THE
EIGHTY-l-i'IHST
ANNUAL REPOR'"r
OF THE
'AmerIcan Madura MIssIon
PREPARED BY F. E. JEFFERY
I
~JA DR.\S I I METHOlJlST l'L"llLlSHl:\G HOUSB I 1916 1----- • TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE 1. THE AWAKENING 1
II. THE DISTRIOT CONFERENCE 4
III. THE CIROLES 7 1. South Circle 7 2. East Circle 9 3. Central Circle 12 4. West Circle 13 5. North Cirole 16
IV. \-VORK IN CONNEOTION WITH THE CIRCLES. 1. The Institutes 17 :!. Boarding Schools 19 3. Village Schools 22 4. Evangelistic Campaign 24 5. General Assembly of the South India United Church 26
V. EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENTS A. WOl1len~- 1. Oapron Hall 28 2. Hindu Girls' Schools 31 3. Lucy Perry Noble Bible School 34 4. Bible Woman's Work 36 5. Mad u r a Cit y Bible~woman's \-Vork 37 6. 'Voman's C h r is t ian College, Madras 40 B. Men- 1. PasumaJai High and T r a i n i n g School for Boys 40 :3. American Oollege. Madura 44 3. American Mis s ion CoIl e g e , ~adura 45 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE 4. Union Theological S e min a r y, Pasumalai 47 .J. United Theological CoIl e g e , Bangalore 49
VI. :hlEDICAL WORK 1. Albert Victor Hospital .( General) 50 :2. Operating Buildings at Kodaikanal 51 3. Hospital I.or Women and Children 0:2 ±. Dispensary at Sevalpatti ;j4 5. Leper Hospital, Manamadura li4
VII. ALLIED MISSION INTERESTS 1. English Service, Madura 56 2. Christian Endeavour Societies 56 3. Home Missionary Society 57 4. Kodaikanal S c h 0 0 1 for Children of Missionaries 58 5. A. M. Lenox Press 59 6. Widows' Aid Society 59 7. Conclusion 60 8. Loss 61 9. Personals 61 VIII. ApPENDICES 1. Addresses and 'York of the ::\1issionaries for 1916 G4 2. Statistical Tables. THE AWAKENING When the writer of this Report came to Madura twenty five years ago, an English gentleman, ·who-had to do with many Tamil coolies, said,-" The -Tamil language is ea~y. You really need to know but three words: ~QJ~ l-ITW, IDff'&tr&(§ and Q)f:p&6W-' It is Dot necessary to· do it;' 'It can be-done to-morrow;' and' This is custom '." The latter word meant something like this: "In reli gious, social and: industrial life the ancient pattern is complete.·' I do as my forefathers did." But" presto! " what a change now from those not very ancient days 1 India stands to-day looking into the future with eager courage and faith. Indications of the new Indla are visible in every village. Mud huts with tha.tched roofs are giving wa:y to substantial stone and brick houses, some even assuming a two story dignity. The rough hand -woven articles of dress have given way to those of finer texture manufactured in steam factories. One hundred and thirty-seven Singer Sewing l\lachines were counted the other day in the entrance to the Madura temple. Every machine -was clicking a-way at full speed making coats and shirts for Hindu men and boys and dresses for Hindu girls! In those days when the writer went on an itineracy, a preacher of the Hindu Tract Society. dresst::d in a purple velvet coat, climbed on to an elevation just opposite where be stood and began to preach Hinduism. The Hindus laughed at bim saying, " Take off tha.t Christian coat and then we will listen to you.'J A casual count in passing through the streets of Madura the other day showed one-third of the men wearing coats. Sewing machines may even be found in many villages and .tbey are alw~ys busy. 2
When the writer came to India twenty-five years ago, he was advised to: bring a bag of assorted buttons, as buttons were difficuH to get in Madura. Also old umbrella frames to be covered for use, for the same reason. Now one can purchase in the ever enlarging Madura shops not only buttons and umbrellas but needles, pins, lamps, enamelware, kerosine, watches, clocks, harmoniums, aerated drinks, walking sticks, cig8rrettes~ socks, neckties, and dancing pumps! Not a few of these may be purchased even in village bazaars! In the streets of Madura, the automobile is a, growing menace to the pedestrian, as according to ancient custom, he moves down mid street. Agriculturally under the stimulus of Government ex perimental farms, the report bulletins of which are freely circulated, 'great progress is being made in scientific cultivation. Consequently prices of farm lands have quad rupled and aU waste lands are being rapidly brought under' cultiva.tion. Socially a marvelous revolution is in progress. Twenty. five years ago the writer was stoned for innocently taking a low caste Christian servant through the Bra.hmin street. The other day he sat down to a ba.nquet ,with College students of all castes, including three divisions of Brah mins. All were Bened by servants of low caste extraction. In Bombay, on December 28th, an All-India Inter-caste Dinner, organized with the avowed object of doing'away with caste differences, was held. Of the 450 guests frOID various castes, 225 were Brahmins, 50 were Indian women! and 20 were the 8o-called " untouchables! " In' connection with this dinner a bold reformer said: "Inter-caste dinners are of less importance now than inter caste marriages. Caste can only be cut at its roots by those who are rea.lly serious about social reform, boldly arranging for inter-caste marriages among their own Bons and daughters." "Self-government" is the cry of the great Indian National Congress which has just been holding its sessions 3 in Bombay, with 2,259 English-speaking delegates from allover India. The Congress demands that a scheme of self-government be introduced into'India immediately fol lowing the clol:ie of the war. It has come to be recognized by Indians that caste is inimical to their nationalistic ambition for self-government. The social reform orator declares" Society has largely degenerated- into mutually antagonistic water-tight groups full of pride and caste hatred." . All the present day influences are thus makingfor t he sweeping away of caste barriers. Local changes are no less radical. In Kamnthi the Hindus have opened a reading room. Besides 200 novels they have placed on the table, a dozen modern newspapers and magazines. "Beecher's Lectures to Young' Men," "The Y.M·C.A. Organ," "The Young Men of India," "Progress,'; "Old Testament Bible Portions," and " Tamil New Testament" are to be found as a part of the equipment! In religious matters the modemists, in their reform papers, openly recognize Jesus Christ as a great Teacher. It is true the following sayings are heard :- "Numerous paths lead to the top of the same moun tain." "We in India say Krishna, you in the West say Christ. " "He is one and the same." In the bazaars in Madura may be purchased the" Hindu Holy Bible" and you are told ~there is just this difference "Your Holy Bible came to you through the Hebrew. Ours came to us through the Sanscrit, but the teaching is one and the same." A.ll these are indications of the rapidly changing India. There can be no question but that ,under the influence of Christian Missions the breath of life has been breathed into the moral, social, political and religious life of India and that the doctrine of "Fate" is giving place to the doctrine of "Faith." 4
'The" Madras Social RefOrm Advocate," edited by a Hindu, says:- "Has the instruction ii Mission schools about the Life of Christ been in', any way prejudicial to' Hindu boys? No! The Missionary has not labored in vain. Dull must be the mind that cannot appreciate the great work ,of the, M.issionary in India and hard indeed the heart that will deny him his meed of glory~" . ' The Indian Prof. P. A. vVardia observes':- " The influence of Christianity in India is not to be judged by the growth of, Christian Missions alone. The Christian ideals of life have filtered into India through a hundred differ ent channels, and have influenced Indian life and .thought. " The Theistic conception of God has become the central and dominating idea of the Brahma Samaj, the, Adi Samaj, the Prathana Samaj, and tbe Arya Samaj Creeds.
U In fact aJl the religious movements of the day, liberal or , reactionary, have 'adopted a new cbn.ceptioI\ of life and work. :All alike are using the methods of Christian missions. The leaven is slowly but inevitably working and there can be no greater evidence than this to the triumph of Christianity in India." , ' , Attending to the Report which" follows one may see what the Madura Mission has been trying to do and with some measure :ofsuccess, in this great Empire of India to help in the general awakening.
" THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE '., The evangelistic and elementary educational work of 'jhe Ma,dura ~ission is adminiBtered· through a represent ,ath7 e' Committee 'or organization EVOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE CHURCH. 5 bounds of the Mission. The mIssIOnaries working in connection with the District Conference, would call the attention of the ~ission and the ,Board to the fact that in the eagerness to build up our higher educational insti tutions and to make perfect Ollr various other Mission departments, an admitted necessary work, there is a dan ger of overlooking the wonderful opportunities in the vil lage work, and failing to give the financial support needed to that which is the foundation and, though not so snowy, the glory of-all our work! A study of the following tab1e will show that so far as the Boa.rd appropriations are concern-ed, the appro· priation for the evangelistic department has been gradu ally cut down since 1893. Whi1e appropriations given to othet- departments of our work' have been steadi ly growing and new depa.rtment3 are being added. SEE THIS TABLE OF BOARD ApPHOPRIATIONS 11391 19013 1915 /25 years differelJce i Rs. Rs. IRS. Out Station Work 26,125 24,3~3 i - 6,639 Boarding School ~~022115,789 7,292 17,518 1+ 11.729 Wom~n's Work ... 1 6,43! 19,535 32,1491 + 25,715 Pasumalai School Semi-Ii 5,499 I 5,820 15,021' +. 9,522 nary and College.! I Our 25,601 Christians live in 610 different towns and villages. In .tbe Mission there are only 237 village ,schools and as practically all our vilJage agents conduct schools as well as manage the village congregations, this ,means that some 373 villages have no resident Agent to teach and nurture the h'lndreds of Christians who 'them selves do not know how to read. U;nder'such ci:fcum stances it is' impossible to have either an enlighte~ed Christian community or one growing rapidly in Christian graces, not to speak of one that can be counted upon for ~ long time to come" to do an aggressive e,\"o,nge'lism on Its own initiati ve ! 6 The infant church is nobly struggling to get on to its own feet. It is not yet a fitting time, as some seem to think. to withdraw aid. But on the other hand, when the doors of opportunity are so wide open on every band, now seems to be the time to pour out treasures of life and money in this fruitful branch of service. By so doing we ought to be able, with God'9 blessing to ·count our &.nnual gains by hundreds, where now we count them by tens. In our inability to finance the follow-up work in the villages, hundreds have lapsed into Hinduism, after having been enrolled once as Christians. This is why our anneal numerical gains in adherents have.been comparatively smalL Looking over the tables for the last twenty-five years, we find that each of the years has shown an average gain of 413 aiiherents. In five of these years only have the numbers lost exceeded the numbers gained. But considering the expenditure of capital and spiritual energy exerted through the band of Missionaries and traine~ Indian workers we ought to have shown larger increases•. And now, especially considering the growing willingness on the part of the people to plac~ themselves under Christian instruction, we ought to be granted ample funds so that we might be able to supply a teacher to each group of new Christians. Then only can we hope to hold and guide the spiritually weak and superstitious groups of people who come to us fL'{)m time to time asking to be shown the way, otherwise there must ,be great wastage. We want reinforcements in .Missionaries and increased financial support for general mission work. This has been our unanimous and repeat~d appeal for twenty-five years, and for twenty-five years the lessening of ~ppf:'opriations for th.is work has been our answer! Even the Missionaries for this work, always inadequate, are being decreased .• Yet with the material placed in our banqs, the follow ing Reports win show that we have made progress :- ;--______~.. ·.~7i~g=_====::::::: MAP o j;. MADU-RA ! DfSTRICT » z REFERENOE ••••••••• Taluk do. _ Railway =Raad .\ - . The (liroles, See M'ap. Report of the South Circle Missionaries :-Rev. F. E. Jeffery,·Circle Chairman, Mrs. M. B. :;Jeffery, Boarding School, Miss Catherine Quiokenden, Hindu Girls' Schools and Bible-women. The Circle Chairman presents this table to show the advance made in twenty-five years:- 1890 1915 Missionaries . 3 3 INDUN WORKERS Ordained 3 7 Others ... 54 150 Population 330,000 Christians 3,119 7,272 Gain in Adherents for 1915 2~9 Boa.rding Sohool pupils 57 181 Indian Oontributions ... Rs 1,376 Rs 6,488 There are 77 vil1ages in which uneducated Christians live with9ut a resident :teacher. How can we expect growth in such villages. Here is our great opportunity but we have no funds to take advantage of it!. We have turned away new groups of people because we had no way to give them the aid they need in their new-found way. Reviewing the work of 1915 in the South Circle we find the door of opportunity is wide open. The Circle is divided into seven Pastorates and these Pastorates have each felt the impulse of the campaign movement. Out of it a genuine la.ymans' movement has sprung into life. In the Mandapasalai Pastorate twenty laymen, at their Own expen8e~ held two camps during the year. They thus visited eighteen different villages and preach ed to 1,362 souls. The Pastorate itself has been divided into three parts . and a band of laymen in each spends one day a week preaching in villages assigned to it. In one division the 8 Hindus of a certain villagecaUed the preaching band, erected a ,. pavillion" in the midst of the village, and by drums issued a loud notice to the whole population· to assemble. The Hindu boys from the mission school sang many beautiful Christian lyrics, while the Gospel message was presented in sermon and t~stimony. The people crowded the place a.nd listened with ea.gemess.· .Five families were converted and added to the localcongre gation. In another village the head man brought his whole family to Church and with his own hand wrote downtbe name of each in the Church register. They are faj thful in Church attendance. Through the kind gift of two brothers in America tbe Steiner Memorial Church was built in the village of Terknpatti at a cost of Rs. 989. Of this amount the people gave Ra. 309 out of their poverty. In Sengalpaddi also CL new Church was built costing Rs. ] ,430" Of this the people gave more than half and a friend in Boston gave the rest. In Sevelpatty twenty~five years ago the number of Chri~tiaDS in the villlagenumbered 75 and the total collec tion for the ~'ear equalled J.ts. 5. The Christians now number 295 and tb~ annual offer.ings equal Rs. 245. The whole Pastorate shows a Christian community of 1,328 whose annual offerings amount to Rs. 910. The Pastor reports that they are growing in morality, spiritualit.yand education. A man has put away two of his thrae wivc;s, another has given Rs. 200 towards the new Church. Many laymen are preaching to their Hindu friends and neigh bours as they go about tbeir daily tasks. This has resulted in a number of conversions. - The Hindu children and young people have so lost faith in the village devil that, in the recent festival, they refused to dance before it, with the pot of fire. They brought the offering to the Christian Church instead. 