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THE GIRLS’
COMPANION.
» AuGUsT 28, 1909.
A missionary and. his wife, with their ‘at-
tendants, were preparing to leave their sta-
tion for a long tour into the Burman jungle.
Three elephants~were halted in. front. of
»- the bungalow, as the mission house is called,
and the drivers shouted something which no
»- American. could understand... But the. ele-
phants . understood it, . for. the ponderous
“on: the ground. Tents, clothing, food, medi-
“eine, dishes, beds for five, small organ, table,
~ chair, stereopticon. lantern» with |: curtain,
slides and oil, two or three thousand tracts,
~ Bible, Seripture \rolls, -blackboard,) camera,
tripod, and other. things..too numerous to
mention, were then. loaded on the elephants’
“backs, for the missionaries were far into the
~ jungle, where there-are no Christians, and
they must take everything they will want to
..use for living, sleeping, eating, . cooking,
preaching... Last of all, the missionaries got
into the howdah, the drivers shouted again,
BY J. MERVIN HULL,
we.
but they worship and offer sacrifices to the
unseen spirits. .Long ago they had ~tradi-
tions that people with white faces would
come to teach them about the true. God.
This made them much more ready to receive
the. missionaries than the Burman Buddh-
ists were, and there are now. many Christian
Karen villages with schools, chapel, and na-
beasts sank | slowly till they were’ kneeling | tive pastor.
After a journey of two or: three days, the
caravan reached one of ‘these Christian vil-
lages, situated in a beautiful spot among the
mountains. The villagers had received word
that the missionaries were on the way, and
now they cked. to meet them and escort
them to. the village with-songs and cordial
greetings. The Karens are very fond of music,
and some of their choirs and bands have
made great progress in giving the best music,
as well as the simpler kinds.» The mission-
aries spent several delightful days holding
meetings, singing hymns and teaching ‘some
and the elephants rose, swaying from side to
side like a boat in a heavy sea.
. As the’ missionaries traveled along’ from
city’ to. village, and from village to jungle,
they saw everywhere evidences of the way
Burma is: held in the, grasp of idolatry.
There were images and shrines by the road-
side, pagodas on every hilltop, and even the
poorest people were anxious to prove their
devotion to their religion.-'In some of the
‘larger. places the missionaries’ visited. the
., Christian schools which had been established,
and there they found the power’ at ‘work
which some day. will change idolatry to the
> Worship of the true God. .One hundred and
“fifty Burman girls are in one school, many
‘of them Christians. S
“The first Sunday of their tour the mission-
aries passed near a large village where no
“Christian mission was yet established.” So
“they took the little cabinet organ and went
“Into the market place where the people were
most numerous,-as the village well was lo-
»- cated there.
One of ‘the mnissionary’s party sat down
at the organ and began to play and sing,
“The Gospel Bells are Ringing,” in the
native language. Soon the people began to
stop, look and listen. © Still the music kept
on; hymn after hymn sent its melody among
the stalls and benches of. trade; many
gathered about the strangers, and when the
,musie ceased the missionaries began to talk
to them. Some of the people listened quietly,
others turned and went. their way, while
« there ‘were some ‘who ‘ridiculed. | But after
the service, many came to the tent of the
missionaries, asking to hear more.
~ When the missionaries. came to the moun-
tain roads,’ they left the elephants and: trav-
eled for the rest of the tour in bullock carts.
..These Burman bullocks remind us-somewhat
* of our own oxen, but they have a high hump
‘on their, back, just above the shoulders, that
gives them a ‘peculiar appearance. |The carts
shave two wheels only; they do not. sway
about “like the howdah* on the elephant's
back, but oh, when they run over a stone,
or drop into a rut, they do come down hard!
“When. everything bad been safely trans-
ferred ‘to the bullock carts, the missionaries
esumed "their journey. In the mountains
the» village - people are Burmese, but
~. Karens. .. The ~ Karen tribes live in’ various
parts of. nurmay especially in the ‘mountain
districts, a race they are. distinct
from the, ‘Burmans. . They are not, idolaters,
THE VILLAGE . WELL,
new ones to the people, giving out ‘pictures
and texts, and arranging for some of the
girls from the village school to go to the
more advanced school at the mission station.
But the crowning scene of such a visit fs
generally a Karen Christian wedding. The
young couple wait on. purpose. that’ the mis-
sionary maybe present. e groom, accord-
ing- to the Karen custom, brings the inyita-
tion» himself.” ‘The. wedding is held-in the
chapel, and it is crowded with friends of the
young couple, but there are seats of- honor
for the Thra and Mama, as’the missionaries
are called. The old school. table is coy-
ered with brilliant flowers, while the. chan-
delier is hung with green branches. --A. choir
selected from’ the three lower grades of. the
school ig lined up.in front of-the platform.
