Things as They Are - Mission Work in Southern India

Amy Carmichael

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• Publié par: eslu
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 37
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Things as They Are, by Amy Wilson-Carmichael This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Things as They Are Mission Work in Southern India Author: Amy Wilson-Carmichael Release Date: July 16, 2009 [EBook #29426] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THINGS AS THEY ARE *** Produced by The Bookworm, Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) THINGS AS THEY ARE [i] Old India. "You think you know us; you know nothing at all about us!" and the old eyes peer intently into yours, and the old head shakes and he smiles to himself as he moves off. Every bit of this picture is suggestive: the closed door behind,—only a Brahman may open that door; the mythological carving,—only a Brahman has the right to understand it; the three-skein cord, —only a Brahman may touch it. Even the ragged old cloth is suggestive. In old India nothing but Caste counts for anything, and a reigning Prince lately gave his weight in gold to the Brahmans, as part payment for ceremonies which enabled him to eat with men of this old man's social position. Look at the marks on the baby's forehead; they are suggestive too. THINGS AS THEY ARE MISSION WORK IN SOUTHERN INDIA BY [ii] AMY WILSON-CARMICHAEL Keswick Missionary C.E.Z.M.S. AUTHOR OF "FROM SUNRISE LAND," ETC. WITH PREFACE BY EUGENE STOCK VICTORY TO JESUS' NAME! LONDON: MORGAN AND SCOTT (OFFICE OF "The Christian") 12, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, E.C. And may be ordered of any bookseller 1905 FIRST EDITION Reprinted " " " April 1903 August 1903 January 1904 November 1904 January 1905 [iii] To the Memory of My Dear Friend, ELEANOR CARR, Whose last message to the Band, before her translation on June 16, 1901, was: "YOU WILL BE IN THE THICK OF THE FIGHT BY THE TIME THIS REACHES YOU, [iv] THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S!" Note ITHIN a few weeks of the publication of Things as They Are , letters were received from missionaries working in different parts of India, confirming its truth. But some in England doubt it. And so it was proposed that if a fourth edition were called for, a few confirmatory notes, written by experienced South Indian missionaries, other than those of the district described, would be helpful. Several such notes are appended. The Indian view of one of the chief facts set forth in the book is expressed in the note written by one who, better than any missionary, and surely better even than any onlooker at home, has the right to be heard in this matter—and the right to be believed. And now at His feet, who can use the least, we lay this book again; for "to the Mighty One," as the Tamil proverb says, "even the blade of grass is a weapon." May it be used for His Name's sake, to win more prayer for India—and all dark lands—the prayer that prevails. AMY WILSON-CARMICHAEL, Dohnavur, Tinnevelly District, S. India. [v] W Confirmatory Notes From Rev. D. DOWNIE, D.D., American Baptist Mission, Nizam's Dominions, S. India. I have felt for many years that we missionaries were far too prone to dwell on what is called the "bright side of mission work." That it has a bright side no one can question. That it has a "dark" side some do question; but I for one, after thirty years of experience, know it to be just as true as the bright side is true. I have heard Miss Carmichael's book denounced as "pessimistic." Just what is meant by that I am not quite sure; but if it means that what she has written is untrue, then I am prepared to say that it is NOT pessimistic, for there is not a line of it that cannot be duplicated in this Telugu Mission. That she has painted a dark picture of Hindu life cannot be denied, but, since it is every word true , I rejoice that she had the courage to do what was so much needed, and yet what so many of us shrank from doing, "lest it should injure the cause." [vi] From Rev. T. STEWART, M.A., Secretary, United Free Church Mission, Madras. This book, Things as They Are , meets a real need—it depicts a phase of mission work of which, as a rule, very little is heard. Every missionary can tell of cases where people have been won for Christ, and mention incidents of more than passing interest. Miss Carmichael is no exception, and could tell of not a few trophies of grace. The danger is, lest in describing such incidents the impression should be given that they represent the normal state of things, the reverse being the case. The people of India are not thirsting for the Gospel, nor "calling us to deliver their land from error's chain." The night is still one in which the "spiritual hosts of wickedness" have to be overcome before the captive can be set free. The writer has laid all interested in the extension of the Kingdom of God under a deep debt of obligation by such a graphic and accurate picture of the difficulties that have to be faced and the obstacles to be overcome. Counterparts of the incidents recorded can be found in other parts of South India, and there are probably few missionaries engaged in vernacular work who could not illustrate some of them from their own experience. From Dr. A. W. RUDISILL, Methodist Episcopal Press, Madras. In Things as They Are are pictured, by camera and pen, some things in Southern India. The pen, as faithfully as the camera, has told the truth, and nothing but the truth. The early chapters bring out with vivid, striking, almost startling reality the wayside hearers in India. One can almost see the devil plucking away the words as fast as they fall, and hear the opposers of the Gospel crying out against it. Paul did not hesitate to write things as they were of the idolaters to whom he preached, even though the picture was very dark. It is all the more needful now when so many are deceived and being deceived as to , the true nature of idolatry, that people at home who give and pray should be told plainly that what Paul wrote of idolaters in Rome and Corinth is still true of idolaters in India. Miss Carmichael has given only glances and glimpses, not full insights. Let those who think the picture