WE cull from India’s Women some interesting incidents respecting Christian work amongst the young in India. The references are to the children of Mohammedan parents.
How Mohammedanism Enslaves Woman.
“We know how the iron heel of Mohammedanism has ground down women, and how such objections have been made to education as―Girls must not learn to read, or they would know too much; they must not write or they would make mischief; they must not learn calisthenics, as that would be akin to dancing; above all they must not learn of Christ the Saviour, for that might lead to their forsaking the faith of Islam, for which according to their creed, death is the penalty.”
With such a determined spirit that girls shall not he instructed, the progress of Christian instruction amongst them is most remarkable. Let us listen to the story of
A Strange School Treat.
“The children assembled this afternoon represent four schools from four different parts of Madras. The Bible is taught regularly and systematically in all the schools, and for some years no opposition has been made. No child is received if the parents are unwilling to have her learn the Bible; I tell them plainly that we teach it, and they are free to keep their children away if they do not like our rules, but our rules will not be changed.
“Some years ago when the mission was begun it was considered almost hopeless to start a school, and when we think of the prejudices and customs of centuries being overcome, the result of the gathering seemed marvelous!
“In the morning, covered carts were sent to the four schools in different parts of Madras or the children, as they are not allowed to be seen by men, who are also kept out of the compound. There were police regulations to secure their privacy. About one o’clock there was an unusual buzz, and three hundred and sixteen dusky little forms in every variety or color might be seen gliding between the old trees, gay flowers„ and variegated crotons. When not in school many of them pass their lives in small dark rooms with only a court in the middle, so we can imagine what a pleasure it was for them to see a full expanse of sky, trees, and flowers. They had sweets and fruit given to them, and amused themselves with their twelve teachers till four p.m., when some English visitors tried to get up games, but their gracefully folded drapery and the instinctive drawing the veil over the head was scarcely adapted to such rough play and seemed out of place.
“At the time of the prize-giving the children were seated on mats with their respective teachers, and as they are of all social grades, there was great variety in costume, from the gorgeous gold-embroidered silk, and richly jeweled head, nose, ears, arms, and ankles, to the simple cloths of two gay colors. A class rose and sang the familiar hymn, ‘There is a Happy Land’ in Hindustani. Another went through some calisthenics, which are quite a new feature. Pitying the confined life of these little ones it was thought well by those in authority to introduce these exercises. At first they were objected to, and some children removed, but when the parents found that they were not injurious to health they did not mind. Each child who had passed in the recent examinations was to have a prize. Hundreds of dolls were sent by those interested in the work from England, and there were also some gay clothes. Each child received her prize with raising the hand to the brow and gracefully bending the body―a great improvement upon the abrupt nod our English girls give under similar circumstances.”
We shall now turn to some
Incidents of School Life.
“Mohammedans profess to honor four books―the Law, the Psalms, the Gospel, the Koran.”
“‘Our great desire is to see in every school a senior class of girls able to read well, and each with a whole Bible in her hand; then indeed we shall rejoice.’ I often call these words to mind, with thankfulness, when returning from our schools, where bright classes of intelligent children take an interest in Scripture teaching. For many years, the first-class girls in each school had been reading the New Testament, and we are now supplying them with whole Bibles, strongly bound, the gift of a friend in England. If they become acquainted with the books themselves, and learn to compare passage with passage, finding how all bear witness to Christ, and noting the contradictions which are in the Koran, we trust that, at last, they will see the truth of our Lord’s words: ‘Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.’ The children very much enjoy reading in the book itself, the stories of ‘the prophets’ (so they call all our Bible saints) whose names they know.”
But we must not suppose that the Mohammedan little girls are more attentive than English children. One little pupil, when we question her on her lessons, says, ‘Tell me first, then I will tell you.’ If we urge her to try to remember, she tosses her untidy little head (all their heads are untidy), and says, ‘It won’t come.’”
“The work among Mohammedan women and children here has been, and is, a great pleasure to me. They are always ready to listen when I read and teach them. They love listening to our hymns, and especially like the slow, solemn tunes,”
Let us thank God for the many Christian ladies who are devoting themselves to the work of the gospel amongst the children and women of India, and let us rejoice at the entrance of the divine word into so many of their hearts. There is a mighty and unquenchable power in the Holy Scriptures which nothing can by any possibility annul. May His word have free course and be glorified all over the earth, and may the young in its uttermost parts love the name of Jesus.