The Best Master by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 31, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, Nos. 43, 44.

The Best Master

By Editor

An Incident in Burma

The following in a private letter from Pastor H. H. Votaw, superintendent of our work in Burma, throws an encouraging side-light upon mission work:

"Shortly after coming to Burma we engaged a house which had no well in the compound. Water had to be brought from the railway workshops a quarter of a mile distant. With two other families we hired a man to carry the water. Believing that missionary work begins at home, Mrs. Votaw took the trouble to secure an interpreter (the water-carrier speaking Telugu, having come from Southern India because work is more plentiful and wages are better than in his own country), and she began to give him simple lessons in the Scriptures. Sometimes some of our neighbors' servants came also to hear the Bible stories.

"Servants do not have the easiest time here. A coachman earns from $4.00 to $6.00 per month, gardeners from $4.00 to $5.00, a butler $6.00 to $8.00, a cook about the same amount. A sweeper—the lowest caste—does not average more than $3.00. In India proper the wages are even a little lower than these I have given. Men must board themselves and keep their families from the above sums. Think of it! And there are no eight-hour days and no holidays. They are supposed to work every day in the year. The only way to get a day off is to be ill or to have a relative die. To me it is not strange that some of these poor people seem possessed of such startling numbers of relatives. According to their statements some have a dozen grandmothers die in the course of two or three or four years. But to their work. From the time that the master of the house wakes and calls for his 'chota hazri,' meaning 'small breakfast,' at about six o'clock in the morning, until after dinner is finished, at about nine o'clock at night, servants are supposed to be ready for any command.

"Mrs. Votaw was giving the account of the making of the world. Each day's work was talked about. It was intensely interesting to the listeners; for some, at least, had never heard of such things. To know that there is a great God that made everything, was wonderful to them; and to think that He cares for the children of men, loves them, and desires to help them, was even more wonderful. When the studies came to the seventh day, a special emphasis was put upon the fact that the Lord intended that every man should have a day of rest every week, that this day was God's day, given to man for his good. For a little time our water-carrier was thoughtful, and then he said, 'Your God is the best "sahib" [master] that I have ever heard about.' I have often pondered his words, and I find that I can express it no better than this poor heathen who was catching his first gleams of light, who was grasping his first impressions of God. I know that every child of God can say, My God is the best master that I have ever heard about."

Our Mountain Mission Home, Mussoorie, India