A new life. FIFTH DAY. streets, and they are treated by their social superiors with a contempt and scorn which cannot fail to degrade and depress. The great and significant fact for us is that a new life has entered into this people. They are no longer content to remain ignorant and degraded; they believe that the time has come to improve their condition and assert their rights; they appeal to us in Christ's name for sympathy and help. Some brethren look on this movement with something akin to fear and suspicion, and dread any action which would tend to make the people discontented with their lot. I have no sympathy with such timid doubters. Our Lord Jesus Christ took up no such position. Where there is injustice and oppression His message is not a message of peace but of war; He came "not to send peace but a sword.” As Christian men and women, above all, as Christian missionaries, we are bound to do all that lies in our power to help these people to throw off their bondage. The people will not rest content in their present state; of that you may be assured. In one part of the country at least they are discontented with their lot and resolved to better it. I do not believe that Government interference, or even missionary assistance, can solve this problem. "Who would be free themselves must strike the blow." The great work for us is to Prepare them. prepare the people for the struggle which must inevitably arise, so that they may enter upon it with no low evil motives, but as Christian men whose only desire is to obtain what is just and right. We can do much to prepare them, and to help them to assert their rights. We can do this in many ways,—by helping them to take up Government waste land, by teaching them useful arts and industries which will make them, to a great extent, independent of their richer neighbours, by giving them a good elementary education, which is one of the best means of preparing them to occupy a higher and more honourable position in the land. But all these are only subsidiary. The one and only power that can really elevate these poor ignorant people is the Gospel of Christ. If we lead them to the Saviour He will Many ways of helping. Why Missionaries can reach them. make them free. The Rev. J. E. DAVIS, B.A., C. B. M., Coconada, Madras, said :—I have been very much interested in this subject. A great deal has been said about the lower classes and the diffi culties of elevating them. There is one thing that comes home to me more than all else, and it is this: that the Missionary Societies are the only ones who can reach and elevate the depressed classes in the true sense of the word. The work is too uninviting for others to enter the field. We have not far to look in the Missionary's Guide Book (the New Testament) before we find attention drawn to the depressed classes. When the disciples of Johu were sent to ask Jesus whether He was the true Messiah or should they look for another, we read that Go FIFTH DAY. "In that very hour He healed many of diseases, and said: me, Why? How do I know that it is not some other spirit? Our Lord's "because He has annointed me to preach the Gospel to the example. poor" (the depressed classes). Let us away with human philosophy about this matter. The precept and example of our Master settles the whole question. We will prove ourselves followers of Jesus Christ in proportion as we sympathise with the depressed classes and seek to lift them up. The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. We cannot expect to see many converts from among the Brahmans until the Pariahs are gathered into the fold of Christ. We must not try to reverse God's order: "The first shall be last and the last shall be first." I believe the people who are lowest down have God's great heart going out to them most, and while I rejoice that God in His wisdom and power is able to save the educated proud Brahman, I also rejoice that the ignorance and filth of the lowest down-trodden Pariah is not sufficient to keep him out of the Kingdom of God. The Lord knew that every man could not receive a college education, and He made the plan of salvation so simple that a wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein. I would not say anything against the educational missionary. Every missionary does some educa- Every Missionary an tional work, or else he does not fulfil the whole commission. Education What we need to do for the lower classes is, first to make them alist. disciples and then gather them into little churches and shepherd them. We should also provide them with primary schools and make them as efficient as possible. We must first reach them through their hearts and then instruct them. They do not grow in a day. All growth is gradual, but life is instantaneous. Let us be sure we have the Christ-life and God will help us to develop it. It is quite possible to develop the carnal mind which is at enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can be. There are no mushrooms nor oaks in the Kingdom of God, but new creatures in Christ Jesus. There has been too much said about some kinds of work being done for the present and some for the future. I wish to expose that fallacy. Any work that is not done for The present the present will not be done for the future; and any real work and the done for the present cannot help being full of possibilities for future. the future. God will hold us responsible for giving the Gospel to this generation and not future generations. Therefore let us work for the present generation. Some feel discouraged about the lower classes and cry, 'caution! caution! What we need FIFTH DAY. is to be sure we are working along the line of God's eternal purposes, and then there will be no room for discouragement. We need our vision clarified that we, like the prophet Isaiah, may see the end from the beginning, and cry out He shall not fail nor be discouraged till He hath set judgment in the earth and the Isles shall wait for His law. In the day when Christ makes up his jewels there will be no difference whether men have come out of the colleges or from the scum of the earth, for the Lord Jesus will change them and stamp them all with His likeness. Let us give ourselves to this work with all the power of our being and God will lift them up. The Rev. N. E. LUNDBORG, Secretary, S. E. L. M., Saugor, C. P., said:—I have heard so many good things said about this subject, that it may be counted unnecessary to say any more about it; but I beg to be allowed to say a few words to plead for the depressed classes: certainly they are depressed; they are hated; they are very much abominated by the higher classes. I have in my charge a mission school. I might well say that A poor the lower classes are not so depressed, as a speaker just now Sweeper-boy. described them, in the South of India; still you may judge yourself of how abominated they are by a story I am now going to tell you. The above-mentioned mission school was well furnished, not only with all necessary school materials, but also with a staff of five able teachers, one of them being a Christian, as I had no more suitable Christians to