Part 11
“What matters the thought, if the act be blameless?” inquired Jai Singh. “I will never lift up my hand to steal or to slay.”
“As the seed to the plant, as the crocodile’s egg to the living reptile, so is the thought of the heart to the deed of the hand,” answered old Isaac. “Man seeth the action, God searcheth the heart. In God’s sight he that hateth, murders; and he that coveteth, steals. It is written in the Bible: _The love of money is the root of all evil_ (1 Tim. vi. 10). Dig up the root, and no poisonous fruits can appear.”
Jai Singh shrank from the purity of such a religion as this, which must convict all men of sin before God. Rather impatiently he said, “Unless evil be seen, I deny that it is evil at all.”
“Hear an incident of my life which has been to me as a parable,” said old Isaac. “Before I had one white hair in my beard, I went on a journey in a mountainous part of our land. Going up a steep place, my horse stumbled and threw me, and I fell down a precipice; but my dress caught in some bushes, and though hurt I was able to regain the road and again mount my horse. Riding on again, I had not gone far when a cheetah burst from the thicket, and suddenly sprang upon me. I was a strong man then, and carried a sharp knife in my girdle; after a struggle the cheetah was killed, but I bear on me the marks of its claws to this day. Weary and weakened by the loss of blood, I was forced to stop at the nearest house, though it was the house of one whom I had known as a deadly enemy. He received me with sullen looks, but denied me not rest nor food. He brought to me a cup of wine, and I drank it; I knew not that there was poison in the cup. The evil that I saw not, O Jai Singh! was worse than the more startling dangers through which I had passed. I suffered more from the poison hidden in my frame, than from the fall down the precipice, or the claws of the cheetah.”
“How is it that you are here to-day, if you were poisoned?” inquired Jai Singh.
“When, after leaving my enemy’s house, I arrived at the place for which I was bound,” replied Isaac, “I was in sore sickness and pain; but I found there a doctor of great skill, who gave me a powerful antidote, and after much suffering I rose from my sick-bed healed. And from the Christian doctor I also received knowledge of the only antidote for sin,—whether it be the open sin which man condemns, or the poison of sin, such as covetousness, lying concealed in the heart.”
“He taught you Christianity,” observed Jai Singh.
“He taught me that for all past sin there is one remedy freely offered by God to all who truly believe: _The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin_ (1 John i. 7). But we need more than to be saved from the punishment of sin; we need to be saved from its power. The heart, the seat of evil, must itself be made pure by the Holy Spirit of God. And this Spirit is promised in answer to prayer. Let us cry, with David in the psalm: _Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me_ (Psalm li. 10). For thus spake the Saviour of mankind: _If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?_” (Luke xi. 13.)
FOOTNOTES
[1] A kind of large Oriental pipe.
[2] One of the difficulties experienced in writing for natives is the selection of names. The Hindus, Sikhs, and Mohammedans have all _quite different sets of names_; and to give one member of a family a Mohammedan, and another a Hindu name, would be a very serious mistake in an author. A government inspector of schools has very kindly supplied A. L. O. E. with carefully arranged lists of names.
[3] An enormous kind of fan swung across the room, the motion of which renders the heat more supportable.
[4] A rupee is worth less than two shillings.
[5] A name for the houses of European gentlemen.
[6] A name commonly given to missionaries.
[7] English gentleman.
[8] The common form of greeting, meaning, “Peace be to you.”
[9] Note.
[10] As not even the missionaries knew in what manner a woman of good family would address her husband, a native was consulted on the question. In Amritsar we have the advantage of having a converted Brahman on the one side, and a converted Mohammedan of position on the other, from whom we can gather information on such matters.
[11] Husbandmen.
[12] A small copper coin.
[13] A very beautiful marble building in Agra.
[14] The pugree worn by natives in the Punjaub, both old and young, is often formed of many yards of a very light material, wrapped round and round so as to form a turban. The pugree worn by Europeans as a protection from the heat is much smaller, and worn in a different manner.
[15] A moonshee is a teacher of languages. The moonshee employed by A. L. O. E. on her first arrival in Amritsar was a convert from Mohammedanism, and a noble specimen of the class.
[16] A baboo is one of an upper class; the title in this part of India somewhat resembles our “Mr.”
[17] This is no fictitious picture of the trials of some of the converts.
[18] A very common word used to describe any grand show or scene of excitement.
[19] Yuhanna (John) is a Christian name. On receiving baptism, sometimes a new name is adopted; sometimes, as with Hassan, the old one is retained.
[20] Title given to a native lady.
[21] Groom.
[22] Native pony.
[23] The natives of India like to expend large sums on such occasions, even if they plunge themselves deep into debt to defray the expenses.
[24] Custom; a word which has far more force in India than in England.
[25] A kind of bracelet.
[26] The love of Indian women for ornaments must not be measured by that of English maidens. There is nothing very remarkable here in the sight of a woman wearing at one time _twelve_ ear-rings, at least as many bracelets, besides necklace, nose-ring, anklets, and silver plates on her toes! Converts do not wear so many.
[27] The chaddar (literally sheet) is a garment not worn in all parts of India, but very commonly in the Punjaub. It is something like a large veil, made of muslin or some other light material, and is worn in the house as well as out of it. Anything more graceful, picturesque, and modest-looking can hardly be imagined.
[28] English lady.
