Temperance work amongst young and old is well received, FIFTH DAY. and proves itself a useful ally to direct evangelistic work. (e) TempeDrunkenness is not a besetting sin amongst the Indo-Europeans, rance work.

but still there is sufficient cause for the existence of total abstinence societies in connection with every church.

Work amongst the children is the most hopeful of all. On it (a) Children's work. depends almost entirely the success of the future; unless early impressions are made, and much care bestowed to protect the young mind and heart pure from the surrounding corruptions, there can be but little hope for the coming generation. Children in India so quickly turn into the men and women of India; the early marriage system drives many, almost against their will, and before they know anything of the world, into the despair of want and responsibility. It is impossible to expend too much care on the children's spiritual training. Much is being done in the Sunday Schools, and there is good reason for encourage

ment.

Catholic Edu

But this leads us to the educational aspect of work amongst 2. Educational. Indo-Europeans, a part of the paper which calls for special attention at this Missionary Conference. What are Protestant (a) Roman Churches doing for the young Indo-Europeans? Look at the report cation. once again of the Pauperism Committee; see the list of free scholars in the schools in Calcutta. Boarders in schools, either free or paid for from charitable funds, total 957; of these, 451 are in Roman Catholic Schools. This proportion is alarming, but is as nothing compared with the next table. Free day scholars in schools 780, and of these 663 are educated by Roman Catholics. Then from the latest report of the Inspector of European Schools in Calcutta and Bengal, it can be seen that the Roman Catholics are educating over two-thirds of the European and Eurasian children. Is it not time that Protestants should awake to their neglect and stop this rapid encroachment on the part of the Roman Catholics? Since the above tabulation of free scholars in Calcutta, a free day school has been started by the C. M. S. Church, the Old Church, and the need of it has been vindicated by 60 being enrolled the first month, and by there now being 110 on the rolls. This is encouraging, but there is opening for much more if only funds were forthcoming. In the higher education, again, the Roman Catholics take the lead-young men and girls are sent to their colleges and

FIFTH DAY.

(b) Need of technical education.

3. Social

convents because they give a better and cheaper education. It is not because Protestant parents prefer Roman Catholic instruction for their children, but because the Roman Catholics offer greater advantages at cheaper rates. True, indeed, is the old saying, "Give me a child till he is twelve, and you may do what you like with him afterwards." Here, then, is a crying need for the children of Protestants, more free education for the poor, and better higher education for those anxious to pass the much required University examinations.

Beyond this, the importance of a technical education for the poor should be much emphasized. The Indian Churchman thus wrote on this subject two months back : Sir Andrew Scoble was in favour of affording greater facilities for University edu cation. Mr. Orr, of Madras, thought that a technical education was the thing to be aimed at. We believe the latter is right. Everybody must expect to have to work either with his head or his hands. The native has, at any rate, in the subordinate departments of head work, thrust out the Indo-Europeans, not that he can do better work than the latter, but he does the same work for less money. On the other hand, he has a rooted objection to working with his hands, and this objection will not be overcome for many generations. Here, then, is a field open to the Indo-European, in which he wlll not find many rivals. He has, on the whole, a finer physique than the native; he takes more readily to manly exercises, and he has not, or, if he has, he has no business to have, any objection to manual labour." Could not something practical be done to further this technical education?

Space will not allow more than a reference to encouragement and hints regarding the social aspect of the work. Enough to say, many harmful customs are being broken down, but that there still lies before us a battle against the early marriage system— (a) Customs. against the extravagant customs at weddings, baptisms, and funerals, and against the ruinous habit of borrowing money and of constantly living in a condition of debt.

(6) Model houses.

There is a stir in Calcutta amongst members of the Eurasian and Anglo-Indian Society in the direction of improving the dwellings of the very poor, commonly known as kintals, and it may well be hoped that schemes for model dwelling-places will soon be realities.

Truly, the work amongst Indo-Europeans is important; un- FIFTH DAY. doubtedly the difficulties are great, and the encouragements but small, yet nevertheless the spiritual future of the IndoEuropeans shall be a bright one if only Christian people will take up the work with a will, and be determined that in God's name it shall be a success.

66

Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts."

FIRST SPEECH.

By the Rev. D. OSBORNE, M. E. C., Mussoorie, N.-W. P.

The insertion of this topic in the programme of this Confer- The importence demonstrates its importance, and that from a missionary ance of this community. stand-point, whether viewed as direct missionary work, or as exercising influence of the most powerful kind upon missionary work, the subject is one whose importance cannot be overstated. That which was once a business mart has grown into an empire, and the company of traders has become a nation. This nation, both from its position and numbers, cannot be ignored. They are growing rapidly, approaching half a million at least; and as the governing race, occupy a position of commanding and unique importance. No Christian worker can afford to overlook them. Their souls need to be saved. They are in peculiar peril. Their very supremacy and national advantage expose them to the subtlest danger. Men-young men-nurtured in the bosom of Christian associations at home, breathing the aroma of prayer and piety, thrust out here amid all the temptations of sensuous gratification and heathenish godliness. Surely, if ever men needed spiritual help, it is the British born and British descended in India.

all."

