p. 11 | THE FAMINE IN INDIA by Rev. Rockwell Clancy

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 20, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 20.

THE FAMINE IN INDIA.

By Rev. Rockwell Clancy

BY REV. ROCKWELL CLANCY.

(In Gospel of All Lands.)

My last circular letter with reference to the terrible famine raging in India met with such a ready response from numerous friends that I am encouraged to send another circular letter. Will the editor of this paper kindly accept our hearty thanks for having given the last letter a place in his columns, and will the readers of this paper who sent us help accept our thanks and the gratitude of large numbers of little children whose lives their donations have helped to save?

In looking over the records of the famine children who have come to us, I find that since September, 1896, we have received more than 200 children in addition to those we had previous to that time.

We have received in all 250 children, and, finding it impossible to keep all who came to us, we decided to establish in our compound a depot for the distribution of famine children. From our depot we have sent 10 girls to a Presbyterian mission, 17 to our orphanage at Bareilly, 20 to our school at Cawnpore, 59 to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Mission at Cawnpore, and 35 to Ajmere. Our workers in the famine-stricken villages are busy collecting orphan children.

Yesterday two native workers brought in 58 children, and have returned to their villages for more. I received a letter from a friend this morning offering us a lot of boys. A few days ago more than 50 girls passed through our station from Jabalpur to our school at Aligarh; and on Tuesday 38 girls were sent on to our school at Bareilly, in addition to the 17 above named. If we had the accommodation, we could take in hundreds of children.

This famine gives a grand opportunity for filling our schools with boys and girls who have not yet been contaminated by heathenism. These children will grow up in the faith, and when trained for work will go back to their villages to bring their relatives to Christ.

I have been in India thirteen years, and consider the present opportunity the best I have had for helping to solve the great problem of India's salvation. Every child placed in a mission school helps to solve the problem. Great good will come out of this famine, because thousands of children are being rescued.

This work among famine children is purely a work of love; and only the love of Christ can help one to do the disagreeable things which must be done for the children. They are brought to us in a terribly filthy condition, covered with vermin and sores, sick, and so emaciated that many of them can hardly walk. This morning I went out into the compound where the children are, and saw a native barber shaving the girls' heads as a sanitary measure; the next thing is a hot-water bath, to which many of the children strongly object, as they have not been used to soap and water. The few rags they have are burned.

They have to be fed on specially prepared food four or five times a day, with great care, as injudicious feeding would cause their death. At present we are devoting most of our time to the care of our children. A physician supplies us with large quantities of fever medicine and other mixtures; and all day long our compound is like a small dispensary. We have had remarkably few deaths, as not more than six children have died.

It is almost impossible to keep them from eating food which would cause their death. They have an abnormal craving for solid food. A few nights ago a little boy not more than six years of age, while lying under a blanket near the box in which grain is kept, dug a hole through the box, and was found shortly after eating raw grain; a large quantity was concealed under his blanket. This discovery probably saved his life. They are very deceitful about their food, and try very hard to get an extra supply, stoutly declaring that they have not had anything to eat. It is piteous to hear them crying and begging for food, not understanding our kindness in keeping it from them to save their lives. It will be several months before they will be able to take food like healthy children.

You can understand the amount of patience and love required to go on day after day caring for these little ones who have no idea of the laws of health and sanitation. But He who said, 'Suffer the little children to come unto Me,' has wonderfully softened our hearts toward these little famine victims; and when we have to send any away to other schools, it is almost as difficult for us to decide whom to send as if we were their parents.

When the famine began, we had no money for the support of famine children, nor did we know where it was to come from; but week after week as the children have come to us, God has sent us money through his people in America, England, and the colonies. We believe that he will continue to care for his little ones. The cost of a child's support has risen from $15 to $20 a year, or from £3 to £4.

The number of people on government relief works at present is 2,000,000. The government is doing a great work in saving life. Thus far we have not asked for any help from any famine funds given to the government. In addition to supporting children we are feeding a large number of hungry people in the villages. Sir A. McDonald, the lieutenant-governor, in a public address at Lucknow a few days ago, stated that we are in the midst of the worst famine of this century.