News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-03-26

| SudSS l(dNuNl, anu an NlOoN W.
with him for an hour, perhaps hay
ing two or three Interruptions in the
midst of it, though usually refuse to
hear any one at this time. Then
spend an hour or so more in attend
ing to sick boys, dressing various
bruises and sores. Just now the pop
ular disease is the itch" and a very
troublesome and tenacious thing it is.
After this business is over, | may sit
down for a few minutes to stud y be-
fore breakfast, at half-past ten. Be
tween that and lunch at three, l
spend some time in school, visiting as
many different classes as | can, have
| boys come to see me at recess with
various requests, get a short nap,
and perhaps get letters ready for the
mail. Every day will have its differ
ent round of things to be done. At
four usually go to school to conduct
gymnastics and drill, and then have
some time free for recreation. Even
ings is the time for writing letters,
making up accounts, studying, and
conference with the other mission
aries. This outline gives little idea
of the multitude of things that
clamor to be done,
The two hundred and fifty boys
that live in our compound we try to
keep busy, and give little time for
mischief. We hardly dare to give
holidays for fear of trouble. During
Christmas week, some small work
had to be assigned each day. For
some months now, we have had all
the boys, except the very smallest, in
some branch of industry. There are
a carpenter shop, a shop for weaving
wool rugs, another for weaving cloth
on the native hand loom for the
boys own clothes, garden in which
vegetables are raised for sale and for
use, when there is water; just now
the well is dry and we must wait for
rain. We have classes for washing
clothes, for sewing, for mason work,
making repairs and additions to
buildings, and the latest thing is
cooking. Formerly this was done
by women, on the small native fire.
places. Now we have large brick
stove, with sheet iron top, on which
the fat cakes are baked, like so many
pancakes. The boys do the work of
kneading and getting the cakes into
shape, under the direction of three or
four women. This is really work
of art, as a roller cannot be used, ex-
cept with wheat flour, and the cakes
must be shaped with the hands.
This bread is always unleavened and
unsalted. The seasoning is supplied
by the highly spiced curry, or other
kind of gravy, which they have to
eat with it. On certain days, our
boys have rice, and sometimes meat.
Some of the sick ones come to the
bungalow at meal times, to receive
some thing from our table.
In all this varied work for the
boys, the endeavor is to give each
one something to do outside of
school, to give each one work adapt
ed to his tastes and ability, to give
all some training in different useful
industries, and those who will not go
on far in school special training in
some industry by which they can
support themselves. Most of these
boys come from the lowest castles,
from people who have never been in
dustrious or useful members of So
ciety, and it is difficult to develop in
them at once habits of industry and
self-reliance. The work we are try
ing to do here at Sholapur is in gen
eral outline duplicated in all the
stations of our Missions. The two
experts who have lately come from
America to direct in agricultural and
technical instruction will furnish us
the best methods for carrying on
this new work, and meeting the eco
nomic needs OF the people among
whom we work In general the
condition of the people appears to be
much better than it was a year ago
at this time. Crops were fairl good,
except in limited localities, and there
seems to be little acute distress. Yet
the Government relief works keep on,
and will probably remind us for
some time yet that famine conditions
are not entirely pa ssed. As evidence
of the improved condition of the peo-
pie is the number Of people who have
come to ask for their children, now
that they are better able to take
care of them. 1t is the general rule
to give upchildren when the parents
ask for them, and boys have run
away during the harvest season, and |
man have been uneasy, for the peo-
pie like to go into the fields to eat |
the fresh grain. An added source
of uneasiness has been the plague in
the city, which was quite serious I'M
til few DAYS ago, but appears now
to be diminishing. We are outside |