The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-06-13
CHILD MARRIAGE IN INDIA.

CHILD MARRIAGE IN INDIA
Giribala was one of the victims. She was fat
merry little thing good and obedient, never absent
from school unless her mother very busy. Then
she stayed at home to take care of the baby Wis
tied her mother sometimes those days. A bit of
mating had been made into a hammock and swung
from the tiny veranda roof, and in this baby lay
while Girl swung it to and fro. When L sat down
her mother would hand the little thing over to me
and say, smiling, ''rake her with you" and Girl
would dance around delighted Twill YOU come to
school tomorrow, baby? She learning her letters
now; she can say "a already" And baby gurgled
and stretched fat legs and arms. Then Girl would
help me to sing hymn, and when the Bible story
began she would smile recognition and put in a con-
tilmatory word now and again 1t was a happy lit
tie home.
But one rainy season my merry little girl lay down
for months of illness. When | went to see her T
found her weak little skeleton Yes she would
like hymn" And she nestled down In my arms but
she could not join in now
At last the fever left and she slowly regained
strength After months she came back to school
thinner and taller fond of lessons as ever and bring
ing with her the baby sister
20, Girl" 1 demonstrated, 'you mustn't bring her!
She is too young. L can't put her name on the roll
yet"
THAT doesn't matter" she said *She likes To
come, and she will be quiet but you needn't put her
down."
A few months later that Girl was to be
married She was not quite nine years DID, the
young husband about fifteen and had been edu-
Gated in mission school. That was a comfort: her
gospel would not be torn up. He allowed her. as she
was young, to back to school for some months
after the wedding ceremonies But one day
l met him near the school. He had come to tell me
GIN must go. | begged for few months more He
hesitated Il would be willing to let her remain he
said at last-'I approve OF female education-but nv
mother is dead; my father and 1 have no one to
cook for us"
Can you not get some woman?" [ suggested "She
Is such child she could hardly MANAGE
lie explained. Their servant had left. In the village
they could not get another of good enough
caste to touch the food though she did other things
Girl could cut up the vegetables, boil the rice and
scour the brass dishes under her direction.
So few weeks later Girl said goodby school for
ever. | watched her she slowly collected her be-
longings-slate and pencil and thImbe, the reading
book with its coarse woodcucts, the torn "Peep of
Day." long since finished the well-thumbed "NIat-
thew" not yet finished They all put together
and rolled up in bit of clean rag that is the Indian
schoolgirls satcheI.
So she went away to her husbands village
probably few mud huts, few palm and banana
trees, pond of two, around dreary stretch of fiat
land, hot and cracked from March till June mud
swamp from July till November. Here this child be-
gins her woman's life The servant will teach her
not only to cook and scour, but to do puiah wor-
ship to the idols will tell her that unless she does
she will never have SON. and in that case her hus-
band will marry second WIFE and when she her
self dies she must 90 to hel-there will be no son to
light her funeral pyre.
The docile child will not soon forget the lessons
she learned eagerly at school but she will be far
from help. How is she to fight those deadly super
stItons? And far away in the little village there VIII
be no one, not to bid her trust her Father IN
heaven and Jesus her Saviour who love her and her
child-HissioHary Hcrdid.