A Lady of England 82

A Lady of England 82

TO MISS ‘LEILA’ HAMILTON.

 

‘_Nov. 29, 1879._

 

‘Yesterday, at last, the cricket-match between our School

and the big Government School came off. We challenged the

Government School long ago; but they took no notice. Yesterday,

however, a match was arranged between our Christian School

and the Government one, which is about ten or twelve times

as large. We were much the first on the ground, and were

kept waiting for more than an hour. Most of our Eleven wore

red-checked flannel vests, but R. the captain had a becoming

grey one.... At last the match commenced; but it was hardly worth

calling one. The Government lads could not hold their own in

the least! The whole Eleven only made 5 runs between them!

 

‘It was a very different thing when our boys took the batting.

It does one good to hear the thud from R.’s bat when he sends

the ball flying ever so far. He and S. made, I think, 87 runs,

and were never bowled out. The rest of our boys had no turns

at all; for the sun went down, and still R. and S., tired, but

unconquered, held their wickets. What is most pleasing is that

our boys did not crow as they might have done,--their opponents

were too utterly smashed. Had the contest been a close one,

there would have been plenty of cheering.

 

‘I really hope that it may do good for it to be known through

Batala that, in a manly game, the Hindus and Muhammadans

“cannot hold a candle” to the Christian boys, who go preaching

and singing hymns on Sunday! Piety is all the more attractive

from union with manliness.

 

* * * * *

 

‘_Dec. 8._--Mera Bhatija intends to start a reading-room in

the city in 1880, with Bibles in various languages, books,

and some Native periodicals. The _Illustrated_--if you think

of continuing it--will form one of the baits. Many lads now

can read a little English; and the pictures will form an

attraction.’

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER X

 

A.D. 1880-1881

 

LOYAL AND TRUE

 

 

The series of extracts from letters, through the year 1879, given in the

last chapter, will convey a fair general idea of how many succeeding

years were passed. To quote with equal fulness from each year would

mean--not one comparatively small volume, but two large ones; and,

however interesting the subject-matter in itself, readers might be

expected to grow weary.

 

Year after year Charlotte Tucker lived on in the old palace, which had so

strangely become her home, surrounded by the brown boys, whom she loved;

and by the spring of 1880 they had grown to forty in number. Year after

year she wrote little booklets for the Natives of India. Year after year

she persisted in her steady round of Zenana visits; not, like the average

district-visitor of England, going once a fortnight or once a week into

her district,--which was the whole city of Batala,--but day after day

giving hours to the work, never daunted because results seemed small,

never apparently even tempted to throw up her arduous task in despair.

She had to _plough_ for the Master of the harvest; and she was content to

leave results with Him.

 

It must have been a monotonous life, viewed from ordinary standpoints.

Charlotte Tucker had had plenty of society in the past; and though she

might laugh at stiff dinner-parties or dull morning calls, she had fully

enjoyed intercourse with superior and cultivated minds. Some amount of

such intercourse she had still in the Panjab; but for months together,

as time went on, she was thrown mainly upon her own resources, was left

with absolutely no European companions. It is hardly within the bounds

of possibility that she should not have suffered from the deprivation,

cheerily as she received it.

 

‘Missionaries in work are usually rather “yoked two and two,”’ she wrote

to an Aunt, in the beginning of 1880. Then after a slight allusion to

her successive ‘yoke-fellows’ at Batala, she adds brightly: ‘And I look

forward for the greater part of 1880 to going side by side with Babu

Singha, the converted Hindu Head-master,’--with kind mention also of his

wife and children.

 

Friends might say what they would. Miss Tucker had advanced far beyond

the stage when it was possible to convince her that she ‘could not stay

alone’ in Batala. Mr. Baring had decided to go to England for eight

months; and no one else was free to join her in Anarkalli; but she

refused to desert her post. In fact, she would not be ‘alone’ there now,

as she would have been two years earlier. She loved and was loved by the

little circle of Indian Christians in the place; and the merry boys of

the household were very dear to her. None the less, her position was a

singularly solitary one.

 

The frequent arrival of boxes from England afforded her never-failing

delight; partly on her own account, and yet more for the additional

facilities afforded thereby for giving away. Pages each year might be

filled with quotations on this subject alone.