9 God gives a man 'Victory over evil. The atblete was always ready for a row. Hot headed and reckless he was a terror to the whole viilage. ready at any time to set fire to a house or club his opponent. He was converted and is naw a prayerful persona] worker. When his old ene mies try to provoke him, he prays for them 80 earnestly, kneeling in the street, that they are moved to conscience stricken tears. His father wasinsuJted by a neighbour. As was his custom he brought a club to the athlete and ordered him to 6gb t. Instead of obeying, the athlete made a feast and compelling those quarreling to join in the feast, he called the pastor to come and pray for the crowd. Thus peace was established and an expensive law snit averted. The struggle of darkness against the light is pathetic! Our new Christian young man started out with the band of laymen to preach in the viJIages, as he passed out the door, his caste Hindu mother cursed him. ·He replied "I am not going out to steal or for house-breaking as usual. I am only going to speak to my friends about the true God." His mother replied "Oh my son! I would rather see you a prisoner in the.hands of the police than to see you preach Christiani ty . " Tbe next day when he again started to preach, his young wife and· mother in order to prevent him leaving the house to attend prayer m,eeting both sat in the door and spread their disheveled hair over the door sill. Cross ing ov~r it should have filled hi3 Hindu mind with super stitious dread, but he, running, leaped over it and went to the prayer meeting! Such instances are many and show us in what strange ways the Spirit works among a simple-minded people. Their zeal challenges our best 'fellowship and support. Report of the .East Circle Missionaries :-Hesident at Manamadura, Rev. C. S. Vaugban, Mission Secretary, District Conference 1880-2 10 and Circle Chairman; Mrs. EUa. C. Vaughan) Board. l -ing' School and 'Vork for Women. 1890 1915 Missionaries 2 2 INDIAN WORKERS Ordained :> Others .. , 76 813 Population 720,000 Christia.ns 984 2,780 Ga.in in Adherents in 1915 133 Boarding School Pupils 45- 64 Indian' Contributions Rs. 1,083 Rs. 3~'457 Of this Circle Mr. Vaugban says:- H The"East Circle comprises a traot of oountry seventy miles from east to west and the same from north to south. It has a population close upon three-fourths of a million and'but two foreign workers, a man and his wife ! " Moreover of the 133 villages in which there are Christians, only 25 have resident workers. This leaves 108 villages with· out a resident worker. The Cirole has four organized Churches, 25 village schools, 4 Hih~u girls' sohools, 10 Bible-women, and a Boarding school. . In the supervision and direotion of this work the missionaries have been assisted by 3 Indian pastors and 88 unordained workers of different kinds. In -these days the missionaries' time is so largely spent in administration and organization that for him there is little time left for visiting the villages." Because of this and at the request of ¥r. and Mrs. V8,ugh~n. the Mission at its la.st meeting asked tbe Woman~s Board of . Missions ,of the Interior to send a lady worker to takeoharge of the .girls' village 8040018 and Bible-women in this Cirole. It is fervently hoped that the Board will soon be able to make this a.ppointment and supply this muoh-needed help. From· its nearness to Madura, tbe East Circle ha.s been able to freely loan workers to help in the Madura. Oity Campaign. On' more than one oocasion during the year I the Circle has been left without a pastor, as all were ~ngaged in Madura, or elsewhere in campaign work. Within the Cirole, only ~repa ratory oampaign work has been done. Even so theChrlstlaa communi~y shows a growth of 133 and the Churoh member- 11 ship of 9. Within the Church itself many beneficial results' are seen. Congrega;tions have been quickened, divisions healed, back sliders . reclaimed and laymen aroused to Christian service. At least four of the congregations, for which there are no paid agents, are prosperous under the care of unpaid workers. The East Circle presents peculiar difficulties in the way of Christian education and is therefore the most illiterate part of the Mission. In the first place, it is situated mostly in a Zemindary tract, where the people are not so far advanced as in the tracts immediately under the administration of 'Government: secondly, a vast majority of the Christians are from the ranks of those who have little appreciation of the value of educa tion and in the third place, the congregations are much smaller than in other parts of the field. The average size of a congregation in this Circle is 22, while the average in the Circle, nearest it is 58 . and in the Circle with the highest average nearly 100. The average for the Mission is 58. On March 11th, one of the most happy events of the year took place in the ordination of Mr. Samuel as Pastor of the Tirupuvauam Church. The events that led to his selection were conspicuously providential and the future is full of hope. Since his ordination, and under the inspiration of the Cam paign movement, Mr. Samuel has been helpful in stirring up the Christians to a deeper spiritual experience, not oniy in his pwn, but also in adjoining Pastorates. Mrs. Vaughan speaks of a deepened spiritual tone in the Boarding School; the saine is seen among the agents. The following is an example. At the New Year season last year an agent prayed; "Lord lielp me to learn at least to read my Bible properly this year." He entered heartily into the Campaign work and in October said in his monthly report: "I want simply to speak' a word and let the Lord work. It is a great sorry to me that I do ~ot refresh more lives: when will the Lord give me this bless Ing ?" He has grown so rapidly during the year that he is in demand wherever spiritual results are sought: he has been all but transformed, and is, in this respect, typical of others who perhaps have not developed so rapidly· thoug~ none the less surely. . We look forward to the new year with a conviction that there-is a very special work in it:for us and with the hope that God is going to glorify His name by turning many to right eousness in the near future." 12 THE CENTRAL CIRCLE REPORT Missionaries :-Hesident at TiruIllungalam, Rev. E. P. Holton, General Evangelistic Work _and Honorary Secretary of the Widows' Aid Society; Mrs. Holton, Boarding School and Work for Women. Also all the Missionaries in departmental work at Madura and Pasumalai. Mr. Banninga who resides at Pasumalai has been Chairman of this Circle. ------==------_L_~~ __! _____1915 M18SIONARIES I (N on-departmental) ... Ii 2 2 INDIAN WORKERS I Ordained •• , 1 S 6 Others ... ..• I 116 109 Population ... , 483,000 Christians ...... ! 2,458 4,965 Gain in Adherents in 1915 ... ! 65 Pupils in Boarding School * ... I 74 Indian Contributions ... j Rs. 5,524- Rs. 8,141 ------'------In this Circle there are eighty-nine villages where Christians live with no resident agent. These can be visited at most but once a week and that under adverse circumstances. The great effort of the year • was expended in the Madura City Campaign which with its results is described under the heading H Evangelistic Campaign." Mr.. Holton says :.- " This Circle has bad a year characterized by wear and tear, rather than by growth. Hindu neighbours have b'!lrned one Oatechist's house, one school-house and all its furnishings and one teacher's house ,in each of three villages. White ants accomplished the collapse of a fourth roof and larg,e sums not budgeted for the purpose had to be spent to prevent other roofs from coIla,psing from tbe same cause. These and other unexpected expenses have prevented the supplying of even lllud-and-thatch buildings for two new schools. -----;- ---;Boardi;g-SchZ~lPupils he;e-sh~;-;~-;e for Tirumungalam alone. The pupils studying in Madura and Pasumalai are shown under those heads as they are departme~ts. 13 In spite--of thi~~-howeverf there has been a marked increasa in the interest the Hindus have shown the Christian preacher. Severe persecution has been laid on the Christians of two villages; in one case in the shape of an iniquitous law-suit; in the other case it was the culmination of a long series of hostilities. The Christians were impoverished by a boycott that pre vented the sale of their goods and the cultivation of their fields, besides the loss_~of much property by theft and fire. As in other Cir~lesthe Evangelistic Camp.aign has wonderfully developed the laymen. Even the women are taking up a marked responsibility in Church work. There was a total numerical gain of sixty-five to the Christian Community." 'VEST CIRCLE REPORT Missionaries :-Resident at Batlagundu, Hev. B. V Math~ws, Circle Chairman; fi-Irs. Pearl MathewB, Woman 's Work and Boarding 8chool. 1~90 1915 . ~ Foreign Workers .,. ' i 4 2 INDIAN WORKERS ... I Ordained ... ! ~ ~ Others ... I 99 133 PIt'opu a lOn ...... I 470,000 Ohristians ...... _ 1,986 6,1)~5 Ga.inin number of Christians, 19151 13~ Pupils in Boarding ::3chool '" I 63 125 India.n Contributions ... Rs.4,103 Rs. 9.14~ ---'------_ .. _------_. ------In this Jarge Circle where every door seems wide open there is but one MiSRinnary and his wife, Mr. Mathews writes:- "The .year has;' been chara.cterised by a remarkable spirit\llaJ. awakening among the, Hindus. This result is largely due ,bathe extensive campaign work which has been widely .carried on. South India is ripe for this form of preaching and the churches are alive to their opportunity. The Indian minis ters and laymen are gaining power and are consolidating their 14 organization for the great advance. Already results are in evidence. In a congregation not far from the bungalow is a Christian whose life, until recently, has been notoriously unsatisfactory. Vlhen the Evangelistic Committee was enlisting men for personal work, this man enrolled. He soon came to church bringing a convert for baptism! His spirit is wholly changed and it is now a real pleasure to see his earnest face. The loyal service of two other laymen in the same church is conspicuous. Although socially, one is high and the other low, they hav.e labored together and have been instrumental in gathering some twelve Hindus for baptism. Contrary to cus tom, their con verts represent a cross-section of the community. Some coming from the upper strata, others from the lowest, and still others from the castes between. Large plans are under consideration for carrying on per sonal work for relatives in this and in fifteen other villages, with reasonable prospects of success. Another point that has often astonished us'this year, is that Hindus. have not un frequently helped us jn our work. Take the aristocratic land-owner R-in the V.--district. This man, a staunch Hindu, and wealthy, employs a large number of Christian coolies on his lands. He has encour aged the pastor to erect suitable buildings for school and church purposes, and he has agreed to pay about half the salary of the teacher. He believes in regular attendance at church and has been known to administer a beating to a Christian who was absent from meeting without excuse. His private secre tary is also a church-member, and the man himself admits that the religion of Christ .is right, and that he expects some day to become a Christian. Were it not for inter fering with the marriages of his daughters, he claims that he would not hesitate to become a Christian at once. His mind seems convinced, and though not ready himself, he is willing, to encourage and help the Christians at any time. One more case in point is that of a young Hindu farmer in Battlagundu. He and another young man came to the house one evening, much excited over a meeting. they had held on the street in the afternoon. Both these young men say that. they are going to become Christians; and the people of the vlll~e know that they are so inclined. While they were gomg through the bazaar on this afternoon they had met some acquaintances who questioned them in certaiu. points of doctrine, and while they were trying to make things olear to 15 them, a large crowd assembled, some to scoff, and others to inquire the truth of the matter. Before these two Hindus fairly realised it, they were preaching, and defending Christian ity in the presence· of a hundred o! more of the townspeople, and silencing their objections. They may lack the. courage to be baptised, but the fact remains that they, and thousands of other Hindus, are con vinced of th~ truth. As in the early days of America, so here, the Church and the school usually go hand in hand. Our polioy is to maintain a school when possible wherever there is a Christian congrega tion, the teaoher being both teacher to the school and oatechist to the congregation. Our visits to various parts of the oircle have proven that most of the teaohers are taking a Iively interest in their schools, spurred on not only by the Govern ment Inspectors but also by a growing public opinion, which now demands as much elementary education as possible. There is still considerable to be desired in our schools. The buildings, as a whole, are only fair and equipment, modest; and both are insufficient in many places. A great deal might profitably be spent in repairs and enlargement· of buildings, as well as in' founding new schools in viJla,ges where there are none. For example, in the Upper Palni Hills, in fifteen villages visited, there were no schools working except two of our own. In one village, having a population of some two thousand, almost the first question asked was why we could not open a school for their children. They think highly of education and are keenly desirous of our help in starting and managing the work. Such schools' afford admirable op portunities for a good teacher to instruct the children as well as the villagers in the Bible, while he is drilling them on routine subjects. Our purpose is to remedy the neglect ed condition of these remote villages as early as possible, and to that end we shall invoke the aid of friends and of the Government. The circle has received a large inc~ease over the Govern mant grants of the previous year due partly to fresh recognition by the Government of old schools and partly ~o enhanoed efficiency, A striking instance of the latter ~s found in a smaJI, bigoted village. The present teacher IS ~ young and energetio one, reoently trained. He is full of mterest in his work and in a comparaMvely short time he ~as made his kchoolmost popular. Only a few weeks ago, a,1findu teacher attempted to start a rival school; but so strong was the oonfidence of the village in our man, that the 16 attempt was an inglorious failure. The Hindu teacher as a last resort petitioned the Government officer to withdraw aid from our school and recognize his, but the officer replied the town was too small for more than one school and that ours was sufficiently good at present to exclude all others. It is impossible to, tabulate the influence our teachers exert in these out-of-the-way villages. But the result appears later on, in the converts won to the Christian way and in the gradual rising of the level of public co-nscience. Of all forms of mission work, this would rank near the head of the list, in general usefulness. The Government recog nizes this and is providing for much improvement in the facilities for elementary education. We on our part must be ready to give all the support possible to our men and make the schools increasingly efficient. The effort we make will be abundantly repaid in the enlightenment and evangeliz ation of' the present generation of school children and of those who succeed them." Report of the North Circle Resident Missionaries:-Hev. VI, P. Elwood, Circle Chairman; lV1r8. \V p" Elwood, Boarding School and Work for 'Vomen; Rev. L. C. Powers, Superinten dent, Dist.rict Conference Elementary Schools. 1890-- -r-- 1915 ______.______..1 Missionaries 4 3 I!'DlAN WORKEUS·- OrdailJed 4 3 Others , .. 62 119 Population 555,000 Christians ... 2,~75 3,700 Gain i!J Adherents in 1915 133 Boarding Bchool Pupils 36 177 Indian Contribution .. , Rs.3,021 Rs. 3,620 ------,------.-_.-----..!....