'They Rest from their Labours'

Chapter XVI
'They Rest from their Labours'
In this chapter will be found brief notices of those who have been called from labour on the Telugu field to their rest in heaven.

Thomas Gabriel was born at Masulipatam, December 15th, 1837. Afterwards his parents lived first at Narsapur and then at Rajahmundry, and Thomas attended mission schools at both of these places. When about twenty years of age he was employed as a clerk in the Government Telegraph Department. Having a great desire to learn telegraphy he paid a young man to teach him the alphabet, and then bought a dummy on which he practised night and day till he mastered the art. His diligence was soon observed and rewarded. As related in Chapter III, he became a Christian and joined the Lutheran Church. Afterwards he met an earnest Baptist brother at Madras and changed his views on baptism. Dr McLaurin wrote of him that he was a great student of the Bible, and understood well God's way of saving man. He gloried in the gospel. He loved and honoured his Lord, and he loved and hungered for the souls of men. No matter how much he had set his heart on any plan, the moment it was shown him that it would interfere in the slightest degree with the glory of God, he trampled it under his feet. His final illness lasted a week. Mr McLaurin says: 'Once as I went into his room he opened his eyes and said, 'Oh, I am in heaven.' At another time when his wife sat by his bed weeping, he said: 'Fear not, fear not; my Lord is with me, is with me.' The day before he died, I said: 'Brother Gabriel, is Jesus precious to you?' His wandering thoughts came back, and eagerly, joyously he replied: 'Most precious, most precious, most precious.' He died on January 1st, 1875.

Mrs Martha Perry Craig was the first member of our Mission to be called away. She was born at Port Hope, Ontario, Canada on February 13th, 1853. She was converted and baptized there when she was fourteen years of age. Two years later she removed with her parents to Rochester, NY. Mr Craig's attendance at the Theological Seminary led to a renewal of the friendship of their early years. They were married on September 20th, 1877, and sailed from New York on October 24th. They reached India just at the close of the year, and arrived at Cocanada on January 4th, 1878. Mrs Craig found some congenial work in the Sunday School of the English Baptist church, where she taught a class during most of her stay in Cocanada. In a history of the church read at the opening of the new building in January, 1906, it is said that she was dearly loved for her sweet and gentle ways. The coming of her firstborn in the first year of her life in India, and some months of ill health that followed, interfered sadly with the study of Telugu, but she persevered and began to get a good hold of the language. The baby girl was a great comfort to the mother, who often longed for her own mother, but in July, 1879, the year old girlie was suddenly taken away. In November, 1880, Cocanada was left with its pleasant companionships and a new home set up at lonely Akidu. After a few weeks there Cocanada was revisited, and on February 13th, 1881, another baby girl came. Some weeks of illness were followed by a partial recovery, and it seemed best that Mrs Craig should accompany her husband to Akidu before the canals closed. The journey proved too much for her and she passed away on April 2nd. Mr and Mrs Bowden, whose kindness to Mr and Mrs McLaurin is mentioned in Chapter III, were present at the end. They had travelled from Narsapur by bullock-coach in response to Mr Craig's call. The funeral took place at Narsapur on the 4th. Some years later the cemetery was encroached on by the Godavari River, and it was deemed wise to transfer the remains to Cocanada. This was done in July, 1889.

Josiah Burder, pastor of the Telugu church at Cocanada, was born at Chicacole about 1830. He was a Sudra, and belonged to the Karnam or writer sub-caste. When a boy, he attended for a short time a school opened by Mrs Day, of the American Baptist Mission. Some years later, when the London Mission had begun work at Chicacole, he became a Christian. For a time he served as a teacher and later a preacher in that Mission. Then he went to Ganjam in Orissa and became a clerk in the Public Works Department. He used to preach in Oriya on Sundays. A pious English engineer induced him to devote all his time to preaching, and agreed to pay his salary. Like Pastor Thomas Gabriel, he became a Baptist through the influence of Rev Das Anthravedy, pastor of a Baptist church in the 41st Native Infantry Regiment. Soon after Mr McLaurin reached Cocanada Mr Gabriel asked him to send for Mr Josiah Burder. He reached Cocanada a few weeks after Mr Gabriel's death, and proved a faithful and devoted preacher of the gospel. He was ordained in October, 1875, when Mr Timpany was on a visit to Cocanada. An account of his death in 1881 is given in Chapter IV.

