Two months later, six more of the most pious and best
educated young men, who had long deferred ordination through
aversion to the old forms, followed his example; among them our
mountain friend Oshana, Deacon John, of Geog Tapa, and Deacon Yakob,
of Sapergan. Marriage ceremonies and entertainments have long been
improved, and the revelling of former days on such occasions is
going into deserved disuse among the more enlightened.
In the year 1858, the people of Memikan left off keeping their
fasts, on the ground that they tended to nullify salvation by grace
through Jesus Christ. Formerly this would have brought down on them,
the wrath of the patriarch, their village would have been devoted to
plunder and the torch, and themselves to death or exile; but now it
caused scarce a ripple on the current of events--not that men did
not see the drift of things, but they allowed it to have free
course.
There is another sign of the times that calls for more special
mention. Other missions in Western Asia had been forced by
persecution to the early formation of churches. They had to provide
a fold for the lambs driven from their former shelter.
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