.,..

TO

SABBATH-SCHOOL CHILDREN
ON

AFRICA:
WRITTEN WHILE ON A MISSION TO AFRICA, AND DUltlNG
A VISIT HOME.

Bv OEORGE T!IOMPSON,
)l!SSIONARY TO MEND! MISSION, WEST AFRICA.

VOLU!llE III.

CINCINNATI:
AMERICAN REFORM TRACT AND DOOE: SOCIETY.

185 8.

.. .

PREFACE.
IN view of the interest manifested by children and adults in the preceding volumes of
Letters from Africa, the author is induced to
prepare another volume of the remaining
letters of the series, with the hope that they
will communicate matters of interest and
profit to al I.
They will give an interesting view of our
school, our children, and of the success of
the Gospel among that people. The children aro allowed to speak much for themselves, in their own simple way.
That all who read may be as deeply
interested as was the writer in witnessing
tho scenes described, and be stimulated to
labor, and pray more earn estly for benighted
Africa, is the desire and prayer of
THE

AUTHOR.

(v.)

CONTENTS.
LETTER I.
Tho African Boy's first Composition-Another First
Effort ...... . ............ .... .... .. ..... .. .......... .. .. ........ • .

11

LETTER II.
Letters from African Children. ........ ... ..... ...... .........

15

LETTER Ill.
The Revival of God's Work....................................

19

LET'fER IV.
Talk of Natives in Prayer-Meetings... ...... ...............

23

LF.TTER V.
The Converted Heathen Woman, nnd oth er Cases-A
Chief Co1tfcBsin g h is Sin-A Letter to Schoolmates
on the Goodness of God.. ..... ... ... ..... .. ...... .. .. ......

28

LJ<"!TTER VI.
First Efforts at O_omposition .. .... .. .. .. ....... .. .... .........

83

LETTER VII.
Letters from W. B. •rnckcr....... .. ... ...... ... .................

87

LETTER VIII.
Oth er African Lelters-J,ettcr from a Smnll Boy to a
.Man In Ohio .......... ..... ............... ..... ,................ 41

(vii)

viii

eON'l'.E NTS.

LETTER IX.
Heathen Cruelties-Burning for Witchcraft..............

OONTENTS.

is

LETTER XX.
45

p~J'Secution-The Father against the Son-Additional

Facts............................................................

LETTER X.

99

Burning for Witchcraft-Trial for Adultery, The RedPepper 'I est............... ..... ..... ......... ...... .. .... ...... 49

LETTER XXI.
Christmas at Kaw Mendi .. .... ............. .... ......... ...... 108

LETTER XI.
A Shocking Case of .Torture for Witchcraft...............

65

LETTER XXII.
More Specimens of Composition .............................. 108

LETTER XII.
The talk of a Converted Heathen Boy.....................

60

LETTER XXIII.
My People Giving ............................................... 118

LETTER XIII.
African Furniture, l{itchen, etc..............................

65

LETTER XXIV.
Trouble from Leopards-Leoprud-Killing ................. 117

LETTEH. XIV.
Men di and Sher bro Numerals-llfendi Numerals-Sherbro Numerals-An Interesting Letter.................... 71

LETTER XXV.
Continuance of God's Work ................................... 122

LE'l'TEH. XV.
An Interesting Meeting.......... ........... .... ...... .... .. ...
LETTEH. XVI.
The Child's Funeral-The Proces9ion....... .... ...... ......

79

LETTER
82

LETTER XVIII.
Another Letter from an African Boy ... .... ....... ...... ...

86

98

LETTER XXIX.
Old Lango-His Death ............... · ......... · ............. .. 148

LETTER XIX.
Ths Sabbath in a Heathen Village................. ...... ...

xxvn.

"Ebenezer" ..................... '""'. ' '' ........................ 182
LETTER xxvm.
Our Christmas Trip-The Noble Boy ........................ 187

LETTER XVII.
The Soo-Soo Slave-Trnde........... .... ..... ...................

