JOHN G. PATON, Missionary to the New Hebrides. BORN MAY 24, 1824.
(Fifty Missionary Heroes Every Boy and Girl Should Know By JULIA H. JOHNSTON)
JOHN GIBSON PATON was born May 24,1824, near Dumfries, in
the south of Scotland. His father was a stocking-maker; and although his family
was little blessed in this world's goods, it was devoutly religious.
When young John had reached his fifth year, the family
moved to a new home in the ancient village of Torthorwald.
Their new home
was of the usual thatched cottage, plainly but substantially built. It was one-
story, and was divided into three rooms. One end room served as the living-room
of the family, the other as a shop, and the middle one was the family
sanctuary. To the sanctuary the father retired after each meal to offer up prayer
in behalf of his family. Paton himself says : " We occasionally heard the
pathetic echoes of a trembling voice, pleading as if for life ; and we learned
to slip out and in past that door on tiptoe, not to disturb that holy
colloquy." Is it strange that from this family there should come three
ministers of the gospel ?
In early
boyhood John was sent to the parish school, presided over by a man named Smith,
who, although of high scholarship, was often unreasonable when in a rage. At
one time his temper got the
best of him, and he unjustly punished Paton, who ran
home. Returning at his mother's entreaty, he was again abused, and left the
school never to return. He now began to learn his father's trade, making an
effort at the same time to keep up his studies. The work was hard, and he toiled
from six in the morning until ten at night. At this time he learned much in a mechanical
line which was of use to him later in the missionary field. He saved enough
money from his wages to enable him to attend Dumfries Academy for six weeks. As
a result of his earnest endeavor to keep up his studies since leaving the parish
school, he was able now as a young man to obtain a position as district visitor
and tract distributer of the West Campbell Street Reformed Presbyterian Church
in Glasgow, with the privilege of attending the Free Church Normal Seminary.
There were two applicants for the position ; and as the trustees could not
decide between them, they offered to let them work together and divide the
salary, which was ^50 a year. Paton's health failed him, and he returned home.
After recovering fully he returned to Glasgow, where he had a hard struggle with
poverty. At one time, having no money, he secured a place as teacher of the
Mary Hill Free School. This school had a bad reputation, many teachers having been
forced to leave it because of trouble with the scholars. Paton managed by force
of kindness to make friends of all
the pupils ; and when he finally left, the school was in
a more prosperous condition than it had ever been before. After leaving the
school, he took a position as a worker in the Glasgow city mission.
In this work he was remarkably successful. For ten years
he was engaged in these labors, keeping up the study of theology all the time.
Then, hearing that a helper was wanted to join the Rev. John Inglis in the New
Hebrides, he offered himself and was accepted. This step was distasteful to
many, who insisted that there were heathen enough at home ; but, as Paton says,
those who spoke thus invariably neglected the home heathen themselves. On the 1
6th of April, 1858, Mr. and Mrs. Paton set sail from Scotland in the Clutha for
New Hebrides.
They stopped a
few days at Melbourne, and from there sailed for Aneityum, the most southern of
the New Hebrides. In twelve days they arrived off Aneityum ; but the captain, a
profane and hard-hearted
man, refused to land them, and the landing was made with
great difficulty, with the help of Dr. Geddie, in mission boats. They decided
to settle on the eastern shore of Tanna, a small island a few miles north of
Aneityum, which was inhabited by ferocious savages. Mr. and Mrs. Mathieson, co-laborers
with them, settled on the northwestern shore of the same island.
The natives on
Tanna were sunk to the lowest depths of heathenism, going about with no
covering save an apron and paint having no ideas of right or wrong, worshipping
and fearing numerous gods, living in a continual dread of evil spirits, constantly
fighting among themselves, and always eating the bodies of the slain such were
the creatures whom Paton and his wife hoped to bring to a knowledge of the gospel.
They landed on
Tanna the 5th of November, 1858. On the 1 5th of February, 1859, a child was
born to them. Mrs. Paton's health from this time on was very feeble, and on
March 3rd she died of a sudden attack of pneumonia. Unaided and alone, the
bereaved husband buried his beloved wife. Over her body he placed a mound of
stones, making it as attractive as he could, and then with a heavy heart turned
to his work. Soon after the child, a boy, followed the mother. These two sorrows
came as a terrible blow to Paton, and for some time he was prostrated. He rallied,
however, and began to work hard and steadily to enlighten those poor savages, who
upon every occasion robbed and abused him.
