He was buried upon his own farm.  As his family did not erect a cross over his grave, one of his neighbors who had persecuted Captain Egydio violently many times thought he would correct him in his grave, and so he set up a large cross over him.  One night soon after, this cross was cut down.  The violent neighbor instituted a suit for the violation of the law in tearing down a symbol of the Roman Catholic church.  He also came with great pomp, accompanied by soldiers, and set up another cross.  The law suit finally wore itself out and both parties were glad to drop it, each party sharing an equal amount of the costs.

The persecution has been so bitter that the church which Captain Egydio organized in his own house was removed to Pe da Serra, three miles away, and from there it was driven by persecution to Rio Preto, where today it flourishes with a membership of about fifty people and is in a hopeful condition.  The widow and her children have been compelled to move into the city of Bahia.  A recent letter informs me of the conversion of the two youngest girls.

The witness of Captain Egydio has not been lost.  It is marvelous how much he accomplished in his short career.  He was converted October, 1894, baptized February 4, 1895, and died March 30th, 1898, at fifty years of age.  In these few years he sowed the country down with the gospel truth.  We visited Vargem Grande, Santo Antonio, Areia and Genipapo churches, all of which had grown very largely out of the influence of this one man, and had we been permitted to go further, we might have visited several other churches for whose beginning the life of this valiant servant of God was in a great measure responsible.  “He, being dead, yet speaketh.”

CHAPTER XI.

Felicidade.

One of the most fascinating phases of mission study is the tracing of the lines along which the gospel spreads.  This is true because it brings us into touch with the native Christian who is one of the greatest agencies for the spread of the gospel.  As it was in the first century, so it is now—­“they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the gospel.”  The history of those Apostolic times repeats itself in every mission land.  He who personally observes the work in Brazil or any other mission field will have a keener appreciation and understanding of the Acts of the Apostles written by Luke.  The native Christians must either witness for their Lord or else betray Him.  There is no middle ground.  A large percentage of the churches in Brazil grew out of the fact that a believer moved into a community and began to tell the story of the love of Jesus to his neighbors.  He may have entered this community by choice or may have been driven into it by persecution.  However, that may be, the truth is that many a poor, despised, often persecuted believer, has started a movement in a community which gathered to itself a large company of believers, and formed the nucleus of another one of those most wonderful institutions in all the world—­a church of Jesus Christ.