p. 206 | Missionary Katy

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jun 28, 1877

Missionary Katy.

KATY GRAY had been to a missionary meeting, and heard a lady speak who had been for fifteen years a missionary in Africa. She had spoken only of the bright side, and not of the dark, and Katy was delighted and interested.

“Yes, I have concluded to be a missionary when I get ’bout forty.”

“Why wait until you are forty?” asked Katy’s mamma, looking up from the sewing that occupied both hand and foot.

“Well, you see, I must teach first, you know, and perhaps write books, too, and make lots of money; and then, when my hair gets gray, and my teeth tumble out, and all—why, then, I’ll look well enough to be a missionary; the heathen won’t mind.”

“Sure enough,” said Mrs. Gray; “that is a very good plan of life if you can follow it out. But you know, there was Mrs. Stephens, who died last week, and she was just forty. Do you think you had better place it a little earlier?”

“Well, perhaps thirty-five would do.”

“Yes, that would only be keeping seven-eighths of life for yourself, and giving one to Christ. That might do only, aunt Katy, you know, died at thirty-five. Would that be safe?”

“Well, thirty, then;” and Katy moved to the window and looked out.

“Thirty—that’s better; that is just the age of cousin Mary when she was thrown from the carriage on her way to the party. You know she has never walked a step since.”

Katy drummed restlessly on the window. Never in her life, it seemed, had so few old persons passed on the street.

“Perhaps I could at twenty-five,” she said at last, with a sigh.

“That is young enough to go to Africa,” replied Mrs. Gray. “You know that pretty Miss Robins who was buried last week at that age, thought of going to India.”

“I do not see, mamma,” said Katy, turning from the window, and laughing with tears in her eyes, “but I shall be obliged to go right away, so as to be safe.”

“So you would, darling, if you would be one of Christ’s workers every day right here. If you should live for yourself twenty-five years, it would be rather hard work, all at once, to begin to live for others.” “Don’t dream, my dear, of great things by and by; but be such a helpful worker every day in little things that at the last the Master shall see that you have grown strong to bear great things.”

“I will try, mamma. I can help take care of the baby and cheerfully do errands for you.”

And Katy did begin right then and there and she began, too, in the true way. Home missionaries are as important and useful as those in foreign fields, and for them there is always an “open door.”

Katy followed up the missionary work in various ways which proved a blessing to herself as well as to those about her. There were many things which she could do to help her kind mamma. There were little errands upon which she could go as an angel of mercy. She could carry a basket of provisions to some poor widow and orphan children, even through the rain and snow; she could speak kindly to those in trouble and distress; she could lead and gather up to Sabbath-school the little ones that lived near, who without her services would perhaps never have found their way thither, or the door into the fold of the good Shepherd.

In this way Katy is preparing herself for greater missionary duties by and by, should it please the good Lord to spare her. And should it be his will early to remove her from labor, she will be among those to whom the blessed Master will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”