St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-08-08

L
all accepted Christianity from merce-
nary motives. They have seen the SUI
periority of Christianity over Hinduism
and Mohammedanism during the late
famine. They have poured in upon
the missionaries in large numbers, say
ing: "We are very poor; our huts
have fallen down we have not much
to eat but leaves, but we do not ask
you for money. We do not ask you for
a pie, even though we starve to death ;
but we believe in Jesus, and as He COM
handed us, we want to be baptized.
We can die if it is Gods will, but we
want to be baptised first. Be pleased
to grant our request, and do not put us
off any longer" Of course these pee-
pie had been under missionary instruc-
ton in a certain way. They had list
ened more or less to the preaching in
the bazaars, but paid little heed to it.
When the famine came the missionaries
went out and distributed whatever aims
they could procure from Government
or from private resources, and spoke
loving words to the poor starving
wretches, urging them to keep up cOur-
age, to try to find work, to believe in
the only true God. In this way the
people learned more of Jesus Christ,
and gradually began to believe on Him.
They also saw the difference between
the Christian minister and their own
selfish priests. The Hindu priests care
nothing for their followers. Phey
would take the last "pie" from starry
ing woman. They have no pity or hui
mainly or decency. Although from a
missionary standpoint the signs are
very encouraging, still we always re-
mem Der that the population of India is
over 10000, 900, and that it is still pa
gan. There can be no doubt about it
when l say that infanticide still pre-
walls in some of the villages of this dis
tIict. A Judicial Infanticide Depart
ment was organized some years ago to
examine into and to suppressit. Among
the Gaurha Rajpoots this practice pre-
walls somewhat extensively. Only girls
are murdered. The infant is destroyed
in the room where it is born, and then
it is buried under the floor of the same
room. On the thirteenth day the vii
lage priest calls, and cooks and eats his
food in the same room. This is cOnsid
cred burnt offering, and by this act
the priest takes all the sin of the muir
der upon his own soul and the family is
free from it.
AS soon as the baby is born, its mouth
is filled with the milk of the shrub
Aselipias Gigantea, and then it is plas-
tered over with mud. Respiration is
When the first girl-baby
is wrenched away in this brutal manner
the mother cries and means and grieves
Il good deal, but after having lost two
or three, she gets used to it and makes
no resistance. After the murder and
burial and burnt-Otfering, the parents
again occupy the room and receive
guests in it as usual. This particular
caste can give their daughters in mar
riage to the Rathors and to the Chau-
hans only, and they must give all their
with their daughters, and thus
the parents are reduced to beggary and
to degradation. This is their excuse
for numbering their female infants.
When the male infants of this caste be-
come men and wish wives, they buy or
steal them from other castles. The Brit
ish government has not been able to
suppress this horrible custom of infan-
ticide.
GOnda, Dude, India, June 3, 70.