A TELUGU CONVERT. Meee stOKY OF -P. VENKAYYVA, BY See Rev. T. Y. DARLING, RECTOR OF COMPTON ABBAS, DORSET; FORMERLY C.M.S. MISSIONARY IN THE TELUGU COUNTRY. WITH PREFACE BY THE REV. J. BARTON, M.A, VICAR OF HOLY TRINITY, CAMBRIDGE, Lonvon: Caurcu Missionary Society, Sarispury Squarz, EC, PRICE TWOPENCE. [ ess 80-% THIS BOOK IS FOR REFERENCE ONLY by the terms of the gift through which it was received and is not to be taken from the Seminary buildings except by members of the Faculty 16 1523 wy 1724 O80 Sono; 3? 18 THOS ea8 0 Bow 68 ed woe” re —= ~ i <= ooo < naaaeeeeaaaAras y f C. z LY Fo Le Fae fy Y [ Sx0 30-So Ti anes%,8.18, 36. Darras rcs. 2. 881 16. 80-32, BOWGO! gs, 10, 9, | 1 Sse, 8. 21. Oy (5 2 Arsh, 12. 48. 1%, Soo BIA, MHe5H 5, Sas 3 QPS", 10. 17. wos. 5.16: 8. 7: 16. 18:19. 12. 4 p05 .2.4:10.46s 19. 6. 18"60,12.10,28. Somp, 10. 19. weg. 28. 5. 6 sos. 5. 15.162 9. 17; 28. 8, ois ,5.14,15. 7 sd§. 1. 2,3. ae GU CONVERT. eee Thy OF Pa VEN AY Y A- BY fig Rey. T. Y. DARLING, RECTOR OF COMPTON ABBAS, DORSET; FORMERLY C.M.S. MISSIONARY i IN THE TELUGU COUNTRY. WITH PREFACE BY THE REV. J. BARTON, M.A., Vicar of Holy Trinity, Cambridge. Lonvon : Cuurcu Missionary Society, Sauissury Squarz, E.C. hs Raipur” yo are OTS a EREERAGE, “T will lead the blind by a way that they knew not.” ELDOM have these words received a more remarkable fulfilment than in the story traced out in the following pages. The itinerating missionary has indeed need of patience. Often has he to labour and wait long for the upspringing of the seed he casts upon the waters, but one such conversion as that here recorded is enough to make up for years of disappointment. VENKAYYA was a man of no ordinary calibre. Though belonging to the despised Maa (or, as it is called in Tamil, Pariah) caste, he was a man of great force of character and singular intelligence. Possibly, like many others of the Telugu outcastes, he had Rajpoot blood in his veins. At any rate, he was a veritable king among his fellows, and was able to hold his own in argument even with Brahmins and others of high caste, whose respect he won by his consistency and straightforwardness. I had the pleasure of meeting him at Raghavapuram in the autumn of 1872, and was greatly struck by his fine manly bearing, so much so that it was hardly a surprise to hear how great an influence he wielded among his own people. He may indeed with perfect truth be called the father of the Telugu village Churches, for it was directly in consequence of his aa in 1859 that a spirit of inquiry A a4 4 Preface. arose soon after in Polsanpilli and other places in the adjacent district, some of the earliest converts in those villages being his relatives. The Telugu Church has been happy in having its foundations so wel! and solidly laid, and for one of its earliest converts a man so deeply taught of God and of so high a character. God grant that that never-failing spring of water, the discovery of which had such important results in the erection of the material Church of Raghavapuram (see p. 27), may ever be symbolic of the growth of the spiritual temple there, and the Telugu Mission be more and more ‘a field which the Lord has blessed.” When Venkayya was baptized, in 1859, there were less than 200 converts in the Telugu Mission, where now there are over 10,000. Then the communicants numbered 45, now they are 1619. Those who wish to trace further the story of Venkayya from the time of his first coming into contact with our missionaries, will find notices of him, and of the growth of the work, in the C.M.S. Annual Reports for 1859-60, p. 156; 1860-61, p. 152; 1862-63, p. 157; 1863-64, p. 169; 1865-66, p. 149; 1869-70, p. 187; C.M. Record, March, 1873, p. 96; C.M. Juvenile Instructor, 1869, pp. 97-101. J. Barton. Cambridge, Feb. 14th, 1893. eolmEwGUl CONVERT. Tar Story oF P. VENKAYYA. Say HEH following narrative supplies a wonderful instance of the power of the Holy Spirit in making a new life, the “new creature in Christ Jesus.” It is one therefore deserving of record in some permanent kent} «form. I will endeavour to give a faithful sketch of what I know of its details, chiefly as they came under my own notice. My first acquaintance with the dear old man, ‘dear old Venkayya,” as I always spoke of him, began in 1859, and he died in 1891. The period em- braced, therefore, is about thirty-two years. At the time when my story begins, Venkayya was, so far as I could make out, about fifty years of age. He spoke of himself as having been born two years before the appearance of a very great comet, which I considered would be that of 1811; added to this, he said ‘that he was quite a young man during the dreadful famine of the year Vandana in the Hindu Cycle, which would correspond with 1832. I concluded that he would then be about twenty-three, which would make him fifty years old in 1859, and eighty-two when he died. When we met in 1859 I had already been some eleven years in the mission- field, engaged in: itinerant missionary work, without making a convert. I cannot describe my feelings at the time better than by saying that I had almost settled down to the conviction that I should never see a case of con- version as the fruit of my own preaching. I did not for a moment doubt that 6 Standing alone as a Christian Witness. the Gospel would triumph, but I did not realize that it would be in my day, so strong was the opposition to Christianity, as shown by the people amongst whom I moved, and the power of sin that reigned, as I saw it all around me. IL looked upon myself as one privileged to sow the good seed, but not to see in the flesh the issue, yet I believed that the day would assuredly come when other labourers would gather the fruits, and that another day would come also when “those who sow and those who reap shall rejoice together.” It has been so in the experience of many of God’s servants whom He has called to go up higher. In my case, however, it was otherwise ordered. It pleased God of His mercy to use me to do more than sow, as the sequel will declare. One morning in 1859 I found myself, as I had often been before, in the face of active heathenism, standing alone as a Christian witness before a vast con- course of heathen who had assembled from all parts of the adjoining districts to celebrate their annual great Sheva Ratri festival at Bezwara. Some 40,000 or more people had congregated at this sacred spot, on the left bank of the noble river Kistna, there to wash away their sins in its waters and to worship their gods. ‘l'o various groups of curious listeners on the outskirts of the throng I was privileged that morning to tell something about Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. Many heard in silence, others made the stereotyped objections, but there was not a look or word from any of them that told of encouragement, so