Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-04-23
MISS SUSIE SORABJI.
Young Parsee Missionary Who Has
Done Wonderful Evangelistic
Work i'm the Far East

exceedingly interesting personality
and history. Susie Sorobji, is a mem
| Der of Parsee family-one of the
very few families which have abjured
Zoroastrianism to embrace Chistian-
| ity. As is well known, the ParseeS
| (Persians), of India, of whom there
| are over 100000, are descendants of
an ancient sect known as fireworship
ers, or Zoroastrians, who, driven
| from their own land by Mohammedan
| persecution, sought refuge in Hindu
stan in the seventh century. At the
present day they represent the most
| prosperous moral and cultured class
of the native population.
Until 1S41 no Parsee had acceptec
| Christ. In that year Mr.. Sorabji, u
Parsee gentleman of position and ia
f1uence, was converted, and about the
same time two other men of similar
standing acknowledged the Saviour.
! All suffered severe persecution. Mr..
Sorabji died in 1894, after so years of
missionary work. His widow is at
the head of great Christian educa-
| tional work in Poonah, and her chill
dren, one of whom is the subject of
this sketch, are the brilliant pioneers
of new movements in Parsee life.
Miss Sorabji's only brother, dis
! tinguished lawyer in Allahabad, is
the organizer of great deal Of
Christian work, which draws to-
gether people of all races and classes.
Her sister Cornelia is the first wom-
an of India to take the degree of
bachelor of arts. She is India's first
and only woman lawyer, and the first
woman to hold a professorship (the
chair of English literature) in the
mems art college in India. Another
sister is. by government appointment,
head of the girls high school and
training college in Poonah, an UNI
usual honor, for it is not customary
to place natives at the head of gov
eminent institutions. The younger
sister of this gifted family, the first
girl to take the degree of bachelor
of science in the Bombay university,
is studying medicine in London, that
she may go back to India as a medi-
cal missionary.
Miss Susie and Miss Lima SOrabii
conduct the four schools in Poonah
of which their mother is head; the
former is here to plead for this work
The schools hold about 400 children;
three times as many would come if
there were room. There is the Vic
tor1a high school, the Hindu ragged
school, the Parsee school, the Mo-
hammedan school. These are for
both sexes; but it is to the little
Crjr ri of he Nho,
haps, that these ladies give their most
intense attention, for these, at a
very early age, are put Gin purdah,''
that is, yelled and clapped into a
zenana, whence they may not issue
forth. Two Bible women. native
Christians, follow up these children
and teach them in their homes. Dur
ing the famine Miss Sorabji did her
utmost for her stricken pupils, and
in her school are a number of fam
inc orphans. Besides her school
work, Miss Sorabji does a great deal
of evangelistic work in all the
churches. Then she has gathered
many children into a band called
Little Volunteers" who hold month
ly meetings for Bible study in the
| open air as we'll as in churches.
Branches of this organization have
been formed all over India. The
monthly meetings are attended by
hundreds.
Miss Sorabji's evangelistic work
among soldiers, which has resulted in
many conversions, began when, after
filling an engagement for five min.
utes' talk, the red coats sent for
NAL request that she would speak
to them for an hour. By invitation.
she has held eyangelistic meetings at
Bangalore, Lanauli, and other places
as well as Poonah. At her farewell
meeting in Poonah nearly the whole
English garrison was present, and
when she asked for the hymn, "All
Hail the Power of Jesus Name" they
rose tC : man and their mighty cbo-
rus shook the house
Miss Sorabji has become very non
ular with American audiences. She
is a graceful, able, magnetic speaker
using beautiful English, with her sub
ject SO thoroughly at command that
she makes the story of Parsee. Mo-
hammedan and Hindu life and ems
toms most charming and entertain
ing as well as a deeply stirring theme.
With her soft, melodious voice. and
her great dark eyes, this slender
little woman in Parsee dress is in