Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-01-19

people you cannot see a house Oh, the
trees Of Ceylonl May you live TO be
hold the morning climbing down
through their 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. | wonder not
that there are some trees in Ceylon call.
ed sacred TO me all trees are sacred
wonder not that before one Of them
they burn camphOr flowers and hang
lamps around its branches and 100. 00C
people each year make pilgrimage 70
that tree Worship something man
must. and. Gntil he hear of the only
Being worthy Of worship. what so
eleyating as tree! What glory en-
throned amid its foliagel What q
majestic doxology spreads ont in
its branchesi What a voice when
the tempests pass through it! How il
looks down upon the cradle and the
grave Of centuriesl AS the fruit of one
tree uflawfully eaten struck the race
with woe and the uplifting Of another
tree brings peace 10 the soul. let the
woodman spare the tree and all nations
honor it, II. through higher teaching,
we do not. like the Ceylonese. worship
i'll How consolatory that when we nc
more walk under the tree branches on
earth we may see the tree Of life which
bears ~ manner Of fruit and yields her
fruit every month. and the leaves of the
tree are for the healing of the nations"
A Strange Procession.
Two professions | saw in Ceylon
within one hour. the first led by Hin
doc priest, huge pot of flowers on his
head. his face disfigured with holy LAGER
atoms and his unwashod followers beat
ing as many discords from what are sup
posed 10 be musical instruments as n,
one time can be induced to enter the
human ear The procession halted at the
door Of the huts. The occupants came
ont and made obeisance and presented
small contributions In return there
for the priest sprinklcd ashes upon the
children who came forward, this evi.
IDENTIFY form of benediction. Then the
procession. led on by tho priest. started
again More noise. more ashes. more
genuflection. However keen ones sense
Of the ludicrous, he could find nothing
70 excite even a smile in the movements
of such procession. Meaningless. op-
pressive, squalid, filthy. sad
Returning to our carriage. We rode
on for "a few moments, and we came on
another procession. kindly lady lead
ing groups Of native children, all clean.
bright. happy. laughing They were a
Christian school out for exercise. There
seemed as much intelligence. refinement
and happiness in that regiment of young
Cingalese as you would find in the ranks
of any young ladies' seminary being
chaperoned on their afternoon walk
through Central park. New York. or
Hyde park. London The Hindoo pro-
cession illustrated ON small scale some.
thing of what Hindooism can do for the
world The Christian procession illus
trates on a smaH scale something Of
what Christianity can do for the world
But those two professions were only
fragments OF two great professions ever
marching across our world. the process
sion blasted Of superstition and the pro.
cession blessed Of gospel light. saw
them in one afternoon in Ceylon. They
are to be seen III all nations
Nothing Is Of more thrilling interes,
than the Christian achievements in this
island The Episcopal church was here
the national church, but disestablish.
ment has taken place, and since Mr.
Gladstone's accomplishment of that fact
in 1850 all denominations are on equal
platform, and all are are doing mighty
work America Is second 10 no other
nation IN what has been done for Cey.
Ion. Since 1916 she has had her religious
agents in the Jaiina peninsula of Cey-
Ion. The Spauldings, the Howlands. the
Drs. Poor. tho Saunders and others inst
Us good and strong have been fighting
back monsters Of superstition and cruel.
- greater than any that ever swung the
tusk or roared in the jungles
Christ or BUddha-
The American missionaries in Ceylon
lave given special attention to medical
instruction and are doing wonders in
driving back tne horrors OF heather sur
gerry Cases Of suffering were formerly
given over TO the devil worshipcrs and
such fortunes inflicted as may not DO
described. The patient was tramplcd by
the feet Of the medical attendants IL
is only Of Gods mercy that there is a
living mother in Ceylon. Oh, how
much Ccylon needs doctors, and the
medical classes Of native students under
tho care of those who follow the exam
pie of the late Samuel Fish Green are
providing them. SO that all the allevi-
ations and kindly ministries and scien-
tiiic acumen that can be found in Amer.
lean and English hospitals will soon
bless all Ceylon.
In that island are 80 American
school, 2l0 Church of England schools.
234 Wesleyan schools, 23i Roman
Catholic schools. All, the schools de-
eide most everything! How suggest
Ne the incident that came TO me in Cey-
Ion. In a school under the care Of the
Episcopal church two boys were con-
vcrted to Christ and were TO be baptized.
An intelligent Buddhist boy said in the
school. Let all the boys or Buddha's
side come TO this part Of the room and
all the boys ON Christ's side go to the
other part OF the room"
All the boys except two went on Bud
dha's side, and when the two boys who
were TO be baptized were scotfed at and
deTided one of them yielded and retired
20 Bnddha'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 20
the boy who had vacillated in his choice
between Buddha and Christ. You are
a coward and not fit for either side, p"
but he replied. Il was overcome Of
temptation, but repent ana believe. p"
Then both boys were baptized, and from
that time the Anglican mission moved
on more and more vigorously will
not say which Of all the denominations
OF Christians is doing the most for the
cvangclizaiioD Of that island. but know
thi-Ccylon will be taken for Christ!
slug Bishop Heber's hymn:
What though the spicy brcezes
Glow soft over Ceylon's isle!
4 College and Temple.
Among the first places visited was a
Buddhist college. about 100 men study
ing to booome priests gathered around
tAc teachers Stepping into the build
ing where the high priest was instruct.
ing the class. wo were apologize and
told him we were Americans and would
like to see his mode Of teaching if he