296 
MISSIONARY LIFE 
LETTER FROM AFRICA. 
Yours of May 6th was received yesterday, on 
my return from a trip to Yondoo, Rembee, and 
Barkoh. I have not forgotten what a time you 
and I had that day we started for Yondoo but 
failed to get there, and had to spend several hours 
under a scorching sun, on a small, treeless island, 
out in the middle of the bay. I have taken good 
care ever since to start in time, and to push my 
crew, and have not since had the pleasure (?) of a 
day on Porbarlot banks. We praise God for 
your safe arrival home. 
I see so many openings that God has made in 
answer to the prayers of the Christian church. ^ 
To undertake a work of such magnitude is cer- 
tainly a great work, and must be arduous, and 
the sum of money required enormous; but then 
we can not now back out of our engagement. 
We gave our word as a church, and we must 
abide by it. We must not be as the colored 
brother who went into the field to pray, saying, 
0 Lord, look on this poor niggah. Ise done 
tired libbin’ in dis world ; Ise ready to go ; do. 
Lord, take poor niggah home ; ’’ and when it 
began to thunder, and the lightning to flash, he 
became frightened at what seemed a certain an- 
swer to his prayer, and cried as he ran away, 
^^0 Lord don’t do it; Ise jes’ been foolin’.” God 