LETTER XXVI.
Two Interesting Cases .......................................... 127

LETTER XXX.
96

A Peep at Kaw Mendi ............................. "" ....... .. 147

x

..

CONTENT!!.

LETTER XXXI.
The Contrast

LETTERS

········· ....................... ........................ 157

'.I:O

LETTER XXXU.
Moral Degrndntion of Africa

LETTER

.... .. ... ........................ 162

xxxm.

llfornl Degrndntion, Continued

SABBATH-SCHOOL CHILDREN
ON

·······························

165

A}-,

LETTER XXXIV.
Degrnd11ti on of l\Iincl, Continued

RIC A.

.. ........... ................ 108

LETTER XXX V.
A Drighter View ... .... ......................................... 112

J_;ETTER I.

Conclu sion-The African's Appeal for 1~~c. Jp .............. . 177

THE AJ.' R! CAN BOY 'S FIIlST COMPOSITION .

'TIL E f1, ll owin ,g co mpoPition w:i.s written by :i
It
11-:1" " · r ill c n in Mondi , a nd trarrnlatctl by him
in to En g li ~ li. Th e n :11n c o f t h e b oy who wrote
i t if< 11 nt mc11li o n erl , lrnt l pres umo t.lrnt it was
·w m. J3. 'l'u l' k c r, fur I th.ink that no other boy
(al th:il tim e) in :M.r. Broo k s ' sch ool, could have
d o ne it in .M ondi . But t o tho composition.
!J(l y in J\lr . D roo k ~ ' sc hoo l, nt .Mo 'l'nppan .

"THE IIUNTElt.

"A hunting -man \Y cnt a hunting. a nd killed
Th ere " ·r·1·e :i. nnmliC' r o f people
•1ro1111d , trying lo sc tti c lh c qt: "»ti u n, ·w ho ki ll ed
the anirnnl ; and am ong them came a s tranger,
nnd inquired tho cause of their dispute. 'l'hoy

n leopard.

[ lt]

12

13

THOMPSON'S LETTERS

TO SADDATll-SOllOOL CHILDREN •

said, 'Wo aro trying to determine what killed
this lcopnrd . 'l'he man who went a hunting
h~d a gun ; now, the man, or the gun, which
kill ed th e leopard?' 'l'he stranger answered
'I s~ppose it was th e man that killed it.' 'No,:
replied tho others, 'for wo saw him with the
gun, which ho pointed toward th e animal'
•_r1i cn said the stranger, 'I suppose it was th~
~ nn, 1cith whi ch the man killed the leopard.'
r110y answered, '\Vhy? How would the gun
havo killed it, wer e there no man? Could the
gun havo killed the animal by itself? And as
yon have before said , that it was the ·man who
kill ed it, would he Jrnvo killed it, had there
been 110 ground to stand upon?' To this the
stranger made no anAwer. And before th ey
could speak of th e man who made the gun, and
the Bemg who made tho ground so rich with
ir~n; the ~nembers of tho hunter caught the
spmt of dispute, and fell into a quarrel for the
beast. 'rhe eye said, 'Give me my beof,* for
without me the leopard would not have been
killed.' "

hn<l carried out his idea, and given his own
moral, but the read er will have to tako it as I
get it. Each can make his own application.
Thorn is evi dence of thought manifested in
this which is interesting, and which has since
been more fully developed.

•

So abruptly ends the composition without
its applic_~ti~n. We could wish that' the boy
* An AfricBn term for ~ll animals that are eaten, whether
_g reat or small.

ANOTHER FIRST EFFORT.

•

Horo is another composition, by James R.
Amlerson, a boy _in my school.
" DRUNKENNESS.

