that was ever dearer to her and her husband than were their own lives.

After their marriage they remained for a short time in Durban, and then proceeded to Mr. Agnew's field of labor in the Transvaal. Upon their arrival at New Primrose they found that the dwelling house and school building were completed, and that everything was ready for them to enter at once upon their work. They soon found also that attending to the spiritual needs of 15,000 young men, mostly raw heathen, would occupy their time quite fully, and they rejoiced in this grand opportunity of making known the gospel of Christ to so many who had never heard the story of redemption.

On July 4th of this year Mr. Agnew was prostrated with an attack of pneumonia and African fever. So severe was the attack that for several days his recovery seemed doubtful. By virtue of fervent prayer and skilful nursing, however, he was raised from what appeared like a fatal attack, and was spared a little longer to gather from the dark-skinned tribes of Africa precious jewels for the Master's crown.

The labors of these devoted missionaries in their Transvaal field will be the better understood and the more appreciated the more the reader knows about the character of that particular field. Hence the following, a part of which was published in Missionary Tidings, September, 1897, is here reproduced:

There is probably no more important work on earth than that which is being carried on in the Transvaal gold fields, round about Johannesburg. Many thousands of natives come here yearly from most all parts of South Africa, all dressed

in their heathen toggery. Many of these come from parts where there are no missionaries, and, consequently, know nothing of the true God and eternal life. The natives working in the mines are kept in compounds, or native lodging houses, and it is there the missionary goes to visit them.

These compounds are built of stone or corrugated iron. They are generally composed of four long buildings, joined together, and form a square with a large open place in the center. These buildings are divided into rooms, each room containing from ten to twenty natives. In the midst of the square there is a cook-house, in which are cooked large boilerfuls of cornmeal porridge. This porridge is furnished to the natives three times a day, and, with the exception of meat once a month, it is all the food the mining companies furnish the natives. Anything else they may wish in the eating line has to be purchased out of their wages. The doors of the rooms all open inside the square, and there are gates which the natives have to pass through in order to get out of the compound. These gates are guarded by native policemen day and night, but the natives can come in and go out as they like.

The compounds are generally kept clean, are swept every day, and the refuse food, etc., is carried away. In the rooms things are not generally in "apple-pie order." Many fleas are to be found within, and certain other obnoxious insects, called by some "greybacks." In the compound there is generally to be found a hospital where sick and wounded natives are treated. In these hospitals are to be seen many natives far away from home with arms or legs off or crushed in other ways. While working in the mines great stones fall upon them, killing some, and fearfully mangling others. The work of visiting the rooms in these compounds would not perhaps suit the high-toned preachers. Some Wesleyan preachers have said that they do not like native work. This is not surprising, as native work, unless one has a real love for souls, is not a very enticing occupation. Some of the rooms to be visited are very dark, very dirty, and the inmates thereof are not anxious to hear the gospel. To go into these rooms and sit on an oil can or an empty dynamite box and endeavor to ex

plain the mystery of godliness is something in which there is little earthly glory, and which wins but little earthly applause. However, to those who see immortality in the eyes of the darkened crowds before them, and who know the glorious change that Christ can work in just such unfortunate wretches, the work of visiting compounds is a very blessed work.

As one goes through the compounds he sees representatives of at least thirty different tribes, about all of them looking with contempt and hatred upon members of other tribes, and most of them unacquainted with the name and power of Jesus. Every tribe, of course, represents a different dialect, until one is reminded of the work of W. A. B. Johnson, at Sierra Leone, who labored among manumitted slaves, brought from all parts and dumped at Sierra Leone by British men-of-war, which released them from slave vessels captured at sea. As the natives working in the mines are about all young men, they are consequently the very flower of the tribes they represent.

Gungunyana, the once powerful chief who lived near the Limpopo river, has been exiled by the Portuguese; his army has consequently been disbanded and probably the majority of his soldiers are to be found in these compounds, working for money with which to obtain wives, etc. Most of them are fine, powerful fellows, generally very attentive to what the missionary has to say; and one cannot help coveting them for Christ and for the redemption of Africa. Inhambane boys are also here in abundance-Batswas, Batongas, Bandongis and Bachopis. The latter are looked upon by the compound managers as among the most degraded class in the compounds. At home they have their kraals ornamented with the skulls of their enemies, and also eat snakes and caterpillars. One compound manager told me nothing could be done for them, but many of them at this writing are giving evidences of a change of heart, and some have been baptized and received into the church of Christ.

Some of the Cape Colony natives, as well as some of the Zulus and Basutos, have had more or less religious instruction and are able to read. The labor of missionaries among them

has not been in vain. Much seed sown on lonely mission stations is at this point bringing forth good fruit.

As the mines are running day and night, there are night and day shifts, or gangs, of workmen, so that the natives can be visited in the afternoons and evenings. When it is dry, open air meetings can be held, besides the room visiting. As some of these boys (all natives are called boys here, even if grayheaded) come from as far north as Mozambique and the Zambesi, and others from as far south as Cape Town; and, as most of them only stay two or three years at this point, it can be easily seen that a real work of God here would more or less move the whole of South Africa. Natives are going from here daily to their homes in darkest heathendom. When they arrive at home they will be called upon to relate their adven tures. The talk, of course, will be about the white man, what he does, what he eats, what he talks about, etc. Among other things discussed will be the aba mfundisi (missionaries), and what they said about Jesus and the resurrection, about the judgment and the wrath to come. Even though they may not be converted before leaving here, yet these boys will be preachers in spite of themselves; and thus the glorious news of salvation will pierce the remotest parts of South Africa. Paul says: "Notwithstanding every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein rejoice, yea, and will rejoice."

God has raised up one man at Johannesburg, a saved lawyer [Mr. A. W. Baker, by whom Mr. Agnew was first employed and maintained in the field], who can preach in Dutch and Zulu. This man is personally supporting over a score of white and native evangelists. He has a number of schools along the reef, and in them many of the compound natives are turning from their sins and seeking God. In two years he put over thirty thousand dollars into this work. Verily he shall have his reward. The American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions has a white missionary in Johannesburg and several evangelists. The South African General Mission is also doing a little, as well as a few independent workers. But there is room for many more, as the tide of natives is constantly ebbing and flowing, and but few of the white workers understand the native dialects.

CHAPTER XXIX.

LABORING UNDER MR. BAKER-ERRONEOUSLY REPORTED WITHDRAWN FROM THE BOARD ERRONEOUS REPORT CORRECTED.

"He knoweth the way that I take."

Mr. Agnew's first labors in the Transvaal were under the employment of Mr. A. W. Baker, a Christian lawyer of a very philanthropic character and who had established missionary work among the native compounds at his own expense and on an extensive scale. Concerning their work there Mrs. Agnew says: "Our work was new to us, but was very interesting and encouraging, as we were able to reach many thousands of precious souls, many of whom had never heard the gospel before. The Lord rewarded our labors with many souls won from among the different tribes there represented."

In the Free Methodist of August 10, 1897, an article from the pen of Mr. Agnew was published concerning the "Different African Tribes" represented in the Johannesburg compounds. That article is one of much interest, but is too long to be reproduced. From it we learn that their labors there were among numerous representatives of the following tribes: (1) The Amaxosas and Fingoes, who are the real Kaffir tribes from Cape Colony, some of whom were Christians, the Cape Colony missionaries having for years labored among this people in their native districts.