p. 14 | Among the Santals by W. A. Barlow

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Nov 26, 1903

Among the Santals

By W. A. Barlow

W. A. BARLOW

DURING the past four months the Santal work has been under the management of the Indian mission, and I have been spared from going out to collect funds for the work here at Simultala, so I can give more time to the native work.

I improve every opportunity to spread the gospel among the villagers by word and by song; I also talk every evening to those who come here for work. At present we have about twenty who are doing relief work on the roads near us, planting trees, etc., aided by the government. The schoolboys also take part in this work for a few hours daily, and are all the better students for it. Tracts in English, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Santali are freely circulated at the railway station and on the highways and byways.

Since April I have devoted part of my time to conducting an industrial training school for Santal youth aged from sixteen to twenty-four years, giving them daily Bible lessons, teaching them gospel songs, etc.; a few hours each day are spent in the fruit and vegetable garden, also in the tree-planting work on the roads. Several of the students have, through God's blessing, been enabled to read the Bible and hymns for themselves. When they came to school, they could not read Santali. It is generally printed in the Roman character. After a month or two these students feel quite at home. Our earnest desire is that God will bless the readings day by day to the conversion of their souls, and raise up a number of godly school-teachers to go forth into the district to help the thousands who can not read or write, and to bring them in for Jesus.

The crops have suffered much this year from lack of rain. The poor farmers were in distress some time ago, but God has sent a little timely help, giving the poorest of the poor some relief work, by digging holes for tree planting. About twenty, on an average, are at work daily. The school students also take part in this work of planting fruit and other trees.

Last month I gave about sixty Bible readings. During the past three months my wife and I treated about eighteen sick persons. Several of these had cholera, and four of them were restored to health by God's blessing.

A number of sick persons are treated month by month, both in the homes of the poor villagers and in the mission compound. About twenty deaths were caused recently by cholera, but several persons, thank God, were spared out of the number we treated. The disease is spread chiefly through eating jack-fruit.

One family near by us lost mother, father, and youngest son. The only child left was a dear boy named Tulsi. He was given to my care by his dying father, so I kept him here until Brother Shaw took him to the Karmatar orphanage a short time ago. I hear from Brother Burgess that he is doing well in school.

I have buried thirteen victims of cholera lately. One of these was a poor Hindu pilgrim whom I found lying by the roadside. He asked me for a drink of water, and I at once got him some cholera cure and some warm rice-water; but he was in the last stage of the dis- ease, and soon after passed away, while I spoke to him of Jesus and his love.

A poor man came in the compound a few days ago, suffering with palsy. He had been traveling about five months on foot from the northern frontier. We did what we could, but he still desired to tramp on toward the south. The same night a poor pilgrim came in for shelter and food, after a long journey through a jungle country.

We do what we can for the sick and suffering. My wife helps very much among the women and children, but a large number of cases we are obliged to send on to the next missionary, sixteen miles away, who is a physician. His wife is also a doctor, and they treat a large number of sick daily. They give Bible readings, and sell Scriptures to the patients.

We need a medical missionary very much indeed, for the sick are more anxious and willing to listen to the gospel message than are others. May God touch some heart to come here to live and work among the poor villagers who come to us daily for medical aid, for Jesus' sake and the salvation of precious souls.

Simultala, Bengal.