Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-11-16
From the Plattsburg Sentinel
LETTERS FROM INDIA.

Ny Dear Loucd Ones at Home 1t
is a comfortable afternoon indoors, and |
am going to spend it exclusively in writ
ing to YOU. Your good letters of March
10th were received April 29th. The
things that come by mail do not come by
cars as they did. There are several Coo
lies 1.-The working class among the ma
tives," who are hired by the Government
to carry the mail from place to place.
They run at the rate of five miles an
hour. You will see men with the bags
tied on pole, and the pole over their
shoulders, with several other men to
guard them carrying old guns and spears.
The natives think it great honor to get
into government employ. 1t takes long
time for mail matter to reach us, but that
does not lesson the pleasure l derive
from reading it 1t did me great deal
of good, and not only me, but the native
people looked at those pictures in the
Harpers with the greatest amusement.
| They were around cur door, and |
showed them the pictures, and told them
as well as l could. what they were. |
think you would be doubly repaid if you
could have seen their intense interest In
seeing and knowing what they were. |
suppose they never saw anything of the
kind on paper.
IL my last wrote that we we're ex-
pecting-hot weather to come soon, and
that we had had foretaste of it. But
since then it has been cooler, and even
now We are having October weather.
This is something very uncommon. We
only hope that the hot winds won't delay
until next month, for if they do, it will
be something serious on the grain crops
the coming year. July and August are
the months of sowing.
You wish me to tell you about the
white ants. We are very careful about
their getting into our house. We keep a
continual war with them as soon as we
find them coming up through the floor.
The place where they come up is covered
with tar, aud sometimes they come
through that. Every Saturday. have an
"Aunt Chloe cleontm" under mats, &c.
There is a time during the year that the
white ants turn into winged insects and
the natives catch them by stratagem at
night, and cook and eat them. They
think they have glorious dish if they
are able to get enough to make meal.
The ants eat every thing they can get.
1t is wise providence that won't let
them eat the grain that is put in the
ground | know of nothing else but
what they eat.
Now | will tell you when the people
here do mission work Mr.. Clough trav.
els from village to village about SIX
months during the year. He commenc-
es as soon as it is cool enough to travel,
generally about the middle of August
and is gone three months at time
There is no time during the year that
Europeans travel in the day time. He
always goes on horseback, and travels
late at night, and early in the morning
after the sun goes down at night, anc
before it rises in the morning. The
other six months are spent. (when ths
missionary can work at alb around hi'
own home. We are getting along quit
we'll learning the language. although j
is hard task.
| believe told you that We eat fou
times day. Tea and toast in tb'
8 morning at seven o'cloek-breakfast a
ten-dinner at half-past three, and te;
again at seven. will tell you what w
had for beakfast; Irish potatoes. mutton
) mush, pancakes. butter, molasses. bread
. tea. and (Neloo) water.
One week ago last Sunday there wer'
fifteen baptized. The preachers am
teachers came here to stay month, I
be taught about the bible. Mr. Camp
bell gives lessons on the life and travel
of st. Paul-of course through an in
e terpreter. They ask him queer ques
:, tions. One day one Of the ehristia
|. women brought her little baby for me :
A name. and what do you think ] name
it? BeuLdh, for it was little girl
! 1t took her some time TO understand 1T
e but she seemed to like it when ] toll
e her it was my mothers and one Of u
e sisters name. Though they have q 81
name, they are called only BY their give
name. You ask If we could see some {
Is the stars that we can at home. Yes, v
i can see them! One 10 particular, ia th
Southern Hemisphere, that is called u
Southern Cross. There has been gres
a deal said and written about IT, but it
% not near as true and pretty as the Coz
= stellati0n Swan that you can see.
" suppose it is the novelty Of seeing il th'
&c has caused 70 many beautiful though
Of 10 be written about il. There is notl
er ing more natural than the sky and star
= and nothing that reminds me more
home. But the moonlight evenings be
= are different from those We. have
We home. have read with perfect ease
So our yeranda when the moon was full.
rk LYDIA CAMPBELL