Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-01-25

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| who eau. forward. this eviarntlv iofm o.
| benaiirtIon. Thea the procession. tel on
] by- an. rri-sf Starred again. More nos,
/ rso-a nsbez more senu1uciion. However
| keen ones sense Of the luiicrous, ne eonid
| 0nI noihins t. excite even smile IN tue
movements Of such procession. Meaning
1 - onnr.Ssiv-, squalid, llthy, sad.
| R.turninr TO our carriage, We rode on Tor
n f-vv moments. and we came on another
| pro-essioa. a kinily lady leading groups OF
| native children, all clean, bright, happy,
| laughing. They were Chr stan school out
for exercise. There seemed as much intelli-
gence. refinement aud happiness in that reg
| iment OF vnunc Cin-aless rs You would find
/ Ia the ranks Of any young ladies' summary
/ being ehaprronri on their afternoon walk
/ through Central Park. New York, or Hyde
/ Park. London. The HiEioo procession IL
/ Illustrated on Asmal scale something OF what
| Hiudooism can do FOR the world. The Chris
/ tian procession illustrates on small scale
| something OF what Christianity can do for
/ the world But those Two professions were
only fragments oitwo great professions ever
marching across our world. the procession
| blasted Of superstition and the procession
| blessed OF gospel light. saw them in one
afternoon in Ceylon. They are TO be seen in
| all nations.
| Nothin. is OF more thrilling interest than
| the CHRISTIAN achievements in this island.
4 a
| church, but disesiahlishment has taken place,
and since Mr.. Gadstone's accomplishment
/ Of that fact in 1881 au denominations are on
/ equal platform. md all are doing mighty
| work. America is second to no other nation
| In what has been done for Ceylon. Since
| lsi6 she has had her religious agents In the
| Jaffna peninsula OF Ceylon. The Spquld-
! ings, the HowlRnds, the Drs. Poor, the
Saunders, AMI others just as good and strong
have been flghtng back monsters OF super
| sttion and cruelty greater than any that
ever swung the tusk orroared in the jungles.
| The American missionaries in Ceyion
1 have given special attention 10 medical in.
| struction an are doing wonders in driving
| back the horrors of heather surgery. Gases
| OF suffering were formerly given over to the
devil worshipers and such fortunes inflicted
as nay not be described. The patient was
trampied by the feet OF the medical atten-
dants. II is only OF Gods mercy that there
| is n living mother in Ceylon. Oh, how
much Ceylon needs doctors, and the medi-
cal Glasses OF native students under the care
of those who follow the EXAMPLE OF the late
Samuel Fish Green are providing them, so
! that all the allevlations and kindly minis
tries and scientific acumen that can be found
in American and English hospitals will soon
bless all Ceyon.
In that island are thirty-two American
school, 2l0 Church OF England schools, 29i
Wesleyan schools, 23i Roman Catholic
schools. All, the schools decide most every
thing! How suggestive the incident 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 ALT the boys on Buddhh's
side come to this part OF the room aud all
the boys on Christ's side go to the other
part OF the room"
All the boys except two went on Buddha's
side, and when the two boys who were to be
baptized were scofed at and der,ded one OF
them yielded and retired 10 Buddha's side.
But afterward that boy was sorry that he
had yielded TO the persecution, and when
the day of baptism came stood up beside the
boy who remained firm. Some one said to
the boy who had vaclllatel in his choice be-
tween Buddha and Christ, you are a
coward and not fit for either side" but he
replied, II was overcome OF temptation, but
| repent and believe" Then botn boys were
baptized, and from that time the Anglican
mission moved on more and more vigorously.
| will not say which OF all the denomina-
lions Of Christians Is doing the most for tbs
evangelization OF THAI island. but know this
-Ceylon will be taken for Christ; Sing
Bishop Heber's hymn:
What though the spicy breezes
Blow soft over Ceylons islel
Among the first places l visited was
Buddhist college, about 100 men studying TO
become priests gathered around the teachers
Stepping into the building where the high
priest was instructing the class, we were
apolegatic and told him we were Americans
and would like to see hts mode of teaching
II he had no objections, whereupon he be-
gan, doubled up as he was on q lounge, with
his right hand playing with his foot. In his
! laFt hnn hal pf hnrn bpn
leaves, on which were written the words OF
the lesson, each student holding q similar
package of bamboo leaves. The high priest
first read, and then one OF his students read.
A group Of as finely formed young men as
ever saw surrounded the instructor. The
last word of each sentence was intoned
There was in the whole scene an earnestness
which impressed me. Not able to under
stand q word OF what was said, there is a
book OF language and information that is the
same among all races. That the Buidhlsts
have full faith in their religion no one can
doubt. That is IN their opinion, the way TO
heaven. What Mohammed is to the Mo-
hammedan, and what Christ is to the Chris
tim, Buidha Is to the Buddhist. We watt
ed Tor a pause in the recitation, and then
expressing our thanks retired.
Nearby is a Buddhist temple. on the altar
OF which before the image of Buddha are OF.
ferlngs OF flowers. As night was coming on
we came up to a Hindoo temple. First we
were prohibited going farther than the out
side steps, but we gradually advanced until
we could see all that was going on inside.
The worshipers were making obeisanae. TINS
tamtams were wildly beaten, and shrill pipe;
; were blown, and several other instruments
! were in full bang and blare, and there was
an indescribable hubbub and the most labor
ious style OF worship l had ever seen oil
heard. The dim lights. and the jargon, and
the gooms, and the fitting figures mingled
for eye and ear horror which 1t Is difficult
5 to shake off. All this was only suggestive o.
= what would there transpire after the toilers
l Of the day had ceased work and had time to
4 appear Mt the temple. That such thing:
9 should be supposed to please the Lord OIL
! | have any power 10 console or help the wor
. shippers is only another mystery in this worlC
t of mysteries But we came away saddeneC
/ with the spectacle, q sadness which did no
leave US until we arrived at a place where {
y Christian missionary was preaching in the
4 street to group OF natives.
b had that morning expressed a wish t.
witness such q scene, and here 1t was. Stand
| ing on an elevation, the good man was ad
, dressing the crowd. All was attention anC
8 silence and reverence. A religion OF relic
4 and Joy was being commended, and the dusk,
( faces were illumined with the sentiments 0
| pachcation and reinforcement. 1t was thu
! rose OF Sharon after walking among nettles
9 1t was the morning light after a thick dark
> ness. 1t was the gospel after Hindooism.
!. But passing up and down the streets o
Ceylon you find all styles OF people within
: five mirutes-Afghans, Kafflrs, Portuguese
: Moormen, Dutch, English, Scotch, Irish
d American-all classes, all dialects, all man
# ners and customs, all styles of salaam. TIL
t most interesting thing on earth is the hu
y man race, and specimens of all branches o
n m n iGlaDl
y present is quiet and inconspicuous affai
. compared with what 1t once was. The dea'
= cities Of Ceylon were larger and more i'm
nnsinp than are tho living cities. On thi