Americus V Timpany was born in the township of Bayham, Elgin County, Ontario, on December 21st, 1840. He was brought up on a farm. Although surrounded by religious influences, he remained unconverted till he was nineteen. He decided for Christ when the pastor, Rev J P Hall, was holding special services in the Malahide and Bayham Church.
Mr Timpany had felt that his conversion meant the devotion of his life to the ministry, and perhaps on the foreign field. Soon after his conversion, that is in 1860, he went to the College at Woodstock. An intense earnestness, coupled with great conscientiousness and diligence, made him a successful student.
As related in the next chapter, he was led to decide for the foreign field. This decision met with opposition, which made it necessary for him to spend two years in teaching school in order to procure means for continuing his studies. Having completed the literary and Theological courses he graduated in 1867. He had previously offered himself to the American Baptist Missionary Union and been accepted. He was designated to the Telugu Mission at the anniversary meetings held at Chicago in May. On October 15th he was married to Miss Jane Bates, elder daughter of Rev John Bates, a man full of zeal for the evangelization of the nations. An account of the designation services at Ingersoll is given in Chapter XVII, and an account of their journey to India and work there may be found in Chapter II.
Mr Timpany returned to Canada with his family in July, 1876, and in the following October he resigned his connection with the American Baptist Missionary Union. Through his influence the Women's Foreign Missionary Societies of Ontario and Quebec were formed, and the publication of the Link was begun. Having a natural gift for the practice of medicine, he had relieved much suffering at Ramapatam, and in order to fit himself better for such work he attended the Toronto School of Medicine during the winter of 1877-78. He sailed again for India in September, 1878, and took charge of the work at Cocanada at the beginning of 1879. The reader is referred to Chapters IV, V and XIV, for an account of that work and its close in February, 1885.

Dr McLaurin, who met Mr Timpany first at Woodstock in November, 1861, and was intimately associated with him till his death, wrote many years ago a character sketch, part of which we reproduce here:
'Perhaps the most prominent characteristics of our deceased brother were his earnestness and devotion. His busy brain was ever full of plans for the good of the Telugus. He never did anything by halves. Never did anything doubtfully. He held nothing back. Money, time, care, labour and anxiety, all were given with lavish hand. He was a man of action, prompt to plan and still more prompt to execute. He was courageous, mentally, morally and physically. He feared no man or company of men. From the Viceroy to the village clerk, he was ready to face everyone who interfered with his work, or with the liberty or rights of the Christians. He attempted great things, and it was not his fault if they were not always successful. Obstacles in his way were only incentives to greater effort.
'He was hopeful. A thousand defeats left him unconquered still. To him the future was all bright, the dawn just appearing, the golden age on the horizon. He was seldom depressed, and even if he was, his spirit soon assumed its natural buoyancy. In this respect his companionship, or his presence in a meeting was an inspiration to less sanguine souls.
'He was a man of great faith, faith in God, in the power of the gospel to save, sanctify and civilize men; faith in his own call to preach it, and faith in humanity in general and in the Telugus in particular. He had a wonderful faculty of throwing himself into sympathy with all in trouble. No matter what his own cares or anxieties might be, the moment he heard a tale of sorrow, he was all alert to assist. His identity with the afflicted one was complete. His heart was enlisted, and all his powers and means were also enlisted. Of course he was often deceived, but never soured. He never became cynical. His sympathy was an ever-flowing stream. Here was one of the secrets of his great power. Good men he fastened to himself with hooks of steel, bad men he readily forgave. He was a man of broad sympathies. All races, all creeds and conditions shared in his love and interest. He believed in a model Christian family as a factor in evangelizing and civilizing India, and he lived up to his ideal.
'His life was short in years but long in blessed results. His sun set while it was yet noon, but it set in glory.'

