“My object in visiting her was, that if we should go into any difficulty with the Burmans, I could have access to her, when perhaps it would not be possible for Mr. Judson to have an audience with the Viceroy.”

In pursuing his study of the language, Mr. Judson had fortunately secured as a teacher a Burman of more than ordinary intelligence, and who had a perfect knowledge of the grammatical construction of the Burman dialect, and also of the Pali, or language of the sacred books.  Day after day he sat with his teacher in the open verandah which surrounded their dwelling, reading, writing, and talking, joined by Mrs. Judson in every interval she could spare from family cares, and thus were they fitting themselves to teach to the poor idolaters the new religion.  Nor did they neglect such opportunities of doing good as presented themselves even then; but every effort to inculcate their sentiments was met with the objection, “Your religion is good for you, ours for us.”  “You will be rewarded for your good deeds in your way, we in our way.”  They found they had to deal with one of the proudest and most conceited races on earth.  Their very religion, as we have before said, encourages this conceit, by leading them constantly to make “a merit” of their good actions, or what they suppose such; while it inculcates neither contrition nor penitence.  The peculiar doctrines of Christianity, its justification through the merits of another, its humility and charity, were in the last degree opposed to the character of the Burman race.  The missionaries were made daily more sensible that the Spirit of God must come “with power,” before the truth could ever enter those darkened understandings.  Prayer was therefore their only reliance, as it was their only comfort.

But even this enjoyment, as far as it was social, was soon broken in upon by the increasing illness of Mrs. Judson, which obliged her to try the effect of a change of scene and climate.  She could not think of taking Mr. Judson from his labors, and therefore embarked alone in January, 1815, for Madras.  We may imagine the joy experienced by the missionary, thus left behind, on receiving during her absence letters from this country, containing an account of the general movement in America in favor of the Mission, and the formation of the Baptist General Convention.  His heart overflowed with gratitude, and the thought that though he had no friend near him, there were yet hundreds in his native land praying and laboring in the same cause, inspired him with new zeal in his beloved enterprise.

Mrs. Judson’s journey, though solitary, was prosperous and successful.  Friends appeared for her where she least expected them.  The influence of her engaging person and winning manners is observable in one obliging attention she received even from strangers.  The Viceroy appointed a woman to accompany her free of expense; the captain refused money for her passage; and the physician at Madras, from whom she had received