BAPTISM OF INFANTS. 29 
innocence, which some dear babe has cast upon 
them, or the plaintive cry which from its lisping 
tongue first broke upon their ears, but which was 
unheeded, and they monstrously committed cool, 
inhuman murder—when they should have cherish¬ 
ed the tenderest and softest sensibilities of the 
human bosom : I believe this has not been in my 
imagination only. The feeling depicted in the 
humane and Christian parent’s countenance, suf¬ 
fused with tears, has often been an index of no 
common inward agitation. Subsequent conversa¬ 
tion has confirmed the fact; and many have brought 
their children to present them unto God in bap¬ 
tism, who, while idolaters, had more than once or 
twice been guilty of the barbarous crime of infant 
murder. This practice is abolished ; and, instead 
of shameless murder, or pagan sacrifice, the parents 
now delight to bring their infants to the Christian 
sanctuary, and thus dedicate them to God. 
I have been often rather agreeably surprised at 
the anxiety of the parents to have their children 
baptized. Without inquiring into the origin of 
this solicitude, I believe it is not confined to the 
inhabitants of the South Sea Islands, and is cer¬ 
tainly not unpleasant to behold. I recollect at 
one time the parents of three children came with 
considerable earnestness, and requested me to 
baptize their infants, rather earlier than I thought 
it should be done. It was not at Huahine, and the 
Missionary, under whose care the station was more 
particularly placed, was absent; I therefore pro¬ 
posed to defer it till his arrival. They pressed me 
not to decline ; and one of them stated as a reason, 
that her child had been ill, and she was afraid it 
would die before it had been baptized. “ Sup¬ 
pose,” I replied, “ that it should, you know that 
