604 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CTTLTTTRE. 



Dec. 



read a chapter, or part of a chapter, and explain it, 

 dwelling upon some simple but important truth, 

 trying to make it plain to the dark, dark minds, 

 and hearts before him. When he is through, Sarah 

 will take up some additional thought in the same 

 chapter and explain it. In this way about an hour 

 is spent, according as the people seem willing to lis- 

 ten. Not unfrequently, the priest of the village idol 

 makes a disturbance, and tries to dissuade the peo- 

 ple from listening. If they lose faith in the idol, 

 then his lazy occupation is gone. About 9 a.m., 

 Abraham and Sarah return to the "bungalow," oft- 

 en bringing with them some of the village people 

 for medicine. The immoral lives of the people are 

 productive of every form of disease. During the 

 day, Abraham and Sarah are in constant contact 

 with the people, and invite them into their little 

 house, where they sing and read and preach to them. 

 Toward evening, Abraham goes into the market- 

 place {bazaar, as it is called in India), and preaches, 

 and sells tracts. Sarah makes her way into some of 

 the homes in the bazaar, wherever she can get in, 

 and preaches Christ to the women. She has a real 

 tact for getting at them. My work is to give medi- 

 cine for two hours la the morning; preaching Christ 

 as opportunity offers, and to talk with individual 

 ones (we live close to the bazaar, and are in constant 

 contact with the people), preaching once or twice a 

 week in Hindoostani, and once a week in English, 

 the care of the work, and study. So, you see I need 

 not be idle. Mrs. 8. visits with Abraham and Sarah 

 in the villages, and among the women in the bazaar; 

 has charge of an English Sunday-school; is house- 

 keeper, and keeps up the study of the language, and 

 assists in the care of the orphan children. Miss 

 Frow's work is with the six orphan girls. Her health 

 is very poor, and she is able to accomplish but little. 

 We hope that she is soon to be better. In the eve- 

 ning, we gather together and talk over the day's 

 work, sing and pray, and plan the campaign for the 

 next day. This is our work, day after day, against 

 the hosts of Satan. We are few; our foes are many; 

 but, blessed be God, the battle is not to the strong 

 nor the tace to the swift, and, shutting out all doubt, 

 we set our faces like a flint toward Christ, resting 

 upon the promises alone. We do not feel discour- 

 aged. We are just beginning to use the language to 

 advantage. There are several who have expressed 

 a desire to become Christians, and we are keeping 

 them on trial, that we may know that their desire is 

 genuine. Treachery and deceit are the nature of 

 the East Indian, and it is only the grace of God that 

 is able to transform them. 



When I brought our six little girls home, they 

 were the greatest thieves and liars y<>u ever saw, 

 even with your experience. They would steal every 

 thing that they could appropriate, especially eata- 

 bles, and then they would deny every thing so cool- 

 ly! They also quarreled incessantly. But now we 

 can leave any thing within their reach, and know 

 that it is safe. If they thoughtlessly tell a lie, ihey 

 are quick to come and confess it. If they wrong an- 

 other, they ask forgiveness. They are as changed 

 as light from darkness. What has wrought it? 

 They have been taught the gospel 1 They have 

 learned to love and fear the God of the gospel; they 

 grieve if they do contrary to what the gospel teach- 

 es them is right; and I tell you, brother Root, the 

 work wrought in these little heathen girls is suffi- 

 cient answer to all the rhetoric of a thousand lion 

 Ingersolls. I wonder what the result would have 



been if we had tried Ingersollism upon them 1 Ohl 

 how can we be so blind to the glorious gospel of 

 Jesus Christ? It alone is ''the power of G<d unto 

 salvation to every one that believeth." It is a 

 blessed work to rescue even six: immortal souls from 

 the darkness and sin of beath< nism. 



While I write, they are reading their morning les- 

 son, and read readily in words of two and three syl- 

 lables. You will wonder, perhaps, how we bring 

 these girls up, and how the life of a native Christian 

 differs from that of the people about them. The 

 great mass of the people live in little houses about 13 

 feet square— mud walls, and a thatched roof of grass. 

 There is only one room; no chairs, tables, stools, 

 stove, nor beds; no knives nor forks nor spoons. In 

 one corner are two little places for cooking— little 

 arches like, and two or three earthen dishes, and 

 one or two brass dishes. The woman cooks the 

 food. Whf>n it is ready, the man eats from the 

 dishes in which it was cooked, using his fingers for 

 knife, fork, and spoon. After he is through, the 

 woman eats in the same manner. Their bedding is 

 simply a blanket, spread upou the ground in warm 

 weather, out of doors; during the wet and cool 

 months, indoors. They always sleep with their 

 heaUi c aercd. I suppose this is to protect them- 

 selves from poisonous snakes. In the morning they 

 shake out their blanket, fold it up, and take it into 

 the house. I am often reminded of Christ saying 

 to the palsied man, "Arise, take up thy bed, and go 

 unto thine house." In America, such a command 

 would seem ridiculous; but here, it is the custom of 

 all the people, every morning, and seems perjectJy 

 natural that Christ should give just such a com- 

 mand. All the parables of Christ are more easily 

 understood in this far eastern land. 



But I have wandered. Back of every bungalow (a 

 bungalow is a large house for Europeans) is a build- 

 ing about one hundred feet long and 12 feel wide, 

 divided into about 10 houses, for the servants of the 

 people who live in the bungalow, for these English 

 officers often ke< p as many as ten servants. Caste 

 obliges every one to cook his own food, for often 

 there will be as many castes as there are servants. 

 Well, Abraham and Sarah never eat with us, but 

 live out in the servants' houses, and maintain the 

 simple customs of their country, eating with their 

 fingers and sleeping on the ground. Of course they 

 eat together, for Christ in ihe heart ennobles 

 woman, and she becomes an immortal soul, equal 

 with her husband, for whom Christ has died. The 

 heathen idea is, that they are only animals. When 

 they come into our bungalow they always sit on the 

 floor, as a chair seems so awkward to them. Thus 

 they are one with their own people in the simplicity 

 of their habits; but in purity of heart and of life, 

 they are as far removed as the east is from the 

 west — as light from darkness, as heaven from hell. 

 How the religion of the Lord Jesus is adapted for 

 every clime, and for all peoplel Abraham and Sa- 

 rah are very neat and clean, and their little home is 

 a model of cleanliness and order. The children live 

 in the same way, cooking in one of the servants' 

 houses, eating with their fingers and sleeping on the 

 floor of the veranda. They are taught to sew, and 

 to be useful in doing the work in the bungalow. 

 Thus we are trjing to do the work which we are 

 sure God h<is called us to do. Although not under a 

 "board," we are in entire sympathy with their work, 

 and we have the cordial Gouspeed of many of the 

 dear brethren of the board. Ours is a large and 



