Half- Cent URYinBUI

BX

NOV 8

BX 6495

1951

.S83 S8 1897
Stevens, Sumner Wynne.
A half-century in Burma

Of

Dr. and Mrs. E. A. Stevens.

HALF-CENTURY

IN

BURMA

A MEMORIAL SKETCH OF

EDWARD ABIKL'STBVENS,
BY

D. D.

SUMNER WYNNE STEVENS

The image of my father, my revered, kind, learned, simplehearted father, is a religion to me.

Coleridge

PHILADELPHIA

AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY

1897

Copyright 1897 by the

American Baptist Publication Society

ifrom tbe Societie's own iprcg0

INTRODUCTORY
And

he shewed

me a river
God and

out of the throne of

From

of water of

of the

clear as

life,

Lamb.

Rev. 22

crystal, proceeding
i.

before the enraptured eye of the exiled apos-

human

the impenetrable veil which conceals from

tle

view the

New

was permitted
light like

its
its

He

Jerusalem had been drawn aside and he

to look

upon

its

He

splendor.

unto a stone most precious,

its

beheld

jasper walls,

pavement golden, and its radiant gates of pearl.

saw too, amid the beauty of the celestial city, the

river of

the water

city

flowed,

it

of

life,

a crystal stream of trans-

Through the midst of the

parent purity.

its

Lamb, while on

source the throne of

either

bank was the

street of the

God and

tree of

leaves were for the healing of the nations.

and lovely scene was

this,

the

whose

life

sweet

disclosed to the vision of the

seer.

have been shown a

talhne

river of

life,

clear

and

crys-

a stream not free from earthy particles, but

one, notwithstanding, that was remarkably transparent

purity

and

Like the heavenly

in

its

its

flow was out from the throne of

for

it

was a

life

simplicity.

God and

whose springs were

that was hid with Christ in

God.

in

the

river,

Lamb;

Jehovah

one

Moreover, the

in-

fluences which went out from that hfe, the trees as

3

it

INTRODUCTORY

4
were that
either side

drew moisture from

thereof,

and flourished on

it

bore leaves which were for

the

heahng of the nations, and which were the means of

giving recovery of sight to eyes bUnded by spiritual
darkness and sinful superstition.
It

is

river, as

not out of place that

I

manner of

preface what
hfe of

was a missionary

one who
to the

use this figure of the

would

tell

concerning the

for nearly

half a century

Burmans,

my

godly, sainted

father.
S.

Philadelphia, yaar>',

1897.

W.

S.

A HALF-CENTURY

THE

BURMA

IN

subject of this brief memorial

and missionary ancestry.

came of godly

His grandfather, the

Rev. Josiah Stevens, was a missionary in the

employ of the Society for Propagating the Gospel, and
as a
Isle

"pious minister of Jesus Christ" labored on the

of Shoals, off the coast of New Hampshire.

Oliver,

eventually

the second son of this missionary pastor,

made

his

home

in the

South and became the

There he mar-

proprietor of a plantation in Georgia.

ried and on January 23, 1814, about two years after

Adoniram Judson sailed for Burma, there was born to
this Christian couple,

on a place then

Haynes

called

Plantation, near Sunbury, Liberty County, Ga. a babe

who was in after years to prove a valued co-laborer of
,

that pioneer missionary

on

far-off

heathen shores.

boy was named Edward Abiel and was

his parents.

It is

the

The

child of

fifth

very interesting to note that in his

infancy the child was consecrated by his mother to

Of this consecration my
foreign mission service.
father learned in later years from the lips of

had known

his mother before her death, and

him
"in Albany, Georgia

tell the story in his

''

(in

with

1875),

will let

met," he

own words:

one who
I

says,

who

lady

during the war of the rebelUon became acquainted with

5

'

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

my

That lady told

mother.

me

my

that

mother

fre-

quently spoke to her of her missionary son and mentioned to her that shortly after

came

to

her house, when, holding

my
me

birth a minister
in her

arms she

requested him to offer a prayer of consecration of

for her to the missionary service,

did as she requested.

The

gift

me

and that the minister

'

of the noble-hearted mother

God

accepted,

and the heart of the boy Edward was early inclined

toward the work to which his manhood was devoted.

He

was naturally of a religious disposition and

age of thirteen experienced conversion.

tized in

November, 1827,

He

at the

was bap-

into the fellowship of the

Baptist church in Sunbury, Georgia.

Shortly subsequent to his baptism

Edward was

offered

home in the family of the late Henry J. Ripley, d. d.

who was for many years an honored professor in the
The proffer was
Newton Theological Institution.
In his new
accepted and young Stevens came North.
home Edward was the recipient of every kindness at
the hands both of Dr. Ripley and Mrs. Ripley, who
a

was

his

tuition
in

aunt.

of Dr.

He

prepared for college

September, 1829.

for scholarship

under the

Ripley and entered Biown University

He

took high rank in his

and was graduated with honor

During one period of

his college course

class

in 1833.

he had some

remarkable religious experiences, which led him into a

more perfect realization of the nature of true faith and

a more complete and thorough consecration of himself
to the service of his Lord.

After the conclusion of his

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA
Stevens

Mr.

course

college

entered

/
Baptist

the

Newton, and was graduated

Theological Seminary at

thence in 1836.