I thought. After several hours of “talking” I returned to my bungalow that morning sadly disheartened, literally in tears. I sought comfort and found it, as the missionary learns to do sooner or later, by falling on my knees to ask God to give His blessing on what had been done by very feeble efforts indeed. Little did I think then that there would come an answer to my prayer that very day. The Christian is admonished to “watch unto prayer.” Alas! how often we fail to dothe very thing that would make the promised 8 A seeker after God. blessing to be received with the greater delight! It happened that in that throng of heathenism, ‘‘mad upon their idols,” there was one soul whom God was dealing closely with, and leading on by a way he knew not. This man was Venkayya. Hehad come a long journey, on foot, of some twenty-eight miles, to this religious gathering, his object being that perhaps he might meet with some one there who could tell him about God, of whom he had already learned a little. He had heard that now and again a missionary, whom he called a Chris- tian guru, had been found preaching at Hindu festivals, and he hoped that such might be found again on the present occasion. How remarkable that I should have been down among the crowd, the man not very far off, and yet we did not meet! but the wonder ceases when it is remembered that the crowd was very great. What led Venkayya to desire to know about the true God? ‘Three years before the time we are speaking of, he had been taught in a very remarkable manner to cast away his idols and to become a seeker after God. It was in this wise: One day in the presence of idol gods that were supposed to give deliverance from temporal calamity, a heathen friend standing near made the remark that he had ceased to believe in such gods since the time that he heard a Christian guru (a missionary) say that “such idols were the works of their own hands, because the village carpenter made them, and the painter had painted them—eyes they have, but they cannot see; a mouth too, but it cannot speak, &c.” Truly this was according to God’s Word: ‘‘The entrance of Thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm cxix. 130). So it proved in this case. There and then Venkayya “turned from idols to serve the living and true God,” and began to seek after the things that are spiritually discerned. The heathen friend had told also how the Christian guru had preached about the great God “ who dwelleth not in temples made with hands,” “* Those that seek Me shall find Me.” 9 Who is “the only true God.” Venkayya now cried to God, and his prayer was, *O great God! Who art Thou? Where art Thou? Show Thyself to me.” Three years passed over thus; no Christian guru fell in his way inthe talug (district) where he lived, so remote way it from all the direct Chris- tian effort of that period. But those three years had not been void alto- gether of teaching to him. He heard things from time to time about the Saviour of sinners, for the subject of Christianity, so to speak, was even then in the air, although there were there so few to preach it. Our missionaries were proclaiming the Gospel in adjoining districts, and what they said was often carried from mouth to mouth. Venkayya eagerly listened whenever there was an opportunity. He pondered over the things he heard, and dreamed about them. It was evident that his mind was very much occupied thereon. He realized even by dreams that God was teaching him in answer to his prayer. A Christian tract also, that had been carried to his village, which he heard read (he could not then read himself), further enlightened him. It explained that the Great God is Himself the Saviour of a lost world. He grasped the truth, and thenceforth his prayer took the form: ‘“‘O great God, the Saviour! show Thyself to me.” There was still another incident from which he gathered instruction. ‘Those that seek Me shall find Me,” saith the Lord. Many of Venkayya’s tribe were weavers, as well as farmers or farm-labourers. When not in the fields, they would be at their looms, and at certain times of the year they would carry their cotton goods to sell in other districts further west. In their travels they lighted on a village in the Palnaud district, beyond the River Kistna, where there was a nucleus of Native Christians, and, while they were there, there was a Christian funeral. Curiosity led these people, owing to their connection with Venkayya, to follow the funeral to the grave, where they saw and heard “ Something New Strange things, so different fro ) elr own village, they repeated to Venkayya. They told him how those Christiang conducted + not act as the heathen do : N when they filled up the grave, they tried to comfort each other by saying that “they must dry up their tears, seeing the soul of their departed one had gone to the presence of God, that the bod I udgment, when Christ would raise the dead from their graves, when the soul would be reunited to the body, and then dwell for ever in bliss.” ‘ enkayya heard with delight, and exclaimed, “ You have taught me something new!” He reasoned thus: “You tell me that these Christiang believe that dead men will rise from their gtaves. ‘This ig 2 proof to me that the Christian religion is true, for who ever heard before that ablutions to wash away thei cannot cleanse from sin,” quisite. “No, Sir,” answered Venkayya. “DoT heed t Visit to the Christian Guru. TT to-day is so fouled by the multitudes of people who are plunging into it, and stirring up the mud, that it is not capable of cleansing any filth from off my body : how can it possibly wash away my sins?” ‘The priest asked in astonish- ment, “Are you a Christian?” “No,” replied Venkayya, “I am not a Chris- tian, but I desire to be one.” Afraid to be overheard, the priest whispered, “I will tell you of one who will make you a Christian. Go to the Christian guru who lives in yonder house on the hill; he will tell you how to become a Christian,” and turned away to go on with his priestcraft elsewhere. This was good news for Venkayya, and it was soon to be corroborated by another testimony. Venkayya’s friends who had accompanied him from Raghavapuram were not, like him, so tired as not io wish to go amongst the crowd to see what was going on, for much pleasure and business are mixed up with religion at such a festival. As they moved about they fell in with the veritable Christian guru, who was telling in the language of the country about Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. They stopped to listen. ‘ Why, here is the very man that Venkayya was hoping to find!” They proved to be attentive hearers, though the missionary knew it not! They quickly hastened back to Venkayya to tell him that they had seen the Christian guru, and heard him tell many nice things about the great God the