place there. My fellow missionary, the Rev. L. E. Karlsson, had once taken care of a promising sweeper-boy, who wanted to learn. He taught him himself to begin with; but afterwards he one day asked me if I would permit the boy to enter the mission school. Well," I said, "he is most welcome, because the school is for all." The same day I asked the schoolmasters if they were willing to teach a sweeper-boy. They all joined in saying that they certainly were most willing to do so; but, they said, "All the boys will run away." "No matter," said I, "I only ask if you are willing to teach?" About this, there was a long discussion, the end of which was that they all agreed. On a said day the poor sweeper boy entered the mission school, and as soon as he had entered, the whole school, 150 boys and five schoolmasters, absconded. By this they thought to do away with the school altogether; but, thanks to the Lord, it was soon re-opened; but none of the former schoolmasters received back again. By this it is easily seen how much the lower classes are despised here. I ought to mention that the above said act, namely, their running away, was brought about not by the boys, but by the very schoolmasters who had promised to teach the sweeper. They were all of higher castes. They took the boys and formed a new school; but as none would pay 66 for it, they themselves absconded one after another. They FIFTH DAY. prayed me to take them back, but in vain. The Rev. H. U. WEITBRECHT, Ph. D., C.M.S., Batala, Panjab, said-Our experience in the Panjab, as compared with what we have heard to-day from South India, shows that there are considerable local variations in the condition of the depressed class es. We cannot say, in the Panjab, that our Government is Government indifferent to their wants and hardships; on the contrary, it has co-operation. an open eye for them, and it is ready to assist missionaries in efforts for the amelioration of their condition, especially by liberal grants for low caste schools. I have found, too, ready help from Muhammadans and Hindu school inspectors in promoting low caste education. Still their condition is bad enough. How can we improve it? I take it that, generally speaking, the missionary who work among these people, will have his hands full enough in caring for them spiritually (which I take to include proper education) without assuming the rôle of a social elevator. There is, however, one thing which has not been mentioned this morning on which I am inclined to lay stress, that is, the work to be done among these classes by the medical missionary. Medical He may, and should do, a great deal to improve their condition in coming generations. Multitudes of them die off like flies, from preventible causes, and for one reason or another they are not much helped by Government medical relief. Again, as to the dangers which exist in guiding the movements among the low castes. They are many and great; and some speakers have laid stress on the need for caution, while others have advocated the need of moving forward with the stream. But why should we not combine courage and caution, energy and wari- Courage and ness? The Lord cure our one-sidedness. If there are dangers, why, then, Let courage rise with danger for we have the strength of Christ on our side. Yet we recognise the dangers, and to obviate them I cannot do better than summarise the counsels embodied by Dr. Uhl in his paper:-(1) Teach carefully before baptism (2) Discriminate carefully among inquirers; admit them as individuals, not as bodies: (3) If no teacher is available, postpone baptism: (4) From the first teach them to give, and see that they keep it up: (5) Use preparatory stage of initiation or catechumenate, before baptism (6) Exercise effective discipline. These movements are a great opportunity; missionaries of every kind may help in using it. Our educated Indian brothers who favour the National Congress for the advancement of their country have a magnificent opportunity to help in the emancipation of 50,000,000 of their countrymen enslaved by oppression or barbarism. If the church of Christ fail to draw them in, they missions. caution. FIFTH DAY. will drift in other directions. Let us unite our best efforts to bring them in! The blind. The Braille system. The Rev. J. L. PHILLIPS, M.A., M.D., LL.B., S. S. U, Calcutta, said:-There seems to be a good opening here for saying a word in behalf of the blind, of whom it is said we have not less than two hundred and fifty thousand in India. Mr. Knowles, of the London Mission in South Travancore, was hoping to be with us and call our attention to this subject, but he has been prevented from coming, so at his request I will say, what I am sure cannot fail of interesting all of you, that a new and better way of teaching the blind to read is now before us, and it is rapidly commending itself to specialists in this line of work. I refer to the Braille system, now known and adopted in France, England, and the United States, and for obvious reasons a great improvement upon the old Moon system. Mr. Knowles gave a pretty full account of this new system in the last October number of the "India Sunday School" Journal, from which I am able to give you a few points. He terms it "a very simple and inexpensive method by which blind chil dren can be taught to read and write, either in English or in any or all of the Indian languages." Mr. Knowles explained the method to me several months ago when I was at his station, and having seen it tried there I am quite prepared to believe all he says concerning it. He says:"All that is wanted to begin with is a simple writing frame which can easily be made for two or three rupees, or it can be bought ready made from the British and Foreign Blind Association, 33 Cambridge Square, London, W. This and some stiff brown paper is all that is necessary, and after the blind child has been taught to read, he can easily be taught to write out books for his own use, or for the use of others." In brief, I may say that this is a plan of reading by means of raised dots on stiff paper, felt by the tips of the fingers, and all letters are made by various combinations of these dots. Sixty-two combinations represent all the letters or sounds of our Indian languages. The blind learn music, too, and concerts are given by them by means of this system. I may only add that the Rev. J. Knowles, Martandam, South Travancore, or N. L. Garthwaite, Esq., M. A., of Kolar, Madras, will be glad to give you further particulars, and to send you specimens of the Braille system as adapted to our vernaculars. Let us begin in good earnest teaching the blind from mendi- children to read and write. It is for these blind boys and girls that I am chiefly interested. We must save them from a life of mendicancy, and let us hope that many of them now begging bread from door to door will become true shining Christians and teachers of others equally afflicted. Seven centuries before the Messiah came Isaiah wrote:--" Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened," and if you read the fourth and fifth verses of the Method. Music, Save them cancy, |