St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-03-27
LIFE IN INDIA
An Interesting Letter from Miss
Harvey.

Vermont lady OF wide acquaint-
o,oe has written a letter to home
h.;ends from which we are permitted to
make copious extracts. She writes from
AGRA under date of Feb. S, 1901.
Won should take peep into my new
house One peep would suffice. Such
Locking rooms. l have three in the
t toT a small one made by closing in a
rsranda which serves as a little dining
,oorn Then a sitting room and bed
Gam They are all in bad repair. The
nIoster is broken and of all shades and
dpaiors The carpet is of stuff like that
l,.h;ch my steamer chair was done up in
w send to New York 1t has many
boles made by white ants and is such an
nglv color, but serves to cover the mud
496r and | play" like it. l have men
bore today mending the plastering and
rrbitewashing the walls, or rather they
will do it when they get ready 1t is
norv / O o'clock and they are still tying
bamboo sticks upon long poles OF small
bamboo for ladder. Sometime, | trust,
thew will begin. l have no furniture to
sneak of, an old table which will serve
me as a dining table in lieu of a better
one two or three old chairs and small
table on which l am writing. l have a
borrowed bedstead and heavy quilt
or comfortable which bought in Bonn
hav. This does service for mattress.
Nv steamer rugs and heavy cape serve
for blankets and l possess two sheets,
two pillow cases and cotton pillow
which purchased in Bombay. So | am
suffering nothing except from the need OF
little home-like look about me. And
some day | trust it will come. At pres
ent am taking my meals at the par
ent" missionary house with Brother
Thomas people, who are exceedingly
kind to me. Yet it is inconvenient both
for them and TOR me to be with them
and as soon as possible | must arrange
TO have my own table in my own little
room. shall live alone and have re.
gular "old maids hail." l suppose.
When my boxes which came by freight
arrive shall have just few more things
to do with and will scatter my books
around, which will help to make it home
like.
Twelve noon land you are locked in
sumber). l had my breakfast and went
to see what the men were doing. |
found them just beginning to whitewash
the walls over the dust OF ages. And |
actually had to stay in the room, my
head tied up in a towel, while they swept
down the dust and cobwebs from the
ceiling and walls. You would not sup
pose it possible that there could be so
much dirt in a room. These rooms are
unusually high, even for foreigners
houses in India. They are nearly 20
feet, l should think. This will help in the
hot weather, and need enough there will
be of every possible help in such city as
Agra.
have today arranged for a teacher
who will give me an hour a day in the
language. On Sunday | was at the Hin
dustani Sunday school at 8 O'Clock in the
morning and taught class OF christian
girls. This was followed by the English
Sunday school where | taught another
class. Then we returned home, had our
breakfast and little meeting with my
girls. At four o'clock, the regular
preaching service came in the Hindustani
church and at O'Clock we attended the
English Baptist service, which was a
memorial service for Queen Victoria, a
beautiful and impressive service. Then
home, had dinner, and evening prayers
with the girls finished the Sabbath day
which had been busy one.
And now you want to know what l
am to do in Agra. You already have an
idea OF what the Sundays will be. The
principal thing was sent here for is to
have charge Of what is called the Medi
cal Home, that is, the boarding establish
ment for the christian girls who have
come from our christian schools to
study medicine in the government Medi-
cal college here. The arrangement for
Hindustani girls to take medical courses
came as you know, through the Lady
Dufferin Association. These girls are in
a transition period when they need very
careful guiding in their christian lives.
There are many Hindu and Moham-
medan students in the hospital and col
lege, with whom they come constantly
in contact. In the college boarding
house are many christian girls from
other missions and the whole tendency is
to a good deal of worldlness and a
form of goodness" only. Our girls
must meet these also and except there be
strong influence in the Home and a
deep spiritual life maintained by the girls
they are sure to be influenced by those OF
whom l speak. l am here primarily for
this work. There has never been W.
F. M. S. lady in charge before, the work
being in the hands of an assistant entire
ly and it was found to be most impor
tant that a change be made, then in ad-
dltlon, after little, will come to me the
city work. have had my hands more
than full in the days have been here
getting things in hand and righted in a
measure, find very interesting class
OF girls here-good Christian girls too.
Their rooms are in a compound, or
yard, surrounded by a high wall, the
gateway but a few feet from my door
They live in the native style, as we like
10 have our native christians live, and
as nearly all do live. They have very
comfortable rooms, each to accommodate
SIN girls-three beds in a row in each
room There is one room which
they use for their dining room,
study room and for daily prayers
as well as for the prayer meetings. l
want it to be place where God meets
with girls, teaching, leading and blessing
them and us together. Will you not
pray for this and ask all the dear friends
who ever pray, to remember us very
often when they go in unto the King"
a Remedy for the Grippe.