Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1891 — From Far-Off India [ARTICLE]

From Far-Off India

A LETTER FROM A FORMER RENSSELAER MINISTER. — . I Mii>itAC»ii:K, him. May,’ 24, H9t. Editor Kui’t iN:——Thinking thrit. perii.:|i-->■ . of ihc friends a} iJenssehier inigi.'.. be interested in • IK” -'.tir «',<•!( tboll’s ;;ip’, V.ljat •we arc (loin:’. I know iri, better way' l\an tn '.. ii 1-, nh .ui’.clc i < yutir I Aft< r‘••.lvinif .-nr town in 1885 we w.-ir. y> I: ..,-..uc College, Michigan. The tui.owing two years' we were .in Hillsdale, I preaching at Osseo, Mich., and attended college. In 1887, we were called to the pastorate of the church in Marion, Ohio, where we served two years and six months. In October "1889 we accepted an apjMiintment by the foreign mission board to Midrapore, India. November 20, 1889 sailed' i from New Y’ork; after a delightful ji.i-.-age us in.arly two montlia, we | m.ided in Calcutta. .lan. HI, IS9O. | On the IS’th v.-e 1.-ui'led in Midrapore, i a city ot periiaps sv,<>oo inhabitants, i nituale+l about seventy miles west from Calcutta. IVe are very comfortably situated. This section is a fairly healthy One. We have in Midrapore a church of about seventy-five members, a Bible school, which is really a theological school, of about twenty young men. Dr. O. R. Bacheler D. D., who has been in the mission work over fifty years, is the principal. We have also an industrial school, a village school and a large number of ragged ischools. Much teaching is done by our women in the Zenanas, and Bible women are kept employed. Besides Dr. and Mrs. Bacheler, there are also Dr. Marj- Bacheler and Miss E. M. Butts, in the station, so that we are not alone. To say that the people of this country are heathens is putting it very mildly. Hinduism is one of the strongest institutions in existence. Perliaps for more than 3,000 years India has been ruled by the brahmans. The common people have become completely subject to them. Out of tins brahman rule has grown up the greatest system of caste the world has ever seem Caste holds the people as in an iron grasp. The government of the country, as all know, is English, but society is ruled absolutely by the brahmans. In the time of the Moguls the Mohammedans had complete rule. The result is that there are very large societies of They form a large percentage of the people of ! nearly every locality.

The English government is anything but what might be expected of a Christian government. Not until one has been in India and seen how thoroughly the people exist f<y; the government, can one appreciate a “government for the people.” Everything is thoroughly English. Second and third class Englishmen are here by the thousands and leading the most intemperate and immoral lives, on their bloated salaries. There is a show of protection to missions, and personal liberty. Though the police system is the largest perhaps to be found anywhere, yet we are wholly at the mercy of the natives. Were it hot for the good will of .very many of the natives themselves, missionaries would have a hard time. It would be wrong, however, to give the English government no credit. By it we luive freedom of speech. The country is filled with English commoditlusy railroads are being built, the very best of roads hrve lieen built and an almost perfect postal service has been established. I could wish that ”Uncle Sam had as good a postal service. *

The weather in India is something that every foreigner will observe. About three inpnths. from Nov. lath to Feb. 15th. is perfect, doubtful if the world elsewhere furnishes its equal; but what shall I say ,of the balance of the year? Nowhere else is the like found. The heat is intense. I well remember when a boy and my mother was baking pies ! that 1 would peep into the oven to! see how they were getting on, and; when the oven door was opened a | very hot gust would come into my face. About three months, March, April and May furnishes just that kind —of weather. - During those - months weave closely housed; our! doors are tightly closed and punkas, [fans j are kept goingmuch of the time I day and night. Alter the hot season, j beginning about June 15th and last-1 ihg three or four months, we have the j rainy season. The first part of the' rains is pleasant, bat after about two * months everything gets uiOraughly l pet andjthe whole cuii.itry seems, to! be in a steam. ... Wages are very low. a month is high’ wanes "for ~ir _ servant. The weather being so ,dipt -we are under 1 the necessity of having our work all! done by servants. The caste system j has made it impossible for one ser- | vant to do anything but his one kind of work. That being the case we! must keep a man to cook; brie to work the garden; one io care for the horse; one to wash and iron the clothes; two womtn to care- for the children and either two men or two women to pull our fan. The wages range from $2.80 per month for the

cook to *1.05 per month for the fan i pullers. Of course at such wages [they all board themselves. Only one. the washerman, works for anyone else. These wages seem small, but they are not very small. Many of ' them require no clothes except a cloth to wrap around them, which costs perliaps fifteen or twenty cents. They eat little but rice, and rice can be Ixnight for 1 cent )>'•<• pound. So ; after all they get on well. 1 Our work consists in teaching and preaching; Almost daily we go to tbe streets to pre:i'. !i. Large crowds of people gather al»out am! we tell the simple story of the cross. In the co 1 d seasoh we make long tours into' the country, being gone weeks at a time. To do thi swe must take with us, beds, chairs, table, cooking utensils and a cook. There are ftp places to put up. Some places there are government bungalows, but the people will not go to them. Just now I am hoping and praying tliat some good friends will send us 885 with which to buy a tent. In a tent we can go where we please and the peoand buy books. This is the greatest work, ever entrusted to any one. We ask all our old acquaintances and friends to remember us and our work in their prayers. „ Most Truly.

REV . M. C. MINER .