Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-10-12
For the Gallipolis Journal.
FROM INDIA.
MADRAS, INDIA,
July 5th, 1876.

written before this, is that l have
been too busy. But I am glad to do
it now if you will only let me do it in
my own hurried way. 1t may be that
some of you have forgotten me, for
it is now eight long years since I
looked upon you as Sunday School.
Some of You perhaps may never
have looked upon my face, but it
makes no difference. If you are only
engaged in the S. S. army and try
ing to serve the Master, l feel like
writing to you. Then there are some
of you that l have often met out of
S. S., and others that have belonged
to other Sunday Schools of mine.
So you see 1 am really anxious to
write to you about the Lords work,
and to let you know that l am still
engaged in it.
1 have thought of you often of late,
and of that nice new church that
you were building when I left home
last November. / think of you now
as gathered there some Sunday morn
ing, with our Berean Lesson leaves in
your hand, and know you must be
happy. l can hardly think how you
could be otherwise, with such a
blessed Savior and such a nice place
to worship Him in. What happy
man I would be if l could plant such
a church as yours across the street
near where 1 am writing. 1t would
be plenty small enough for our Sun
day evening audiences. Pray for us,
that the Lord may be with US, and
that we may find the money to build
US good sabbath Home" We
have none of our own now. We
have to rent one. We must raise
several thousand dollars yet before
we can build.
But you wish to know where l am,
and how 1 am surrounded. wish 1
could tell you, but it is too long a
story for one short letter. The name
of the city is Madras. 1t is thirteen
degrees of latitude north of the
Equator, on the east coast of Hin
dr stan.
You think it is warm here? l
do too. The mercury in the ther-
mometer has often marked 104 de-
grees in the shade, and it is SO warm
that I dare not 60 out in it much in
the middle of the day. The sun
came up from the south of US last
February and March, and then went
on north, so that it now shines at our
north window instead of the south.
1t was much warmer here in April
and May than you will have it at
home any time during the summer.
If you could see us when we are at
home, you would find US almost all
the time seated under a great fan,
swinging from the ceiling. We call
it punka. There is cord fasten-
ed to it, and a native man stands off
at one side of the room and keeps
pulling it, so that it keeps swinging
backward and forward over our heads
to keep us cool.
But you may ask if we have flow
ers here? Yes, we have great many.
Some large and some small, some in
pots as you have at home, and some
planted in the ground. If you were
looking out from our veranda now,
you would see great many pots sit
ting on the steps and in the yard.
You would also see bigger flower
ing bush than you ever saw at home.
They are two large trees in full
bloom and they look like mammoth
rose bushes. They are called the
Flame of the Forest, because when
they are in bloom they make the for
est look as if it were on fire. They
are very beautiful to look at now, and
seem to have more flowers than TO-
liage, but closer look shows there
is delightful green foliage mingled
with the bloom with such modest
beauty that it makes ones heart glad.
The leaves look like fern leaves only
they are prettier green.
1 would be glad if you could see
them to-day; for if I could show you
these things, l could also show you
what we are trying to do for Christ.
1 would rather show you that than all
else in India; for know if you could
but see the hundreds and thousands
here who need Christ, that we would
never fail to have your daily pray
ers. This is very large city-and
I see thousands every day who wor-
ship idols-have the marks of their
religion in their forehead and who
love not Jesus or His word. We go
out into the street sometimes to
preach to them, and they come
around US in great crowds to listen.
Sometimes they listen quietly, and
sometimes some of them go away
mutterlng against us, and some of
them often wish to argue with us and
to oppose us. In such cases we sim
ply go on declaring the word of God,
and leave them if they must quarrel,
to quarrel with God. Sometimes
Gods word seems to be taking hold
of their hearts, and we are glad when
we see them listen so thoughtfully.
One young man came to our door
yesterday to inquire about God, who
had been awakened by Mr.. Hard's
preaching in the streets. l have
not been able to do much of this
street preaching yet My heart Of
ten aches to tell them in their own
language the great things the Savior
has done for them. I hope soon to
have a better chance to preach to
them through an interpreter. l think
if you could but look on them as I |
do that it would make you love the |
Savior better. l know it has made
me love Him better. Oh! how | |
long for all the world to come to Je
sus and be forgiven.
But wish to speak of our Sunday
Schools. Some of my friends have
written to me asking: 'If we have