The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1931, Page 153

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

153

went to the mission-school located just at the edge
of the village. Leaving one of the Bible women in
the schoolhouse to instruct a class of catechumens,
the other woman and I proceeded to make house-to-
house calls. ‘he first hut that we entered was the

Mission-Bungalow in Ambur.

home of a man who had seemed somewhat inclined
towards Christianity on former occasions. (We had
been visiting the place once a week regularly for
some time.) He told us that he would like to be-
come a Christian, but he said, “My employer,
a Brahmin, has threatened to give me no more work
if I become a Christian. Then how shall I earn
a living? Furthermore, he will persecute me and
take my home away from me.” Thereupon I called
his attention to the birds, how they live without
having a place to sow or reap and are happy all day
long because they know that their heavenly Father
will take care of them, etc. As these village people
did not understand my grammatical Tamil with the
foreign accent very well, I asked the Bible woman to
tell them the story of the prophet Elijah.

How Bible Women Tell Bible Stories.

You ought to hear the Bible women tell a story.
They just make all the characters live. Every event
and every detail is explained in such a manner that
one can just see a picture of the story.

At another house we had some very attentive
listeners. They were not satisfied with only hearing
the story told, but requested her to read it from the
Biblical history book which she had brought along.
This she did, they meanwhile regretting that they
were not able to read or write. At this, their atten-
tion was directed towards our mission-school, where
their children would have the opportunity they had
missed. :

We went to another house, where, as usual, we

were asked to sit down on the veranda floor. (The
Hindus do not use chairs, they sit on the floor.
Some of the educated people may own some chairs,
which they exhibit when white people come to visit
them, but the common village people do not use
any.) The only listener we found in this house was
an old grandmother, who complained that she always
forgets everything we told her from one time to the
next. We hastened to assure her that, as time went
on, it would be easier for her to remember more and
more, at which she seemed quite consoled.

Hearers with Mixed Motives.

In another place about a dozen women gathered
around us. Some of these listened very attentively
to the Gospel-message, the others were merely
waiting until the Bible woman finished telling the
story; they wanted to ask me .for some rub-oil.
(I always take a few medical supplies with me.)
Judging by the demand for that article, I have come
to the conclusion that these poor people consider
it a sure cure for whatever ailed them. After I had
satisfied all their wants, which procedure was ac-
companied by much talking and advising and bottle-
washing among themselves, I asked them the signi-
ficance of the little piece of wood with a cloth tied
around the end which I had noticed on all the roofs
of the huts. They told me that these were scare-

Pariah Village near Ambur.

crows to frighten away the birds which might have
the temerity to alight, thereby bringing ill luck to
the occupants of the house.

Trying to Keep Evil Spirits from the Baby.

Entering another house, I noticed that ashes
were strewn into all the doorways and entrances.
Upon my inquiry I received the enlightening answer:
“To keep the evil spirits from harming the new-born
baby.” Well, you know that all people who are half-