Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-04-29
FROM PARKWAY INDIA,


An Interesting Letter from II Brnttle-
boro BOY.
We are permitted to make the following
extracts from an interesting private letter.
written bv Rev. Herbert NJ. Andrews TO
Mr.. c. W. Wilcox, the friend of his boy
hood and school days. Mr.. Andrews grew
up i'm Brattlcboro, fitted for the ministry,
preached for time in Bethlehem and
Franklin, n. H., and in September, 1870,
left this country, with his wife, to enter
the missionary service in India for term
of eight years:
MAINPuR, INDIA, March -.
| am afraid you will think do not APP
preciatp your Kindness in so often sending
the packages of home papers, which are
always eagerly opened first, but ! assure
YOU my long silence is only due to the fact
that my time has been so full and the strain
of the climate has been so great, that my
desires and intentions and my ability to
accomplish have not been equal.
More than year has gone by since |
landed on these shores, and already the
things that at first seemed so strange and
foreign to me have become so familiar that
they cease to call forth remark ! have
passed through all the phases OF climate
peculiar to this land, and | hope | am
somewhat acclmated now. The hot winds
that blow for days and weeks at time
from the west like blast from furnace
have not quite succeeded in drying the
juices of my body, although l do not
weigh quite so much as when | came from
Vermont. The long, tedious rains spent
their force without washing me entirely
away, although | feared they would at
times when they came in streams down
the mud walls of my rooms. One season
has compensated for all the discomfOrts of
the others. The winter which has just
passed has been one long reign of sunlight
without cloud, warm and balmy, like our
Indian summer, perfect weather, and no
fear of sudden changes; but now the heat
is returning with power, so that already 1t
is dangerous to go out of the house in the
middle of the day. All our work has to
be done in the early morning and toward
evening. The High school which | SUI
perintend, and the II primary schools,
which are under the direction of Mrs. An
drews, have already changed their sessions
to 6:30 A. NJ. until 11:30 and soon they
will begin at Is.
You will be interested to know that hav-
ing passed my first examination in the
Hindu and Urdu languages | have been
given charge of this station. | have also
care. In this district, where | am the only
missionary of any denomination, there are
over roo. 600 people. l have a few native
helpers, but not one of them sufficiently
educated and sufficiently strong in his
spiritual life to 90 out and do Independent
work They have to be directed and adj
vsed, and sometimes restrained, like little
children. Since | only know the Ian
guage very imperfectly as yet, you can I'M
agine very little progress can he made UNI
der these conditions.
The season of marriages is just closing,
when all the little girls, for whom hus-
bands, old or young, can be found, are be-
ing married. Day and night has been hid
eous for weeks with the sound of theil
''dholucks," or drums, and bells and
conch shells, the Accomplishments of theil
monotonous songs and dances. There
have been several grand professions by oul
house. with elephants and cames, and al
sorts of conveyances, brilliant with tinse
and bright colors. These usually con
tanned the bridegroom and his friends
while the procession from the BRIDE
house comes out from the city after darl
to meet him. The Hindu festival called
the Holi, pronounced "holy,' though it il
far from holy in its teachings and prac
tices) has just passed. 1t is not safe to g
into the streets during this festival, espec
tally for women. Many of their religion
practices at this time are too vile to de
scribe. But vast advance has beel
accomplished already by Christianity, ant
now those who have been educated in mis-
sion schools, and through them many 9th
ers, although they have not become Christ
ians, yet they are ashamed of these thing
they once glOried in
Yesterday Mrs. Andrews and myself
with our helpers, attended great "mGla
or fair, in honor of the smallpox goddess
Deb We had our tents pitched undo
trees, one for the women and one for tn
men. | played IA celestina, and gref
crowds gathered about and listened to tn
word of God and the preaching and sing
ing of Christian hymns. hope the trut
will sink into the hearts of some like goo
seed in good ground.