[29] Those conversant with India need not be told that a fearful want of truthfulness prevails amongst the natives. Against this evil the attention of missionaries has been earnestly directed, and in some cases with great success. A. L. O. E. heard since her arrival a story of a school in Calcutta (she believes, however, that it was a Eurasian school). A prize was offered in it for truthfulness, and as it would have been almost impossible for a teacher to have adjudged the prize to the satisfaction of all, to the girls themselves the decision was left. All the children fixed upon one of their companions as the most truthful girl in the school. The wisdom of their choice was shown by the conscientious girl’s declining to accept the prize, for she did not think herself _truthful enough_ to deserve it!
[30] The first native of India who saw the translation of this little story—a refined and educated man—was much struck by the new view presented to him of his parental duty. He actually, very shortly afterwards, _punished his child for telling a lie_. The little boy was probably surprised at receiving chastisement for what is usually deemed such a very trifling offence; but the punishment (not a severe one) seemed to have made an impression on his young mind. Soon afterwards, on his sister asking him whether something which he had said were true, the child, with a new sense of the evil of falsehood, said, “Do you not know that God is angry when we tell lies?”
[31] The worshippers of various heathen deities may be distinguished by differently shaped marks on their foreheads.
[32] The Ganges is regarded as a peculiarly sacred river.
[33] In India, as in France, it is very uncourteous to use the third person singular Where I am, even servants are addressed as “you.”
[34] In happy England, the difficulty of crossing the river of Baptism to many converts in India can hardly be appreciated. To do so is to pass the Rubicon, to cut the tie which connects the believer with all that was dear upon earth, to cast away honour, friendship, enjoyment; it is indeed to take up the Cross! One of our noblest Punjaubi Christians lingered five years before he was given courage to cross the river. One youth was brought into court to declare whether it was his deliberate choice to become a Christian. His mother drew forth a knife, and told her son that if he were baptized she would plunge it into her own bosom! I have seen another youth who could well bear witness to the sharpness of the thorns of Persecution. His own father made him stand in _boiling oil_, till the skin was burnt off his poor feet! But he has crossed the river.
[35] A tendency to fatalism in the Oriental character is one of the great difficulties with which missionaries have to contend. It gives to the timid convert an excuse for indolence and apathy. “If it be God’s will, I shall have the blessing,” he thinks or professes to think “without making any struggle to obtain it.”
[36] Oriental pipe.
[37] Probably at least a dozen.
[38] _The sin which doth so easily beset us._—Heb. xii. 1.
[39] Let not the meaning of my little parable be misunderstood. Even the true believer must expect many assaults of Temptation, many a struggle with besetting sin. The pearl, Purity, is perfected only in a brighter world. Nevertheless, not only Christ’s imputed righteousness, but a _growing likeness_ to Him who said, “Learn of Me,” is one of God’s free gifts to His children through the indwelling of His Spirit. It is particularly necessary to enforce this truth in a land like India, where even sincere converts find it very hard to lead _consistent_ lives, after having been brought up in the paths of sin.
[40] Native Christian parents are here intended, some of whom send their children to schools conducted by missionaries.
[41] The character of Ghuldasta has been drawn from Indian life; some of our little British maidens may, however, find that some of its features are by no means confined to girls of Hindostan.
[42] This hymn (translated) is a great favourite in this country. Even heathen and Mohammedan children like to sing it, as well as native Christians.
[43] This is a natural view to be taken by one half persuaded, who would make the inconsistencies of professed believers an excuse for not joining their ranks. It is but fair, however, to the native Christians, for whom this tale was specially written, to say that their standard of morality is much higher than that which is adopted by their heathen neighbours.
[44] An anna is about three half-pence. There are twelve pies in an anna.
[45] The quantity of ornaments worn by women even of the humbler classes is at first surprising to a European. A woman will in _one ear_ wear eight or ten rings, and as many bracelets on each arm. Her feet, also, are frequently adorned.
[46] It will be observed by those who know the East that Hossein was a Mohammedan, and not an idolatrous Hindu. In India there are different religions, not only varying from, but actually opposed to each other. Many Mohammedans in India have a considerable amount of religious knowledge.
[47] Abbas was, of course, a native Christian.
[48] These _melas_ afford grand opportunities to the missionary, both for preaching and selling books.
[49] A. L. O. E. has herself heard a Mohammedan speak of Christian converts as his friends. She is on terms of affectionate intercourse with Mohammedan ladies.
[50] Not to do so is a mark of great disrespect. A native on entering a gentleman’s house leaves his slippers at the door.
[51] Moses is reverenced by Mohammedans as well as by Christians.
[52] When my friend Mrs. E. was staying in a Punjaubi village, she was shocked to hear of one of the natives having beaten his mother. When she said that in England such a sin would be punished, her observation excited _general amusement_. Why should she be shocked at an event of such common occurrence?
[53] The convert probably restrained himself lest his mother should refuse to accept from his polluted touch even food needful to save her from starvation. But with the blind woman nature was too strong even for Hindu prejudice.
[54] Offering the hookah (a kind of pipe) was an alteration suggested by one who has intimate acquaintance with Oriental customs. The words originally stood: “Held out his hand; and Tara Chund grasped it,” &c. This would have made the whole story unnatural.
[55] This little story is founded on what really happened in a village not very far from Amritsar, but the words which produced a reconciliation were really spoken by one of the four who had quarrelled. A. L. O. E. heard a graphic account of the scene from a gentleman who had been present. That the reconciliation was not merely outward, seems to be proved by the fact that some little time afterwards the four Christian villagers came in a body and partook of the Holy Communion in the mission church of Amritsar.
[56] Pronounced _purdah_.
[57] Robber.
[58] Female attendant.
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