------Tn comlllenting on the year's work, Mr. Elwood says: " It is a cause for regret that' Mr. Perkins was obliged to leav~ for America early in the yelL~. The usual work has bee carried on, but the absence of hIS consecrated and devote d personality is much felt throughout the Circle. One new tiled prayer house has been built this year.; bit several congregations of good size are yet without any s.ultab e 17 pla.ce, of worship. It is not right for people to gather for the worship of God in a plaoe where cattle are kept, the dignity and'sacredness of worship are destroy~d under such conditions. In two places at least it is probable that others would join the Christians if only a common place of worship was provided. Furthermore there are forty-six villages in which Christians live where there is no resident worker to guide and teach the ignorant and superstitious village Christians. Of the 199 'other Agents' mentioned above,,94 are engaged entirely in school work in 35 villages. One' of the four Pastorates is still without a pastor. The aggregate of work done by the agency this year is·large, being equal to what two men could do in a complete lifetime. But as much of this effort has been spent on very small school children, there is very little to show for it. 2,300 children, 'of whom more than 1,900 are Hindus, have been taught i'n our 41 schools. There are almost unlimited opportunities of enlarging our school work both in town and country. The growth of the Christian community in the Circle has been but 133. Three-quarters of this increase was in the Palni Pastorate. The ranks of caste haye not been broken there yet, but the day must come when there will be a break .. , A soul is a soul, however, whatever the caste, we rejoice in those who have come. Their coming was the result of personal work on the part of the Christians of the congrega tion who have ·been inspired to effort through the Evangelistic Campaign movement. In connection with the Campaign much has been done in Dindigul town. There have been some conversions reported. There are also some forty inquirers among the artisans, merchants and other high castes, for these personal work is being done, and they are being regularly prayed for." The Institutes for Christian 'Workers It bas been the abiding care of the Mission from the earliest days to continue to stimulate the intellectual life, and to inspire' the spiritual energies of the Indian worker after he has finished his scholastic career and begun his public ministry in the ignorant village where he is surrounded by dwarfing influences. In 1850 all the Indian workers were divided into.classes, courses of studies arran{Zed J and a "September Meeting" orgaoized, at which examinations were held and prizes lseo-s 18 given. Thenceforward this good work has been.carried on and intensified. It is true that, as the ,Mission grew from year to year, the features of the" September Meeting" cha.nged, till the examinations were finally crowded out by Inspirational and Anni ve.rsary Meetings; so that to-day the "September Meeting" ha~ become the 'gteatpopu Jar Christian Festival, for the 'Madura Mission. This Festival is always· held in the Madura Center. Here hundreds of tpe rank and file of the Church gather for reunionc:;, society anniversaries and a great spiritual fea.st. Though no examinations a.re held at this time the pro gramme is none the less educatIve as well as inspirational. One of the most popular of its meetings is the sacred concert which draws an audience of 3,000 mingled Hindus and ChristiaD~ to hear the Gospel in song. Though crowded out of these meetings,th~ examination system has not been given up. After the organization of the District Conference it accepted the arrangement worked out by Dr. Jones, by which in co-operation with the Theological Seminary staff, the agents' classes became an extension course. Institutes are held each March when lectures and inspi rational addresses are given on tbe lessons being studied. Three months later the examination is held, and as of old prizes are given. Of the In&titutes beld this year Mr. Banninga reports : "To'meet the convenience of the widely scattered agents the Institutes of 1915 were ,held in Aruppukottai, Dindigul and Manamadura, and the books studied were- In English Class .. · " The Outcastes' Hope" 1 Cla£s "The Gospel of John t' ,II Class " I and II Samuel" General Class "',, The Acts of tbe Apostles." As this year everytbi~g' was colored by the Evangelistic Oarupaign which had been ,launched, the Gospel of John and particulaTly the Acts of the Apostles gave many practical sub :jects of discussion on methods of eva.ngelization and chur(1 h 19 work suited ;to the campaign. ,Moreover a series' of generar l~ctures on methods ofpersona.l· work, team work and follow up work were given by the Principal of the Seminary, and the Agents went back to their villages with a new determination"to win men to Christ. U nusualenthusiasmwas shown this year in class work. The attenJ1~ce n~mbered twenty-six Pastors a.nd 336 other workers. This is an increase of, nearly 100 over the previous 'year. . The results in the examination also showed that definite p~gress had been maqe in the thorough· ness of preparation. As will be seen under their Report the Madura City Bible-women won the banner which had been oft'erp.d to .the department or pastorate obtaining the highest average marks in the examination." . " Boarding Schools The importance of the Boarding School was re.cognized by the Missionaries in the earliest days of the Mission. In 1836, two years after the Mission was established, the Dindigul Boarding School for boys was started. In 1839 there were thirty-one boys enrolled. At the same time an attempt was made to give the same education to girl!:!. The Indians, however, were prejudiced against the edu cation -of' girls alld with all their efforts they had succeeded in getting into the Dindigul Girls' Boarding School only six girls! The Boys' Boarding School at Si vaganga; had 10 boys, Tirupuvanam 7 boys, Tirumungalam 5 boys, aolld M'adura 6 boys. - So far as we are able to judge the utility of the Board ing School, as an agency to develop character in an intensive way 'and to begin the education of yduths from whom the leaders of the Christian community may be selected, will not decrease but will greatly increase as the years go by. The present fourth standard schools will develop into High Schools. The present buildings of t~e seven existing Boarding Schools are witho1;lt excep tIon those constructed years ago when the schools were small. As the schools grew, for lack of funds to 00 bet.ter, niggardly attempts ,,;ere made from time to time to Increase the accommodation. by adding a little here and 20 a little there. '~ro-day these Boarding Schools have not only outgrown their buildings but their equipment is of the most meagre. One needs but to mention one or two of the conditions to show this. Take the school at Aruppukottai where 181 children are studying. In a bedroom' the cubical air space of which is just right for the use of eight girls, thirty-seven girls and Ii caretaker sleep! IQ a class room 12 ft. x 15 ft. fifty-one pupils are crowded! Such condit.ions must be remedied. In Batlagundu also the buildings are not only entirely inadequate but are also falling to decay. In Dindigul the dormitory for girls was built long years ago and the children have slept upon and in sickness deposited the germs of disease upon the same mud floor ever since. The only way to clean the floor is to wash it with cow dung, according to native custom. In MeJur and ralni tbe Boarding School buildings stand empty for lack of a resident missionary. As to equipment, one cannot men tion it without a reeling of embarrasEment! At present, where seats are supplied at an, they are only long benches often without backs. More often the lower classes sit on the floor itself. When a pupil is required to do written work, he takes his slate in his arm and laying the paper upon that, writes his examination! \Vhat is the result? We only need to look at the hollow-chested, round-shouldered delicate product we too often turn out and compare the scholar with the erect, graceful, though ignorantcooly woman, to know that we are not doing our full duty by the Christian pupils in our Boarding Schools. The future he~1th of our children demand that desks be suppJied. Government is also beginning to require them. We cannot put desks for forty pupils into a, room 12 x 15 ft. ! The Mission is united in its opinion that the time has come when"a radical renovation and enlargement of the 21 BOBirdingScbooI plBIDt should be made. There seems to be a Deed no D?ore urgent in the mission to-day. A Board Officer, on a recent visit to Aruppukottai, was overheard to say "I had no idea what a large and use fnl institution a Buarding School is." Are there not Christians in America who wiJl come forward to decently house and equip these Boarding Schools? Of the Dindigul Boarding School Mr. Elwood reports tha.i:- For many years there have been two Boarding Schools in Dindigul, one for boys and one for girls. In the boys' school a large number of Hindu boys attended as day scholars, but it has been felt that their influence in the school was detrimental to the best interests of the Christian bors. Therefore the two Boarding Schools were amalgamated and the Hindu boys removed to the former Mission Hospital building and formed into a school by themselves. l1he new plan has worked for efficiency all round. At present 120 of the more than 1,800. Christian children of the circle are enjoying the great privilege of being in the Boarding School. \Vould that more funds were availa.ble for this work so that many more children might enjoy the same advantages. A Boarding School has been conducted thronghout the year at Palni, but because there is no resident missionary there now, it will probably be transferred to Dindigul for the com ing year." There is a staff of five teachers and sixty-four pupils in the ManBimBidura Boarding SchooL Of the spiritua.l work done in the school Mrs. Vaughan says :- "The Sunda.Y School Missioner, W. Stanes, Esq., was here for several. days holding meetings with the children. They ~ere greatly impressed by his object lessons and pictures and 1I1 the last night of his stay many of the children handed in their names as candidates for the hea.venly journey as exem plified by "Ohristian " in Pilgrim's Progress. There really seems to be a different spirit in the school in many ways, a.nd in order to strengthen them, Bible readings aFn~ studies have been conducted on the bungalow verandah rlday afternoons. It has been 8t real pleasure to us all to watch their de velopment. and eagerness to study God's word.. Judging by 22 their prayers they seem to have made progress in both .mental and spiritua.l growth." Mr. HoHon ~eports of the Tirumangalarc Boarding School that:- " Up to this year the Central Circle has had no Boarding School of 'its own. The appropria.tion for that purpose was divided, the major part being given to the TirumangaIam Boarding School, the ramainder to the five other Pastorates of the Circle. This year the Circle Committee took over the administration of the Boarding School from the Tirumangalam Pastora.te Committee, added to its allotment the sums previous ly given to the other Pastorates and placed Mrs. Holton in charge of the school. Seventy-five pupils have been studying most of the year, but of these only fifteen were girls although efforts have been made to increase that number, either the economic value of the girl in the home has been too great for her to be spared to go away to study. Or else it is so low that it is not consi dered worth the nominal expense for food and clothes to be paid monthly. Severa.l of the boys are from Hindu homes and pa.y fnll outside rates sufficient to cover cost of food, cloth ing and tuition." Village Schools under the District Conference The village worker is a versatile man. Being the best educa.ted man in the whole village, he must be the intel lectual as well as the.::.piritual guide to Hindus and Chris tians alike. As well as being" doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief," he must bp. a preacher and a school master. More and Illore the men working in the vilJages are those who have p~sed through the normal h'aining school at Pasu maJai. Many 'have also had a theological training in the Seminary. They have thus the best equipment for their work tbat we are able to give. The majority of them do credit to the training they have had and are, held in high regard by the viHagers. But since the District Conference Scheme came into force so much emphasis has been put upon eleme~tary education, in order to inCl:easethe number and effi.ciency of schools, without increasing the number of agents, and 23 thus get' larger grants that as Mr. Elwood has well said "the day of evangelistic catechist has nearly passed and almost every agent has be.come a schoolluaster." More over by degrees the wives of the school masters are also being put upon the staff and are drawing grants from Government. As the Board does not give us more liberal appropri3. ·tion, in order to meet increased salaries this becomes necessary. By this meLhod there is much danger that the general work may suffer. The Government grants for elementary schools show the following remarkable increases under the District Conference Scheme :- 1910 1911 1912 1913 L914 1915 Grants ... 13,675 14,565 15,746 16,049 18,387 20,687 Gains 890 1,181 303 2,338 2,300 To sympathetically push forward this elementary village school work, the Rev. Mr. Powers was asked by the District Conference to devote his time to the supervision of elementary education. Of this work be writes as follows :- "There have been substantiar~ains in number of recognized schools, and in Government grants. The teachers have shown an earnest spirit in their work. An effort is b&ing made to secure better equipment. All schools have been carefully ex amined and reports made. Numerous Conferences have been held with teachers. Children are attending in larger numbers with increasing regularity. Religious instruction is receiving attention. Memory verse books have been freely distributed. Many children can repeat from fifty to a hundred verses, as well as many Bible Stories and the Catechism. Many, though Hindus, engage in prayer' with apparent understanding. Special effort is beiIig made in America to secure funds for the erection of some of the forty-two needed school houses. We have 610 vinages where Christians live and only 237 elementary Schools. Next to no educational opportunities have as yet b~n provided for the children of many congregations. We WIll work and pray for schools for these villages." It might be added that when Hindu parents are eager to send their children to mission schools for the purpos~, 24 as they say, "of improving their morals" God's church ought to be quick to respond by giving the opportunity. The Evangelistic Campaign The Evangelistic Campaign, is growing in momentum and efficiency. Neighbouring ' organizations and missions are also entering into it. Under the inspiring Jeadership of the Chairman of the South India United Church Campaign Committee, the Bev. H. A. Popley, of the London Mission, a thorough organization of the whole Church down to the last village has 'been effected. Much literature has been prepared and Bible study and Prayer, circles have been vivified and new ones organized. Practically the entire church joined in the observance of the special week of evangelism. 8,288 per sonal workers preached to 206,900 men anql04,QOOwomen, 7,422 men and women are reported to have promised to become Christians and several bunared Dew Ubristians have already been received into the Churcb. 'Vitb the coming ·of George Sherwood Eddy arrangements were made to utilize his services in Vellore and Madura for tbe conduct of city campaigns. Of the great work in other centers 'there is no place bere to speak, but of the wD'rk in Madura town encouraging reports have come. Rev. J. 'J. Banninga, the local Chairman of the Cam paign Committee, says :- U Early in July Madura City Committee was o,:ganized a Union having representatives on it from the South India United Church, of the Madura ?vlission, the Anglican Church, and the Church of Sweden Mission. Throughout the work of the c'ampaign the happiest Chris~ian fellowship was enjoyed and the results achieved have sprung out of the united prayers and efforts of these churches. The Committee was' divided into seven sub-committees :- ' Publicity Women's Work Arrangements Bible Study and Fersonal Survey Work ' Sacred Concerts Finance THE BEA UTIFUL YOK~A~N~L~O~D~G:E~<.:.. ____.. ______...... THE COCOANUT LEAF PAVILLION, MADURA. See Page 25. 