The Portland daily press., 1895-10-16
INDIA.

The district covered by the Marathi
Mission centers at Bombay, upon tn e
western coast of India, and includes with
in IFS boundaries a popula ion OF ., 500, ooo
souls largely Hindus. The attitude OF
the government toward the mission has
so far changed from IFS opposition of
carly DAYS that now considerable grants
maid are made each year for the support
~ mission schools The thirty six mis-
sionaries here employed are assisted by a
large corps of trained native helpers. The
chnrches have received 162 additional
mem bers. TIE educational work has for
ifs ultimate aim the elevation of woman
hood in India and the raising up of ma
tive ministry able to compete with ORR
sntal astuteness. The Industrial or Self
Help School at Sirur in the midst OF a
nrosperous growth, was entirely des-
troyed by fire last March, with all its
tools and machinery. There was no in
surance. The Young Mems Christian
A ssooiation is almost the only agency for
carving on Christian work among the
educated young men of Ahmednagar.
Hinduism must be reformed. The homes
of India, even her zenanas, are now
opened to woman's visitations. The new
medical work at Bassei n, under Mrs.
Karamker, M. D., is of peculiar interest.
In the Madura Mission the masses are
largely ready for the reception of the
Gospel. Caste lines are breaking down,
and the people are learning first lessons
in the brotherhood of man. Christianity
was ignored for years by the cultivated
Hindus, but is now gaining a strong
force in India. Prosecutions are not SO
severe as formerly The missionaries and
native evangelists travel over large sec
tions of country and hold innumsrable
meetings without opposition. most in
teresting illustration of this fact occurred
in connection with the Pasumalai Theo-
logical Seminary. The faculty and stu
dents united in an extended tour for
preaching and the distribution Of Chris
tian literature, covering a region OF 200
square miles in extent. Thousands seem
to have intellectually accepted the Cos
pei The missionaries are sought by vii
iages which desire to become Christian.
The work in the Ceylon Mission centres
about Jaffa college and it's Christian
schools. 1t is in the midst Of a dense,
compact population that can easily be
reached from few centres. The aim OF
til is mission is to raise up thoroughly
equipped native agency. both men and
womeh who shall speedily take the lead
in all Christian work. The native
churches are pressing more and more
towards self support The large number
of additions from among the pupils in
the boarding schools speaks we'll for the
value of these schools as evangelizing
agencies.
JAPAN.
National, political, social, commercial
Japan is far different today from what
she was decade ago. 1t is no time to
leave the Japanese Christian alone with
over Al, 900, 600 still in the Empire who do
not know of Christ's gospel We cannot
expect, without a miracle, that the one
fourth of one per cent. now Christian,
will alone be able to Christianize that
empire. There are but twenty-five years
of Christian experience and tradition
back of them.
The new treaties will open all Japan to
the direct activities CT the Christian
church The work among soldiers has
brought the Christian religion into
prominence among the military officials,
and so has given it semi official stand
ing among the common soldiers.