Sad Missionary Story.

Hastings Standard, Issue 461, 27 October 1897, Page 4

Sad Missionary Story.

THE PATHETIC SIDE OF CIVILISING WORK. A touching narrative has just come from the Congo. Tumba is a town of some importance, and Matadi is the highest point ocean-going steamers have ever reached. Tumba, too, is the first station on the new Free State Railway, anil hero the Baptist Missionary Society of London have established themselves to conduct their important civilising work. So important is Tumba regarded, both. as a distributing depot and as a field for missionary labor, that the Baptist Society have, or had, four missionaries established there. Two missionaries with their wives —of these Mr and Mrs Popel are believed to have belonged to Londonwere one group. They went to the last year, and three months ago Mr Popel fell a victim to its treacherous climate and died. A few days afterwards Mrs Popel gave birth to a son. This circumstance at any time and place would have been a cause of joy, but in Africa it is to a white lady an event to be feared. In ten days Mrs Popel was laid in the grave beside her bushand at Tumba, and the infant was an orphan. For a few weeks the little stranger was cared for by the remaining missionary and his wife. Subsequently Mr and Mrs White, Baptist missionaries hundreds of miles further up the Congo, called at Tumba on their way to England, as Mr White was then suffering seriously from fever. The child was placed in their care to be taken to its grandparents in England, and all reached the mail steamer Niger in safety. The little orphan, with its sad history, had the full sympathy of the entire ship—passengers, officers, and crew —and was instantly installed as ' Our Baby." It was given the utmost care and attention, particularly by Mr and Mrs White ; but as the Niger was passing the Congo, homeward bound, about three weeks afterwards, the tiny creature died. To end the sad story, Mr White died the following day, and the little orphan was placed in his coffin, guardian and child finding a last resting place at the French port of Mayumba, where the Niger puts in.