Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-09-24
DAILY RECORD UNION
,AY.....sEPTEmBER "a, 1890.
REFORMING INDIA.

there many years and is thoroughly famil-
lar with the facts, states that Christianity
is not making progress in India. On the
subject of theosophy, he declared that it
was dead issue; that the departure of
Madame Blavatsky from India had about
closed up the miracle-working shop and
that theosophy would very soon be a thing
of the past. As to the work being done by
Pundita Ramabai, Colonel Twigg had not
heard of it.
The announcement that theosophy was
not gaining ground in India stirred up at
once the Theosophists. 1t was horrifying
to believe that Madame Blayatsky did
not with the force of her will bring a
shawl all the way from London to India
through the air. that she did not on the
occasion of picnic when a fine cup was
broken, materialize a new cup by the
power of magic in all respects like the one
destroyed; that she and her adopts were
not in the habit of projecting their astral
bodies to a great distance, and holding
conversations by process of reincarnation
of those bodies at distant places and then
by process of disembodiment returning
to the old original body, as if the astral
element had been taking day off or made
an excursion to distant locality. That
these things ever happened either in In
dia, in Europe or America is, of course, a
living absurdity, but the Secretary of the
Golden Gate Lodge of the Theoosphical
Society in San Francisco Immediately
rushed to the rescue of theosophy and de,
claTed that theosophy is spreading and
the society is increasing in India at this
time more rapidly than ever before. He
quotes from the Indian Mirror a declaration
that the Theosophical Society has done
more for India than most people are
aware that every large town has branch,
and that to become a theosophist is to be-
come a good citizen; all of which indi-
Gates that the editor of the Mirror is d
Theosophist.
But the most significant part of the
controversy, to which the declaration of
Colonel John H. Twigg had given rise, re-
Iates to the Ramabai. This paper recently
INDUCED in some discussion of the Ramabai
fad, and denounced the wretched senti-
mentalism on which it was founded, where
upon it was assailed by some Of the officers
of the Ramabai Association with declara-
tions that the statements made IN these
columns had done gross injustice to the
magnitude and character of the great
work of retaining Indian child widows.
We were informed among other things
that instead of there being but one child
widow in charge of the Ramabai in the
school which the Pundita has established
in the vicinity of Bombay, there were at
least twentv-seven child widows in the
establishment. In the Chronicle of Sep
TENDER Dist there is an interview with
Mrs. Sarah B Cooper of San Francisco re-
garding the work being done by the Pun
dita Ramabai in India. The reporter
found Mrs. Cooper Just in receipt Of let
ter from Emma Brainard Ryder, the
Worlds Women's Christian Temperance
Union organizer for India, who is now
with Ramabai at Bombay. The letter was
written directly from the school established
by the Pundita aud of course contains the
latest information 1t is dated Bombay,
August 18th.
One would naturally expect that letter
written from school established at Bonn
bay in India for the amelioration of the
child widows of that interesting country
would have a good deal to say of the man.
ner in which the school is being con
Quoted, the temper of the people Of India
towards its proposed reforms, its prospect
i've success, the extent Of the establish
ment, the cost of carrying on its work, the
manner in which the money contributed
for its support is being expended, and al
other matters and things which a con
tributor would naturally have curiosity
and right to know. Instead of all this
Mrs. RYDER declares that she has beer
deeply impressed with the deplorable con
dition of the women of India and has or
ganized a Women's Technical Education
Society, that she proposes to organize {
kindergarten in Bombay, and that after
the kindergarten is we'll established she
hopes to do something in the manufacture
ing way for the mothers enabling them t
support themselves. What she ask
through Mrs. Cooper is that the Kinder
garten Association of San Francisco SEM
out at once to India one trainer to remaiI
two years, and that the Kindergarte
Association of San Francisco allow thi
trainer 5000 or $500 per year, with travel
nc expenses. She, however, wants tw
trainers at the above mentioned salary 70
two years, and promises, if this work
Gone and this money expended, great goo
will be accomplished. Her letter is de
voted wholly to matters of this kind, an
as a very. superior inducement TO the do
nation asked for, she proposes, if tn
financial assistance requested is rendered
that they will call the first school estab
Iishel the Golden Gate of India Kinder
garteu.
All this is we'll enough in itsway, bu
il is not information concerning the wor
of the Ramabai. However, withor
being given the text of the letter, the re
porter was informed that portion of th
letter not published contained informatio
that Mrs. Ryder and the Rama5ai ar
working together and doing what the
can to ameliorate the condition of India
children, and herein by hearsay and il
timation is the first direct information "
have h.i for some time concerning the el
tent al the school Mrs. Cooper il
forme6 he reporter that the Ramabai h'
eight lid widows in her charge. TIL
FRS time this school was visited by Ameri
,s vho returned TO San Francisco, the