Saviour to whom he prayed, adding that he spoke kindly, and in- vited any who wished to know more to come to his bungalow where he would teach them. Good news, a second time, for Venkayya! ‘Come, then,” said he, let us go at once to the Christian guru,” and forthwith they found their way to the missionary’s bungalow. It was a very hot day, and they found the doors and windows of the house closed, as these had been shut to keep out the hot wind that was blowing. Presently they encountered a heathen servant, who ques- tioned them as to what brought them there. When he was told that they wished to see the Christian guru, as they desired to hear more about his teaching, this 12 ““T want to hear for myself.” heathen man tried to frighten them away by saying, among other bad things, that the guru wag a very passionate man, that he was having a mid-day nap, and if disturbed he woul come out and beat them. This might have alarmed them and gent them off, had they not received from the missionary himself the invitation to come. They told the Servant of the invitation, and asked for Permission to wait til] the guru could see them. While they thus waited, Venkayya silently lifted up his heart to God—G@od only heard that prayer. His friends did not know what he was doing as he gat with his head between his nees. The prayer was, “O great God, the Saviour, show us this guru.” He feared lest, after all, he might not see the guru, although only a wall separated. them. He would therefore tel] God hig anxiety, God heard indeed the ery, and gave an immediate answer, I was seated in my little room, musing over what I had witnessed that morning down amongst that heathen crowd. Suddenly I felt an impulse to go to the front door, open the Venetians, and look out once more on the scene below, which could be well viewed in the distance from our elevation of over 300 feet. eihelipee that the impulse came from God, T[ could not but associate my act with the Prayer when I afterwards heard of it. On looking out, great was my surprise to see the men at my door. I asked, in a kind tone of course, “ Who are you! What dowon wact Pie enkayya, with outspread arms, came forward, Saying, “O cura! wears heathen” (literally, men without wisdom). “We have come to see you, wishing to know about God. Please tel] us about the true God, the Saviour, of whom you know. My friends heard yo i 1 morning, and told me something of what you said. I was want to hear now for myself.” How rejoiced I asked them to come into the verandah and sit d then proceeded to tell the simple story of Jesus and Hj “ This ts my God ; this ts my Saviour.” 13 Jesus was to myself; how I had peace and joy in trusting in such a Saviour; and more to the same effect. I added that He died on the Cross for the sins of the whole world—yea, for every poor sinner who will believe in Him. There was marked attention, such as I had never experienced before. When I ceased, Venkayya rose to his feet, and with much emotion, crossing his hands on his bosom, looking up, said, “This is my God, this is my Saviour. I have long been seeking for Him, now I have found Him. He is my Saviour. I will serve Him.” Inexpressible was my joy to hear such a confession. It was a taste of the joy that there is in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repentéth. I left the man for a minute to go to my wife to tell her to come and see a man that declared his belief in Jesus Christ. This was the beginning of a great work for God, which has grown greater and greater every day since. My tears were all gone now, except those that came from joy. I expressed my delight to the dear man. I now looked upon him to love him. I asked, “ Are you the only one of all this company that will believe in this Saviour? Willnomore believe?” I waited tohear. Then came the reply, from one and another of them, from some with a little hesitation, till all said, “ Yes, I too believe,’ except one man who said, when I pressed him to speak, ‘I cannot believe now.” I found that it was not. a decision hastily formed by the men. They had thought much about the matter before, owing to Venkayya’s conduct and influence over them, and were only encouraged now by further knowledge of the truth to declare their mind. A few more words from myself followed, telling of my delight, and then I proposed that we should kneel down to pray. They were ready for litee Aull knelt, except the one already mentioned. I could scarcely open my lips for emotion. Here were these men, kneeling with the forehead on the ground, in an attitude in which I had often seen heathen in the presence of their idol gods, now before the Throne of Grace! I was greatly 14 “ Amen” from every mouth, moved by the sight! TI offered up @ short prayer, with thanksgiving to God, in very simple language, such as the occasion demanded, and I was about to conclude with the accustomed “Amen,” when I remembered that the word would not be understood. T therefore paused, asked the men to sit up, and then explained what “ Amen ” meant, and why it is used. I took the opportunity to tell them a little about the prayer that the Lord Jesus Himself taught to His disciples, and got them to repeat it after me several times. I then proposed that we should again kneel to say the prayer together to God, and asked that all would say “ Amen” (so be it) at the close. My feelings when the request was complied with, and I heard “ Amen” from every mouth, cannot be described. h, great, great is the teward, in so many ways, that the missionary receives in his feeble service for the blessed Master ! After this was over I thought that I might ask the men to “take leave,” and did so, for we had now been Some hours together; but they were not prepared to go yet. “‘Manavi,” gaid Venkayya, an expression which meant asking per- mission to speak again. Of course he might speak. He proceeded : “O guru! I want you to come to our village to tell us more about these words of which we have heard only a little, for there are others who would like to hear alsoy a 2 replied that it would give me much pleasure to do So, but added, “Not at present ; I cannot come now, as the heat ig very great, and I am afraid of the sun ; I will come by-and-by.” Great was his disappointment to hear me say this. He spoke again, after another - Mamryr. 2 @ 0) guru! do not Say that word, “ by-and-by,’ By-and-by day will arrive, but you may not be able to come then.” He meant T might die. Again he went on; “ By-and-by day will arrive, and you may then come to my village, but I may not be there to hear.” He implied that he might be dead. ~ He continued: “Yoy Say that you are afraid of the sun. Oh, do not be afraid, for the Great God who made the sun Journey to Venkayya’s Village. 