25 At a cost Ot Bs. 700 a large pavilion, built of bamboos and cocoanut leaves and seating 3,000 people was· put upon the M.ission compound. The site chosen was near the spot where in 1848 a magician practiced secret rites by which he tried to kill Dr. John Scudder because he preached Christianity in the streets of Madura. As the compound is in the centre of M.adura, the site proved ~ery accessible. The pavilion was crowded to its utmost capacity on each night of Mr. Eddy's lectures. Here too the preliminary meetings were ~on ducted by Bev. Sircar, a distinguished Indian Christian of Calcutta, by Dr. Glover of Cambridge, England, and a famous Evangelistic Tamil singer. The latter attracted thousands of Hindus by his Bible Stories in song. Lantern and moving picture lectures were also held in various places in the town frow time to time. All these meetings were crowded and the Message listened to with respect. Posters were distributed ·for each meeting, and large quan tities of literature wer~ distributed by personal workers. Twenty-four Bible classes were organised, and through them 150 men were trained as personal workers. Bev. F. N. D. Buchman of America gave the personal workers special train ing. These went forth and brought back a list of names of no less than 1,000 Hindus who had Christian relatives or friends and were thus· more or less accessible. These formed a nucleus for the work to be done. During the last week before Mr. Eddy's arrival, an addition al seven pastors from village pastorates came in to Madura and did much to secure decisions. The total expense for this city campaign was Rs.1,500. Though this expense exceeded the budget, the results have justified the expense. The final meetings began November 6th in the pavilion when Mr. Eddy for four nights. spoke on "the place of India in the present world situation" and the "need of India." More than 3,000 each night listened with wrap ped attention to the message and some 7{)0 students, lawyers, merchants, and coolies, signed cards expressing their desire to be enrolled in Bible classes for the purpose of a fuller study of the claims of Christ. These are being organized into olasses, moreover some who did not sign cards are now coming forward and joining the classes." The word if final" should not be used in this connection. ~~e Madura workers feel that this is but the beginning In Madura itself. 18Eo-!l 26 Moreover the village campaigns are developing. Dr. Tracy has rendered much valued service in the Campaign since his return from furlough in June. 1.'he Executive Committee of the South India United Church asked the Madura Mission to allow him to take up work for six months in connection with the Campaign so he, accompanied by Mrs. Tracy, has been working through out South India and J affna. The Mission allowed Dr. Tracy to give his whole time to the work and on reference to the Home Committee this action:was confirmed. Dr. Tracy has visited nearly every portion of the area in which "the South India United Cburch carries on its work, making addresses to gatherings of Christians, and meeting with groups of Workers for Conference in regard to Methods of work. His work has had reference both to the prepara tion" of the Christian community for a larger responsibi lity for the evangelization of the non-Christian commu nity. and also to direct work among those who were willing to consider the clajms of the Gospel message. Dr. Tracy has also taken part in conventions for the deepening of spiritual life held in J affna, l\fadura, Madras, Bangalore and other centers. He reports having received everywhere the most hearty welcome g,like from both Christians and non-Christians, and it! ways the most courteous and attentive bearing. He spea.ks of having seen in many places evident Bigns of a growing conscious ness of the unity of the Church in its life and work, and of a growing sense of responsibility for bringing the Gospel to those who have not ye~ responded to its call. As the village campaigns are thus developing, . we need more money ~or tbis great work. The General Assembly of the South India United Church All the Churches in the Madura Mission are now linked up througb Church councils with the South India United Church. The South India United Church comprises all the Indian Churches which have been organized by SODle 27 eightdifierent Missions in South India. The Honorary Secretary of the General Assembly of this Church is Mr. Herrick. He has kindly furnished the following state ment of the meetings of the assembly which were held in Vellore in September. Through this statementtbe present development of the Church is shown. " The avowed aim of the South India U nitedChurch is to become a wholly self-supporting, self-propagating, and self governing body, and so U worthily to represent to the world the Christian ideal." The report of the Church's work presented showed that much progress has been made in all these lines. Since the previouS Assembly the contributions from Indian sources have increased from Rs. 1,08,153 to Rs. 1,28,497. An encours.ging advance was shown also in the increase of the Church in numbers. About 12,000 adherents have been received during the past two years, bringing the total up to ov.er .165,000; and the Ch.urch membership has increased from 26,904 to 29,44:1. If there were no other justification for the existence of the South India United Church one might be found in the facili ties which it has afforded for organising special evangelistic work. The unity secured to the churches connected with several miHsions of divers denominations, by means of. their organization into a single church, has made possible the pre sent ~nited Evangelistic Campaign in widely separated areas, in both town and country, such as would scarcely have been dreamed of before the South India United Church came into exisfience. The assembly was characterized by a spirit of prayer. Most of its devotional meetings were conducted by Mr. Sherwood Eddy, who has since heen taking a generous pad in the Evang~listic Campaign launched by this Church. Aside from the devotional meetings, all of the time was given to serious business, the amount of which has greatly increased since the last Assembly. The Committee reports on ~?e several aspects of the Church's work, such as the new Directory of Worship," "The United Church Herald," "The ~vangelistic Campaign," "Work for Young People," etc., be SIdes certain proposals in the Executive's report, gave ample food for reflection, and called forth earnest discussion. , An important question brought before the Assembly by the Exeoutive was whether the time has come for a change in the Co~Btitution of the Church such as would give to the Assembly leglslative power and a certain degree of authority over the 28 Church Councils. The matter has been referred to the Councils. It was evident that the Church has much reason for grati tude on account of past advance, and hopefulness on account of the bright prospects before it." Capron Hall Missionaries :- Residing in M~dura and in connection with the school. Miss Mary T. Noyes, B.A., Principal; Miss Alice J. Powers, Acting Principal of the High School Department; Miss J. Metzger, Principal in the Normal School Depart. ment, and in charge of the four city Hindu Girls' Schools. 1890 1914 1215 Indian staff 8 22 24 Norma.! School 23 46 61 Elementary School 146 182 223 Secondary School 129 125 Total 169 354 409 Miss Noyes writes : " We close the year 1915 with a feeling of encouragement, believing that in spite of difficulties, progress has been made. During the last twenty-five years the enrollment in Capron Hall has increased from 169 to 409 or nearly 150 per cent. and the annual fee collection from Bs. 360 to Rs. 5,582, an increase of more than 1,300 per cent. Then a part of the clothes were fur nished free to all, now clothes are given to only a very few needy ones. The school was then a Lower Secondary Tr~ining School, with Practising School through the seventh standard, and a small class started that year to appear for the Higher Examination for Women in the vernacular. Now the Normal School is of Upper Secondary grade and in addition to the Practising School, there is a complete Secondary or High School, fitting students to enter college. The Normal Classes have been much larger than ever before, there being fifty-six students of Higher Elementary Grade, first and second y~ar students, and five Upper Secondary stu dents. We bad no room to give to the Upper 'Secondary Class, but have provided for it in the Science Boom or other class· room temporarily vacant. The normal school students of all grades have been given opportunities for observa.tion l and teaching not only at Capron Hall, but in the four Bllldu 29 girls' schools under our management. This is valuable as giving them experience not only with pupils of a different class but under different conditions. The results in the Government Examinations were on the whole satisfactory, all who appeared for the Written test in March having~ passed, some with distinction, in almost every subject. The Inspec tress' remark that all teachers trained in this school are skilful in dealing with little children, bears testimony to tbe influence of the kindergarten training given. The kindergar ten has missed Miss Chandler's presence since June, but her young assistant has done wonderfully well in managing the sixty little children in attendance. Although the lower classes in the Secondary School are overcrowded, the upper forms still remain small. Com paratively few parents are able to pay for the higher education of their girls, and matrimonial arrangements often interfere. But even those who take at least a partial High School course are among our most useful teachers and workers. They remain with us during the most important formative period of their lives, and we are able to get into closer personal contact with them and exert an influence on their characters still more important than the additional book knowledge they acquire. The unfortunate inadequacy of the staff in 1914 affected the results in the Final Examina tions in April. It seemed best ·to send only four girls to the Government; Examination. They obtained an ayerage in English and in History far· above that of the -Presidency. One of these has entered college, two the Norma! School while the fourth .being deficient in English is taking a Supple mentary Course. The Government Inspectresses spent over a week in in specting the schools in August and commeJ;lted ~ ery favorably on the, work ranking the school as one of the best in the Presidency. It is over ten years since the same In spectress visited our schools, and she said there had been a • wonderful advance especially in the knowledge of English. The religious work of the school has been well sustained. During the year thirteen have been admitted to the church, and others are preparing to join at Easter. The Chi-istian Endea ! ;?ur Society' has taken a new lease of liie under the enthusias- 1e patronage of Miss Powers. It is now divided into five ~ct10ns according to age or development, each section having ~s own leader and committees. Those in the senior section i ear strong testimony to the spiritual help they have received bom the meetings. They have be.en made to realize as never efore the close connection between" Christian Endeavour II 30 and their every day lives. At their evening prayers they took up the topics proposed by the Evangelistic Campaign Com . mittee, and ·during the special week of the Campaign, went : out',daily to a neighbouring ,village' for personal work. They . had alrea~'y been going out weekly for many months before. The school: has been more fortunate in its staff than in 1914. It has been a great benefit to the Secondary School to 'have as its, Principal Miss Powers with her years of experi ,'ence in educational work, and we are grateful to her for having generously postponed her furlough to come to our assistance. We, are, also very fortunate in having been able to secure Jor work in the Training School Miss :Metzger who was for twelve years Principal of a High School in the German Basel Mission. Her experience in India and knowledge of the vernacular have made her assistance invaluable at this time. We' are glad' also . to welco~e to our force M.iss Katharine Wilcox, B.A., and Miss Mabel L. Chase, B.A., who will begin work in January, 1916. In the Indian ~ta:ff of twenty-four there have ,been ten changes. A new Headmaster has been S6 .yes .and < some small boys . too. A large casua~ina branch, .decorated in red and white garlands with a gilt star at the top, made a. vary 'attractive. Christmas tree. A pr.ogramme of songs, recitations and drills was rendered by all the schools, afte ' which Santa Claus appeared in person with a large pack, an d pencils, bags of parched peas and rice, plantains and Christmas cards were distributed to all the seven hundred present. . ~h6 little ones of the Hindu sohools were not forgotten, recelvtng their portion at their own schools. CAPRON HALL GATES. Memorial to Miss B. B. Noyes; See Page 30. HIOH-SCHOOL GIRLS r ,... 5 T q !! t! S'wn in!" T .. hmatnFY 31 It made a bS;ppy ending to a year marked' on tbe;whole by: advance and prosperity. We render our sincere thanks .to 'all both in India and America who have encouraged us' by . their gifts" their words of appreciation :and their prayers." Hindu Girls' Schools 15390 1915 ------I- Schools 16 I 1~ Staff 39 63 Pupils ...::: I 811 I 1,447 In 1865 Mrs. Washburn opened the first school for Hi~du girls in Batlagundu. Two years later an Indian, lawy~rcame into the Madura Ohurch and begged, the, educated Christian women of the congr~gation to ,engage in Christjan effort for the ignorant Hindu women of the higher classes for whom there were no educational oppor tunities,provided.. In this way th~ attention ot the ladies of the mission was called to this matter a.nd from that time forward it', became a fixed policy of the mi!5sion to eatablish Hindu Girls' Schools in the large centers where the' daughters of educated Indians were to be found. Not only have these schools served as evangelistic agencies, but theY' have also gradually 'open~d the eyes of the high est classes to the need of education for their daughters as well as their sons. I The'sight of the int~lligerit and well e'ducated Christian women whO speak English fluently is another challenge to the Indian male graduate and reformers are taking up the cry fOr .the development of ed'ucationaladvantages of Indian women. They' together, with'GovernrueD~' have begun to establish 'schools for girls. Even so, the interest of the public in this matter has not risen to a very high degree. It is still necessary for us to employ a \I conductress" for each school. Her duty 32 is to spend the day searching the streets and dragging the girls to school. Throughout India the illiteracy of women is appalling. Only one woman in 144 can read and the increase of girls in school during a period of five years was from 151,600 to 186,480 only! Still the ed~cated young man of to-day is insisting that he be yoked to' a girl who, at least, knows to read. The. writer was touched the other day on board ing the train to find the compartment occupied by a Brahmin graduate and his young briile.She held a primer in her·hand and he was teaching her to read. He proudly reported her as an apt scholar. From an eV2.ngelistic point of view these schools have justified their existence. The other day a gentleman re marked, "You do not need to send any other evangel to us. Our daughters come home from your school and prea-ch to us in our homes." One ma~vels to see the beautiful Christian virtues blossoming out in their young lives as from day to day they develop under the school influences. Not a penny that was ever spent. on them, has been misspent. Miss Metzger reports for the four Hindu Girls' Schools as in Ma.dura City, now associated with the Capron Hall School :- " The total strength of these schools is 464. The attend· ance has been fairly regular, except at the South Gate, where the dread of cholera at one time threatened to keep ma.ny children away. At the end of March, the four schools jointly got up lL pretty farewell entertainment for .Miss Chandler who was leaving on furlougb1 and whose work among the children met with genuine appreciation. . The Government Inspectio.Il took place in August a.nd September and showed very fair results on the whole. Durbar day was duiy celebrated at all the schools, ther~ being patriotic songs .and a short talk and a feast on a mO~des scale. We combined with this a prize distributioD, the 1 ea being this time to encourage regularity of attendaD~e ~y special gifts, for which we are greatly indebted to home frIen s. SCHOOL GIRLS IN EMBRYO. TEACHER SEARCHING THE COLTERN FIELDS FOR ·ABSENT· SCHOOL GIRLS. 