The young Church of India was struck with alarm at the prospect of losing their teacher and guide. Duff's converts implored him as their much-loved spiritual father in the Lord not to leave them. Even to non-Christian natives the news of Dr. Duff's probable departure came like a blow. A remonstrance was written by eleven learned Brahmans "desirous of the Chief Good," to the people of Scotland. The Hindus pleaded with his countrymen that Dr. Duff might be left to India. They thus wrote, "this illustrious person has devoted his head and heart, and spent large sums of money . . . Such a man as the Reverend Doctor was never seen in this country before . . . Good men have become sad, and bad men are rejoicing. The friends of true religion are praying that God would change the minds of the people of Scotland, and prevent Dr. Duff's recall." The infant Church had no need to fear that anything short of God's Will would suffice to make their beloved teacher give up his Indian work. Dr. Duff declared that he must die as he had lived, a Missionary. "The Church of my fathers," he wrote home, "must see it to be right and meet to allow me to retain in the view of all men the clearly marked and distinguishing character 'of a Missionary to the Heathen;' abroad labouring directly amongst them, at home pleading their cause among the Churches of Christendom . . . For the sake of the heathen, and especially of the people of India, let me cling all my days to the Missionary cause." It must never be thought that it was from indifference to his children that Dr. Duff endured to be parted from them so long. With grief and bursting tears, he received news of the death of his darling little daughter Annie. Long afterwards, he thus wrote of her in a letter to his wife. "I seldom allude to dear child who bore your name, but the sweet image of her often crosses my mind. She was a perfectly loveable one, and I know not that I ever felt any stroke so acutely as her unexpected death. And even still, when alone by myself, the thought of her cheerful animated countenance, with its sweet expression and lisping tongue, often brings the tear to my eye, as now." The brave man, the talented scholar, had a tender affectionate heart; he loved to play with little ones. In his kindness, he followed the steps of the Blessed Saviour, who took up children in His arms, and blessed them.