say, "If the Lord would make windows in heaven, might
this thing be?" but rather, "Who hath despised the day of small things?"
The Messiah "shall build the temple, and He shall bear the glory."

CHAPTER IX.

MY SECOND YEAR IN BENARES.

In beginning this chapter it is fitting I should mention that shortly
after entering on my second year an event occurred of transcendent
importance to me, which has contributed to my personal comfort and
missionary usefulness as nothing else could have done--my marriage with
the object of my choice, who has been, through God's great goodness,
spared to me through all the intervening years.

Before the close of my first year I had a striking illustration of the
vicissitudes of Indian life, and of consequent difficulty in prosecuting
the missionary enterprise. On reaching Benares at the end of March,
1839, I found three missionaries of our society, Messrs. Buyers,
Shurman, and Lyon. Within a month of my arrival we were joined by a
German missionary and his wife, Dr. and Mrs. Sommers. Towards the end of
autumn Mr. and Mrs. Lyon left, owing to the failure of Mrs. Lyon's
health. They were followed three months afterwards by Dr. and Mrs.
Sommers, owing to Mrs. Sommers' illness. My second year was advanced
only a few months, when Mr. and Mrs. Buyers, after a residence of nearly
ten years, departed for Europe. Dr. Sommers had remained too short a
time to render any service. Mr. Lyon had made excellent progress in the
language, and promised to be a very efficient missionary; but, to our
great regret, he was obliged to leave. Mr. Buyers was in his prime, and
was well equipped for service. Thus within eighteen months the staff of
the mission was reduced from five to two, and one of these too young and
inexperienced to do anything more than help his senior brother. In June,
1841, we were joined by the Rev. D. G. Watt, and early in 1842 by the
Rev. J. H. Budden. These much-esteemed brethren still survive, and have
done excellent service in the cause of Christ; but both suffered much
from the climate, and their stay at Benares was too short to admit of
their doing there what their hearts were bent on doing.

[Sidenote: THE FAILURE OF HEALTH.]

I have not the means of comparing our Indian missions with missions in
other parts of the world, but I believe our losses by the failure of
health have greatly exceeded theirs. The climate of the South Sea
Islands, of South Africa, and of the West