My

father from the earliest childhood felt

an especial

interest in the subject of missions, and during the years

of his college career this feehng was deepened

but

it

was not until the middle year of his seminary course

he

that

decided upon the foreign

fully

The

scene of his labors.

this decision,

of his

life,

which he considered the most important

(i)

give in his

will

''What led me
things,

reasons which

The deep

interest

The fact
Romans that
take

and the best

for

(3)

And

was

'

'

felt

in the subject,

God

to the work.

that Christians should

thirdly, after earnest prayer

choose that work

at liberty to

And he

hfe-w^ork."

once said 'I choose,'

work.

which from so early a

had

reflection I could give to the subject, I

to see that I

my

the heathen are in perishing need of the

them.

to

says

so clearly taught in the Epistle to the

and the duty therefore

it

came

He

words.

probably were three

to indicate a special call of

(2)

gospel,

own

to that decision

period and for so long a time

seeming

as the

field

finally led to

and

adds:

settled

His proffer of service

''I

therefore

my mind

at

on that

to the Missionary

Union

was accepted and he was appointed a missionary June

27,

''And

1836.

writes,

"but

he did not go;

of Boston

so

became

a missionary,"

did not wish to go alone."

for

And

he

alone

during his residence in the vicinity

he had made the

acquaintance

of

Miss

EHzabeth Lincoln Haven, a daughter of Calvin Haven,

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

Esq., an old-time Boston merchant of sterling integrity

and unswerving honesty in all his business relations.
Miss Haven was also the niece of Lucy Lane Lincoln,
first wife of the late Francis Wayland, d. d.
sometime
,

Brown

President of

The acquaintance

University.

of

young Southerner with the Puritan maiden deepThey were betrothed, and
ened into mutual love.
were married on the fifth of October, 1837, in the
the

Lynde

Street

a singularly

home

The union proved

of the bride.

happy one, not only of hand but of heart

not alone of soul but of sentiment Hkewise;

nearly

years Ehzabeth

fifty

Haven was

and

the loving

for

com-

panion, the tender sympathizer, and efficient helper, of

her missionary husband.

And

to-day in far-off Burma,

in a calm, sweet eventide she quietly listens for the dip

of the boatman's oar that shall

summon

her to her

beloved.

October 28, 1837, the young missionary, but twentythree years of age, and his fair young bride, not yet
twenty-one, were to embark for Moulmein (''Maul-

main,"

as

it

The "Services at
Burman Mis-

used to be), Burma.

the Designation of Missionaries to the

sion" were held

in the

Federal Street Baptist Church,

Boston, Sabbath evening, October 22, 1837, and

those

who

participated

the

in

exercises

among

were Rev.

Baron Stow, Rev. Dr. Sharp, Rev. Geo. B. Ide, and

Rev. Prof. Ripley,
the

all

hymns sung was

for the occasion

of sainted

memory now.

the following,

Among

evidently written

and printed on the "Order of

vices," which Ues before

me

Ser-


A HALF-CENTURY
Go where

Of

the

'

BURMA

IN

gods unheeding

idol

Burmans crowd

Go where

the Salwen's side

souls for light are pleading,

Lamp

of Life denied.

Souls benighted,

Of
Hear

the

Lamp

of Life denied.

the cry for help prevailing

Over tempest, wind, and wave

Full of agony and wailing
Haste these dying souls to save.
!

Christian pilgrim,

Haste these dying souls

to save.

Zion, send to every nation

Heralds of the Prince of Peace

Spread the knowledge of salvation

Until sin and sorrow cease.
Pray,

Pray

till

sin

Zion

and sorrow cease.

Rosabella,
upon the bark
a small
With them,
vessel of three hundred tons burthen.
also bound for the same distant shores, were Rev.
Lyman Stilson and wife, and Rev. D. L. Brayton
As that little band of six young misand wife.
Rosabella
sionaries stood upon the deck of the
and watched the slowly receding shores of their

They

'

'

set sail

'

'

'

'

'

native

tions

and

country,

until

horizon revealed

the

must have

filled

at

no

trace

their

their destination rolled

sand miles of

the

last

restless billow.

outmost verge of

what emoBetween them

of land,

hearts

and moaned sixteen thouBut the winds and the

waves had been given charge concerning the small bark

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

lO

and

she dropped anchor off Moulmein.,

at last

company of

consecrated

two now survive,

who

still

viz.,

Of

the Rev. D.

but

L. Brayton, d. d.,

an advanced age labors as a missionary to

at

the Karens, and Mrs.

Stevens,

who makes her home

with her eldest daughter, the wife of the Rev.

W.

that

Christ's commissioners,

Smith, D.

D.

(a son of the late S. F. Smith, d. d.).

D.

President of the Karen Theological Seminary at Insein,

near Rangoon.
Just here a few reminiscences of early days in
written
rial

by Mrs. Stevens and read

at the

Mandalay, November

services in

i,

Burma

Judson memo1890, will be

of interest

"My husband
and

considered

rich blessings of his

associated with

Dr.

it

life,

Judson

one of the high

to
in

work

neighbor during almost eleven years.

of the

man whom we had

venerable

missionary,'

privileges

have been intimately

and

his

near

Our

first

sight

long heard spoken of as

notwithstanding

that

'

the

he was

then but forty-seven years of age, was his coming on

board the 'Rosabella' with Dr. Osgood,

as she passed

up the Salwen on February 19, 1838.

Of those who
were thus welcomed, three are still here.
Three of

company have met them above.