15 can take care of you.” There was no resisting such an appeal. The text, “The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night,” came to my mind. I did not resist. I promised to go that very week. he day to arrive was there and then fixed, and I was given a description of the situation of the village, and directions about the road thither. Then we parted. I followed them in spirit, dear people, and night and day they were in my thoughts and rayers. i Bisse no time in despatching my tent to Raghavapuram, to be ready to receive me, and the third day after our interview found me on my way thither. The journey occupied two nights, while I rested during the hottest hours of the intervening day at a travellers’ bungalow. As the sun rose on the third day I espied the village I wanted, lying close under a range of hills which skirt it to the north-west. Presently I could perceive objects moving in the distance towards me on the open plain. As they drew nearer I saw that they were all men, twenty in number, each carrying a stick some five feet long. When within about fifty yards of me, they ran towards meat full speed. They were my friends Venkayya and company. ‘They had not forgotten my promise, nor the day, and were on the look-out for me. Overjoyed to see me, they surrounded my pony, and I verily expected that they would carry me, pony and all, into the village. Almost the first question asked was, “‘ Whereis yourtent?” “My tent!” I ejacu- lated, “has it not arrived P” Dear Venkayya, seeing my anxiety, and remembering no doubt our conversation about my being afraid of the sun, placing his hand on my knee, calmly said, “ Never mind, guru, I will take care of you. I havea very comfortable hut which shall be at your service till your tent comes, and you will find it cool and agreeable.” I must just mention that my tent-lascar (porter) had lost the road, and the cart had been capsized, hence the delay But this very delay was overruled by God for good, as the sequel will show. 16 “ Surely the Lord is in this place.” There being no tent ready to receive me, I went of necessity straight into the Mala village. Venkayya led the way, and I stood in the shade of a beautiful margosa-tree, then, at nearly the hottest time of the year, in full foliage, and blooming with its fragrant flowers, surrounded by the huts of the people. At the base of the tree my eye caught sight of the village idols ; idols to be abolished sooner than might have been expected, though they re- tained a hold for many years. In front of me, and right and left, stood men, and women too, though far off, on both sides of the hedges that Separated their houses. I could not count them. To these I addressed the of me, as I afterwards learned, but to many my words were acceptable. “ Baga unnadi” (it is very god) I heard more than once. After about half an hour there spent, Venkayya conducted me to the shade of a second margosa-tree 1n another part of the settlement. There again were idols at the base of the tree. The audience here was even larger than before, augmented by many who had followed from the former place. Utterance was vouchsafed to me to reach the simple Gospel. All I said was received with approval, not a single objection Was raised, and again I heard the audible remark, « Baga unnadi.” I said to my- self, “ Surely the Lord is in this place,” recalling the text, and realized with unspeakable power the presence of the Holy Spirit in such a way as I had never done before. Now we see that it was providentia] that my tent had not arrived before I did, for had it been there I should aS a matter of course have gone to it, and I should have lost the fine Opportunity of preaching to so many as I had done, and Sowing seed which was to bear fruit. Many would ave been afraid to approach the tent, through ignorance, Suspicion, and pre- judice. During the afternoon the tent arrived safely, and, with many willing hands ai Opposition of Brahmins, 17 to help, was speedily put up. Then began a new and delightful work for me, to teach “line upon line, precept upon precept” to the men and one woman, Venkayya’s wife (who at once cast in her lot with her husband), who desired instruction. The work, too, of speaking to the groups of people, who now had cast off all fear and came freely to the tent, became for some days incessant. The introduction which I was providentially privileged to have on my first arrival had created a feeling of confidence in me, which in- creased as time went on. In a few days I had visitors from other villages also, to whom I told in varied form, over and over, the same sweet story that Jesus Christ, the Friend of Sinners, had come to this world to save them, and that I was His servant sent to tell them of this. The instruction to the catechumens, as I must now call them, went on day by day, and it was a pleasant occupation when I had to deal with earnest minds who desired to receive the truth. So far prosperity attended me, but a reign of perfect peace was not to continue long. The calm was soon disturbed. Opposition sprang up on the part of the Brahmins, whose labourers to some extent many of the people were, and they tried to drive me from the village. They said that I was interfering with their religion by teaching Christianity to these people, and that I was by so doing infringing the Queen’s Proclamation. They threatened to complain, and did so, to the magistrate. This action of the Brahmins, for their power and influence are great, troubled the little flock for a while, but it did not scatter them. Soon after this I fixed a day for the baptisms to take place. When this was made public there came a whisper from our opponents that if I proceeded to make the people Christians, that is baptize them, I should have the ropes of my tent cut, and all inside should be smothered to death; but this did not disturb us. It only helped to keep us on our knees and to trust in our God who is able to deliver. B 18 “* Let the zuttu be removed at once.” My tent was the only place where we could accommodate the little congrega- tion, and at the appointed hour it soon filled with the candidates and those that sympathized with them, while outside a crowd of people gathered about the door and windows to look over the heads and shoulders of those in front, so as to catch a glimpse of what was going on. There was silence and perfect order while the service proceeded. I used only such prayers as I thought suited to the simple capacities of the people. On one side of the tent the only article of furniture there (all the rest was removed to make room) was a teapoy, covered with a white cloth, on which stood a basin of water. This was our font. Just before beginning the service I noticed that all the men still retained the long tufts of hair on their heads, which marked them as heathen. I had not spoken about the matter before, but now feeling at once that it could not be overlooked, I