the life of william carey-第38节

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　the　Word　of　God。　The　Church　has；　however；　in　their　intentions　and　wishes　borne　a　testimony　to　the　grace　given　to　you；　and　will　not　cease　to　pray　for　you　that　you　may　be　successful。　　May　you　be　kept　from　all　temptations；　supported　under　every　trial；　made　victorious　in　every　conflict；　and　may　our　hearts　be　mutually　gladdened　with　accounts　from　each　other　of　the　triumphs　of　Divine　grace。　　God　has　conferred　a　great　favour　upon　you　in　committing　to　you　this　ministry。　　Take　heed　to　it　therefore　in　the　Lord　that　thou　fulfil　it。　　We　shall　often　meet　at　the　throne　of　grace。　　Write　me　by　every　opportunity；　and　tell　Eliza　to　write　to　your　mother。

〃Now；　my　dear　Jabez；　I　commit　you　both　to　God；　and　to　the　word　of　His　grace；　which　is　able　to　make　you　perfect　in　the　knowledge　of　His　will。　　Let　that　word　be　near　your　heart。　　I　give　you　both　up　to　God；　and　should　I　never　more　see　you　on　earth　I　trust　we　shall　meet　with　joy　before　His　throne　of　glory　at　last。〃

Under　both　the　English　and　the　Dutch　for　a　time；　to　whom　the　island　was　restored；　Jabez　Carey　proved　to　be　a　successful　missionary；　while　he　supported　the　mission　by　his　official　income　as　superintendent　of　schools　and　second　member　of　the　College　of　Justice。　　The　island　contained　18；000　native　Christians　of　the　Dutch　compulsory　type；　such　as　we　found　in　Ceylon　on　taking　it　over。　　Thus　by　the　labours　of　himself；　his　sons；　his　colleagues；　and　his　children　in　the　faith；　William　Carey　saw　the　Gospel；　the　press；　and　the　influence　of　a　divine　philanthropy　extending　among　Mohammedans；　Buddhists；　and　Hindoos；　from　the　shores　of　the　Pacific　Ocean　west　to　the　Arabian　Sea。





CHAPTER　VIII

CAREY'S　FAMILY　AND　FRIENDS

1807…1812

The　type　of　a　Christian　gentlemanCarey　and　his　first　wifeHis　second　marriageThe　Lady　RumohrHis　picture　of　their　married　lifeHis　nearly　fatal　illness　when　forty…eight　years　oldHis　meditations　and　dreamsAldeen　HouseHenry　Martyn's　pagodaCarey；　Marshman；　and　the　Anglican　chaplains　in　the　pagodaCorrie's　account　of　the　Serampore　BrotherhoodClaudius　Buchanan　and　his　Anglican　establishmentImprovement　in　Anglo…Indian　SocietyCarey's　literary　and　scientific　friendsDesire　in　the　West　for　a　likeness　of　CareyHome's　portrait　of　himCorrespondence　with　his　son　William　on　missionary　consecration；　Buonaparte；　botany；　the　missionary　a　soldier；　Felix　and　Burma；　hunting；　the　temporal　power　of　the　Pope；　the　duty　of　reconciliationCarey's　descendants。