"Drunkenness is one of the most horrible
sins that ever existed on this globe, and has
reduced human beings to a lower state of existence, by brutalizing them, and making them
unconscious of their high nature. For examt>le, I will mention the case of Lot. He was
deceived by wine, and after being reduced to
110 low a state of mind, he committed the sin of
kwdne&s with his own daughters. 'fhus wo
have now seen how a man is readily brutalized
by this practice.
.
"I beli!}ve also, that the writer of this composition l\bs seen how men by this have become
di88ipated, so that poverty has followed them
all their lif, , here, and afterward they are sent

14

15

THOMPSON 'S LETTERS

TO SABllATH-SCilOOL CHILDREN.

'where their worm dieth not, and the firo is
n ot quenched.'
"So when I think of t hoso multitndcs in
F reetown, who nrn pel'ishing, day by day, in
co nReCJ UC·ncc of thei r takin g' one g lasA a week,
'n ri th en one a dny, nnd at every friend's house,
t ill t.hcy ll'ant somethin g strongo1· and str onger,
nml at last murder their fe llow-man to get
more rnm ,'* 1 pray that tho Lord may hasten
tho day when Tcmporancci shall sway the
wol'ld uronncl.
"At last, when I think of my own father,
who l oYCR mo so much , I nm at a loss what to
!'lay. But Ml T l11w o written to him many tim es,
:ind f:polrn n t.n him , if li e docs n ot hearken t he
J;ord l<no\\'A tlwl l have not spared my v'oico,
to i;pca k to my parcntR what lhe l~iblc tells mo.
I :i m gin(! I have done RO; yet I feel to be tellin g th em every day, either by lotter, or from
my 0 \ 1· 11 1110111 h .
" .l>e:1r brethren nnd friends , 'viii yon join
with me lo pray for them? I beseech
the nam e of tho J.Jord,

Dear children, what do you think of these
fir st efforts at composition? Is there not hope?
Shall we not be encouraged to go forward and
lnbor for this people? What if we die, if laborr rs h er e may ho raised up to take our
plnces? Will you not be encouraged to pray,
and do more than ever?
Your Missionary,
GEO. TnmiPSON .

•
LE'r'1.1 ER II.
I.ETTERS FROJ\I AFilICAN CHILDREN.

'l'hc first is from a boy who belongs to tho
tthureh. Uc has j oi ned since I came out to
'' Africa this last time. I asked him to write a ·
illttcr to a Sabbath-school in Illinois, which is
raising money to help us. I think he was gone
not moro th an half an hour, and came back
"· with the following, which I send you with
· 1carcoly a single correction. For such an off.hand effort I was pl eased with it.

'For th ough he mfl.y awhile forb • ·r,
IIc'll help t.hem from on high . ~
·~ This 'l11o!nti o 11 is from n Temperance Card which I pub•:shed, nnd circulated in Africa.
,...
G. T.
·

~

·~-

KAW 111ENDI MISSION, 1854. .
: VT Dun FRIENDS:
, I wish to say something about this country .
In this part of tho world, they servo idols of

,.

HI

~.

1

TROMPSON 8 LETTERS

TO SABBATH-SCHOOL CHILDREN.

