Far Off; Or, Asia and Australia Described: With Anecdotes and IllustrationsMortimer, Favell Lee
Religion
Far Off; Or, Asia and Australia Described: With Anecdotes and Illustrations
Mortimer, Favell Lee
Asia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Description and travel
There are many rich English gentlemen living in India: some are judges,
and some are merchants, and some are officers in the army. They dwell in
large and grand houses, with many windows down to the ground, and a wide
verandah to keep off the sun. Instead of _glass_, there is _grass_ in the
windows: the blinds are made of sweet-scented grass, and servants outside
continually pour water on the grass to make the air cool. Instead of
_fires_, they have _fans_. These fans are like large screens hanging from
the ceiling, and waving to and fro to refresh the company. Instead of
carpets there are mats on the floor; and round the beds gauze curtains
are drawn to keep out the insects.
The servants are all Hindoos, and a great number are kept; and this is
necessary, because each servant will only do one kind of work.
Each horse has two servants, one to take care of it, and the other to cut
grass: even the dog has a boy to look after it alone. The servants do not
live in their master's house, but in small huts near. The place where
they live is called "the compound."
When English people travel they do not go in carriages, but in
palanquins. A palanquin is like a child's cot, only larger; and there a
traveller can sleep at his ease.
The men who carry the palanquins are called "Bearers." The nurses are
called Ayahs. Babies are carried out of doors by their ayahs, but
children of three or four are taken out by the bearers.
There was once a little girl of three years old who taught her bearer to
fear God.
Little Mary was walking out in a grove with her heathen bearer. She
observed him stop at a small Hindoo temple, and bow down to the stone
image before the door.
The lisping child inquired,--"Saamy, what for, you do that?"
"O, missy," said he, "that is my god!"
"Your god!" exclaimed the child, "your god, Saamy! Why your god can no
see, no can hear, no can walk--your god stone! My God make you, make me,
make everything!" Yet Saamy still, whenever he passed the temple, bowed
down to his idol: and still the child reproved him. Though the old man
would not mind, yet he loved his baby teacher. Once when he thought she
was going to England he said to her,--"What will poor Saamy do when missy
go to England? Saamy no father, no mother."
"O Saamy!" replied the child, "if you love God he will be your father,
and mother too."
The poor bearer promised with tears in his eyes that he would love God.
"Then," said she, "you must learn my prayers;" and she began to teach him
the Lord's Prayer. Soon afterwards Mary's papa was surprised to see the
bearer enter the room at the time of family prayers, and still more
surprised to see him take off his turban, kneel down, and repeat the
Lord's Prayer after his master. The lispings of the babe had brought the
old man to God: Saamy did not only bow the knee, he worshipped in spirit
and in truth, and became a real Christian.
CHIEF CITIES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account