Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-02-14

we Will nave TO do the pest we can I'M
til the war is over and more people
can be sent. Our hearts are well-nigh
broken, because this is the time when
the work should not only not be cur
tailed, but when some Of the many
opportunities which are crying out to
us should be taken. AS it is at home,
the thing which wears out a mission
airy isn't so much the work he actual
ly does, for no one can do more than
a certain amount, but is the work
which one sees which ought to be done
and which is not being touched. Just
now, because the cost of living for our
people is so high, we fear that we
shall have to let some of our workers
go in order to be able to pay the ones
we keep enough for them to live on.
Another of my problems at present is
a Marathi school which the Zenana
mission wish us to take charge Of. 1t
is composed of Marathi speaking chill
dren who have come to their Urdu
school because there is no Marathi
school near them. The Zenana ladies
feel we should take charge Of it, since
their work is not for Marathi chill
dren and since, if we take the Mara
thi children, they will have room for
more Mohammedans. My husband
and are to assume the responsibility
of financing it to the extent Of SIC a
month, and if any of you feel that you
care to help us out, I shall be so very
glad. When we personally assume
regular work like this, it means that
we have to harden our hearts to the
many individual cases Of need which
come to us almost daily. Would that
some of the many millions of dollars
which are going into this awful war
were being spent to teach people to
love one another!
Paint Naked Bodies Like Tigers
Since our return from Magyar, we
have been highly amused by the antics
of our Hindu friends. This year
Hindu and Mohammedan festival came
in the same week, and we have been
absolutely deafened by the noise. 1t
was like a huge football game, where
the frantic yelling was coupled with
several brass bands, some cali0pes, a
bag-pipe or two, all going at once. For
weesk they have been practicing their
rhythmic dances, which are quite like
our American Indian dances-Wild and
riotous, and yet in perfect rhythm, and
I14111 tT10O nG
through them. The men do most OF
the dancing, and they keep it up al
most necessarily for three days and
nights, until they drop with fatigue.
People who want some special favor
from the gods, paint their naked
bodies like a tiger md go through all
sorts of acrObatic stunts, which are
really very clever. Of course all the
little boys who can also become tigers
Just for the fun of it, and one wonders
lust how much sincere religious feel
ing inspires the older ones who take
part. Our criminal tribes were very
active this year, but we have been
able to censor the songs and dances so
that they were at least decent Be-
sides that, we have been able to reg
ulate the amount Of meat slaughtered
and have thus saved much sickness
among the people. Heretofore, every
family killed as many buffaloes as
they could afford to buy. AS one Of
the rules is that all this meat must be
eaten. it naturally lasted much longer
than was good for the sanitary con-
ditions Of the place, and dreadful cpl
denies resulted from the stencil and
the eating Of foul meat. This year,
only one buffalo was allowed to
certain group Of families and the re-
suits are to be known by the condition
of the settlement, whereas last year
they were known by ones nose, even
at a long distance from the place!
Whenever we have one of these big
festivals, wish that l had moving
picture camera so that you all could
share these interesting things with us.
1t is a sight one could never see in
civilized land-the brilliant colors and
lavish array of ornaments. Cerise is
a favorite color for the mems coats,
not to mention brilliant blues, greens,
puppies, reds and saffron.
Work of a Missionary
Not far from our house there is
prayer place. Often we
see several hundreds of them in these
gorgeous cOlors with the bright sun
shining upon them as they kneel and
bow their heads to the ground in uni
son countless times. If you people
at home took your religion one-quarter
as seriously as do these heather peo
pie, you would soon transform the
world, since our religion is the one
which could do that if it were really
seriously put into practice. Perhaps
it will take a Christianized India to
show the world what Christ meant by
His Kingdom knows! Since
the festival is ended, we have such
blessed relief, for no one is allowed
to touch a drum or instrument for
three days after sunset on given
day. The silence can almost be heardt ]
I see that [ am reaching the end Of !