explained to the candidates that it would be ex- pedient to have this tuft removed, that their profession of Christianity might be all the more marked, while it would not be a cause of offence or a stumbling to any in the future. Venkayya acquiesced at once. He stood up and said, “Quite true. Away with this badge! We may not retain it, as it belonged to our old condition as heathen. It must be removed before we can be baptized into Christ.” He went on to say, “I had a dream last night about it. I dreamed that I was in a large assembly of people looking at a throne in which sat a very glorious person of whose greatness and grandeur I had no conception before; only this I was conscious of, that he sat there to do justice and to care for his own people. As I looked upon him, he fixed his eyes upon me, descended from the throne, took hold of my zuttu (bair),and asked, ‘ What is this here forP’ In my trouble, not knowing what to answer, I awoke.” Venkayya added, “ Let the zuttu be removed at once,” and forthwith each lock of hair from every head was cut off. ‘The day was March 9th, 1859. The Baptism of Venkayya. 19 service then went on. First I baptized Venkayya, then his wife and five chil- dren, the whole household, and the remaining men, sixteen in all, as each knelt down. It was a solemn moment when I was privileged as God’s minister to pronounce those sacred words for the first time in Telugu, “I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” When I had named the last man, calling him by his usual name, Jannah (all the can- didates retained their old names), and baptized him, the silence of the crowd outside was suddenly broken by a cry of distress in the distance, which Iannah immediately recognized as that of his wife. ‘Stop her! stop her!” he called out; “she is going to the well.” She was stopped, and forcibly led back to her home. It transpired that she had done her best to dissuade her husband from taking the step of being baptized, and had threatened, if he carried out his purpose, to drown herself. She was therefore about to carry out her threat, and would have done so had she not been hindered. The devil made use of this circumstance to stir up astrong feeling against me in the village, for it was reported everywhere that I had nearly caused a woman to commit suicide. Our rejoicing over the new converts was chastened by the gloom which this event naturally created. It had a depressing effect upon us all, as can well be imagined, and I watched with anxiety what might follow. The overruling sense of God’s presence, “Lo, I am with you,” alone sustained me, and His all-sufficient grace animated the young converts in this trial so soon come upon them. I had then to leave the people to themselves for a whole month when I returned to my station at Bezwara. It was a month of suspense to my mind. Often I said to myself, “Will these converts remain steadfast under the strong pressure to which they will be subjected, and no human sympathy to cheer them?” But Iwas comforted, inasmuch as I could again and again com- B 2 20 “ She 1s willing now to be a Christian.” mend them to God’s safe keeping, and sustained by the promise, “ Before they call I will answer.” At the end of a month I hastened again to Raghavapuram. The first persons I met, in company with dear Venkayya, were Jannah along with his wife! What a surprise forme! The woman stood a little behind her husband, with a peaceful expression of countenance, while he said, “ This 1s my wile, who wanted to drown herself. God had mercy upon her. She is willing now to be a Christian.” Oh, wonderful! Grace was victorious, and we praised. God together. I found the little flock quite jubilant for the time. Jannah entreated, and the woman spoke for herself, that I should not delay the baptism lest the Adversary should gain an advantage. So after a little further instruction i) admitted her, and called her Sarah by her own wish. A brighter Christian. couple than Jannah and his wife Sarah I never knew; and here I may anti- cipate and tell that after a few years two of their sons, Stephen and David, became useful teachers in the Mission, and were a great help and comfort to me. A new era had dawned upon Raghavapuram, and the light shone. Ven- kayya and all the newly baptized, except one man who drew back for a time, though not to a belief in idols, for he too was brought at length to the truth, witnessed for Christ. Venkayya diligently preached the Gospel in the villages far and near. He was soon rewarded by the conversion of a re- markable man named Budda Séshayya, who in course of time became his con- stant companion as an itinerant preacher. These two, Venkayya and Séshayya, accompanied me in my itinerating journeys, taking their meals and finding hospitality with the Malas, their own tribe, wherever we went. They applied themselves to learn to read. Séshayya soon acquired the ability, but dear Ven- kayya found it a hard task, especially as he was obliged to use glasses. His good memory, however, was a blessing to him, which he readily stored with A Prayer-house put up. 20 God’s Word, to be reproduced when he would testify for Christ. Later on in the history of the Mission, when Bezwara and Raghavapuram became two separate districts, Séshayya became an agent as Scripture-reader in the former, and after some years of valuable service fell asleep in Jesus, leaving a noble testimony behind him of a consistent Christian life. ‘He will be missed,” wrote the missionary who informed me of his death. As the work grew and spread in Raghavapuram and the surrounding villages, we multiplied our simple Nativeagency. A teacher with his Christian wife were located here and there in such villages whence came an invitation for a teacher, from people who placed themselves under Christian instruction, although ofttimes we had to say “No,” as we had no one to send. Frequently the wife taught the little school, while the work of the husband was to visit at neighbouring places within a cer- tain radius to read the Scriptures and make known the Gospel, as well as to instruct any catechumens. The wife would also teach the women who were catechumens, and thus “the word of God grew and multiplied,” and “the little one became a thousand.” Our first great aspiration at Raghavapuram, after we were blessed with the beginning of a spiritual temple, was to possess a material building wherein to assemble to worship God. We had not long to wait. Venkayya gave the site. The Christians all gave according to their means, and with a little assistance of our own, supplemented by a donation from the Committee at Madras, a prayer-house was soon put up. It was a joyful day when we first met there to worship God. During the week we used the building for our schools, both boys’ and girls’. Our first schoolmaster was an excellent