George Frederic Currie was born at Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, on March 8th, 1844. He was converted when eleven years of age, but was eighteen when he joined the Baptist church at Fredericton. He attended the Normal School at St John, and afterwards taught school for a time. He also spent a year or so in New York, where he was employed in the Publishing House of Harper Brothers. Later he spent five years at Wolfville, NS, and graduated from Acadia College in 1874. His college course was marked by unusual ability in study. He was ordained in July, 1874, and at once offered himself as a foreign missionary. The Board of the Lower Provinces was not able to send him, but the Board of Ontario and Quebec needed a man, and gladly sent him out in 1875. He sailed from Halifax in November and reached Calcutta in January. On February 1st, 1876, he was married at Rangoon to Miss Maria Armstrong, who had gone there at the end of 1873. A few days later they reached Cocanada and settled down to the study of Telugu. While residing here Mr Currie frequently preached in our English meetings and also organized a Total Abstinence Society.
In January, 1878, Mr and Mrs Currie removed to Tuni, 43 miles north-east of Cocanada. They went to a spiritual wilderness, the people in that region being absolutely ignorant of Christ and His salvation.
In February, 1884, Mr and Mrs Currie left for a needed rest in Canada. Mr Currie expected to return to India in the autumn of 1885, but when the news of Mr Timpany's death reached Canada in February of that year, he volunteered to return at once. He left Canada in April, and reached Cocanada on the 1st of July. The work at Tuni soon revived, and several were baptized. Early in June, 1886, he became ill and retired to Cocanada on the 6th of July. Dysentery was followed by chronic diarrhoea, and in spite of all that could be done, our brother passed away a few hours before the end of July. On the 1st of August his body was laid to rest near that of his late fellow-labourer, A V Timpany. An account of his work is given in Chapters IV and V.
At the time of Mr Currie's appointment, Rev W S McKenzie, a district Secretary of the American Baptist Missionary Union, himself a Nova Scotian, wrote concerning our brother: 'You will find it difficult to select his superior in mental and moral qualities. He is in every respect an excellent young man, quiet and unpretending, but plucky and persistent, splendid stuff for a missionary.' He was a thorough student. In four and a half months he was able to read the Telugu New Testament with little difficulty, and to understand a good deal of what he heard, while venturing to talk a little to others. Beside this he was usually reading some work in classics or mathematics for recreation. During his illness he was correcting the proof of his translation of Wayland's 'Moral Philosophy.' Faithfulness to duty was manifested in many ways. His work in the region about Tuni shows that the day of small things was not despised. Our brother was not of a sanguine temperament, but he believed in God and hence toiled on when no fruit was seen. He lived in communion with God, and drew his inspiration from the fountainhead. Naturally he was quiet and retiring, but his mind was filled with stores of useful knowledge. His gentle manner was very attractive to the Telugus, and when he died, not only his converts, but also many Hindus, mourned for him at Tuni. After his death it was found that he had been known to some as the 'angel'.

George H Barrow was born in Worcester, England. Having come to Canada he became a Baptist by conviction, and joined the Parliament St Church, in Toronto. He went to India in 1890, and was married a year later when his bride arrived from England. They opened the new station of Narsapatnam in October, 1892. For two short years he threw his whole life into a fervent and eager evangelization of the people. During his last illness he was taken from Narsapatam to Cocanada, and in the home of the lady missionaries, now the Olivet Bungalow, he passed away on Sunday night, November 18th, 1894. His departure at the early age of twenty-nine left a great blank in the Mission staff. An account of his work is given in Chapters VI and VII. He was a good man, of a pure spirit, simple faith, burning zeal and a hunger for the salvation of souls. His success lay in personal dealing with individuals, in which he was greatly blessed. Mrs Barrow, whose home is in England, still takes a deep interest in the work at Narsapatnam.

