WE are pleased to fulfill our promise made last year, and to give our young readers letters from the children in the leper home at Purulia.
The letters were written in Bengali by the two boys and the girl. Poor Urban is a leper boy; Mothi has not developed the disease—let us pray that it may be God’s will that he may be spared; Subodhoni is a girl. The letters are just out of their hearts, and the odd request for your photographs, so that Subodhoni may recognize you in heaven, is quite original. We shall all know one another in heaven in the light of the Blessed One, who shall make heaven home to all, whether from Purulia, or India, or Great Britain, or the United States, or Canada. May all truly trust in Jesus, and by His blood and power be cleansed from the leprosy of sin.
It will be very great pleasure to you, dear Christian boys and girls, to feel that you are keeping four leper children, or children of lepers, this year in the Purulia. Home.
Mr. Uffmann, the good missionary, is very much overworked, and you will remember him at times in prayer. He translated these letters into German for us, his daughter copied the translations, and now you have them in English. Mr. Uffmann says of the fourth child (a girl) selected for your care, “She has been only about six months in the school, and is, therefore, unable to write at present, but she shall send you a letter as soon as she can do so.”
The following is a translation of the life-sketches of the children to be supported by the young readers of FAITHFUL WORDS.
Mothi.
This boy’s handwriting was hardly legible, SO the caretaker has made a copy without making any changes in the words.
“I am twelve years old, my father is by profession a washerman, my mother lives forty-two miles from Purulia, to the west. There are six of us, brothers and sisters, of whom I am the youngest.
“When my father’s illness became apparent he was despised and rejected by the people. No one would eat with us or marry any of us. Then, in sorrow, my father left his house. I followed him, against his wish, but I would not leave him, and we both had very severe days during our travels. We had to live by begging, but the people would not give us food, but cried out, ‘Make haste and go away.’ If we had not gone we do not know what would have happened. We had to hear much abuse, and they even threatened to burn us.
“At this time I began to steal, and went secretly into houses and took rice, vegetables, bhat (boiled rice), pigeons, fowls, potatoes, onions, money, cloth―anything I could get I took it, and if I could not eat it I sold it, and took other things instead. Although I did such wicked things, you cannot understand how much we had to endure. I believe that unless God had kept me very specially I should not be alive today.
“When in these surroundings, we heard that the missionary in Purulia provided everything necessary for miserable ones like ourselves. I came hither with my father, and thought, at first, that the missionary would sell me to the planters, and wept much, but who would have thought that I should be the child of grace that I am now! What love God has shown me, and how I rejoice in it! Also God has so led the dear brothers and sisters in Europe that they might care for our bodies, so that our wishes are fulfilled, and God has also led the dear friends in Europe to stretch forth their hands to us poor ones, that our souls shall enter the eternal joy after death.
“Through our honored teacher, Mr. Uffmann, I have just begun to read and write, that I, in return might help the mission by and by. For this purpose I am learning carpentry, others of my brothers (i.e., his companions) are learning masonry, but the highest and best of all is that we are daily taught heavenly things.
“If God had not shown me special grace I should not be able to read and write as well as I do now, also I should not be so well, both in body and soul.
“The things I used to think good and allowable I now feel ashamed of, and am very sorry I behaved so badly, but now I thank God, and praised be His name that He has let my father become a leper, for if he had not been ill I should not be alive, we could not support ourselves; nobody would send me to the tea gardens. Then I heard the glorious message of salvation, and that you, dear friends, have undertaken my burdens. Oh! this infinite mercy! Now I should much like to know your dear names and addresses, also I ask for your photographs as a remembrance. My father’s name is Pitor. Up till now I have not been afflicted like my father, for which I thank God.
“Yours, Mothi.”
Subodhoni.
“When I was still a heathen I had to endure many privations. When I was nine months old my father died, and my mother had to support me and my brothers and sisters on the small field which she possessed.
“When afterward the illness of my mother became apparent, then my uncle turned her out of the house, and both of us, my mother and I, wandered from place to place, and came in our travels to Purulia, and found there a refuge among the lepers.
“It was under God’s guidance that we came there, where I have a good house, good food and clothes, and I learn to read and write in school and hear God’s Word. If my father had lived I should not have got all this, but now I get it all, and have forgotten all the privations and ill-treatment of the people.
“Blessed be all the brothers and sisters in Europe who had pity on me, and have prepared such a refuge for my body, and the chief thing, that care is taken for my soul. If I had remained a heathen I should not have had such a good education. Therefore, praise God, who sent this disease!
“Now I am about ten years old, and my mother has had this disease for nearly eight years. We have already been in Purulia six years. God be thanked that I have not yet been attacked by this disease! My mother’s name is Magdalena, and mine is Subodhoni. There are twenty-two sisters and eighteen brothers in the Rome. (She calls the inmates brothers and sisters.) You will pray daily for us, and, in order that I may recognize you in heaven after this life, I ask you to kindly send your photographs, and, so that I may please you through a letter, please send your dear name and address.
“I do not yet know very much about writing, but I go to the school daily, and take lessons in the usual subjects from the teacher, but Mr. Uffmann teaches me on heavenly things nearly every day. Again, praise God who has sent this illness, for if this had not happened I should have offered sacrifices, like all the heathen, and my lot would have been hell.
“I greet you, and the children also send greetings.
“Yours, SUBODHONI.”
Urban.
“My parents were very poor, and had great difficulty in bringing us up. My father worked as a servant in other people’s houses, and my mother did any work she could get. When I was old enough, I was placed by my father in a house as gwala (cow-boy). I was in the fields all the day, and kept the cattle.
“When my mother got the disease, my uncle said to her, ‘Give the boy over to us; we will take care of him while you are ill.’ But my mother would not, and said, ‘Even if my child became ill, I would not give him up.’
“My disease was not yet apparent, and not until I had eaten and slept with my mother, did it show itself. I had to leave the house, because my friends and relations would no longer tolerate me.
“My mother went about, and we supported ourselves by begging, but, when the people saw us in the distance, they called out, ‘Make haste and go away, and don’t come near.’
“Then it was we heard that the missionary in Purulia accepted and cared for such poor people as we are. We made up our minds to go, and we came and saw that many men, women, boys, and girls bad been received.
“Oh! what happiness has fallen to my share! Now I learn to read and write, and have good clothes and food. Where should I have been unless such an institution existed? ― perhaps dead, and the birds had eaten my body.
“Blessed are those who have shown us so much love and kindness I used not to know that it was wicked and sinful to steal, but now I know better, and praise God for it, that He has bestowed the better part on me.”
“URBAN.”