The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-07

temporary, writing from Madras, India,
gives his impression of the results OF Ca
tholic and Protestant missionary labors.
The writer, it will be seen, is Protestant
On Wednesday evening last took tea
with the superintendent of the American
Mission. This happened to be the evening
on which the various missionaries in the
neighborhood assemble together, and, as
the meeting was to take place that evening
at the house where l was visiting, re-
NAMED and attended. have availed my
itself since my stay here to learn what
amount of success the American mission
aries meet with, and though they appear to
be liberal hearted, conscientious people,
and the sympathies of the English resi-
dents are with them, and they do all that
they can do under the circumstances in
which they are situated, yet l am forced
to believe that the results of their labors is
not what might be reasonably expected
from the large amount of people, time and
money involved in the enterprise and
think the same means might be employed
in some other Christian endeavor with
much more gratifyin ing returns.
Most of the missionaries, after being here
few years, find their families much aug
nented in number, and, either owing to
the climate or from some other cause, adj
ditions seem to be made with noticeable
family, and being obliged to become tutor
| to the remainder, occupies 30 much of the
married missiOnary's attention that he has
but comparatively little time left to devote
| to the cause in which he has enlisted. A
great deal is said by Christian teachers
flesh, esteeming the pleasures of this world
| as naught, etc. while, at the same time,
they themselves are livingin apparent lux
ury, having beautiful residences surround
ed by beautiful gardens, with hosts of ser
wants, bandys and palanquins at their COM
| mand, plenty of horses in their stables,
with syce for every horse, and innumer
able comforts and refnements which the
| simple Hindoo never dreams of possessing.
do not mean to say that the missionary
lives too we'll, or has too comfortable q
time, but there is to the native daily and
hourly inconsistency between the preach
ing and living of his teacher, and that this
is in part to be- attributed to the causes
which l have mentioned, l would simply
refer to the greater success which has ever
attended the Catholic missionary. He is
never permitted to marry, his instructions
simply to preach the doctrines of his
Church, his allowance is less than two hun
dred dollars per annum, and, consequently,
he is forced to live among the people he is
sent to reclaim as he has not the means of
inducing in European Injuries, he is
curry, consequently he learns sooner the
dispositions Of the people, is able to gain
their confidence, is ever prezent to admin
lister to their ply sical wants, to advise in
all matters of dispute, his example is con-
stantly before them and the result is that
two hundred dollars produced as many con.
verts under this system as two Thousand
dollars under the other.
An English captain, just from Sumatra,
related 10 me story the other day of two
Catholic missionaries that arrived at Pad
ang few weeks since, who we're commits
matra, and, if possible, establish some COM
municatiOn with its almost unknown in
habitants. These people are supposed to
live almost in state of nature, and are,
perhaps, with the exception Of the Beers of
Africa and some of the natives of Borneo,
the most barbarOus race of people upon the
face of the globe. They are supposed to
live in trees, and are generally considered
cannibals, their country has never been ex-
plOred, and the Malays themselves have
only seen them when one of their number
has wandered nearer than customary to-
wards the coast. The inhabitants of Pad
ang cautioned the young missionaries
against penetrating into the interior; they
were told that their mission would be flu
tile, that they could not make themselves
understood by the inhabitants, and they
would either be devoured by wild beasts
hoped to benefit. But nothing could in
duce them to falter in their mbassy, and
with staff in hand and wallet on back they
took leave of their Dutch friend at Padang
and started on their self-sacrificing errand,
| Two weeks afterwards their bones were
found and brought back to Padang by
some Malays who had been engaged in
hunting tigers. Their remains were identi-
fed by means of two little crucifixes made
of lava which were discovered near them,
but whether the two devoted missionaries
were consumed by wild beasts or by canni-
balls is matter for conjecture.
passed some hours very pleasantly, a
few evening since, at the residence of Mrs.
-, the wife of one of her Majesty's ser
wants she is q member of the established
Church and holds prominent position in
Madras society. She is celebrated for hel
distinguished family connections, her va
ried accomplishments, her dignifed bear.
ing, and at the same time her suavity OF
address, which never fails to make the
humhlest of her guests feel at home and
enjoy every moment which is passed be-
meath her hospitable roof During my Wis
it was introduced to young man, appar-