29. THE LIFE & TIMES OF REV TIYO SOGA ~ EPISODE 7 Rev Soga was sensitive and he was quick to identify when someone undermined him or his people. John A Chalmers who was a fellow missionary and friend of Rev Soga wrote: In daily intercourse, it was difficult to remember that he was a Xhosa, and wished to be considered such, as the colour of the man was often completely forgotten, and one had to be perpetually on his guard lest he should wound that sensitive nature. He was not offended at a trifle, but if anything seemed to depreciate his countrymen, or to bring discredit on his work, or if he imagined himself insulted because he was a Xhosa, he became completely unnerved. He suppressed his anger, and indulged his grief; but at other times he resented the wrong with unusual dignity. A friend, quite unconscious that he would wound Tiyo Soga, was unbosoming his troubles, and in the fulness of his heart said that, from his own experience, gratitude was a virtue foreign to the Xhosa character. Tiyo Soga was indignant. Gratitude a virtue unknown to the Xhosa character! he instantly replied. I shall not be cast down by that statement. I consider it a stab, which I deserve because I am one of them. Are there many instances of gratitude among white people? I have learned from them that ingratitude is a vice common to humanity. The erring friend was thunderstruck. He was one of the last men who would wilfully wound Tiyo Soga; and now amazed at the statement which he had made, he offered a humble apology, whereupon Tiyo Soga replied: I am not happy when any unpleasantness arises between myself and my friends, because I know it ought not to be. I candidly confess that, from a man of your fine feelings, the sweeping statement about Xhosa ingratitude made to a friend of your own, and belonging to that people, startled me; not that you ought not to hold your own opinion, but you ought at least to have spared a friend the pang of knowing and hearing, from your own lips, that you have such a conviction. That pang is now gone in consequence of your genuine frankness, and I shall think no more of it, other than as one of those things which are sometimes of painful recollection even among friends who love and esteem each other. Next: Episode 8....
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 05:41:21 +0000
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