Part I, Chapter X — A Period of Trials—Heyer Leaves the Mission
Among the Hindu girls who attended the Giintur Girls' School in the early fifties was Ruth, The Christian teachings made a profound impression upon her; but her parents bit- terly opposed her baptism. Despite their opposition she pre- sented herself for baptism in 1853, and Heyer administered the sacrament. Then Ruth's parents agitated against the school and most of the Hindu pupils were withdrawn ; but the school survived the ordeal, and, in 1856, Ruth was appointed a teacher; and three other girls, Christine, Marie and Lydia, were baptized by Groenning. Hardly had the agitation over their baptism subsided, when the Brahmin community was profoundly stirred by the conversion of one of their number, the first convert of that caste, in 1856. The immediate result of the hostility of the Brahmins was the withdrawal of thirty pupils from the English Boys' School, reducing the attendance to forty. The Brahmins sent in a petition for a Government School, but the Inspector, Mr. William McDonald, favored the Mission School and offered Groenning a grant-in-aid of Rs. 200 a month, if he would secre a qualified English headmaster and Rs. 100 were expended each month for teachers' salaries and apparatus. Groenning at once submitted the offer of the Inspector to the Executive Committee in America with his favorable recommendation, suggesting that the Rev. William E. Snyder, then on furlough, be appointed headmaster. Snyder had fully recovered his health and expressed his wilUngness to accept the appointment; but the Executive Committee of The Foreign Mission Society, influenced by the adverse attitude of the American Board of Commissioners toward the acceptance of government grants, was disposed
I08 AMERICAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN MISSIONS IN INDIA to withhold its approval. Groenning argued that the Christian character and aim of the school would in no wise be jeopard- ized by the acceptance of government grant and requested that the final decision be left to the missionaries in the field. Heyer sided with Groenning, and the Executive Committee reluctantly yielded and sent Snyder back to take charge of the school. Snyder formally applied for the grant in August, 1858, and obtained the Rs. 200 a month promised by the Inspector, and the recognition of the government, which went with it.
Similar efforts were made by Heyer in behalf of the Anglo- vernacular school at Rajahmundry. Mr. McDonald visited his school in November, 1856, and encouraged him to apply for grant-in-aid. He did this in the following language: "If government will allow Rs. 150 a month and can get a trained man from England for this compensation, it will answer our purpose; but as it appears difficult to get teachers from England, I promise to get an A. M. or an A. B. from America. This gentleman, who may or may not be an or- dained minister, will share the management of the school with the missionary; but the missionary must always be regarded as the principal of the school." Heyer failed to secure a man from America, and the government proceeded to establish a school of its own at Rajahmundry. Thus, early in the history of the Rajahmundry Mission, it was handicapped in its educational work by competition with a government school. According to the report of the Executive Committee of The Foreign Missionary Society to the General Synod, convened in Trinity Church, Reading, Pa., May, 1857, the mis- sion property in Guntur then consisted of about five acres of ground, on which two mission houses, a chapel, a school and teachers' houses had been built. The Telugu schools at the end of the year 1856 numbered six, only one of which was conducted outside of the limits of Guntur. Two Telugu ser- vices on Sunday and one during the week were usually held in the town. A Sunday school for boys had been started during the year. Nine native Christian teachers were under
A PERIOD OF TRIALS—HEYER LEAVES THE MISSION 109 employment, one of whom, Nathaniel, was being prepared for the holy ministry. The expense of the Girls' Boarding School, by strict economy, amounted to only Rs. 30, less than $15 a month. Apart from the salaries paid the missionaries, the work in Guntur cost The Foreign Missionary Society during the year 1856, about Rs. 800, less than $400; and in the Palnad district, Rs. 1091, less than $500. Groenning, living in Guntur, had charge of the work in the Palnad, where five native Christian teachers were employed: John at Kola- gutla, Jacob at Pillutla, Samuel at Veldurti, Simeon at Adi- gopula, Joseph at Macherla.
In Rajahmundry and its vicinity there were seven schools. One of the native Christian teachers, Philip, spent part of his time as colporteur, selling and distributing Bibles, Testaments and tracts. His salary was paid by Mr. H. Newill, the collector, who, Heyer wrote, "in some measure took the place of Mr. Stokes." Five persons were baptized by Heyer in 1856: Peter, Barnabas, Eliza and two infants. The adult communicants numbered 21, the pupils in the girls' school, 32. To Miss H. Weyman, Pittsburgh, Heyer wrote concerning the Girls' School, May 15, 1856: "Our Girls' School at Rajahmundry is in part supported by what has been sent from Miss A.'s mission box. We have at present two teachers and thirty-two scholars. One of the teachers is a young woman, not long married, who can teach Telugu reading and writing, the multipHcation table and plain sewing. Beyond these branches we do not attempt to go at present. Her name is Ruth. The other teacher is an elderly, motherly woman who was baptized about two years ago. She suffered persecution from her heathen relatives, and her husband would not allow her to return to his house, because she had become a Christian. However, a young man who is married to her daughter provided lodgings, and she has been living in his family ever since. Of her own accord she commenced learning the letters of the Telugu alphabet, and, being encouraged to go on, she has since learned to read and is now able to teach the smaller children. Her name is Joanna. She is a quiet, unassuming person, who acts a moth- no AMERICAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN MISSIONS IN INDIA erly part toward the younger teacher and all the children in the school. The first class contains twelve; the second, nine; and the third, eleven children. Perhaps you will be amused at some of the strange names. The ages of the scholars are from five to fourteen years. Some of the older and larger pupils have commenced patch-work for quilts and appear to be pleased with the variety of colors which they are putting together. They are generally as lively and happy as little ducks. The eldest girl in the school is an ap- plicant for baptism."
