The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-02-13
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ODen-Air Conservation which They
Voluntarily Join.

ODen-Air Congregation Which They |
voluntarily Join.
The most singular audience that ever !
saw gathered to listen to preaching was |
an audience Of monkeys, says an India |
correspondent Of the Boston Golden Rule. |
When commenced work in the region |
which have now occupied for more than |
80 years, / asked two fellow missionaries
to join me in a preaching tour in the adj
jacent 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, and the first Of
our preaching the gospel in that region,
we went in a body into the native city.
Walking through the cloth, spice, grain
and iron merchants bazaar streets, and
then through the goldsmiths and silver
smiths street, around through the tenn
| pie street, and then through the street Of
Brahman residences, TO advertise our
presence, and incite curiosity to know
what we were about, we finally took our
stand in the Brahman street, and all
| Joined in singing one of the beautiful
| Telugu Christian lyrics, and gathered an
audience Of interested listeners.
We stood upon little raised platform
on one side Of the street against the
| house walls. The houses were all of one
story, Joined together like a city block,
/ with fiat roofs, and a low parapet along
the front of the roof One OF our native
assistants read a portion from the gospel,
and another preached briefly, then one
4 of my fellow missionaries followed,
preaching more at length, while watch
ed the audience, to study the counter
ances Of the people among whom ex-
pected to work.
had noticed that behind the houses on
the opposite side of the street there was
long row of trees growing In their back
yards, the branches of which stretched
out over the fiat roofs.
CHANGING to raise my eyes. I noticed
many branches Of these trees beginning
to bend downward toward the roofs, and
saw the faces of some old jack monkeys
peering out through the foliage. Soon
some of them jumped down and came for
ward to see what their ''big brothers
in the street were about, as they stood
gazing so intently at these white men
, standing on the platform. Springing upon
the parapet they seated themselves, with
their hind feet hanging over in front, and
gazing with fxedness at the preacher, as
they saw the people in the street doing
0 Other monkeys followed, until there
was long row Of them thus seated on
. the parapet. The late-comers could see
walking along behind the parapet, look
ing for a place wide enough to get q
seat. Failing to find wide enough place
between two already seated monkeys
they would put up their hands, and
pushing each one sidewise, would seem
to be saying, sit along little, please
and give a fellow seat" until the
bench" was crowded.
The audience in the street, standing
with their backs toward that row Of
houses did not notice the monkeys, ant
so their attention was not distracted by
them.
had noticed that many mother monk
eys had brought their babies to church
with them. These little baby monkeys
sat upon the thigh of the mother, while
her hand was placed around them in
very human fashion, but the sermon was
evidently too high for these little folk:
to Comprehend. CHANGING up, saw one
of the little monkeys cautiously reacI
| MS llttIlu dIOullOi ANU SeLIGhlLB 4lO4u "
another baby monkeys tail, give it
pull The other little monkey STRUCK
back, but each mother monkey evident
ly dlsapproved of this levity in church
and each gave its own baby a box Dr
the ears, as though saying: Sit still
Don't you know how to behave il
church," The little monkeys, thus rep
rimanded, turned the most solemn faces
toward the preacher, and seemed to liste.
to what he was saying.
n With the exception of a monkey nov
a and then trying to catch a flea that wal
q biting him in some tender spot, they thu
sat demurely, until the preacher finished
> his sermon and until we had distributed
a | Gospels and tracts among the audience
# and had started for our tents.
Our celestial audience" seeing on
q terrestrial audience" dispersed, then
5 and not until then, left their seats AM
4 demurely walked back and sprang upol
Il the branches again. There were n
monkey capers' as they went; the,
Q were as serious as a congregation leav
= ing a church, and sat upon the branche
u in a meditative mood as though thinking
r, over what they had heard the preache
Lee