The Republican journal., 1910-04-07

too soon know the worst. HOW strangn
everything and everybody looked. il st
/ fancy all the people in just one garment,
/ put on, to be sure, in some particular
way, but really it doesn't look very par
ticular at first sight. These garments
are yards long, and now l think they
! look very we'll, but-well, l wish some
of you could come by airship and sud-
denly find yourselves alightlng IN Bala-
sore. Unless you come you really can, t
quite know all the sensations one gets
upon arrival.
The missionaries seem like one big
scattered family. have known so many
of them for years that l DO not feel a
stranger. In fact, the man who has
charge of the work in Balasore is a
Maine man, graduate of Bates, and his
wife is Maine woman. They nave
charge of a boys orphanage, a high
school for boys, an industrial school, a
church, and all the native preachers who
go out to the country districts for work.
Some of you are especially interested
in the little girl Troy. Miss Coe and l
of her. We are sending some films to
Calcutta today to be developed which we
hope will be good. Several have failed,
but some day you shall see her picture.
She is about three years old, a very at
tractive child, the pet of all the orphan
age children, who rejoice heartily that
Seekedar is to have ''nua mama" for
that is the title that has been given me,
nua meaning new. She is healthy, and
Seekedar, her name, means happiness,
which suits her very well. Your hearts
would ache for these children if you
could see them. | thought l had seen
misery in Chicago, and | did see some,
but there were so many to help alleviate
1T, or who could help if they would.
Here it seems as though the people are
so helpless and so poor.
L am not going to tell you the sad
stories | might in this letter, but here is
one. Yesterday | had a sick child in my
room playing with Troy, who was brought
here in a bag and left sometime ago.
Another little one that died not long ago
was found in an old cemetery where she
had been left to die. Almost every child
has some sad story attached to its little
history, and these children are the best
cared for of all the little ones around
except in the best Christian homes. They
are often SO weak and sickly that they
cannot be made to live, but on the other
hand they often thrive and Get we'll and
strong here.
There are people turning from idolatry
to Christianity every day, but think
what that means. They give up their
idols and all their former associations,
and ally themselves with the Christians,
and take the name of Christian. Think
OF the teaching we had from childhood as
to what Christianity means, and how we
sometimes fail to live out it's precepts.
Is it anything less than a miracle that
these people really give evidence of a
changed heart and life. Some take the
name as America takes the name, and
have not the real vital regeneration ex-
perience. Not every American is regen-
Grated, but America is Christian nation.
l do so like Mrs. Dodge's suggestion
about the prayer circle. Rosie told me,
IN one letter, that she would pray for me
every day. l think there is never a dav
when | am not reminded of that promise
and helped by it. Oh, c. Els, do believe
you can do as much for foreign missions
here as can, if you will really pray. God
does answer prayer. know it. | think
II l were to send request it would be
that you pray that those who are willing
to become Christians, who really are
Christians in name, might have the vital
Aedrt experience Inat would work out
completely changed life. If you could
know some of the Christians who have
come through much tr,bulation to aknowl-
edge of God, and have become such shin
ing lights tor Him, you would not wonder
that long to see the same in many other
lives, especially the women.
| think of you all in the homeland, and
90 not fee! as far away as am. God
ct1f4i
calls us to do. There is only one hard
thing about it at all, and that is the sep
aration from friends, but everything
has its compensation. never felt more
surrounded by friends than here, for
these Christians ring true and l love them.
l can t do much but study until l get
the language, though have been chosen
President of an English C. E. Society,
but it's good to live here; come over and
see.
Yours for the Master,