Seven years in Ceylon: stories of mission life

Front matter

By

Leitch

Stoi\ies

CHAPTER I. Arrival and First Impressions in Ceylon

Udupitty, Jaffna, Ceylon, Feb. 6///, iSSo.

IE arrived here safely from Colombo on Jan. 14th. As we neared the shore of Jaffna we saw several handkerchiefs waved at us by missionaries who had come to meet us, and the words " Welcome home ! " came over the water. We had supposed we were among strangers, but from that morning to this we have felt that we were at home with our friends. The bandies were waiting to take us to the mission-house at Udupitty, which is to be our home for the present. It seemed strange to be seated in a carriage before the horse had been attached ; but we saw our mistake when six stout coohes (native runners) laid hold of

A?i Ode of Welcome.

fhe thills of the bandy and started off at a rattling pace, which they kept up nearly all the way. They passed over the sixteen miles between Jaffna town and Udupitty in a little over two and a half hours, preferring to go all the way themselves rather than be relieved by another set of coolies, because they wanted, as they said, to take the new missionaries home themselves.

When we were within a mile of the station, one of the coolies was despatched to herald our arrival. As we reached the mission premises we found the children of the station boys' school on one side and the station girls' school on the other, dressed in their best clothes, and the missionaries on the veranda steps ready to greet us. The veranda entrance-door and sitting-room had been adorned by the native Christians wiih festoons and wreaths of flowers, in honour of our coming. The native pastor and others were waiting to speak to us, and, in true Oriental fashion, the girls of the Udupitty Boarding-school, twenty-five in number, with their teachers, had prepared a lyric of welcome. Both words and tune were original with them, and they sang it very sweetly. We were deeply touched by this so unexpected and kind a reception. I translate the lyric here,

CHORUS.

" Come, let us sing — welcome !

Let us sing rejoicingly — ^joy ! hurrah ! '

SUE-CHORUS.

" Ye united members of the church, The girls of the boarding-school.

Come," etc.

VERSES.

" Way the new missionaries prosper.

They have come, with warm attachment, To show the heavenly way to the multitudes of people, by

pouring In their ears the honey of the teachings of the Gospel.

Joy ! hurrah !

Come, let us sing — welcome, etc.

" That the knowledge may increase and the darkness be e.Npelled, And all sing hallelujah to the almighty Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost. Joy ! hurrah !

Come, let us sing — welcome, etc.

" I'raise the Lord for ever for the mercy of giving them A safe arrival in Jaffna, passing over a long voyage. Joy \

hurrah !

Come, let us sing — welcome," etc.

iam:i, c.iri.s.

First Sabbath i-n Udiipiity. 3

The second day after our arrival the annual business meeting of the mission was held at Udupitty. This gave us an opportunity to meet the other missionaries in the field. Among them were the Rev. and Mrs. W. VV. Howland, who came out in 1846 and have grown old in this work. They have been called by some here a second Zacharias and Elisabeth, who walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. There was also present Miss Eliza Agnew, the veteran missionary, who has been here forty years without going home, and who is a model of energy and decision. The •magnitude of the work carried on here far exceeds our expectations. As we heard one report after another, reviewing the labours of the year, the schools supervised, the training of native catechists and teachers, the village work, the baptisms, and the communicants, the house visitations, tent meetings, etc., etc., we were filled with wonder, and could only praise the Lord and take courage, thanking Him that we were to be fellow-workers with such a band of noble men and women.

We are hard at work upon the language, with a native Munshee. Besides our regular lesson in the grammar and reader, we are learnmg some portions of Scripture and hymns. We can sing already, " Come to Jesus," " The Sweet By-and-By," and parts of other hymns in Tamil. We think in a week or two we shall pronounce with sufficient correctness to be able to join in the congregational singing.

The Hymn "Come to Jesus," Sound of the Tamil words IN Tamil. in English.

The first Sabbath we were here, Mrs. Howland gave me the care of the infant Sunday-school class. They come from the chapel to my veranda, and all sit round me on a large mat, and look up with such bright, intelligent faces, that already I am beginning to love them very much. They number sixty little girls, all under ten years of age. Perhaps some people would laugh at me for calling them pretty, and say something about beauty unadorned; but though many of them wear only a

Tent Meetinsis.

single garment, yet their eager faces and attractive quiet ways make up for a good many deficiencies.