33 The Sunday School work was faithfully carried on, ail the teachers taking part in it. One often wishes that friends in the homeland might be able now and then to· be with ·us, and to hear with how much zeal and earnestness Christian hymns are sung, and Bible verses repeated~ At the central school especially, which is in the heart of this Hindu city at :1, street Qo~ner right near to the big temple, the contrast is great at .times,betw~en the P!3~ce and br~ghtness of the Sunday School gathering and the noise and clatter of the religious processions on the streets below and one wonders what the children are growing up to be, under these two kinds of influences so vastly differing from one another. The headmasters as well as the WOllen teachers have taken their full share in the Evangelistic Campaign. They have a great opportunity for personal work, being in contact with so many' Hindu homes through the children." Miss Quickenden who has charge of the two excellent Hindu Girls' Schools in Aruppukottai says :-. "The work done in the schools this year has been quite sa .. tisfactory. In the larger Aruppukottai school the enrollment is 160. One hundred and twenty of these attend Sunday School where they are thoroughly instructed in the Bible and catechism. I t is remarkable to see how thorough their knowl edge is of the Bible teachings. And they are like little mission~ aries carrying this knowledge into their homes all over the city. One little girl was told to worship before the evening lamp because her baby brother was ill. She refused and told them that Jesus only could answer prayers and kneeling down' she prayed to Him. . Througb the kindness of friends in New York, a large kindergarten room has' been built. Over 100 little ories are there made. happy every day. The room is also suited for realizing our dreams' of having meetings for mothers and former students. Some of the latter are Ohristians at heart and would be glad to confess Christ by baptism but for rigid caste and 8()oia;1 restrictions. More than 100 pupils are studying in the Pullyalllpatti School! These two are the only girls' schools in Aruppukottai -ha town· of 26,000 population and less th~n 300 girls in !Ie 0011 . ,- This school is still conducted in the teachers' house and \1~e'lde~gerlY wait for the promised funds for the new school )Ul Ing/' . 1880-6 Lucy Perry Noble Bible, School Residing i1~ Madura :~ Miss Eva M. Swift, Principal. Total number of students in all cla$ses 54 Number on rolls at th~ end of the year 42 Teachers ... 3 Matron 1 The year has been one of great interest in the Bible School, and our work very varied in the several classes. I. Training Olass.-Fiftean students. We received a new class.in ;:rune, thus returning to our former custom of entering a cla.ss annually. This doubles the class work and increase~ expense, but seems more convenient to candidates for admis sion. The students have had opportunity to share the work in various lines ill ~adura city J as preparation for their future service, visiting one of the schools to observe methods of ,tea~h ing, attending Children's meetings. Mother's meetings and visiting with the city Bible~women. These have afforded thelll opportunjties for ~xperience. They were required as usual to work for a certain time under supervision, and then to begin to work independently, t~~hing in the homes of their pupils as the Bible-women do. rhey have thus, taught eighty·five pupils during the year, of whom twenty-nine were Christian women unable to read, 'but willing jio learn. The work of teaching these ,has ,been taken up as part of our endeavor to arouse the Christian women to work for the salvation of those around them. We have been trying to bring the needs of the untaught village women home to all other Christian women who do know how to read, and have asked all such to take as a watch word for the New Year the motto AI Each one teach one" as a means of preparing more witnesses for Christ. The student~ are' looking forward to carrying this message to every Christian woman in their villages, and are 'taking with them for sale copies of our campaign book on Soul-winning., ' y;re are glad .to see a,n increasing spirit of service thus, takmg definite form. The work done by these students and the young women of the Industrial class under the leaders4ip of the Bible-women during the week of evangelism. has given them a vision of the great need of the people, and they ha,~e begun to realize their great responsibility and are putting' th~l~ whole heart and soul into the work they have begun for ChriS in serving the women of our country. BIBLE SCHOOL STUDENTS Training and Industrial Classes See Page 35. 35 As a result of the work of the students arid teachers of the Bible School in the campaign two nominal Christian women ha.ve united .with the Church, two Roman Catholics and three Hindu women have been received, while four. other Hindu women are preparing for baptism at the ,end of December. II. IndustrialOlass ..-.:..Twenty-four· students. The total number in this class during the year was thirty-four. No tUne limit is set for their work or study, and we have found it well to receive these girls at any time when a vacancy' occurs. They all have Scripture lessons, and a certain number drill in ordinary subjects such as .simple reading and writing in which we often find them greatly wanting. We are much concerned that so many Christian women over the District-are entirely untaught" and that such a number of girls ,leave school before they can he said to be educated in even the most elementary sense. We are therefore receiving as many as we can provide for rin ol'der to give them instruction in the Scriptures and the train ing of the home-life and general work of the Bible School,: hoping it will be a contribution towards the Church life of the future. The tone of the' class has been good and the work done in the Bible School U Work-Room U has been satisfac tory and in good. spirit. .We have' had' no additional funds abOve the ordinary income of the school since we added from twenty:fo~ to thirty-two. young ~omen, .and we think they have done well to so nearly earn their totaJ cost. The conduct. of the Work-Room adds enormous debailto our·work in plan ningtlie many articles marie by the girls," gett~ng up the materiaJs needed, and abO'Ve all ill sellliig them when done; but we feel so sure of the benefit of it to the workers, it has been a pleasure rather than a 'burden. . III. Extension Olas~.-:Biive students. This is a small beginning of what wehop~ will. grow, viz., yiUa,ge women coming into the BibleSohool fo:r a short ;period. to get a start in reading, and to r~ceive' Scripture instruction. .We have hoped that such women :wo'Q,ld receive some stimulus by even a brief experience of the kind, and that they might return to their villages with. some new kindled desire to' witness for Christ.' The idea is new as Yet •. bJIt we are not ~ un hopeful of its growing unto fruitage. Those who have come in have each ,had an individual teacher, the students of the Training Class undertaking this as part of their practice work. A brief series of Bible lessons are taught, some seleot ed lyrics, and special memorite~s from the Gospel of John. One of the students in this class is an elderly woman, who became a Christian somewhat reoently and suffered very seri- 0usly as a consequence. I was much touched when after 36 orie of the· specia.l meetings in November to which a thousand Hindu women had come, to see her shyly waiting for my attention to a group of fine looking women she had gathered alxnit,herj and to hear her say "Amma. these are all my people, my .daughters and daughters-in-Ia.w, and I am the only Christian among them." There was a note of real sorrow in her vpice, and one could not fail to feel for her in the loneli· ness of being" the only Chris~i&n among them." . . Another girl receiving instruction in this way can hardly be called a :Christian as yet. She was a girl of the robber caste, neglected, starved and ill-treated who took refuge with us at the recommendation of some of her own Hindu people. The ~rdour of our Matron could not be withstood, and her earnest pleading for the girl prevailed. though we create serious pro· l)Iems for ourselves in taking in girls who have no decent home to go to in holiday-time. The girl's name was that of the tribal demoness the" Black Mother," but the Matron ipsists upon calling her" Loving Mother." The change in her within these few months is certainly remarkable,· and we hope she will be as the Matron prays--H a soul saved:' . The work of building goes on steadily at iQa,caanyapuram, and "Wingate Hall" begins to show what it will be when finished. The corner stone of this,· the main building on the new site, w~s laid in June, and the occasion happily cele brated. The bungalow foundations are laid, but we are without funds 'to complete this much-needed residence. When we remove from our present place, as we hope to do, next March, we shall'· have to live in one of the class-rooms in Wingate Hall. The inconvenience of this will l)e great. but we feel ohiefly concerned over the necessity of thus deprivin,g tho school at once of needed ·room, for without fu1!ther addI tion to our num~rs, we shall need every· inch of the space in our new building. We hope to begin to build ODe block of Spence" Annex early in January. We are grateful indeed that . we are thus enabled to begin, and we go forward in confidence that we shall be enabled to finish all that is necessary for the efficiency of our work." Bible-woman's Work 1.. Madura, Oity :-Directed by l\iiss Swift with 13 Bible-Women and 802 p~piIs. (.2.' Madura Village:--Deveioped by Miss M. M. Root w~th )8. Bible-woQlen: and 1,253 pupils, 37 3. Aruppukottai Village:- Directed by Miss C. '~. Qnickenden with 18 Bible.. women and 730 pupils. 4~ General. Bj,ble-u~oman's fcorlc:-Unde,r the District Conference, ,but directed by lVlissionary ladies from the various Circle .centers. Bible-women' 54, pupils 1,01]; This organized Bible-women's effort ,had its inception in Manamadura in 1867 when Mrs. Ca.pron induc~d a I'hea then woman to come into the Boarding School to learn to read in order that she might return to her village a· Christian able to read the Bible to her neighbors." A definite plan was formulated to thus" make a, determined attack upon the ignorance of the Christian a,nd Hindu women" in their homes. From tbj~ beginning the special work for women has, developed into its present proportions. In 1890 there were but forty Bible-women with 3,864' pupils. In 1915 403 Bible-women with some 4;000 pupils. It might be noted here by way of indicating how work by women has grown that in 1890 there were but 27 school mistresses, while in 1915, 204 Christian school mistresses are busy in 18 Hindu ,Girls' Schools and in the, various village schools conducted for boys. Women teachers are also found in Pasumalai High School where they are doing acceptable work. This is a, standing object lesson to the Hindu community who have all along looked upon their women as necessarily ignorant. Too often the women of the villages will answer a question asked of them by saying "\Ve are but women, what 'do women know? " Miss Swift gives the following Report of the Madura City Bible Woman's Work "AIthough many of our pupils remove to other places, or ~bsent themselves on prolonged visits to relatives, we regard It as bu t an enlargement of opportunity t as not a few women t9;ke their Bibles with them when they So; and we h~a.r now. 38 and then of some who have gained courage in a new environ ment to confess Christ openly by.baptism. During the Evangelistic Campaign in Madura City I the Bible women were naturally -leaders in the work among the women. They were helpful in the forty-one Bible Study circles among the Christian women, and their Hindu pupils it was who were already prepared toapprecia.te the special meetings that were held" from time to time for Hindu women. They led seven groups of workers during the week: of Evangel. ism and held numerous meetings in the city and suburbs, speaking repeatedly to large numbers of people. The Bible-women write the annual examinations in two of the subjects, required of most workers connected with the Mission and the District· Conference. This year a prize banner was offered to the department or pastorate gaining the highest "average of marks. The banner was ·made in the Bible School work-room, and the Bible-women amused them selves by saying U We shall win this banner," thinking it a little joke ·because not likely. It was a great surprise to them when the banner was actually awa"rded to them over other groups composed of workers so much better educated than themselves. The Head-mistress, in addition to her ordinary work in the Bible School, has also rendered valuable service inspecting the Bible-women, while out with the Bible School students in their "·Practice work." . Six Bible-women were examined, while at the same time six of-the Bible School students observed their method of teaching and taught their. pupils under ·supervision. Two hundred zenana pupils in 119 houses were thus examined. Of these, seventy-three are reading the New Testament, and the Gospel was preached to 310 women besides. Nine women recited all the verses in the memoriter books assigned to their respective classes and received prizes of sewing boxes. Special efforts were also made this ·year in connection with the Evangelistic Campaign: (1) The Bible-women made a list of thirty widows who are all believers at heart, concentrated their efforts on these women, with a view to helping them to gain courage for public confession by-baptism, otber women also were led to think seriously of taking an' open stand for Christ, and we believe they will do 80 in the near future. They read the Bible and pray. have ceased to observe Hindu rites, and keep the Sabbath :by not doing their ordinary work, and also by attending service or prayer·meeting. Others have influenced their husbands so that we have whole families in favour of Christianity, reading t:pe Bible and enquiring after the truth." In Miss Roots' absence on furlough Miss Qnickenden bas taken over charge of the Madura V illage Bible-wom,a~t' s work in ad(jition to the charge of the work in Aruppu kottal. -She is tp.e~efor(3 direc~iDg thirty -six Bible- wo~~n.. She says:- "These women have been teaching during the year 1,983 women, of these 490 have progressed far enough to be reading the Bible. In additio:n to their ordinary work in Hindu homes they also have entered heartily into the Evangelistic Campaign and have proved of great help to the various pastors. Many interesting incidents of their work might be given to show how the Christian teaching has permeated society. One pupil who reads the Bible, when dangerously ill, was urged by her relatives to worship the idol and save herself. She would not yield but even in her sickness ran away to the Mission hospital so that she might die among Christians.' It is nothing but miraculous to see the change that takes place when an ignorant village woman becomes a Christian Woman guided by high and holy motives.'" Mrs. Vaughan writes of the work in the east Circle as follows :- . . "My work has .been principally with the 'women in Mana madura town, I have inspected their work thoroughly. The work has grown, and there is an increased thoroughness in the lessons given in the houses. Most of the pnpils are young, many of them having studied in the Hindu Girls' School. There seems to be a growing desire among many of the high caste to have their daughters and young wives learn to read. One aspiring wOlDan is most anxious to study English and we hope to arrange for one of the teachers to give her lessons in the school out of class hours. She has passed the Fourth Standard so' does not needTamil. It will give us an opportunity to teach her more about Christ and that is an opportunity not to be neglected. Her husband i~ in court work." 40 The Madras Woman's Christian College - , - The projected Woman's ChristianOoUege became a reality in J uJy, when 'York was begu~ in rented buildiIlgs in Madras. Over forty young women are now in attend ance. This college- adds another to the Union Mission institutions now springing up in: InBia.. ,As .along with the American Board a number of others. are financ ing the College. The Principal, Miss McDougal, M.A., speaks with ea,ger enthusiasm of the prospects for the school. Pasumalai High and Training School for Boys Staff :-With residence at J?asumalai, Rev. J. X. Miller, Principal; Mrs. Margaret Y. Miller, 'Work for ,V omen ; James H. -Lawson, Superintendent, Manual Training School, Manager of Lenox Press; Mrs. Frances J.Lawson; Rev. L. L. Lorbeer, Language Study; Mrs. Lorbeer, Language Study; Indian Christian teachers, thirty-four; Iridian Hindu teachers, two. Pasumalai is a name to conjure with. F.orhere the 2U pastors and 591 agents of our mission were recei~edas boys, trained, inspired and sent forth. ·With 600.students in its High School, Training School and ElelLentary Scho()l, with its Manual Trailling and Gard,ening depart ments, with its intense spiritual effort through the daily Bible Classes, the Church and its connected organizations, it presents a hive of intellectual, spiritual and industrial energy. The physical is not forgotten. The open air gymnasium, the football field and the tennis courts help ip developing a ragged young-manhood. 