St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-02-06
Gbe Californian.
Written for the Caledonian.l
AN INDIAN CAMP MEETING.

Oh camp meetings anu uCiISC SCIiu d
notice of ours. We do not meet in
August or September as that is too
hot. but we meet in December when
it is very pleasant. Our camp IS per
haps more like the olden time gather
ings of the Israelites on their feast
DAYS than like a modern camp meet
ing, for while some stop in tents the
larger number stop in little booths
made of long grass and seeds. Each
hut or booth costs about - or IS
cents. Almost $500 people were thus
encamped in two beautiful mango
groves During the first two days
conferences of workers were held to
hear reports and plan for work
Over 600 preachers and teachers,
men and women, were present. On
the third dav the religious meetings
commenced. Come with me to the
big tent or awning and look upon
the congrega ton Up in front, be
hind the preacher, are Americans and
Europeans seated after their custom
in chairs or on benches, and on the
outskirts of the crowd are also ma
tive gentlemen who have adopted
the English customs and have
brought along their chairs or benches.
But the great crowd YOU notice are
seated on rough carpet on the
ground after the Eastern custom.
with neat shawls covering their
heads and shoulders Among these
YOU notice more than 800 school
girls or young ladies who are max
ing the grove resound with their sing
ing, led by a lady with a cOrnet, while
the crowd is collecting. On the mems
side you see a very large congrega-
ton of well dressed men and a large
company Of school boys and young
men who are also helping in the sing
ing. As you look over these people,
with dark but regular features, seat
ed on their mats you will exclaim,
This is India" and yet it is not In
dia 1t is little of India redeemed
and blessed. You will recognize thes
songs they sing by the tunes but not
bv the words You will hear, GLORY
to His name" There is life for
look" Tell it to Jesus Tell me
the story of Jesus" etc. A gentle
man, a traveller from New York city,
was present and he entered heartily
into the singing though he under
stood no word that was sung. At
one service more than $50 came for
ward for prayers and quite 300,
believe, were able to receive JesuS and
a new life At the Sunday evening
sacramental service about 1000 Join
ed in the communion. Among the
number was a member of the Episco-
pal church and one from a Congre-
gational church in New York city
1t so happened that these men re-
ceived the clements from a native
minister who was a convert from
idolatry.
Here is found the real brotherhood
of man The theOsOphists talk of
the brotherhood of man and of their
many converts in India, but these
"brOthcrs' of theirs can't eat with
each other, can't even touch each
other They have simply put their
names on paper and i'll all other re-
spects are just what they were be
fore. The true brotherhood finds its
expression in the first words of the
PRAYER of the great Master and
Teacher, "Our Father" Our Father.
One family in him The man redeem
ed from the awfully sinful, sensual
depths of Indian idolatry becomes
the brother and minister of the re-
fined, American, Christian gentleman
At this camp meeting you can learn
much of the progress of missions.
Only thirty years ago there were no
Christians in this province, and no
women that could read. Here now
is a gathering of 1900 Christians,
among whom are at least 500 edu-
Gated women and girls, and more
educated men and boys. The work
at first was slow, but during the
present year 1905 adults and chill
dren have been baptized, and the
Christian community has grown to
nearly 5000 The number of work
ers whom God has raised up gives
great hope for the future. The bishop
read off list of 325 names of teach
ers and preachers, at the close of the
meeting, who were sent to 2O5 APP
pointments in one district alone
Most of these received less than $50
a year, and many not more than $50
apiece SO YOU see that this work is
on line that is very cheap yet very
efficient Each teacher is a pastor;
each schOolhouse church; each
preacher an itinerant, helping all
schools and teachers in his circle
Besides these men the wOman's sOci-
ETY. has list of 224, women work
ers who help their husbands, mostly
working without pay. Within ten
years all these agencies will be multi
piled and the converts must increase
very rapidly. There are now from
1000 to 5000 inquirers under in