Henry Augustus Homes. 



3 



the threshold of life, had the thoughts, the habits of mind, the set 

 purpose, the grave, quiet demeanor, the generous impulses, the purity 

 of thought and deed, the true nobility of soul which we have all 

 known and gratefully recognized in the friend whom we have lost. 



After leaving college he was in no haste to embark on a professional 

 career, nor even to decide definitely what course of life to pursue 

 He seems to have had no strong leaning toward any of the money- 

 getting pursuits, and certainly had no ambition to shine in any pro- 

 fession. While not in the least degree indolent, he had a good deal 

 of the habit of mind which predisposes a man to await the summons 

 of God or man to his career, and for a long time he waited in vain. 

 He went — as the fashion then was — from Amherst to Andover 

 Theological Seminary, and thence in 1833 to Yale College, where he 

 spent two years in the study of theology and medicine. He then 

 went abroad, lived for a year in Paris, too deeply engaged in the study 

 of Arabic to become at all enamored of the gay life of that city, and 

 then in 1838 offered his services to the American board and went as 

 a missionary to Constantinople. 



It is not known when he first formed the design of devoting his 

 life to the mission cause, but it is probable that it was with this end 

 in view that he went from Andover to Yale, in order to add medicine 

 and some knowledge of the Oriental tongues to his theological equip- 

 ment. However this may be, he had no sooner resolved upon this 

 career than he threw himself into it with characteristic energy and 

 devotion. His preparation for it was deliberate and thorough. He 

 entered that difficult field admirably equipped, prepared at every point, 

 full of zeal and high purpose. His influence was felt at once in every 

 departmeni of the work of the mission. He preached and taught in 

 more than one of the Oriental tongues whose sounds are heard in that 

 polyglot city ; he held daily conversations on personal religion with 

 the natives of various creeds and nationalities ; he taught classes of 

 Turks and Arabs to speak English; he practiced the healing art 

 among them. It is recorded that he shrank from no duty and hesi- 

 tated at no sacrifice. 



He early discovered that the great need of the mission was a steady 

 supply of fresh, vitalizing religious literature, and he at once turned 

 his attention in the direction of meeting this want. During nearly 

 the whole period of his fifteen years' service in that field he made this 

 department of the work his own. He wrote, translated, published 

 and distributed religious books, tracts and papers incessantly; he 

 became the business manager of the mission, and he found time for 



