FORTY MISSIONARY STORIES - TEMKIT- fun for Children

FORTY MISSIONARY STORIES

Collected by M. Eggleston

1934

CONTENTS

PREFACE

1. THE STREAK OF RED 2. WE WILL GO 3. FOR THE HONOR OF THE SCHOOL 4. WE KNOW HIM 5. THE LITTLE RED BOOK 6. THE MAN WHO MISSED THE COLLECTION 7. CHIKKI'S QUEER DESIRE 8. UNDER THE ELM TREE 9. WHEN THE LIGHT CAME 10. FOLLOWING CHRIST 11. ONE DAY AT A TIME 12. THEIR TREASURE 13. BABU'S GIFT 14. BIG BILL 15. THOSE ABSURD MISSIONARIES 16. TRANSFORMED BY A PICTURE 17. THE GIRL WHO CHANGED HER MIND 18. TOMI'S PRAYER 19. WHAT CAN I Do? 20. MAHMOUD'S VICTORY

Forty Missionary Stories

21. HIS MOTHER'S BOOK 22. A BOY WHO WAS WANTED 23. THE COST OF A LIFE 24. TOO BUSY TO HELP 25. THOSE POPPY SEEDS 26. MISS LOU'S BABY 27. PANDITA RAMABAI, THE FRIEND OF THE CHILD WIDOWS 28. THE MAKING OF A MISSIONARY 29. THE FRIEND OF THE OUTCASTE 30. WHEN THE BANDIT CHIEF PAID A DEBT 31. JIMMIE'S RESOLUTION 32. HER ONE REQUEST 33. ALEXANDER'S CHALLENGE 34. AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE 35. MARCUS 36. A STRING OF IVORIES 37. A GIFT THAT COUNTED 38. ROSEBUD 39. A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM 40. THE LITTLE BLACK HEN THAT BECAME A MISSIONARY

CONTENTS BY COUNTRIES

CHINA AND KOREA The Little Black Hen That Became a Missionary Those Poppy Seeds When the Bandit Chief Paid a Debt We Know Him The Cost of a Life A Boy Who Was Wanted What Can I Do?

JAPAN Following Christ For the Honor of the School Transformed by a Picture Tomi's Prayer Those Absurd Missionaries

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Forty Missionary Stories

INDIA Marcus Pandita Ramabai As for Me and My House The Friend of the Outcaste Babu's Gift The Girl Who Changed Her Mind Chikki's Queer Desire A Gift That Counted

AFRICA Miss Lou's Baby We Will Go When the Light Came A Little Child Shall Lead Them

TURKEY, SYRIA, AND ARMENIA Their Treasure The Little Red Book Mahmoud's Victory Too Busy to Help Jimmie's Resolution

SOUTH AMERICA His Mother's Book

EGYPT A String of Ivories

MISSION TO LEPERS The Man Who Missed the Collection One Day at a Time

IN AMERICA Maine Seacoast Mission--Rosebud Grenfell Mission--Alexander's Challenge Alaska--Her One Request Indian--The Streak of Red Negro--Under the Elm Tree

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Forty Missionary Stories

City Missions--The Making of a Missionary Rural Missions--Big Bill

STORIES FOR SMALLER CHILDREN Rosebud A Little Child Shall Lead Them The Little Black Hen That Became a Missionary

PREFACE

NO ONE is heroic all the time; all would like to be heroic in some way at some time. We usually care little to study the lives of those who, when they heard the call to nobler living, or saw a vision of service to others, were too selfish, or too lazy, or too indifferent to choose the way of self-control and sacrifice for the sake of others. Rather, we seek to find stories of those whose lives can be a challenge and an inspiration.

These are stories of decisions made by missionaries or by their native Christian helpers; by young people and children; by men and women who dared to trust and obey. These are stories which tell of physical, mental, and spiritual bravery on the part of those who, for the time, at least, chose to "climb the High Way" while those about them often "groped the Low." They are true stories of people who have shown by their lives that Christianity is a Way of Life which gives to those who sincerely follow it great happiness and great opportunity.

I am indebted to the Church School Journal for permission to retell, "The Friend of the Outcaste" ; to the Missionary Herald for material used in "Marcus," "What Can I Do?" and "Transformed by a Picture" ; to the Mission to Lepers for "The Man Who Missed the Collection"; to Scribners' for "Those Absurd Missionaries"; and to the American Board of the Congregational Church for the use of many letters and reports sent to them from the foreign field, and for the photographs used in making the jacket of this book. The letters and reports form the background of several of the stories. Some of the tales have come to me from missionaries themselves. To each and all who have helped, I am grateful.

1934 Hyde Park, Mass. MARGARET EGGLESTON OWEN

1: THE STREAK OF RED

BEFORE the tepee of old Long Foot, the Indian brave, sat Deep River, his squaw, weaving a blanket.

Her face was brown and wrinkled, but it was full of strength and purpose and spiritual beauty. Long Foot and Deep River had both been Christians for many years, and they had tried to be loyal to their faith. For nearly thirty years Deep River had woven

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Forty Missionary Stories

blankets--beautiful ones that people came from far to see and to buy. She was known all over the countryside, not only for her ability eave, but also for the intricacy of the designs which she wove into her blankets. She had made many of different shapes and sizes, but the one before her was the finest of them all.

On a stool beside her sat her granddaughter, Lena Beartracks, a tall, intelligent girl of fifteen, a favorite in the tribe. Once Deep River had had four granddaughters, but the prairie fire had taken the other three, and had left her the tiny baby to love and to tend. It was the old squaw who had dipped her into the icy spring that she might strong; who had hunted far and wide for a rare herb that she might put a bit of it into the baby's mouth to give her a chance to be wise. She had taught the child to weave, and to make rare baskets; to cook and to sew; to read and to pray; and she loved her better than life itself.

During the last weeks Lena Beartracks had often sat on the stool by her grandmother's side, for every line and color, used in the blanket was to be a symbol of some event in the life of the tribe, or the grandmother, or the girl. The yellow in the center ran about like the prairie fire; blue on the edges told stories of the long walks they had taken together; the cross on each side represented their Christian faith. As they sat together, the grandmother told her stories of the events which were symbolized the pattern.

In the corner of the blanket, which was just being completed, there was a streak of red, red wool. It was very beautiful, and the girl liked to look at it.

"When the blanket is done and I give it to you, I will tell you what it means," said the old squaw. "Just now it must be a secret here," and she pointed to her heart.

On that bright summer's day the old grandmother made her hands fly as she wove in the last strands of the border of the blanket. Word had come that the missionary was on his way back to the School for Indian Girls, many miles away. When he reached their village, Lena Bear tracks was to go with him to that school. She had finished the school on the Reservation, and, because of her ability to learn and to lead, she was to be given more training. As they sat together, the old squaw was silent and thoughtful; the girl was dreaming of the new life that lay just ahead. Usually the old grandmother hummed a tune as she wove. Now she sighed and looked troubled.

What would become of the girl when she was alone so far away? It was not right to expect one so young to know how to live alone. Why did she need to go when the old squaw wanted to be near to guide her? She watched the girl longingly as she rose from the stool and hurried down the little street to put more things into, the box which was to go with her to the new school. Yes, Deep River loved her better than her own life.

Just as the, sun went down, the old squaw reached for her knife and cut the blanket from its frame. Then she sat down in the twilight and ran her fingers over one and another of the figures which she had woven into it. How lovely they were! She had done

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