About forty native children come upon my veranda every afternoon to sew, and I talk to them, through an interpreter, and teach them Bible verses. My brother, sister, and I have gone out several times into the villages with the native helpers. The natives seem glad to see us, and ready to listen. Some of them say they do not believe in idols, and would become Christians if it were not that they would lose caste, and be persecuted by all their friends.

The missionaries of this station, the Rev. and Mrs. S. W. Rowland and Miss Townsend, go out often in the morning and in the cool of the evening to hold meetings in the different villages. They have mothers' meetings at the mission-house, which are well attended by the heathen women. Sometimes they go out with the tent, remaining several days at a time m one place, and thus gain access to those who could not be

reached in any other way.

A few days ago they had the tent pitched at Thanderaannar. In the afternoon the girls of this boarding-school went down in a body to sing, as the natives are very fond of music, and can often be moved byChristian songs. After they had sung several hymns, as there were a large number of heathen women and children present, Mrs. Rowland suggested that each girl should take one or two women and talk with them for a little while. They received and acted upon the suggestion most beautifully, each girl sitting right down on the mats by the side of the one she was going to talk with, and one or two of the high-caste girls of the school gathering some of the little fishercaste children around them-. They talked very earnestly, and when, after a time, the missionary lady changed the order of e.Kercises, they came to her, one after another,

A Day at OodoovUle. 5

with such glowing faces, saying, " Oh, amma ! I did have such a pleasant time with the little children ! " or, " Oh, amma ! the woman I was talking with promised to begin to pray to-night ; and oh ! won't we pray for her when we get home ! Won't we all meet together and pray for these women ! "

A few days after our arrival we had the pleasure of spending a day at Oodooville, seeing Miss Agnew and visiting the boarding-school. Here also they had prepared a lyric for us. We listened to five recitations, and we were all much pleased with the appearance of the school. New buildings are in process of erection, and the corner-stone is to be laid on February loth. We also attended the annual examination and commencement exercises of Jaffna College. It was a most interesting occasion. All the examinations were in English, and considering that whatever the boys knew concerning the sciences, mathematics, philosophy and

history, had been learned and must be repeated in a foreign tongue, the boys did great

credit to their instructors.

I should like to tell you of the commencement exercises of the Ijdupitty Girls'

Boarding-school, and of the monthly missionary meeting, where we met all the

missionaries from the Wesleyan and Church Missionary Societies as well as our own,

but I am writing too long a letter.

This is harvest-time, and the fields are full of reapers and gleaners. The work is all

done by hand, the grain carried home on the heads of men and women, and threshed

or trodden out by cattle. I am glad that our first impressions of the country should

be received now, after the rainy season, when the island is covered with verdure, and

1 close with the following letter of greeting from Miss Agnew, which was given us

soon after our arrival at Jaffna : —

My DEAR Missionary Sisters : — With a warm heart and inexpressible delight do I give you Eliezer's welcome, — " Come in, thou blessed of the Lord."

For two years past have we sent the Macedonian cry, " Come over and help us." Though I was so anxious for two, yet my stinted faith would not allow me to revel in the anticipation that more than one would be added to our mission circle.

I do rejoice that our heavenly Father has sent you to this Eden of the East, and 2*

A Letter of Greettug.

ihat you are allied in the ties of nature, and that you have a brother to aid and counsel you. This society may prevent loneliness from usurping even a small corner of your hearts. Every day prayer was offered for your safety while journeying on the sea and on the land.

You are coming to a goodly country, "where every prospect pleases " — no Anakims to fear. Your necessary weapons will be the living coals from the altar of the Lord in your hearts and upon your lips, and the sword of the Spirit in your right hands. Fear not : let timidity have no place : press forward ; and in the spirit and with the anguage of the chief apostle to the Gentiles, say, in strong faith, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Necessity is laid upon every missionary to inscribe upon his breastplate, " Look unto Jesus," and to follow the example of the disciples of John the Baptist, who, after the burial, " went and told Jesus." The blood-bought mercy-seat will appear to you a more precious place in a heathen than in a Christian land. Deprived of so many of your spiritual aids, you will be more inclined to enter the holy of holies, where Jesus answers prayer.

I hope that you are as highly favoured as Heman's three daughters, who could sing in the house of the Lord. And though you may not understand how to strike the cymbal, or make melody on the harp, I trust you can handle the organ, and thus enhance the sweetness of our music whenever we frequent the gates of Zion.

