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God, the great curse of my life has been removed, and I have lived a perfectly
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sober man for the last five years. I look upon liquor as one of the great
agents of the devil in destroying souls, and turn from it, almost as
sensitively as I could wish to turn from sin.
I wrote to the merchant who held my wages, on the subject of quitting the
hospital, but got no answer. I then resolved to go to Batavia myself, and took
my discharge from the hospital, accordingly. I can truly say, I left that
place, into which I had entered a miserable, heart-broken cripple, a happy
man. Still, I had nothing; not even the means of seeking a livelihood. But I
was lightened of the heaviest of all my burthens, and felt I could go through
the world rejoicing, though, literally, moving on crutches.
The hospital is seven miles from the town, and I went this distance in a
canal-boat, Dutch fashion. Many of these canals exist in Java, and they have
had the effect to make the island much more healthy, by draining the marshes.
They told me, the canal I was on ran fifty miles into the interior. The work
was done by the natives, but under the direction of their masters, the Dutch.
On reaching the town, I hobbled up to the merchant, who gave me a very
indifferent reception. He said I had cost too much already, but that I must
return to the hospital, until an opportunity offered for sending me to
Holland. This I declined doing. Return to the hospital I would not, as I knew
it could do no good, and my wish was to get back to America. I then went to
the American consul, who treated me kindly. I was told, however, he could do
nothing for me, as I had come out in a Dutch ship, unless I relinquished all
claims to my wages, and all claims on the Dutch laws. My wages were a trifle,
and I had no difficulty in relinquishing them, and as for claims, I wished to
present none on the laws of Holland.
The consul then saw the Dutch merchant, and the matter was arranged between
them. The Plato, the very ship that left Helvoetsluys in company with us, was
then at Batavia, taking in cargo for Bremenhaven. She had a new cap tain, and
he consented to receive me as a consul's man. This matter was all settled the
day I reached the town, and I was to go on board the ship in the morning.
I said nothing to the consul about money, but left his office with the
expectation of getting some from the Dutch merchant. I had tasted no food that
day, and, on reaching the merchant's, I found him on the point of going into
the country; no one sleeping in the town at that season, who could help it. He
took no notice of me, and I got no assistance; perhaps I was legally entitled
to none. I now sat down on some boxes, and thought I would remain at that spot
until morning. Sleeping in the open air, on an empty stomach, in that town,
and at that season, would probably have proved my death, had I been so
fortunate as to escape being murdered by the Malays for the clothes I had on.
Providence took care of me. One of the clerks, a Portuguese, took pity on me,
and led me to a house occupied by a negro, who had been converted to
Christianity. We met with a good deal of difficulty in finding admission. The
black said the English and Americans were so wicked he was afraid of them;
but, finding by my discourse that I was not one of the Christian heathen, he
altered his tone, and nothing was then too good for me. I was fed, and he sent
for my chest, receiving with it a bed and three blankets, as a present from
the charitable clerk. Thus were my prospects for that night suddenly changed
for the better! I could only thank God, in my inmost heart, for all his
mercies.
The old black, who was a man of some means, was also about to quit the town;
but, before he went, he inquired if I had a bible. I told him yes; still, he
would not rest until he had pressed upon me a large bible, in English, which
language he spoke very well. This book had prayers for seamen bound up with
it. It was, in fact, a sort of English prayer-book, as well as bible. This I
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accepted, and have now with me. As soon as the old man went away, leaving his
son behind him for the moment, I began to read in my Pilgrim's Progress. The
young man expressed a desire to examine the book, understanding English
perfectly. After reading in it for a short time, he earnestly begged the book,
telling me he had two sisters, who would be infinitely pleased to possess it.
I could not refuse him, and he promised to send another book in its place,
which I should find equally good. He thus left me, taking the Pilgrim's
Progress with him. Half an hour later a servant brought me the promised book,
which proved to be Doddridge's Rise and Progress. On looking through the
pages, I found a Mexican dollar wafered between two of the leaves. All this I
regarded as providential, and as a proof that the Lord would not desert me. My
gratitude, I hope, was in proportion. This whole household appeared to be
religious, for I passed half the night in conversing with the Malay servants,
on the subject of Christianity; concerning which they had already received
many just ideas. I knew that my teaching was like the blind instructing the
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Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
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