young Christian, Venaya- kulu, who came with his wife from the Rev. J. EH. Sharkey’s schools at Masuli- patam. He taught the boys, while his wife took the girls, with the best re- sults. Some of our best boys were in due course drafted to the Training 22 The movement spreads among the Madigas. School at Masulipatam, and the best girls were sent to be under Mrs. Sharkey’s care and teaching, all to be fitted for future usefulness. Not a few of these, as young men and young women, became efficient schoolmasters and mistresses. Venkayya and Séshayya, already named, assisted for a time by an influential, earnest Christian man, Kama Muttyya, whose service was voluntary, took the position of evangelists. They carried the message of the Gospel over a wide area, adding the attraction of singing the Gospel to their sweet bhajanas (sacred songs), and addressing themselves chiefly to people of their own caste or. tribe, with the blessed result that small bodies of people, sometimes only one of a family at the first, put themselves under Christian instruction from many new villages around. By-and-by the movement spread to another tribe, the Madigas, who in many villages were ready to receive Christian teachers. One of their caste, Matthew, who was helped in his training by the school-children of St. Matthew’s, Stonehouse, Plymouth, became a very efficient helper. The addition of these Madigas brought a strong reinforcement to the Chris- tian Church in the district. These Madigas are considered to be a step lower in the social scale of the Telugus than the Malas, though intellectually they are their equals, if not their superiors. Being workers in leather, they are the only shoemakers of the country, except that the Mohammedans have shoemakers of their own class; and as they often add_a little farming to their individual industry and craft, they are often found in a more comfortable position than the Malas. Many of them are also employed as letter-carriers and porters, and sometimes as palanquin-bearers, all which gives them a certain indepen- dence which the higher tribe, the Malas (both Malas and Madigas seem to be- long to the pre-Aryan or An-Aryan (ignoble) inhabitants of India, and to the old Dravidian family), do not possess. The first accessions from their ranks are to be traced to Venkayya’s preaching; but their being received into Suffering for righteousness’ sake. 2g the Christian Church created a trial for the Malas, some of the latter being offended thereby when the caste question came to be tested. The apparently small matter of a Mala Christian eating food side by side, at a dinner feast, with a Madiga Christian, was objected to, and caused some to draw back. Ven- kayya nobly faced the evil. He not only upheld that at a Christian feast a Madiga had his position as a Christian brother to sit and eat side by side with a Mala Christian, but he set the example by going further to eat food himself in a Madiga Christian’s house, cooked by a Madiga. The fight has gone on ever since, and, notwithstanding all that has been done to expose its un-Christian character, still again and again it shows its hideous head. Venkayya even suffered persecution on this account. The Rev. J.Stone, the missionary then in charge of the district, wrote: ‘“‘Old Venkayya was actually driven out of the village where I had stationed him, by the Christians there, because on Whit- Sunday he took his mid-day meal with Christians of Madiga origin in another village where he had gone to take the service. They have, however, since ex- pressed great regret and sorrow for this act. The old man, on my hearing of this, said to me, with tears in his eyes, ‘I forgive them, for they did it in igno- rance; and it may be by next Whit-Sunday I shall have joined my dear wife, to be for ever with my Lord who died for all.’” This was not the first time that Venkayya had suffered for righteousness’ sake. Once at a village called Gun- dapilly, while he was arguing with some heathen about the Christian religion, a man from behind struck him a blow with a heavy stick which threw him stunned to the ground. Hewas placed on a stretcher and carried to my bunga- low in apparently a dying state. He was still unconscious when brought to me, more than an hour after he was knocked down. Venkayya bore this with a true Christian spirit. His life was spared, and he often went again and again to that village to worship with the little band of Christians. 24 Losses and annoyances for Christ’s sake. In thus mentioning the extension of Christian work in the province, we may not omit to notice that the very prosperous work in the Ellore district, now numbering some thousands of souls, began at Polsanapilly, through an influence received from the Christian teaching and example from Raghayapu- ram, as the Rev. F. W. N. Alexander, the veteran missionary of Hllore, testifies in his journals of that period. Nor may we forget the fact that Bezwara and Kummamett, both places now forming centres of separate districts, were for- merly included in the Raghavapuram circuit. All praise to God for these successes ! But now to show another proof of progress, I must tell of the new material church of Raghavapuram, with some of the incidents closely connected with it, though separated by intervals of time. I have already stated that there was some opposition from the high castes at Raghavapuram at the commencement of the movement towards Christianity. The following story furnishes an in- stance of such opposition, which I give in order to add an interesting sequel in the history of the material church, and to show how God brought good out of evil. The poor Christians at the commencement of their new life had to en- dure an amount of persecution in various ways, chiefly in forfeiting certain local privileges and being subjected to annoyances: for one thing, the Dhoby (washer- man) would not wash their clothes, and the Komati (grocer) would not sell them corn or oil. I came in also for a share of troubles, for which I could not be altogether sorry, seeing that it called out mutual sympathy between myself and the Christians. My share came about in this wise. Good drinking-water could not be procured but from one particular well in the village, which was the common property of the caste people. The Malas could not as non-castes ap- proach it. The Christians informed me of this fact. I therefore employed a caste man from Bezwara, whose work for me would be, amongst other duties, - proceéded. Disputes with Caste People. 