the life of william carey-第26节

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Carey　at　once　adapted　the　practical　details　of　his　communistic　brotherhood　to　the　new　circumstances。　　With　such　wisdom　was　he　aided　in　this　by　the　business　experience　of　Marshman　and　Ward；　that　a　settlement　was　formed　which　admitted　of　easy　development　in　correspondence　with　the　rapid　growth　of　the　mission。　　At　first　the　community　consisted　of　ten　adults　and　nine　children。　　Grant　had　been　carried　off　in　a　fever　caused　by　the　dampness　of　their　first　quarters。　　The　promising　Brunsdon　was　soon　after　removed　by　liver　complaint　caught　from　standing　on　an　unmatted　floor　in　the　printing…office。　　Fountain；　who　at　first　continued　the　mission　at　Dinapoor；　soon　died　there　a　happy　death。　　Thomas　had　settled　at　Beerbhoom；　but　joined　the　Serampore　brethren　in　time　to　do　good　though　brief　service　before　he　too　was　cut　off。　　But；　fortunately　as　it　proved　for　the　future；　Carey　had　to　arrange　for　five　families　at　the　first；　and　this　is　how　it　was　done　as　described　by　Ward：

〃The　renting　of　a　house；　or　houses；　would　ruin　us。　　We　hoped　therefore　to　have　been　able　to　purchase　land；　and　build　mat　houses　upon　it；　but　we　can　get　none　properly　situated。　　We　have　in　consequence　purchased　of　the　Governor's　nephew　a　large　house　in　the　middle　of　the　town　for　Rs。6000；　or　about　？00；　the　rent　in　four　years　would　have　amounted　to　the　purchase。　　It　consists　of　a　spacious　verandah　（portico）　and　hall；　with　two　rooms　on　each　side。　Rather　more　to　the　front　are　two　other　rooms　separate；　and　on　one　side　is　a　storehouse；　separate　also；　which　will　make　a　printing…office。　　It　stands　by　the　river…side　upon　a　pretty　large　piece　of　ground；　walled　round；　with　a　garden　at　the　bottom；　and　in　the　middle　a　fine　tank　or　pool　of　water。　　The　price　alarmed　us；　but　we　had　no　alternative；　and　we　hope　this　will　form　a　comfortable　missionary　settlement。　　Being　near　to　Calcutta；　it　is　of　the　utmost　importance　to　our　school；　our　press；　and　our　connection　with　England。〃

〃From　hence　may　the　Gospel　issue　and　pervade　all　India；〃　they　wrote　to　Fuller。　〃We　intend　to　teach　a　school；　and　make　what　we　can　of　our　press。　　The　paper　is　all　arrived；　and　the　press；　with　the　types；　etc。；　complete。　　The　Bible　is　wholly　translated；　except　a　few　chapters；　so　that　we　intend　to　begin　printing　immediately；　first　the　New　and　then　the　Old　Testament。　　We　love　our　work；　and　will　do　all　we　can　to　lighten　your　expenses。〃

This　house…chapel；　with　two　acres　of　garden　land　and　separate　rooms　on　either　side；　continued　till　1875　to　be　the　nucleus　of　the　settlement　afterwards　celebrated　all　over　South　Asia　and　Christendom。　　The　chapel　is　still　sacred　to　the　worship　of　God。　The　separate　rooms　to　the　left；　fronting　the　Hoogli；　became　enlarged　into　the　stately　residence　of　Mr。　John　Marshman；　C。S。I。；　and　his　two　successors　in　the　Friend　of　India；　while　beyond　were　the　girl's　school；　now　removed；　the　residence　of　Dr。　Joshua　Marshman　before　his　death；　and　the　boys'　school　presented　to　the　mission　by　the　King　of　Denmark。　　The　separate　rooms　to　the　right　grew　into　the　press；　farther　down　the　river　was　the　house　of　the　Lady　Rumohr　who　became　Carey's　second　wife；　with　the　great　paper…mill　behind；　and；　still　farther；　the　second　park　in　which　the　Serampore　College　was　built；　with　the　principal's　house　in　which　Carey　died；　and　a　hostel　for　the　Native　Christian　students　behind。　　The　whole　settlement　finally　formed　a　block　of　at　least　five　acres；　with　almost　palatial　buildings；　on　the　right　bank　of　the　Hoogli；　which；　with　a　breadth　of　half　a　mile　when　in　flood；　rolls　between　it　and　the　Governor…General's　summer　house　and　English…like　park　of　Barrackpore。　　The　original　two　acres　became　Carey's　Botanic　Garden；　the　houses　he　surrounded　and　connected　by　mahogany　trees；　which　grew　to　be　of　umbrageous　beauty。　　His　favourite　promenade　between　the　chapel　and　the　mill；　and　ultimately　the　college；　was　under　an　avenue　of　his　own　planting；　long　known　as　〃Carey's　Walk。〃

The　new　colleagues　who　were　to　live　with　him　in　loving　brotherhood　till　death　removed　the　last　in　1837　were　not　long　in　attracting　him。　The　two　were　worthy　to　be　associated　with　him；　and　so　admirably　supplemented　his　own　deficiencies　that　the　brotherhood　became　the　most　potent　and　permanent　force　in　India。　　He　thus　wrote　to　Fuller　his　first　impressions　of　them；　with　a　loving　self…depreciation：〃Brother　Ward　is　the　very　man　we　wanted：　he　enters　into　the　work　with　his　whole　soul。　　I　have　much　pleasure　in　him；　and　expect　much　from　him。　　Brother　Marshman　is　a　prodigy　of　diligence　and　prudence；　as　is　also　his　wife　in　the　latter：　learning　the　language　is　mere　play　to　him；　he　has　already　acquired　as　much　as　I　did　in　double　the　time。〃　　After　eight　months　of　study　and　evangelising　work　they　are　thus　described：〃Our　brother　Marshman；　who　is　a　true　missionary；　is　able　to　talk　a　little；　he　goes　out　frequently；　nay　almost　every　day；　and　assaults　the　fortress　of　Satan。　　Brother　Brunsdon　can　talk　a　little；　though　not　like　Marshman。　　Brother　Ward　is　a　great　prize；　he　does　not　learn　the　language　so　quickly；　but　he　is　so　holy；　so　spiritual　a　man；　and　so　useful　among　the　children。〃

