Untitled article by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 19, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 16.

FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC.

By Editor

LAST week we gave some interesting items from letters sent to this office by Brother J. R. McCoy. At that time we promised still further reports in this week's issue. The first letter which we present is from Sister Hattie Andre to Brother J. R. McCoy. It will be seen that it bears date July 30. This was written just about the time that the sickness began, when it could not have been considered so serious as the sequel proved. That letter is as follows:—

PITCAIRN ISLAND, July 30, 1893. MY DEAR BROTHER: Your very kind letter was received on the man-of-war, and words cannot express the good it did me. I was so glad to learn of the prosperity of your work, and pray God's choicest blessing to attend you at every step.

I am glad to report encouragingly from our little isle. Of course Satan is working, but God is stronger than he and is working too. I never experienced so fully the blessing of God in my work as since I came here. I never had a closer walk with my Saviour, never was happier nor of better courage, and time never rushed so swiftly by as here.

I begrudge the time for sleeping and eating, and am busy from morning till night. The school is progressing finely, and the Lord is helping wonderfully. I have no difficulty at all with a single one, and am becoming so attached to them that I shudder at the very thought of going back to America to leave them.

Many are making good progress, and I have much to encourage me. Your dear children are all in school, and doing faithful work. I am happy to write that Edmund and Ella are advancing in divine life. I consider Ella's spiritual growth about the most remarkable I ever saw. I have labored faithfully for her; the Lord has blessed the efforts, and to him be all the praise. I sincerely trust that she may soon go to Healdsburg College, to be better fitted for usefulness in the Master's work.

I am working hard, eating enough to pay up for lost time on the vessel, laughing much, and growing fat. I surely must weigh twenty-five or thirty pounds more than when you left. I am perfectly contented with my new work, and pleased with our new home, which is so pleasant and cozy. If my future work on Pitcairn proves as pleasant as now, I shall have at least one bright spot in my life on which to reflect. I have had some big tramps over the island, which I enjoyed immensely, and a sail around the island. I presume you will laugh to know that I was sick ere we got through the breakers, and continued so till we got back. But I am glad I went, for I managed to keep my eyes open to see the scenery most of the time.

Besides my school work, I spend much time in a personal work for the spiritual welfare of the young. While this takes time and strength, I find that it brings rich blessings to both the giver and receiver. I also give music lessons on the organ, do quite a little Sabbath school and church work, and have been kept quite busy caring for the sick of late. Sweats, packs, fomentations, etc., prove quite effective.

Your house looks like a different place since it is painted outside. Your sitting room and bedroom look very nice. Every time I go down, I wish you could see them. Many, many thanks for those lovely corals and shells you sent me. The red curtains in the schoolroom look nice. We have a nice blackboard, and the boys made me a chair with a back to it.

I think the island needs your help much, and trust you will remain with us while the Pitcairn returns to America. Brother Gates thinks you ought to, and I know your family think so. Many thanks for your kindness about the mail. The man-of-war brought me one lone postal card from my mother, written January 15, two days before we sailed. I presume I shall not hear now until you come from New Zealand. I should love to hear, but am standing it bravely so far. Have sent twelve letters to my mother. Remember me to all the ship's company. We received quite a lot of news from the General Conference on the man-of-war.

Hoping to hear from you often, and wishing you success in your labor of love, I am, Yours in the work, HATTIE ANDRE.

The second is composed of extracts from a letter written by Sister McCoy to Elder J. M. Cole, of Norfolk Island, accompanied with explanatory remarks and comments by Brother McCoy, but as there are no quotation marks we do not know how to divide the matter, so publish it as received.

H. M. S. Hyacinth came in yesterday. Sabbath the captain came ashore and attended the Sabbath school. He offered the opening prayer, reviewed the primary division, and at the close gave a parting address to the whole school. He expressed himself as highly pleased with our school system, and was so glad that all the people attended. He said our school (organized by the Seventh-day Adventist ministers) is the best-organized school he ever saw, and he has seen many, for when at home in England he was superintendent of a Sunday school. He is a real Christian man. Sunday he invited all who could to come aboard his ship to attend service at 10 A.M., and invited Elder Gates to come aboard and preach to his officers and crew. Captain May, of H. M. S. Hyacinth, spent the whole Sabbath day on shore with us. He said he wanted to know about the Sabbath.