25 to pitch my tent, &c., and draw water for my use from the caste well. I very soon came into collisicn with the caste people on the question of water, for when my lascar went to draw, he was turned away from the well. I went out and appealed to the Brahmins, but they would not yield, indeed they be- came excited. Half the village assembled in the vicinity of the well, and got up ascene. They questioned ‘the truth of my servant being a caste man, as he described himself to be, and construed my action as a trick to pollute their well and spoil their caste. They tried to make a case against me and the Christians before the Native magistrate,'and exaggerated my interference, but it came to nothing. However, the result was I could not have water from the well, and had to send to the river, a good way off, for such as was fit to drink. There was nothing left but to bear the trial patiently, but after many years there came the reward for righteous dealing. Itcame out of the effort we made to pro- vide ourselves with a substantial church in the village, when the old schoolroom became too small for the increasing congregation. I petitioned the Govern- ment for a site, an old ruined fort in the centre of the village, which was indeed a nuisance, and stillis, for inside it was infested with snakes, and as a whole it interrupted the free circulation of air to the houses lying west of) it. The Government generously consented to our taking possession free of cost, but, lo and behold! when we proceeded to do so, we were resisted by a claimant who came from a distant village on hearing of what had transpired. Again we applied to the Government, and then we were kept in suspense of the issue for two years, while an investigation as to who was the rightful owner Finally it was made out that the Government could not give away the fort. It was a great disappointment to us to learn this. Had we gained our point, we should have built our church in 1870, as we had the money also to do it. Kind friends in Hngland responded to my appeals; the 26 Purchase of a site for a Church. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, by the recommendation of our Bishop, promised, with their usual conditions, 100/.; while the Christians gave also as they were able. The materials of the ruin, stones, &c., would have greatly contributed to enable us, so we calculated, to keep within the means available to build. Had we succeeded we should also have provided the village with an ornament in which it might have gloried, and we should of course have obliterated the nuisance referred to. As it happened, however, disappointment came, and it barred progress for a long time, as regards our having a church. I tried, apparently in vain, to find any one who would sell me a site. At length, when we despaired and gave up trying, there came a surprise. One evening, after dark, an old Brahmin came to seeme. What was his untimely errand P “TI have heard,” said he, “that you want a site for a Christian church. I have such that I can sell; you can have it for so much,’ naming the sum, “nothing less, and, if you agree, you must decide to-night, and have it registered the first thing in the morning, else you cannot have the ground, for my brother Brahmins will certainly oppose my selling it to you.” After con- sultation with Venkayya and D. Stephen, our faithful catechist, who later was one of the three men who were the first to be ordained to the ministry in the Telugu Mission from the clays of Malas (of the other two, one belonged to the Masulipatam District, the second to the Ellore District), and a few more Christian men who happened to be visiting me, I accepted the offer, the price was paid, Venkayya advanced the money, and the necessary document for the transfer of the property was at once drawn up by my faithful, devoted, dear Brahmin Shastri, who came from another district, whose sympathies, though not a Christian, were entirely with me, and all the formalities were properly performed to make the bargain secure. After the first burst of our joy was over, we began to think that it was not ‘¢ Sweet Water /” 27 quite certain that we had made a bargain after all, when we realized that there was no water near that we could use when we should want to build. The site secured was really a good one, but the expense of building, if we should have to fetch water from the river at a considerable distance off, would be very great. We were in suspense for some days till another old Brahmin, who had for long years kept aloof from us, came to commence a friendship. “I have come,” said he, ‘‘to rejoice with you in the purchase you have made, and, inasmuch as [ hear that you are troubled about there being no water near to help you to build, I can tell you that you have a well, which will give sweet water, in the very field you have bought. It was the best well for water when I was only a little boy, and [am now eighty years of ave, but it got neg- lected in one of the great famines, when this village was almost depopu- lated, thus it filled up with rubbish and drifting sand, till it dropped out of memory altogether, and no one but myself knows its history and can point out where it is. It may be found in the right-hand corner of the field nearest this bungalow. Dig for it, and you will be rewarded.” There was such an air of truthfulness in the man’s manner that we felt assured he was right. I thanked him, and that very week we had the professional tank-diggers at work searching for the well. It may be imagined with what anxiety we watched them pro- ceeding deeper and deeper, and how our excitement beat high when the foreman of the gang gave his opinion that the perpendicular rock they came to was one of the sides of the well. He was right. A few more upheavals of the soil showed broken tiles, &c., which had been thrown in with rubbish, and eventually the spring was tapped. ‘There came oozing out a little stream, soon to beeome stronger and display its full dimensions. “ Sweet water! sweet water!” they exclaimed when they tasted it. “‘ Sweet water! sweet water!” re-echoed Ven- kayya and the other Christians who were interested lookers-on. I stood 28 “Lt ts all Goa’s goodness and favour.” silent with joy, and we all thanked God for the double gift, first the site, then the well, both coming as a surprise. When the rubbish was all cleared out, the water soon rose to some feet deep, and now it was a fact indisputable that the Christians possessed the best well in the village. Venkayya gave thanks to God, “It is all of God’s goodness and favour. He has given us this water.” During the time of Suspense, and afterwards of rejoicing, extending over three years, my health was not good. Attacks of fever and diarrhwa often prostrated me, until I wag obliged to leave the blessed work and my dear people to return to England, hoping to go back once more, but that privilege was not again granted me. The Rev. W. Ellington, a devoted missionary, who had acquired much fluency in the language and experience in the Masu- lipatam District, where he had laboured for some years, now removed to Ra- ghavapuram. He entered with