The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1908-01-24

"Behind the Curtain"
High-class Hindu and Nohammedan
women are kept "purdah," that is 'be-
hind the curtain" The precautions
that are used to keep them from the
gaze of all men save their families
seem ridiculous to a westerner. One
such woman was put into railway
compartment next to mine, with the
most elaborate precautions. But when
we stopped at small station I caught
a glimpse of her face through the
window and-well, she would never
be kidnapped for her looks! This Sc
queStration of the women leads to all
manner of evils; and the lot of the
poor creatures is narrow and pitiable,
indeed.
Now the women missionaries are
penetrating behind the curtain" TAX
ing with them medical healing, the
schoolbook and the Bible. The Wo-
mans Missionary Union Of America is
especially diligent in this zenana
work, having missions in five cities,
and their range of activities includes
visitation to the homes, day schools
for children, orphanages, rescue
homes, hospital and high school
and college. AS l talked with two
bright American girls at Allahabad,
Miss Wishard and Miss Bertsch,
about their work, and heard how they
had rescued % ill-treated and wild
owed Brahmins during the first four
months of the year (they teach 500
women a week. I could not but agree
that this was womanly work for
women, affording career such as
should satisfy any college-bred girl
A Tomb for a Home.
The woes of women, and especially
of widows, in India are too we'll known.
to need rehearsal here. They afford
endless scope for missionary service.
Thus, at Lucknow the Methodist Epis-
copal mission has converted an old
Mohammedan tomb into a home for
homeless women. 1t was rather inter-
esting to learn that large part of the
cares of the charming young woman
in charge is the endeavor to find hus-
bands for as many as possible of the
so women who come under her over
sight every year.
In this same city of Lucknow
found another flourishing institution
for women, the Isabella Thoburn col
lege, said to be the oldest college for
girls in India, having been established
in 1870. 1t is affiliated with the Uni
versity of Allahabad, and has more re-
quests than it can meet for graduates
to fill governmental and private
teaching positions. The college has
won favor with high-caste natives,
and its nearly 200 students represent
all classes of society. I could not see
that the life differed greatly from the
life of American college girls.
AS watched file of these lustrous-
eyed, graceful, white-robed girls cross
the campus of the Presbyterian girls
school at Allahabad, on their way to
chapel, it seemed to me that the spec
tacle was rather more picturesque
than anything an American college
can boast. This building is the gift of
Mr.. John Wanamaker. A Christian
Endeavor meeting by the girls was
quite model meeting of the Ameri-
can type. Christian Endeavor appears
to be especially effective among the
Indian churches. Even a slight asso-
citation with the students here seemed
to show in their character reflection
Of the charm of Miss Forman, their
principal The caliber, culture and
character of some of the American
women to be met on the mission field
are altogether beyond the imagining
of the public at home.
New India in the Making.
Among the Indian reformers there
is observable movement looking to-
ward the naturalization of midas
varying creeds, which is a step essen
tial to political unity. The national
creed is not intended to be Christian
ity. The one conspicuous agency Off
setting this tendency is the mission
school. Up and down the length of
India are schools conducted by mis-
sionaries and attended by the children
of Christian converts (for they are
part of the machinery which must
produce the next generation of native
preachers), by the children Of low
castles, who are thus equipped to rise
in the social scale and, to an increas-
ing extent of late years, by the chill
dren of the higher castles. 1t is al
most hopeless to attempt to enumerate
these; might specify the fine big
Reid Christian college at Lucknow of
the Methodist Episcopal church, stu
ated on ground made historic by the
mutiny, equipped with imposing build
ings, attended by 500 students in DOR
mitory, from wide region of which
Lucknow is the center, and admins
tered to by men of ability and breadth
of vision. Both collegiate and CONNER
cial courses are given here.
Early this year many Methodists
from America journeyed to India to
attend the jubilee of Methodist Epis-
copal missions at Bareilly, where so
years ago Rev. William Butler estab-
lished the work of the Methodist Epis-
copal church, which has now grown to
a force of 5000 workers and 100000
native members. At this celebration,