Evening star., 1916-10-14
Topic:
MISSIONS AMONG THE WOMEN
OF INDIA.
Isaiah. 92-i

The people that walked in dark
ness have seen a great light; they that
dwell in the land of the shadow of
death, upon them hath the light
shined. Thou hast multiplied the ma
ton and not increased their JOY; they
joy before thee according to the JOY
in harvest. as men rejoice when they
divide the spell. For the yoke Of his
burden, and the staff of his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor, thou hast
broken as in the day of Midian."
This is part of Isaiah's prophecy of
the coming Of Christ, the Messiah; it
fellows his prophecy of the Assyrian
conquest OF Palestine, and the trou-
u.s. and y oes that were to befaH ISRAEL
70 hsr : -. IL is wonderful vision
q: :l.t coming Of the Nessianlc king
us'u. ana, while il was meant to apply
to israel in her time OF %oeS. yet in
Tie sp.eaG o. 'he gospel and the evan
l-IzatioH Of Tie world there i no
i..!-tOn 10 HH-ca t-te coming Of Chris
ri.G.ts mas not been 4 fulhlimeat ot
tits pscphsyy; ana i applies more @p-
rrOpg}Ateiy, Il seems. - the coming Of
the gospei 10 tie people Of India than
10 ny Cther alt.on. because Of FAe
l,.t-sSity 0: tbs darkness III which
ih.v -waiked--l- darkness, or lack OF
cjviiIzstioii. manifested mostly IN the
,ouG.iian OF tae women c: ;hs; coun-
i, ,yzs II tuGia that Rudy@rd kip!ins
wrote; rils I:i;.tter with this country
H. 40; ~ The least political, bat an
Al cuI!d onis.nsienieHt Of physical
;1!.G social and moral evils aud cor
YupttcE, all move or less due to the
uaiatW-j.i treatment OF woner. You
c..f.uot gather figs from this,les, and
50 ioig 40 the system Of infant mar
rlago, the prohibition of the renlar
rage of widows, the lifelong i!nprls-
OHrnent OK wives in worse than penal
confinement and The Withholding from
tiieiE OF any kind OF education as
rational beings continues, the country
cannot advance :. step. Hal? Of il is
morally dead. and worse than dead, and
that IL just the half from which We
have = rIzlt 20 look FOR the best iiH-
r,1lscs. Tie foundations Of life are
rotten. utterly rotten. Men talk Of
their rights and privileges. hav"
seen tne women that bear thebe men
MAY God forgive tho men,
II IS no; easy 70 understand how
such statements couid be true Of a ma e
ton that had voluninous written ltt-
eTature. and had studied the hea vens
accurately enciigE 10 calculate the solar
yeac, in 1000 y. c; had worked out a
science OF mathematics, a scheme Of
philosophy, and an art OF music with
seven notes in 500 Il. G; and had writ
ten Sanskrit grammar. still used by
scholars. in $50 b. c: that produced the
magnificent palace-fort a Delhi, with
its wonderful Pearl Mosque. and It's
Auoience Hall With the Peacock
Throne. and also that marvellous tomb,
the Tai Mahal, nearly 300 years ago.
and that in our own day has produced
one Of the great poets OF all me.
i:abindranath Tagore, the winner %! the
Nobel prize for literature for 1919, who
is even now the honored guest of our
own country.
In spite of these accomplishments,
however. Kiplings description is true
to life. The worst feature of II is that
il Is all really a part of tn" religious
SYSTEM II the appalling customs were
contrary to the national religion, and
due only 20 a low degree of 'civiliza ion.
there might be hope OF thc'r b"iuy
Ten;edied from within; bur saucc the
religion ttxelf debases womanhind, the
only hope Is in new and purer faith.
In this country. where woman has
not only social and professional free-