" Dr. Osgood was then mission printer at Moulmein.

that mission

The printing office was in the same compound with the

Burman chapel, and the three houses occupied by Dr.
On Dr. Osgood
Judson, Dr. Osgood, and ourselves.
and
But

his
I

work

need not enlarge

his record

is

on

high.

have a most vivid impression of the close

in-

A HALF-CENTURV IN

BURMA

I I

timacy between the translator and the printer while the

Burman Bible was passing on to

remember their starting off for their
morning walks, when their consultations by

quarto edition of the

completion.
long, early

the

Dr.

way were of importance and are felt to this day.

Osgood was a man wise in council and of most

mild.

Christian

courtesy,

as

well as of activity, dih-

gence, and firmness in what he considered right.

One

printing office rule, which was in force in those days, I

recall with satisfaction

were assembled
Scripture

and prayer.

many

as well as in
too,

how

office,

different

the employees, heathen and

seven

at

a. m.

But times are changed

other respects;

all,

reading of

daily for

in that

'times' and wages

For instance, the foreman of the

Burman, who was rearing

month as ample
services.
(A rupee is about one-

a most respectable

a large family, received twelve rupees a

compensation

for his

third of a dollar.)

"Dr. Osgood was an

excellent singer,

and having

acquired Burmese well, was the leader of our chapel

music.

He

also acted as

an evangelist, making occa-

sional jungle trips personally, besides feehng the care

of supplying

many

of the needs of those

away from town on constant preaching

ing of singing, Dr. Osgood was not the
singer.

Mr.

and Mrs. Hancock and

who were

tours.

Speak-

first

missionary

Mr.

and Mrs.

Cutter had preceded him, and to them was accorded

the

Burmese

Christian's

odium of

innovation in public worship.

Dr.

earher missionaries could not sing,

most

serious

Judson and the

and so for years

A HALF-CENTURY IN

12

BURMA

the Sabbath services were held without that deUghtful

The Burmese

offering of praise.

of music with

unbecoming

associated the idea

and considered

theatricals,

highly

it

anything connected with serious

in

relig-

ion.
'
'

Dr. Judson

in accordance

composed

that

first

hymn more

nearly

with the complicated style of Burmese

now in our collections. Our

company reached Moulmein on Monday, and
during the week we committed to memory the then uninteUigible words of the first verse, that we might join
poetry than any other
ship's

on the following Sabbath.

Abbott and Mr. and Mrs. Ingalls were

Mr. and Mrs.

in the singing

at that

time in

Moulmein, but almost immediately left town, the former for Rangoon and the latter for Mergui.
*'
Our first port reached had been Amherst, and the
pale, thin face of

to

our barque,

Mr.

is

Haswell, as he was rowed out

before

vividly

Mr. Ingalls both looked

as

if

me

He

now.

they could not live

and
six

months longer, but many years of good work did they

accomplish before they were called to

their

reward.

Mr. Haswell's house was then of bamboo, but very

cheerful-looking and convenient, and

and delighted that a 'basket house,'

had heard

it

called, could

ably disappointed in

many

was surprised

America

as in

be so pleasant.

was agree-

things at that time.

What

was a baby boy creeping on the

had no idea so lovely a picture could be

a vision of beauty

verandah.

found

in a

heathen land as that

eyed boy, offered to

my

fair,

round-faced, black-

delighted eyes.

That baby,

A HALF-CENTURY IN

became in
and still

with his

sisters,

my own

children,

usefulness as
in

playmates of

after years the

later, fellow-laborers in

this

the lamented

James R. Haswell, whose

a missionary was early cut off by cholera

I refer to

land.

BURMA

Moulmein.
''

I will

not attempt the giving of

precious

in

lovers of

They

remembrance.

missions.

all

the

are

names held

known

to

only mention Grover

will

all

S.

Comstock and his noble wife. Their lonely lives in

Arakan have had little said in commemoration of them.

They were
one

whom

to

should not
his wife's

Mr. Comstock' s physique

a rare couple.

was magnificent

powerful,

large,

a British

officer

meet you

like to

handsome, he was

once playfully

said,

in single combat.'

'

And

appearance quite corresponded with his own.

Their intelhgence, piety, and devotedness to the hard

service in the field assigned
tions their looks

and

awakened.

zeal so soon laid

We may know

them equaled the expecta-

Why

low forever?

was so much strength

We know

not now.

hereafter.

''Although not requested to give reminiscences of

Dr. Judson himself,

in

I will

which

venture to add a Httle one of

do not find enlarged upon

any of the memoirs which have been prepared.
I

his characteristics

refer

How

to

his great

tenderness

plainly can I see

him with

toward

little

his clean little

children.

handker-

chief wiping the eyes of a crying tot that had a tumble

down,

as

our children ran in the dusty compound,

which made tears and dust

far

from ornamental to the

clean bit of cotton which he took from his pocket.

He

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

14
was neat

in the

extreme, which

Indeed he considered

this noticeable.

an easily be-

which he struggled against

setting sin,

where

made

his fastidiousness

in a

country

might interfere with the cheerfulness of

it

his

working.
'
'

Bennett

Mrs.

rocked her sick

He

dheh.'^

making him-

her wee Mary as she

mournfully saying,

doll,

'Teh nah

conversed in childish and feeling Burmese

Mrs. Bennett cannot forget, the

with her, in a tone

while

of his touchingly

tells

to sympathize with

self a child

soothing the rag baby with

'Teh pu dheh.'^

his

His tenderness

hand,

saying,

toward bereaved

mothers, bereaved either by death or separation, was

great, evinced either

and

in

sit

at

little girls

act of thoughtfulness of

Mrs. Bennett's

at

all visitors

they

by sympathizing words or notes,

one case by an

which

may be reminded when

her table and look at the portraits of two

high up on the wall before them.

