No. 4. Schools.
WHEN we think about India we must not forget what a very, very large country it is, half as big as all Europe. And one part of India is quite unlike any other in every way, so that it would take us a very long time to even learn a very little about this immense country. Is it not wonderful to think that God knows all about it, and all about every person in it? And He cares too about each one; and it is He who has put it into the hearts of some of His faithful servants to go and teach the poor people about Jesus, and how much He loves them.
It is not easy to teach the people; many of them are afraid of Christians. They know that if they listen to them, they may lose their “caste”, and those who allow a Christian to come into their houses, do not always pay attention to what they are saying. They will listen for a minute or two, as the missionary speaks of Jesus, who has come into this world to save them from sin, and then they begin to ask questions, foolish questions, such as, “Where are all your jewels? Are you married? Who is your father?” and so on. Then when the poor ignorant women have had their questions answered, you would think they might listen a little more to the good news the kind missionary has to tell them; but no, a baby begins to scream, or the cow, or goat, or chickens, who all share the family hut, make a disturbance, or some of the little naked children playing about begin to fight, and the women tell the lady that it is time to get their husband’s supper, and she has to return to her house, feeling how little she has been able to do.
One way in which the missionaries can help these poor heathen, is by opening schools for the little girls. Formerly no girls were allowed to learn anything; till they were nine of ten years old they might play about with their brothers, after that they were often married, and then they had to stay in the women’s part of the house with nothing to do, but play with their jewels, and make sweetmeats, if they were rich; and if they were poor, work hard from morning till night with seldom a kind word and often a blow.
But now many little Hindoo girls go to school, and learn to read and write, just as you do, and you may be sure the ladies who teach them, try hard to get them to learn verses out of the Bible and sweet hymns about Jesus. One little girl said to her teacher, “I wish to put all I can of the Bible into my heart, for then it cannot be taken away from me,” Poor little child, she knew that her parents would take away a Bible from her if she showed it to them, but they could not take the knowledge of Jesus out of her heart. That is where you and I too, want the knowledge of Jesus. We may have twenty Bibles in our house, but they will not do us any good, if their words do not sink into our hearts.
Some of the little girls who go to the missionaries’ schools, are driven there each day in a big cart drawn by a bullock. These carts have curtains hung all round them so that no one may see the little maids inside. When they reach the school, one curtain is raised and out jump the little brown girls, with their happy faces, and their anklets and bangles, making such a tinkling as they run into the building.
When they are settled in their places, they have prayer, and then a Bible les son. They like to hear about Samuel, and Daniel, and Noah; but the stories they care most for are about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Once a year the Inspector comes. He is a Mahommedan, and must not see any of the girls over ten years old, so a great curtain is drawn across the room, and the children sit or stand on one side, and the Inspector questions them from the other side.
There is another school I should like to tell you of in Palamcottah, in South India. It is on purpose for deaf and dumb children. About eighty boys and girls go to this school and though they cannot sing, they all join together in a hymn, making signs for the words, and all in the same way ask God to bless them, and show them more of His love. After this, the children divide into seven separate classes, all but one of which are taught by elder deaf and dumb pupils. They use pictures to make the subjects clear. One Sunday, not long ago the lesson was on the Brazen Serpent, and how happy the English missionary was, as she went from class to class to find the elder girls, only four or five years ago, dark in heathenism, teaching the little ones how Jesus, like that serpent, was lifted up, and how if they would look to Him they should be saved.
See Jesus crucified and slain;
Behold Him raised on high;
One look will save from endless pain
O look and never die.
ML 03/17/1912