Small ships in the British navy have no chaplains, so the commander as a rule has charge of divine service. This is the case with Captain May, of the ship mentioned above. . . . I am thankful to learn that you are troubling them [the people of Norfolk] by your teachings in a way that makes them hunger and thirst after more. How long will the Lord allow the unfaithful servants to feed the churches with dry morsels, and to hold them back from worshiping him in spirit and in truth? When I first went there [Norfolk Island] with the Pitcairn and the message of truth, some of the older folks used this argument to discourage people against accepting our teachings, putting into their heads that when the English Government knew that we on Pitcairn Island have accepted these American missionaries and changed the Sabbath, the yearly calling of their ships of war would be withdrawn, and the queen of England would give us up. Last year, 1892, one of these ships called at the island to investigate this new religion. The captain, unlike King Agrippa, said to Elder Gates, "If what I have heard from this meeting is all there is to it, I am an Adventist too." His chaplain, who went in to assist in this somewhat disagreeable work, when a question was put to him, said, "I am convinced, too, that every man is free to worship and serve God after the dictates of his own conscience." From this and the above statement does it look as if they would withdraw their calling? Does it look as if the queen will give us up? There is one thing we have always to tell them,—that an English man-of-war brought the first Seventh-day Adventist to the island; and I trust that when the queen of England gives us up, the King of heaven will take us in.

The third is a letter in which our readers will be specially interested, as it is one of the last, and probably the last, ever written by Ella McCoy, to her father, Elder J. R. McCoy, who has probably not yet heard of her death. At least he had not heard of it, from the best information which we have at hand, when the Pitcairn sailed from New Zealand:—

PITCAIRN ISLAND, July 29, 1893. MY OWN VERY DEAR PAPA: This Sabbath day has truly been a day of rejoicing in my own heart, for I have had a blessing from God that I never realized before. H. M. S. Hyacinth arrived here yesterday (preparation day), bringing your things that you left at Tahiti, and, best of all, your welcome letters. The captain and a lot of his men came ashore around the other side of the island, as the ship anchored there. The doctor slept ashore, and the chaplain came back this morning, and attended our Sabbath school. During recitation he came into the primary division, and taught some of our classes, and then he reviewed that division. He is a sincere Christian, and spent the whole Sabbath day with us, attending all the services.

We have a terrible disease here. The doctor says that it is a touch of la grippe. Coffin's and Agness' families all have been down with it, but are all getting well again. They are as meager and pale as ghosts. Mary Coffin and George Warren are both very dangerously ill. The doctor has some fears that they may not get over it. Leonard Christian is very ill too, but not so bad as the others. It will go all around, I think, before it stops. So far we are all well at home, excepting that I cough at night.

The Gates' family, Miss Andre, and Sarah Young are comfortably settled in their nice new home. Sister Andre is keeping school. Our first vacation is the month of June, the arrowroot-making month. She is a dear, sweet, patient, kind teacher. I love her ever so much. Dearest papa, if ever I have felt the need of my earthly papa to guide me, it was when Sister Andre told me that she and Elder Gates and the Conference have chosen me to assist her in teaching the children, when auntie goes to America (which she expects to do the first chance). Hattie wants me to take the place with the bigger classes when she leaves, but that I cannot do, for there are so many older than I in the school. I wanted you so much to give your advice, but I cried and prayed over it. Mamma, Hattie, Elder Gates, and Uncle Alfred thought I had better take the place, and I thought of what you told Emily and me when you left,—to try to be useful in the school work,—and so I thought that you would say the same. And besides, Papa Gates asked me to help the church officers, in having personal talks with several of the young boys and girls.

The elders have selected Sister Andre, Sara Wood, Vieder Young, Sarah Grace, and myself to be Bible workers among these people, and, dear papa, Satan knows it, and he tries to have me more than he has done before, but Jesus is keeping me. I feel at his feet is my only place of safety. Dear papa, I do need your prayers. I know that you do remember me at the throne of grace. I am so glad that I have a Heavenly Father to tell all that I want to tell you, and he hears me. I find it a joy now more than before to work for God. The world has no charms for me.

"God calling yet, I cannot stay; My heart I yield without delay. Vain world, farewell; from thee I part. The voice of God has reached my heart." I am ever your affectionate daughter, ELLA MAY.

In addition to this, a letter from Elder A. J. Reed, under date of January 12, states that they were expecting the arrival of the British man-of-war Champlain, en route for Pitcairn Island, and it was hoped that she would furnish the people there with some assistance.

Of the work in Tahiti Brother Reed says: "I am happy to say that the work is still moving onward. We hold our services regularly in our new church now. To-night is the closing service of our week of prayer, and we are looking for and praying for a special blessing from the Lord on these poor people who so much need it. Elder Cady reports the work as flourishing in his field, and is calling loudly for more help. We feel more than ever the force of the Saviour's words, that 'the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few.'"