I know of no other individual in any mission who has, like myself, remained at one station forty years. In relation to my work, in spirit I know no change, but physically 1 am weary, weary, weary, and need, as Jesus did, to " turn aside and rest awhile."

Yours, affectionately,

Eliza Aonew

A CLUMP OF BAMBOOS.

Chapter II

liEvivAL Meetings.

Udupitty, April 1th, l8So.

I E left home last week, Tuesday, starting out in the early morning, and reached the Rev. and Mrs. T. S. Smith's, of TilUpally — having gone a distance of ten miles — in time for breakfast.

Can you imagine our ride that morning ? The misty morning air was cool and invigorating. Our way lay through several villages. The road was level and well kept, and here and there shaded by beautiful clumps of bamboo, or by banyan, olive

8 Suffering Perseaiiion for Christ's sake.

mango, margosa and other trees. The birds were singing merrily : the cocoaniit and jack trees were laden with hanging fruit ; and here and there a maxi might be seen climbing a smooth, tall palmyra palm. We studied Tamil all the way, while our coolies flew over the ground, needing no word from us except now and then a request not to go so fast. It is their pride to go fast, and they laugh and joke on the way, chaffing each other for going so slowly. When we reach our destination they usually eat their rice and curry, and then lie down on the ground to sleep in the shade of some tree, until we are ready to go on again. If we hold a meeting, they come in and listen.

From Tillipally we went to Oodooville. The special revival meetings commenced on ^Vednesday evening. Those who knew the people said that many came who had never been inside a church before. There were quite a number of^requests for prayer sent in. They were given, in some instances, by people with tears running down their faces, so much in earnest were they that their friends might be brought to Christ. One man arose, his voice choked with emotion, and intimated that he had long been convinced of the truth of Christianity, and asked our prayers that he might become a Christian that day. One after another prayed for him, as they knew better than we his circumstances and the trials to which he would be exposed. It seems that he belongs to quite a good family, and his wife has a considerable property. Before he reached home the word had gone before him that he had asked for prayers, and his wife and family shut the door upon him, and drove him from the house. He has to sleep out of doors, and prepare his own food, while his friends either scoff and jeer at him, or refuse to notice him at all. We have just heard that he is standing firm, and that his younger son has joined him and wishes also to become a Christian. The elder son sides with the mother.

I notice by the American papers that during the month of March Jaffna was made a subject of prayer ; so that while we were holding these meetings the people at home were bearing us up in their hearts before God. I have not the least doubt that those petitions were answered, for it was the opinion of all the missionaries present that the Spirit of God was wonderfully manifested. Native ministers and workers came from a distance of sixteen or eighteen miles, and they said they were going back to their people to hold special meetings among them. There were many working- women present, who were helping to erect the new .school-building. They work as hard as men, from seven in the morning till six at night. But they attended the half-past six morning prajer-meeting, and went quietly out to work at seven, coming in again at seven in the evening and staying till nine ; then they went into my sister's room, and listened eagerly while she talked and prayed with them. Nearly all expressed a desire

An Aged Convert's Prayer.

to become Christians, and some said they had begun to pray for themselves. They were so much in earnest that they did not seem to know that they were tired, and showed no inclination to leave, until my sister, quite worn out with the labours of the day — singing, playing on the organ, etc. — would tell them they might go.

Some of the women of a higher caste came into my room and prayed for one and another of their friends. Two came who had just decided to become Christians. One asked us to pray for her two daughters.

" Oh ! " she said, wringing her hands, " I have given them to heathen husbands, and if they are lost it will be my own work ! "

We tried to tell her that if she would strive for them, and pray in faith, God would hear her prayer. One woman prayed very earnestly that the Lord would make her duty plain. She said she loved Jesus Christ with her whole heart, and wanted to serve Him, but if she came out openly as a Christian her friends would discard her, and she was too old to earn her own living. What would she do in her old age ? She would die of starvation. We could only pray that the Lord would guide her. I wish you could see how these people listen ; how they lean forward to catch every word ; how earnestly they pray. They seem hungry for the Bread of Life, and I am sure the Lord says, " They need not depart ; give ye them to eat." When His disciples are ready to take the bread and give it to the people, and they are ready to give it to each other, all will soon be fed.

My sister and I had a meeting with the boarding-school girls at OodooviUe, those who were Christians coming to my room, and those who were not to my sister's. The

10 Young Men deciding for Clirist.

Christian girls promised me that they would each take one or two of the non-Christian girls and pray specially for them till they became Christians. Those who were not told my sister, with tears in their eyes, that they wanted to become Christians that day ; they were sorry to see the meetings close.