17

woo<l and stone, and wori>hip hills and rivers.
Oh, dear friends, when our dear minister,
Wh en a man dies his family beat drums, drink
Geo rge Th ompson, asked me to write to you,
palm wine , shoot gunt1, and give liquor to the
I wns Yery glad to do it.
peopl e t.ill they are drnnk . 'l'h e )Jl'OlJerty of
I nm your affectionate brother
the dead is divided among his family. 'l'hey
C.T.
then begin to dance, and kill sheep , and goats,
ANOTIIER LETTER.
and foll'IR. They feast and make merry with
The
f'ullowing
cxtrncts arc from one who has
each other, near the grave. Th ey do not like
lately
profeRsed
to bo converted. He wrote a
t o thi11k that death will come to thc1m.1elvcs,
lotter
lo
a
Sabbath-school
in Ohio, from which
and so when it appears, they drive away the
a lclte1· wafl written to our school.
thon~ht by snch bad doings.
,
We know that death will come to all, and as
we seek to lov e God and believe in Jesus, so
KAW l\IENDI l\I1ss10N, June 21, 1854.
WO prny that we may bo r eady.
LIKAR l.IRETHREN AND SISTERS.
Oh, pray to God, my dear fri ends, that the
I am one of tho mission scholars. I study
eyes of this pcopi e may bo opened, that they
phi101Jophy, grammar, Colbm·n'a arithmetic,
may know our Saviour, and acknowledge his
and other common studies.
blessed grace and mercy.
l was once a very wicked boy, but I asked
Oh, dear friends, make good use of the privi, God to pardon my sins. Ile answered my
loges you have, and pray to God, that as you
prayer, an<l I was converted to the Lord Jesus
grow in years, you may also "grow in grace,
Chrh•t. I have forsaken all my sins, and now
and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ,"
· I am willing to live for my Saviour. When I
!IO that when yon grow to be men and women,
pray in . my room, I always remember you,
yon may be able to t each others who are igno~ alt.hough I have never seen your faces. But .I
rant. and thus help bring them to Christ.
bolievo if I nm faithful to the end, and all of
Now, my dear friends, I must close this letter.
ou nro also, if yon first go to Paradise, I shall
N oxt time I may tell you something else. Si'>'a••eeL every ono of yon there.
Much love to you all, and to your teachers.
I \hank you fo1· helping us in thii; mission,
:l
,•' ..

18

'l'l!OMl'SON ' s J,E'l''l'EltS

11 nd for Rending 11 s 111 issiona ri ef;, for once I was
in darkn cs ~, Lu t n ow I sec the lig ht.
'J'lie mi Bf; ionnrimi li erc nre lauoring Ycry hard
fol' r1><, and man y of lir e se holars have given up
th e ir Jil,a1·ls lo God , nnd lravc left off all tbcir
s in~. J3nt so m e of lhc nativ es of the tmn1
11;1\· c
not gin~ n their h ear ts to the J_,ord,
tl11nrgh t.li e rnini i<te r h:ls taken much pain s to
gu rr111nd f'l1 c town to inYite ibem. 'l'hey aro
fi p;lit.ing :1 gn in st thnt g reat, nnd mighty, and
po 11· c rf"11I (;od , day and nig ht.
Som e of' tli cm do no t believe there is any
h Pll for th e wicked lo go to, lmt oh , ho w ig nor :rnt t !tl•.r al'c ! I nRk thorn," 'Vh cn you di e,
" "ii P l' C will ynn gn?,,
'J.'h cy Ray," My uody
wi ll jn s l. lie il' f't in ilio g round t o r ot, and all
fir<" lro11h le will be Ol' c r ." I as k them again,
" Wh o w ill lie your friend in tho g rou nd, when
yo11 rl il~ ?" 'l'h cy anf;wer, " \\Te will m eet all
nnl' falh c r·s , and mntlierB, and si s te rs, a nd
hr<>tlr c r1', and all tire fomilyl"
Wl1 c 11 I sec 8 11c;l1 t hin gs among the h eat hen,
ii 111:1kcs my h cnrt bl'cak down; and so I a m
tl'ying to ~i 11d.r hard , that I may be a" 1fal1er
o f" 111 0 11 " :t111ong t.Jic, l11~ aLh e n !
Your 111 o~t s in ccrn fri end ,

J. H.
Dc:u· <.:hildrcn, I bavc only given extracts

TO SABBATH-SCHOOL CHIJ,DltEN.

19

fr om thi s Jotter, b eca use it was so l ong that
my Rhcot wonld not hold it all; but I have
gh•en yo n the s ubstan ce of the whol e. \-Vhat
(lo yon think of these letters? Will not you
l1J,·c the Lord, and do more for the heathen?
l'rny for us.
Your Missionary,
GEO. THOMPSON.

LET'l'ER III.*
THE REVIV AJ. OF

aon's

WORK.

