4 THE GOSPEL AND THE PLOW 



"Either to China or to South America." 



"What do you think of India?" 



"Not much." 



"Why not?" 



"Because the missionaries from India whom I have 

 heard, all speak of the intellectual keenness and the 

 nimble-mindedness of the Indian. I do not feel able 

 to cope with that kind." 



He then told me of the mass movement among the 

 outcastes in which thousands of the lowest classes of 

 India were turning to Christ. He suggested that, if I 

 were willing and anxious for work, I should go out 

 immediately after my course was finished at college to 

 work among these poor illiterate folk. He also sug- 

 gested that this would not be the kind of work which 

 would overtax my mentality. In view of my age he 

 thought that the Board might be willing to send me 

 out. I could still take my theological course in India 

 and be ordained later on. Then he put to me the 

 direct question. 



"If the Presbyterian Board would send you imme- 

 diately upon graduation from college would you go 

 out to India to do evangelistic work among the low- 

 caste people?" I could, at the moment, think of no 

 good reason against such a proposal, so, hesitatingly, 

 replied that, although there was little hope of the Board 

 sending me out as an unordained man for evangelistic 

 work, yet I was ready to go. 



"All right," he said. "Before you attend any lec- 

 tures to-day write to Robert Speer and tell him of our 

 conversation. I will also write. Good-by, I get off 

 here." We had reached Lawrenceville which lies about 

 half way between Trenton and Princeton. I had the 



