The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-09-30

famous Telugu mission, belonging to the
Baptist Board, tell the story of his
marvellous work in Southern India"
Mrs. Cook then told in graphic manner
this story which covered an experience
beginning IN 1864. In eight years there
were baptized upwards of 10, 900 converts,
to whom DIR. ClOugh administered this
sacrament with his own hand. In one
day in 1878 more than 1000 were baptized
and the speaker related other statistics
showing a return of Pentecostal days in
connection with our present foreign
missionary work-completely answering
the question in the affirmative as to
'pay" The largest church on earth
to-day is not the Metropolitan Taber-
nacle in London, but the humble church
in Ongole, among the Telugus, that has.
between 10000 and 10000 members.
Foreign missions are not failure, for
India and the farther East to-day is dot
ted over with many such places, varying
in numbers of course.
Mrs. Cook gave an interesting sketch
of the difficulties because of caste in
early attempts to christianize India.
Years have passed by and now there is
arising caste in that country likely to.
take precedence of all Others-a distinct
ly native christian raised from low caste
or no-caste. And this leads in intelli-
gence, so much so that native newspaper
articles begin to deplore the decadence
of Hindooism before the acknowledged
progress of christianity.
Showing this fact, statistics were,
quoted that admit of no denial. As a
woman, Mrs. Cooks description of the
work of missions in raising her sex from
its degradation by reason of the labors
of foreign missionaries in India, was in
tensely interesting. The story is too
long for our columns, but she proved
conclusively that in this fact alone was
an answer to all cavils at the cost of
foreign missions. Human intellect is
the same whether living in India or
America. She quoted the rare talent of
young Hindu girl, who had been edu-
Gated as a christian, whose father was
converted Parsee. This young lady
graduated at Dekkan college, the
pioneer woman student among 300 native
collegians. A sketch of her trials was
eagerly heard by the audience, and when
the climax came in the address that she
graduated one of four in the first class,
the speaker would have been cheered
had she spoken in hall instead of
church. Our Hindu girl is now studying
law at Oxford, England, and has recent
ly written a paper on Roman Law"
which the professors say is the finest
piece of argument ever produced by
pupil of the Howard school. 1t will be
by means of such women as this girl will
make that certain sociological questions
will be solved, such as infant marriage,
remarriage of widows, etc. Those who
would help India, she says, have yet to
learn how to expand what is best and
noblest in her without reproducing
faded or mOnotonous copy of themselves.
We would like to speak of the way
Mrs. Cook summarized some missionary
experiences in Southern India, showing
the eagerness of the people for the
Scriptures and their rapid memorizing
of the word of God, but space forbids.
She spoke at length of the opium and
Medford rum trade with India. In the
west of India the women have plaintive
song which asks why their parents did
not kill them at birth instead of marry
ing them to men who take opium. That
question might as well be asked nearer
home. We fear from the description of
the opium sellers that their
methods are about the same as those of
the rumsellers at home. The govern
ment in both cases do not seem to ex-
terminate the evil. One woman said
her brother has wife and four children.
He spends half his small earnings every
day for opium and this family of five
persons have only one poor meal day.
The wife and children are weak and pale
and emaciated from semi-starvatiOn.-
Another woman said that this case was
only one of thousands, and that no
human being could describe their suffer-
ings. While India and China are
poisoned with opium it is refreshing to
know that Japan Furnishes the seller by
decapitation and sentences the user to
two and one half years penal servitude.
Passing to the encouraging indications
Mrs. Cook spoke of the ready acceptance
of the truths of christianity by the chill
dren of heather parents in the Orient.
In many cases, more than one would
suppose, the parents eventually come
with their children and are enrolled as
christians. When one is inclined to be
Respondent because of apparently slow
progress in christianizing the world, it
must be borne in mind that heather
converts are many fold more thanin pro-
fessedly christian countries. And,
moreover, a tremendous fact must be
remembered, that while in the United
States there is one preacher to every 800
III hOu-NhlloIihh SOuheAASo
there is only one minister to every
100000 souls. 81 have always noticed
that one greatly interested in foreign
missions is also responsive to home
needs, while the opposite is not as likely
to be the case"
She closed with an appeal for more
means to carry on the great work so
finely begun in the East, and for contri-
buttons commensurate with the fields,
"White, ready for the harvest"
Mrs. Cook is a woman of distinguished
appearance, tall and stately, with a re-
fined intellectual face, to which a crown
of soft white hair lends an added beauty.
Simple and affable in manner, as she is
attractive in person, the charm of her
gracious womanhood was felt by all who
came within its influence. As speaker
Mrs. Cook combines an exquisitely mod
ulated voice with unusual distinctness of
articulation, so that it is a treat to listen
to her. The paper which she read was
finished production.
At the close of the morning session
lunch was served in the parlor adjoining
and during the two hours intermission
the delegates were taken in carriages to
the monument.
The afternoon session opened in the
audience room of the church. After de-
votional exercises the nominating COM
mittee presented the nominees
for the official Board for the ensuing
year. The report was accepted and
adOntad Tbase officers were eIectad.