Do11bt.1 css my yonng r ead ers, as well ns tl~e
ol<l<>r will h e intcresLocl to kn ow, that God is
nnsw~rincr their prayers for this benighted
peo pl e,
p o nrin g o u t hi s spi 1:it ri c_hly up~n
n11.
And that you all m ay unite with u s Ill
thnnlrng iving to. him for his mercy'. I will stale
A fow fa cts and incid ents respectrng the last
.
two months.
lt is known from my previous letters, that
onr meetin gs have been well attended, and
very interesti ng for a year past, and that: occa1l11nnl co nvers ions have occurred from t11n_c to
Bnt 011 tho fourteenth of l\Iay a prcmous

b;

* Wrilten on the twelfth of July,

1854.

28

THOMPSON 'S !,ETTERS

TO SABBATH-SCHO OL CIULDREN.

Spiri t of God, see them selves to be " tho chief
of s inn e rs;" that when th ere is co nvi l:t io n fo r
11in, n:lief is fo und o nl y in applying to C hri st,
:t1id 111 the nssurnnce that his blood hns
" elca118ed fr o m all Ain ;" that where this is folt
peace n11u j oy in variably follow; and that
wh e n the e \· id e nce ofntloption is e nJ.O }'Cd there
.
I
.
'
1~ a ways a desire to be actively engaged for
God .

L E'l"rmi
TllF. CONVE llTF.J)

v.

IIF.ATllEN WmIAN, AND OTHEn
CASES.

In th e villng-o n ear us lives an old lady who
h:t R no friends in thiH pnl'tofthe country. Sho
wns born fo1· up 11 orth -enst from h c 1·c, and is
very old . 1Ic1· name is Mnntenne. Is not this
a pretty nam e? Fol' a lon g time this woman
has bee n obse rved to bo very attentive to
p1·ear hing, and to take gl'cat clolight in hearing
~~10 Go!':J~el , :11.1 d in being with Christians.
1 hcso thing~ in h er co ndu ct interested o ur
hcm; tfl, nnd led ns to hope that Goel was doing
~good work in he!' sou l. I called li er to
1 oo m, nnd hnd a lo ng talk with li er . She
tn1ly talk ed like n Chri1i1tian; had firm t1·ulit

my

r

'

Z9

in God, and was co nfid e nt that nothing, neith er
wealth, s ham e, 01· s uffe ring, co uld make h er
lc:l\-e the S11vio111'. S he . IO\CS prayer, and
·prays often . She is poor, vc1·y poor. She sn id,
"I have no hu sban d , no child, nor nny one to
help me. I came from a far country, and now
loo k to God only for holp. Somctimc8, when I
have nothing, an<l do not know how I can get
any thing to cat, I pray, and t ell the Lord that
I have nothing, and don't know how I nm to
do i and whil e I am praying, aomo one comes .
with something for me ." Is not this beautiful? ·fi.
Docs it not r emi nd yo u of that promise of
God, " Whil e they aro yet speaking, I will
hcn r?"
God lovc8 t o see s impl e, child-like confidence
in him, and will always honor it, and e ncourngo it, in whomsoever manifested, though inn
p oo r , ign ornn t, old African woman.
Does the r ende r have s uch humble faith in
God. as a 8aviour who will forgive, and a
Father who will "giv e that which is good?"
Oh , may not this old African woman ri se up in
tl1 0 judg-me nt, to condemn nny r ender who
enjoys vrivilcgcs a n d op portuniti es very far
su pcri o r , and yet n eglects them?
I asked h er, "Do you know when tho Sabbath comes?" "Yes." "How?" "Thili iii

30

•I
t

'

I

31

TH OMPSON'S L ETTERS

TO SABBATH-SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Satn r day , is i t n ot?" sh e ask ed. " Yes. " "Tom orrow is S 1111day," sh o said. " Y es. " Then
sh e counted h er fi nger s, a nd s howed wh en
S und ay w o11ld co ma again. I as ker! ," Il:wo
y ou nny sti ck , or a ny t hing by whi eh t o k eep
co un t of t he Sabbath ?" "No, it liveso in my
h ea d," was her beaut iful r eply.
1 \\' Ufl mu ch delig hted w it h th o sp irit of t his
old lady. Well wo uld it bo fo r th o usands in
Am eri ca, if th oy had such a r egard fo r tho Sabbath as this p oor , ig noran t, h ea then wom a n h as.

