THE WESLEYAN JUVENILE OFFERING. FEBRUARY, 1857. PLOUGHING IN INDIA. THE cultivators of the soil in the Mysore country are called ryots. They are not generally a wealthy class; and all their implements of husbandry are very simple, of which the plough in the picture is an illustration. It is made of wood; the only bit of iron about it is a small piece on the point which enters the ground; and its whole cost is about four shillings. The plough is very light, and needs the pressure of the ploughman to make it enter the ground. Frequently, a man may be seen going to the field with two of them on his shoulder. Horses are never used in carts or ploughs, as in England, but always bullocks. A pair of the common kind of bullocks may be bought for about £2. 10s.; and the wages of a ploughman is two shillings a month; but if he is very clever and handy in the farmer's garden and house, he may get three shillings, which is paid partly in grain and partly in cash. There are two kinds of cultivation in India, namely, “wet ” and "dry." Rice is the produce of wet cultivation; that is to say, it grows on land which is constantly flooded with water. Ragi and other grain are grown on high and irregular ground, and watered only by the rains. Ragi (Cynosurus coracanus) is sown in June or July, and reaped about the end of November: it is the common food of the poor classes in the Mysore country. Richard G. Hodson. VOL. XIV. C SCHOOL EXAMINATION AT OXFORD, OUR examination commenced at nine A. M., July 14th, 1856, the parents and children all attending, and looking as if they were expecting a very happy day. The children did quite as well as we expected, considering that two or three had only one book between them. There were about fifty children present. Two pretty little hymns had been translated for them, which they sang beautifully; namely, "I'm not too young for God to see;" and, "What can I do for Jesus ?" it is written in the syllabic character invented by the first Wesleyan Missionary in this Territory, the Rev. J. Evans; and such is the facility with which the Indians can learn to read it, that a child can easily learn a new translation in a few hours. After the examination, we gave them a good dinner, consisting of permican and flour, tea and sugar, besides one hundred buns we had baked the day before for the occasion. The long-expected presents having arrived from our kind friends in England and Canada, I distributed quite two hundred different garments to the school-children, widows, and orphans: each girl had two frocks, two chemises, one apron, and pins, cotton, thimble, needles, and scissors,-more than they ever possessed at any one time before. I should have had scarcely anything for the boys, but for the kindness of a lady in Wales, who sent me a very valuable box of clothing; being, she said, "affecting remembrances of a dear and only son:" feeling assured that this lady must have made a great sacrifice in sending those things, I only gave them to those boys that knew how to value them. From having never seen such nice clothes before, they looked in amazement at the white shirts, pockets in the jackets, &c. If our Christian friends, both old and young, could only have seen how their liberality had caused the widow's and orphan's heart to leap for joy on that occasion, they would have felt the full force of that scripture, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." The following Sabbath they all came at an early hour to let us see their new clothes. I am happy to say, that twelve of our elder school-children are meeting in class. It is really delightfub SCHOOL-EXAMINATION AT OXFORD. 15 to see their happy faces on Mr. Brooking's giving them their quarterly ticket; nothing could tempt them to be absent on that occasion. The Holy Spirit of God is working wonderfully on the minds and hearts of the Pagan Indians around us. Scarcely a week passes but some are coming to inquire the way to Zion. It is surprising to see how ready they are to give up all their Heathenism; even stout-hearted men will weep like children when they are told of the love of Jesus in dying for them, and of his willingness to save their souls. Great and mighty conjurers, who only a few years ago were sought after, and great presents offered them to restore the sick, and give prosperity to the hunter, are now humbled under the mighty hand of God, and are asking what they must do to be saved. Five or six very old women are often coming to me to ask questions about Christianity, and begging for Christian baptism; but they are very ignorant, and cannot think that God will hear their prayers before they have learnt to read. We have some who are more than sixty years of age learning to read. One old woman, who had always opposed Christianty, and prevented her children from being Christians, and who told me last fall that it was the first time in her life she had ever heard of Jesus Christ, came to me last week, saying she had been thinking of the conversation which passed at that time, and as some of her