The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-09
LETTER FROM RAMABAl.
Interesting Details of Her Work Among
the Women Of India.

L
Interesting Detaisof Her Work Among
the Women of India.
The following communication from
Mrs j. w. Andrews of Boston, chair
man of the executive committee of the
Ramabai Association. viii appeal to
many Worcester people, who will re-
member the Hindoos visit to this city, |
and who have already contributed to
the cause:
The work that Pandita Ramabai is |
doing for her unfortunate sisters inl
India should appeal to every one inter-
ested in humanitarian work. Ramabai
began her work single-handed and
alone. During ten years she bravely
carried it on in the midst of bitter op-
position and Misrepresentation, but
with an unbounded confidence in God
and the American people. She began
with two pupils; today they number
nearly four hundred. She began with
a secular school; today she has not
only the Sharada Sadan, still secular in
it's character, but also the Mukti, an
industrial school, where the girls res
cued from the famine districts are be-
ing trained for self-supporting posi-
tions. Here Christianity pure and sim
pie is taught without restriction, and is
being gladly accepted by a great ma
jority of the girls.
Extracts from Ramabai's last letter
will give some idea of the present sit
uation She writeseas follows:
LAS the summer holidays have begun
and all the Sadan girls have come to
Khedgaum, my work is increased and
I have not much time to write Three
young widows have come quite recent
ly to the Sadan. The husband of one
died when she was but nine years old;
for two years she had been homeless.
A neighbor, also a poor widow, brought
her to the Sadan and left her there She
is dear girl, and seems quite intelli-
gent. The second was turned out of
house by her mother-in-law The third
had just been brought from the plague
hospital, where all her relatives seem
to have died She Is almost insane from
the effects of the plague, but, carefully
nursed as she now is, 1 think she will
recover.
"The plague is still doing its dreadful
work at Poona: this is it's third vista
ton. The regulations are very strict,
and we are ordered again to clean the
compounds and buildings. though they
plague committee could find no fault
with them. This made it necessary to
bring all the girls here-an additional
trouble and expense-and do not know
how soon the work will go on as
smoothly as before The girls, how
ever, are enjoying the holidays, and, as
they have no rooms to sleep in. they
sleep in the open air in the court yard.
They rise at a. m, battle, wash their
sarls, and by $50 a. m. are ready for
work They have no time to spend
| idly, as they make the chutnies, the
Mango pickle and other condiments for
use during the coming year Some
times they work in the fruit garden;
sometimes they help in cleaning house
here and in other useful work. Some
of the senior girls of the Sadan are now
matrons there. and some are training
their younger sisters to be useful work.
ers.
I'VE celebrated the birthday of the
Sadan by picnic on the riverside
We spent a most happy time in the
morning, praising and thanking God
for his goodness in giving us liberty
and new joys of life: in giving us good
friends, and the school which is the
birthplace of so many happy lives
Then, to our horror, there came a regi-
ment of mounted Mohammedan SOL
diers to frighten Us, one of whom tried
to gallop his horse through the COM
pany Of girls. I, with two or three
friends, stood in his way praying to
500 10 protect us, and he wonderfully
delivered us from a great danger.
"Ramabai's farm at Khedgaum giv-
en- by a few American friends for the
future support of the Sadan. has been
a blessing in ways entirely unforeseen.
Mukti, established there, is a school. a
home, a sanctuary for hundreds of girls
of whose fates without it one cannot
think without a shudder of horror. and
feeling of intense pity
Mrs. B. of Rochester, recently re-
turned from Khedgaum, where she has
established refuge for girls and wo-
men who have been misled, or have
chosen, in their distress, wrong
course of life, speaks earnestly of the
needs of Mukti She graphically por-
trays Ramabais wonderful oversight
of the farm, the home, the school-and
this without neglecting Sharada Sadan
= her rigid economy, her untiring de-
votion to her children, and her mar
vellous influence over all who come in
contact with her,
Mrs, B. relates this pathetic incident
of poor, diseased girl whom Rama
bal could not take into her hime. Did
your God send you here?, was the first
question asked Mrs. B. on her first
visit to her in the Refuge. / prayed to
your God to send someone who would
make me well, that | may go to Rama
bats school, Her prayer has beer
| answered.
'Mukti is in need of money for the
completion of it's buildings; for the sup
port of Its inmates; for the elementary
| education and Industrial training OF
| it's pupils.
"Will not churches, clubs, womanly
hearts and hands respond to the needs
of these eastern sisters, and prove &c
them in a generous and practical way
| that all are children of one father?"
- $500 -