Chap. II. MODE OF SPENDING THE DAY. 41 



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 

 between 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 

 labour, 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 labour was thus exchanged for the unskilled. After 

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

 wliieh the young, who were left by then 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 ; tins, too, was equally well relished. During 

 the day every operation must be superintended, and both husband 

 and wife must labour till the sun declines. After sunset the 

 husband went into the town to converse Math any one willing to 

 do so ; sometimes on general subjects, at other times on religion. 

 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 religious 

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

 pictures and specimens. These services were diversified by 

 attending 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 Xavier thought, no despicable part of the missionary armour. 

 Nor ought the good opinion of the most abject to be uncared for, 

 when politeness may secure it. Then- good word in the aggre- 

 gate forms a reputation winch may be well employed in pro- 

 curing favour for the Gospel. Show kind attention to the reckless 

 opponents 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 



