The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-19

A RAR OFF LETrER
FROM q WhselInE Roy In IN Ind


CAIcuTrA, September %, 1881.
Ny Dear Father
l hope before return to America thai
you will visit the land Of the Veda. an
anxious for you to see not only India, the
ancient land OF one Of the most ancient Of
races, languages and religions, but India
the stronghold Of Christian mission. The
impressions you received from your visit
to Syria | am afraid have colored your
feelings for the whole mission world. Like
the churches to which st. John wrote, 10
'Ot these in India l have somewhat to say
against them, But these churches think
furnish u type OF christian for upright
ness and general honesty OF conviction that
will compare fayorably with the mass fur.
nished by many OF our communities in
America. The main ranks Of heathendom
have barely been touched as yet. There
is to my mind no break, that could be
could be called u breach in the wall that we
must tumble down. But there are little
bodies, gathered principally from the
worst classes that are living Christ" in alI
parts Of the Land. The men like Ram
0hunder Bose whom we met at the
General Conference in Cincinnati,-you
VIII recall him-are very few-the exCep-
tons, So you see the reason why | sIy
that the great wall OF heathendom is barely
touched as yet. But the hopeful feature
OF the outlook is the almost universal rev.
erence among the best IIindoos for the
name OF Christ. This has been wrought in
the lust twenty or thirty years, and tn,
feeling is maturing very rapidly, Hindoo
temples are falling to pieces and no attempt
is made TO repair them, Hindoo ideas art
being smiled at or hoOted by tho young
and Hindoo gods-their best ones are sp0.
ken OF only TO smile at their irailties and
lndecencies. This isnot done by European
but by natives. Krishna Is u God, that
some say Is an incarnation like our Lord
and Saviour The legend OF his conception
and also Of his miraculous preservation
from the cruel wrath Of bloody king, and
the number Of children that persisted in
the Kings attempt to slay him, remind on,
OF the similarity Of his life in on
feature with thut Of the blessed Jesus. So
much that for u month past a discussion
mas been going on in our Calcutta papers,
and that too by natives, as 10 whether
this part Of the life OF Rfishna was moi
borrowed from the Gospels.
but krshna Is, for the most part,
spoken OF to celebrate his coquetting with
the milk maids. The fact OF tho people OF
India comparing in many cases with merri
ment, these frIillies OF their favorite deites
with the Divine graCes OF our Christ, point
to the condition OF n gigantic system that IL
to Its fall. So the outlook for
missions Is brighter to-day than ever be.
fore
Our work on the VIM. Taylor plan Is
stirring things wOnderously, and Is remov.
ing or aiming to remove one Of the greatest
obstacles to Christian progress among
hcathen, namely; The influence OF the
heather English element that abounds in
India. Here u breach is being made. ]
never saw so much Christian activity as l.
manifested all along the line in Calcutta.
For zeal in pushing out for Christ, in hunt.
ng men, by snilOrs' missions, hospitals,
allen womenand drunkards' homes, crusad-
ny among saloons, and the gates" OF hell
hat stand open wide all over tho city, sing
ng and preaching in the public square,
Calcutta compares with Wheeling, us n
mighty mountain stream to the stagnOnt
'rcek to which Wheeling gives her name,
] some OF these people were In Wheeling,
he mills aud manufactures would be over.
yhelmed withthe most persistent Christian
Enterprise. Holden Is one ofthe characters.
les Of this aggressive type. Summer, winter,
min, heat, only give variety TO the work
rho amount OF labor and money expended
n i1,n NpnRE hnRn t,,ot,11 rulnufg6 ,,n., H.
Fhoburn's church, happily located in the
leart OF the city, would accommodate four
lines US many people rs could be placed
n Thomson Church-2,000 can be seated
n the auditorium md galleries. Metho.
ism, ten years ago, was only known here
Is In New England In the DAYS OF Garret.
on and Billy Hubbard. To-day 1t is the
oul OF enterprise in the city. Large,
iealthy schools arc under It's management.
)ne, q girls school, with an income Of 200
upecs per month and an OK.
,enditure OF about the same, l400
upees per month being paid for
ent. But the class OF children reached
md the marked benefit they show, speaks
veil for 1t us a missionary power. Our
wo ColTee.rooms and bethels for seamen
ire run ut monthly expense OF about
100 rupees, and are to-day clear Of debt.
IN my bethel | have Just paid the sum Of
!, $50 rupees, giving Us an institution paid
or in India" Our people without ex.
,eption are poor. The number OF re.
ormed drunGards and reclaimed fallen
women among them would astonish YOU.
We not only support the two pastors, but
lle people arc paying q heavy Interest on
he church debt, which amounts to 81 800,
)r $4,000 rupees.
The original cost was so, 900 rupees. You
can imagine what q venture It was to put
up such building for such people, but
Il Is as plain as barn almost, seated with
cane.set benChes-no spire-built TO nc.
rOmmodate the masses. DR.. ThOburn will
make an effort soon to clear away this debt,
that the peoples energies may be devoted
to other enterprises. wonder II you could
not help IFS by raising some money in
Wheeling, my old home, for this church ?
| hope you will try. l would like TO sec
this debt wiped out, anda Christmas gift OF
$500 from the Christian people Of the city Of
my childhood would be n big lift. / am
learning TO beg, you seen chip OF the old
block, I guess-well, be 1t so; you would
beg harder than l do II YOU were in my
place. hope to hear early from you.
From your son,
j. SUMNER STONE.
would say that the work in India, in
which. Or. Thoburn and my son is en-.
Unund Ia mt rnnhnctpd with the Missionary