Fifty-five

or more years ago Mrs. Bennett sent her two daughters,

now
Dr.

Mrs. Northrup and Mrs. Ranney, to America by

Dr. Judson secretly sent word to

and Mrs. Wade.

have the picture painted and sent out as a surprise to

their mother's lonely heart.

"Dr. Judson' s ready

wit

and

his

powers of mimicry,

aided by the expressiveness of his fine face, together

with his remarkable memory, rendered his conversation

most entertaining.

He

could repeat, on the instant,

an old ballad which he had read or heard

before, perhaps but once,
1

Very

sick.

many

which would come

2

Very

hot.

years
in

so

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA
appropriately that

it

would seem

have been written

to

very occasion which called

for the

it

He

mind.

to

He
appeared to have read everything ever printed.
had the faculty of skimming through a book, getting
the cream of

all

then

it

in

it

was ever

an incredibly short time, and

after his

own

for use at a

Another peculiarity was

command.

unwillingness to talk of his past.

moment's

noticeable

an

One evening Mr. and

Mrs. Stilson spent at his house,, hstening with intense

interest to his reviews of his sufferings at Ava.

They

considered themselves highly privileged persons, and

they were envied by those
the

same

recital

him and them

from

who had

his

He awoke

graphic

in vain

wished

But

lips.

for

alas for

the next morning to such a

sense of mortification that he had, as he said, spent a

whole

evening talking of

would not be repeated

'^I will close

cious to me.
for

my

It is

to

himself, that

any others of

we knew

it

us.

reminiscences with one very pre-

of his voice in prayer, as he asked

our children and our children's

latest generation, that

children

to

the

they might be in the service of

Christ until one after another they should reach the

gates of glory."

An

episode in the early experiences of Mr. and Mrs.

Stevens in Moulmein was a

by which

their frail

letter Mrs.

fire,

of incendiary origin,

home was consumed.

In a recent

Stevens has given a graphic description of

the incident,

and a part of the story given

words

will

to the

morning of the

be of interest in
fire,

this connection.

she says

in her

own

Referring

'

'

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

l6
''About 3
my window.
there

Your

a thief

is

'Ahem'

M. I heard

A.

three times under

touched your

father, saying,

around trying

to see if

we

'

think

are awake.'

father Hstened; he heard a crackHng, went to the

back part of the house, and found the thatch roof in a

Most calmly he returned

blaze.

There

fire,

ner that at

first

'

is

He

get up.'

did not suppose

our room, said

to

was so quiet in his manour own house,

it

composed way
and on finding it to be
another
httle
to
and
led
the children
bed
went from one
we
were
soon
over
to Mr. Stildown the front steps;
so, in quite

Your father' s

son' s.

us

all

first

thought after he had

at the foot of the steps

was

'

counted
neighbor-

to save the

hood, and so he rushed to the destruction of the thatch

roof which connected us with our cook-house

taken

fire

the

Burman house next

to

municated (the flames) with the

were innumerable, and

My
of

in

it

had that

would have com-

Our

village.

many ways

losses

unreplaceable.

nearest and dearest was a very beautiful miniature

my

mother.

'

With reference
hearing in
story of

my

to the

now

childhood

how when Mr.

sainted Stilson,

my

mother

Stilson

tell

remember

the thriUing

was mission treasurer

he was attacked in his house by native robbers, and

how

the strong,

undaunted man, though alone and

weaponless, fought

and beat

this nocturnal battle

scars

down

off the

marauders.

Of

Mr. Stilson bore the honorable

to his grave.

Very soon

after

Mr. Stevens

set foot

on Burman

the active duties of his missionary service began.

soil

He

BURMA

A HALF-CENTURY IN

1/

once began the acquirement of the native tongue,

and he must have laid the foundations deep, for
at

throughout his Hfe he exhibited a wonderful proficiency

and accuracy
Until his

first

was located

at

Burmese

the

Moulmein, and made

center of his missionary

had completed

Burman

of

the use

in

language.

return to America in 1854 Mr.

his

Stevens

place the

In 1834 Dr. Judson

activities.

translation of the

and

tongue,

that

Bible into the

1840, a Httle less than two

in

arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Stevens

Burma, a second and revised edition was issued

years after the

After the death of

quarto form.

emendations

latest

Dr.

in the matter of translation

in

the

Judson,

the custody of Mr. Stevens and afterward by

in

were

in

him

in-

Burman Bible. To
him also Dr. Judson committed his MS. of the BurMr. Stevens
mese dictionary which he had prepared.
rendered important service in bringing out and issuing
this dictionary, for Dr. Judson' s MS. was in pencil
and part of it so written and interhned as to be
This highly important work was
scarcely legible.
corporated in later editions of the

issued from the press in 1852, about two years subse-

quent

to the

death of

its

occurred April 12, 1850.

distinguished author, which

Work

of this character taxes

the resources of the highest scholarship,

tive

and

is

indica-

of the importance of sending to the foreign

men

of trained

only of

minds, as well as of piety;

goodness and grace,

scholarship as well,

work

a missionary can

for

do

men

but of capacity

fi;;,ld

not

and

some of the most important

lies in

the direction of care-

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

and accurate

fill

must be able

To do

translation.

this

well one

thoroughly into the genius of the

to enter

language into which, as well as of the one from which,

a work

is

rendered.

