The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-01-18

tiers. All shades OF brown ana emer-
aid, and saffron. and brilliance;
melons, lines, magnosteens, Gus
tard-apples, guavas, pineapples,
jessamine so laden with aroma they
have to hold fast to the wall, and be-
gonias, gloriosas on fire, and orchids so
delicate other lands must keep them
under conservatory. but here defiant
of all weather, and flowers more or
less akin to azaleas, and honeysuckles,
and foxes, and fuchias, and chrysan-
themums, and rhOdodendrons, and fox
gloves, and pansies, which dye the
plains and mountains of Ceylon
with Heaven. The evening hour
burns incense of all styles of
aromatics. The convolvulus, blue
as if the sky had fallen, and
butterflies spangling the air. and arms
of trees sleeved with blossoms, and
rocks upholstered of moss, commin
Cling sounds, and sights, and odors,
until eye, and ear. and nostril vie with
each other as to which sense shall open
the door to the most enchantment.
A struggle between music, and per-
reeling in intoxication of color. Great
banyan trees that have been changing
their mind for centuries, each century
carrying out a new plan of growth,
attracted our attention, and saw us pass
in the year of 1894, as they saw
pass the generations of 1894 and 1894.
Colombo is so thoroughly uncovered
in foliage that if you go into one of
its towers and look down upon the city
of one hundred and thirty thousand
people you can not see house. Oh,
the trees of Ceylon! May you live to
behold the morning climbing down
through your branches, or the evening
tipping their leaves with amber and
goldl / forgive the Buddhist for the
worship of trees until they know of the
God who made the trees. l wonder not
called sacred. To me all trees are sa-
cred. wonder not that before one of
them they burn camphor flowers, and
hang lamps around its branches, and
one hundred thousand people each
year make pilgrimage to that tree.
Worship something man must, and I'M
til he hear of the only Being worthy
of worship, what so elevating as treel
What a majestic doxology speads out
in its branches! What a voice when
the tempests pass through it! How it
looks down upon the cradle and
the grave of centuries! AS the
fruit of one tree unlawfully eaten
struck the race with woe, and the uplift-
ing of another tree brings peace to the
soul, let the woodman spare the tree,
and all nations honor it, if, through
higher teaching, we do not, like the
Ceylonese, worship it! How cOnsolatory
that when we no more walk under the
tree branches on earth, we may see the
tree of life which bears twelve man.
ner of fruit, and yields her fruit every
month, and the leaves of the tree are
for the healing of the nationsr.
Two professions / saw in Ceylon
within one hour, the first led by Hin
doc priest, a huge pot of flowers on his
head, his face disfgured with holy
decorations, and his uIwashed fol-
lowers beating as many discords from
what are supposed to be musical instru-
ments, as at one time can be induced to
enter the human ear. The procession
halted at the door of the hutS. The occu-
pants came out and made obeisance and
presented small contributions. In re-
turn therefor the priest sprinkled ashes
upon the children who came forward,
this evidently form of benediction.
Then the procession, led by the priest,
started again; more noise, more ashes,
more genufection. However keen
ones sense of the ludicrous, he could
find nothing to excite even a smile in
the movements of such a procession.
Meaningless, oppressive, squalId, filthy,
sad
Nothing is of more thrilling interest
than the Christian achievements in
this island. The Episcopal church
was here the National church, but
disestablishment has taken place, and
since Mr.. Gladstone's accomplish
ment of that fact in 1880 all denomina-
tions are on equal platform, and all
are doing mighty work. America is
second to no other nation in what has
been done for Ceylon. The Spauldings,
the Howlands, the Doctors Poor. the
Saunders and others just as good and
strong have been fighting back mon
sters of superstition and cruelty
greater than any that ever swung the
tusk or roared in the jungles.
The American missionaries in Cey-
Ion have given special attention to
medical instruction, and are doing
wonders in driving back the horrors of
heather surgery. Cases of suffering
were formerly given over to the devil
worshipers, and such tortures inflicted
as may not be described. The patient
was trampled by the feet of the med
ical attendants. 1t is only of Gods
mercy that there is living mother in
Ceylon. Oh, how much Ceylon
needs doctors and the medical
classes of native students under
the care of those who follow the ex-
ample of the late Samuel Fish Green
are providing them, so that all the al
leviations, and kindly ministries, and
scientific acumen that can be found in
American and English hospitals will
soon bless all Ceylon. In that island
are thirty-two American schools, two
hundred and ten Church of England
schools, two hundred and thirty-four
Wesleyan schools, two hundred and
thI-ty-four Roman Catholic schools.
All. the schools decide most every
thing. How suggestive the Incl
dent that came to me in Ceylon.
In a school under the care of
the Episcopal church two boys were
converted to Christ, and were to be
baptized. An intelligent Buddhist boy
said in the school: LET all the boys
on Buddha's side come to this part of