Chapter 9: A Catholic Schoolmaster

Two of our colporteurs, having finished their canvass of the small fishing town of Caraguatatuba, not very far from the seaport of Santos, resolved to hold, a public meeting.
They had sold very few books, and owing to the influence of the local schoolmaster had at first suffered much rough treatment from the inhabitants, even being refused food and hospitality. Yet they had persevered, and so succeeded in overcoming the and suspicion of the people as to obtain the use of a large room for a Gospel meeting. Setting out to make a house-to-house invitation to the gathering, they finally reached the dwelling of the schoolmaster, and found him hanging out of his front window, in the true Brazilian style.
With a respectful bow Benedicto handed him a gospel tract, saying, “Your Excellency would do us a great honor in attending our meeting tonight;” but he received the ill-mannered response, “I’ll do myself the honor to keep away, senhor.”
A little beyond this man’s house another inhabitant informed our brother that the said teacher was a very fanatical Roman Catholic, a declared enemy of Protestantismo and that it was he who was engaged in preparing an elaborate reception for the long expected Romish Bishop of Taubate. He had collected quite a large sum of money from the poor inhabitants in order to furnish that magnificent prelate with the best wine and sumptuous living generally, as he could not be expected to exist on the apostolic fare of fish, which, with dry farinha, forms the almost exclusive diet of these people.
In spite of this and several other rebuffs, our brethren persevered, and were rewarded with a splendid meeting, at which several publicly expressed a desire to follow the Lord Jesus, and at the close quite a number of Scriptures were disposed of.
A day or two passed, and when at last reliable news came that the Bishop was to arrive next day, great excitement prevailed, not a few dreading the lash of excommunication for attending the Protestant meeting.
The schoolmaster began to feel his importance, and taking the collected money, he hastily set out in his canoe, with one or two fishing hands, to visit a neighboring coast town, where he could make all the necessary purchases — fine linen and table cutlery, fancy gilt candlesticks and china ware, several dozen of the finest port wine, European tinned delicacies of every description procurable, a special basin to wash in, and a cake of scented soap — all these things had been carefully debated and resolved on beforehand. At last the purchases were ended, and with his canoe laden down with good cheer for the Bishop he started out on his return journey.
Whether the canoe was overladen, or whether the wind was to blame, is still unknown; but the canoe with its crew and contents were never seen again, nor has any trace of them ever been discovered to this day.
The Bishop duly arrived next day, but where was the schoolmaster, and where were his Reverence’s food and fare? Nobody could say.
True, the bells clanged out some kind of welcome, and “Holy Mass” was duly thronged with spectators, while the ecclesiastical merchandise of Rome did not fail to replenish the episcopal coffers; but the fact remains that during the whole of his pastoral visit the Bishop had to exist on fish and farinha like any mere mortal; and the fact remained also that his unhappy supporter was gone beyond recall.
We have good reason to believe that the above incident made a profound impression on many of the inhabitants of the place, and that it was the first means by which God aroused this remote little fishing village.
Some months passed, and we were led to send the sauce faithful colporteur, Benedicto, accompanied by others, to go on an evangelistic trip to this district; And the result was much fruit for the Kingdom of God in souls won to Christ from their idolatry and sin.