'rwenty-fiveyea,rs ago the High School with its College and Theological departments was one institution. Later the Seminary became a separate institution at Pasumalai i1ndthe College departm~nt developed int,o a first·grade Uollege at Madura itself. The work of these is shown below. Considering the fact that the Seminary and College students bavebeen rellloved to other .quarters 41 the figures of the following table will suggest the great growth of the Hig h School i tseU :- Combined Separated Institution, Institutions, 1890. 1915. ·N ormal Students ... 25 70 High and Elementary Schools ... 247 546 ColJege . ... 42 268 Theological Students ...... 15 49 Total ... 329 933 During these twenty-five years the Pasumalai plant has been many times increased; a little more than twenty~five years q,go the stately Washburn Hall was built. Then followed the builajng of the Southfold Hostel for Hindu stUdents, the beautiful Yokan' ~9dge, a hostel for Christian stndents, the Hollis Memorial Class Rooms, the remodelling of the old church building into a re1igious printing establishment, and the building of the new Wittin Memorial Cburch, the Rs. 25,000 Theological Seminary, a fine doqble line of cottages for married Theo logical students, th~ two-storied Annamalai Chettiyar Dormitory for Christian students, the commodious Manual training shops and class rooms, the purchase of a farm for school gardening, and an ample football field. For the purchase of the latter, Government gave a grant of Rs. 1,250 which was half the cost. There bas also been put up a new dispensary building and an isolation ward and a third bungalow just completed. The next projected building is a Science hall. Of the work of this vigorous institution for the present year the Principal writes :-- . "The year under review has been. prosperous andprogres Sive. The outstanding event of the year was the arrival of Rev. and Mrs. L. L. Lorbeer on November 9th. They are now engaged in the study of TamIl preparatory to taking up work in the Training Institution. We give them a most cordial welcome. .' Of the thirty-six Indian teachers in the school, all but two are Christians and nearly all are graduates of our own school. l380-e 42 M. S. Bernard, B.A., L.T., a Christian teacher graduate, has been added to the staff this year. The total enrolment shows a gain of nine over last year, there being a decrease only in the Elementary Department. The total number" of Christian students enrolled is 404 against 412 for last year. We greatly regret this decrease, but it is due to the poverty of our Ohristian community. More than a half of the Christian students in the three upper Forms of the High School are receiving scholarsbip aid through the Principal and were it not for this they would have had to discontinue their studies. Fully one-third of tbe students in our school come from the Hindu community . We are very glad to have them as they pay full fees and it gives "us an opportunity, through our Bible Classes and Christian surroundings, to influence thdm "for Ohrist. . The fee income for the year bas increased by Rs.l,OOO, and the School Farm has also made a very generous contri bution. These sources of income have been very welcome as donations from America, doubtless on account of the war, have greatly decreased. We had rather expected a can· siderable reduction from Government grant, but the grant for the High School was only Rs. 66 less than that for 1914. All thoughts of new buildings have had to be given up as it was quite impossible to secure either donations from America or Grant-in-aid from Government. The Government Educational authorities have made two inspections during the year and have commented as follows : "The school continues to deserve the respect which it has never failed to receive from every one who has been acquaint· ed with its aims, methods and achievements." (Signed) W. C. Douglas, Inspector of Schools, and another Inspector, Mr. Grieve, writes: "The school continues to do useful work." In the Public Examinations our results in most subjects were above the Presidency average. " Athletics.-The school has always been strong in Athletics and all students are required to attend Gymnastic classes unless excused by a; :Medical Practitioner. This year we won the Sports Trophy in the Inter-school Contest. This is the third year in succession that we have secured" this trophy and now a replica of the trophy becomes the permanent possession of the school. One of the students also won the Grigg Medal given to the athlete scoring the la.rgest numb~r of points in the Inter-school Contest. In the Gymna~tlC competition we secured the second place both for the SeOlors a.nd the Juniors. 43 Man'ltaZ Training.-The interest in Manual Training is steadily increasing and the boys have made some very useful and well-finished articles. Two hundred and nineteen boys have been given instruction in wood-working and mechanical drawing and 209 boys have taken a course in agriculture. Library and Reading Room.-Good use has been made of the Library and Reading Room by the teachers and students. All are greatly interested in the war and are eager to secure the first reading of the daily papers. The teachers ~nd stu dents have shown their partriohism by sending subscriptions to the War Fund and to the support of the Hospital Ship "Madras." The prize-winners generously voted to give the cash value of their prize'S to the Y. M. C. A. for its work with the Indian troops at tbe Front and to receive instead a suit ably worded certificate. More than 600 volumes have been added to our Library during this year. Special Occasions.-The School anniversary was of a patriotic character, and the boys entered heartily into the occasion and decorated the Hall tastefully with the flags of the Allies and with potted plants. Rao Bahadur W. L. Venkatra miah, B.A., B.L., District Judge of Ramnad, presided on the occasion. It was the first time in the history of Pasumalai that an Indian Christian of such distinction had been our Chairman. He entered heartily into the spirit of the occasion and presided with grace and dignity. Arbour day witnessed the planting of seventeen trees by the various classes and it was .interesting to note the special enthusiasm and applause When trees were planted in honour of noted Indians. Health.-The health of the students this year has not been as good as in previous years. There have been many cases of typhoid arid twice we have had outbreaks of cholera. Six of our students and one teacher died. 2,150 cases were treated in our Caroline Clark Dispensary and our Andover Isolation Ward has been very much in use. Hostels.-The Hostels have been well filled throughout the year and the new Hostel erected last year for the Normal school students has proven itself to be well adapted for that purpose and the stUdents are very happy in their new home. ~ the Hostels are supervised by Christian teachers who lIve with the students giving them kindly help and counsel When necessary. ReZigioz{'s Life and Work.-The chief aim of the school is ~o lead the students to a manly Christian character and to ead. as m.any as are suited for it into Christian service. DurIng this year the teachers and students entered most; 44 heartily into the work of the Evangelistic campaign going out into the villages and also into the city of Madura to preach and to do personal work. Forty-four of the students have united with the Church, four of them coming from Hin duism. Our Y. M. C. A. continues to do useful work and is a power for good in the school. It practically sets the standard for oonduot and makes disoipline muoh easier and more effective. During the lo~g vaoation twenty of the boys, with a few of the teaohers, went on an itineraey for seven days and during that time preaohed in forty villages to more than 2,000 hearers; all this they did at their own expense. The Y. M. C. A. also oonducts a school in a neighbouring village employing two teaohers. Forty~six pupils are in attend ance. Much attention is paid to Bible study throughout the sohool and one of our boys won a prize in the Peter Cator Examin.ation, open to all High School students in South India. The Pastor has been holding special Services for the Normal students, striving to give them a fuller appreoiation of the importanoe and opportunities of the work in a village school and making praotical suggestions that will· help them in the problems and difficulties which confront them after graduation. We are greatly in need of more class rooms, a Soience Laboratory, a new dining hall and kitohen. The present accommodation is quite inadequate. $5,000 would supply our needs. We are very grateful to the many friends in America whose cheering letters have done so muoh to encourage us and whose generous gifts have rendered possible muoh more than is herein recorded. Above all we thank Him who has crowned the year with His blessing and guided us 'in His service. American College, Madura Residence :-Madura. Rev. W - W· Wallace, Principal; Mrs. Genevive T. Wallace; Edgar M. Flint, Professor of Chemistry a.nd Physics a.nd English Bible; Mrs. Susanna Q. Flint, Language Study; Rev. A~bert J. Saunders, Professor of History; Mrs. Jessie M. Saunders, Language Study; Bev. Jas. M. Hess, Professor, 'English Literature. 45 Mrs. M. W. Hess, Instructress in Latin; Rev. Azel A. Martin, Acting Professor. 1910 1915 Indian Staff 41 Students' 21 268 Cost as. 7,455 20,000 .American Mission College, Madura When the missionaries first came to Madura in 1834, the crying need they discovered was an Education for the ignorant masses. Within two years they had estab lished thirty schools" in Ma.dura town. Of these, the American Mission College in embryo existed in the two English schouls w"here eighty-nine students were being in structed in "Literature, Mathematics, Astronomy, Geo grapby, History and Surveying." The English school was "regarded as the germ of an institution that would meet the growing demands of the District educationally." In course of time a College Department grew up within the school, established by Rev. Dr. Tracy in Pasurualai. This department was moved from Pasumalai to 1\1:adura in 1905 and there developed into a First.grade College. The year's work is here described by Mr. Wallace, the Principal. " "The average number ·on the rolls "for the year in the College Department was 2G8, of whom 67 were Christians. About half of the students were resident in the College hostels or dormitories. Eleven students appeared for the B. A. Ex amination of the Madras University. Of the ten who a.ppear ed for English. foul' passed, or 40 per cent. compared with 49 per cent. for the whole Presidency. six passed in History and Economics o~ 60 per cent. compared with 79 per cent. for the ~residency. In the Intermediate Examination of the Univer SIty. fourteen passed out of a total of eighty-two, the per cent. being only seventeen as compared with twenty-eight for the whole Presidency. St.udents come to the College ill-prepared by the usual High School course of only three years. The course should be extended to four years. ~r. Zumbro. the Principal of the College. left on furlough in AprIl, and his burdens have fallen on others, while the absence 46 of Mrs. Zumbro has been greatly felt in the sooiallile of the College. Rev. A. A. Martin and Rev. and Mrs. J. M. Hess who arriv ed in July, have helped to relieye the situation and will, we hope, fill a large plaoe in the life of the College in the future. Some minor additions have been made to the building and equipment of the College, and the splendid new Science Hall is nearly done. There has been a healthy aotivity in Athletics, and a growth in a true manly spirit in all sports, including Hookey, Football, Tennis, and Badminton. Debating societies, historical and vernacular lyceums are in a flourishing condition. The Y. M. C. A. is the organized means of religious influence in the College and its influence has extended. 'There is dis tinct evidenc~ of growth in the sense of responsibility for individual Christian effort, personal work and personal life above ,reproach. A slight incident may illustrate the tendencies of Indian student life and one of the minor ways in which the College works for the higher manhood. The play grew intense between the College Hockey Team and the Reserve Police. An excited student called out from the side-line" Break his legs." This interrupted the game and in the dispute which follow ed the student whom we may call Bama, was roughly handled and his wrist watch broken by a blow from the hockey stick of one of the players. Finally the matter was referred to the Principal of the College who was playing with the College Team and the game went on. Later, as the one who broke the watch, an English gentleman, was about to motor off the field after leading in three cheers for the College Team which had won, he met Rama standing near and stop ping apologized for the blow he had given in the exoitement of the game. Rama was sullen and made no reply, and t,he mo~or car sped away. Later when Rama was urged by the PrinOlpal ta apologize for his untimely remark, he was still sullen. a~ threatened saying: U Sir, loan bring a case against him III Court." Fifty or more of his fellow students nodded approval. Next day wherever students gathered, this was the tc;>pio. of T: versation, and no one could see any way out of It. e College team refused to play the match arranged with the 47 English· Club. The Principal insisted on its being played, .but that an ample apology should first be made. "But will he also apologize ?:" "Leave that to him as a gentleman. " " All right, sir, I will consider it." "Bama I will either go with you in person now to make your apology or I will go in the name of the College as a whole and do it for you." "Very well, sjr, I will go." "Then write out your apology and sign it and I will go with you to deliver it." " Must I write it out? " "Yes, so you may not forget it." The Principal and the Captain of the team stood with Rama before the gentleman in his bungalow while Bama handed out his written apology. Bama's heart fluttered but he added words of confession to his written statement and made a thorough job of it. The gentleman shook hands with Rama and said: " I know you did not mean it, I.et the thing,now be forgotten", Rama became a new man. The incident became a real benediction to the College. The match with the English Club was played that evening. The Union Theological Seminary, Pasumalai Rev. J. J. Banninga., PrinCipal; l\frs. Mary D. Ban· ninga, Teacher in EngliSh Bible; Rev. C. G. Marshall (of the London Mission) Professor of Theology; Mrs. Marshall. India.n Staff ... The Theological Seminary like other good movements has grown out of small beginnings. The past history of the. Seminary may be conveniently divided into three periods. The early period began in the year 1842 under Dr. W. Tracy at Tirumungalam. Then secular and l'heo logical Studies were combined. In 1870 the second period commen.ced with Dr. G. T. \Vashburn as Principal• . He greatly developed the Seminary as a department of the general school. The tbird period was ushere The Un,ited Theological College, Banga1()re 'Vith Hesid'ence'at Bangalore;- Hev. D. S. Herrick, Mrs. Herrick. 1\:[r •. Herrick i~ the representative of the· Madura l\Iission on the, tea,~bing staff of this College.' , , He writes as follows :- . .~ . ' . "SeveJ;'$Jl features in the life and. work of the past .year in the College are worthy of note._ ' T?r~ students who had finished the Colleg~. course in ~pril received diplomas, and now are filling' important posts. ne as a teacher in a Theological Seminary, one as' an assist ~~~ pastor, and the third as a missionary Of: the National .a'.ll~slonary Society...... , .., ... '. In , July elev~n' ,nc\v. stUdents' ",vere 're~ivc.d, of whom. six Were .