In 1852 occurred the second Burmese war with the

British.

ma,

The

first

was in 1823, when the King of Bur-

ignorant and arrogant, in a frenzy of

bUnd and

fatuous pride started a mihtary expedition northward,

having for

its

object the capture of Calcutta.

For

his

temerity the EngHsh punished him smartly by capturing Rangoon, Burma's main seaport, and from that
vantage-ground dictating terms by which the provinces
of Tenasserim and Arakan were wrested from the
unwilling hands of his humbled and astonished majBy 1852 another king was sitting on the throne
esty.
of Burma, and the lesson of 1823 had to be repeated.
Rangoon was again seized by the British. This time it
was retained and with it the rich province of Pegu, of
The capture of this
which Rangoon was the capital.
city

man
in

was a very important event

missions, for

it

the history of Bur-

in

brought the missionaries laboring

Pegu under the protection of the Enghsh

flag,

and

thus facilitated the prosecution of missionary endeavor

in

Burma and

the uplifting in that heathen soil of the

standard of the Cross.

In 1854 Mr. Stevens and his wife, after an absence

of seventeen years, revisited their native land for the

enjoyment of a well-earned furlough.

1852, they had sent

Edward and

Sarah,

home
in

their

the

Previously, in

two eldest children,

care

of

Mr.

and Mrs.

A HALF-CEXTURY IN BURMA

I9

Cephas Bennett.
The Bennetts, highly valued friends
and co-laborers, were returning to America for a brief
respite

from missionary

toil,

and with great kindness

conducted the children to their friends in America.

Two

wee boys, my parents

at Moulmein.
When
they left Burma they brought with them four children,
two girls and two boys, the youngest a babe ten months
The voyage home was saddened by the illness
old.
and death of httle Henry, a child about three years
old, and whom they laid to sleep in the Abney Park
Cemetery, London.
When my father went back to Burma in 1857 he
was stationed at Rangoon, which was thenceforward
the center of his activities, and it was a busy hfe he led
had

others of their children,

laid

away

in that city,

in the

cemetery

which during

his residence in

it

a native city of comparative insignificance to

grew from
its

present

proportions as a large cosmopolitan city of great commercial importance.

Upon

a missionary to-day

upon
the

that earlier

as

bassador to the Gentiles, Paul

falls

am-

general over-

sight of all the churches established within the hmits

of his station.
to

assist

in

Moreover, he

is

constantly called

the organization of native

upon

churches, and

him for help and counsel.

work of superintendence, Mr.

their native pastors look to

Besides

this

general

Stevens was for

many

English Baptist church.

and

years pastor of the

Rangoon

In addition to his preaching

pastoral labors, he had much editorial work to do in

connection with the " Burman Messenger," a monthly

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

20

paper published in the native language.

religious

regular theological instruction to

were preparing

The

men.

He

stated seasons of the year gave a course of

also at

to

young natives who

preach the gospel to their country-

summary

following

of his literary labors

is

furnished by his son-in-law, Dr. Smith: ''At the urgent

request of J. R. Colvin, Esq., then commissioner of Tenasserim, Mr. Stevens translated for the use of schools

from the

'

Instructor

the elements of general history,

'

upward of four
some of

two volumes, octavo, aggregating

in

hundred

pages.

which have been and

Dr.

Stevens

number

of tracts,

are very

much

Besides a
still

prepared

commentaries

in request,

on

Matthew,

Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews, the only commentaries on the Scriptures ever printed in the Burmese
language; a translation of Dr. Earth's 'Church History,' and a small volume entitled 'Scripture Lands.'
The Burmese hymn book contains eighty-four hymns
bearing his

hymns dear

Many

initials.

of these are translations of

to all Christians

who

sing in the English

tongue, such as 'Rock of Ages,' 'There

filled

with blood,'

'Jesus, lover of

'All hail the

'

My

my

soul,'

power of

is

dear Redeemer and

a fountain

my

Lord,'

Golden,'

'Jerusalem, the

Jesus' name,' etc."

Moreover, until advancing years and the pressure of

other duties compelled him reluctantly to
the habit, he was accustomed to

relinquish

make annual

trips in-

to the jungles in order to preach the gospel in distant

native

villages.

These jungle

great joy to him, for

it

was

trips

were seasons of

his chief delight to tell to

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

who had never heard

those

"the

it

21

old, old story."

In the earlier days of the mission, before the introduction of steamers and railways into Burma, the usual

modes of conveyance from

station

were

station

to

by
cramped

either a rude bullock cart over execrable roads, or

native boat,

river

in

craft,

constructed of teak

this

latter a

wood and

small,

propelled by oars.

Before starting on a jungle trip the missionary would

bargain with the native owner of one of these

"little

ships" for the use of his boat during the weeks required for the proposed

trip.

Then boatmen were

hired and the boat furnished with the necessary provisions

Thus equipped and laden with a

and bedding.

supply of Testaments and

embark upon

his

tracts,

"little ship."

the missionary would

As the

influence of

up the Irawadi River, in going up the

stream the boatman must take advantage of a favorable
the tide

tide,

far

is felt

and when the

distant village,
to

the

which

reach by boat,

hours

turns the boat

tide

await another change.

