Mr. Hough was so persistent that she at last consented, and allowed her luggage to be taken on board a vessel, she herself following.  But at the last moment, when the ship was on the point of sailing, she felt that she could not leave, and ordered her things to be taken back to the city again.  Mr. and Mrs. Hough went on, and she was left alone, but within a few days her husband returned, and her greatest trouble was over.

CHAPTER VI.

INQUIRERS AND CONVERTS.

Soon after the retirement of Mr. Hough, two other missionaries and their wives came out to Rangoon, and the Judsons felt it was time to commence a more aggressive work.  A little house of public worship, or zayat, was erected in one of the main roads and opened to all who liked to come in.  The work had to be done very quietly, in order not to arouse the opposition of the Government, for there was much uncertainty at the time about the course the officials would take should any converts be made.  When the zayat was finished, Mr. Judson called together some of the people living around, and held his first public service in the Burmese tongue.  From this time meetings were held several times a week, and during the day Mr. Judson would sit in the house, talking and arguing with all who chose to come in to him.

Every Wednesday evening, at seven o’clock, Mrs. Judson met a class of women, numbering generally from twelve to twenty.  To these she would read the Scriptures and talk in a simple way about God.  “My last meeting was very animating,” she said when describing one of these classes, “and the appearance of the females (thirteen in number, all young married women) very encouraging.  Some of them were inquisitive, and after spending two hours seemed loth to go.  One said she appeared to herself like a blind person just beginning to see.  And another said she believed in Christ, prayed to Him daily, and asked what else was necessary to make her a real disciple of Christ.  I told her she must not only say that she believed in Christ, but must believe with all her heart.  She again asked what were some of the evidences of believing with the heart.  I told her the manner of life would be changed, but one of the best evidences she could obtain would be when others came to quarrel with her and use abusive language, if, so far from retaliating, she felt a disposition to bear with, to pity, and to pray for them.  The Burman women are particularly given to quarrelling, and to refrain from it would be most decided evidence of a change of heart.”

During the daytime, while Mr. Judson was talking with any man who called, Mrs. Judson would sit in another part of the place and see all the women visitors.  By this plan she was enabled to preach the Gospel to many.  What time she could spare from this work she now devoted to a study of Siamese.  A number of people in Rangoon knew only that language, so she learned it sufficiently well to be able to converse with them, and to translate a gospel and several tracts into their tongue.