~or the regblat course~'The' '!p'eIl who 'entered -for, .th~ regular course iir'tr all of high' grade il.B regards education~' (,'In oth~l' respects also they give fair promise of benefiting to the 1880-7 lull by the College course, and of beeomingwe11.fitted for work of great usefulness. ~ Since the opening of the College year my own work has I been in Psychology and Logic with the first year men; a clasS in the English Old Testament with some of the short course men; and in Church History of the period since the Reformation, with especial reference during .the first term to the rise of the principal prptestant. denominations. During the second term the history of modern missions has been studied. This'is taken by all the regular students except those of the first year, and by some of the short-courSe men. In addition to my regular class work I have had an informal class in the l?hiloso.phy of Religion, two. of. this class are studying for ,the B.D. examinations in the Serampore University. The war is doubtless largely responsible for the fact that a debt of over Rs. 30,000 still hangs over· the College. It is providential that the loan that covers this was placed with an institution belonging to a sister mission and draws only a moderate rate of interest. Yet the ~~penditu'J;e of even :gs. 1,500 a,' year in paymeqt of interest is' a drain on the resources of the College that we hope will not have to continue long. There is much cause for gratitud.e. ph at -conditions are as favorable as they are, and tJIat the outlo.ok is so good." Hospitals 1~ Genet'al Hospital (or Albert Victor Hospital).- Hesidence in :M adura. Rev. Frank Van Allen, M.D. Indian staff 17 In-patien ts 7 tj4 Out-patients :.H,595 2. Women's Hospital.- Hesidence in Madura. lVlis8 lIarriet P~rker, M.B· l\fiss K. B. ScOtt1 M.D" and ,Miss Roth C. Heath in charge of nurses. Indian staff 20 In-patients 737 Out-patients 13,123 What a cb~nge has taken pla.ce since the day when the Mission met and placed on record ·the following minute: " ,'Ve, .do not think it expedient forinissionaries,iJ;1tending tolt\.~or am9n.g tbe Tamil· people, to spend time'tpl'e.par- 51 ing· for tbe practice of Medicine among the Natives. There is no call or practice for European medicines." It was not many years after, however, when Dr. Chester, who had come to India without a medical training, saw the need and went to Madras and qualified form·edical work. Following bim, Dr. Van Allen, in 1890, after passing his language examination,took oyer the medical work in Madura. In bis rep'ort he wrote "the voluntary offerings iIi money for nine months bave reached the sum of Rs. 200! This sum repr~sents the gratitude of the people an4 is given oftheir own free wil!." For 1915 the expenses oftbe Hospital were Rs. 9,660. Of this, the Board gave but Rs. 2,850. From the Government Rs. 2,200 were received. While the remainder, Rs. 4J6~0 represents the free will offerings of grateful patients. Dr., Van Allen says ;- Ie The tabular statement given above cannot convey any idea of a hundred interesting happenings or give much idea of the daily routine of the hospital. There have been eleven con versions during the past year. In every case the Conversion was preceded by months and often years of patient teaching in other mission institutions. This is ideal because it points to the harmonious working of our whole mission organization each part helping the other parts, schools and hospital· and churches. We look with a.nxious feelings into the future, medicines have gone up in price and some medicines cannot be had at any price. A few weeks before the war broke out we sent an order to England for a large supply of medicines. Thus fourteen cases of medical stores reached Madura just after war had been de clared. We had this large supply at the low rates prevailing a.t the time. This was pure good luck, but as we look over our depleting stock in the store room we regret that the four teen Cases had not been twice that number." Operating Buildings at Kodaikanal Through Dr. Van Allen's kind efforts, a fine and sanitary building for surgery has been erected at Kodai.. kana!. Opera.tions can now be performed under sanitary conditioQIiJ and in a· climate suitable for the quick recovery Qf the patient. A Dum·ber of ope~tioDS were performed 52 'l~~r~.~sjop~rief;" jll:1ljll~d.iAt~ly ~:n,pon t,hQ,ope!ling of'; t~,~, Qij:i.l..di.~g. ><. •• ". T:',J;, .' ',v:" .,- !'i'.~ '- ':. ~ Dr. ,Va.tt:';Allen 'w~ites·:,~·i:":i\:~ \j' ;;,": ~)' \:y.: " . c-,. '. .' .. " ',' # .' • \.! ~" 'Among" the' large' ~~mber. 'of 'peqplEf, .missionaries ',and' OOhers;whoresort to this' Hilt Station te escaPe, the'heat"of i the:plains during the hot, season,tbere are alw;ays:~few who, have .'to ~ac~' se!i~us surgi~~/prQ~!i~re~., : ,~~thel't~ there,qa,s' been: no place, except the.pati~nf!) bedr09lP, for this., Now, we have a building where operat.ions'can De' a6n~' with every modernconvenienc~~ ,A 'main building' consisti~g:of\()perating roo~, ward~ and sterili.zing room, has been put'up,'and'a se~ond puilding of two roo~~, to aQcpmmod,~tefL'n\1t:se. ,: :A qentra~y located. plot of land.was, mven,' qY,tlle ADlerican Madura.,Mission. _ The cost for the buildings, and equipment ,vas' Rs. 11~000. This was raised by popular subscription and a:g~a.nt from -Government~ , ! , .,,', ,- The plan~ . was formally: opened· by theSnrgeon.:General' f!,?W Madras on April. ).9~ _1~15~ .. He spoke of :4is plea:sure i,!l;ope~~ng ,a. building" free from debt a thil:lg~ w!Uch in his o:fficta~ _e~rience ~as ~a~e .. f!:~ also. ~!:W89i~y,:.~ent.ioned ~hat, ~o ~ar aa.h~ ~ne,w, the~e :was no oth_Qr p~nt~(thisexac,t ~ind in.J~~~, ) _ ..~.. _.. The plant is for the use of visiting d()ct6rs and their pa,tients. AnydoctoJ.! can have the ~seof it for his patient on :payment of a :sma.il foo"~ 'r~nt:' . 'The.mana.gemenfis 'In 'the hands of a committee of five, ()Ii"which G9v~rn:t;neiit is represented." American Mission Hosp;tal· for W. omen. ,Thisre.port eonieB:from~ Dr. Parker.. -She says :~.;;;: '~. "The hospital and. 4ispensary B~~i~nts were 'from the' following c,lasses :~ ~ ..' J _) Hindus 7,e70 Muhammadans . . .• ' .1,102 ;';'l.:·jp.4i~n, Christians .. '" .. ;. 3; 7~' ,,~.: :·]~.uropeanf; an~ A~glo-Indians 3,18. The. total number of treatments given, was 48.218. Ther.e were 1,097) op,erations, _an The majority of ~uoh pa~ients in 'Madura are not receiving, U8U8il1y not seekmg, trained attendanoe. The mortality of the new-born is exoessive and what the mothers:suffer from fever and negleot cannot be desoribed. OUT' experienoe with the present hospital building may help in planning for the new one. Twenty years ago this was quite new. The medioal work for women was easily'a.coommodated in the lower floor, three-quarters of whioh was oocupied by the dispensary, while the two rooms remaining were Brahmin and non-Brahmin wards. Miss Swift was holding her Bible classes in two rooms upstairs and the rest of that floor had never been used exoept for one missionary patient. There were only three women employees. The maternity cases were few in number and nearly aJ.l outside. Although they sometimes counted among our most serious operations, the only instru ment the hospital supplied for them was a pair of scissors. The inunioipality -was giving a grant of Rs. 500, but there was no other local revenue. This yea,r the local ,receipts have covered two-thirds of the expenses. But in planning for the new hospital we must remember that the present plant was originally twioe as large as seemed needed for the work in hand, and we must build, not for what is done now, but for the work of the future." " , Dispensary at SevaJpatti :- "This hospital has furnished medicines while the South Cirole supplied a man. Bevalpatti is 70 miles away ov.er very bad roads. Of the dispensary the Indian Pastor writes: "There' were 3,000 treatments. Being located so far away from allY hospital many people daily come to us. We are benefited in several ways. Sick people come to' us without bottles, with· out food or' anyone to care for them. It is. a. grea.t pity to turn them Biwayunaided. It is easy to say 'no,' but is not easy to bear the sorrow that we suffer after' denial. This Dis pensary is helping to overcome caste prejudice against Chris tianity." Of the LepeJ: Hospital located at Manamadura the Com mittee presents the following repor,t:- Untainted chHdren. , , Total It~m8 Men WOJnen Boys Gulli Boys Girls" In l"Qsidenoe, Dec. 31, 1914 33 3 1 2 2 41 Admjssjons~ 1915 81 9 4 5 99 Total 114 1~_ :; 7 ~, 140 ~5 Untainted children. Items Mell Women Boys Girls -'---Boys Girls Total Left during 1915' or on leave Dec. 31, 1915 78 9 3 6 96 In residence, Dec. 31, 1915 36 3 2 1 2 44 Christians ... 13 3 1 1 2 20 " We have had a good year. The highest attendance,at any one time was 64, which dropped to 42 with ·2 un.a.ff~ted children at the close of the year, owing in part to the good rains and the consequent opportunity for work. Patients go out to worlr and are employed freely by most people who need workers. 'Vhen one sees tbe utter lack of precaution agw.nst contagion he is reminded that perhaps one of the important functions of the institution is to C1·eate a state of mind in both patients and others that will help toward the proper segrega tion of lepers which must come sooner or later. During the year three additional buildings have heen com· plated. On February 10th the Rajah of Sivaganga opened a large ward of six rooms, and at the close of tbe year; another ward of four rooms and a bouse for the care-taker have been completed though not yet formaJIy o~cupied. Extensive im provements are also in progress for the wards for women, funds 'for the completion of wbich, togethQr with a much needed cook-room, are in hand. We are indebted to the Rajah of Sivaganga for his cordial support of the asylum; to Mr. P. S. Subraya Iyer of Man~ madura for help in securing a suitable site and for a most ready response whenever asked for help; to tha Court of Wards and the Lessees' of the Sivaganga Estate for a grant of Rs. 500 for ~he 1\!aintenance Account and for very sympathetic treatment lD the matter of securing a title to the site; to the Government of Madras' for a grant of Bs. 2,994 and to many friends both Indian and foreign for gifts and favors too numerous to mention. To all of these we tender our most sincere thanks and ven ture to solicit a continuance of their interest and patronage for the years that are to ,come." On behalf or the American Madura Mission (Signed) C. STANLEY VAUGHAN. LC011w/,ittee of ( -It ) HARRIET E. PARKER. • Leper Work. • ( II ) F. VAN ALLEN. J. 56 English Service, Madura J There is a growing community of English-speaJdng people in Madura. The body of Missionaries, High ~hool and College students, Europeans in the Railway -and Cotton Mills and Civilians demand a church home. For'many years Rev. J. S. Chandler directed this line of Missionary effort assisted by Missionaries and visiting Clergymen. On his departure on furlough Mr. Saunders was appointed by the 'Missic)k:t' to ,direct this·useful work~ '. He says: • "The ser,vices have been well maint~ined'.dtirin~the' year. ~n my opinion the ti~e has come when:' this preaching service' might well be organized' into. a Ohurch. As there is great' need for an aggressive' Eziglish':'speaJdng Church in. Madura' OJ man should be set aside fO,rthis speciaJ ' work." 'Christian Endeavour, Societies Christian Endeavour h.as won for, itself a large place in the life:of the Indiari Church. With'its music, its rallies, and its enthusiasm, there is something of the iQdian Festival in it that 9tppeaIs: to the young." The Madura Mission is strong 'on Christian Endeavour with 364 Socj~ties and lO,H22 membe,t:s, the l\i"adura Christian Endeavour Union is the strongest in all India. Of, .the year's work, the. Honorary. IudianHecretary, Mr. ~I artyn Taylor,'sends i~ the following :~. ~" A scion of .the:" Christian Endeavour, tr~e 'taken frOID America and planted 1n:t116 Girls' ,Boa.raing Schoo.l in -Madura in the year 1886 has grown to be a large tree' with hundreds of branches all over the Mission.field.' 'The cause of Christian Endea. your was promoted by the 'miSsionaries :vi~ou~ouslyand the Christian workers 'who found its usefulness st~ted neW societies wherever possibie.To strengthen the societies' th~t were scattered in different parts a local Union was .formed !D 1897 With 62 'societies. Officers were appointed8;~a commIt tees' formed that pushed! the work more' thoroughly and systematically so much so that to.iday there ar~ 364 societios. with 10,622 members. La~t y.aar a traveUi.m~ ~ecr~tal'yg~'Vdtl his full time to this work. He travelled 1,825 miles, an visited 164 sOQieties in 129 villages beilig away' fronihome 140 d~ys:' He' was able to tender muchlhelp tio tille local workers in rallies an'd other meetings. . Chdstian Endeavour has., d.one .. awOrldol.:gpod· to . the' children and grown up people of this Mission. elts .prQvision fot studying ·the S(J~ipture and :off~ringprayer and., attending meetings,has heen ,a stimulus ·to, the young in their upwara,·. life. It has ied 'the members Intelligently to take part mthe, conduct of the .meetings , and to manage b'h'eir 'own affairs. The church also is henefitedin ma~y ways. The motto "For Christ and the Church" is always held in the forefront'. Tbe Juniors help'in k~eping the' prayer house clean, ill calling the worshippers to the church service, in collecting weekly rice, ofi'eringsand in many other ways. They enliven the church services with their sweet songs. They' cheer the sick with their loving words, beautiful flowers and confiding prayers. The other Sunday I was watching by the bed side of my aged father who was ill, when two little girls of 7 or 8 years of age entered the house and went straight to the bed, . w~shed hiDl. good morning in a pleasant way, presented a bunch of white flowers and said "let us pray" ;:and prayed such a beaUtiful prayer. My father and I were'moved. I thanked God for the Christian Endeavour Society and the Christian Endeavour movement which trains our child~en so well. ,,' We have plans to push on the work 6f tempen1nceand' tij,e anti-tobacco movement. We have printed 10,000 pledges and: sent to 'different centres. We hope God will &ddHis blessing to this enterprise. , ',. Thus Christian Endeavour is dong a wonderful. work in our churches. Blessed is the worker that avails himself of this invaluable aid and uses it for God's glory;'~ The Home Missionary Society . This Societ~y which is no,w Q1. years old has developed mto a strong organization tbe annual budget of which is Over Its. 2,000. Its work is conducted in an unworked corner of the District by the mission in a region with a population of' 17,000.' 'Here it has five congregations, living In nine villages. The society employs twelve agents and has a Christian comulunity of '200 souls. Ot this work the R~v.· V:. Santiagu, the Honorary Secretary of the Society,' reports :- :' As the' Konganadu Christians are extremely' poor,' theh;' ch ila~en have to work in fields or (graze cattle for most of the tIme every day. So, these poor children are taught' in OU~ 1380-8 sch~ols for a 'couple of hours every morning arid for a couple of hours every evening.. 'Ve are glad to report.that Konganadu also had its share in the evangelistic campaign movement and observed the Week of Evangelism in .September. It is encouraging that all the families at Usilampatti who are related to our Christians have accepted Christ, and about 40 other families at Thall have definitely promised to become Christians. The head evangelist reports that at the beginning of the New Year there will be over 400 Christians at Konganadu. A school house and a teacher's house have been newly built at Thali for Rs. 150." Kodaikanal School The School at Kodaikanal for the children of mission aries established in 1901 'has maintained a good record during tbe past year. Under the wise direction of Dr. and Mrs. Wilson and with the aid of a devoted staff the fame of 'the school is spreading. The Rajahmundry J\iission of the A. E. L. M. Gen~ral Council has joined in the support and management during the year. The capacity of the school in the boarding department has been strained to the utmost, and the Airlie cottage has now come into use and bas been filled to overflowing. The Principal writes that he has l'eceived plore apr:li ca tions than he can possibly arrange for. The following special donations received" during the year have ena.bled the Managing Committee ~o make many improvements and additions to the plant, and are hereby gratefully acknowledged :- $ Mrs. Schauffier 500 Mrs. Harriet S. Keep ... 