〃A　Gentleman　is　the　next　best　character　after　a　Christian；　and　the　latter　includes　the　former；〃　were　the　father's　words　to　the　son　whom　he　was　sending　forth　as　a　Christian　missionary　and　state　superintendent　of　schools。　　Carey　wrote　from　his　own　experience；　and　he　unwittingly　painted　his　own　character。　　The　peasant　bearing　of　his　early　youth　showed　itself　throughout　his　life　in　a　certain　shyness；　which　gave　a　charm　to　his　converse　with　old　and　young。　Occasionally；　as　in　a　letter　which　he　wrote　to　his　friend　Pearce　of　Birmingham；　at　a　time　when　he　did　not　know　whether　his　distant　correspondent　was　alive　or　dead；　he　burst　forth　into　an　unrestrained　enthusiasm　of　affection　and　service。　　But　his　was　rather　the　even　tenor　of　domestic　devotion　and　friendly　duty；　unbroken　by　passion　or　coldness；　and　ever　lighted　up　by　a　steady　geniality。　　The　colleagues　who　were　associated　with　him　for　the　third　of　a　century　worshipped　him　in　the　old　English　sense　of　the　word。　　The　younger　committee…men　and　missionaries　who　came　to　the　front　on　the　death　of　Fuller；　Sutcliff；　and　Ryland；　in　all　their　mistaken　conflicts　with　these　colleagues；　always　tried　to　separate　Carey　from　those　they　denounced；　till　even　his　saintly　spirit　burst　forth　into　wrath　at　the　double　wrong　thus　done　to　his　coadjutors。　　His　intercourse　with　the　chaplains　and　bishops　of　the　Church　of　England；　and　with　the　missionaries　of　other　Churches　and　societies；　was　as　loving　in　its　degree　as　his　relations　to　his　own　people。　　With　men　of　the　world；　from　the　successive　Governor…Generals；　from　Wellesley；　Hastings；　and　Bentinck；　down　to　the　scholars；　merchants；　and　planters　with　whom　he　became　associated　for　the　public　good；　William　Carey　was　ever　the　saint　and　the　gentleman　whom　it　was　a　privilege　to　know。

In　nothing　perhaps　was　Carey's　true　Christian　gentlemanliness　so　seen　as　in　his　relations　with　his　first　wife；　above　whom　grace　and　culture　had　immeasurably　raised　him；　while　she　never　learned　to　share　his　aspirations　or　to　understand　his　ideals。　　Not　only　did　she　remain　to　the　last　a　peasant　woman；　with　a　reproachful　tongue；　but　the　early　hardships　of　Calcutta　and　the　fever　and　dysentery　of　Mudnabati　clouded　the　last　twelve　years　of　her　life　with　madness。　Never　did　reproach　or　complaint　escape　his　lips　regarding　either　her　or　Thomas；　whose　eccentric　impulses　and　oft…darkened　spirit　were　due　to　mania　also。　　Of　both　he　was　the　tender　nurse　and　guardian　when；　many　a　time；　the　ever…busy　scholar　would　fain　have　lingered　at　his　desk　or　sought　the　scanty　sleep　which　his　jealous　devotion　to　his　Master's　business　allowed　him。　　The　brotherhood　arrangement；　the　common　family；　Ward's　influence　over　the　boys；　and　Hannah　Marshman's　housekeeping　relieved　him　of　much　that　his　wife's　illness　had　thrown　upon　him　at　Mudnabati；　so　that　a　colleague　describes　him；　when　he　was　forty…three　years　of　age；　as　still　looking　young　in　spite　of　the　few　hairs　on　his　head；　after　eleven　years　in　Lower　Bengal　of　work　such　as　never　Englishman　had　before　him。　　But　almost　from　the　first　day　of　his　early　married　life　he　had　never　known　the　delight　of　daily　converse　with　a　wife　able　to　enter　into　his　scholarly　pursuits；　and　ever　to　stimulate　him　in　his　heavenly　quest。　　When　the　eldest　boy；　Felix；　had　left　for　Burma　in　1807　the　faithful　sorrowing　husband　wrote　to　him：〃Your　poor　mother　grew　worse　and　worse　from　the　time　you　left　us；　and　died　on　the　7th　December　about　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　During　her　illness　she　was　almost　always　asleep；　and　I　suppose　during　the　fourteen　days　that　she　lay　in　a　severe　fever　she　was　not　more　than　twenty…four　hours　awake。　　She　was　buried　the　next　day　in　the　missionary　burying…ground。〃