So, having set

it

moored

to

might require a week or two

was accustomed

father

of enforced

is

out for some

waiting

for

to

utilize

change of tide

by going up the banks of the stream and into the

streets of some wild jungle town adjacent to the spot
where the boat was tied, and entering into conversation
with some native; soon a crowd would

be gathered

about the white stranger to hear what he had to

To

this

company would be

and the eager

freely offered.

listeners

Then

say.

told the story of the Cross,

were urged to accept a salvation

tracts

were distributed

to those

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

22

who would promise

and the missionary passed

to read

on, perhaps soon to collect another group, in whose

darkened hearts he would

seek to implant the

also

and then hasten down to his boat to

resume the voyage.
Thus much precious seed of the
kingdom was patiently and faithfully sown on these
germs of

truth,

trips.

sown germinated and

would be long years before
Let me adduce an incident
was apparent.

Sometimes the seed thus

sprang up; but perhaps
the fruitage
illustrative

of

this,

it

my

by

related

father in a letter,

descriptive of a missionary journey which he

made.

Speaking of a

visit

had recently

Pegu, he says:

to

"One

of the recent converts, on coming to see me, said, with

much

pleasure expressed in his countenance: 'Teacher,

the deer which was stricken so

byoo was not brought down

place.'

He

many

removal

which

a night

referred to

years ago at Thai-

my

till

to this

passed in

the village named, ten or twelve years before, when a

word which I spoke caught his attention and has been
working in him ever since, until, under the preaching

of our brother (a native pastor),

a full submission to Christ.

in

recent

'
'

and since

years,

borne similar testimony to

it

has brought him to

Many

my

others,

father's

his instrumentality in im-

planting in their hearts the good seed of the

when

as a

the river

sower

this

man

of

especially

death, have

God went

bank or by the wayside

Kingdom,
sow on

forth to

in the jungle village.

In 1864 Brown University, his alma mate?; conferred

upon Edward A.

Stevens

the degree of Doctor of

BURMA

A HALF-CENTURY IN

homeland

their

tion,

Stevens and his wife returned

In 1874 Dr.

Divinity.
to

my

failure of

and recupera-

for a season of rest

from incessant

a relaxation

23

compelled by a

toil

After about two years

father's health.

spent in this land he again bade farewell to kindred and

country, and with renewed vigor turned his face toward

Ten

the distant "morning-land."

vice
ill

were given

health, of

compelled

to

him

more of

years

and

service,

for

he was often

In December of 1885

w^ait.

which proved a messenger

illness

convey him from the land of the dying

Soon he was

of the living.

ser-

then came a period, owing to

unaccustomed

to stand

he was seized by the

to

to

made

be

to the land

perfect, but

it

was appointed that the worn missionary should be made

And

so through suffering.

months of weary,
ere

change

the

enough,

'

caused

'

friends soon

there intervened long

on the Lord's will

came and the Master said, "It is

The nature
serious

so

painful waiting

of the disease was such that

of

affection

saw that the

exertion was forever gone;

years of quiet literary

the

period
still

of

hence

active

it

his

physical

they hoped that a few

work might

still

This hope was, however, to

him.

heart,

fail

be accorded

to

of fruition, for

on the nineteenth of June, 1886, between the hours of

home; not this

four and five in the morning, he went

time

to

that

land of his

birth

beyond the

Indian Ocean and the heaving Atlantic,

eternal

home on

shores of time.

happy shore

that

of the breakers that

roll

And

far

tossing

but to his

beyond the sound

moan upon the

with ceaseless

was

it

not

fitting that the spirit

'

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

24

of the dear pilgrim should depart as the light of

was shining

For

in the eastern sky?

dawn

was to the land

it

of the morning that he had given the best of his days.

It

had been the joy of

his

life

to

watch the breaking of

the morning light upon a nation shrouded in the gloom

of heathen night.
that he went.

It

was

to the land of endless

Life said not to him,

morn

''good-night,"

but in some brighter dime bade him

"good-morn-

ing."

The

funeral

services

were held in the

Rangoon

Baptist Church, which could scarcely contain the throng

that gathered to

pay

their last tribute of respect to the

The portion of the service in the

Burman language was conducted by Rev. A. T. Rose,

beloved missionary.

D. D., a faithful fellow-missionary to the

that in

Enghsh by Rev,

And

of the church.

of

burial,"

was

so

men

was with him.

it

fitting, in

J.

then, as

''devout

another,

L.

Burmese, and

Denchfield, then pastor

it

was written long ago

carried

He

Stephen

was

laid

to

his

to rest, as

the soil of Burma, the land for which he

had prayed and toiled, and he sleeps in the mission

cemetery of Rangoon, not far from the resting-place of
his late and well-beloved co-worker, Cephas Bennett.

As
father

think of

the

am reminded

"blessed sleep"

of

my

godly

of the words written by the

Dreamer of Bedford Jail: "The pilgrim they laid in a

upper chamber whose window opened toward
the name of the chamber was Peace,
the sun-rising
v/here he slept till break of day, and then he awoke
and sang.
large

'

A HALF-CENTURV IN BURMA
Dr. Stevens

One, Mrs. Smith, has

children.

left six

already been alluded

25

Another daughter, Emma,

to.

has but lately (in April, 1896),

us to

left

meet her

His eldest born,

sainted father on the golden strand.
the Rev. Edward Ohver Stevens, between whom and
thought and pur-

his father existed a singular unity of

pose, devotedly following in the footsteps of his godly

father,

is

stationed as a missionary in Moulmein, his

birthplace,

missionary

The

toils.

daughters and

We

a son, live

have thus

Ufe-stream from

far
its

other

three

and labor

Consider

istics

of the man.

