Evening journal., 1900-03-20
rxp1As AWFUL FAMINE
THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES LIVING
ON WILD ROOTS AND W EkDS.

THOUSANDS Of fAMAi@lh~' -
ON WILD ROOTS AND W EEDs.
India has been called land OF
dreams. 1t is now a land OF horr,rs,
as her people fight with plague ana
famine. Il is no nightmare. but te +
rible reality. Thousands of ont
strong men are now skin and bones
with a terrible gnawing of munger
within. Il is a pitiable sight to see
tall. manly men so terribly reduced,
as to be hardly able to walk, yet some
how making their way somewhere TO
find food. More pitiable are the
women who, with a keen sense OF
modesty. are fighting womanfully with
their fast-rottening rags, and their
children emaciated, fretful, crying OF
too weak to cry. adding TO their ierrl-
BILE personal suffering from days OF
insufficient food. Their bodies, nnd-
ing no nOurishment. turn into those
little skeletons that one can hold IN
ones hand.
Thousands OF families like these,
having exhausted every possible re-
source. sold and pawned the last ar
ticle OF their possession. having lived
somehow for time on coarsest OF wild
fruits, on roots. or weeds-anything TO
satisfy that awful craving that comes
from DAYS OF starvation-tramp many
a long. weary mile to find some gov
ernment or other relief. There is the
scorching sun by day-unusually
scorching this year-the pangs OF
thirst as well as hunger, for every
stream is dry; and when the sun goes
down. out in the open fields, with
nothing to cover them. they shiyer all
through the chilly night
Other missionaries describe finding
abandoned children In dying condition,
whom they have been able to save, or
failed to save because too far gone.
The familiar famine scenes are wit
messed OF famishing people following
grain carts and struggling among
themselves for the stray kernels that
fall by the way Abandoned children
are found subsisting on clods OF
earth and every possible thing tha;
has nourishment in it, filling up with
water 10 drown the cravings of hum
ger and producing those painful mon
strosities-bOdies swollen out OF all
proportion. but with sticks OF legs and
arms. and a head that Is but a skin
NUNtItU SKULL anu NAfO UnnAIr hA1W
weaker and weaker In their hungry
cry. or, silenced by opium, rapidly
turn to pitiable little skeletons that
move with emotion the strongest
hearts that look upon them. What
wonder that a despairing mother, un-
able 10 endure the sight, and tempted
by her own famishing body, sells hel
little one for a few handfuls OF grain
and when the famine Is over beats hei
breast in anguish for her little one
gone she knows not where?
The vast camps are being filled Tn,
anZeety and concern OF government
and officials are greatly on the strain
All departments OF the administration
native and otherwise. are called upor
TO exercise the wisest caution and th,
utmost vigilance to see that none wor
thy are neglected and that those no
actually reduced 20 suffering take no
the place OF the needy. And IL shoul,
be borne in mind that the prOspec
must grow gloOmier for months 3,
come. up to al least the beginning o
the rains in the month OF June next
The gravity of the situation needs q
be recognized. The vicerOy PERSONALLY
and the government OF India are Civ
ing their undivided attention TO this.
Contributions for the relief fun
should be sent 10 Treasurer +. II. Wig
sin. care Of American Board OF For
eign Missions. IA Beacon street. Bos
ton. who cables az short intervals tn
amount available thereby affordin
immediate relief to the sufferers in In
dia.-Rev Justin +. Abbott. in Leslie
Weekly.