And none surely have a higher claim upon the sympathy and "Debtor to service of the Christian worker. The soldier protects him, the tradesman ministers to his wants, the engineer charts his way for him, the official preserves peace for the safe prosecution of his labours, the planter, the telegraph operator, the railway mechanic, the office clerk,-all help him forward and make his work easy and agreeable; surely he cannot but feel like Paul that he is "debtor" to them all, and, like him, resolve in

FIFTH DAY. acquittance of that debt-"So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you .... also.”

Sir Andrew
Scoble.

A Sikh's view.

A paradox.

The work to be done.

But if these facts be ignored, the unquestioned, powerful influence of such service upon missionary work in India entitles this subject to the weightiest consideration. Surely Sir Andrew Scoble did not overstate the case when he said :—“Let me tell you that, if, whilst sending missionaries to the heathen for the purpose of preaching the Gospel to them, you are neglecting the claims of the Europeans and Eurasians in that country, you create a class of missionaries who do infinitely more harm to God's Church than all the heathen together can do, because every European and every Eurasian who neglects his duty as a Chris tian becomes a missionary of evil to the people around him." In Patiala, where our mission recently established a station, one of my best personal friends, yet most resolute opponent to my work, is the educated station-master, a cultured Sikh gentleman. I hardly visit that station, but he immediately provokes combat with the thread-bare, yet none the less galling sneer: "Look at these Christians of yours, these European gentlemen and ladies"-pointing to the swarms of racers, actors, dog-fanciers, &c., who visit that city" Why don't you convert them, instead of coming to turn us away from our faith?" It is to me a paradox and a puzzle that whilst all missionaries and Christian workers agree in painting the godless Anglo-Indian and Eurasian in darkest colors, and in affirming that their evil example and questionable morality are a powerful obstacle, nay, an absolute opposing force to the spread of the Gospel; so many gather their garments around them and "pass by on the other side," maintaining that it is none of their buisness, they must preach to the heathen, and to the heathen only. Surely. even on the low ground of expediency, this is poor wisdom. It would be poor farming for a tiller of the soil to say: business is to plough, to harrow and to sow the seed; I have no concern with the noxious weed which cover the ground, and which, I know, must nullify my best efforts and choke the tender shoots when they appear."

1. Consider the work to be done. It is to get the nominal Christianity of India soundly converted to God, and not only so, but to so animate it with spiritual life, as that all its influ. ence and power may power may be actively exerted for God and

for truth in India. The nominal Christianity consists of FIFTH DAY. three strata, the British born sojourner, the domiciled, well-to-do Anglo-Indian, and the poor, neglected IndoEuropean; and it would be hard to say which of these three classes, in a moral and spiritual view, is at the top, and which at the bottom. For, serious as the view of poverty, ignorance and social degradation may be in some aspects of the life of the poorer Indo-European, we deliberately believe that the neediest and most pitiable case, spiritually, is that of the upper-grade European in India. The "needy poor" must give way to the needier rich. An educated native gentleman, who travelled with me to Bombay, said: "The impression we entertain of Englishmen in high positions in India is, that nine out of ten possess no religion at all.'

Here is the work to be done-to turn this nearly halfmillion souls to God, to transform them from "missionaries of evil" to missionaries of righteousness. Think of the thousands. of society Europeans, polished and cultured, magnanimous and just, yet devoid of even outward regard for religion; of the great army of gallant men to whose loyalty and devotion we are indebted for the safety of this great empire, yet whose lives and practice contradict the plainest declarations of the Gospel; of the exiled planter, the wandering surveyor and engineer, the migratory railway mechanic, with scarcely the opportunity of hearing the truth; and of the indigent, ignorant, and degraded mass of poor Indo-Europeans, suffering all the pangs of poverty and social degradation, without ambition or aspiration, often without heart or hope for better things, sunk in pauperism and vice-look upon these, a veritable valley of bones-very dead and very dry-and you are constrained to ask as did Ezekiel : "Can these bones live?" And yet, remember, this work lies at the very threshold of missionary work in India. It is as the stone at the grave of the dead Lazarus of heathenism Take ye within. It must be removed before Lazarus can rise. Is it not away the extraordinary that many who talk with absolute indifference or despair of the spiritual and social elevation of the low IndoEuropean, affect to believe in the conversion of the heathen? No heart or hope for their own flesh and kin, professing the same Gospel, bearing the same name, hoping for the same heaven, and yet persuading themselves that they have mighty

stone.""