Promptly at the hour. selected, the bridal
party enter, with bright faces, and clothing
more than bright—silk skirts and jackets not
only on the bride and bridesmaids, ‘but also
on the groom and his attendants, Pink. is
here the prevailing color, the men outshining
the women in brillianey. The choir breaks
into a very ecstasy of song as the company
comes down to the front of the chapel, and
then. the native pastor steps forward and
performs the ceremony in a- dignified, thor-
oughly Christian manner. Such a° scene as
this was not even to be imagined seyenty-
five years ago, when the first Karen convert
from heathenism was ptized in a little
lake not half a mile from this village,
A RARE ACCOMPLISHMENT,
If you had asked her about her accomplish-
ments, says the Presbyterian,’ she: would
have told you that she had none, and would
have been quite sincere in her answer... She
did not know how to play the piano, and she
had never tried her hand at. water-colors, or
erayon sketching. She had never found time
for embroidery. She got off the key when
she tried to sing. _In -fact,: one-might- rw
through = the - list “of what are called’ ac-
complishments without naming one at which
she was expert,
Yet this sunny-faced, sweet- volced .girl had
one accomplishment which outweighed. all
those she Jacked.. Wherever she went: gloomy
faces grew cheerful. You have seen droopin,
plants ‘freshen at the touch of the summer
rain, and it seemed as if her presence revived
drooping hearts In’ very much the same man-
ner, She was a happiness-maker. _ Children
stopped fretting when she came near... Old
people came back from dreams ofthe past
and found the: present sweet. ‘Without. be-
ing wise or witty or beautiful, there was an
atmosphere of peace about her like the fra-
grance of a flower. Her smile had the com-
forting warmth of sunshine. .The tones of
her glad young: voice stirred the heart like
a song.
‘You girls who are fitting yourselyes for
life, and to adorn life, will do well to take
into account this rare and valuable. ac-
complishment. You have’ missed part o
your preparation unless -you have mastered
the art of making happiness.
Priscilla’ s Better Part
D cK
By Harriet Lummis Smith,
(Helpful to Next Sunday’ 's Lesson.)
OWN JUNIOR sat upon the back
J stairs and. frowned. If. the - back
« Stairs had been a trifle darker, and
Biddy had not been listening in the kitchen,
he might have yielded to a weakness for
which John Junior had a ‘supreme con-
tempt... As it. was, he contented himsel
by frowning.
Another day spoiled! That summed up
John Junior’s thoughts. .There was to
have been a drive, along drive with mother,
in’ the country. Mother and Mrs. Mac-
Reynolds would have sat on the back seat,
while John Junior occupied the place beside
the coachman. t was quite within. the
bounds of probability that-he might have
been allowed to hold the lines on the level
stretches of the road. And then Priscilla
had spoiled it. ‘
“She . spoils. everything,” said John
Junior, kicking “softly against’ the — wall.
“Everything that is going to happen,. Pris-
eilla. spoils.” - But he said it. under’ his
breath. For two years now it had been un-
derstood . in. the Clifford” household that
whatever Priscilla wanted she must haye.
John Junior had begun by being very ready
to give up-for “ poor sick sister.” | Lately
he was getting tired of it.
Graciously Priscilla had given her’ con-
sent to her mother’s taking a drive with
her friend Mrs. MacReynolds.. Aunt Laura
was to stay with her during her mother’s
absence. There. was a’ brand-new book
which was to help pass away the- time.
Then, all at once, Priscilla had decided that
she could not endure being left alone. Her
mother had telephoned Mrs. MacRey: nolds,
Aunt Laura had come and gone home again,
and John.Junior sat on the back stairs
frowning. :
It was a spoiled day for Priscilla, as
well as for the others. She herself did
not know why. she was so unhappy. - Noth-
ing pleased her. - The new book proved very
disappointing. She. could not eat any of
the luncheon Biddy sent up, and when her
mother went down’to the kitchen and_pre-
pared something -entirely’ different, that
fared no better. - She fretted a great deal,
and cried a little, and’ felt sorry for her-
self. And. indeed she had” reason to be,
not so much because of the injury to her
spine, from which-she was not likely to
recover for many. years, if at all, as because
gradually growing to. feel that
rhile she had-a right to claim any amount
of self-sacrifice from others, she was under
no obligations to deny herself in anything.
And the world has not yet discovered a
surer way to unhappiness than to receive
much and give back nothing.. The spoiled
days were becoming. more and more fre-
quent, till they bade fair to outnumber the
othe: ~
To. cap the climax, on the afternoon mail
came a letter from Aunt,Peace. - She was
sister. of . Priscilla’s. grandmother, and
ijla thought it rather fortunate that
1 been born long ago when girls were
“ Peace *-and .“ Prudence,” for
she h
christened
Aunt Peace’s name fitted her like her dove-
colored silk gowns. But in Priscilla’s pres-
ent state of. mind she was inclined to re-
gard the. news: in the letter as one more
griev. ance. .