much zeal upon his work, but before long was called to his heavenly rest. He was not able to do anything towards building the church. But during his charge there, a circumstance occurred in connection with the well which is worthy of notice. There came the great famine of 1876, at which time the river and all the wells in the village went dry. There was one exception, and that wag the Christians’ well. What then followed? How did the Brahmins and other caste people manage for water, those very people who at the commencement of the Christian work in the village had refused good water to the Christian guru from the only well whence it could be had? Forced by the circumstances of the occasion, they came to Venkayya for relief, They cried, “ Give us of your water, lend us your well we shall purify it, and draw for ourselves and also for you and your cattle.” In a true philanthropic and Christian spirit Venkayya and the other Chris- tians decided to hand over the we ll till the rain should again fall to make the The Christians Well. 29 springs run and fill the other wells. There was no lack of water in the Chris- tans’ well both for caste and non-caste people, for its spring never ceased to flow during all the drought of that terrible year. The Rev. J. and Mrs. Stone next went to the work at Raghavapuram. At first their health was very much tried. They suffered from fever, and for a while it was feared the place was unhealthy, but these fears were ground- less. For the time they were compelled to seek a change of air on the Neil- gherries. After a few months’ residence there they did return, and occupied the station for many years, to carry on a vigorous work, where their labours were abundantly blessed. With reference to this question Mr. Stone wrote from the Neilgherries: “Some one has started the idea that Raghavapuram is a very feverish place, &c. The opinion of the Conference was asked when they last met, but they were not by any means unanimous in their advice about it as a Mission station. It is true that we suffered rather badly last year, but then the fever was exceptional. People suffered wherever they were in South India. I trust that if it be God’s will we shall be well and strong this next cold Season, and so live down any adverse opinion about so promising a field where there is so much work to be done. This is the time to try and build the Bie Stone had many duties to attend to on his return, but with them all he did not forget the church which waited to be built. Writing about the matter he said, ‘‘ Since I came here I have had a wall built round the well; it has been half covered with flat stones, and fitted up with wheels, &c., in the native fashion, for drawing water. It is most valuable both to the Christians and for the building. Were it not for this well I do not see how the church could be built. This is indeed one of your most useful legacies to this Mission. There is no lack of water in it. It is never dry, even at this time when there 7. arlpay mT ; ge NGG /* ie Lie a YLUDG, K/ POMC TTT we CHURCH OF ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST, RAGHAVAPURAM, First Stone lad April 9th, 1883 ; opened for Public Worship March 5th, 1885, Church opened. 25 is a continual drawing night and day.” ‘The building of the church now re- ceived, after many disappointments and hindrances beyond control, unceasing attention from Mr. Stone. He had waited five years to do so, and it was not until 1883 that he was able to write, “The foundations of the church are just rising out of the ground; the first stone was laid on April 9th by old Venkayvya and my wife.” The Rev. A. W. Poole, afterwards Bishop of Japan, helped materially to raise the extra money needed, as he was in England at the time, and all the money wanted was obtained to gladden our hearts. The church was opened for divine service on March 5th, 1885. Old Ven- kayya after the service, with tears in his eyes,and a heart full of emotion, said before Mr. Stone: ‘‘It is enough, Lord; now lettest Thou Thy poor and un- worthy servant depart in peace.” ‘Two years after this, Mr. Stone wrote: “I am glad to be able to say that at the end of seven years’ work in the Raghavapuram District I can see a decided improvement in the spiritual condition of the Christians generally. I believe that many are growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and I can look back and thank God that many have been able to glorify Him in their death.” Mr. Stone was able to show that at that period, comparing the past with the present, there had been a _great advance made in many respects. In seven years the baptized had risen from 680 to 1115, not in- cluding all those, of course, who had died. The villages under the super- vision of the missionary had increased from 51 to 74. The collections for the Native Church Fund had advanced from Rs. 62: 10: 8 to Rs. 734:8: 92. But I must draw to a close and tell of Venkayya’s last days. Mrs. Hales wrote on March 17th, 1891: ‘“‘ Venkayya, wonderful to say, is still alive, and, though rather blind, is wonderfully bright: he cannot get to church now, but 22 Venkayya’s Death. he likes very much to have visits and listen to a little reading and singing, and himself offers prayer with much fervour.” No one rejoiced more in the success of the Gospel than Venkayya. When . he could no longer, from the infirmities of years, go about, he witnessed for Christ from his cottage door. The Rev. H. W. Hales describes the closing scene: “ Venkayya died September 20th, 1891, on Sunday morning at about 7 a.m. Just as I was sitting down to take my early tea, a messenger came up and told me that he was dying. This morning he rose, not feeling well. He asked for some gruel, drank it, lay down, and told them to fetch me; but when I arrived he was gone. It was a very peaceful close to a blameless life. He looked as he lay as though he had fallen asleep, so placid and free from pain were the features. Dear old man! we were very fond of him and esteemed him highly.” Mr. Hales added: ‘‘The number of Christian adherents, baptized and cate- chumens, now (February, 1892), is 2945.” To God alone be all praise ! PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LD., 81. JOHN’S HOUSE, OLERKENWELL, E.C. C.D. S. Monthly Periodicals. THE C. M. INTELLIGENCER. 80 pp. Royal 8yo, in Coloured Wrapper. Price 6d. Annual Subscription, 6s. post free. The Intelligencer contains, as far as space allows, a record of all current events connected with the Society both at home and abroad. The permanent features are —Leading Articles on Current Missionary Questions, Devotional Papers, African Notes, Reports and Journals of Missionaries, Notes on Other Missions, Editorial Notes, Reviews of Books, Letters to the Editor, Home Work, &c. 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