A Lady of England 91

A Lady of England 91

‘Then it occurred to me that the office of snuffers, humble

enough, being to make candles brighter, the office was

emblematical perhaps of that which St. Paul adjudged to the

aged women. They were to teach the young women to love their

husbands, etc. At last I began to think, darling, that perhaps

my place in the Church here _is_ a little like that of a pair

of snuffers; and now, when I feel that I ought to give a little

word in season to Native Christians, I fancy that I have to

snuff them--not _out_!--O no!--only to remove some little

superfluity....

 

‘I think I must have amused my Laura with my idea of the

snuffers; but it may be a useful thought to those who

are no longer young. A little gentle snuffing may be the

work--unostentatious work--given to us.... What a snip dear H.

gave to W. long, long ago, and how the fine boy admired her for

it!... But then the snuffers were of gold. No one likes to be

snuffed by coarse iron ones.

 

‘What a pity that I have no one to snuff me here! Were we

together, it would be your office, love. I have to act as my

own snuffers, and take hints never intended to be hints, like

noble Tudor’s--“I must do my duty.” He had no idea that he was

acting the part of a tiny pair of gold snuffers. I may almost

say that I have taken these snuffers up, and have been snipping

away with them at our young Natives ever since. No mortal could

object to such a miniature pair.

 

‘_Oct. 16._--Do not think, from what is written above, that,

as I grow older, I think it well to grow more censorious. If

I have grown in anything this year, I think that it is in

knowledge of my _own_ errors and mistakes. I sometimes feel

quite disheartened. I do not think that I ever more mistrusted

my own judgment than I do now, after my various blunders. But

we know that, though snuffers are less straight, comely, and

upright, perhaps, than the candlestick, they may be useful in

brightening the light which it carries.’

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XIII

 

A.D. 1884-1885

 

SOME OF A. L. O. E.’S POSSESSIONS

 

 

Some little time before this Mr. Baring had, for various reasons, decided

to leave Batala, though not, it seems, to give up his interest in the

High School. His departure was fixed for the last day of the year 1883;

and Miss Tucker, after her usual cheerful fashion, congratulated herself

upon the fact that, at least, the New Year would not begin with a parting.

 

Much uncertainty had prevailed as to who should be chosen to carry on

Mr. Baring’s most important work among the boys; but before the end of

December suspense was ended. Another of Miss Tucker’s dharm-nephews, the

Rev. Herbert U. Weitbrecht, with his wife and children, would come to

live in Anarkalli, and Mr. Weitbrecht would be the Principal. By this

time a Mission Bungalow in Batala was finished, and two German ladies,

Miss Hoernle and Miss Krapf, came in the course of December to reside in

it. Miss Tucker, however, does not yet appear to have thought of changing

her quarters. Indeed, the little bungalow was built to contain only two

ladies.

 

On December 27th she wrote home as to arrangements:--

 

‘The Weitbrechts are to come here on Jan. 15 for about a

fortnight. I am to keep house until they come for good about

the middle of March; and then my fair niece, Ellie, is to

take the reins. She and her two children must go to the Hills

in May. All purpose going to England in the following March.

As Herbert did not wish to be buying much furniture, when so

soon to be on the wing, I felt it the best plan to take some

off dear Francis’ hands, and let the Weitbrechts have the use

of them. Thus, I find myself the possessor of a very large

bed, immensely long table, and a variety of other things too

numerous to recount.

 

‘There is no use in my not wanting possessions,--they will

come! I have even a large coffin, which is not the slightest

use to me! I did _not_ buy _that_ from Francis!...’

 

The fact of Miss Tucker including a coffin amongst her possessions

requires a word of explanation. About this time the Rev. Robert Clark

went to pay a little visit to Batala; and on his first arrival he was

shown straight to the room which he would occupy while there. Miss Tucker

came running in, and exclaimed--

 

‘I hope you have not seen it,--have you?’

 

Mr. Clark naturally inquired what was the thing in question which she

wished him not to have seen.

 

‘I had better tell you all about it,’ she said. ‘A poor woman was dying,

and we thought they would take her away and burn her; and we wished to

give her Christian burial. So I ordered a coffin to be made. But they

were late in making it, and she died before it was ready; and they took

her away and burnt her. And then they brought the coffin. It was a very

good coffin, and I thought it would be useful; so I told them to put it

under the bed in the guest-room! You did not see it, did you?’ Mr. Clark

no doubt assured her that he had not yet made the discovery; and she went

on eagerly: ‘You must not think I kept it for myself; for I have directed

in my will that I should be buried without a coffin, and that my funeral

expenses must not exceed five rupees.’