“T don't see how-she can:come here to
make a visit, mother,” she fretted. “ You're
so busy taking care of me, that’ you can’t
look after an old, blind lady She ought. to
have thought of that.” Sometimes Pris-
cilla wondered at. the thoughtlessness of. a ,
world which overlooked her claim to be
considered
ut despite ‘Priscilla’s sense of injury,
and her ‘doubts,: Aunt Peace came. And
the sight of the placid old face under. the
doye-colored bonnet did Priscilla good. She
was rather surprised to find Aunt’ Peace
so unresponsive when she tried to tell her
about her symptoms. Priscilla loved ‘to
talk about. her symptoms and about: the
nights when she couldn’t- sleep, and what
the doctor said when he changed the medi- ~
cine. Aunt-Peace had a’ singular way of.
shifting the subject... But that was not so
surprising ‘as something that happened a
little later.
“ Priscilla,”. said Aunt Peace suddenly
one afternoon, “I think you need-to take
a little better care of your mother.” set
Priscilla tried to understand. Then light
began to'dawn. . Why, of course!) > Aunt:
Peace was an old lady, and she had said!
one thing when she meant another.’ She’
meant that Priscilla’s mother should take:
better care of her. And yet, on: second |
thought, that.seemed rather unreasonable,
“TY don’t believe I. understand, Aunt
Peace,”. she said with a puzzled : .
-“TI think you need,” said Aunt Peace, so
t distinctly .that there-was no chance of a
mistake, .. “to . take. better care of your
mother.”
Priscilla sat, without speaking.
“To make up, for, not haying any eyes,”
Aunt Peace continued cheerfully, “ my ears
have grown very. quick. I don’t-like the
sound of your mother’s voice. It tells me’
that she is very tired. She needs -to get
away from some of her cares. She should
have more outdoor life. She should see.
more of her friends.”
“T think the doctor gave mother a tonic, ’”
Priscilla said, trying to speak patiently.
‘ daresay the doctor, has done’. his
best,” said) Aunt Peace,’ still cheerfully.
“But. you see he can do yery little with-
out your help. You. are the only one,”
added Aunt Peace, ““whoican take care of
your mother.” .
A day or two laters there was more of
the same kind.
“ Priscilla,” said Aunt Peace seriously, .
“don’t you think you need. to be a little »
more watchful of John Junior?” — - ,
*“1T?" cried: Priscilla fretfully. ..“ Why,
Aunt Peace, how can I watch John Junior?
It would be bad enough if I was well, to
keep track of that boy.” -
“Tle is home so very little,” said Aunt
Peace. gravely. “Really, if I: wasn’t: sure
it couldn’t be, I. should’ almost think he
didn’t. enjoy. his home—that he felt more
comfortable somewhere else.” ~~
It: was a-relief to Priscilla to remember
that Aunt Peace could not. see how her
cheeks flamed. ‘ Why doesn’t. John Junior
go somewhere and play. with the~ other
boys?” was a very favorite speech of. hers,
when she heard her brother’s whistle in
the backyard, or ‘his noisy step on the
stair. ‘And. gradually John . Junior had
fallen in to the way of doing that very
thing. . Boys of eleven do not. like to be
told twenty. times a day that they -must
be quieter, because they are making some-
body nervous. It was true that John
Junior felt more at ease almost anywhere
than at home. -
“Td try to find ways of keeping him
with me,” said Aunt Peace. “An older
sister can do so much with a boy if she
tries.. There is no reason why, John Junior
should outgrow your influence unless you
let him get too much of a- start.”
Priscilla’s lips. quivered.. Aunt Peace
could not see that, but. she could hear the
tremulousness of the girl’s voice.
“Aunt Peace,” she faltered, “ sometimes
you talk as if) you'd forgotten about my
hurting my back. I can’t do nice-things
for other people. the way most girls can,
not. till I’m well again—if I ever am well.”
“ Why, dear child!"- cried Aunt
Peace. poor, dear child!”. She
reached for Priscilla’s hand and. patted it.
“T- know you've had a. hard. time,..deary,”
she said, “but it isn’t'as bad as all that.
Your accident has shut you out of a great
many pleasant things, but not out of the
best of all.. God never puts us where we
cannot do something for. others, Priscilla.
That’s almost as comforting as any truth
I know.”
“The talk did not: end there. - Priscilla’s
mother came and looked into the room once
x (Concluded on page Te