 

Also month by month fresh indications appeared of the reality of the

work going on,--an inquirer here; a convert there; an abusive Muhammadan

softened into gentleness; an ignorant Heathen enlightened; a bigot

persuaded; and now and again one coming forward, bravely resolute to

undergo Baptism, willing to face the almost inevitable persecution

following. All these things were of perpetual occurrence, and they lay

very near to Charlotte Tucker’s heart.

 

On the 30th of January 1880 comes a pungent little sentence:--

 

‘What fearful people the Nihilists are! When one reads of them,

one seems to see Satan let loose! There is some similarity

between India and Russia. Perhaps some years hence a Nihilist

crop may rise from tens of thousands of sharp conceited lads

whom the Government so carefully educate _without God_! They

cannot possibly all get the prizes in life which they look

for; they _won’t_ dig,--so will naturally swell the dangerous

classes. Such dear lads as we have here will be, we trust, as

the salt in the mass. But they may have a difficult work before

them.’

 

Two letters in February to two nieces must not be passed over. In the

first we have a glimpse of the dark as well as of the hopeful side:--

 

‘_Feb. 2._--That most unhappy lad, ----, seems to be a thorough

hypocrite. Only a day or so after professing himself a true

penitent, and kneeling in seeming prayer at my side, he has, we

hear, been actually preaching in the bazaar here against the

Christians.... The subject is too sad to dwell upon; but it is

better that I should let you know at once, as I sent home so

hopeful a letter.

 

‘Fancy poor E. Bibi actually paying me a visit here yesterday

evening. The delicate creature longed to come. I told her to

ask her husband’s leave, and suggested that he had better come

with her. She asked me to send my kahar in the morning, and she

would send a message by him as to whether her “Sahib” consented

or not. The answer was favourable; so I made arrangements to

have two dulis at her door after dark, for E., her mother, and

her two little girls. I warned our boys to keep out of the

chapel, into which I first introduced the Bibis. I went to the

harmonium, and sang to it, “Jesus lives,” and two or three

verses of the Advent hymn, etc. While we were in the chapel the

husband joined us, sat down, and quietly listened. He was very

silent, which I think showed good manners.

 

‘We then all proceeded up our long staircase.... I offered tea,

but no one drank it; the children ate some pudding, and I

presented each of them with one of the dolls which your dear

Mother sent out, which I have had dressed.... I think the party

were pleased. I wonder what thoughts were passing in the mind

of that silent husband. He knows perfectly well what I visit

his wife for; for in Batala we do not hide our colours at

all. I sometimes think that dear M.[94] dashes right at the

enemy almost too boldly; but as she is a supposed descendant

of Muhammad, I dare say that her dauntless intrepidity has a

good effect. I do not find the women made angry even by what

must startle them. Of course one’s manner must be gentle and

conciliating, even when meeting the question, “Do you think

that Muhammad told lies?” with a simple straightforward, “Yes.”

 

‘I think that not a few Batala women do now believe that our

religion is the right one, and that our Blessed Lord is the

Saviour of sinners. But this belief may exist for years before

there is any desire for Baptism.’

 

* * * * *

 

‘_Feb. 6._--One visit which I paid in the former place

(Amritsar) would have warmed your heart. In a cottage in

the Mission compound, occupied by one of the Bible-women, I

found three who doubtless will inherit the blessing promised

to all who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. There

was dear faithful Begum J., and her daughter, K. (now a

Bible-woman). These are the two who, as you may remember, were

threatened with a razor by Begum J.’s husband, and fled, and

were afterwards baptized. They had come to see another brave

Convert, who had been baptized on the previous day.

 

‘A fierce crowd had attacked her, tore the jewels from her

ears, beat her on the head, threatened to cut off her nose!

How she escaped she cannot tell; she was bewildered. Perhaps

some unseen Angel took her by the hand. She reached _somehow_ a

duli, which was in waiting for her, and was baptized the same

day.’

 

The school was so growing, that by March 1880 a good many of the boys

had to sleep on the floor which formerly had been reserved entirely for

Europeans. This Miss Tucker did not mind.

 

Before the end of March she had to bid good-bye to her dharm-nephew, who

was starting for England. It must have given her a strange feeling,

thus to see one and another leave for the dear old country, which she so

loved, and yet which she had resolved never of her own free will to see again.