There was one feature of

accuracy.

it

facihty in the use of the

Burma was

He

charac-

which

his

acquired a remarkable

Burmese language,

so that

to prepare a discourse in the native tongue,

thought
for

work concerning which

careful scholarship for

college course v/as marked.

he had

his

and character-

be forgotten, and that was

Dr. Stevens' work in

by the same

terized

goes beyond our

it

a few of the traits

ask leave to speak lest

its

two

children,

America.

apparent spring amid the plantations

now

ken.

in

hurriedly traced the course of this

of Georgia until on heathen shores

own

and the scene of the elder Stevens' earhest

him

it

to

out in Burmese; hence

translate their language

transcribe his ideas

upon paper.

it

was unnecessary

when he came
This

facility

accuracy in the use of the language of the natives

enhanced the value of

if

he
to

and

much

his missionary labors, especially

in the direction of literary effort.

But

wish more particularly to allude to some of the

BURMA

A HALF-CENTURY IN

26

which adorned and ennobled the charac-

spiritual traits

And

ter of the

man.

was

prayerfulness.

his

moment when
many

which

to

first

From

others, for

man

it

refer

the

until

to ceaseless

Unhke

of prayer.

him prayer was never

functorily performed;

may

boyhood

him prayer was changed

for

he was pre-eminently a

praise,

too

the

a duty per-

was rather a prized and pre-

cious privilege.
It

seemed an easy thing

him

for

to ''get the King's

God and

ear," for his walk was close with

him

delight for

commune

to

it

was a

with his Heavenly Father,

to talk with his Saviour.

As

illustrative

of this characteristic

Newton Centre which,

hillock in

me

pointed out to

boyhood, was

once been called "Stevens'

as having

Knoll," because of

remember

my

in

my father's

when

habit

a student at

the seminary of retiring there for uninterrupted prayer.

As

further illustrating this devotional

spirit,

quote a

few lines from a manuscript in his own handwriting: "I

wish to bear
fulness of

he

will

some

my

God

testimony,

to the

retired

he

'

promise

draw nigh unto you.'

building,

country and in

'

'

says,

or in the

Burma, have

to

me

him.
as
in

And

at the close

it

of the faithto

God, and

woods both

I felt I

felt

me

in this

hold of that

taken

and deigned to grant

course with himself, so that

'

Often in the chamber, in

promise, and calling upon him, have

he came

'

Draw nigh

that indeed

intimate inter-

was conversing with

has sometimes seemed to

was said of Abraham of

He

me

went up from him

"
the place where he talked with him.'
old,

'

'

'

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

2/

Again, speaking of an experience in Milledgeville,

Georgia, during his

*'0n

retiring I

cannot
time, I

for

tell,

last

soon
1

How

asleep.

and yielding

indeed talking with

my

all

sensible of a peculiar disposition

to

as

it

prayed

though the Lord came down to me.

poured out

he says:

long after

had no means of ascertaining the

awoke and was

to pray;

to this country,

visit

feel

him;

flowed

tears

visit

me.

as

that I was

profusely;

heart to him, thanking

should thus have deigned to

seemed

it

I felt

him

that he

'

This beautiful ruling passion was strong even as his

feet

On

were on the banks of the stormy Jordan.

Monday
after

was supposed by the loving watchers

it

that he

the

night before he crossed to the farther shore,

would never speak

to or recognize

at his side

them

again,

he broke forth into a long, earnest, and beautiful prayer,

much

of

it

clothed in the language of Scripture, and

closing with strong assurances of the ultimate triumph of

that

name which is above every name, repeating the

*' his name,"
''For the honor of his name,"

phrases,
'
'

name.

to the glory of his

The

final

marked

words of

'

this

prayer

feature of his soul Hfe,

for his Saviour.

suggest

and that was

another
his love

This love was the controlling purpose

Once when dining with some friends in

Philadelphia, a young man asked him: "Why go back?

in his

life.

Why

not,

shores,
rest

in

after

life

of

toilful

service

spend the evening of your days

your native

To this
"The love of

land?"

Stevens promptly replied:

in

on heathen
well-earned
inquiry

Dr.

Christ con-

'

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

28

made

This simple but sincere answer

straineth us."

deep and

on those present.

lasting impression

This servant of Jesus Christ lived in intimate fellow-

To him

ship with his Divine Master,

glorified

elder brother close at hand.

had,

beautifully,

think,

to see a prostrate
as that of

himself before

down

'

then as he gazed upon

he prosthe
'

'

graciously

upon him, and the voice of the Lord

"You

Edward Stevens."

are

awoke bathed

in tears,

From

him

as

this

dream: "I can never recur

sion

it

made

For him

his.

is

to call

liis

dream

at the

said,

father

precious

name and owned

Li after days he wrote concerning

Oh,

renewed.

my name
me
!

These words remind

God.

this

but overjoyed

thought that the Lord had named

one of

tears

Lord my Lord
And
the eyes opened and looked

'

it

My

and

insult

lay,

while

repeating

it,

his cheeks,

of this

seemed

father

form, which he recognized

where the body

indignity; hastening to
trated

my

Lord, subjected to

his blessed

but a dear

the love

illustrates

human

off,

dream which he once

In his dream

disciple for his Lord.

rolled

the exalted and

Jesus was not a friend afar

to

to

it

but the impres-

be owned by Christ!

'

of the humility of this

man

of

think in this respect he had in him eminently

mind which also was in the Lord Jesus. In lowliness of mind he ever thought others better than himself
And because of this humble spirit he was never on the
lookout for slight or injury, and it helped to make him
the

charitable in his

judgments of others and ready

the best possible construction

upon

their motives.

to

put

'

A HALF-CEXTURY IN BURMA
There

is

just

one other characteristic

29
which

to

may

and that was his devotion to his

work.
He was heart and soul in it, and restless when
With rare singleness
in any way turned aside from it.
of aim this one thing he did, he wrought for the salvabe permitted to

refer,

And

tion of the

Burman

needed

and recuperation passed

rest

he constantly

felt,

race.

to use his

own

would go back with a bound.

