I WOULD like to tell the young readers of this little paper something about the great famine in India.
British India is a country about one half as large as the United States, and has a population of about three hundred millions. The famine there takes in the entire country except the provinces of Bengal and Burmah. There are nearly two hundred millions of people dwelling within this famine affected radius. The lack of rain has blasted almost the entire crops of the country. “Poor India! Who can paint her woes!” The merciless famine is claiming many victims, besides the bubonic plague which they say is carrying off the people at the rate of one thousand a day. Drinking water too, is very scarce and must be hauled for miles by slow modes. The government has millions of people at work, seeking to relieve the sick and starving. These people employed by the government get merely a living of rice for their, labors.
But those whom the government are feeding, are a very small portion of the whole, and millions must be fed by private charity, or starve to death.
The worst of all, dear readers, is that these people are mostly heathen.
They do not know that blessed One, the Lord Jesus, who came to die for sinners.
How sad to see people living and dying without Christ And yet there are many in this land of Bibles who do not know Jesus as their Saviour. We may be thankful that we live where the word of God is known and loved by many, but we should also seek to make this word our own. Unless we are sheltered by the precious blood of Jesus, we are no better off for eternity than these poor Hindoos. Oh, may all who read this not neglect to accept God’s message to sinners, that He sent His Son into this poor dark world that He might die for our sins.
And let us, who know that our sins are forgiven, lift up our hearts to our God and Father that He will send these poor Hindoos, bread for their bodies’ sake, and also give them to know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour.
N. F. C.
ML 07/01/1900