282 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



this world were concerned. But we know that 

 trials in things temporal are intended to teach us 

 to look more away from them to the eternal. So 

 we ask what was the progress in things spiritual 

 during this period. 



That the people were united to the missionaries 

 by ties of affection there could be no doubt. We 

 have seen the farewell that they took of Mr. Peck 

 when he was leaving for England and the love that 

 was shown him then. We know something of the 

 warm welcome that was invariably shown him when 

 he visited the people in their homes and was enter- 

 tained by them when on tour for days together. 



We know that these cords of personal attachment 

 must have been drawn tighter when he ungrudgingly 

 gave out his stores of provisions for their relief in 

 time of need. But we also know that in these 

 closer bonds of affection and association he was 

 always finding more and more opportunities of 

 pressing the claims of Christ upon them. 



That there was response we can see. A straw 

 will show which way the wind blows, and so when 

 we read of men abstaining from hunting, although 

 the weather was favourable, in order that they 

 might attend meetings for Christian instruction, 

 we can infer a great deal. 



Besides this, a man named Kukkak, who had been 

 instructed first some two years previously, began in 

 the spring of 1898 to show signs of spiritual life, 



