THE MISSIONARY

    Plough, vessel², plough the British main, Seek the free ocean's wider plain； Leave English scenes and English skies, Unbind, dissever English ties； Bear me to climes remote and strange, Where altered life, fast-following change, Hot action, never-ceasing toil³, Shall stir, turn, dig, the spirit's soil； Fresh roots shall plant, fresh seed shall sow, Till a new garden there shall grow, Cleared of the weeds that fill it now,—— Mere⁴ human love, mere selfish yearning⁵, Which, cherished, would arrest me yet. I grasp the plough, there's no returning, Let me, then, struggle to forget.

    But England's shores are yet in view, And England's skies of tender blue Are arched above her guardian⁶ sea. I cannot yet Remembrance flee； I must again, then, firmly face That task of anguish⁷, to retrace⁸. Wedded⁹ to home——I home forsake¹⁰； Fearful of change——I changes make； Too fond of ease——I plunge¹¹ in toil； Lover of calm——I seek turmoil¹²： Nature and hostile Destiny Stir in my heart a conflict wild； And long and fierce the war will be Ere duty both has reconciled.

    What other tie yet holds me fast To the divorced, abandoned past？ Smouldering, on my heart's altar lies The fire of some great sacrifice, Not yet half quenched¹³. The sacred steel But lately struck my carnal will, My life-long hope, first joy and last, What I loved well, and clung to fast； What I wished wildly to retain, What I renounced¹⁴ with soul-felt pain； What——when I saw it, axe-struck, perish—— Left me no joy on earth to cherish； A man bereft——yet sternly now I do confirm that Jephtha vow¹⁵： Shall I retract¹⁶, or fear, or flee？ Did Christ, when rose the fatal tree Before him, on Mount Calvary？ 'Twas a long fight, hard fought, but won, And what I did was justly done.

    Yet, Helen！ from thy love I turned, When my heart most for thy heart burned； I dared thy tears, I dared thy scorn—— Easier the death-pang¹⁷ had been borne. Helen, thou mightst not go with me, I could not——dared not stay for thee！ I heard, afar, in bonds complain The savage¹⁸ from beyond the main； And that wild sound rose o'er the cry Wrung¹⁹ out by passion's agony； And even when, with the bitterest tear I ever shed, mine eyes were dim, Still, with the spirit's vision clear, I saw Hell's empire, vast and grim, Spread on each Indian river's shore, Each realm of Asia covering o'er. There, the weak, trampled²¹ by the strong, Live but to suffer——hopeless die； There pagan-priests, whose creed²² is Wrong, Extortion, Lust²³, and Cruelty, Crush our lost race——and brimming fill The bitter cup of human ill； And I-who have the healing creed, The faith benign²⁴ of Mary's Son, Shall I behold²⁵ my brother's need, And, selfishly, to aid him shun²⁶？ I——who upon my mother's knees, In childhood, read Christ's written word, Received his legacy²⁷ of peace, His holy rule of action heard； I——in whose heart the sacred sense Of Jesus' love was early felt； Of his pure, full benevolence²⁸, His pitying tenderness for guilt²⁹； His shepherd-care for wandering sheep, For all weak, sorrowing, trembling things, His mercy vast, his passion deep Of anguish for man's sufferings； I——schooled from childhood in such lore-Dared I draw back or hesitate, When called to heal the sickness sore Of those far off and desolate³⁰？ Dark, in the realm and shades of Death, Nations, and tribes, and empires lie, But even to them the light of Faith Is breaking on their sombre sky： And be it mine to bid them raise Their drooped³¹ heads to the kindling³² scene, And know and hail the sunrise blaze Which heralds³³ Christ the Nazarene. I know how Hell the veil will spread Over their brows and filmy eyes, And earthward crush the lifted head That would look up and seek the skies； I know what war the fiend will wage Against that soldier of the Cross, Who comes to dare his demon³⁴ rage, And work his kingdom shame and loss. Yes, hard and terrible the toil Of him who steps on foreign soil, Resolved to plant the gospel vine, Where tyrants³⁵ rule and slaves repine； Eager to lift Religion's light Where thickest shades of mental night Screen the false god and fiendish rite³⁶； Reckless that missionary blood, Shed in wild wilderness³⁷ and wood, Has left, upon the unblest air, The man's deep moan——the martyr's prayer. I know my lot——I only ask Power to fulfil the glorious task； Willing the spirit, may the flesh Strength for the day receive afresh. May burning sun or deadly wind Prevail not o'er an earnest mind； May torments³⁸ strange or direst death Nor trample²⁰ truth, nor baffle faith. Though such blood-drops should fall from me As fell in old Gethsemane, Welcome the anguish, so it gave More strength to work——more skill to save. And, oh！ if brief must be my time, If hostile hand or fatal clime Cut short my course——still o'er my grave, Lord, may thy harvest whitening wave. So I the culture may begin, Let others thrust the sickle³⁹ in； If but the seed will faster grow, May my blood water what I sow！

    What！ have I ever trembling stood, And feared to give to God that blood？ What！ has the coward love of life Made me shrink from the righteous strife⁴⁰？ Have human passions, human fears Severed⁴¹ me from those Pioneers Whose task is to march first, and trace Paths for the progress of our race？ It has been so； but grant me, Lord, Now to stand steadfast⁴² by Thy word！ Protected by salvation's helm, Shielded by faith, with truth begirt, To smile when trials seek to whelm And stand mid⁴³ testing fires unhurt！ Hurling⁴⁴ hell's strongest bulwarks⁴⁵ down, Even when the last pang thrills my breast, When death bestows⁴⁶ the martyr's crown, And calls me into Jesus' rest. Then for my ultimate reward—— Then for the world-rejoicing word—— The voice from Father——Spirit——Son： "Servant of God, well hast thou done！"