Missionary Travels and Researches in South AfricaLivingstone, David
Religion
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa
Livingstone, David
Missions -- South Africa; South Africa -- Description and travel
To some it may appear quite a romantic mode of life; it is one of active
benevolence, such as the good may enjoy at home. Take a single day as
a sample of the whole. We rose early, because, however hot the day may
have been, the evening, night, and morning at Kolobeng were deliciously
refreshing; cool is not the word, where you have neither an increase of
cold nor heat to desire, and where you can sit out till midnight with no
fear of coughs or rheumatism. After family worship and breakfast between
six and seven, we went to keep school for all who would attend--men,
women, and children being all invited. School over at eleven o'clock,
while the missionary's wife was occupied in domestic matters, the
missionary himself had some manual labor as a smith, carpenter, or
gardener, according to whatever was needed for ourselves or for the
people; if for the latter, they worked for us in the garden, or at some
other employment; skilled labor was thus exchanged for the unskilled.
After dinner and an hour's rest, the wife attended her infant-school,
which the young, who were left by their parents entirely to their own
caprice, liked amazingly, and generally mustered a hundred strong; or
she varied that with a sewing-school, having classes of girls to learn
the art; this, too, was equally well relished. During the day every
operation must be superintended, and both husband and wife must labor
till the sun declines. After sunset the husband went into the town to
converse with any one willing to do so, sometimes on general subjects,
at other times on religion. On three nights of the week, as soon as the
milking of the cows was over and it had become dark, we had a public
religious service, and one of instruction on secular subjects, aided
by pictures and specimens. These services were diversified by attending
upon the sick and prescribing for them, giving food, and otherwise
assisting the poor and wretched. We tried to gain their affections by
attending to the wants of the body. The smallest acts of friendship, an
obliging word and civil look, are, as St. Xavier thought, no despicable
part of the missionary armor. Nor ought the good opinion of the most
abject to be uncared for, when politeness may secure it. Their good
word in the aggregate forms a reputation which may be well employed
in procuring favor for the Gospel. Show kind attention to the reckless
opponents of Christianity on the bed of sickness and pain, and they
never can become your personal enemies. Here, if any where, love begets
love.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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