The True Story of a Bassontos Child [pp. 383-385]

THE LADIES' REPOSITOR r.
went up to him, and soon discovered that he
was a lonely, forsaken child. He took him up
and carried him to a brook, where he washed
his feet and hands, which were all covered with
dirt and filth.
Moses, who now began to feel the pangs of
hlunger, uttered most distressing cries. Bugnane called his children, and bid them watch
the little stranger while lie went in search of
some nourishment. He soon returned, bringing
a loaf of millet and a cup full of milk; but Moses
could no longer open his mouth. They forced
him, however, to swallow some drops of milk,
and then again he cried out with the pain the
first swallow caused him. This is what happens to those who are so unfortunate as to pass
two or three days without food. Thank God,
my dear children, that you have never suffered
firom hunger as poor little Moses did, for it
causes great pain. These good people bestowed
the tenderest care on the little orphan, and lie
was not long in getting better; then he soon
grew strong enough to make himself useful in
the family as the other children did. He was
regarded as a son of the house, and loved the
good Bugnane as his second father.
Unfortunately the enemy came again into the
country, and took up their abode there, for
these gentle people were not warlike, and could
not resist their powerful foe. They ravaged the
country, made great depredations, and caused a
famine; then they left to do the same somewhere else. Scarcely had they gone when there
was an alarm that the cannibals were coming.
These are savages who eat their fellow-men,
and nourish themselves on human flesh. There
are cannibals in the middle of Africa, and some
travelers have been devoured by them. Let us
hope that in time the missionaries may even
reach these wretched people, and make thenm to
understand their enormous guilt.
Already there was a report of some nei,ghbors
that these cruel people had eaten at their repast
as we eat beef and mutton. Butgnane tlhought
it best now to leave his hut with his family, to
fly from the threatened danger and conceal
themselves till these savages had left the countryI, and little Moses followed with the rest; but
this kind man, fearing this dear child might fall
a victim to the savages, for he was still very
young, and could not run away like the others,
ordered him not to follow him further, but to
stay in a place of concealment which he thought
would escape the notice of the cannibals. But
Moses would positively follow him. "Are you
not my father," he cried bitterly. But Bugnane
feared he could not defend him against the
savages who were approaching, so he coaxed
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him again to stay behind, promising that lie
would go and put himself under the protection
of some powerful chief, and then come again
to fetch the child.
The child resisted still, but at length com prehending hlie must obey, he made up his mind,
weeping bitterly, to be put from him who had
been a second father to lhim. Bugnane gave his
brass collar to buy a piece of meat from some
men who had just killed a bullock. This he
fastened to the shoulder of the little Moses,
gave him some bread, and then put him where
he thought hlie would be safe till the cannibals
passed by.
The poor little lonely boy seated himself on
the ground, and wept as if his heart would
break. Soon after a troop of cannibals, lying
concealed in the wood, followed the poor father
and his children. On the morrow there were
found on the ground human bones, whichl proved
that the unfortunate Bugnane and his family
had been devoured by these cruel savages of
whom I have told you. You see, my dear children, that in separating Moses from his Benefactor God saved his life. But what was to
become of him? He feared the cannibals might
still find him, for lhe knew not yet that there is
a God who takes care of little children when
every other help has forsaken them.
To avoid a frightful death the child fled to
the mountains, and took refuge in a grotto
which opened toward the rising sun; there lihe
lived nearly a year, and fed on roots and wvild
fruits, and when stormy weather hindered his
going in search of food, he must have suffered
from hunger.
At the end of several months his sheep-skin
cloak was almost worn out, and the little lonely
fellow, without fire, without covering, and with
the scanty supply of roots he had gathered,
found himself miserable indeed. Besides, lihe
heard the friightful howlings of lions and tigers
in the neighboring forests, which troubled his
slumbers during the night. So much suffering
destroyed the health of this unhappy child, and
hlie determined to return to the valley, even
should he find there the enemies who had
destroyed the huts and ravaged the fields.
He was by this time more than nine years old;
and, when the missionaries visited the country
of the Bassantos a year after, they found Moses
in the midst of children of his own age, and, like
them, he was very bad and very ignorant, and
bowed the knee before the idols, returned evil
for evil, and committed all kinds of wickedness.
But when the missionaries taught him that we
have in heaven a Father who loves us, who takes
care of us, and who has sent his Son on the
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