und Savior. His Bible was constantly in his hands, and
he read the marvelous news to all. His family soon became interested in
the gospel and they, even to his son-in-law, became as crazy upon the
subject as he. Thirteen of them were baptized at one time.

For activity in evangelization his equal was scarcely ever met. He kept
for distribution boxes of Bibles and tracts. While at business he
witnessed for the gospel. He traveled extensively. Some of his bosom
friends became his worst enemies, but many of them he led to Christ, or
at least to a friendship, for the gospel. He did not preach, but
invited many preachers to come to his community and was always ready to
accompany them whenever they needed his presence. His life was the
greatest sermon he could preach to the people. They had known him once
in the old days when one of his sons fell sick he promised to carry his
weight of beeswax to the miracle working saint of the Lapa shrine, 100
miles away on the San Francisco River. The son recovered and the father
kept his word. Now they saw him discard his old superstitions for the
truth in Jesus. The gospel that could produce such a marvelous change
as this had its effect upon his neighbors. He organized a church upon
his own fazenda and it held its meetings in his own house at Casca.

He became deeply interested in the subject of education. He said one
day to Dr. Z. C. Taylor, our missionary at Bahia: "While I was a
Catholic I had no desire to educate my children, but now I would give
all of this farm to see them educated." Dr. Taylor told him of some of
his own plans concerning a school, and Captain Egydio contributed the
first money for the school, which Dr. Taylor afterward established,
Captain Egydio's gift of a thousand dollars making it possible for this
school to be organized.

Of the trials and persecutions which he endured for the gospel, we can
cite only one or two.

A priest paid two men sixty dollars to go and take the Captain's life.
They appeared one night at his door and asked for employment. He
invited them in, saying he had plenty of work he could give them to do.
The time soon arrived for family prayers and the men were invited to be
present. The Captain afterward told the family that while he was
praying he received a distinct impression that the men had come to do
him bodily injury and that in the prayer he had committed himself
absolutely to the protection of God. The next day he took the two men