Mrs Christina Stewart McLeod was born February 26th, 1857, in Prince Edward Island. When she was sixteen years of age she was baptized by Rev D G McDonald. She was married to Rev A A McLeod shortly before their departure to India in 1890. She had been an earnest worker for Christ in Canada, and entered hopefully on the same great work with her husband in India. In September, 1892, they took charge of the Ramachandrapuram field. In 1896 her health failed completely, and in August her husband started with her for California. She was so ill at Hong Kong that she had to remain there in the hospital for some weeks. The climate of California produced a change for the better, which, however, was only temporary. In the summer of 1897 she was taken to Prince Edward Island, where she passed away peacefully and joyfully on November 16th.

Pastor Jonathan Burder was born October l0th, 1857. He came with his father to Cocanada in 1876, and not long afterwards he was employed as a teacher. After his father's death in 1881 he became pastor of the Telugu church, and continued in this office till his death on August 31st, 1900. He was married on March 6th, 1880, to Amelia Keller, who had visited Canada with Mr and Mrs Timpany. The ceremony was performed by Dr Jewett, who was in Cocanada at the time, working on the revision of the Telugu Bible. He was ordained on January 12th, 1884. Some reference to this brother has been made in Chapter XIII. He was a devoted evangelist, and did a great work, especially in Cocanada, not only by his public preaching, but also by his private conversations with many educated men among the Hindu community.
His wife Amelia was the daughter of Ezra Keller, a Telugu pastor in the American Mission. When in Canada with Mr and Mrs Timpany, she attended Woodstock College. Before her marriage she helped Mrs Timpany in caring for the Girls' Boarding School at Cocanada. She was born September 23rd, 1859, and died April 29th, 1901, just eight months after her husband. Their son, Josiah, who was born on December 4th, 1880, was educated at Miss Simpson's expense, and became a good helper in the work. He died rather suddenly, February 3rd, 1904. Through Miss Simpson's efforts a stone was erected in the cemetery at Cocanada to the memory of Pastors Josiah and Jonathan, and the latter's wife and son. All of the others mentioned in this chapter, except Mrs McLeod and Miss Simpson, lie in the same cemetery.

Sarah A Simpson was born on a farm a few miles from Paris, Ontario, on January 9th, 1856. She attended the schools in that town, and also the Collegiate Institute in Brantford. She secured a certificate and taught school for some years. Having decided to take up nursing, she attended the General Hospital at Toronto for two years, and then took a position in the Hospital for Sick Children, and was placed in charge of the Lakeside Home on the Island. Miss Simpson went to India in 1888. After learning Telugu she took charge of the work for women and children in Cocanada and the near villages, and carried it on till March, 1897, when she left for Canada on furlough. Returning at the end of 1898, she took up this work again and prosecuted it with great devotion. An account of her work is given in Chapter XI. In March, 1906, she left India for her second furlough. Her health was so poor in the summer of 1907 that she had to give up all thought of returning to India in the fall. In November she submitted to an operation in the General Hospital at Toronto from which she did not recover, her death occurring on Thursday, the 21st. Her remains were taken to Paris for interment.
Miss Pratt, who had taken up Miss Simpson's work, said in her report: 'The news that came to us by cable on Saturday, November 23rd, of the death of Miss Simpson, brought sorrow to hundreds of homes where she had been a welcome visitor. She truly loved the people, and especially the children, who all loved her. She worked in a quiet, unostentatious way.' Mr Laflamme has related that when Pastor Jonathan was dying of cholera, he found Miss Simpson holding the sufferer's head in her lap. This is an illustration of her kindness to the Christians in their troubles.