Daughters of the Cross: or Woman's MissionEddy, Daniel C. (Daniel Clarke)
History
Daughters of the Cross: or Woman's Mission
Eddy, Daniel C. (Daniel Clarke)
Women -- Biography; Women missionaries
In 1828 Mr. Boardman determined to leave Tavoy for a while and visit the
Karen villages in the interior. He was accompanied by Ko Thah-byu and some
other converted Karens. They had heard of him by means of persons who had
visited Tavoy for business and pleasure, and religious books and tracts had
been distributed among the people who had never heard a sermon or seen the
pale face of the missionary. As he passed through their villages he was
every where met with kindness. Food was brought and many valuable presents
given him. At one village they found a zayat which the people had put up
for them; and here they tarried and preached and explained the gospel
several days. Many were converted; God's Spirit was poured out; and ere Mr.
B. left the place several came and requested the ordinance of baptism. This
matter, however, was prudently deferred, that the converts might "learn the
way of the Lord more perfectly." He found the people in gross darkness: he
left them with beams of light from the cross strong upon them. He found
them without the word of God--without the Sabbath--without the way of
salvation: he left them in the possession of all these good gifts, and at
the end of nine days returned to his family at Tavoy, again to labor and
suffer in the cause of his Master.
One of the most exciting incidents which occurred at Tavoy during the stay
of Mr. B. was a rebellion, which commenced on the 9th of August, 1829. The
English had withdrawn most of their soldiers from Tavoy and quartered them
at Maulmain. Almost the whole force at the former place consisted of a
hundred Sepoys, commanded by a man who, at the moment of the revolt, was,
believed to be in the agonies of death. On the 9th, at midnight, the
missionary family were aroused by horrid cries around their rude dwelling.
Boardman sprang from his bed, and, bending his ear to the open window,
heard the cry, "Teacher, Tavoy is in arms! Tavoy is in arms!" In an instant
the ready mind of the missionary comprehended the difficulty and the
danger. He at once aroused his family, and began to prepare for resistance
or flight as the case might require. After a time the insurgents were
repulsed, and, retiring to a distance, took refuge in rear of the mission
buildings; consequently the station was placed between the two contending
parties; and over the heads of the little band the balls whistled, carrying
death to hated foes. In the morning the Sepoys were driven from the city
and took refuge in the Government House, to which place the missionary
family repaired, seizing for this a momentary quiet. Their situation here
was terrible. The house was crowded with women and children: soon it became
unsafe, and the whole party retired to a vacant building, having six rooms,
on the margin of the river. Into this house, containing more than a hundred
barrels of powder, were three hundred persons crowded together; while
without were heard the wild and frantic yells of the savages, thirsting for
blood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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