Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-01-31

y
of Salisbury Mrs Parker is native
of Vermont, being born in St Johns
bury, and has been a missionary in
India since 1859:
Harda, India, Dec. 18th, 1912.
Your kind letter dated September
10Th was received with pleasure. The
poem enclosed was very helpful. This
nice weather that we have during the |
winter months is a busy time with us
but | don't like to leave any letters
unanswered at the close of the year.
| am sitting on the veranda in the warm !
sunshine while think of you in some
cosey room with a fire. Our District |
Conference with all its good meetings |
closed near the end of last month. This |
is the month set apart for special
evangelistic services in all our mission
field in India. The two last days of
our District Conference were spent in
prayer and special preparation for these
services. Bands of native preachers go
out in the villages and hold meetings in
the open air and in private houses.
The object is to reach as many people
as possible with the Gospel message
to encourage and help the Christians
/ living away from the centers where
preachers reside, and to persuade en-
quirers to decide for Christ A great
many portions of Scripture are sold and
religious tracts distributed. Last year
these services were attended with very
encouraging results. We are praying
for greater blessings this year. | will
see if | can find little statement of
; last years work in our North India
conference. | wanted to be out with
some of the work ers but work in the
school is keeping me here just now. |
may be able to go out some a little
later.
My home was in ST. Johnsbury, Vt.
That was my husbands home also. |
was born there July 9th, 1884, so you
see am 78 years old. We came to
India in 1859. We sailed from Boston
on sailing vessel April 18th and reach
ed Calcutta August 21st, little more
landing anywhere. So l have been a
missionary more than SO years. 1t has
been very great privilege. When we
arrived there were very few Christians
in any of the missions. DR.. Butler s
work had been interrupted by the Sepoy
Rebellion and there were very few
Christians, less than a dozen, | think
in our mission. | have lived to see the
number increased to more than two
hundred thousand. We often say, BE
hold what God hath wrought. Tc
Him be all the glory, we are but feeble
. instruments in His hands"
+ You ask if | used to eat maple sugar
Much of my life was spent on a farm
and my father had large maple grove
! and it was said that he made the bes
q sugar in town. My brother-in-lav
sends me little cake by mail every
year. Our sugar here is made from
sugar cane. 1t is very good, but does
+ not have as good flavor as the maple
q sugar. 1t has been one of our treats
h when we have been at home to have
v maple sugar. | think we only once hac
q it the old fashioned wagon snow-a!
n we were not there when there was
snow. We do not suffer for want &.
the good things we used to have a
v home. We have in these days goot
O. comfortable houses and we have goo(
r. ton with Christian friends at home
IS l love the native people and the Chris
d tians are very kind to me. | am tn
q only American among the million o
r. people in this district. There are
# few Government officials here-tw
e English, a doctor and a judge-wit
It their wives, so | am not altogethe
e shut off from English society. M
e work is all among natives and in tn
" native language. Our services are a
=. in the Hindustan language. | am gla
IS if my letters have interested the chile
10 rem and the ladies in the church Pleas
- give them all my loving greetings an
thank them tor their prayers and VIVA
they are doing to send the Gospel to tn
he heather. We will all work togethe
S. for the incoming of Christ's Kingdom i
t, the world. We may all be co-laborer
~ with our Saviour in this work. / al
at glad to tell the school girls of those VIII
as are doing so much for them, often g
,e great sacrifice, and that it is expecte
lie that they will labor for their heathe
e. sisters. That is the object of OF
Sc school to teach and train workers fC
h. the needy fields about US. The wor
I'd here is hard, Satan has held the Peep
n, in bondage so long that it is hard fC
a the people to free themselves from tt
r bondage they have been in. But God
e. promises are sure, and India is sure
Al. I I L Al. :. A. 4