MARTYRDOM OF A MISSIONARY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1328, 2 March 1859, Page 6

MARTYRDOM OF A MISSIONARY.

From tlie Argus of Cst.li January we quote the following; account of the martyrdom of one Walayat AM, a Christian eatechist, resident at Delhi, and only lately published. It is written by his widow: —

" On Monday, the 11th of May, 1857, about two o'clock in iho morning, my husband was preparing to go out to pieach, wli'eii a native preacher, named Thnteur, of the Church -Mission, came in and told us that nil the gates of the city had been closed, that the sepoys had mutinied, and that the Mahometans of the city were going about robbing and killing every Christian. He pressed hard on my husband to escape :it once if possible, else that we would all be killed. .My husband said. ' No, no, brother, the Lord's work cannot be stopped by any one.' In the evening fifty horsemen were seen coming, sword in hand and setting lire to the houses around. Thiiteur said, ' Here they cuinc, now what will you do ? It:in, run. I will, and yon had batter come.' My husband said, ' This is i;o time to flee, except to God in prayer.' Poor Tdatcur ran—was seen by the horseman, and killed. My husband called on us all to prayer, when, as far as I recollect, he said, " 0 Lord, many of Thy people have been slain before this by the sword, anil burned in the iiro for Thy name's sake. Thou didst give them help to hold fast Thy faith. Now, O Lord, we have fallen into the fiery trial ; Lird may-it please Thee to help us to suffer with linniiess. Lot us not fall nor faint in heart under this sore temptation. Even to the death 0 help us to confess, and not to deny Thoe, our dear Lord! 0 help us to heir this cross, that we may, if we die, obtain a crown of glory '.' " After ws had finished prayers, my husband kissed us all, and saiit, ' See that whatever comes you don't deny Christ; for, if yon conlide in Him and confess Him you will bs blessed, and have a crown of glory. True, onr dear Saviour has told us to be wise as the serpent, as well us innocent as doves. So, if you flue, do so ; but, come what will, do not deny Christ.' Now I began to weep bitterly when he said,' Wife dear, I thought your faith was stronger in the Saviour than mine. Why are you su troubled ? Remember God's word, and be comforted. Know that if you die you go:to Josus; and if you are spared Christ is your keeper. I feel confident that, if any of our missionaries live, you will all be tikon care of, and should they all perish, yet Christ lives for ever. If the cnildren are killed before your face, O then take care that you don't dsny'him who died for us. This is my last charge, and God help you.' " No*v some horsemen cams up, and the faquirs (devotees) who lived near us told them to kill my husband, that he was an infidel preacher, and that he had destroyed the faith of many by preaching about Jesus Christ. The troopers now asked him to repeat the Kulmn (Mahometan creed), but he would not. Two of them then fired at us, and oue shot passed close to my husband's oar, and went into the wall be'iind us. Now all the children ran through a back door towards the house of JVlirza Hajeo, one of the Shazadas (or princes), who re.speuled !my husband, and was fond of hearing of the . love of God through Christ. He dressed ' like a faquir, and seemed partial to the 1 gospel.

" He touk in my seven children, who fled for refuge. Nuw one of the troopers interposed saying;' Don't kill them ; Walayut Ali's father was a very pious Mussulman, who went on n pilgrimage to Mecca; and it is likely that this man is n Christian only for the s.ike of money, and he may again become a good Mussulman.' Another trooper then asked my husband, ' Who then are you, and what are you?' He answered, ' 1 was at one time blind, but now I see. God mercifully opened my eyes,

and [ have found a refuge in Christ. Yes, I am a Christian, and am resolved to live and die a Christian.'

" All! said the trooper,' You see that ho is a Kiilfir (infidel). Kill bin)'. Again ho was threatened with loaded muskets pointed t'i his breast, a;id asked to repeat the Kiilma, with a promise of our lives am! protection. My husband said, ,1 I have repentedouoe, and have also believed in Jesus Christ, so I have .no need of repentance.' At this time two European gentlemen were seen running down the road leading to the river, when the troopers said, ' Let iis run after these IVcringhis lirst, then we can return and kill the.se inlidels.' So they

" My hmhand now said to mo, ' Fleo /lee, now is' the time — before they'return.) Ho told mo to go t>) tlio faquirs' tukiii, whilo lie weuld gu t» the Uev. Mr. Alakhny's house to try to save him. I went to tin; tukhi, hut the faquirs would nut allow 1110 to go in, and would have killed mo but fur the interposition of Mirza Hajee, the Slwzada—who said to the troupers ' This wo nan mid her husband ure my friends —if you kill them, then I will get you all blown, up.' Then [began to cry about my chikliin, hut Mirzi JrLijoe told me that he had them all safe. Mow I went after my husband, towards Mr. Mikhuys'shouse, in Dvriagunge, the ho'ise. formerly occupied by Mr. Parry, of the Delhi Bank. "

"On the way I'saw a crowd of the Mahometans and my husband in the midst of them. They were dragging him about on the ground boating him on the head and.in the face with. their .shoes, —some saying. ' Now preach Chiis't to us ! now were is your Christ in whom you boast?' and others asking him to forsake Christianity and repeat the Kulina. My husband said, 'Xo I never will; my Saviour took uj> His cross and went to God, I take up my life as a cross, and will follow him to heaven.

