308 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



our Lord's words. " Yes," was their ready reply, 

 " and if we do not, we will ask you." 



When at last the first ripe fruit was gathered in 

 Baptism, it was to be in a very real sense waved 

 before the altar and presented to God. 



On April 8 Mr. Peck visited a sick girl named 

 Atterngonyak. She seemed to be wasting away. 

 She had learned a great deal about the Gospel and 

 the love of God, and she listened with much atten- 

 tion to the words of the missionary as he exhorted 

 her to trust wholly in the Saviour. A few days 

 later, on May 4, the sick girl expressed a wish to 

 be baptized. " I see," says Mr. Peck in his notes 

 concerning this, " no reason why the rite should be 

 withheld from her. We claim this poor creature 

 for Christ. I have been and am much helped in 

 prayer concerning her." 



The next day was Sunday, and the patient had 

 a violent attack of illness. For her to go out of 

 her house was out of the question, and so she was 

 baptized privately. This, however, did not satisfy 

 her fully. She wished to show publicly her love 

 for, and faith in, her new found Saviour, and she 

 asked Mr. Peck of her own accord, if she gained 

 any strength, that she might be received openly 

 before all the people into the Church of Christ. 



The diary goes on to say, " I spoke to some of 

 the candidates for baptism regarding her, and I 

 was so delighted to find that one woman went to 



