THE MISSIONARY'S AVOCATION 115 



practically rainless every year it is necessary to provide 

 some irrigation. The government very kindly bored 

 deeper the well which gave us an unfailing supply of 

 water. The well cylinder was ninety feet deep and 

 boring was continued another seventy-five feet, a four 

 inch tube sunk, when we struck an underground stream 

 of water. The usual method of raising water from 

 wells in India is by means of oxen and a big bucket, a 

 long rope, and a pulley wheel set on pillars over the 

 mouth of the well. I followed the custom of the coun- 

 try and bought my first pair of oxen. I paid fifteen 

 dollars for them. I felt quite proud of my bargain. To 

 think of actually buying two live oxen, each one having 

 a head, tail and four legs, for fifteen dollars seemed a 

 great bargain. After these oxen had been at work for 

 some time I made a very interesting discovery. I learned 

 that this pair of oxen could not draw enough water out 

 of that well, to irrigate enough ground, to grow enough 

 food to feed themselves, let alone irrigate enough ground 

 to grow enough food for the lepers. I solved this prob- 

 lem by cabling Montgomery-Ward and getting out a 

 steam boiler and engine, bought a pump, and then the 

 lepers had an abundant supply of good water; garden- 

 ing was possible. The first prize that year was won by 

 a woman. I never saw her stand up. She literally had 

 nothing to stand on, but crawling out on her hands and 

 knees with a short length of barrel hoop she played and 

 worked and loved around her little plot until she had a 

 beautiful and productive garden. When the lepers 

 learned that whatever they grew they could have for 

 themselves, that I did not take it from them, gardening 

 became more popular. Their fear had been that I was 

 going to get them to grow the stuff and then take it 



