The amount of her usefulness was as extraordinary as her character, and probably the tidings of no death have awakened so many voices of lamentation over the plain of Oroomiah, and in the glens of Koordistan.[1]
[1] See Woman and her Saviour in Persia, by Dr. Thomas Laurie, and The Cross and the Crown, or Faith working by Love, as exemplified in the Life of Fidelia Fiske, by Dr. D. T. Fiske.
Another death occurred this year, which was also sensibly felt by the mission. It was that of Deacon Joseph, of Degala. Dr. Perkins lamented the loss of his services in connection with the press, a kind of labor for which his qualifications were unequaled among the people. His well-balanced mind, his fine scholarship, the solidity of his Christian character, his eminent services in this department, especially the very important assistance he rendered in translating the Old Testament from the original Hebrew, would have secured him an honorable position in more enlightened lands.
In 1863 and 1864 Mr. Shedd made extended tours in his mountain field. In the first, he crossed to Mosul, and from Oroomiah to Amadia he travelled mostly on foot, in native snowshoes and moccasins, with much fatigue and exposure. At Mosul, he enjoyed the hospitality of Mr. Rassam, and had conferences with Mr. Williams of Mardin. The second tour was in the autumn, and extended as far as Tiary.[1] The mountaineers may be viewed, he says, in two very different lights; first, as feeble, unreasonable, and lawless; poverty stricken, and lacking in self-respect, and self-reliance; connecting their interest in spiritual things too often with the hope of temporal benefits. Then there are constant feuds between villages, clans, and chiefs. The hopeful side is in the great preparatory work that has been accomplished, the general friendliness of the people, and the growing influence of the mission helpers. The following tabular view will give some idea of the mountain work in its incipient state, for, in some important respects, it was in that state as late as the year 1863:—
Occupied Districts.
Gawar Tekhoma Amadia Rakan Nerwa Jeloo Berwer Total
No. of Christian
Villages. - 6 6 3 4 - - -
Estimated
Christian
Population. - 4000 - 250 300 - - -
When first
occupied by
Helpers. 1852 1856 1857 1861 1862 1862 1863 -
No. of Helpers
the Past Year. 4 4 2 1 1 4 2 18
No. of Villages
visited by
Preachers the
Past Year. 20 6 5 3 3 9 10 56
No. of Villages
with stated
Congregations. 5 3 3 1 1 2 1 16
No. of Persons in
Congregations. 88 55 55 15 10 90 35 348
No. of Sabbath
Schools. 3 2 1 1 1 2 1 11
No. in Sabbath
Schools. 42 25 25 8 7 75 25 207
No. of Regular
Day Schools. 2 - 1 - - 1 - 4
No. of Scholars. 21 10 8 5 5 28 3 80
No. reached by
Family
Visitation. 550 250 100 50 50 560 100 1660
No. of
Communicants. 20 7 4 1 1 9 - 42
No. of Candidates. 2 1 9 - 1 2 - 15
[1] Missionary Herald, 1863, pp. 358-363; 1864, p. 231.
Mr. Shedd visited the young Patriarch, in his second tour. The leaders whom he met there from different mountain districts, were surprised by the friendship shown to the missionaries by Mar Shimon, and that they heard not a word against them in the Patriarchal mansion. There were frequent interchanges of visits, and Mr. Shedd was assured that the young Patriarch was well disposed towards the mission and its labors. But there was no evidence that he had any real conviction of the truth.
The seminary pupils were now working on a higher level. To a large extent, the pupils were daughters of Nestorian helpers and other pious parents, who had given them a Christian training. The contrast was striking between their general appearance and that of the earlier classes in that favored school. A considerable part of the expense was now met by the parents of the pupils.
The Rev. Austin H. Wright, M. D., was the immediate medical successor of Dr. Grant, at Oroomiah,[1] where he arrived July 25, 1840. To be thoroughly furnished for his work, he determined to master the Turkish, Syriac, and Persian languages; and it was doubtless his perfect acquaintance with these, coupled with his knowledge of medicine, and the gentle courtesy of his manners, that gave him so much influence among all classes of the people. "The influence of Dr. Wright in Oroomiah," said an intelligent Nestorian, "is that of a Prince." He is said to have spoken each of the languages above named with a precision, fluency, and grace, rarely equaled by a foreigner. In consequence of this proficiency, the intercourse with the higher classes was to a great extent in his hands. Persian gentlemen, polite and courteous in the extreme, appreciated the dignified yet simple ease and grace with which he met them. Having gone out alone, he was united in marriage June 13, 1844, to Miss Catherine E. Myers, who joined the mission in 1843, and was then engaged in teaching. After twenty years his health and the interests of his family demanded a visit to his native land. Here he remained four years, devoting the latter half of that time to a revision of the Syriac New Testament, preparatory to its being electrotyped and printed in pocket form by the American Bible Society. To this the Psalms were afterward added. Mrs. Wright and four of the children remained in this country; but taking with him his eldest daughter Lucy, he returned to Oroomiah in September, 1864. His return was joyful to him, and to the mission, and no less so to the Nestorians; but in three short months the summons came, calling him to a higher service.
[1] For a biographical account of Dr. Wright, see Missionary Herald for 1865, pp. 129-134.