustrating the power of believing prayer, that I have known. Another was the youngest daughter of our dear brother now at rest, of whom I used to write very often, Mahes Chandra Rai. Another was the grandchild of that faithful and winning preacher of the cross, who did such excellent service in Orissa for many years, Rama Mishra. The last was the daughter of one of those new converts whom he received into the church several years ago in the district, forty miles west of this city. So the kingdom comes in this dark land, slowly to be sure, but none the less surely, we hope. When the present generation of native Christians passes away, there will remain a larger company of younger disciples to push on the conquest of the We thank God and take courage. J. L. P. cross. Received on account of the General Baptist Missionary Society from September 16th, to October 15th, 1879. I. On page 424 for Allerton (Bethel) read Allerton (Central). General Baptist Societies. FOREIGN MISSIONS.-TREASURER: W. B. BEMBRIDGE, Esq., Ripley, nr. Derby. SECRETARY: REV. W. HILL, Crompton Street, Derby. II. CHILWELL COLLEGE.-TREASURER: T. W. MARSHALL, Esq., Loughborough. SECRETARY: REV. W. EVANS, Leicester. III. HOME MISSIONS.-TREASURER: T. H. HARRISON, Esq., Wardwick, Derby. SECRETARIES: REVS. J. FLETCHER, 322, Commercial Road, E., and J. CLIFFORD, 51, Porchester Road, London, W. IV. BUILDING FUND.-TREASURER: C. ROBERTS, Jun., Esq., Peterborough. Monies should be sent to the Treasurers or Secretaries. Information, Collecting Books, etc., may be had of the Secretaries. 44 Christmas Comes but Once a Year." "AND that," said the superintendent of a Sunday school, " is once too often. It is the greatest disturber that visits us the whole year round. It upsets everything for a month. I fairly dread its arrival. It is as bad as an earthquake. Teachers are absent or late, or lazy. Children are frisky, or fretful, or frivolous. Indeed the mischiefs of this annual visitor are so serious that if Christmas came three or four times a year it would be necessary for me to give up work altogether." That is a hard saying: and yet, no doubt, there is some evil associated with our great winter holiday. Unmixed good is hard to find. Thorns have been associated with roses from the beginning; and it seems as though license would be bound up with the observance of Christmas so long at least as it visits us but "once a year." It is the rareness of the occasion that creates the temptation. Christmas "all the year round" would be intolerable. Christmas once a year" is, therefore, a release from the constraints of law, and the dominion of good sense. Caution is non-existent. Young people eat as if the digestive apparatus were made of iron; dress as if the weather were not chill and the body not weak; take off all restrictions, as though license were wisdom, and sense and reason an offence. Even men and women who are patterns of prudence from January to Christmas Eve, and rigorously estimate the pressure of accumulated indigestibles on the gastric organs, now give an unbridled rein to appetite because, "you know," "Christmas only comes once a year." But the proverb has a far better setting than this gay frame of license. Gross banqueting and divers excesses are not the only accompaniments of this glad festival. For once in the year large-hearted generosity reigns supreme. Love is Lord, and Lady Bountiful goes forth distributing her largesses at every step. The purse strings are unloosed, not only to fill with toys and "goodies" the "traditional stocking" for which Santa Claus is in quest, but to gladden the hearts of the aged poor, of the weary sick, of the frail and unfortunate, and all who have felt the chilling blasts of poverty. Tokens of loving helpfulness are sent to those who are ready perish; the widow's heart is made to sing for joy; and the orphan's lot is brightened with a benediction not less divine because it is uttered by human lips. And so, once a year" as "The star reigns its fire, And the beautiful sing, the followers of Christ "go about doing good," inspired by His Spirit, allured by His example, and obedient to the mandate Give, give of your abundance, Give alms to poor and needy; Give help to weak and erring; Give pity to the bad. Give sunny smiles and greetings; Give gentle words and mild; Give honour to the aged; Give patience to the child. Give fervent prayer and praises GENERAL BAPTIST MAGAZINE, December, 1879.-Vol. LXXXI.-N. S. No. 120. But the loveliest setting of this proverb is in the family circle. For what gladness and freedom and joy come to the HOME once a year, as we gather round the blazing fire, and recount the experiences of the past twelvemonths; the victories at school, prizes won, positions gained; the advances in business, and the hopes of further progress still animating the heart;―ah; home is really home "once a year!" For again, Love is Lord, and the spirit of forgiveness and unselfishness, of deep solicitude for the welfare of the family life, binds all together in a holy bond, and fills all with a true joy! Christmas is a grace-filled minister, flooding the founts of family affection, and nourishing the growth of that love which redeems and sanctifies and glorifies our human life. But not with radiant face and beaming smile does Father Christmas cross every threshold. No! Christmas 1879 recalls faces that are no more with us; and forms that we no longer embrace. They are gone, the "Children of our affection," "Gone into that school Where they no longer need our poor protection, And Christ Himself doth rule." Let us dry the tear. The Babe of Bethlehem is the Victor of Bethany. A Christmas Rhyme. HAIL! first of all the festivals, And strongest yet to touch the heart; Now mirth is meet, and awe is sweet, And in thy gladness all have part. What dear associations cling About thine honoured name of power As ivies wind, with leaves entwined Around some lofty hoary tower. Thy story is so beautiful, Thine angel-music with us still, Thy lustrous star, and here and far Thy gentle peace, and pure good-will. A child's sweet face with heavenly eyes Looks love to near and distant lands, And royal grace for all our race Lies folded there in baby hands. Our daily loves grow richer now, More charming those we hold most dear, And eyes are bright with kindest light And those whom stress of time and place Are grandsires, parents, girls, and boys. Of aged hearts by grief o'er-cast, Who sit alone and hear the tone Of voices echo through the past. Hail to the dear old festival, So sacred, sweet, and solemn still; If days of yore return no more Peace comes anew and kind good-will. |