As early as 1854, while missionary at Guntur, Heyer begged for permission to return to the United States, plead- ing that, although he was enjoying good health, he was be- ginning to feel the approach of old age. As an alternative he proposed the sending out of a young man as his assistant, suggesting a reduction of his salary by $100 to be applied to that of the younger man. The Ministerium of Pennsylvania to which he addressed his communication, at its meeting in 1854, refused to permit Heyer's return and postponed the consideration of his proposal. When Heyer was transferred to Rajahmundry, Heise left it on furlough. The latter ex- pected to return to the field in 1856, when the former hoped to be allowed to take his furlough. Heise, however, was asked by the Executive Committee to come to America from Germany and present his cause in the churches here. He came, accompanied by his bride, a daughter of the Rev. Mr. Fordhammer of Holstein, Germany, whom he married on October 10, 1856. They spent several months in the United States. Concerning his visit the Executive Committee reported: "The visit of Brother Heise to this country was a happy circumstance. The man, his spirit, his modesty, his mental and missionary endowments, his zeal, his unwearied toil, proved him to be the man for his calling. Not unlike Dr. Duff he passed from city to city and from city to country, everywhere enhghtening and gratifying crowded audiences and infusing a new missionary spirit. With his excellent, pious and amiable wife he blessed every home he visited, leav- ing behind endearments of the purest character, creating solic-
A PERIOD OF TRIALS HEYER LEAVES THE MISSION III itude for their well-being and for the furtherance of the holy cause in which they are engaged. His visit would seem to have marked a new era in the history of our foreign mission."
They left New York May 5, 1857, sailing by way of Southampton, England, for India, reaching Madras on September 3, 1857, and Rajahmundry on January 18, 1858. Heyer had chafed under the delay of Heise's return to India. In a letter to Rev. William E. Snyder, written in January, 1857, he said: "If someone does not come soon to take my place, I suppose I must give over charge to Captain Taylor." The Executive Committee replied that it would raise no objection to his "relinquishing his connection with the mission and returning home, if he pleased," immediately after the missionaries to be sent to India "had been comfortably estabhshed." But Heyer did not wait. Packing his goods and leaving Captain Taylor in charge at Rajahmundry, he took passage in the steamer "Bentinck" bound for the Red Sea. The first intimation which the Executive Committee seems to have had of his leaving the mission was in a letter written on board the steamer in the Red Sea near Mt. Sinai, dated May 4, 1857. It was addressed to the Sunday school children of the Lutheran Church in America. "In one of my late communications," he wrote, "it was stated that it would not be advisable for me, on account of ill-health, to remain another hot season in India, and that I indulged the hope, before the end of 1857, to have the pleasure of visiting some of the schools and congregations in America, who give and pray for the conversion of the heathen. After some hesitation and planning the way seemed to be made plain, and on the 15th of April, when the hot season had already commenced, I embarked at Madras in the steamer 'Bentinck' for Suez in Egypt. The Lord willing, we shall reach Suez on the 6th or 7th of May. From thence across the isthmus to Cairo we are to go in stages, called vans, each carrying six persons and drawn by four horses. If time permits, I shall go nine miles to the south of Cairo to have a look at the pyramids. From Cairo to Alexandria the passengers are carried in railroad
112 AMERICAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN MISSIONS IN INDIA cars. My intention, at present, is to go from Alexandria to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, etc. Then, by way of Constantinople and Trieste to Germany, to visit the place of my nativity; and I hope to meet an only surviv- ing brother, whom I have not seen for nearly half a century. If life and health be spared, I shall probably embark at Hamburg or Bremen during August, once more to cross the Atlantic and to return to the land of civil and rehgious hberty." He landed at New York on August 6, 1857, almost ten years after he had started from America the second time for India, and only three months after Heise had left America. Although he was undoubtedly entitled to a furlough, he should have waited in India until Heise returned. His second, like his first, departure from the Mission was precipitous. Only one missionary remained in the Mission,—Groenning at Guntur. Had it not been for the faithful and efhcient super- vision of Captain Taylor, who looked after the work for nearly nine months, the Rajahmundry Mission might have suffered irreparable loss.
During the years 1856 and 1857 the Executive Committee of The Foreign Missionary Society made every endeavor to increase the force of missionaries. Arrangements were made, as we have noted, for the return of Heise and Snyder, and two new missionaries were called, the Rev. Erias Unangst and the Rev. Adam Long. But the society lacked sufficient funds to pay the passage of all these men to India. The American Board of Commissioners was unsuccessfully approached for a loan of $1000. Then a strong appeal was sent out to all the churches, and the response was so gratifying that, when Snyder, Unangst and Long sailed from America in the fall of 1857, the passage money, amounting in all to $1625, was available.
Most of the foreign mission contributions continued to come from the Pennsylvania, New York, Hartwick, and Pittsburgh synods. The Ministerium of Pennsylvania regu- larly paid Heyer's salary of $600 a year in advance, and a
A PERIOD OF TRIALS—HEYER LEAVES THE MISSION II3 number of its congregations^ contributed toward the support of school-work.
The following table is interesting as an index of the foreign mission activity of the Lutheran Church in America for the twenty years from 1839 to 1859:
General