ANNE OF GREEN GABLES COUNTRY 185 Memorial Church, and that little insignificant figure is John Geddie , the first missionary ever sent to the heathen on the sole responsibility of a colonial church. Strictly speaking, Geddie was not a colonial. He was born in Scotland in a famous year, 1815. In the following year, his family arrived at Pictou, Nova Scotia . It is said that John Geddie never shone in his classes, nor was he a leader in sports or debate. He was small and gentle, and in those early years of his life no one guessed the character and determination which lay behind his quiet exterior. In 1838, a call came to him from the congregation of Cavendish and New London. He was inducted and ordained. Soon afterwards, he married a girl of sixteen from Pictou. The first Sunday she appeared in church, her mother was with her. Some of the people concluded that the mother was the bride! For seven long years he remained in this parish, but his thoughts were far, far away in the heathen lands of the . The church must send out a mis¬ sionary to the heathen, he argued. He argued and urged for a long time. There were counter-arguments of poverty, caution, delay, which always seemed to offset his efforts, but, finally, in 1845, the Board was instructed to select a candidate. John Geddie was appointed. He prepared himself well by learning the process of printing, the rudiments of medicine, house and boat building, and other mechanical arts. Mr. and Mrs. Geddie left the following year, and eighteen months later, landed in the beautiful harbour of Aneityum, in the New Hebrides. The islanders were negroid and were a most degraded race. Crimes of every sort flourished. Life had no value. A member of one tribe dared not pass beyond