the life of william carey-第34章

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use；　where　chairs　and　mats　were　provided：　here　friends　and　neighbours　sat　all　around。　　Brother　Carey　sat　at　a　table；　and　after　a　short　introduction；　in　which　he　explained　the　nature　of　marriage；　and　noticed　the　impropriety　of　the　Hindoo　customs　in　this　respect；　he　read　2　Cor。　vi。　14…18；　and　also　the　account　of　the　marriage　at　Cana。　Then　he　read　the　printed　marriage　agreement；　at　the　close　of　which　Krishna　Prosad　and　Onunda；　with　joined　hands；　one　after　the　other；　promised　love；　faithfulness；　obedience；　etc。　　They　then　signed　the　agreement；　and　brethren　Carey；　Marshman；　Ward；　Chamberlain；　Ram　Roteen；　etc。；　signed　as　witnesses。　　The　whole　was　closed　with　prayer　by　brother　Ward。　Everything　was　conducted　with　the　greatest　decorum；　and　it　was　almost　impossible　not　to　have　been　pleased。　　We　returned　home　to　breakfast；　and　sent　the　new…married　couple　some　sugar…candy；　plantains；　and　raisins；　the　first　and　last　of　these　articles　had　been　made　a　present　of　to　us；　and　the　plantains　were　the　produce　of　the　mission　garden。　　In　the　evening　we　attended　the　monthly　prayer…meeting。

〃Apr。　5。This　evening　we　all　went　to　supper　at　Krishna's；　and　sat　under　the　shade　where　the　marriage　ceremony　had　been　performed。　Tables；　knives　and　forks；　glasses；　etc。；　having　been　taken　from　our　house；　we　had　a　number　of　Bengali　plain　dishes；　consisting　of　curry；　fried　fish；　vegetables；　etc。；　and　I　fancy　most　of　us　ate　heartily。　This　is　the　first　instance　of　our　eating　at　the　house　of　our　native　brethren。　　At　this　table　we　all　sat　with　the　greatest　cheerfulness；　and　some　of　the　neighbours　looked　on　with　a　kind　of　amazement。　　It　was　a　new　and　very　singular　sight　in　this　land　where　clean　and　unclean　is　so　much　regarded。　　We　should　have　gone　in　the　daytime；　but　were　prevented　by　the　heat　and　want　of　leisure。　　We　began　this　wedding　supper　with　singing；　and　concluded　with　prayer：　between　ten　and　eleven　we　returned　home　with　joy。　　This　was　a　glorious　triumph　over　the　caste！　　A　Brahman　married　to　a　soodra；　in　the　Christian　way：　Englishmen　eating　with　the　married　couple　and　their　friends；　at　the　same　table；　and　at　a　native　house。　　Allowing　the　Hindoo　chronology　to　be　true；　there　has　not　been　such　a　sight　in　Bengal　these　millions　of　years！〃

In　the　same　year　the　approaching　death　of　Gokool　led　the　missionaries　to　purchase　the　acre　of　ground；　near　the　present　railway　station；　in　which　lies　the　dust　of　themselves　and　their　converts；　and　of　a　child　of　the　Judsons；　till　the　Resurrection。　Often　did　Carey　officiate　at　the　burial　of　Europeans　in　the　Danish　cemetery。　　Previous　to　his　time　the　only　service　there　consisted　in　the　Government　secretary　dropping　a　handful　of　earth　on　the　coffin。　In　the　native　God's…acre；　as　in　the　Communion　of　the　Lord's　Table；　and　in　the　simple　rites　which　accompanied　the　burial　of　the　dead　in　Christ；　the　heathen　saw　the　one　lofty　platform　of　loving　self…sacrifice　to　which　the　Cross　raises　all　its　children：

