The Story of John G. Paton; Or, Thirty Years Among South Sea CannibalsPaton, John Gibson
Religion
The Story of John G. Paton; Or, Thirty Years Among South Sea Cannibals
Paton, John Gibson
Missions -- Vanuatu; Paton, John Gibson, 1824-1907
I REACHED Glasgow on the third day, having slept one night at Thornhill,
and another at New Cumnock; and having needed, owing to the kindness of
acquaintances upon whom I called by the way, to spend only three
halfpence of my modest funds. Safely arrived, but weary, I secured a
humble room for my lodging, for which I had to pay one shilling and
sixpence per week. Buoyant and full of hope and looking up to God for
guidance, I appeared at the appointed hour before the examiners, as did
also the other candidate; and they having carefully gone through their
work, asked us to retire. When recalled, they informed us that they had
great difficulty in choosing, and suggested that the one of us might
withdraw in favor of the other, or that both might submit to a more
testing examination. Neither seemed inclined to give it up, both were
willing for a second examination; but the patrons made another
suggestion. They had only L50 per annum to give; but if we would agree
to divide it betwixt us, and go into one lodging, we might both be able
to struggle through, they would pay our entrance fees at the Free Normal
Seminary, and provide us with the books required; and perhaps they might
be able to add a little to the sum promised to each of us. By dividing
the mission work appointed, and each taking only the half, more time
also might be secured for our studies. Though the two candidates had
never seen each other before, we at once accepted this proposal, and got
on famously together, never having had a dispute on anything of common
interest throughout our whole career.
As our fellow-students at the Normal were all far advanced beyond us in
their education, we found it killing work, and had to grind away
incessantly, late and early. Both of us, before the year closed, broke
down in health; partly by hard study, but principally, perhaps, for lack
of nourishing diet. A severe cough seized upon me; I began spitting
blood, and a doctor ordered me at once home to the country and forbade
all attempts at study. My heart sank; it was a dreadful disappointment,
and to me a bitter trial. Soon after, my companion, though apparently
much stronger than I, was similarly seized. He, however, never entirely
recovered, though for some years he taught in a humble school; and long
ago he fell asleep in Jesus, a devoted and honored Christian man.
I, on the other hand, after a short rest, nourished by the hill air of
Torthorwald and by the new milk of our family cow, was ere long at work
again. Renting a house, I began to teach a small school at Girvan, and
gradually but completely recovered my health.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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