He had

a broad,

forth for the

interest for

in the seasons of

in his native land,

phraseology, that ''he

'

catholic spirit;

every effort put

upbuilding of Christ's kingdom had an

him; the cause of missions everywhere,

home and abroad, was dear to

But

his heart.

as for

at

him-

he had received a commission to preach the gospel

self,

Burmans, and

to the

his

for the reconciliation to

he

even

himself

felt

when

the

whole soul was

God

afire

an ambassador from

King summoned

court of heaven, he was

this

whom
And

Christ.

ambassador home

almost loth to

desired to stay a httle longer,

with zeal

of that people to

if

go,

to the

for

so be that he might

he

do

more for Burma before his departure.

Once during his last illness he said: " I feel that I am
The rest
going to be better and do some more work.

little

of eternity will be great, but

longer."

But

want

he died, he commenced by saying:

thee a long time, and
will

have

be done."
tarried,

The

work

to

little

in that last, long, audible prayer before

And

if

thou sayest

so,

"I have
it

is

though he would

he bowed submissive

to the

served

enough, thy
willingly

Divine

will.

following treasured note was addressed to his

A HALF-CENTURY IN

30
son

America

in

Dakota),

and

(then

was

the

BURMA

pastor

North

Fargo,

in

communication

direct

last

received by that son from his far-away father.

on a postal

written

Rangoon, March

My Dear
am

very glad to be able to write and say to you

When

I still

have need

self-examination.

Well

1886.

etc.

Yours

mine.

to the

am much
my move-

Jordan that he thinks

consequence is
he then can say with Paul, " I know

if

have believed,"

5,

be very cautious of

to

one gets so near

he can almost discover the other

whom

was

S.:

better again, but

ments.

It

card.

side, the natural

May

that be your privilege

and

affectionately,

E. A. Stevens.

Do

seem

to

have overdrawn the beauty of

father's character?

was

ter

It is

flawless or faultless.

day when the Lord

And

yet I think that in

make up his
will be found in the treasury few gems
than the soul of Edward Abiel Stevens.
that

In

concluding

this

shall

hasty

career and character, let

this

not claimed that that charac-

me

sketch

of

jewels there

of purer ray

my

father's

introduce a few touches

from the pencil of one uninfluenced by

ties

of sonship

They are an extract from a sermon

preached to his own people by Rev. WilHam Kidd,
pastor of the Rangoon Presbyterian Church.
Mr.
Kidd says: ''He appeared to me to be like Nathanael

or other kinship.

and humbleness of his spirit like

and amiableness of his
disposition; like St. Paul in the earnestness and steadfastness of his faith, and hke Christ in the gentleness

in the guilelessness
St.

John

in the aff'ectionateness

'

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA
and meekness of

his

He

manner.

was

like Christ too,

tenderness and charitableness of his heart."

in the

Pre-eminent was he for polite manners and Chris-

and so with us who loved him as husband

and with those who knew and respected him

tian courtesy,

or father,

a friend,

as

name

"he

bore without abuse the grand old

of gentleman."

On

the last

Tuesday evening before he

was wafted

there

to

ear the

his

fell

asleep, as

evening

Christian Karens at their worship, he aroused

"How
father!

sweet such sounds in a land

Still

better, that

is

hymn
and

like this."

of

said:

Ah,

my

now heard, in a
The voices of
country.

sweeter sounds hast thou

to say a heavenly,

redeemed Burmans, by thee pointed to the Lamb of

God, and now attuned to the matchless music of the
new song, have greeted thy ravished ear. Thou hast
heard the ceaseless chant of angel and archangel
the

about the throne.

But better than

hast heard a voice loved

doubtless thou

all,

more than

all

sa>ing,

"Well

done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the

joy of thy Lord."
After the burial they planted beside his "low, green

whose curtain never outward swings," a palm

tent,
tree,

and

its

branches

now wave above

sleeping soldier of Christ.

For

it

symbol!

speaks of glorious victory and reminds us of that

multitude which no

man

worn warrior
robes and palms in

is

that

the form of the

Fitting, beautiful

can number, and with which

gathered,

their hands.

"clothed with white

'

In March, 1896, there was unveiled in the stately

A HALF-CENTURY IN BURMA

32

Judson Memorial Church,

glass

New York

City, a stained-

window, placed there by the children and other

and

relatives

And on

of the

friends

subject

of this sketch.

the occasion an appropriate sermon on the

life

and work of the deceased missionary was preached by

Edward Judson, d. d. It seemed fitting that in the
beautiful church, which

is

a memorial of the elder Jud-

son, there should thus be placed a

of one

who was

Burma

in

window

in

early days of the

the

companion and

memory

mission to

true yokefellow of the great

pioneer missionary to that distant tropic land.

memorial window

is

Tin

/IDcmors of

EDWARD ABIEL

STEVENS,

D. D.,

For nearly half a century a Missionary

BORN IN LIBERTY COUNTY, GA., JAN.

HE DIED IN RANGOON, JUNE I9,

"An

ambassador

On

the following inscription:

is

sent

among

to

Burma,

I4, 1814,

1886.

the heathen."

Obad.

x.

the

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