r murmured when the call
came. And this brings me to my last example of what I may call sublime
moral courage or heroism. It is taken from the records of the Church
Missionary Society. When first that society's noble work began, its
agents went forth to settle among the poor negroes of Western Africa in
the neighbourhood of Sierra Leone. But the fever that hovered on the
coast was enough to terrify any one who loved his life more than Christ.
In the first twenty years of that mission no fewer than fifty-three
male and female missionaries died at their posts. In the year 1823, out
of five who went out four died within six months, yet two years
afterwards six presented themselves for that mission; and, indeed, since
the formation of that mission there have never been men wanting--true
heroes of the Lord Jesus Christ--who have willingly offered themselves
for the blessed but deadly service. The women were as devoted as the
men. A bright young couple, the Reverend Henry Palmer and his wife,
landed at Sierra Leone on March 21, 1823. In the beginning of May, not
two full months afterwards, the husband was dead; in June, just one
month later, the wife was dead also. Yet neither spoke in their dying
moments one word of regret, but gloried in the work and in the sacrifice
they had been called to make. Another female missionary to the same
parts, a widow, said: `I have now lived one year in Africa, eight months
of which I have been a widow; but I cannot resolve to leave Africa.'
Another, whose course was finished in twenty-two short days, said to her
husband on her death-bed: `Never once think that I repent of coming here
with you.' Her only fear seemed to be lest her death should discourage
others, or damp her husband's zeal.--I have now finished my examples. I
am sure, dear children, that they are to the point; I mean, that they
are examples of the sublimest moral courage--that courage which leads
godly men and women not to shrink from duty though disease and death lie
before them or hover over their path."

"Thank you, dearest auntie," said Walter; "you have indeed brought some
glorious examples before us, and they just fit in with the conduct of
our own dear hero here, who seems to wish us to forget that there ever
was such a person as Amos Huntingdon, but he certainly won't succeed."

CHAPTER TWENTY.

FURTHER PROGRESS.

How greatly did Amos rejoice that now one portion of the great purpose
to which he had