ook
was in his hand,--the book of books undoubtedly. His eyes were turned
toward heaven: he was praying for the safety of all those exposed to the
fury of the tempest. My own name was mentioned. I advanced, and knelt
down by the side of my own Mary. "God hears prayer," I whispered. "He
has preserved me."

She soon lay in my arms, weeping tears of joy. I now learned that no
sooner had the signs of the coming tempest appeared than several of the
principal natives came to the mission-house, and advised John to remove
his family, with his books, and such articles as the water might spoil,
to a place of safety, offering to assist him. Of this kindness he
gladly availed himself; but the journey was not performed without great
danger and difficulty, as the tempest broke before they had proceeded
far, and the wind and floods impeded their progress. Mary suffered
most, from her anxiety for me. Now we praised God together joyfully for
the preservation he had awarded us.

It was daylight before we were able again to set forward to return to my
brother's now desolate home. Still we could rejoice, and be thankful
that none of those most dear to us had been lost. We hoped that the
poor natives might have escaped as well; but we had not descended far
through the lower ground before we found one crushed by a fallen tree,
and another drowned in a water-hole, into which he had apparently
stumbled. The lightning had struck a third whose blackened corpse we
found beneath a tall tree stripped of its branches. These were beyond
human help.

"Grant that they died in the Lord," observed the missionary, as we noted
the spots where they lay, that we might send and bury them.

The numbers wandering houseless and without food most claimed our
sympathy. Our worst apprehensions were realised. In the late neat and
pretty village not a cottage retained its roof, and by far the greater
number lay levelled with the ground, some mere heaps of ruin, while of
others not a remnant was to be seen, the whole building having been
carried off by the floods or wind. Of the church only part of the walls
remained standing; and even the heavier timbers of the roof lay
scattered about in every direction. This destruction naturally deeply
affected the missionary. "Still I pray that the faith and trust of the
people will not be found wanting under this trial," he murmured as we
passed on.

The school-houses were much in the same condition; but