Pioneers and Founders: or, Recent Workers in the Mission fieldYonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
History
Pioneers and Founders: or, Recent Workers in the Mission field
Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Missionaries
Episcopate was not founded till twenty-three years later.
He landed at Calcutta on the 5th of November, 1832, and took possession
of the large unfurnished house that had at last been wrung out of
Government. He found only just enough chairs and tables, placed there by
the Archdeacon, to suffice for immediate use; and was answered, when he
asked why his orders that the place should be completely fitted up had
not been attended to, "I thought this would be enough to last for six
months,"--this being the term for which a Bishop of Calcutta was thought
likely to need earthly furniture. But Bishop Wilson was resolved to take
reasonable precaution, and not to be daunted, or to act as if he were
afraid. He furnished the place, and rented a pleasant country-house,
called the Hive, at Tittaghur, where he spent a few days of every week;
and, having been told that much danger was incurred by the exertion of
visitation tours before the constitution had become accustomed to the
climate, he resolved to wait for two years before making any long
journey; and, in the meantime, he was able to collect a great amount of
information, as well as attending to the regulation of matters at head-
quarters. He kept up more formality and state than Bishop Heber had
done; and, of course, as the one had been censured for his simplicity, so
the other was found fault with for pomp and stiffness. But these were
minor points, chiefly belonging to the character of the two men, whose
whole natures were in curious accordance with their prize performances at
Oxford,--the one with all the warmth, fire, and animation of the poet of
Palestine, sensitive to every impression, and making all serve to light
his altar-flame; the other all common-sense, sincere, deep, and
laborious, but with a narrower range of sympathies, and afraid of all
that might distract attention from the one great subject. General
literature had no charms for Wilson. He is believed never to have read
one of Scott's poems or novels; and the playful mirth that enlivened all
Heber's paths was not with him, though he had the equable cheerfulness of
a faithful servant doing his Lord's work. His daughter, soon after his
arrival, married her cousin, Josiah Bateman, his chaplain (and
biographer), and thus continued to be the mistress of her father's house.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account