The recognition of the indirect influence of the missionaries in facilitating the treaties was acknowledged by Dr. Wm. M. Wood, late surgeon-general in the United States Navy, who accompanied Mr. Harris on his diplomatic mission; stating in his book, Fankwei, that the
“... unselfish kindness of the American missionaries, their patience, sincerity and truthfulness, have won the confidence and esteem of the natives, and in some degree transferred those sentiments to the nation represented by the missions, and prepared the way for the free intercourse now commencing. It was very evident that much of the apprehension they felt in taking upon themselves the responsibilities of a treaty with us would be diminished if they could have the Rev. Mr. Mattoon as the first United States Consul to set the treaty in motion.”
A VISIT HOME
The first decade of Dr. House’s service was drawing to a close without any apparent need for a furlough, as need was then understood. He had become acclimated, accustomed to conditions of Siamese life and was apparently contented with his bachelor state. That the tropics had proved to be more friendly than he had expected, is implied in his frequent expressions of surprise at continued good health, even assuring his friends at home that his physical condition was better than before he left America. But this was not the common lot of missionaries in the early days. On the tenth anniversary of his departure from New York he wrote:
“Of the company of the Grafton two already are dead and three compelled to return home from broken health. Mr. Mattoon and I alone are left on the field—besides Mrs. Mattoon, the eighth of the party.”
The enervating conditions of life in Siam are described with good understanding by Mr. George B. Bacon in his volume on Siam:
“It is when we remember the enervating influence of the drowsy tropics upon character that we learn fitly to honour the men and women by whom the inauguration of this new era in Siamese history has been brought about. To live for a little while among these sensuous influences without any very serious intellectual work to do or any grave moral responsibility to bear is one thing; but to live a life among them with such a constant strain upon the mind and heart as the laying of the Christian foundations among heathen must necessitate is quite another thing.
“This is what the missionaries of Siam have to do. The battle is not with the prejudice of heathenism only, nor with the vices and ignorance of bad men only; it is a battle with nature itself.... The fierce sun wilts the vigour of his mind and scorches up the fresh enthusiasm of his heart.... Therefore I give the greater honour to the earnest men and to the patient women who are labouring and praying for the coming of the Christian day to this people.”
When Dr. House parted with his parents in the New York harbour, it was with the mutual expectation of never seeing each other again. The separation was intensified in its realism by the slowness of communication. His message announcing safe arrival in Siam did not reach his parents until thirteen months after his departure. Their response to this message was one which stirred his emotions to the depths and made him oblivious of all around him; it told of his father and mother and cousins kneeling together upon receipt of the news and offering thanksgiving for the beginning of his missionary work. The many friends who wrote letters to him doubtless never understood what joy they gave him by their messages. After receiving a consignment of mail he writes: “Their letters do cheer, do strengthen, do inspire new resolves, and make me ashamed of my unworthy service.” He records with expressions of esteem the names of those from whom he receives communications by each mail; and to one who knows something of the home church these names stand as a roster of zealous workers, names of families that continue to the present day.