CHAPTER XXXIV.

Illness and death of Rev. E. J. P. Messenger.

AFTER a week of close and anxious attendance at the bedside of Mrs. Patch, Dr. Perkins returned to his station. What must have been his feelings when he found his wife lying dangerously ill with yellow fever! This disease is one of the most formidable to which the acclimated resident is exposed; but, in the present case, by the blessing of God, it was promptly arrested, and Mrs. Perkins was soon restored to convalescence.

But the hand of the destroyer was not yet stayed. On the 20th of March, Mr. Messenger was attacked by the acclimating fever, which terminated fatally on the ninth day. The account of his last hours will be best given in the words of his attendant physician, Dr. Savage, by whom the following letter was addressed to the Secretary of the Board.

'FISHTOWN, April 1st, 1846. 'By my last dates, you were informed of our gratification at the unexpected arrival of the Rev. E. J. P. Messenger. The melancholy duty now devolves upon me, of informing you of his sickness and death.

"On the 28th of January, he came to Fishtown, at the desire of the Mission, to be under my charge, while passing through the first stages of his acclimation. Here he remained more than seven weeks, during which time he expressed himself, daily, as well, with the occasional exception of an affection of the back, to which he had been subjected for several years, and from which he suffered more or less pain and inconvenience. Having not yet seen all the members of the Mission, and desiring very much to be present at our regular meeting, to be held at Cavalla on the 26th of March, he left Fishtown on the morning of the 20th, for Mt. Vaughan, designing to preach the funeral sermon, on Sunday, of a colonist communicant, and, on the Wednesday following, proceed to Cavalla. He rode on horseback from this to Rocktown, a distance of about six miles, which place he desired to visit, with a view to a decision either for or against it as his future station; thence he went, in my boat, by sea, to Cape Palmas, distant, in a straight line, about four miles. He was made very sick by the motion of the boat, and, which I regretted to hear, declined the use of the awning, and of his umbrella. On arriving at Cape Palmas, he complained much of his back; and, on that account, preferred walking to riding, most of the way to Mt. Vaughan.

Soon after he left us, a note arrived from Mr. Payne, informing me that Mrs. Perkins was ill at Rockbookah. Thinking that Dr. Perkins might be enfeebled by his close attendance on Mrs. Patch during her last sickness, and therefore would need my assistance, I started early next morning, Saturday, in my boat, for Cavalla, whence

I proceeded, by land, immediately to Rockbookah, where I arrived just after dark, on the same day. I was greatly relieved to find Mrs. Perkins in a favorable state, though not out of danger, and Dr. Perkins very well. While at family prayers, the next morning, a man arrived from Mt. Vaughan with a note, stating that Mr. Messenger was attacked with fever. Feeling it my duty to go at once, I started immediately after breakfast, and travelling the whole day, in a clear hot sun, I reached the bedside of our sick brother at dark; having spent the Lord's day as I had never before done in Africa. I found nothing alarming in his case, and he continued in about the same state for the following three days-no material change occurring in his symptoms. Great torpor of the system existed from the outset, which, in all such cases, is decidedly unfavorable. Medicines would not produce their specific effect. On the seventh day from his attack a crisis occurred, when the powers of life began to fail. Gradually declining, he expired on the ninth day.

"Mr. Messenger's case is an anomalous one in my experience. It was, very clearly, a complicated one. What the precise nature of his dorsal affection was, primarily, I am not prepared to say. His physician in Philadelphia pronounced it to be lumbago, and therefore it would be no obstacle in his coming to Africa. In case it were simply lumbago, I should have given the same opinion. On his arrival at Mt. Vaughan, he complained. much of his back, and made known to Mrs. Appleby that, the night before leaving Fishtown, he had slept with his window open, and, a tornado arising, the wind

blew directly and strongly upon him the whole night. He seemed to think that, whatever his dorsal affection might be, it would be the main cause of his death, and spoke several times, during his sickness, of suffering acutely from it. Whether it was primarily lumbago or not, I cannot say; but one thing was evident, that the symptoms then existing indicated an acute affection within the spinal canal-I should say, 'spinal meringtitis,' or inflammation in the membranes investing the spinal cord.

"Great restlessness and irritation were attendant throughout, but his mind was clear and active till within the last eighteen or twenty hours, when he became delirious, and expired, as we thought, in that condition. It now remains for me to speak of his state of mind under sickness, and in view of death. And here I would remark, that, from the first, he manifested a calmness and patience under suffering, that seemed to all, beautifully illustrative of his piety. His conversation and whole demeanor in view of the approach of death, were more like those of a man about ous journey, rather than his world. The following is the made as the facts transpired.

entering upon a momentdeparture for the other substance of my notes,

"March 26th, Thursday.-A change for the worse has been perceived since two P. M.; his pulse, from that time, has indicated extreme danger and approaching dissolution. At half-past five P. M. I sat down by his side, with a heavy heart, for now only had my hopes began to fail, and asked if his spiritual comfort was af fected by his illness. He replied that his feelings, in this

respect, were peculiarly pleasant, though he did not know but that it was owing in some measure to the excitement of medicine. He remarked that he had been in a cold, lifeless state, owing probably to a protracted, unpleasant voyage, which sometimes led him almost to doubt whether he had any interest in Christ. I then repeated, 'Look unto me and be ye saved.' He immediately replied, 'O yes, I have often thought upon that text, and it has brought comfort to my soul. I think I can say that if I am taken away, I shall be with Christ. I rely wholly upon him; he is my support.' This he said with marked fervor, and then added, 'But I suppose I ought not to talk much.'

"Friday morning, half-past four.-He remarked that he felt a sinking internally, which told him that he could not rally, and asked my opinion of his state and prospects. I replied that great uncertainty attended the diseases of this country; that I had seen persons, apparently sicker than he was, recover; but still that I had felt, for two days past, that there was increasing danger in his case; an obstinacy of symptoms existing for which I could not account, and medicines failing to produce their usual effect. He seemed to study my countenance as I spoke, and replied, apparently with great composure, Well, I have no desire on the subject, but leave it in God's hands, to live or die. I thought that in coming to Africa I was in the path of duty, and that I could be happy in no other field of labor. My mind is still unchanged, and should I now be taken away, I can see no reason for regretting that I came. My feelings, in view of death, are those of happiness, and the only re