A Visit to Our Mission at Simultala, India
By John L. Shaw
I REACHED Simultala, where our Santal Mission is located, one hour before the Sabbath, and found Brother Barlow at the railway station with his horse and cart to take me to the mission, which is about one mile distant. Simultala is a very pleasant place, about two hundred miles north of Calcutta, and quite a number of well-to-do native people have built houses here, as the climate is more healthful than in Calcutta. Brother Barlow, who is carrying on the work at our mission at Simultala, has been working among the Santal people for many years, and is now conducting a school for Santal boys, which has been in progress for about a year. When we arrived at the mission, all the students met us at the gate. They are all strong, well-built young men. The Santals are said to be among the strongest and most reliable people of India. And those who become Christians seem to have a good reputation among the people. There are at present about fifteen of these young men who are learning to read the Bible in Brother Barlow's school. While we were there, three candidates presented themselves for baptism, and after having two meetings with them and studying the Word of God together, they were baptized. Two of them had been Christians for some time, but since having received more light wished to be baptized. The other one has grown up in heathenism, and until about a year ago knew nothing about Christ. He has now been in the school about a year, and day by day has been receiving instruction in the Word of God. When he was told that if he became a Christian, his people at home would be displeased, he said that he could now read the Word of God, and that he knew what God's will was, and must do it, and that when he learned a little more, he wanted to go home and teach his people. It was interesting to watch these young men; they were very earnest and eager to learn. Brother Barlow carries on the school on the industrial plan. The young men work about three hours a day in the garden, setting out trees and keeping them watered. Their homes are in the surrounding villages, varying from five to twenty miles away. They are obedient to the rules of the school. While we were there, one young man who had been allowed to go home to see if he would have to help his parents during the plowing season, came back—a distance of twenty miles—to get permission to remain at home for a month or two to help plow the ground for the rice crop. Brother Barlow has a small orchard started, and is working hard to get it in a flourishing condition. Already he has received some returns from his pepia trees, which have borne abundantly. Fruit is very scarce in that locality, and a good market can be found for all that is raised. People in surrounding villages are asking to have day-schools started. Already a school building has been built ten miles from the mission, which has three rooms, one for the school and the others for the teachers; and we hope that after a little time one of the students who has been attending the school, will be able to open up a day-school in this place, and teach the Word of God to the people. School education in India is very cheap; two dollars a month will keep a pupil in our Santal school. Of course the young men who come to the school have nothing with which to pay their tuition. They are able to work a few hours a day, but labor is so cheap that their time is not worth very much. Some have already manifested an interest in this school, and contributed toward the tuition of one or more boys. We know of no more successful way of carrying on missionary work in India than by means of schools. In this way the unlearned people are taught to read, and the Bible being made the text-book, they get the Word of God just as soon as they learn how to read. It is surprising to see how quickly some become able to read the Bible. In a very few months those who did not know one letter from another learn to read the Bible. A much larger school could be carried on at our mission at Simultala if more funds were in hand to pay for the tuition of the pupils. We would be glad to hear from any who are interested in the school, and any wishing to contribute toward the tuition of pupils in the school may send the same to the Mission Board. We should like to send a picture of the strong, stalwart young men who are attending the school. We were almost inclined to covet their brawny muscles.