Unitarianism in America: A History of its Origin and DevelopmentCooke, George Willis
History
Unitarianism in America: A History of its Origin and Development
Cooke, George Willis
Unitarianism -- United States
In 1853 Rev. Charles T. Brooks, who was for many years the minister of the
church in Newport, visited India in search of health; and he was
commissioned by the Unitarian Association to make inquiries as to the
prospects for missionary labors in that country. In Madras he met William
Roberts, the younger son of the former Unitarian preacher there and visited
the several missions carried on by him. In Calcutta he found Unitarians,
but the work of Mr. Adam had left almost no results. The report of Mr.
Brooks was such that an effort was at once made to secure a missionary for
India.[3] In 1855 Rev. Charles H.A. Dall undertook this mission. He had
been a minister at large in St. Louis, Baltimore, and Portsmouth, and
settled over parishes in Needham and Toronto. Mr. Ball was given the widest
liberty of action in conducting his mission, as his instructions indicate:
"There you are to enter upon the work of a missionary; and whether by
preaching, in English or through an interpreter, or by school-teaching or
by writing for the press, or by visiting from house to house, or by
translating tracts, or by circulation of books, you are instructed, what we
know your heart will prompt you to do, to give yourself to a life of
usefulness as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ."
On his arrival at Calcutta, Mr. Ball was in a prostrate condition, and had
to be carried ashore. After a time he rallied and began his work. He
gathered a small congregation about him, then began teaching; and his work
grew until he had four large and flourishing schools under his charge. In
these he gave special attention, to moral and religious training, and to
the industrial arts. In his school work he had the efficient aid of Miss
Chamberlain, and after her death of Mrs. Helen Tompkins. One of the native
teachers, Dwarkanath Singha, was of great service in securing the interest
of the natives, being at the head, for many years, of all the schools under
Mr. Dall's control. Mr. Dall founded the Calcutta School of Industrial Art,
the Useful Arts' School, Hindoo Girls' School, as well as a school for the
waifs of the streets. In these schools were 8,000 pupils, mostly Hindoos,
who were taught a practical religion,--the simple principles of the gospel.
In education Mr. Dall accomplished large results, not only by his schools,
but by talking and lecturing on the subject. His influence was especially
felt in the education of girls and in industrial training, in both of which
directions he was a pioneer. Only one of his schools is now in existence,
simply because the government took up the work he began, and gave it a
larger support than was possible on the part of any individual or any
society.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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