children were Christians, she wished to become one too. She was a widow, and I gave her the same as I had given to the others. Polygamy is still practised in these parts. Three men, each having two wives, have come to Mr. Brooking lately, saying they will put away one wife, because they know they are living in sin, and then present themselves as candidates for Christian baptism. This is one of the most painful duties my dear husband has to perform; for the wife that is put away and her children become entirely destitute; for the women have no means of getting a living, unless they can trap fur-hearing animals. These poor creatures claim our charity just as much as the orphan and widow; but we must do our duty, and commend them to the sympathy of the friends to Missions in assisting us to clothe and feed them. A HERO OF THE CROSS. THE LATE REV. JAMES HORNE. (Continued from page 9.) THE little children in the Mission-school received the intimation of an intended visit from Mr. Horne with acclamations which their Teacher sought not to check. It was charming to see every face bright with smiles; and if they did clap their hands, and ruff their feet, it was an expression of love for love. Little Negroes have loving hearts, let the slave-holders in America say what they will; and no race on the face of the earth can discern more quickly where love is sincere, and where it is counterfeit. Mr. Horne really loved them, and they felt it; and though he had them completely under his control, and never suffered the least insubordination, even his reproofs were so thoroughly kind, that they felt it was their good he aimed at. A fine bright little Miss, who liked to know everything, when puzzled with any question which others failed to clear up to her satisfaction, would say, "May I ask Mr. Horne? for I am quite sure he will make it quite plain." And so he would: I never saw him pass lightly over a child's question: he would take the little inquirer on his knee, enter into each difficulty, bring down some of the greatest mysteries of natural philosophy within the grasp of a seven-year-older, and leave the child with a face beam. ing with the joy of having gained a new idea. There were some fine intelligent boys in that school, who eagerly thirsted for knowledge; and to them these visits were indeed a treat. Bless them, I have them before my mind's eye now; one especially, who is, I trust, before the throne of God and of the Lamb. O my dear little readers, if you had seen how an old school-book by Dr. Blair was handed from one to another, as invaluable, you would not disregard the appeals of our "Juvenile Offering" for old books. A few books of general information, such as M'Culloch's "Course of Reading," or Blair's "Preceptor," old as it is, would have been prized by those lads more than an English school-boy can conceive. They are now grown up, and scattered far and wide; but there are others in every Mission-school, who are as anxious for instruction, A GOOD EXAMPLE. 17 and find as much difficulty in procuring books, as they did. O the boxes full we might send them, were each little reader to give one! But to return to Father Horne. Another striking trait in his character was unflinching faithfulness. He never winked at sin, nor shrank from reproving it, whether he saw it in professors or in men of the world. Conformity to the world in all its forms he fearlessly frowned upon. Like John Wesley, and many of his successors, he was pained at the trifling ornaments worn by many Methodists, and has, at times, given great offence to some who forgot what Paul says on this subject, by his uncompromising strictures on female dress. One Sabbath, after he had administered the Sacrament, he requested the communicants to sit down a little after all was over. "My friends,” he said, "I was both grieved and surprised to see among you some with the devil's livery on. Now, if you have left his service, put off his livery; if you are still his servants, wear his livery by all means: we will respect you, as far as we can, as open, undisguised servants of the god of this world; but do not come here to this table, as only Christ's servants are invited here; and I do not recognise any as his servants except those who have on his livery as described by the Apostle. You will excuse me next time if I pass by such of you as prefer Satan's livery to Christ's. I cannot conscientiously do otherwise. It is an infinite honour to be admitted to his service we should glory in it, and not disguise ourselves as enemies. If we do, we must be content to be treated as such." (To be continued.) A GOOD EXAMPLE. SOME years ago I was asked by a little boy to buy some Missionary apples, from a tree his parents had given him for Missionary purposes. Putting my hand into my pocket, I drew out some halfpence. The lad drew back his handful of apples, saying, "I do not take coppers for my apples; Mrs. a shilling for so many, and Mrs. sixpence for so many." To encourage the little fellow's efforts on behalf of Missions, I gave me |