Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-18
MISUNDERSTANDING SCENES.
People Abandon Their Children or
Bury Them Alive.
Thy Rev. II. ]. Bruce.I

One reason why this famine is ex-
pected to be worse than the last one is
that the water supply seems to be Civ
ing out i'll many parts of the country.
InlnN OF dense population like thai
OF India without any adequate wutnr
supply, a mission school in Rcrnr il.
SO hard pressed that The children have
10 walk SIX miles To find water enough
10 WASH their clothes. Many Others
nave to buy water as they buy broad
have passed through TWO drendful
,aiilines III India, In 1877 and 1891. and
nave Witnessed some fearful scenes
nave seen children so reduced by star
Nation that when food was offered Ia
them lhey could not eat it. and the only
way To nourish them was to ,uh co,t
liver oil over their shrunken bodies
one little fellow in our own orphnnaee
AZ SAHARA WAS so far gone that our bnst
efforts could not save him. lie lin
Eered along. between life ana death
away. i''S'SA
1t seems strange TO us III America
nat parents in India who are reduced
10 such eXtremities should be willi,,,r
ana even eager, 10 dispose OF their Ill
ue children, ana especially their little
s!rls' IN any way possible. In this
country mothers would give their own
iiVcs to save the lives of their children.
put IN india We find parents scliint.
tneir little girls for Il rupeee. or evrn
Tess. sometimes they desert thnir chiI-
dren in the streets. or In the i,in.ies
ana occasionally they Try to Kill them
outrisht. Tho last mail brought us lat
.crS from missionaries in .Ahmcdna-ar
IN winch the following cases are men
toned: 4 li(tle girl was loft by nor
parents behind prckly pear hedge
They placed some Of the fruit nj the
nrckly pear teatcn only in case nf
desperate wanD by her side and prom
lsed To return soon and bring some
more But they never came. Another
niue Girl according 10 her own story
was taken by nor mother To the ctltrn
of Il pool ~ water The mother was
about to push her into the water when
he child begged hcr not 10 do ii. bur
10 let her 20 and she would be.; Cor
bread and not trouble her mother any
more. Both Of these little girls were
brought 10 a missionary lady ia
Ahmednasar and we're ;cnder|y cared
for.
Government is making gigantic e.
forts TO meet these famine conditions.
but with a large portion of western
central and northern India involved.
government cannot reach The entire
need Thirty millions of people arc
without proper food. ana The Telegram
Informs us that 100000 are now being
helped by government. our friend
writes: "Rellcf works are in progress.
ana much is done by private charity
but we have had nothing sent from
home as vet for famine. and Of our
selves we have almost nothing left to
give. We are much cast down Plague
has been around us and caused us %
close up II good deal OF our work,
schools. zenana work, wcmcn'4 classes.
etc We can do little besides attend
10 tho poor creatures who thron:s our
gate"
WHERE HELP SHOULD BE SENT
Conditions in India ara so serious that
the Congrcgationalst has decided to
open an Indian Famine Relief Fund
and we solicit Immediate and generous
responses from our wide constituency
OF readers
Every one must recognize the gravity
of the situation and the tremendous
pressure upon our sympathy and re
sources.
Many Christians writes another
missionary in India. ARE now LIVING on
Millions OF the natives are literally
starving.
10 show the relief power inhcring in
comparatively small gifts we would
state thar:
Five cents viii save a life far day.
One dollar VIII feed twenty men,
women and children for Il day.
Five dollars Will save persons life
un;i the rain comes IN July and the
famine pressure is relieved.
Twenty dollars VIII furnish
cheap garments for fifty women 81
seVenty-fiVc blankets needed for pro
/ lection against the cold.
One hundred dollars Will dig Il we'll
that viii insure bounIiful crops on sew
eral acres of land and secure many
families against future famincs; or the
same amount vii equip II cheap grain
shop that would lower the market rate
IN Il circle of many villages.
All contributions Should be sent III