“On presenting myself at the palace gate when my name was announced the king said (so I was told by some around him) ‘Dr. H. is not like other foreigners; let him come to me at once.’ I was ushered into the royal palace ere he had left the grand audience hall—his courtiers and pages waiting upon him. I was received with the cordiality and familiarity of an old acquaintance.
“He asked me how I came? Did Mrs. H. come with me; what countries I had seen? Mentioning Egypt, he asked me if the canal across the isthmus of Suez would succeed. Saying I had now gone around the world, returning to Siam by crossing the Pacific Ocean to China, he quickly interrupted, ‘Then you lost a day!’ and explained to his attendants how it was....
“It was time for him now to make his evening visit to the vast and lofty structure they were rearing for the funeral solemnities of the late second king. Inviting me to follow, he went down to his sedan and, preceded by soldiers and followed by a crowd of attendants, was borne away. Following, I found him seated in a temporary pavilion erected where he could overlook the work. He soon called me to his side—I, alone, of the hundreds around him, stood upright. He made inquiries concerning Mrs. Caswell, and as he looked again at her picture, turning to the princess royal acting as his sword bearer, said, ‘This was the wife of the teacher that I revered.’ It was gratifying and interesting to see these pleasant memories of persons and events passed away eighteen years before, stealing over him.
“Having intimated to the king my wish to take up my note for one thousand dollars in his treasurer’s hands and saying that I should, of course, expect to pay interest on the balance of five hundred dollars—after deducting five hundred dollars paid to Mrs. C. on his majesty’s behalf—in a few days his majesty’s private treasurer paid me a visit, having had the king’s instruction to receive from me simply five hundred dollars, and to surrender to me the note on which was endorsed these words in the king’s own handwriting:
“‘S. P. P. M. Mongkut, the King, does not wish to have interest from the loan to his good friend Doctor Samuel R. House—wishing but some useful books, etc., according to the pleasure of said doctor, with stating of price of article. This testimony given 1st January, 1867, the seventeenth year of our reign.’”
THE AWAKENING OF 1866–7
Doubtless the greatest joy upon return to Siam was to find that a great spiritual awakening had taken place in the mission school. If the fruits of labour seem sparse so far it must be considered that the most favourable soil had scarcely time to produce its harvest. The boys and girls who had been under the intimate influence of Dr. and Mrs. House in the school were just approaching the adolescent age when, in 1866, a spiritual awakening manifested itself. News of this work of grace had reached Dr. House at Hong Kong, and upon arrival at Bangkok he rejoiced to learn that the facts more than confirmed the report.
“Found all well and the very best of good news awaiting us, confirming the hopes I have felt all along that a better day was about to dawn on us in Siam. Two of our oldest and most promising pupils (Hee, the writer of that interesting letter to me, published in the Foreign Missionary last year, being one of them), and a native teacher in our employ (a man of some education) were baptised a few weeks ago as converts from heathenism; and another native teacher, Naah (Esther’s husband), with others of the pupils in the mission school are desirous of Christian baptism. These new converts with the older church members sustain semi-weekly prayer-meetings among themselves with warm interest.”
The convert named in this letter was Tien Hee, who, a few years later, went to America to seek a higher education. Graduating in medicine at the New York University in 1871, he returned to Siam, where he became the first native physician practising the Western system of medicine. He became eminently successful in his practise, amassed considerable wealth, received the title of Phra Montri and lately has been elevated to a higher rank of nobility, as Phya Sarasin. In grateful recognition of what Christianity has done for him he has made generous contributions toward the work of the mission.
Two months later Dr. House reported further confessions: