The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-20
INDIA'S FEARFUL BLIGHT
REPORTS RECEIVED IN THIS CITY
FROM HOOsIER MISSIONARIES.
Famine, Earthquake, Plague and
Riot Tread Close on Each others
HeeIs-CaIIs for Help.

| associated with him in that work his wife,
| who was Laura V. Kinsey, of Portland,
Ind, and her niece Miss Ida Kinsey,
daughter of DR.. David Kinsey, of Portland,
Ind. Rev. Mitchell's last letter, dated in
Bina, July IA, 1897 was received only few
days ago at 3O6 North Delaware street, this
city, the headquarters of the Christian
Woman's Board of Missions. Therein he
wrote THE distress gets worse and worse
around US. India is being strangely tried
these days. We had the plague. We have
now terrible famine, besides recently an
earthquake. The earthquake did terrible
damage in many places and quite q num-
Der of lives were lost The shock was very
distinctly felt here in Bina, but with little
or no damage to property.
This last hot season has been something
fearful in this part of India. Owing to in
sufficient rainfall the last three or four
years, and this great heat, the ground has
cracked. In many places these great cracks
in the earth are from eight to twelve feet
deep. This has been ruinous to property in
Bina- When the ground opened 1t simply
tore the houses open, taking away the
walls and doing great damage. quite d num-
Der of the houses have to be pulled down
and rebuilt. Three are now almost rebuilt,
having had to be entirely reconstructed
even including the whole of the founda-
ton. Every clubhouse in the place, with
the exception of ours, has been condemned.
[ am sorry to say our house has suffered
slightly. There was a crack running right
across one corner and it damaged one side
of the house, but only at that point. have
had the arches underground built up solid,
and put buttress at the corner. This has
saved the house at a cost of about $lOO The
railway company will have to pay two or
three hundred thousand rupees in repairs.
1t seems we are to pass through many dan
gers, but, blessed be God, He IS with US.
The construction of the well has cost
about $500. l shall be glad to have the bal
ance $780, due me on that and the 500
for the repairing of the house sent to me
soon conVenient-for i'll these famine
times We have no money. l was never
poorer in my life than we are now; but new
er mind that.
THE FEAR OF CHOLERA.
81 am thankful to say we are moderately
well. This awful strain tells on us. May
God help US that we do not break down
under it. Day by day we are surrounded
by living skeletons. l was in the jungle
two days ago and came across skulls and
bones Of those who had died on their way
to the town. for food probably. Then, to
add to all the misery and trials, there has
been a serious riot in Calcutta. What next?
L am afraid, cholera
Miss Bessie Farrar, graduate from Beth
any College, West Virginia, went from her
home in Danville, Va, as missionary I'M
der the Christian Woman's Board of Mis-
sions and is located at Baidyanath Deog
hur, Bengal, India. On July Ii, 1897 she
wrote to Lois A. White corresponding sec
rotary of the Christian Womans Board of
Missions, S06 North Delaware street, this
nif q G
very darkest L have known In India; and
the days are still dark, lighted for US only
by the precious promises OF COD S WORD
there is not one ray OF light for those who
Will not look to these promises. The earth
quake, that made our little home totter and
brought other homes near US to the ground
that destroyed whole villages and towns,
was a fearful thing. The famine that has
been daily growing worse i'll Bengal, that
has driven its hundreds to our doors for
food, is Observation-Disclosures when we
have not grain of food 10 give Them are
compelled to send them from our place and
TO see them go hungry. 1t has been hard
to see the great hungry eyes, peerng at the
windows on every hand, TO hear that hum
cry crying and wailing and to not be able to
help. L have wondered If anything could be
worse. This last week has showed us some
thing more appalling than this. Asiatic
cholera has been raging in Deoghur. Y es-
terday 1876 deaths were reported
Just imagine how you would feel to have
man come in the early morning to tell
you that in the night his wife. and two
children died with the great sickness, and
now the aged mother and little daughter
were i'll. oh, come and help them he
pleads. But, my brother | cannot heal
them; | will come and do what / can, but
in Gods hand is the life. We will pray to
Him for the sick ones only come, Miss
Sahib; come and pray to your God for
them he insists. Now imagine the crowd
of little mud huts, huddled together in one
small court only about three feet apart.
Walk down the narrow, filthy passageways
and stand with me at the door of this
dark, close room until the eye accustoms
or in %
the old woman throwing herself about the
bed in her agony. Hear her cries. Notice
the little one near, lying cold and STILL with
eyes set and CLASSY. Hear the means of the
old, old man, who totters in and tells
you he he has has lost all his children but this
one, the OLD SICK woman, and now this one
too must die. Hear her, even in her pain
tell you to give the little, girl medicine to
rible figure, standing in the doorway, one
who has come with his drum to make the
last moments, of pain as hideous as possible.
Give them medicines, try to rub some
warmth into the cold limbs, and when the
pain IS easier, kneei there and pray with
them and the watchers. Tell them some of
the more blessed things that death may
prlng-of the hope we have in Jesus. But
here are others pressing near. Come and
see my little boy. He is diving or Come
70 my wife; she is calling When all is
done that you can do to make these easier
we must leave them in the Great Physt-
clan S hands
THE RAINS AND THE HEAT.
How helpless we are in the presence of
this dreadful plague. Every day there
are calls. Many of the lives God has given
back, but many have died One little girl
died on our own compound, and another
was i'll with cholera. We are tying to be
very careful, and use disinfectants but ey-
erything after all is in Gods hands When
l look back at last week it seems a year
since last Sunday morning. The rains
stopped for several days, and the heat was
intense. This morning the rain came again,
and things seem easier. All the other work
has stopped, and we are trying to relieve
the notwithstanding a. word for Jesus
when we find the opportunity
Slnce the earthquake the house leaks
Dadly IN several places We have already
mad some of the cracks in the walls mend
ed. downstairs, where we have glass in
the sitting room, we are exposed constantly
to the gaze of the passers-by and can
scarcely eat meal without the poor, naked
peggars coming around-but there is anoth-
er child sick and l must close this and
hurry. wish could ask your prayers
better or worse"
Miss M. Alice Spradlin, who was a school
teacher IN Is anSas, is q companion mission
airy with Miss Farrar at Deoghur India.
MISS Spradlln wrote July 49, Nina, the
ntlIe native girl | adopted, is growing
stronger. and think the Lord is going to
lHtFuSt ner TO my care for some time
trust until she grows to be a useful serv-
ant OF his. We have many calls for taking
IN children, and it is so hard to refuse If
Is like souls reaching out their hands from
the depths OF perdition and pleading for us
70 assist them out. How can any one re-
iuse 10 help? 1t is truly horrible to see
these poor, destitute people during these
hpf ruF,+Vr d.