128 
THOMAS J. COMBER. 
here. Whether you go or stay — or whether, if you 
go, He takes you quickly, or leaves you lingering and 
waiting — you believe He will do the best, don’t you, 
John?’ ^Ah, yes. He knows best. Just as He wills.’ 
But the day was sppnt in weary waiting, and his 
heart’s desire seemed to be, ‘Come, Lord Je^us.’ 
Parting directions about certain matters were given ; 
loving thoughts always reverting to his dear home, 
and especially to his mother and Gwennie ; and 
occasionally singing a hymn or speaking some of the 
gracious, blessed words of the Master and Saviour— 
we waited. He was full of peace, rest, and glad hope, 
listening for the Saviour’s voice — we, his grieving 
colleagues, were also waiting and expectant. At the 
close of the afternoon he occasionally wandered, but 
a word or pressure of the hand always recalled him. 
“Just about six o’clock he opened his eyes with a 
look of surprise and awe, and, raising his hand up, 
kept it pointing upwards. His breath became more 
and more feeble and gasping, and for half-an-hour he 
said nothing, and I thought he would pass away thus. 
But just before a quarter to seven he opened his eyes 
fully, and feeling ‘ the time was at hand,’ he struggled 
over to the other side of the bed, and looking up, 
cried out : ‘ Christ is all in all ; Christ is all in all. 
Let me go, my friends. Don’t hold me back. Let 
me go, Tom. I must go. I want to go to Him. 
Simply to Thy cross I cling. Let me go ! ’ His 
struggles ceased. I put my hand to his pulse. Dear 
John had gone. He was with his Saviour. Oh, my 
dear Mrs. Hartland, the dear Lord comfort and help 
us all — especially you, his mother, Gwennie Thomas, 
who had given her love to him, and her heart 
and life to Africa, his sisters, his father. I can 
only plead for you all. I know how dear he was to 
you all. For us of the Congo Mission, we have lost 
not only a dear and loved colleague — and you know 
how much we love each other — but one of our old, 
long-tried, and experienced brothers. 