I have just received word from the Rev. Mr. Smith that four of the young men of the training-school, who attended the meeting?, have decided to become Christians, and three from the Chunnargam boys' school. It is said that many men, especially those who liave been educated in mission schools, would gladly become Christians, but are kept back by their heathen wives. These women, when not educated, are extremely bigoted. They tell their husbands that, if they become Christians, they will throw themselves into the well ; and they mean what they say. These mothers take their young children to the temple and teach them to bow before the idol, and smear their faces with ashes. All this shows the importance of the education of girls in boarding-schools.

The people seemed to be more and more interested in the meetings each day. We hope to have another series of special meetings before long.

(Jdupitty, June \st, iSSo.

glOR several days, as I sat studying by my window, I noticed two bright little faces peering at me through the hedge. The new Aramas with their white skin and European dress are a great curiosity to the little brown-skinned children of this country. Some days after, my attention was attracted by a little coughing near my window.

This is the way the Tamil people knock. When they wish to 'call upon us or among themselveSj instead of knocking at the door as we would do, they stand outside and make a little noise, scraping with their feet, coughing, or sneezing. Looking up I saw the same two little faces which I had noticed before through the hedge.

These two little boys were not dressed like children in America or England, but, like all little children here, wore only a strip of cloth about their loins. Their hair, which is generally allowed to grow long, was done up in a knot on the left side of the head over the left ear.

PARIAH Cmi.Dr.EN Al PLAY.

Caste.

But their little graceful bodies, and their bright, eager faces, soon made one forget any peculiarities of colour or dress.

" Amma ! Amma ! " they said when I had called them to me, " we want to study reading at the boys' school." " Well," I said, " why do you not speak with the teacher about this ? " " ^Ve cannot, we do not dare go into the yard, we are ' Pariahs,' " they said, as a pained look came into their eyes — a look sadly out of place in such young* faces.

The system of caste runs through the whole fabric of society here. In each caste the descendants must follow the occupation ot their parents. If a man is a carpenter, for example, his sons must all become carpenters, and his daughters must marry carpenters.

The different castes have no opportunity to rise, but are doomed to remain in the condition in which they are born. They do not intermarry, do not mingle together socially, do not eat together, but are essentially different communities of people.

There is the highest, or Brahmin caste, who are priests— thick, fat fellows, who never do any work ; then the farmers, their servants, carpenters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths and their washers ; and ne.xt the tree-climbers and their washermen ; and lastly

the weavers, drum-beaters and their washermen. Each keep to their own work, and each are heartily despised by the caste above them, and in the same way look down upon the caste below them. Even the drum-beaters' castes have a caste under them to do their washing. It was to this, the " Pariah Caste," these two little boys who stood by my window said they belonged. A century ago, in the darker days of Ceylon, this caste of people were never allowed to leave their houses except in the night, and then they were obliged to drag a large branch behind them, so that any one of a higher caste walking in the street might hear and call upon them to turn aside until they had passed ; for to touch, speak to, or even look at a person of this low caste was considered a pollution.

A CARPENTER.

A Scanty Wardrobe.

What a disgrace to put upon a human being made in the image of God ! Shame on the religion of Siva which upholds and fosters such wickedness. Under English rule the Pariahs have liberty to go and come as they please ; but they are everywhere scorned and oppressed.

They have some queer customs. Often poor tree-climbers own only a single cloth. In order to wash this they ask the washerman, and he does not refuse, to lend them the cloth of some other person which he has taken to \\asb, while he takes and washes theirs ; thus it is not an uncommon thing for one to see his cloth, which he has sent to be ■s\ ashed, ^\orn on the person of a strangei The washerman stands knee-deep m water and bleaches the garments by knocking them over the stones, swinging them over his head as a thresher does his flail ; to dry them he spreads them by the road-side on the hot sand, and places a few stones on the corners to keep them from blowing away. He is rarely paid in m.oney, but is geneially given the leavings of table food and a little rice and curry stuffs.

We told the two little boys, whose names we learned we re Kassappu and Kadpeyal, that if they would come the following day, with their bodies bathed and their hair nicely combed, we would go ■with them our-

VVASHERJIE.'^.

