The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1907-06-19


we're in the Bay of Biscsy and that was as
bad as the Channel, and for four days
didn't get on deck and ! assure you
didn't want much to eat those days.
wasn't the only one either that was sea-
sick. l think there was only one man
that was able to be on deck every day. ]
was more or less so all the way out We
stopped in Gibraltar for few hours but
did not get off the ship. In Marseilles
we went shopping at the French shops
which was a pleasant experience. Then
we spent day in Port Said where we had
our first glimpse of Oriental life. We
changed boats at Alden aud didn't get of
again until we landed in Bombay. The
passage through the Suez Canal was very
interesting the Mediterranean Sea and
Red Sea brought to our minds Paups
journeys and the Children OF lsraePs
wanderings. We saw one of the wells
that Jacob is said TO have dug. We land
ed in Bombay on New Years morning.
1t was all so new and strange and inter-
esting too, the people were the most so,
their dress struck me very forcibly, the
gorgeousness of II in some instances and
the absence of it in others. Some one, II
may be Kipling, describes the people as
"clothed in the atmosphere" There were
beggars ofall descriptions, "blind and halt
and lame" old and young. 1t gave one a
very uncanuy feeling to have stump OF
sn arm reaching towards you, whose
hand had been eaten off by leprosy. My
first year was rather trying for various
reasons. Herberts death was such shock
/ II l.,1.N 10 Qr
IL and / know he sent IL all in love, HE
doeth all things we'll" You doubtless
know that 1 am in school work in the
United PRESBYTERIAN Mission. I'll give
you little description OF Pathankot II
you will find Lahore on the map and look
100 miles northeast you will see where we
should be. It's one of the most beautiful
places in India, and doesn't get quite as hot
as some other places do, but 1t gets pretty
warm though, It's at the foot hills ci
the mountains and we get occaslonal
showers that other people do not get. we
have beautiful views OF the snow covered
mountains the Everlasting Shows" we
also have much more vegetation here
than in other places. There is large
canal near mere and there's very goou
system of irrigation which helps the
country greatly. The r. r. terminus is
here and about 50 miles up on the noun
tsins is a large military station, where
the .soldiers go for the summer, and
thousands of them pass through Pathan-
kot every spring and autumn. Ihey
make quite a little excitement while
passing through. We're city of about
5000 and aside from the five missionaries
of us there's only one other European
here and he has native wife. Our So
cial life is not very crowded, though we
do have a great many people come to see
us. There's no sacrifice in being mis-
sionary these DAYS, 1. G., compared win
the pioneer missionaries. We have many
luxuries that they possibly never dreamed
of The only sacrifice is in leaving ones
home, and that too, becomes easy when
God speaks. Our school is Anglo-vernac-
nlar and teach English and help to look
after the girls generally. We have 70
boarders, they are all Christians and some
of them are famine orphan waits. Then
we have 80 nOnchrstan day pupils. our
school is about one-half mile from the
city, and we take the primary depart
ment OF the boarding school into the city
and they recite with the nonchristians.
Ny work is all in the primary depart
ment this year and very interesting.
Last year l had some of the higher
classes. l enjoyed them too, but had to
study good bit myself. The girls sit on
the floor and sometimes they all study
their lessons aloud at the same time, and
you can imagine what noise they make.
AT first didn't know how / could stand
it but I've gotten used to it now. we
have women and girls running in and out
all day long. The women are just like
children; they disturb us some but we
have to bear with many things to try and
win them and show them the love OF
Christ. They sometimes bring little
babies of few days old, without any
clothing on, except little shirt that just
reaches to its waist. They pass it from
girl to girl and live in mortal fear lest
they break its back or some other dire
calamity befalls it. There was woman
in this morning who wanted TO know
how often l ate and whatI ate. She was
very much pleased when l told her some
of the things were the same as they eat.
They often send us some of their food and
its really very good. They can't under
stand why we're not married. They say,
"why didn't your father make arrange
ments for your" They can't see that it's
an individual matter with US and that we
get married or not as we please. Then,
"did no man ever love you?" They don't
marry for love, but they look so sad as II
we were the most pitiable objects. They
forget that we are as free as the birds OF
the air, while they are slaves shut up IN
four walls most of the time and if they dc
go out they have to cover their faces, as
no man, except their husband, is ever al
lowed to see their faces. A great many oi
the men have several wives and they all
live together, and you can imagine how
they would not be very happy. Way up
north, near Thibet, women are so expen'
sive that sometimes one will have five
husbands or a family of brothers will
have one among them. / met a mission
ary not long ago who works up there and
she said the conditions were terrible
I've written all | can send for single
postage and as 1 haven't time to write
enough for double p ,stsge I'll send this
and perhaps finish what | wanted to say
next week.