In the Dispensary.
IN one Hindoo patient we are much interested. Her home is not far from the Christian parah, and she had already heard a good deal about Christianity.
She met us in the road, and begged us to come into her compound. This we did, and had many attentive listeners. When we rose to go, the Bible-women told her to show we her foot, which had a very bad open sore, and she asked if we could do anything for it at the dispensary. I feared it was too bad, but told her she might come and see. We told her we were not at all sure it would get well, yet she might pray to the Lord Jesus, for with Him nothing was impossible. After long, patient waiting, and many dressings, it did quite heal, and this patient never forgot it was His doing. She came again and again, not always for herself or her own household, but if any of her neighbors wanted medicine, she seemed glad of the excuse, and she always wanted to hear about Jesus Christ.
After obtaining the medicines she would sit down again, and eagerly listen to all that was told her. Whenever I went to her village she wanted me to go to her house. Many times I had to refuse. When we were able to go she was not content with hearing herself, but would call her neighbors, and make all in her own compound leave their work to listen. Soon a happy look came into her face. She assured us that Jesus Christ had given her peace in her heart, and that she never prayed to any but Him. She has a deep sense of sin. Sometimes in talking with her I have wished that some of the Christian women had as clear a knowledge of sin, of a Saviour, and of forgiveness.
Mothers’ Meetings.
Can you imagine thirty to fifty women all talking at once―all wanting to be shown how to do their piece of work, apparently unable to understand the meaning of “Do not talk,” or “Wait where you are; I will come to you as soon as possible”? Added to this, numerous babies are crying loudly, and the heat and closeness are almost unbearable. In the end our combined efforts obtained a tolerably orderly class, and we succeeded in producing garments for small children which did credit to some mothers who had never learned to sew before. When the work was folded up and put away, we closed with a simple Bible-lesson and prayer, and I must say at those times the women were, from the beginning, quiet and attentive, and generally succeeded in keeping their little ones fairly quiet.
In the Villages of Bengal.
“Two young women had come, asking us to go to their village, which was named after the moon,” writes Miss Brown, “and where there were a few women who had heard of our religion some years ago, and who wanted to hear again.
“This village was on the other side of the river, and few of the inhabitants seemed ever to have seen an English lady, whilst one or two had treasured up the few truths they had heard and understood, and were most anxious to hear again.
“The people were pleased to see us, when, suddenly, without a word of apology, the whole mass turned their backs upon us, calling to each other to go to the school.
“At first we were puzzled to understand the meaning of this sudden movement, but we discovered that some of the women had caught sight of Miss Dawe’s figure corning towards the village, and they were calling to one another, ‘Miss Dawe is coming! There will be a meeting! Leave your work!’ Upon this some hurriedly caught hold of their goats to tie them up; and others shoveled rice and other things they had been cooking into remote corners, that the birds should not get at them.
“Miss Dawe went over the gospel story simply and slowly from the very beginning, and often such remarks were made as, ‘We have not forgotten,’ ‘We have been wanting to hear about it again,’ or, ‘Yes, we do believe in Jesus; our idols can do nothing!’
“One morning we rode to a village that had never been visited before by a lady, though some work had been done amongst the men. At first they seemed alarmed at our sudden appearance, but after we had made a few conciliatory remarks, and had taken off our hats that they might see we had long hair, and were therefore really women, they let us sit down. After again re-assuring some doubtful ones who were outside, that we were women, and that they were good words we had come to speak, we got an attentive group of women.
“They were Mahornmedans, and very ignorant, but listened eagerly, and seemed to think the news was too good to be true. Gradually one and another came dropping in; they began to understand more fully what was being told them, and one or two of the more intelligent asked questions. They seemed to think it most wonderful that they could have their sins forgiven, and go to live with God in heaven.” From “India’s Women.”