The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-28
THE SUFFERING In INDIA.
AND THE NOBLE WORK WHICH
rs BEING DONE.
To II elieve the Distress, And Provada
Food For the Famine Stricken ones
letter From Pandita Ramabi.

Mr.. Philip Bacon from Connecticut,
formerly Of Simsbury and liar tford,
and for the past two years resident
Of Springfield, has been deVoting his
time to securing relief for the suffer-
ing people of India In March, 1881,
under the sancrlon of some of the
prominent citizens, clergynen ana
others a collection was undertaken
through the agency of the children in
the public schools in Connecticut by
winch nearly $4,000 was sent and dis
tributed through the Bombay Guar
dian Relief Fund. Because of the fam
inc now affecting the General ProVin-
ces of India this fund is now again
open for contributions
Since the famine Mr.. Bacon has been
devoting his time to aid in the sup
port of Orphan Children and Child
Widows who We're rescued by the mis-
sioneraries and are now being trained
for Gods service. For the furtherance
of this work he is publishing little
monthly, "Our Orphan Children in In
dia," devoted to the rescuing of Child
Widows and Destitute Children, and to
keep the public informed with the
work.
II AuulUGI VI lCllGiS IlpiIi ethNtite1
Rama bal have been published in re-
gard to her work. Contributions have
been sent to her and other missionar
les through Mr.. Henry H. Bowman,
president OF the Springfield National
bank, who has kindly consented to re-
ceive and forward any sums that may
be sent to him for that purpose free
of charge.
Mr.. Bacon has handed us the follow
ing letter which will give a faint idea
of the suffering of these people. In
formation from other sources more
than confirms what she has said.
1.-THE Financial Report of Mukti School
and Mission.
Dear Enthusiastically a year has
passed since / returned home and re-
sumed the work of Mukti, with all its
responsibilities, as far as the human
side of 1t is concerned. The Lord has
been wonderfully gracious to me during
this time, in spite of my mistakes and
shortcomings. l am deeply thankful
to Him for all His unspeakable love
and mercy. l am now sending out the
balance-sheet of accounts connected
with Mufti, with prayer that the Lord
may bless abundantly, and reward you
according to His mercies for all your
goodness to us and to the people living
around us.
l want to write these few words, just
as the Lord gives me, and tell you how
things are getting on here. You may
have read in papers by this time that
we have had no rain this year. The
first crops are all lost. Not only at Ke-
,1,-.Io Sc o,tno how
Presidency people are suffering from
scarcity of water. For the last four
years Kedagon had scarcely any rain.
The villagers have lived in a half
starved condition. The famine-relief
work started here little over three
years since has proved to be a great
blessing to the poor people, But now
we have to consider very serious ques-
ton, viz How are we to fight this
water famine? Our wells are almost
dried up. There is no water left in them
after nine o'clock in the morning, The
vegetable and fruit trees planted around
these wells are dying away. Our girls
had scarcely any vegetables during'the
past six months, and as the grains We're
growing dearer and dearer we had to
give up eating rice wheat, and other
such nourishing things and live on
Jwari, the coarsest and cheapest grain
we could get. Our cows and buffaloes
yield very little milk as they have no
green grass All but 80 very little child
rem have to so without milk and but
ter. All the people around us-they are
starving, and flock around Mukti in
quest of food and work to sustain their
lives.
On Wednesday last, nearly two humid
red starving people came in our COM
pound, and as I went out early in the
morning to look at the dying fruit trees
to consider what could be done to save
and the women took hold of my hand !
and began to beg hard, to give them |
some work I was so overcome by this |
sight that could say only a few words
to comfort them and invited them to
come in our barn and join me in prayer |
to God for the salvation Of their souls
and bodies All followed me silently in
to the barn and sat down in as orderly |
a manner as any Christian congrega ton |
to hear the Gospel preached and to ask |
God for rain and food. Most of them |
were deeply impressed; the young moth |
ers with their babes in their arms, and |
little boys and girls were as attentive |
as the older people. All heard the glad |
tidings that they have a Savior who is
deeply touched by their sorrows. and a
God, the Father of us all jWho is ever
merciful, is ready to hear and answer
their prayers. They were asked to go
away after the service and to come the
next day.
To-day they came from all directions
Some sixty were employed at once, but
others were told to so away and come
later as there was no work for them this
week. Some went away very much dis
appointed but others sat around the
house as If determined never to leave
the premises until they got some work
When | went out again at nine o'clock
to look after the work. they besieged !
me again. Little boys and girls spoke
in such piteous manner that l could
not but promise to employ them all
But they did not leave the place until
all their names were written down on
the ROLAND got positive promise of
the next week. Here was
a living illustration of perseverance in
prayer | thought to myself:-If [ be-
ms evil cannot do less than to help these