The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-19

has resided continuously. with the exception Of
occasional short visits home, since 1859 He
said: 1.-THE demand for womans work is based
upon the peculiar condition of women in India
The women OF that country may be divided
into two classes: First, the zenana
women-that is, those who live in strict
seclusion. and second; the laboring women who.
in order to perform their daily tasks. are COM
PEELED to 60 out. Every man in India who is
able to afford it, keeps his wife and daughters in
strict seclusion The women prize this as a
privilege, rather than feel it to be an affection.
It is badge of respectability It shows that
the family is rich enough to afford this style of
living. The portion OF the house set apart for
the women is called the zenana So this word
has come to be commonly used to describe mis-
sonary work among this social class. We popu-
larly speak of zeEana work work carried on
among women to whom male missionaries cannot
possibly have any access.
1T is great mistake to suppose that these
women are unwilling prisoners The notion
prevails hereStha they are kept behind iron bars
by cruel husbands and fathers, like so many
prisoners in Jail Such is by no means the case.
Having been accustomed to this life all their
days they would be afraid to go out, if
allowed to do 50. and they are un-
willing to sacrifice their social standing by
giving up style of living which is their badge
of social respectabilty. Moreover, viewing the
matter as they do, suggestion that they should
go out unveiled would be tantamount to an in
suit They would look upon it as sacrifice of
virtue. The husband and father, of course,
guard them with extreme jealousy.
I'm order to reach this class it long ago became
perfectly evident that lady missionaries must be
employed. We must employ this agency or
none. Even if at the point of DEATH doctor
would not be permitted to visit one of them
About twenty five years ago work among these
women first took on a regular form. 1t began in
the city of Calcutta and thence has been extended
throughout the entire Indian empire. About
the same period the work Of organizing
Womens missionary societies began in America,
and little later in England and Scotland. Since
then, large numbers of ladies have been sent to
India to engage in this work. At first they
taught fancy needlework, and employed various
little arts to win their way among them, and in
due time the native women became more willing
to receive instruction in reading, writing. and
the ordinary branches. Now, very many of
them are, comparatively speaking, well educated.
Medicine was also employed as key with which
to open the doors of those zenauas.
''The first medical lady missionary ever sent
to a heather land was Miss Swain, who was sent
out by the Methodist Episcopal Missionary So
ciety. Many have followed in the path she
opened, and great success has attended their eff
forts Miss Swat has been invited by native
prince to become private physician to the ladies
of his family. She is allowed to carry on her
missionary work without any restriction,
and receives from the prince 500 rupees ($250)
month, to assist her in doing So This is
worth noting, as at first many entertained grave
doubts whether She could get access to the bet
ter class of natives at ALL In addition to this
work among the higher classes, vast field of
labor has been opened among the great
mass of the ordinary women of In
dia. Although nine-tenths of the women
go out freely unveiled, yet it Is contrary to all
their notions OF propriety to converse freely
with men. Hence missionary can gain little
access to them. They will not converse with
him in any public place, and they are very
rarely seen in his congregations. Moreover,
when they become Christians they are very
timid and practically inaccessible to the ordinary
missionary. So lady missionaries are needed to
to teach them, and to introduce the elements of
Christian education among them, and to train
native women to become teachers, Bible-read
ers and evangelists"
The Doctor went on to give many illustrations
of the character of the work in India and his
own failures in trying to refine anc elevate them
and showing the advance in the work since the
coming of the lady missionaries. There are
schools in India graded to suit all classes of
the community. The cheapest boarding school
receives girls for about ST. a month. which
sum pays for board, washing and tuition. A
girls high-school, for natives charges So. 80
month, which pays for board washing and tut
ton. The prejudces which met them when they
first came have almost wholly melted away, and
the ladies now get access to more homes
than they can possibly enter.