Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-02-19
Maharashtra.
BY REV. GALEN ". seller.
lNo. FIVE.

NO. FIVE.
MEssRs. EDITORS A few days after
my arrival in Kolapoor, began to teach
in an English High School that we had
determined to establish chiefly to gain
influence with the higher classes who are
rather difficult of access, and not easily
induced to attend religious meetings.
Our fees were small, and the Brahmans
being desirous of learning English came
TO the school in considerable numbers
at first, and we took advantage of their
presence in the school room to teach
them Christian truth as we'll rs science
and mathematics. In the meantime, |
applied myself to the study of the Mar.
athi language. A Brahman p,odit
(teacherl was employed to teach me
two hours daily, who, am sorry to say,
did not understand the art of teaching
well.
Teaching the natives English requires
some patience, because many of them
seem to think that an American or Eng.
lish teacher can pound English into
them while they remain passive. Be.
sides, our school was receptacle for
many dullards who had failed to pass
examinations in the government school,
over whom it was necessary to perspire
copiously in the hot season. Moreover,
as might be expected, our syntax and
peculiar idioms are as difficult for a Hin.
du TO learn as theirs are for US. They
complain most about our propositions
irregularities in spelling and pronunci.
alton and our conjugstions of verbs, es-
pecially auxiliaries.
1t takes about two years to acquire
good knowledge Of Marathi, and even
then the student will find his vocabulary
small. Their idioms seem strange-such
as "eating the air" for enjoying the
evening air the "book found me- in.
stead of 81 found the book The use
of the relative before its antecedent, and
propositions after instead of before
nouns, and the relative positions of prin.
cipal and subordinate sentences are per.
picking at first, and hence time as we'll as
assiduous study and practice are requir.
ed to master the language. There are
about IS characters in the Marathi Ian.
guage, and the same consonant may be
dental, palatal, aspirated or unaspirat.
ed and these distinctions must be
carefully observed, else the natives may
not understand what is being said.
They do not accent any syllables--a rule
very commonly violated by English
speaking foreigners.
The language is only one of many.
things missionary to India must learn.
He must know how to deal with mer.
chants and thwart the designs of Gun.
ming traders who could take advantage
of his honesty and simplicity lie must
learn their modes of thinking and be
prepared to meet them with arguments
on their own ground. Il Is so natural for
Hindus (nay, all heathen people) to
lie and deceive that have often won.
dered what would become of our vigor.
GUS, aggressive Angle. .Saxons were 1t not
for the healthful and restraining inilu-
ences Of Christianity. And to one who
has seen heathenism in its normal as
pect, Franklin's question TO Tom Paine
often suggests itself-"lf the world Is SO
bad with the Bible what would It be
iVithOsa IL 2" and it Is about as much as
be can do to have patience with those
who would depreciate the value of the
Bible. When shop-keeper has reason
for believing that an American purchas.
or just lately arrived does not know the |
price OF different wares he will most
probably ask double price for an arti. |
Gle. know that the first year | was
there paid even more than two prices
for some things. And frequently on 40.
count OF collusion between shop. keep. |
ers and servants ones efforts TO learn !