Life at Ribe. 149 
and have at times trembled at the thought of occu- 
pying such a position. A heathen stands before 
you, one who has never heard of his Maker, or of 
his Saviour. You tell him of God, you proclaim 
God's message, and direct his attention to the " Light 
of life." Why that fact must affect the man's entire 
being, his responsibilities immediately become of 
another character, he stands before God in another 
aspect, God views him in another light ; heretofore he 
stood accountable only as a heathen ; now God re- 
gards him either as a receiver or rejecter of Jesus 
Christ. You have become to him either a " savour of 
death unto death, or a savour of life unto life." It 
cannot therefore be an unimportant matter for the 
missionary to remember and to record that he has at 
any time preached Christ for the first time to his 
fellow-men. 
Such are some of the occupations which engage 
us at Ribe. The life is a somewhat monotonous one, 
and sometimes it becomes almost intolerably so. 
Now and then, however, a circumstance or incident 
occurs to enliven our experiences. The arrival of 
the mails is always an exciting time. No one, 
except those who have been in like circumstances, 
can have any idea of the avidity with which news 
from home is received by such exiles as those of 
Ribe. The excitement is intense. How are they at 
home } Father, mother, brothers, sisters, friends, all 
— are they well 1 Are they prospering What is the 
state of the church What of politics The string 
is cut ; letters are broken open, papers are unbound 
and unfolded, and— now for the worst ! Then smiles 
and tears; heart-leapings and heart-aches; pleasure and 
