Evening star., 1915-11-27
MRS. WILBUR F. CRAFTS
GIVES LECTURE ON INDIA
Despair and Glory of Christian Mis-
sions' She Tells the Wom-
ans Union.

India. "the despair and glory of
Christian missions" formed the theme
of lecture by Mrs. Wilbur F. Crafts
before the Womans Interdenomina-
tional Missionary Union at the Public
Library yesterday afternoon. The lee
turer set forth the complexity of evils,
social, moral and religious, which
make India the most difficult mission
field in the world, and enumerated the
achievements of Christianity in help
ing overcome them.
India is at once the despair and
glory of Christian missions" Mrs.
Crafts declared. I'VE despair because
of the vast number of people-350,-
100000, one-ffth of the population of
the world. 'ine great diversity of
languages-nearly 200 languages and
dialects-mak kes missionary work a
problem. The International Sunday
School Lessons are published in fifty
two dialects for the use of the half
million of boys and girls who are con-
nected with the India Sunday School
Association. The people are further
divided by six so-called religions. first
and, second, 60,O00.000 Mohammedans.
Caste an Important Factor.
which may be called an organized de-
NAL of the brotherhood of man. There
are 2.373 enumerated in the census.
The lower castles number four times as
many more. All social intercourse is
forbidden between any two castles.
People will even starve before break
ing their caste. Caste makes national
patriotism impossible, and it makes
great difficulty in developing Christian
philanthropy.
Another item of despair is the de-
scriptures teach women's inferiority
and impurity, and 40,000.000 women are
secluded in zenanas. Hardly 100000
women out of the 144,000.000 have the
barest rudiments of education.
"One hundred years of missionary
work has done much for India" con-
tinued Mrs. Crafts. "Philanthropic
work for lepers has been established
Before this lepers were burned to rid
the nation of them Lord Lawrence,
when governor of the Punjab, made
these laws: Thou shalt not burn thy
widows. thou shalt not kill thy
daughters: thou shalt not burn thy
lepers.' Schools have been opened for
the deaf and dumb and for the blind.
Co-Education Carried On.
Co education has been carried on by
lne AfneFICdH DdHu ioi d PcIiou
of thirty-five years-an unthinkable
sort of thing before Christianity came
to India
THE Y. NJ. c. A. and the Y. w. c. A.
have been established. Rajahs are ri
valing each other in gifts to secure
secretaries and buildings for the Y. M.
C. A. The y w. c. A is developing a
class of happy and useful girls that are
an inspiration in their land.
industrial missions are working
great change in the economic condi-
tions of India. Agricultural colleges
are teaching the people how to i'm
prove their poor land. how to drain
swamps and control floods. Criminal
transformed into centers of useful In
dustry, all through the efforts of mis-
sionaries.
"A student community is being built
up composed of young men. who are
awakening to the social conception OF
life and society. A Christian hymnody
is being developed, orientaliZing meth
DDS of work. The Christian Endeavor
Society," calling themselves the Sign
Post Society, is doing wonderful
work of uplifting. Hospitals, particu
larly for women. are convincing proofs
of the superiority of the Christian re-
Hgion. work and teachings declared
Mrs. Crafts.
Mrs. Elsie Nelson addressed the study
class. Mrs Nelson has daughter In
India. working under the Lutheran
Mrs. Isaac Pearson spoke on the
needs of tho Waldens1an Church in
India