Adoniram Judson is back in the States on furlough, or what is now called home assignment.
After the sermon he had spoken for some fifteen minutes 'with singular simplicity, and..... touching pathos,' as Emily (his wife) thought, of the the love of the Saviour, 'what he has done for us, and what we own to him.'
As he sat down [Emily recollected]..... it was evident, even to the most unobservant eye, that most of the listeners were disappointed. After the exercises were over, several persons inquired of me, frankly, why Dr. Judson had not talked of the something else, why he had not old a story..... On he way home, I mentioned the subject to him.
"Why, what did they want?" he inquired; "I presented the most interesting subject in the world, to the best of my ability."
"But they want something different- a story."
"Well, I am sure I gave them a story- the most thrilling one that can be conceived of."
"But they had heard it before. They want something new of a man who had just come from the antipodes (inhabitants of the opposite side of the earth)."
"Then I am glad they have it to say, that a man coming the antipodes had nothing better to tell than the wondrous story of Jesus' dying love."
To the Golden Shore