300 Bev. D. Brewer Eddy...... 350 Rev. W. I. Chamberlain 25 A. friend, 'Vhitinsville, Mass 250 The school is further deeply indebted to the Advisory' Oouncil in America for aid and sympathy in the past and for assurances of continued snpport and larger develop lDent" in the future. 59 A. M. Lenox Press Mr. Lawson reports al3 follows for the Press:- It The year 1915 is remarkable in the life of the Lenox Press in that it has shown the largest amount of work done as well as the largest net income. The credit balance of Rs. 1,182-8-1 is something unusual, and allows of the immediate payment of the balance of Rs. 750 on the Rs. 1,000 borrowed from the Widows' Aid Society for building in 1911. A large amount "of work came this year from the Evan gelistic Campaign Commjttee, a.nd this kind of work we have been very glad to do as a definite religious work. There has also been a very substantial increase in the amount of Court printing, and the good showing financially has been very largely due to this source. The plant has also been very much improved. The large cylinder printing press has had new rollers supplied, and been overhauled. A very large amount of new English type has been secured. More furniture has been added. And for all the success that has attended this department of work we thank the Heavenly Father, with whose blessing the printed page may pass" out to many homes as a messenger of vital truth." Repor& of the Madura Widows' Aid Society "This Society stands as a memoria.l to the phil~nthropy and business ability of the la.te Bev. W. B. Capron, of Manamadura.. Its object is to promote thrift among its members and to make provision for the support of their widows or orphans by means of a monthly pension. according to the rate of payment made monthly by the member. Rs. 5 or $ 1.66 monthly is the m~ximnm amount of pension allowed by the rules. Also this is about the rate limit tha.t most of the members could afford to pay. Small as this sum may appear, compared with the huge amounts that American Life Insurance and Annuity Funds pay it is a. very welcome and material help in conditions; of "life when the husband or fatper hl:l~ been reQloveq. • 60 The Society was or~anized September 10th, 1865, and therefore celebrated 'its Jtioilee at . the H)15, September Meeting, Jor. the 1Ylission Agents •. , l?llriD~,i~8.:~O"years of service, it. enrolled 529 ,members, since jncr~a,sed to 543, of wb,ot,n-244 -aare" still ~tive members'. 'In the' past\Jear it :paid B~~ 3,000 in pensions to. 80 wjdow~ apd Qrphans. Its income for the year was Rs. 5,653 and its invested funds, mainly' in:nrst class American jnv.e,st'ments:, 'is Rs~ 54,B50 . • ' l.t has' never yet failed to meet an o~ligatio~, and, we feel has accomplished a vast BIUDunt of good iil a quiet .way. We hope that,it'niay h!lVe'ayet mqre·hol:lorable and useful future~;~:: !:. ", .' .- (Sd.) REV. E. P. HOLTON, H u1l0rary Sec1'elary~ Conclusion , . L. In ~.u'Q1,~iJ]g ...n.p. t1;l~ ~~ork of the ye~r WE fmd the fol lowing gains ;- 1915 1915 1890 Totals gain. total. were. ",<-:In" adherents 791 25,601 .13,077' , :"In communicants 275 '8,621 3,640 'i. In Baibbath attendance- . Qfj.7~. 13,411 ~J591 '., . ~ Met\ apIa to,'read, .. 290 3,796 1,987 -', "Women ·\ab~·to "read '.:~ 20'9 2~096 855 " .!c. ".J ,; :; itN .' : .. ;: Contparingthe ,totals .of: 1915 with those of 1890 we find the ~hri8tian .community has nearly doubled in 25 years~ V\Te also o.bserve that the number Qf men able to . read. and ~e. number, of ,women able to .read have alSb' just. about .oollbled.in the same time. This shows tl.la1 .m:.:the. matter.df.educating ,our Chris'tians we are mali:in.g~ hut. little progress. Again' we call attention to. :tbe iact ~tbat thamiSsien needs a more liberal appro priation 1for. village· :wo.rk . so .that this "defect may be remedied by putti!lgmnre.Qhriatian teachers int}levilla.ges • • ,Loss: O'n account of 'war and- weather conditiOns ~ there hlts been ai' loss ~f R's. 2,131 in I~dian contributioD~ an'd 'a~bther,loss:ofrRs~ 286 in school-fee inc~e,·so'tl:i~t'~apy of the Pastorates closed the year in debt. - , The nl1mberof-viliage' ~~hools'and Christian.bhildren in schools is practically the same as last' year. ' ; While th~ 'number ,of; Hindu children in these schoo1shas inc.ieased .by 1;476~ '. But figures "do not c'onstitute our'only measure 0.£ suc ce~s! A.s ·indicated 'in the in:troduction to this Report, under the widespread preaching of the Gospel' we behold -mtali-smgiv.ing 'way ,to' faith. We, see the members of ·the down-trodden out-caste raised into a dignified. man hood 'and, the ~en of the highest, caste are coming forth to: preach' ~he Fatherhood of :God and -the brotherhood of.:ml1n. ' ,To know that, we, ,along with the 5,401 Missionaries working~in',India, are baving our share in thus iJ;lspiring this great people to higber' living and higher. thinking -along social,. political and religious lines, assures us 'that the" ~d.s we seek, ~re being attained.. And we IAove into. the future with,..... the calm assurance that ...the Truth of. God.. ,is mare.hing on., , Personals, 1. Our congratulations are due to. ,Mrs.·~ ..V! MatQew,s ~ho ,has passed ,her examinati~n in the Tamil, language ,'arid' we wish,her gre~t, freedoll?-.in the -us.s, of, It. . ' '< 2. 1'he. R~v~ J. C. Perkins ~ho came to ,India. in '1885 -&nd whp ha~ been a most, successful ~ission~~y ~a~ compeneato leave India in March on account of sickness 'in hisfa~jly.;.We put'o~ record our sense of lo~s and:,"stii,l ho.pe that the Lord may open a way for his r~t~n'~o u~': 3. "Rev. "Villiam Zumbro. and family and also Rev.'il/nd :Mrs, J,~ S~ Chandler together. with Miss Gertrq4e .04an91er, sailed for America in April on their usual furloughs. On ,his return to Indi~ Mr. Chandler is to reside in Madras 'for the' purpose of continuing his valuable work oa the 'English-Tamil'Lexicon in connection wi tb the Syndicate of the Madras·University. ' 4. Reinforcements.-Tbe following minutes are taken from the Mission Hecords. . L Resolved that we cordially welcome to our cir.cle and to the work in our Mission Rev. and Mrs. J. M. Hess and Rev. Azel A. Martin who arrived in Madura, in July and we wish them many years of happy service in their chosen field. 2. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Louis Lorheer, M.A.-Re solved that we cordially welcome to our circle and to the work in our Mission, R~v. and Mrs. Lloyd L. Lorbeer, who arrived in Madura on the 9th of-November, and wish them many years of happy service in their chosen field. 3. Miss Katharine Willcox, B.A.-Resolved that we ,cordially welcome to our circle and to the work of the Mission, Miss Wilcox who a'rrived in Madura on the lIth of December. 'Ve wish her many years of happy service. 4. Miss Mabel Leonard Chase, B.A.-Resolved that we welcome to our circle of workers, Miss Chase who arrived in Madura on December 11th for a three-year term of service in Capron Hall Scbool. We hope that these years may be full of blessing to her and to those to whom she 'm,iuisters. 5. Miss Alice Powers.-Resolved that we place on record our' gratitude to Miss Powers who left Madura for .America on December 17th for the able assistance she has 'given in Capron Hall School during the past year. Resolv ed further that we informtbe Woman's Board that we shall be delighted to receive Miss Powers as a '·member of the Mission if at any time sbe is prepared to accept such appointment. Miss J. Metzgar of the Basel Mission was able to· give 68 lUuch help in the Girls' Training School for a greater part of the year· ano the mission records its appreciation of . her services. Miss M. M. Root sailed in August on a well earned fur lougb. Miss C. S. Quickenden was placed in charge of Miss Rooto' work in her absence. Miss C.S. Quickenden was voted to het former work for women in Arupp·ukottai. Dr. and Mrs. J. E. Tracy, having spent the year of their furlough in the lower Palanis returned to the mission in June. Their work since then has been in connection with· the South India Evangelistic Campaign. John Qua]e Flint arrived on the 22nd of October and is devoting himself to the task of instructing his parentt: in the science of child culture. James Llewellyn Lawson was born to Mr. and·Mrs. ,T. H. Lawson on December 17th. Congratulations to the parents. Rev. 1\1. Eames at the age of 80 years, en tered into rest on November 19th. He was known as the "efficient Eames." A pastor of boundless faith, sweet and optimistic spirit-he wn,s faithful to the end. He toiled and tarried till the Master sajd " Well done." The l\Hssion was e&tablished in 18;)4. Eames was born in 1835. So he had been in touch with the mission from the beginning. He joined the church in 1853, and the next year he began teaching in the Seminary on a sa~ary of ·Ra. 5 per month. In 1870 he was ordained a pastor over tbe East Karisalkulam Ohurch. He served this and the Kamuthi Church for 38 years. He retired only six years ago and has since been living in t:!J.e Aruppnkottai com· pound, where he died. . The new bungalow at Pasulualai, percbed on the side of the hill, with a magnificent outlook upon the world has been completed and is occupied by Mr .. ~and Mrs. Lawson; . . 64 VIII~ Appendices Addresses and Work of the MissioP.larief'~ at the begiD~ing of ~916. NAME WORK' l"R-ESIDENCE ___~_!.__' J _---1.-1_ Rev. J. J. Ba~ingaJ M.A .... On Fur lough.* Mrs.M. D. Banninga Rev. J. -So Chandler, M.A •••• Tamil Lexicon: Madras, S. India. Mrs. H.S. Chandler, B.A~ ... Miss G. E. Chandler Capron Hall, Kin- Madura, S. dergartener. ..' _ India. Miss Mabel L. Chase/·B.A .• P r inc ip a I, High Madura, S.. School Depart- Indiai Dlent, C a pr 0 n' Hall. Rev~ W( P.Elwood, M.A .... Chairman; ·North Dindigul, S. Circle. , India. Mrs. A. Elwood Boarding School, Bible Women and Hindu Girls' Schools. E. M ..Flint. Esg., B.SO.,. M.A. Professor of C h e- Madura, S: mistry and Phy- India. sic 5, American College. Mrs. Flint, B.A. Instructor, Ameri- oan College; llev. J'. M .. Hess,B.s.,M.A·l On Fur- Mrs. M. W. Hess J 16ugh.* ROv .. D.' S. Herrick, M.A; .;. Professor of PhHo- Bangalol'e, so· p h y and' S. India. Ethics, . United . Theological 001- lege., . Mrs: D. Herrick" B.A; ...... Miss Ruth O. Heath Sup e r vis i on of Madura, S:' Nurses and N ur- . India. sing, . WOplan's Hospital. . ~ddreBseBof those on FUrlough are,' care of A B.C.F.M., 14 Belleon Street, Boston, Mass, U.8 A. . , 65 NAME WORK IRESIDENCE Rev. E. P. Holton, M.A. Vice Chairman, Tirumanga- Central Circle. lam, S. India. :'III'S. Holton Boarding Sc h 001. Do. H i n d u Girls' Schools a.nd Bible Women's Work. Rev. F. E. Jeffery, M.A. } Furlough.* Mrs. M. Jeffery, B.SC. J. H. Lawson, Esq., B.A. ~ Manual Training Pasumala.i •. Mrs. F. Lawson, B.A. J Institution, Lenox Press. Rev.L. L. Lorheer, B.A. } Language Study. Batlagun Mrs. Lorbeer duo Rev. B. V. Mathews, B.A., LL.~. Furlough. +. Mrs. P. Mathews ... Rev. A. A. Martin, B.A. Professor, English, Madura, S. American Col- India. lege. Rev. J. X. Miller, M.A. Princi pal, H i g h Pasumalai. Sohooland Train ing Institution. Mrs. !'It Miller ..• IT e a c her, High . Sohool and Man· . ager of Boarding Department. Miss M. T. Noyes, B.A. Principal, Oapron Madura. HallSohooI. Miss H. E. Parker. M.D. Hospital for Wo- Madura. men and Chi!-, dren. I Rev. L. C. Powers, B.A. . ...Superintendent, Madura, S. Elementary 'I India. Sohools of Dis- triot Conferenoe I and Nor mall Soh 0 0 I, Pasu-. malai. ' ------~------~- St;~AtddBresses of those on Furlough ar(', oare of A,B .C.F.M., 14 Beaoo~ e, oston, Mass, U.S.A, . 66 NAME WORK ·I.RE'SIDENOE -.~------11ifis C. S. Quickenden ... IBibi~ Women,' A1Uppukot- i Hindu Girls' and tai; S. , Boarding India. I School!?·,_w Miss 1\1. M. Root ... Furlough. * Rev. A. J. Saunders, M.A., J Professor of His- Madura, S. n.D. tory, American India. College. Mrs. Saunders Teacher, Capron Hall, Miss K. B. Sco~t, M. D. Hospital for W 0- Madura, S. men and Ohil-' India. dren. Miss E. M. Swift ... Principal, L u c y Madura, S. Perry Nob 1 e India. Bible'School. Rev. J. E. Trapy, D.D. Chairman, W est Kodaikanal, Circle. I S. India. Mrs. F. Tracy Rev. F. Van Allen, M.D. Albert Vi~t~r Hos- . Furl~~gh ..:, pital. : Rev. C.S.Vaughan, Secretary Chairman, District; Manamadu- of the Mission Con fer e n c e, : ra, S. Chairman, East India. Circle. . , ::\I1'8. Vaughan East Circle Board - , ing School, Hin du Girls' Schools, Bible Women. I Rev. \\T. W. Wallace, M.A. Principal, Ameri- Madura, S. Mrs. G. Wallace can ColI e g e, I India. Treasurer of Mis- . sion and District: Conference. , Miss Katharine Wilcox, B.A. Principal. Normal' Madura, S. School, Capron i India. Hall. Rev. W. M. Zumbro, M.A'l ,'Ion Fur- Mrs. H. H. Zumbro" j r lougb.-r.· ----,.<~,-- • Addresses of those~n Furlough are, care of A.B.O.F.M., 14 BeBoon Street, Boston, Mass, U.S.A. ?tlETIWDIST prnf.. IsmNG HOUSF:, ~fOUNT ROAD, ~!ADlUS. srrA~(11S'1'IOA IJ 'rABLES No. I.-~flenc1!J 1915 MIIlSIO~AUIES r~DIAN AGENCY I --. 1\ -- -->- I -- r- i .. : ~ ~ : ~ ~ __ \ ~'.' ' I ~ C = ,e o:sd =f-. I 1m ~I ot NAME OF CIRCLE ~ >:l ,: ..... ~ I ':" ell .~::;; I rr, , t" I ::: , To "'1 ..., 0 -c: ~ CD 1 "" >=l ...... J ~ I ...... ,h 0 <:) OR DEPARTMENt' ,.0 .~ ~ I ' ro ~ 'r;j 8 I r... -t e :', ;.::: >- I rn rr. - I W 'I rf) I S I h, 1: '? .:: ~ ~( --: ~ r; ~,_ ,!,j '3 '@ CD I.:: ~ ~ I .... ;: ,--::; ~ ;::' .... r.., .... r... 1'- -, : 2 ~ II ~ I :,-, : ~:: ! ~ - ~ ~ 3 £ 1 ~ ~ ~ ~ i ~ : D1S'fRICT CONFERENCE WORK. 1---\--:---1------1----I - --,----i-- --'-,---: North Circle ,.. 1836 555,0001 2 ilIa 'I a I U L 10 ·tD B5 10)'} i,! West Circle ...... l~:.m 470,000 2 2 4 8 I HI!.\ It i;!I ao, 141 I Central Circle .. ~ ... 18~~4 4S3,000 1 I 1 ~ I 7 I !, 2 8 5::' a;j 1 115 ! ~,outh ~ircle ." lS~~ ilBO,OOO 1 II:! 1 7 il~ 1 :l2 ·lH 1 131 ! I East CIrcle ... .., 1830 720,000 1 1 2 ; 3:2!1 W: :1';, 22, 91 I I H,~1.S.KonganadIlMis'n.1~05 17,000 J 2 2 ;; ti 12'\ ,DEPARTMENTS. 1 I American College, Madura 1M81 4 4 U' ... , .10 l' ·11 I I Capron Hall Schools " 1835 :3 3 7 ] 7i 24\ Hindu Girls' Schoollil " 1869 1: ' .j.' 17! 21 High School, Pllsumalai 1875 3 ~ ti "', 3~! ;~: 36 1 Union Theo!. Semina.ry" 1892 1 2, ·1' I 5 18 1 IWomen's work, Aruppukottai 19071 1 1 1 ~ 7 27 I .j Do, Madura Town. 1867 1 1 12' a~ 15 1 Do. Do. Villages 1890, 1 i H;l ... \ .,,' 19 IMiSSiOn Medical WOrk,:MadUraI18·t91 lit 1 1 i I '''/' 10 17 \Vo.men's . Do. Do, 11~87 I:! 1, 3 ... 1 1!... ':!1 :!6 I \UmtedTheOlCol. BangaloreH)}l 1 i . 2 .,,1 · .. i .. ·1 ".j ,...... \On furIQugh...... ' 2 I 2 ... ". :! I; ".1 ... ". "I ... 1 ... ' ,.. I ... { I\Tamil Lexicon Editor ~J __t_i_'_"_I_"_' _: _ .. _. _, _'_'_' _' ___"_' _:_'_" i-'-I-'''I-~-L-' j __' ./_.-"-J ~ 29 Total for 1915 ...... I I 17 I Ii ! 3 I:.! 8, 47 I 1' l~·j.: 12! U;!i 314i 229,' 43 J 843 I ------1------'------1--1---'----1--,--/------/ _'!'~tn:~i..ol:!914_ .... =__.. ,,12075,0001 ~i_1 lfi I _2 I !! _.' H !~~: _29 I 1_1~t.~j_!! Tot.al. t'O'l" 1tt1G ~ ~ ~~ 6,79 .~~ ~ ~ .-=~~ ~ 2GlJ ~ No. 1\:" --li:L'uugclislil", l'tle \VOltK 01' 1\J gil 11'.\ L ITINER.H'¥ HOOK Dll-\TRWU 1'10;-'; BHl[, ,.; \\,·o~[!.::'\ 'YORK NAME OF CIRCLE Oll DEPARTMENT No. V.-Edu(lational fYor7c, 1915 HINIJO BOARDING SCHOOLS VILLAGE ELEMENTARY SPECIAL INS~lTUTIONS GIRLS' ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-I SCHoor.s r1.) '0 o N.ulE OF CIRCLE ..= OR w.Q INSTITUTION os ~ ....o .... I'1l Q) zo Q) "'" -: 120 -: a5 - 237 1759 4: --5 a78 393 2~14 ~~ N orthCircle ------~ ~ -~ ~~ 4'~1-: -= 529 276517 2658 1 il 2a WE; 117 63 56 31 329\251)0 4- 6 34 148 ~ ~Hi 45 158 llU2 '0' 2169 West Circle 1 2 2 11 6a ()2 7.1 47 51 in 21~i1776 I 2 1 Central Circle ... 1 32 622 2ti3-1- 8 ViS!! 1 :I 4 0{ 127 171) un 59 30 4;il 442,2-1-21 1 1 5 South Circle 157 1104' 5 13fi8 1 1 4 7 57 64 l:i:'l:"1 2i'i 2i3 1:~ 70 882 4 8 13 14D East Circle 5 5 2 3a 2~H 33 1", 70 Konganadu Mission 168 !lI3229 .. , 24(i82 41 .•. •.. 268 645 168 913 .. · ... ,.. Am. College, Madura. 409, 1 5582 390 409 .. ' .... , ... \ "'1300 13 Oapron Hall Behool" 24... 61 125223 4'21 20 4(;4 20 46-1-11 .. , 129 "]'1 . .. 4013 G6244 12iiOI) HinduGirlli'Schools" 404 611) ...... ,', .. 1 2 46...... Tr. & H. ~ch. Pasnmalai 3!l to· 70 348 1~8 '" 49 ~ 49 11 ... 49 49 ... ,...... 'j Union 'I'heo. ~em'y.... /)-1:9 J 1 231 ... : ...... '...... 2 9 1 23 I Women's work, Arup...... '.. L. :::~lBE ::::OOl":r~i~\ l:':i~ ~i~~ 1:~~I;::i~ ~~1~1~~1~ ~i~~~~gJ~I~~g!~~~~