FIJI MISSIONARY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 957, 28 April 1930, Page 14

FIJI MISSIONARY

FIFTY YEARS OF SERVICE MRS. A. J. SMALL’S RECORD Fifty years of missionary work in Fiji, with only a very occasional vacation, is the record established by Mrs. Emma Burrows Small, widow of the Rev. A. J. Small, whose death occurred suddenly at Fitzroy, New Plymouth, on Friday. Mrs. Small, who was 75 years of age, was on holiday and intended returning to Fiji in May. Mr. Small died four years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Small went to Fiji from Sydney in 1879, and on arrival were transferred to an open cutter in order to reach Bau, where they were to be stationed. Three days and three nights were passed in the open boat before the couple arrived at their destination more dead than alive. One missionary had preceded Mr. and Mrs. Small to Bau, and when they arrived the natives had made some progress in civilised ways. The only white neighbour was Mr. D. Wilkinson, who owned a plantation near Bau. A doctor was unknown, and all the members of the family were born without medical aid.

Rapidly both missionaries became proficient linguists, and in addition to teaching Christianity performed many services for the natives, not the least being that of doctor, a science of which they knew next to nothing, but at which they became adept as time went on. While a service was being conducted in the little church at Viwa' one Sunday morning in 1895, the wind was heard to be rising in increasing volume. All that night the hurricane raged, sweeping away the native huts and the church. The'mission house withstood the wind for a time, but returning with doubled force, the hurricane swept away the roof sheet by sheet, the iron being found later miles away. During the whole of the half century in Fiji. Mrs. Small was a ceaseless worker in the interests of the Fijians as well as for the Church, and she was an authority on the island and its inhabitants. Mrs. Small was a native of Nottingham, England, and went to Australia at an early age, being married in Sydney six weeks before setting out on her life work to Fiji.

The Sunday nearest to Anzac Day was observed yesterday as a special day of remembrance at St. David’s Presbyterian Church. Offerings were jeceived at both services as a thanksgiving for the freeing from debt of the new soldiers’ memorial church, for which a total of £26,000 has been contributed during the past ten years. The offerings yesterday, amounting to £125, are to be given to missionary purposes.