Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-09

The difficulties which have to be
faced by the natives of India, when
they give up native religions
and accept Christianity, are lit
tie realized by the people of this coun-
try, where, to large extent. o man
religious beliefs. are of interest to no
body but himself and his immediate
| family. The situation in India Is well
Illustrated by "a story which has just
/ come here. from the Rev. F. j. New
ton, who is stationed at the Punjath
Mission OF the Presbyterian Board OF
Foreign Missions. The story Is OF
man who had been a Christian for
years. before he had courage to be
baptized. DR.. Newton says:
HE lived IN country place, was
the Imam of a Masjid OF
mosque, and at the same time
practiced hilmat (medicine). He
came to us years ago to learn some
thing of our system of medicine. as
we'll as surgery His stay with us of a
little over month ended in his COM
plete alienation from Islam. He is
man about 35 unusually well read in
Persian, Arabic and Urdu, clever above
all competitors in the practice OF hik-
mat in all the region around, and very
ready and eager to pick UP new ideas.
He resigned his Masjh on his return
home and relied thenceforth on his
practice alone for his living. And he
lost nothing, but increased his Income
considerably.
Meanwhile he took every opportunity
of reading the gospel ITO others; they
did not mind this much, some few In
deed accepted his views; yet he was
rather laughed at, and called by some
Hiram. All went smoothly enough
until he was baptized, and then a
storm of persecution broke out which
exceeded anything he had expected,
although he had anticipated there
would be opposition. His best friends,
even those VINO had apparently SYM
pathized with him, Joined the ranks OF
his enemies, sund he stood alone in his
village.
HE has wife and two small boys
Her relations are trying their best to
get the wife to forsake him, as having
become Kofir and no longer worthy OF
her His life has been threatened; he
has been boycotted, and his practice
entirely STOPPED. I appealed to our
superintendent of police to give him
protection from violence. He readily
responded and took the necessary
steps. Yet with all this there is dan
ger for there Is nothing to prevent
their killing him after dark II he
chances to be abroad. Murders are
very common, the police are corrupt
and nothing so common as bribery and
false witnessing. If a crime occurs
the police make a great ado, but let
off the criminal, even II caught, Ii he
or his friends be rich enough to bribe
them, and in the end do nothing, or
seize some poor wretch too poor to
indulge in bribery, and torture a con-
fession out of him.
Deceit and untruthfulness are uni-
versal among rich and poor alike, and
such is the material we have to work
upon. But it is oticeable-and the
Maulavi (Mohammedan) YaqiIb re-
ferv-ed to is case in point-that
there are men here and there who are
sickened by the corruption among
their own people, and are In search OF
better things Attempts at reform are
made, as evidenced in the rise of now
sects both among the Hindoos and
Mosle1ns, while some join the ranks OF
the Christians. These are subject %
the most intense opposition and per-
secution, and very few have the cour-
age to face it.9 Christians in America
can form little conception of the diff
ficulties a convert must needs encoun-
ter. 1t is hardest, of course, for those
isolated in villages like my friend
Yaaib, with no Christian community
near to stand by them. In the case of
the Churas, or low caste, it Is some
what different. AS a rule they are
baptized in large numbers together,