the life of william carey-第69章

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is　pundit；　though　not　so　robust　as　he　appears　to　be　there。　　Next　to　his　translations　Botany　is　his　grand　study。　　He　has　collected　every　plant　and　tree　in　his　garden　that　will　possibly　grow　in　India；　and　is　so　scientific　withal　that　he　calls　everything　by　its　classical　name。　　If；　therefore；　I　should　at　any　time　blunder　out　the　word　Geranium；　he　would　say　Pelargonium；　and　perhaps　accuse　me　of　ignorance；　or　blame　me　for　vulgarity。　　We　had　the　pleasure　of　hearing　him　preach　from　Rom。　vii。　13；　when　he　gave　us　an　excellent　sermon。　　In　manner　he　is　very　animated；　and　in　style　very　methodical。　　Indeed　he　carries　method　into　everything　he　does；　classification　is　his　grand　hobby；　and　wherever　anything　can　be　classified；　there　you　find　Dr。　Carey；　not　only　does　he　classify　and　arrange　the　roots　of　plants　and　words；　but　visit　his　dwelling　and　you　find　he　has　fitted　up　and　classified　shelves　full　of　minerals；　stones；　shells；　etc。；　and　cages　full　of　birds。　　He　is　of　very　easy　access；　and　great　familiarity。　　His　attachments　are　strong；　and　extend　not　merely　to　persons　but　places。　　About　a　year　ago；　so　much　of　the　house　in　which　he　had　lived　ever　since　he　had　been　at　Serampore；　fell　down　so　that　he　had　to　leave　it；　at　which　he　wept　bitterly。　　One　morning　at　breakfast；　he　was　relating　to　us　an　anecdote　of　the　generosity　of　the　late　excellent　John　Thornton；　at　the　remembrance　of　whom　the　big　tear　filled　his　eye。　　Though　it　is　an　affecting　sight　to　see　the　venerable　man　weep；　yet　it　is　a　sight　which　greatly　interests　you；　as　there　is　a　manliness　in　his　tearssomething　far　removed　from　the　crying　of　a　child。〃

The　house　in　which　for　the　last　ten　years　he　lived；　and　where　he　died；　was　the　only　one　of　two　or　three；　planned　for　the　new　professors　of　the　college；　that　was　completed。　　Compared　with　the　adjoining　college　it　was　erected　with　such　severe　simplicity　that　it　was　said　to　have　been　designed　for　angels　rather　than　for　men。　Carey's　room　and　library　looked　towards　the　river　with　the　breadth　of　the　college　garden　between。　　On　the　other　side；　in　the　upper　verandah；　in　the　morning　he　worked　at　his　desk　almost　to　the　last；　and　in　the　evening　towards　sunset　he　talked　with　his　visitors。　　In　1826　the　London　Missionary　Society　sent　out　to　Calcutta　the　first　of　its　deputations。　　Dr。　Carey　sent　his　boat　for　them；　and　in　the　absence　of　her　husband　in　England；　Mrs。　Marshman　entertained　the　guests。　　They　wrote：

〃We　found　Dr。　Carey　in　his　study；　and　we　were　both　pleased　and　struck　with　his　primitive；　and　we　may　say；　apostolical　appearance。　He　is　short　of　stature；　his　hair　white；　his　countenance　equally　bland　and　benevolent　in　feature　and　expression。　　Two　Hindoo　men　were　sitting　by；　engaged　in　painting　some　small　subjects　in　natural　history；　of　which　the　doctor；　a　man　of　pure　taste　and　highly　intellectual　cast　of　feeling；　irrespective　of　his　more　learned　pursuits；　has　a　choice　collection；　both　in　specimens　and　pictorial　representations。　　Botany　is　a　favourite　study　with　him；　and　his　garden　is　curiously　enriched　with　rarities。〃

Of　all　the　visits　paid　to　Carey　none　are　now　so　interesting　to　the　historian　of　the　Church　of　India；　as　those　of　the　youth　who　succeeded　him　as　he　had　succeeded　Schwartz。　　Alexander　Duff　was　twenty…four　years　of　age　when；　in　1830；　full　of　hesitation　as　to　carrying　out　his　own　plans　in　opposition　to　the　experience　of　all　the　missionaries　he　had　consulted；　he　received　from　Carey　alone　the　most　earnest　encouragement　to　pursue　in　Calcutta　the　Christian　college　policy　so　well　begun　in　the　less　central　settlement　of　Serampore。　　We　have　elsewhere32　told　the　story：

