Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-20


Down to the dust Of a country road.
There she rested all out of breath
And there she speedily met her DEATH
And nobody could exactly tell
The spot where little Miss Snowflake ftn.
-Chrisfidn linton
Letters to the Children-..No. 8.
NY REv. j. A. BATHS
On shore again, and at the end of our
journey at last. Now for our welcome.
Here come the missionaries. The first one
is from Batticotta. He is tall and straight,
like those palm trees. lie does not talk
very much, but he means all he says. He
is as honest and good as any of your fathers.
He welcomes us heartily, and at once takes
charge of us all, and we follow him as our
leader. l think he would make a good gen.
eral or even good President. But the
heather could not spare him, and there are
other men who are good enough for generals
and Presidents who could not take his place
out here. Why, children, he is president of
college that is doing as much good as,
well, as all the forty colleges in Ohio. Then
he writes lots of books and tracts. breaches,
is postmaster, and does enough work besides
for two Vermont merchants, three college
professors, one farmer and several doctors.
tell you what it is, children, think some
body ought to go out to Ceylon to help him.
| wish you or could. With him is the Til
Enallv tniu bo
words, but none the less hearty welcome.
He is, as we see at once, not strong man.
Indeed, you soon find out he is a sick man
too sick for one-quarter of the work he does.
But he will not give up and rest at all,
he so loves to work for the heather. Some
times he gets so tired that he goes out
to ride on horseback all alone to rest But
he does not ride a half mile before he sees
some poor heather, and he thinks he may
never have another chance so he stops and
tells him about Jesus, and Others come, and
instead of resting he is preaching.
Both of these missionaries have been out
here thirty years, and | don't think you
could hire either of them to give up work
and go home to America. Little Nellie
laughs at their clothes, and they do look
rather queerly. What hats Like little
boat turned over on their heads, covered
with white cloth. Their coats and pants
are all of white cotton cloth, about twice as
large as they need be- On their feet are
slippers, made, perhaps, of monkey skin.
Well, laugh away, Nellie. But it won't be
long before you'll look in the glass and laugh
at the little girl you'll see there, and think
she used to wear great thick cloak and
keep her hands in muff up in Vermont.
And here are some more of the men with
great piles of white cloth on their heads
That one is Professor Hunt, of Jaffna Col
lege. | must get hold of his hand next, for
he is one of the best men | ever knew,
though he was once heather.
And there is little boy-see how he looks.
His head is as bare as your hand. The hair
has all been shaved off close, except a little
place as large as a half-dollar Just on the
top, where is little knot as big as wal
nut, How bright his black eyes are. Ask
him what his name is he will not under
stand you; but one of the men who speaks
English will tell you it is Sin.na-tumby.
which means Little Brother. You will
think he means to say that the boy is his
own little brother, but no, that is his name.
His only name is Little Brother. That other
little fellow yonder is Little Father, and
there is one, whose name is Aroo morgan,
or Six Faces. He is named after an old
idol, and his parents gave him that name
because they think it is praying just to say
the name of the idol. So as often as they
call their son, they pray to the idol. And
here are some little girls. Their hair is
straight and black and glossy, all combed
back away from their faces and tied behind
Their eyes are all black, and bright too.
Their dresses are only little piece of cloth
wound around their bodies and their heads
and arms and feet all are bare. But they
all look glad to see us, and each of them
says " Salaam," which means both " How do
you do, and Welcome" And what do you
suppose their names are ? Why, this is Sin
archy, or Little Mother, and that one is
Anna-moot-too, which means Precious Pearl.
Then those others have ugly names of idols
Here we go in the missionaries carriages,
on to their home. That white horse is
beauty, isn't he ? He is an Arabian, and he
knows more than Vermont horses do He
can run If he wants to, but he is as gentle |
as kitten. Brother Tom couldn't catch |
him if he was loose in the yard, but pre-
sumo if his mistress should call him, he |
would run up TO her at once, and do Just as |
she told him to do. And if his master is in |
the saddle he will so like bird, and not |
shake him all to pieces, and toss the pieces |
down in the road, as think these Vermont |
horses would if you rode them very far.
We are all too tired to enjoy our ride even
If the weather was favorable, but the sun
shines so hot that we cannot look out of the |
carriage much.
The missionaries wear green spectacles,
and we are glad to shut our eyes and keep
still till we get to the end of the twenty
miles ride to Batticotta. Dinner is waiting
for us, but first we must have good bath,
which will refresh u.s. Now we are ready.
Here are all the little mission circle gathered
TO greet us. Some of them are old people,
and some are young. But somehow they
look differently from what you expected,
don't they? Why, is not missionary one
who has given up all his friends and COM
forts You have heard good Deacon Jones
pray for him as one who has taken his life
in his hand, aud gone away to die for the
heathen." That is our idea of missionary,
is it not? But look at these men and wo-
men. You never saw happier company
than they are. When they shake hands
with you, it don't seem as if they had their
lives in that hand, does it And then they