〃Oct。　7。Our　dear　friend　Gokool　is　gone：　he　departed　at　two　this　morning。　　At　twelve　he　called　the　brethren　around　him　to　sing　and　pray；　was　perfectly　sensible；　resigned；　and　tranquil。　　Some　of　the　neighbours　had　been　persuading　him　the　day　before　to　employ　a　native　doctor；　he　however　refused；　saying　he　would　have　no　physician　but　Jesus　Christ。　　On　their　saying；　How　is　it　that　you　who　have　turned　to　Christ　should　be　thus　afflicted？　　He　replied；　My　affliction　is　on　account　of　my　sins；　my　Lord　does　all　things　well！　　Observing　Komal　weep　（who　had　been　a　most　affectionate　wife）；　he　said；　Why　do　you　weep　for　me？　　Only　pray；　etc。　　From　the　beginning　of　his　illness　he　had　little　hope　of　recovery；　yet　he　never　murmured；　nor　appeared　at　all　anxious　for　medicine。　　His　answer　constantly　was；　〃I　am　in　my　Lord's　hands；　I　want　no　other　physician！'　　His　patience　throughout　was　astonishing：　I　never　heard　him　say　once　that　his　pain　was　great。　His　tranquil　and　happy　end　has　made　a　deep　impression　on　our　friends：　they　say　one　to　another；　'May　my　mind　be　as　Gokool's　was！'　When　we　consider；　too；　that　this　very　man　grew　shy　of　us　three　years　ago；　because　we　opposed　his　notion　that　believers　would　never　die；　the　grace　now　bestowed　upon　him　appears　the　more　remarkable。　Knowing　the　horror　the　Hindoos　have　for　a　dead　body；　and　how　unwilling　they　are　to　contribute　any　way　to　its　interment；　I　had　the　coffin　made　at　our　house　the　preceding　day；　by　carpenters　whom　we　employ。　　They　would　not；　however；　carry　it　to　the　house。　　The　difficulty　now　was；　to　carry　him　to　the　grave。　　The　usual　mode　of　Europeans　is　to　hire　a　set　of　men　（Portuguese）；　who　live　by　it。　　But　besides　that　our　friends　could　never　constantly　sustain　that　expense；　I　wished　exceedingly　to　convince　them　of　the　propriety　of　doing　that　last　kind　office　for　a　brother　themselves。　　But　as　Krishna　had　been　ill　again　the　night　before；　and　two　of　our　brethren　were　absent　with　brother　Ward；　we　could　only　muster　three　persons。　I　evidently　saw　the　only　way　to　supply　the　deficiency；　and　brother　Carey　being　from　home；　I　sounded　Felix　and　William；　and　we　determined　to　make　the　trial；　and　at　five　in　the　afternoon　repaired　to　the　house。　　Thither　were　assembled　all　our　Hindoo　brethren　and　sisters；　with　a　crowd　of　natives　that　filled　the　yard；　and　lined　the　street。　　We　brought　the　remains　of　our　dear　brother　out；　whose　coffin　Krishna　had　covered　within　and　without　with　white　muslin　at　his　own　expense；　then；　in　the　midst　of　the　silent　and　astonished　multitude；　we　improved　the　solemn　moment　by　singing　a　hymn　of　Krishna's；　the　chorus　of　which　is　'Salvation　by　the　death　of　Christ。'　　Bhairub　the　brahm鄋；　Peroo　the　mussulman；　Felix　and　I　took　up　the　coffin；　and；　with　the　assistance　of　Krishna　and　William；　conveyed　it　to　its　long　home：　depositing　it　in　the　grave；　we　sung　two　appropriate　hymns。　　After　this；　as　the　crowd　was　accumulating；　I　endeavoured　to　show　the　grounds　of　our　joyful　hope　even　in　death；　referring　to　the　deceased　for　a　proof　of　its　efficacy：　told　them　that　indeed　he　had　been　a　great　sinner；　as　they　all　knew；　and　for　that　reason　could　find　no　way　of　salvation　among　them；　but　when　he　heard　of　Jesus　Christ；　he　received　him　as　a　suitable　and　all…sufficient　Saviour；　put　his　trust　in　him；　and　died　full　of　tranquil　hope。　　After　begging　them　to　consider　their　own　state；　we　prayed；　sung　Moorad's　hymn；　and　distributed　papers。　　The　concourse　of　people　was　great；　perhaps　500：　they　seemed　much　struck　with　the　novelty　of　the　scene；　and　with　the　love　and　regard　Christians　manifest　to　each　other；　even　in　death；　so　different　from　their　throwing　their　friends；　half　dead　and　half　living；　into　the　river；　or　burning　their　body；　with　perhaps　a　solitary　attendant。〃

Preaching；　teaching；　and　Bible　translating　were　from　the　first　Carey's　three　missionary　methods；　and　in　all　he　led　the　missionaries　who　have　till　the　present　followed　him　with　a　success　which　he　never　hesitated　to　expect；　as　one　of　the　〃great　things〃　from　God。　His　work　for　the　education　of　the　people　of　India；　especially　in　their　own　vernacular　and　classical　languages；　was　second　only　to　that　which　gave　them　a　literature　sacred　and　pure。　　Up　to　1794；　when　at　Mudnabati　he　opened　the　first　primary　school　worthy　of　the　name　in　all　India　at　his　own　cost；　and　daily　superintended　it；　there　had　been　only　one　attempt　to　improve　upon　the　indigenous　schools；　which　taught　the　children　of　the　trading　castes　only　to　keep　rude　accounts；　or　upon　the　tols　in　which　the　Brahmans　instructed　their　disciples　for　one…half　the　year；　while　for　the　other　half　they　lived　by　begging。　　That　attempt　was　made　by　Schwartz　at　Combaconum；　the　priestly　Oxford　of　South　India；　where　the　wars　with　Tipoo　soon　put　an　end　to　a　scheme　supported　by　both　the　Raja　of　Tanjore　and　the　British　Government。　　When　Carey　moved　to　Serampore　and　found　associated　with　him　teachers　so　accomplished　and　enthusiastic　as　Marshman　and　his　wife；　education　was　not　long　in　taking　its　place　in　the　crusade　which　was　then　fully　organised　for　the　conversion　of　Southern　and　Eastern　Asia。　At　Madras；　too；　Bell　had　stumbled　upon　the　system　of　〃mutual　instruction〃　which　he　had　learned　from　the　easy　methods　of　the　indigenous　schoolmaster；　and　which　he　and　Lancaster　taught　England　to　apply　to　the　clamant　wants　of　the　country；　and　to　improve　into　the　monit