〃Landing　at　the　college　ghaut　one　sweltering　July　day；　the　still　ruddy　highlander　strode　up　to　the　flight　of　steps　that　leads　to　the　finest　modern　building　in　Asia。　Turning　to　the　left；　he　sought　the　study　of　Carey　in　the　house'built　for　angels；'　said　one；　so　simple　is　itwhere　the　greatest　of　missionary　scholars　was　still　working　for　India。　　There　he　beheld　what　seemed　to　be　a　little　yellow　old　man　in　a　white　jacket；　who　tottered　up　to　the　visitor　of　whom　he　had　already　often　heard；　and　with　outstretched　hands　solemnly　blessed　him。　　A　contemporary　soon　after　wrote　thus　of　the　childlike　saint

〃'Thou'rt　in　our　heartwith　tresses　thin　and　grey；　　　　　And　eye　that　knew　the　Book　of　Life　so　well；　　　And　brow　serene；　as　thou　wert　wont　to　stray　　　　　Amidst　thy　flowerslike　Adam　ere　he　fell。'

〃The　result　of　the　conference　was　a　double　blessing；　for　Carey　could　speak　with　the　influence　at　once　of　a　scholar　who　had　created　the　best　college　at　that　time　in　the　country；　and　of　a　vernacularist　who　had　preached　to　the　people　for　half　a　century。　　The　young　Scotsman　left　his　presence　with　the　approval　of　the　one　authority　whose　opinion　was　best　worth　having。。。

〃Among　those　who　visited　him　in　his　last　illness　was　Alexander　Duff；　the　Scots　missionary。　　On　one　of　the　last　occasions　on　which　he　saw　himif　not　the　very　lasthe　spent　some　time　talking　chiefly　about　Carey's　missionary　life；　till　at　length　the　dying　man　whispered；　Pray。　Duff　knelt　down　and　prayed；　and　then　said　Good…bye。　　As　he　passed　from　the　room；　he　thought　he　heard　a　feeble　voice　pronouncing　his　name；　and；　turning；　he　found　that　he　was　recalled。　　He　stepped　back　accordingly；　and　this　is　what　he　heard；　spoken　with　a　gracious　solemnity：　'Mr。　Duff；　you　have　been　speaking　about　Dr。　Carey；　Dr。　Carey；　When　I　am　gone；　say　nothing　about　Dr。　Careyspeak　about　Dr。　Carey's　Saviour。'　　Duff　went　away　rebuked　and　awed；　with　a　lesson　in　his　heart　that　he　never　forgot。〃33

When　with　his　old　friends　he　dwelt　much　on　the　past。　　Writing　of　May　1832；　Dr。　Marshman　mentioned：　〃I　spent　an　hour　at　tea　with　dear　Brother　Carey　last　night；　now　seventy　and　nine　months。　　He　was　in　the　most　comfortable　state　of　health；　talking　over　his　first　feelings　respecting　India　and　the　heathen；　and　the　manner　in　which　God　kept　them　alive；　when　even　Fuller　could　not　yet　enter　into　them；　and　good　old　John　Ryland　（the　doctor's　father）　denounced　them　as　unscriptural。　　Had　these　feelings　died　away；　in　what　a　different　state　might　India　now　have　been！〃　　In　September　of　that　year；　when　burying　Mrs。　Ward；　he　seemed；　in　his　address　at　the　grave；　to　long　for　renewed　intercourse　with　the　friends　who　had　preceded　him　in　entering　into　the　joy　of　the　Lord。

On　Mr。　Leechman's　arrival　from　Scotland　to　be　his　colleague；　he　found　the　old　man　thus　vigorous　even　in　April　1833；　or　if　〃faint；　yet　pursuing〃：

〃Our　venerable　Dr。　Carey　is　in　excellent　health；　and　takes　his　turn　in　all　our　public　exercises。　　Just　forty　years　ago；　the　first　of　this　month；　he　administered　the　Lord's　Supper　to　the　church　at　Leicester；　and　started　on　the　morrow　to　embark　for　India。　　Through　this　long　period　of　honourable　toil　the　Lord　has　mercifully　preserved　him；　and　at　our　missionary　prayer　meeting；　held　on　the　first　of　this　month；　he　delivered　an　interesting　address　to　encourage　us　to　persevere　in　the　work　of　the　Lord。　We　have　also　a　private　monthly　prayer　meeting　held　in　Dr。　Carey's　study；　which　is　to　me　a　meeting　of　uncommon　interest。　　On　these　occasions　we　particularly　spread　before　the　Lord　our　public　and　private　trials；　both　those　which　come　upon　us　from　the　cause　of　Christ；　with　which　it　is　our　honour　and　privilege　to　be　connected；　and　those　also　which　we　as　individuals　are　called　to　bear。　　At　our　last　meeting　Dr。　Carey　read　part　of　the　history　of　Gideon；　and　commented　with　deep　feeling　on　the　encouragement　which　that　history　affords；　that　the　cause　of　God　can　be　carried　on　to　victory　and　triumph；　by　feeble　and　apparently　inefficient　means。〃