" They now asked him, mockingly, if lie was thirsty, saying,' I suppose you would like some water?' lie said,' When my Saviour died, he got vinegar mingled with gall. I don't need your wilier. But if you mean to kill me do so at once, and don't keep me in this way. Ynu lire the true children of your Prophet Mahomet, He went about converting .with his s\Yord, and he got thousands to submit from fear. But I won't—your sword has n> terror (i>r me; let it fall, iuul kill a martyr for Christ.' " Now a trooper came up and asked what all this was about. The Mussulmans said, ' Mere we have a devil of a Christian who won't recant so kill him,' At this the sepoy aimed a blo.v which nearly cut off his head. His last words woie, 'Oh Jesus, recei\c my soul.' I was close by under a tree, where I could see and hear all this. I was much terrified, and shrieked out when I saw my poor husband was dead. ]t was of no use staying there, so I went back t'i the chapel compound, where I found my housT in v blaze, and people busy plundering it. f now went to my children to the house of Mirzi Hiijee, where I stayed three days, when orders were issued to the effect that if any one shoul 1 be found harbouring or concealing ChristianH they would be put to death. The' Queen Zeenut Muhall had some lifty Europeans concealed and she did all in her power to save them, but was compelled to give them uj). Mirza Ouhor a nephew of the king, knew that I was witli Mirza Hajee, and he remonstrated with him, and warned him of the consequences of keeping rae. Mirza Hajee now told me that I must at once take one of two steps—either become a. Mahometan or leave his house. Both of them urged me to leave Christianity, saying that every Christian in India had been killed, and thut for me to hold out would be great folly. I was promised a house to dwell in, and thirty rupees a month to suport myself and children, and that no one should molest rae. God helped me to resist the temptation, and I said, 'No ; I cannot forsake Christ. I will work to support my children, and iff must l>e killed, (rod's will be done:' and now I had to go out with my seven children. A coolie (porter), who came svith me, led me to the Kottowali (or police station), and some sepoys there attempted to kill us. One man, however, knowing who I was, told them I was under the protection ,of the King, and uot to kill me. And I now wont about seeking for some pbice to dwell in, but no one would take us in, lest they should .be murdered on our account. So I had to wander from one place to another lor some ten days having no place to rest, and nothing hardly to eat. Out of the city we could not go, for all the gates were closed, and strict orders were given not to allow women to g-o out. " On the 13th day a large body of the sepoys went out, and I managed to mix'with thecrowd and got out with my children. I now went to a place in the suburbs of Delhi, called Tulwari, where I got a room for eight annas a month. Six rupees was all the money I had, all the rest having been taken from us by the Mahometans,

"When the English soldiers arrived before Delhi I fou'id my position anything but safe, for the Sepoys had a strong party there; and we were exposed to the lire of both friends and foes ; cannon hills came near us again and again, and one day, one even got into our room, but did us no harm.

" I heard that many people wont to a place called Sun punt, 20 coss (40 miles) from Delhi. So 1 accompanied sumo people there. In this place I" remained lor three months', working hard to keep my little children from starvation. I was chiefly engaged in giimliiig corn, getting hut one anna for grinding nine seers; and in order to net a little food for al , , I ofteu had to work night and day,; yet the Lord was goodand we did not starve.

" When F heard that the English troops had taken Delhi from the city people, many of whom came into Sunpuni in a great terror, I left with two other women, who iyent in search of their husbands.

I again came to Tulwari, when.the whole of my children were taken ill of fevers and colds, and I was in great distress. The youngest child died in a few days, and I had not a picti. to pay for help to get it huried. No one would touch it, so I went about'the' sad task myself. They, indeed, said that if I would become aMiilininedan they would bury it for me. I took up the little corps's, wrapped it in a cloth, and took it outside the village. I began to dig a' little grave with my own hands, when two men caino iip, and asked why I was crying so? I told them, iiuil they kindly helped' ms to dig a pave, and then they left. J then took up the little corpse and buried it. ; I was now anxious to got into the city, and sent a mossage to ii native Christian, fleera Lall, who knew u,s well. lat last found him and got into DelliU where I was kindly treated. I got Heera Lai to write at Agra, in hopes that some of our missionaries might bo alive; and when one wrote hack, I cried for joy, and thanked God, for I knew that what my dear husband said would be fullillod, that if. our missionaries were spared I and the children would be provided for. . '

The'poor widow unci her family are now safe under their protection.