Siam and Laos, as Seen by Our American Missionaries
History
Siam and Laos, as Seen by Our American Missionaries
Laos -- Description and travel; Missions -- Laos; Missions -- Thailand; Thailand -- Description and travel
But the greatest objection of all was that the girls were the workers
in the family, and if they were to spend the day in school who would
_ha kin_ (seek a living) for the family? And this seemed to be a real
difficulty.
The question of bread and meat, or rather rice and fish, the
missionary could neither ignore nor argue away. These heathen mothers
in this respect were just like other human beings: they would not
willingly give up their daughters’ help at home, which was of real
value to the whole family, for an education which they believed would
be injurious in every way. They hated the new religion and despised
the offered education.
As far as could be seen then, there was but one way out of the
difficulty; and so the question was asked, “How much can your girl
earn per day?” and the old mother answered, “When she finds work she
makes a _fuang_ per day” (seven and a half cents). Then said the
missionary, “Send her to me, and I will let her spend half the day in
learning to read and the other half in working, and _for her work_ I
will pay her a fuang.” At this the mother began to waver, and at last
said, “I am very poor, and sometimes it is hard to find work, so I
will let her try it.” The next morning the industrial school for girls
at Petchaburee was opened with one scholar, and she was seated on the
floor of the veranda of the mission-house, and for nearly a month
there were no additions. But there are times when it is safe to wait.
A very simple white jacket was cut, and Perm was taught to make it for
herself. After many days, and with pushing the needle from her instead
of drawing it toward her, and with holding the seam between her little
bare toes instead of pinning it to her knee, the jacket was pronounced
finished and ready to wear――the first the child had ever owned in her
life. Then she was allowed to take some soap and give herself a bath,
and then to don her new jacket and a new waist-cloth. That evening,
when she went home, she was the happiest child in the village, and
served as a good advertisement of the new-fashioned school. Before
very long the veranda and the missionary’s hands were both full.
That was seventeen years ago, and from that time to this the school
has been carried on, and done a grand good work in many respects――one
of the most important of which is that it has furnished teachers for
five branch schools that have been established in different localities
around it. Many of its pupils are now industrious and pious wives and
mothers at the head of Christian families, while a few have gone, as
there is good reason to believe, to finish their education in heaven.
Some object strongly to the plan of giving money to the pupils of
mission-schools, and perhaps elsewhere: _giving boarding_ instead of
money, or some other plan, might be better; but after so many years of
experience those in charge are fully convinced that for Petchaburee
this is the only feasible plan.
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