The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
CT URCH-GoING MONKEYS.
They Take Their Offspring with Them nno
Punish Them for Unseemiy Levity.

uulbn i rem Or OnbpemIy Lowry.
from the Golden Rule.
The most singular audience that I ever saw
gathered to listen to preaching was an audi
ence of monkeys.
When i commenced work in the region whish
I have now occupied for moro than thirty
years. l asked two fellow missionaries to join
me in a preaching tour in the adjacent taluk.
or county. We first went with three native
assistants to the taluk town. or county seat.
Our tents were pitched In a grove adjoining
the town. We usually on our tours went two
and two to preach In the villages. but this
being the taluk town, md the first Of our
preaching the Gospel In that region. We went
in q body into the native city.
Walking through the cloth, spice. grain. ard
iron merchants bazaar streets, ard th&n through
the g~oldsmiths' and s!lversmiths' street. around
through the TEMPLE street, and then through
the street of Brahnan residences, to advertise
our presence. and incite curiosity to know what
we were about. we finally took our stand IA
the Brahman street. and all iolLed In SINGING
one Of the beautiful Telugu Christian lyricD.
and gathered an in crested audience.
We stood upon II little raised platform on
one side OF tho street against the house walls.
The houses were all OF one story, joined to-
Rether like 4 city block. with Nat roofs, and .
low parapet along the front OF The roof. Ono
of our native assistants read n portion from the
Gospels, and another preached briefly. then
one of my fcllo~ missionaries followed. preach
INK az ltIEAi. "iiAlc I NV NV
encr. I. study the countcnanceS OF the people
among whom ! expected 70 work;
opposite side OF the street there was a lonE
ROW of trees growing in their back yards. I U
branches Of which stretched out over the roofs.
Chancing 70 raise my eyes. | noticed many
branches OF the trees beginning to bend down
ward toward the r"nfs. and saw the faces OF
some old Jack monkeys peerinG, ont through
the foliage. Soon some of them Jumped down
and csmo forward To SEQ what their big
brothers" In the street were about. as they
stood gazing 50 intently at these white men
standing on the platform. SprinEing upon ,ho
parapet they seated themselves. with their
with tixedness at the preacher as they saw
the people in the street doing.
long, row of them thus seated on the pArapet.
The late corners J could sec walking along be-
enough to get a seat. Failing to lind wide
enough place between two already seated mon
pushing nusni a:' 'acH HU one s side Would "s seem to a" 5:
saving. sit along u little. please. and give .
fellow u seat" until tho bench was crowded.
their backs toward that row OF houses. did not
notice the monkeys. and SO their attention was
not distracted by them.
had noticed that many mother monkoys had
brought their habies 10 church with them.
the mother, while her hand WIS placed around
them In o very human fashion, bnt the sermon
was evidently too high for these little fulkS TO
monkeys cautiously reach his hand around, and.
catching hold of another baby monkeys tail,
HuNc u q Jun lo OtlltE lllllV IlOlhtS btTuCh
back. but ench mother monkey evidently dis
approved OF this levity in church. and each
gave its own baby u box on the ears. as though
saving. Sit slnll Don't YOU know how TO be-
have IN churchY' The little monkeys, thus
reprimanded. turned the most solemn faces to-
ward the preacher, and seemed to listen i-
tsntly TO what he was saying.
With the exception Of = monkey now and then
trying to catch a flea that was biting him In
some tender spot, they thus sat demurely until
the preacher finished his sermon and until We
had distributed GOSPELS and tracts among the
audtenrp an Ind started for Our tanta-
Our celestial audience" seeing our "terres-
trial audience" dispensing, then, and not until
then. left their seats and demurely walked back
and sprRng upon the branches again. There
were no monkey capers" AS they went; they
were as serious as a congregation leaving .
church. and sat upon the branches In a mSdt-
tatiye mood as though thinking over what they
had heard the preacher cay. And thus Va In
our unique MONKEY audiencG