Thus　early　did　Carey　note　the　value　of　Hannah　Marshman；　the　first　woman　missionary　to　India。　　Granddaughter　of　the　Baptist　minister　of　Crockerton　in　Wiltshire；　she　proved　to　be　for　forty…six　years　at　once　a　loving　wife；　and　the　equal　of　the　three　missionaries　of　Christ　and　of　civilisation　whom　she　aided　in　the　common　home；　in　the　schools；　in　the　congregation；　in　the　Native　Christian　families；　and　even；　at　that　early　time；　in　purely　Hindoo　circles。　　Without　her　the　mission　must　have　been　one…sided　indeed。　　It　gives　us　a　pathetic　interest　to　turn　to　her　household　books；　where　we　find　entered　with　loving　care　and　thoughtful　thrift　all　the　daily　details　which　at　once　form　a　valuable　contribution　to　the　history　of　prices；　and　show　how　her　〃prudence〃　combined　with　the　heroic　self…denial　of　all　to　make　the　Serampore　mission　the　light　of　India。　　Ward's　journal　supplies　this　first　sketch　of　the　brotherhood；　who　realised；　more　than　probably　any　in　Protestant；　Romanist；　or　Greek　hagiology；　the　life　of　the　apostolic　community　in　Jerusalem：

〃January　18；　1800。This　week　we　have　adopted　a　set　of　rules　for　the　government　of　the　family。　　All　preach　and　pray　in　turn；　one　superintends　the　affairs　of　the　family　for　a　month；　and　then　another；　brother　Carey　is　treasurer；　and　has　the　regulation　of　the　medicine　chest；　brother　Fountain　is　librarian。　　Saturday　evening　is　devoted　to　adjusting　differences；　and　pledging　ourselves　to　love　one　another。　　One　of　our　resolutions　is；　that　no　one　of　us　do　engage　in　private　trade；　but　that　all　be　done　for　the　benefit　of　the　mission。。。

〃August　1。Our　labours　for　every　day　are　now　regularly　arranged。　About　six　o'clock　we　rise；　brother　Carey　to　his　garden；　brother　Marshman　to　his　school　at　seven；　brother　Brunsdon；　Felix；　and　I；　to　the　printing…office。　　At　eight　the　bell　rings　for　family　worship：　we　assemble　in　the　hall；　sing；　read；　and　pray。　　Breakfast。　　Afterwards；　brother　Carey　goes　to　the　translation；　or　reading　proofs：　brother　Marshman　to　school；　and　the　rest　to　the　printing…office。　　Our　compositor　having　left　us；　we　do　without：　we　print　three　half…sheets　of　2000　each　in　a　week；　have　five　pressmen；　one　folder；　and　one　binder。　　At　twelve　o'clock　we　take　a　luncheon；　then　most　of　us　shave　and　bathe；　read　and　sleep　before　dinner；　which　we　have　at　three。　After　dinner　we　deliver　our　thoughts　on　a　text　or　question：　this　we　find　to　be　very　profitable。　　Brother　and　sister　Marshman　keep　their　schools　till　after　two。　　In　the　afternoon；　if　business　be　done　in　the　office；　I　read　and　try　to　talk　Bengali　with　the　br鄊mh鄋。　　We　drink　tea　about　seven；　and　have　little　or　no　supper。　　We　have　Bengali　preaching　once　or　twice　in　the　week；　and　on　Thursday　evening　we　have　an　experience　meeting。　　On　Saturday　evening　we　meet　to　compose　differences　and　transact　business；　after　prayer；　which　is　always　immediately　after　tea。　　Felix　is　very　useful　in　the　office；　William　goes　to　school；　and　part　of　the　day　learns　to　bind。　　We　meet　two　hours　before　breakfast　on　the　first　Monday　in　the　month；　and　each　one　prays　for　the　salvation　of　the　Bengal　heathen。　　At　night　we　unite　our　prayers　for　the　universal　spread　of　the　Gospel。〃

The　〃Form　of　Agreement〃　which　regulated　the　social　economy　and　spiritual　enterprise　of　the　brotherhood；　and　also　its　legal　relations　to　the　Baptist　Society　in　England；　deserves　study；　in　its　divine　disinterestedness；　its　lofty　aims；　and　its　kindly　common　sense。　　Fuller　had　pledged　the　Society　in　1798　to　send　out　？60　a　year　for　the　joint　family　of　six　missionaries；　their　wives；　and　children。　　The　house　and　land　at　Serampore　cost　the　Society　Rs。6000。　On　Grant's　death；　leaving　a　widow　and　two　children；　the　five　missionaries　made　the　first　voluntary　agreement；　which　〃provided　that　no　one　should　trade　on　his　own　private　account；　and　that　the　product　of　their　labour　should　form　a　common　fund　to　be　applied　at　the　will　of　the　majority；　to　the　support　of　their　respective　families；　of　the　cause　of　God　around　them；　and　of　the　widow　and　family　of　such　as　might　be　removed　by　death。〃　　The　first　year　the　schools　and　the　press　enabled　the　brotherhood　to　be　more　than　self…supporting。　　In　the　second　year　Carey's　salary　from　the　Colle