Among the Bengalis by L. G. Mookerjee

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 19, 1909

Among the Bengalis

By L. G. Mookerjee

L. G. MOOKERJEE

By the blessing of the Lord, I have been doing well in Calcutta, India, where I am stationed in charge of our Bengali work. Here we conduct services in the garden-house at grandfather's, with an attendance of twenty-five. Father's folks can not attend. If they did, it would swell the number to forty. Then our Wednesday evening meetings are well attended, and we feel the presence of the Spirit in such meetings. I am translating “Early Writings” into Bengali for our Sabbath-keepers every Thursday, in the home of one of our brethren who has been working with grandfather all along. Dear old grandfather is well, and is very strong in the message, and rejoices in his old age in the hope of the Coming One.

Twice each week seven students meet in my house, besides three students who come daily, for Bible study. They are all much interested, and it is a pleasure to teach them.

We are also starting a new Bengali paper, which will be published once in three months. Its name is Juga Lakhyan. Juga means times, and Lakhyan signs. I am sending the impression of the name. I am so thankful for this paper, and have so much to write about that it seems too long to wait for the second quarter.

JUGA LAKHYAN (SIGNS OF THE TIMES)
THE TITLE OF THE NEW BENGALI PAPER — JUGA LAKHYAN (SIGNS OF THE TIMES) THE TITLE OF THE NEW BENGALI PAPER

This publication will be the size of Life and Health, eight pages and cover. I am also translating tracts, and hope soon by the Lord's blessing to have all these printed, to scatter like the autumn leaves.

I expect to visit our East Bengali field at least once in two months.

I am so thankful I am here in India, where I can give the message to my own countrymen, who are sitting in darkness, waiting for the dawn of salvation.

Lately I have been giving Bible readings to the secretary of the Entally branch of the Y. M. C. A., and there are two others of the members taking readings, as well. One of these is a Telugu Brahman, converted to Christianity two years ago. He is twenty-seven years of age. In his fourteenth year he began to study the shastras, under the great Swamy, and on studying the Vedas he found it would be hard to enter heaven unless he became a yogi. So after studying these books, in his eighteenth year he started out as a yogi, leaving his father and property, although the only heir, and began to visit the different shrines, and even went to Bombay, Benares, and Calcutta, his home being near Mysore. In Bombay he was welcomed, I believe, by four hundred Brahmans to their temple, where he lived for a few days. But while there, he used to hear an American lady preaching in the church in front of this temple. Afterward, he learned of the Saviour, and was baptized. He was offered different positions, but was bent upon seeking further light in Christianity, and finally came to Calcutta. Here a bishop paid his expenses at the Y. M. C. A. Then one of the ladies of the Methodist mission, of which he is a member, secured him a position in the government port commissioner's office, for thirty rupees. He happened to be sent to my father by my brother-in-law, who once kept the Sabbath. Father gave him some tracts, and sent him to me for study. He began to come every day, and after a while the Lord helped him to take his stand for the Sabbath, and, though a stranger in a strange land, he left his work, not knowing how he would support himself. But at this point, most unexpectedly, a registered letter reached him within a week from his resignation, containing an offer for another position, and now he is working as a deputy forest ranger, with double the salary, and can keep the Sabbath of the Lord. And, besides, here in Coconada he will be able to give this message to his people. He is very earnest; knows the Sanskrit, also Mahrati, Hindi, Telugu, and English; is well versed in the Puranas and the Vedas, also the six systems of Hindu philosophy; is a born vegetarian; does not smoke nor drink; believes in paying tithe. He desired baptism before leaving, but we did not feel free to administer the rite, as he had not studied the whole truth with us. He has taken tracts, pamphlets, and books from us. We are praying earnestly for this brother, that God may direct him in giving the message among the Telugus of India.

Calcutta.