Carey's　successor；　Mack；　wrote　thus　to　Christopher　Anderson　ten　months　later：

〃SERAMPORE；　31st　January　1834。Our　venerable　father；　Dr。　Carey；　is　yet　continued　to　us；　but　in　the　same　state　in　which　he　has　been　for　the　last　three　months　or　so。　　He　is　quite　incapable　of　work；　and　very　weak。　　He　can　walk　but　a　few　yards　at　a　time；　and　spends　the　day　in　reading　for　profit　and　entertainment；　and　in　occasionally　nodding　and　sleeping。　　He　is　perfectly　tranquil　in　mind。　　His　imagination　does　not　soar　much　in　vivid　anticipations　of　glory；　and　it　never　disquiets　him　with　restless　misgivings　respecting　his　inheritance　in　God。　To　him　it　is　everything　that　the　gospel　is　true；　and　he　believes　it；　and；　as　he　says；　if　he　can　say　he　knows　anything；　he　knows　that　he　believes　it。　　When　his　attention　is　turned　to　his　dismissal　from　earth；　or　his　hope　of　glory；　his　emotions　are　tender　and　sweet。　　They　are　also　very　simple；　and　express　themselves　in　a　few　brief　and　pithy　sentences。　　His　interest　in　all　the　affairs　of　the　mission　is　unabated；　and　although　he　can　no　longer　join　us　either　in　deliberation　or　associated　prayer；　he　must　be　informed　of　all　that　occurs；　and　his　heart　is　wholly　with　us　in　whatever　we　do。　　I　do　not　conceive　it　possible　that　he　can　survive　the　ensuing　hot　season；　but　he　may；　and　the　Lord　will　do　in　this　as　in　all　other　things　what　is　best。

〃When　our　necessities　were　coming　to　their　climax　I　concluded　that　I　must　leave　Serampore　in　order　to　find　food　to　eat；　and　I　fixed　upon　Cherra…poonjee　as　my　future　residence。　　I　proposed　establishing　a　first…class　school　there；　and　then　with　some　warmth　of　imagination　I　began　anticipating　a　sort　of　second　edition　of　Serampore　up　in　the　Khasia　hills；　to　be　a　centre　of　diffusing　light　in　the　western　provinces。　　I　became　really　somewhat　enamoured　of　the　phantom　of　my　imagination；　but　it　was　not　to　be。　　The　brethren　here　would　not　see　it　as　I　did。〃

This　last　sketch；　by　Mr。　Gogerly；　whom　the　London　Missionary　Society　had　sent　out　in　1819；　brings　us　still　nearer　the　end：

〃At　this　time　I　paid　him　my　last　visit。　　He　was　seated　near　his　desk；　in　the　study；　dressed　in　his　usual　neat　attire；　his　eyes　were　closed；　and　his　hands　clasped　together。　　On　his　desk　was　the　proof…sheet　of　the　last　chapter　of　the　New　Testament；　which　he　had　revised　a　few　days　before。　　His　appearance；　as　he　sat　there；　with　the　few　white　locks　which　adorned　his　venerable　brow；　and　his　placid　colourless　face；　filled　me　with　a　kind　of　awe；　for　he　appeared　as　then　listening　to　the　Master's　summons；　and　as　waiting　to　depart。　　I　sat；　in　his　presence；　for　about　half　an　hour；　and　not　one　word　was　uttered；　for　I　feared　to　break　that　solemn　silence；　and　call　back　to　earth　the　soul　that　seemed　almost　in　heaven。　　At　last；　however；　I　spoke；　and　well　do　I　remember　the　identical　words　that　passed　between　us；　though　more　than　thirty…six　years　have　elapsed　since　then。　　I　said；　'My　dear　friend；　you　evidently　are　standing　on　the　borders　of　the　eternal　world；　do　not　think　it　wrong；　then；　if　I　ask；　What　are　your　feelings　in　the　immediate　prospect　of　death？'　　The　question　roused　him　from　his　apparent　stupor；　and　opening　his　languid　eyes；　he　earnestly　replied；　'As　far　as　my　personal　salvation　is　concerned；　I　have　not　the　shadow　of　a　doubt；　I　know　in　Whom　I　have　believed；　and　am　persuaded　that　He　is　able　to　keep　that　which　I　have　committed　unto　Him　against　that　day；　but　when　I　think　that　I　am　about　to　appear　in　the　presence　of　a　holy　God；　and　remember　all　my　sins　and　manifold　imperfectionsI　tremble。'　　He　could　say　no　more。　The　tears　trickled　down　his　cheeks；　and　after　a　while　he　relapsed　into　the　same　state　of　silence　from　which　I　had　aroused　him。

〃Deeply　solemn　was　that　interview；　and　impor