is in two months and a half, we have had to close nine days on account of these festivals which are a part of the every day of their lives. The origin of these festivals is rooted in the chimney corner of tradition, and I have not yet learned the meaning of more than a very few. Doubtless to the little girls these days are toothsome morsels in the monotony of their living. But to the teachers and the Madam sahib the festivals and the weddings jostle the school hours too closely.

The education of girls, while an established fact in India, has not yet taken a firm hold on the desires of the lower and middle classes. They send their daughters to school with an air destitute of much interest beyond

the sweets and prizes they will get. You know also how early girls are married in India. So it is not surprising that there are but few in the upper standards of our Hindu girls' schools, and many more of the kindergarten or primary age-such as are better out of the way of busy mothers at home. When school reopened after the hot season holiday, a goodly number appeared in the schoolroom with new green bangles, seventeen on the left hand and nineteen on the right. I knew at once they had been married. It has been an especially favorable year for marriages, and many of our girls have dropped out on that account.

Brides or no, all of them have the American dollies. I wonder if some mission circles looking for work at the beginning of the autumn would care to dress and send us some dolls for Christmas for these Wai schools. Or perhaps some could make scrapbooks with bright pictures. Books with only two pages would be most welcome. I cannot tell you how grateful I would be, or how pleased the girls would be, if there were some dolls or books for Christmas. There are about one hundred and thirty girls in the three schools.

There is of course the usual striving for first in the classes, a result which is shown at the end of the monthly examinations. In just about a month more we expect to have the Deputy Educational Inspector come to give the school a thorough examination. The outcome we hope will be an increased government grant. Both pupils and teachers are making a special effort to do the best work possible.

The other day I found the history class divided into two opposing sides, each of which was trying to win the contest in which each one who failed to answer the question put by a member of the opposing side had to sit down on the floor. The number of failures on each side was kept track of to see which side would win and which, as they put it, would "tumble down." Arithmetic is the hardest subject the children have. Their tables of weights and measures, on which is based the work in oral arithmetic, are my fascination and my despair. It seems as if they were legion. And as for the multiplication tables these children have to learn, it is not sufficient that they shall be able to say our tables through 12 X 12 = 144. Their tables run through 30 x 10 = 300, and then on through x 1 = tox 100 = 25; and tox 100 50; and x 1 = to 3 x 100 = 75; and 1 x I = = 11 to 14 x 100 = 125; 13 x 1 = 1 to 1x 100 = 150; 2x1 = 24 to 2 x 100 250. Can you not imagine that it might rather fluster an eight-year-old to have the awe-inspiring inspector keep asking, "How much is 21 x 9? 27 x 5 ?"

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To help the teachers with suggestions for their work, we subscribe for a little monthly magazine, published in Marathi, in which appear articles on teaching object lessons, history, grammar and kindred topics of interest to teachers. We want, however, to go deeper than the government requirements, and try to fulfill Christ's requirements. To this end are the daily Bible lessons in school. On Tuesday afternoons the teachers come to me for a season of prayer, and to talk over any points which need special attention which I have noted during the week, or which occur to them. It is our common aim, as in all the mission schools, to remember the school motto chosen at the first of the school year, "In the beginning God."

1909]

Touring in Madura

7

The aristocratic Brahman Gangapuri section of the city is one where our preachers have met with more opposition than in any other place. The Gangapuri girls' school, too, more than any other, has had to overcome hostility time and again. I was just thinking to-day how bright a picture I was going to be able to give you of this school. It has been doing unusually well, and I have been happy in the thought of its success. But before the day was old I learned that a former troubler of our school had been last night lecturing in a temple of that section, and had strictly enjoined all not to send their children to our school. This man, Chandiboa by name, has recently been to sacred Benares, and I suppose he has come back fired to uphold Hinduism. So we had only two or three children in school this morning. He and his followers have repeatedly tried to bribe our landlady from renting us her rooms for the schools; but she is a shrewd old lady, and tells them quite frankly that she knows their ways. "You might pay me the rent for a few months, but that would be the end of it; whereas the rent I get from the school is a steady income, and it is all my living, and I am a widow." So, too, with Vitvabai, the calling woman; they have tried to bribe her, but have not yet succeeded.

(To be Continued.)

TOURING IN MADURA

BY MISS MARY METCALFE ROOT

(For more than twenty years missionary in Madura.)

UR vacation is over and again we are at work. especially were very refreshing on the hills. broken, as we say, and the wind was bracing and fine.

The last two weeks

The monsoon had

This also made it

cooler on the plains-not perhaps what you might call cool! This month is full of work. My visits to the villages are arranged until the end of the month, half days and whole days out, and then a tour of a number of days with my large tent. When I am out for the day I start off with my small tent and a boy to get breakfast for me, and just as few things as possible. Yesterday, and to-morrow will be the same, you might have been interested to see me start off in my touring cart, sitting upon my mattress on the floor of the cart, with pillows at my back. I wonder if you saw the picture of my touring cart, which resembles a prairie wagon, open at the ends, drawn by a horse, and possessing the great advantage of having springs and four wheels! I often get tired of the cramped position, and change about from side to side to rest my back, but in spite of all, this cart

is a great comfort to me, and affords very fair protection from the sun. Yesterday I had my book bag, folding chair and a few small articles with me, and sent my tent and luncheon basket on in a small bullock cart, as it has been raining during the afternoon for several days. We were late in getting off in the morning, the bandy man trying to find an excuse for not going, on account of the mud which he was sure would impede our way. These delays are often vexatious to our systematic souls, but they must be met and conquered in this Oriental life.

I visited two villages and had the pleasure of seeing a number of pupils. Many of them were doing well in their reading and Bible study. I was followed from house to house by a crowd-very well behaved, I must admit-but a crowd is not what I want in the homes. There I try to find a

quiet place where I may gather the women about me for a good heart-toheart talk. This it is often difficult to do, and we must seize opportunities

as we can.

There is one Christian family besides that of the catechist in the larger village, and here the Bible woman has one small room within his courtyard. A big wooden bench, used as a bed, took up much of the room; her cooking utensils were on the floor by the side of the little earthen oven, and it did not seem just homelike to me, but she seems to be happy in her work. In one house it was impossible to turn the crowd out-men, women and children pouring in until I felt nearly smothered sitting way back at the end of the courtyard on a sort of veranda with thatch roof. I insisted upon the small children sitting down, which gave a little more air. Then a greasy-looking fan was passed along, and a small boy stationed himself directly in front of