HIS SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
The spiritual development of Boon Itt, including both the obstacles surmounted and the high attainments, will not be rightly appreciated until one considers the environment of his early childhood. Maa Tuan left the mission compound at Bangkok upon the death of her father, and returned to Bangpa with the family. She was then about fifteen years old and had not yet taken a public stand for Christianity, although there is every evidence that the period of her Christian training at the mission more than counterbalanced the pagan influence of the years that immediately followed. None of the family were Christians, and the constraint of custom would involve them in religious practises in common with the neighbourhood. Then marrying an unbelieving husband, the young woman could not effectually exclude those influences from the life of her own children, even though her husband might have been tolerant of the Christian faith. Like children the world over, hers were susceptible to the subtle influences of the religion that prevailed in the village. So it happened that during the first eight years of his life, the most impressionable period of childhood, Boon observed the religious customs of Buddhism, the festivals, the parades, the birthday celebrations, the funerals, and at the same time would unconsciously absorb the ideas of this religious environment. It will not be surprising, therefore, if we find later that some of these ideas had taken deep root in his mind.
Upon entering the mission school he came under a more exclusively Christian atmosphere. Concerning his reaction to this condition, Dr. Eakin writes:
“The religious side of his nature developed slowly. The seed sown by his mother’s teaching had not yet taken root in his heart.... He was regular in attendance in Sunday school and church. He went to the midweek meeting as the boys of the school were expected to do. His lessons were well learned because he delighted in study and he would not disappoint his mother; but his soul was still in the dark.”
At once upon reaching Waterford, Boon enrolled in the Sunday school and continued faithful in attendance until he left for boarding school. On his return home during vacations he resumed his accustomed place in the village church with Dr. and Mrs. House. During this earlier period he united with the Presbyterian Church Dec. 7, 1879, under the pastorate of Rev. A. B. Riggs, D.D. The following letter, written by Boon to his mother at that time, has recently come to light:
“Waterford, Jan. 5, 1880.
“Dear Mother:
“It is a long time before we get letters from each other. I hope you are getting along nicely in the school. I am well and happy.
“I have something to tell you. I think God has answered your prayers for my conversion. I have given my heart to Christ, and own Him to be my God and Redeemer forevermore. I have joined the Presbyterian Church. Pray for me to be obedient and faithful to what I have promised. At first I dreaded to join before so many people, but when I had done it I felt a great deal happier. When church was out some folks shook hands with me and said they were very glad to have me join. I hope I will see grandmother, uncles, aunts, my brother and all the folks become Christians; then if we do not meet each other here on earth we would meet in the other world....
“A gentleman by the name of Willcox has a military school at Granville, about sixty miles north of Waterford, and the board and schooling is four hundred dollars a year. He made a great offer to Mrs. House to take me free, if she would provide my clothes and books and expenses in vacation from June to September. And now in about two days more Kawn and I are going up there.