ecln ess. W o can't do wi ck ed ng ain. vVe hope
th e I iord may h elp the missionaries who ar1:1
try in g t o t eac h this p eople, for it is throug h
th em that we h oar about God. " I had been
preach i11 g from P rov. v: 22, showing how
wick ed m en a r e tak en in t h eir sins, as with
cord s, nnd are binding th emselves fast th erewith. H e went on , alluding to this: " Those
cord s of sin ab out us, of whi ch tho minister
speaks, and whi ch bind us fa st, we b eg God to
break t hem, t ha t we may serve him alon e.
Th oug h w e li ve in a h eath en land , we have
now h eard abo ut God t o-clay, and w e can ' t for.
ge t t he word s we have h oard. When you pray,
wo beg yo n to r e member us."
W e can not ove n hope t hat t hese ch iefs w er~
conYer tecl , b nt w e w ere g lad t o see t hem so
much inter ested in t h o t ru t h. And I a m persu ad ed, th iit thi s peopl e on ly ueed to have the
Gospel preach ed to t h em steadily, to cause
mul t it udes t o em b race it.

A CH IEF CONFESSING HIS SI N.

So me t ime sin ce, two chi ofo fro m u p th e
r h·c r, en mo her e 0 11 Satu rday, and we p ersu aded t horn to stay t ill l\Ion<lny. On t ho Sabha tl1 t hey we nt to t he chap el tw ice, a nd h eard
t he (;o~ p c l , for probab ly t ho first time . l n th e
c\·e 11i11 g, as man y were spea king, on e .of t he
chi o f.~ nskccl if ho co uld speak. ·w e said," Yes."
J\ 11 d ho th en, in tho na me of both , confessed
t.li c i1· sin R, nnd said , " ' Vo cn mo h er e to Mr.
'l' li o nq1 ~o n , an d we a rc g lad to hoar God -w ord.
·wo \\·ill prny tha t God mny fo rg ive our w ick - ----·

.. -

- ----·-- - - -- -

·:<> Th e won! " li re ., is ofle n thu s n.p plicd, by A fri cn. n•, to
i11 '1 11i111 nlc ohjPcts. A wont, a tho11g-h 1., or nny object., is
s11 i<l to" li1•c th ere," w hc1·c we say," it i8 t here ."

A J,ETTE R 'f O SC HOOI,JIIATES, ON THE

GOODNESS

OF GOD.

Hero is a lotter from one of our boys to his
co mp an ions:
l\I y

D EA i t

F1trnsns:

Let us t hink how mu ch God has done for us
in thi s heathen land. Just see all the things

32

i

I

'.

• I

:' 1·

...•

T ll O~!PSON ' S LETTERS

'l'O SABBA'l' I!·SCHOOL CHILDREN.

tha t nre nrouncl us h ere-t hese plantainf' , pnlm trcef', g-ood wa te r , nnd pine-apple;i, nnd all
these vegc ta\Jlc pt'odu e ts that he ha A provid ed
for 11 ~.
A 11d then he ha s sen t so many fi s he rmen and
w011Hrn. t o fi !-; h frw o nr f'O ul :;, and to Rprcud the
Go~pet in thi s land , thnt we may not p eri s h;
that ,,-c mny know bow much J es us suffe red
for ns ; and thnt w e may not di e in our sins.
And while be l':cnds all th ese mi ss io nari es to us,
w e soc that th ey soon d ie-and thi s is a ll for
ou r :;nk cs. So that we ough t to pray for the
few t hat remain with us, laborin g only for
our so nl s,
'l' ho ng h nrnn y of th e p eopl e say that th ey
ca n not be li eve what they t ell th e m abo ut the
hlef'Scll Sav io ut', let us try to go forward day
hy day, because we have th e H o ly Bible in our
hand R, ancl a r c trying to nndcrstand it more
and m or e. So , breth ren, w e o ug ht to love God,
_ ancl try to tea c h oth ers, a!'l lo ng as we live.
Let ns think , dear fri e nd R, h ow many of our
famili es a r o p eri s hin g wiLh o nt Christ. Our
conntr.r h b efor e us. A li fe of usefuln ess is
h 0ld ou t. tons , a nd a God of a lmi g h ty power is
by l1 $ to " 11ppor t 11 R. O h , how 111nch we oug h t
to lO\'C' t h e L ord .TcR ns Chr ist, m y dear fri e nds,
for his goodness to us.
C. T .

Will not ever y on e b e e n conragcd to do m o re
th a n eve r to se nd tho Gos pel to t he h eathen?
R ca dct', "1' hc woi·ld is lJcfore you, and a life of
usrfiilncss," and a ll n eed ed graco to help .you.
"Work whil e it is called to-day."
Yo ur M issionary,
GEo. '11 no111rsoN.

33

LET'l'ER VI.
l' IHST El'FORTS AT COMPOSITION.

In t hi s lett.0 1· I w ill g iv e you a num ber of
li ttle co mpos iti ons, written by various boys in
th e schoo l.
"GOD, AN D HIS ANGELS.

"God is in h ca\· 011 , and hi Han gels arc around
him , prai s ing him ; and so w e oug ht to do
w hil e w e arc in t hi s world. Th oug h we can
n ot sec him , y et h e is w i th us, and if we are
pre pared to m eet him, w e shall F<cc him , fW'l
li \·e w ith him in h eaven , with all hi s angels,
and with hi R so n , J esus Chri st. H ow happy
are th ey wh o love t h e J_;o rd , and go to be w ith
him , when th ey die.
" J. JL "
"STUDY.

"It is a useful t hin g to study. Some of tho
learned men, who have studied much, have

I<

t

,l.

34

THOMPSON ' S LETTERS

found out great things. I love to study, very
rnne;h. See that great man, Isaac Newton. By
study_ing, and thinking, he found out what
mak es things fall to the ground. And again,
by studying, nil the p lanets 'vere found out,
and named , and cla ssed in order. How should
all of ns try to study, to gain knowledge, and
not be like our countrymen any more-ignorant, idle, and lazy.

"T. T."
"OLUTTONY.

"Glu ttony if! a great sin, in tho sight of God.
It is fmid in tho Bible, that whenever we oat
and drink, we must do it' to the g lory of God.'
I know many peop le who are gluttons, and
some boys that are g lu ttons. '!'hey like to oat
more than they need, and after that they get
sick. I know a boy who eat so mu ch that ho
wont and Yomited, and then came back and cat
again. It is very wicked to eat too n1uch, for
God has given us food to strcno-then our bod"' him, and to
ios, thnt we may be able to servo
li ve for him .
"S. l\f. C."

TO SABBATH-SCHOOL CHILDitEN.

and now what sha ll we render to him for all
the goodness which ho ha s <lone for uA ? I
think all the money in this world woul<l not
rcw::wd the Lord fo 1· hi s goodness to us. He
'so loved tho world that he gave hif:l only begot.ton son , that whosoever Leliovcth in him shou ld
not perish , but have everlasting life.' Now,
must we not love t hat dear Saviour, who is so
g ood to us? I think we ought to love him
more than we do, for what he haA done
for us .

"T. C."
"ON SLAVERY.

"To hold a fel low-creature as a slave, is on e
of the most wicked things in tho sight of God.
In this counti-y, when a man has throe or four
slaves, he will not work again, but make all
his i:;laves work night and day. And if he gets
in any palaver (troub le), and has to pay, ho
will take his slave and pay for the palaver.
All this is sin against God, and we ought to
pray that tho time may soon come, "·hen
slav ot'.)' shall come to an end, and peace, and
love, and joy , be estab li shed.

"J.P."

"ON TT!P. GOODNESS OF GOD.

