"Holidays a punishment!" exclaimed George, "that But I hope the thing was ex

was a droll idea indeed.

plained to him.”

"Yes; and then he said, 'It is right and good.' And before this time he had sent his brother-in-law, Prince Rataffe, to visit England, with a letter to the London Society, begging that more teachers might come to Madagascar. He says, after telling how Mr. Jones had explained to him the Society's objects :

"Therefore, gentlemen, I request you to send me, it convenient, as many missionaries as you may deem proper, together with their families if they desire it, provided you send skilful artizans to make my people workmen as well as good Christians. I avail myself, gentlemen, of this opportunity, to promise all the protection, the safety, the respect, and the tranquillity which missionaries may require from my subjects.

"The missionaries who are particularly required at present are persons who are able to instruct my people in the Christian religion, and in various trades, such as weaving, carpentering, &c. I shall expect, gentlemen, from you, a satisfactory answer, by an early opportunity.'

"What an invitation," said Mr. Campbell, "to come from a heathen king! Of course, it was joyfully accepted ?"

"Yes, when Prince Rataffe returned home in the (104)

12

spring of 1822, the Rev. Mr. Jeffrey, Mrs. Jeffrey, and several artizans accompanied him, and were most cordially received. Here is Mr. Jeffrey's account of things in the mission soon after his arrival :—

"This morning (Sabbath) June 16, at seven o'clock, I went to Mr. Jones's school to hear the children catechized. It was a pleasing sight. The children were all clean, washed, and combed, most of them having white shirts and trousers. When I entered, they were repeating a hymn after the monitor. For a moment I could have fancied myself in England. Shortly after, Mr. Jones entered, and after singing a hymn, he proceeded to catechize them in the Malagasy language. The catechism had been prepared by himself, after the model of Dr. Watts. . . . . In the afternoon the children were again assembled, catechized, and practised in singing. I have seldom seen a finer set of children, as to cleanliness and order, in any school in England. It is delightful to witness such fine beginnings in a country like this, and is, I trust, the dawn of a glorious day.'

"Next day the king attended at an examination of the schools, when eighty-five children gave proofs of satisfactory progress in reading, writing, arithmetic, and needlework. But I must go more quickly over the events of the next few years. Except the death of one of the artizans, and of good Mr. Jeffrey, who was called to a better world in 1825, the mission had few outward

trials. The schools rapidly increased throughout the country, round Tananarivo, as new assistants were sent from England. In 1828 we hear of thirty-eight schools, with above two thousand pupils, and that very year Radama ordered fourteen new ones to be opened. The missionaries were now able to teach and preach in Malagasy, and the services in chapel in that language were attended by crowds. Besides, good progress had been made in the work of translation. In 1827, a printing press was sent out from England, and, though troubles of various kinds began soon after, yet the missionaries were able to print and circulate many copies of the Gospels, besides a catechism, hymn-book, and spelling-book, all in Malagasy."

"Then, mamma, was Radama now

"No, my dear, we cannot say so.

that of too many among ourselves.

a Christian ?”

His case was like

At one time it

might surely have been said of him, 'Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.' But, alas, he never really entered in. He seems to have been too much occupied with subduing the distant tribes, and civilizing his subjects, to have time or take time to think in earnest of his own soul. And the fruits of holiness, which in every land and people must be the evidences of true faith in Christ, were sadly wanting in poor Radama, for in his latter years he became more and more given to intemperance and many other sins."

"How grieved the missionaries must have been! But were the people becoming Christians?"

"Though outward things were prospering, and the young people learning the truths of religion along with secular knowledge of all sorts, still we do not hear of real conversions and baptisms at this time. It was a strange state of matters, and filled the minds of thoughtful Christians with doubt and anxiety. But we must not go on further this evening."

"We may all learn one solemn lesson," said Mr. Campbell," from this portion of the Madagascar story; -never to rest satisfied with progress in knowledge and outward gifts, even of a religious kind, unless we have good reason to believe that true faith and holiness, the work of the Holy Spirit, are making progress also. Conversion, my children, is a work in the heart, not merely in the understanding, and will always be proved by a 'turning from sin to God.' Never forget this; it is as important a truth for each of ourselves as for the poor Malagasy. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.'"

III.

PERSECUTION AND MARTYRDOM.

IM

OTHER," said George, next Sabbath evening,." I have been often thinking of Radania this week. How sad and strange that he should have been so kind to the missionaries, and yet himself never believed in Jesus!"

"Sad, indeed, but not more strange than cases of the same description in our own days. How many persons believe that the Bible is true, go to church regularly, are civil or kind to Christian ministers, and yet are never in earnest to seek salvation for themselves. And what keeps them back? Just the same hindrances as those of the heathen prince--love of this world, its cares and pleasures, and unwillingness to part from their favourite sins. Is there not a king mentioned in Scripture, whose character and conduct resembled that of Radama?"

"Herod, I suppose; he did many things to please John the Baptist, and heard him gladly, but would not give up Herodias."