About　the　same　time　that　Carey　himself　settled　in　Serampore　there　arrived　the　Lady　Rumohr。　　She　built　a　house　on　the　Hoogli　bank　immediately　below　that　of　the　missionaries；　whose　society　she　sought；　and　by　whom　she　was　baptised。　　On　the　9th　May　1808　she　became　Carey's　wife；　and　in　May　1821　she　too　was　removed　by　death　in　her　sixty…first　year；　after　thirteen　years　of　unbroken　happiness。

Charlotte　Emilia；　born　in　the　same　year　as　Carey　in　the　then　Danish　duchy　of　Schleswick；　was　the　only　child　of　the　Chevalier　de　Rumohr；　who　married　the　Countess　of　Alfeldt；　only　representative　of　a　historic　family。　　Her　wakefulness　when　a　sickly　girl　of　fifteen　saved　the　whole　household　from　destruction　by　fire；　but　she　herself　became　so　disabled　that　she　could　never　walk　up　or　down　stairs。　　She　failed　to　find　complete　recovery　in　the　south　of　Europe；　and　her　father's　friend；　Mr。　Anker；　a　director　of　the　Danish　East　India　Company；　gave　her　letters　to　his　brother；　then　Governor　of　Tranquebar；　in　the　hope　that　the　climate　of　India　might　cause　her　relief。　　The　Danish　ship　brought　her　first　to　Serampore；　where　Colonel　Bie　introduced　her　to　the　brotherhood；　and　there　she　resolved　to　remain。　　She　knew　the　principal　languages　of　Europe；　a　copy　of　the　Pens閑s　of　Pascal；　given　to　her　by　Mr。　Anker　before　she　sailed；　for　the　first　time　quickened　her　conscience。　　She　speedily　learned　English；　that　she　might　join　the　missionaries　in　public　worship。　　The　barren　orthodoxy　of　the　Lutheranism　in　which　she　had　been　brought　up　had　made　her　a　sceptic。　　This　soon　gave　way　to　the　evangelical　teaching　of　the　same　apostle　who　had　brought　Luther　himself　to　Christ。　　She　became　a　keen　student　of　the　Scriptures；　then　an　ardent　follower　of　Jesus　Christ。

On　her　marriage　to　Dr。　Carey；　in　May　1808；　she　made　over　her　house　to　the　mission；　and　when；　long　after；　it　became　famous　as　the　office　of　the　weekly　Friend　of　India；　the　rent　was　sacredly　devoted　to　the　assistance　of　native　preachers。　　She　learned　Bengali　that　she　might　be　as　a　mother　to　the　native　Christian　families。　　She　was　her　husband's　counsellor　in　all　that　related　to　the　extension　of　the　varied　enterprise　of　the　brethren。　　Especially　did　she　make　the　education　of　Hindoo　girls　her　own　charge；　both　at　Serampore　and　Cutwa。　　Her　leisure　she　gave　to　the　reading　of　French　Protestant　writers；　such　as　Saurin　and　Du　Moulin。　　She　admired；　wrote　Carey；　〃Massillon's　language；　his　deep　knowledge　of　the　human　heart；　and　his　intrepidity　in　reproving　sin；　but　felt　the　greatest　dissatisfaction　with　his　total　neglect　of　his　Saviour；　except　when　He　is　introduced　to　give　efficacy　to　works　of　human　merit。　　These　authors　she　read　in　their　native　language；　that　being　more　familiar　to　her　than　English。　　She　in　general　enjoyed　much　of　the　consolations　of　religion。　　Though　so　much　afflicted；　a　pleasing　cheerfulness　generally　pervaded　her　conversation。　　She　indeed　possessed　great　activity　of　mind。　　She　was　constantly　out　with　the　dawn　of　the　morning　when　the　weather　permitted；　in　her　little　carriage　drawn　by　one　bearer；　and　again　in　the　evening；　as　soon　as　the　sun　was　sufficiently　low。　　She　thus　spent　daily　nearly　three　hours