"'L'hc goodness of Goel is very great to men.
God has clone so much for the childrnn of men,

35

"l'ItAYER.

"Prnyo r iA the Christian's life. If any man
pray to the Lord, with his heart, the Lord will

H6

THOMPSON 'S

h ?a r hi f! pmye r.

37

TO SABllATll-SCHOO L CUJLlHtEN .

LETT ERS

But if h e do not prny w ith

LJ<;'J."L'BH VII.

h1 ~ h cnl't, h e will n ot It em· !ti~ prny cr. L et uf.l,
rl<':u· bl'e thl'c n , love th e I1ord, 'for hi s mercy

L l!)T'l'ERS Fll.OM: WM. ll. TUCK E R.

1\io

~ nd11r ct h fo 1·cvc1·.'

And let us love him m o re
nnd rnrw c, li ccan!"C h e se nt liis Son into th e
\l'fll'id to saYc s inn er s. And Jct u A b e r cndy
:ihny~ to nn s wc r questions about our Fnthc1·
who is in h caYcn.

"F.

•r."

Dcn r r end er , whnt do you t hink of fil'Rt
e fforts? All ch oose t h eir ow n 1rnhjcclR, and
"Tile hy lh c msc lv eR. Pol'h:tps l 'may Re nd
m o re to yon h ereaft e r ; but th ese arc s nfli cie n1;
fo l' s p ec im ens, and to s how tho tu 1·n of th e ir
minus . 'Ve think that th er e is reaso n for
c ~1 : ouragemenL. I have many longer co mpo s 1l1 o n ~, but ehnosc s hol'L ·on es, in Ol'uer t o g ive
you m o re Y:tl'iety of pcrso nll and s ubj c() tS.
F o ur of t h e foregoi ng write rs are s mall boys,
and I h ope t h at a ll ::we Chl'istians-but that
th e life muRt s how.
Your Mi ss ionary,
GEO. THOMPSON.

To llln.

TAPPAN,

July 9, 1854.

L v.w r ~ 'l' A PPA ~ :

lJ ea1· fat.h e r in C hri st-Since my last letter
to you , th e .Lonl hat1 dealt grac ioui:;ly w it.Ii me,
in :ipari11g ms lifo , that l may li o hi s w ill in
this Jark pa1·t of Lite worlll , wh e re heuthe 11il:!m
a11J s up c rs t.it.iou r c lgu. l s ho ulJ juJgo that
this pa1·L u t' Afrien is t he mos t. inv o lved i11 f' iu s
of the black es t aud mos t awful kin<l l:! lrnow11 to
Af'rieanfi.
'l ' h cy arc caHi ly J ccei\·cd in rn:tttCl'S of
co u11lry- fas l1i o 11 (j ugg lery, or soree1·y ), and in
g rec-g rcc~ . 'l' hey w ei·e so d eceived by th e
:-ipa1 1iard s and Fl'e nch , as to be lcJ lo be li eve
t.li:lL there is lL ki1nl or g r ec -grcc in Huropc and
1\ tllL' ri ca., whi e h, w hen wo rn i11 time ol' \\·a 1·,
\\·u 11ld ~ ; 1. Ye a p ei·so n from bc i11 g i:.; hot, Ol' fr o111
being ki ll ed by :L s wo rd. Uy Rueb deee pti o nH
1li c Spa ni a rds a11d Fre nch gut many of th e i1·
Hl:\\·cs. Som etilll CS th ey w o uld bri11g a pi ece
o f metal, and se ll it. ns a g rec-gree, for not
lei;8 than a s h n· ! '''
T hi s peopl e hn,·ing bee n
·:::· J. nm inclined l 1,1 l1 v . i· ·;· 1· tlin '. til e :=.:lu n L' i1hl s !'t'llnd O\TCL'

lh c ~ 0 11nt ry, a11d used a< g; rcc-g n :es, 1rcre lil'sL introducetl

in this wn.y.

JJut thi s is only conjecture.

G. 'l'.