14 Breakmg down Caste Barriers.

selves to the school. The first thing which I saw on looking out of my window early the next morning was the two little boys watching for me. I went with them to the school, but could hardly induce the little fellows to enter ; they fairly trembled with fear as they stood in the presence of higher caste boys. After years of persistent effort, the missionaries have succeeded in inducing the children of a large number ot castes to study together in the schools, though it is amusing to see the highest caste boys sometimes bringing little mats with them on which to sit, and so preserve their tottering dignity. The teacher, a Christian native, willingly promised to receive and do his best for the little boys. We passed through the school bungalow with its thatched roof, where the higher standards were studying, through the veranda where the middle standards were reciting, and came into the yard, where, under the trees, sat twenty or more little boys busily engaged writing out their lessons with little sticks in the sand.

I motioned Kassappu and Kadpeyal to sit down with the others, when lo ! as quick as lightning, these twenty little naked morsels of society scattered on all sides as if they had been poisoned, crying, " Cha ! Cha ! " while one gave the youngest little boy a vicious pinch, and another actually spat at them. How strange that children five and six years old could imbibe and cherish such bitter prejudices !

The two little boys sat that day in a corner of the j'ard by themselves, but the next day brought word that the whole school was threatening to leave, and even the Maniagar or head man of the village had sent word that, if these low-caste boys c5.nie, he would not allow his child to come. I decided that rather than break up the school I would for the present teach the boys myself. This storm of public sentiment was a great surprise to me. The upper caste said, " If this caste be educated, who will do our washing?" — the old spirit of slavery which has only lately been wiped out in our own land.

The little boys came to our veranda each day for a lesson, and learned well, mastering the 247 letters of the Tamil alphabet with surprising quickness. They learned many things outside of their books, among others to say "Good morning," and " Thank you." One day we showed them a picture-book. They had never seen a picture before in all their lives, poor things, but v;hen I pointed out to them the children and trees and animals in the pictures, they caught at the idea. You should have seen their delight, and have heard their shout when they themselves discovered a cat and a dog.

One day, while they were with us, a class of fourteen large boys, whose Bible lesson in English my sister had kindly offered to teach through the term, came in. When they saw these two poor little washer-boys they fairly glared at them. Sister said, " Why do

Our Little P aria /is. 15

you look so angry ? " They answered, " Those boys have no right to come here. They are low caste. If we should take up a little stick they would run from us. It is not the custom of the country to show them any attention." That is the excuse here for every kind of evil practice. " It is the custom of the country, ma'am." Sister went up to the little boys, and putting her hand on the head of the older, said, •' God made this little boy as well as you. He gave to him an immortal soul as well as to you. Jesus Christ died to save him and you. You will both stand together in the judgment. God says He hates pride, and if you are proud and despise this little boy for whom Jesus Christ died, you sin against God."

The next day the school boys did not come, and the reason given was that my sister had disgraced herself by touching these boys of a low caste, and they did not wish to be taught by such a person. We said nothing, knowing that the class enjoyed coming too well to deprive themselves of it long. And we were right. They came the following morning with a shamefaced look.

Kassappu and Kadpeyal continue to come to us, and are just the brightest, funniest, most affectionate little boys I ever saw. They are philanthropic little fellows too ; for finding themselves well received, and expanding under kindness like flowers in the sunshine, they came .bringing three other little boys and two little girls, who they insist, with all earnestness, must also learn to read.

What a shame that all their caste, from no fault of their own, should practically be shut out from social privileges, and condemned to be always poor, ignorant, and despised, with no bright future before them in this life, and with no prospect in view for the life to come, according to Hinduism, but to live again on earth, perhaps as an insect or a snake !

In contrast with all this how should we thank God for giving to the world His dear Son, a Saviour to the poor and the lost ! The sight which I saw a few days ago, of three hundred Christian natives sitting down without regard to caste at the common table of our Lord, gave proof of what the Gospel has done, and a promise of what it will do yet more abundantly in this land.

As sure as God's word is true, so surely may we rely on the promise, " The whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God."

MANEPY MISSION HOUSE AND PUPILS FROM THE STATION SCHOOLS.

CHAPTER IV. First Year's Review

Maiiepy, December \6l/i, iSSo.

TIME has flown so swiftly of late that I cannot realize that it is a year and three months since we left America, nearly a year since we landed in Jaffna, and ten weeks since we came to Manepy. This year has been the busiest, and I think, all things considered, the happiest year of my life. I can truly say that I have never for one moment regretted my coming to Ceylon, but have lelt thankful to God for permitting me to be a co-labourer with the missionaries in this land.