 

The latter injunction was with a view to lessening funeral expenses among

Indian Christians generally, many of them being apt to spend heavily at

such times. But the whole story is eminently characteristic. Many people

shrink from the very mention of a coffin, because of its associations.

Not so Charlotte Tucker! There was to her absolutely no sadness whatever

in the thought of death. She looked forward to the day of her departure

from earth as to a day of release from bondage, of an upward spring into

a new and radiant life. It was a subject to be spoken of cheerily, and

with a smile.

 

What became of the coffin in the end Mr. Clark does not say; but he too

speaks, as do others, of her entire fearlessness with regard to death.

Once, when talking of it to him, she quoted impressively the words, used

long before by her gentle sister, Fanny: ‘Whenever, wherever, however, He

will!’

 

One time, when Mr. Clark was spending a Sunday at Batala with Miss

Tucker, she read aloud to him the 31st verse of the 40th chapter

of Isaiah, and drew attention to the fact that the verse had in it

instruction and comfort for persons of all ages.

 

‘“They shall mount up with wings as eagles,”--that is something for our

young people; they are always soaring and flying. “They shall run, and

not be weary,”--that is for our middle-aged people; they run and work

on, and never seem to tire. And there is something for us old people

too,--“They shall walk and not faint.” We old people cannot fly; we

cannot run; but we can walk, and do not faint. And so we all of us renew

our strength by waiting on the Lord.’

 

Mr. Clark, from whom these details have come direct, writes also:--

 

‘On another occasion, she came walking up to me in her genial,

brisk manner, with a book in her hands, as I entered the

room, and said, “You will be surprised when I tell you what

book I am reading! You know I am a good Churchwoman; and yet

I often like to read Spurgeon’s sermons. They are full of

apt illustrations, and he never repeats himself. I find them

so useful in my writings; and I know hardly any other work

which so much helps me.” In her latter years she often read

Shakespeare, and recommended it to educated Natives, who

were averse to the study of the Bible. The recitations from

Shakespeare, at the Prize-giving in the Baring High School

in Batala, originated with her; and she thought them very

valuable in the formation of character. The Prologues in these

Prize-givings were, I think, till last year all written by her.’

 

Not only in later days, but all through her life from very childhood, she

had delighted in Shakespeare, as we have already seen; and she had a very

high opinion of the value of Shakespeare in the general education of the

Indian mind.

 

In confirmation of certain words above, spoken by herself, Mr. Clark

observes: ‘As regards her religious views, she was sincerely attached

to the Church of England, firmly believing that the teaching of the

Church of England, as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer and in the

Thirty-nine Articles, is in accordance with the Word of God.’ Another

also, who knew her well, has said: ‘A warm Churchwoman, she would always

be ready to see the best of those with whom she could not agree on many

points.’ This undoubtedly was the case,--in practice, if not always in

theory. She was, however, greatly opposed to Ritualism, and would be much

distressed when she came across aught of the kind in her various visits

to different places.

 

The subject recalls involuntarily certain words uttered by Bishop French

of Lahore,--‘our saintly Bishop,’ as Miss Tucker called him. When he was

at home some years ago, and staying at Eastbourne, I happened to put to

him a question bearing on this matter; and his reply was one not soon

to be forgotten. He said: ‘IT IS NO QUESTION OUT THERE OF HIGH CHURCH

AND LOW CHURCH! IT IS A QUESTION SIMPLY OF CHRISTIANITY AND HEATHENISM!’

To this wide and comprehensive view Charlotte Tucker could not have

fully subscribed. In her letters, from time to time, though not often,

the subject crops up, and she expresses her fears strongly as to one

individual or another. But it is noteworthy that when, soon after, she

meets with the individual himself, her fears are usually quieted; and

while conscious of differences on certain points, she is yet able fully

to recognise--and to recognise with delight--real devotion of heart and

life to the Service of the Master Whom she loved. No more unmistakable

token can well exist of true large-heartedness. There was in her no

innate love of controversy for its own sake; and though, as might be

expected with one of her impulsive temperament, she sometimes expressed

her views with energy, she did not love fighting, nor was she a violent

partisan. As a general rule, her aim was rather to build up than to pull down.