Mr. Paton,
writing of this period, says: " On beholding these natives in their paint and
nakedness and misery, my heart was as full of horror as of pity. Had I given up
my much-beloved work and my dear
people in Glasgow, with so many delightful associates, to
consecrate my life to these degraded creatures? Was it possible to teach them
right and wrong, to Christianize or even to civilize them ? But that was only a
passing feeling. I soon got as deeply interested in them, and all that tended
to advance them, and to lead them to the knowledge of Jesus, as ever I had been
in my work in Glasgow."
The greatest
opposition to his work was occasioned by the godless traders on the island, who
caused more trouble than did the natives themselves. These traders did not relish
the idea of the natives being
taught the gospel, for they feared to lose their
influence over them. They incited the different tribes to fight with each
other, and then sold arms to the contestants. They stirred up bad feeling
against the
missionaries, and urged the natives to either kill or
drive them away.
From the
time he landed until he left Tanna, Paton was in continual danger of losing his
life. Again and again armed bands came to his house at night to kill him. He
himself said that he knew of fifty times when his life was in imminent danger,
and his escape was due solely to the grace of God. Only once did he resort to
force, or rather the appearance of force. A cannibal entered his house, and
would have killed him, had he not raised an empty pistol, at sight of which the
cowardly fellow fled.
The feeling
toward him became so hostile that he was obliged at last to leave his house,
and take refuge in the village of a friendly chief named Nowar. Here he prepared
to leave that part of the island, and sail around to Mr. Mathieson's station. He
secured a canoe, but when he went to launch it he found there were no paddles. After
he had managed to get these, the chief Arkurat refused to let him go. Having prevailed
upon the vacillating savage to consent, he finally sailed away with his three
native helpers and a boy. The wind and waves, however, forced them to put back,
and after five hours of hard rowing they returned to the spot they had left. The
only way left now was to walk overland. He got a friendly native to show him
the path, and after escaping death most miraculously on the way, arrived at
Mr. Mathieson's. Here they were still persecuted. At one
time the mission buildings were fired, but a tornado which suddenly came up
extinguished the flames. On the day following, the ship which had been sent to
rescue them arrived and they embarked. Thus Paton had to abandon his work on
Tanna, after toiling there over three years.
For a time he
sought needed rest and change in Australia, where he presented the cause of
missions to the churches. On many occasions he came into contact with the
aborigines of that continent, and on every occasion his love for missionary work
was exhibited. At one time, when a crowd of savages crazed with rum were fighting
among themselves, he went among them, and by his quiet and persistent coaxing,
managed to get them all to lie down and sleep off the effects of the spirits.
From
Australia, Paton went to Scotland. He travelled all over the country, speaking in
behalf of the mission. While in Scotland he married Margaret Whitecross, a woman
well fitted to be the wife and
helper of such a man. Leaving Scotland in the latter part
of 1864, they arrived in the New Hebrides in the early part of1865.
In 1866 they
settled on Aniwa, an island near Tanna. The old Tannese chief, Nowar, who had
always been friendly to Paton, was very anxious to have him settle on Tanna.
Seeing that this was impossible, Nowar took from his arm the white shells,
insignia of chieftainship, and binding them to the arm of a
visiting Aniwan chief, said: "By these you promise
to protect my missionary and his wife and child on Aniwa. Let no evil befall
them, or by this pledge I and my people will avenge it." This act of the
old chief did much to insure the future safety of Paton and his family.
Aniwa is a
small island, only nine miles long by three and one-half wide. There is a
scarcity of rain, but the heavy dews and moist atmosphere keep the land covered
with verdure. The natives were like those on Tanna, although they spoke a
different language.
They were well
received by the natives, who escorted them to their temporary abode, and
watched them at their meals. The first duty was to build a house. An elevated
site was purchased, where it was
afterward learned all the bones and refuse of the Aniwan
cannibal feast, for years, had been buried. The natives probably thought that,
when they disturbed these, the missionary and his helpers would drop
dead. In building the house, an incident occurred which
afterward proved of great benefit to Paton. One day, having need of some nails
and tools, he picked up a chip and wrote a few words on it. Handing it to an
old chief, he told him to take it to Mrs. Paton. When the chief saw her look at
the chip and then get the things needed, he was filled with amazement. From
that time on he took great interest in the work of the mission, and when the
Bible was being translated into the Aniwa language he rendered invaluable aid.
Another chief,
with his two sons, visited the mission-house and was much interested; but when
they were returning home, one of his sons became very ill. Of course he thought
the missionary was to blame, and threatened to kill the latter ; but when, by
the use of proper medicine, Paton brought the boy back to health again, the
chief went to the opposite extreme, and was ever afterward a most devoted
helper.
