MODE OF SPENDING THE DAY. 47 



because, however hot the day may have been, the evening, night, 

 and morning at Kolobeng were deliciously refreshing ; cool is not 

 the word, where you have neither an increase of cold nor heat to 

 desire, and where you can sit out till midnight with no fear of 

 coughs or rheumatism. After family worship and breakfast be- 

 tween six and seven, we went to keep school for all who would 

 attend — men, women, and children being all invited. School 

 over at eleven o'clock, while the missionary's wife was occupied 

 in domestic matters, the missionary himself had some manual 

 labor as a smith, carpenter, or gardener, according to whatever 

 was needed for ourselves or for the people ; if for the latter, they 

 worked for us in the garden, or at some other employment; 

 skilled labor was thus exchanged for the unskilled. After din- 

 ner and an hour's rest, the wife attended her infant-school, which 

 the young, who were left by their parents entirely to their own 

 caprice, liked amazingly, and generally mustered a hundred 

 strong; or she varied that with a sewing-school, having classes 

 of girls to learn the art; this, too, was equally well relished. 

 During the day every operation must be superintended, and both 

 husband and wife must labor till the sun declines. After sunset 

 the husband went into the town to converse with any one will- 

 ing to do so, sometimes on general subjects, at other times on re- 

 ligion. On three nights of the week, as soon as the milking of 

 the cows was over and it had become dark, we had a public relig- 

 ious service, and one of instruction on secular subjects, aided by 

 pictures and specimens. These services were diversified by at- 

 tending upon the sick and prescribing for them, giving food, and 

 otherwise assisting the poor and wretched. We tried to gain their 

 affections by attending to the wants of the body. The smallest 

 acts of friendship, an obliging word and civil look, are, as St. Xa- 

 vier thought, no despicable part of the missionary armor. Nor 

 ought the good opinion of the most abject to be uncared for, when 

 politeness may secure it. Their good word in the aggregate 

 forms a reputation which may be well employed in procuring fa- 

 vor for the Gospel. Show kind attention to the reckless oppo- 

 nents of Christianity on the bed of sickness and pain, and they 

 never can become your personal enemies. Here, if any where, 

 love begets love. 



When at Kolobeng, during the droughts we were entirely de- 



