TIHDS, ©FEM. ©©©E IM PERSIA *■— ^ I '3-» / f - ». I THE OPEN DOOR IN PERSIA E. T. ALLEN \\’ith tlic plain of Sulduz two days’ jour- ney to the south of us, and with our tent pitched upon the roof in tlie large village of Mahniedker, we were able to meet the people freely and to visit the other villages in the vicinity. Having a folding organ with us we were always assured of a crowd — one old woman said, trying to be nice: “Tbe organ is the monkey of Jesus Christ.” It surely was a drawing card wherever we went. I think the children, too, had a part in gather- ing the people, for these parts had never seen the children of foreigners before, at least not this generation, and they were curious to see , what a foreigner looks like when he is young. They saw a good deal of them, for our three are very numerous and coming from Chicago thej- are good mi.xers. It was not long before they had plenty of playmates . and other things too. Moving our tent and other things on a great two-wheeled cart, drawn by the big water buffalo, we visited and spent a week in each of two other Syrian villages — Chiana, at the head of the plain, and the other Ukhsar, about half way between , the two last mentioned. Leaving ^Irs. Allen I and the children in the tent. I went on up into the Kurdish country of Ushnook, and I spent a few days there looking at prospects. The Turks were in possession of the country then, but since meeting the Bulgars they have all been called away to do their share of the fighting in the West. Ushnook offers plenty of opportunitj' for one who wants to do as Paul did, i. e., not to sow where others have been at work. It is virgin soil as regards the Gos- pel, and I am anxious to spend this coming Summer there getting the language and ac- quaintances among the people. I held serv- ices daily, and had communion and baptism in all the churches, and a short conference for workers. Coming to a spring outside the village of “Fever” or Malaria just at sundown, we rested to make some tea and boil some eggs while the buffalo were enjoying the water be- low the spring. Being some few hundred yards from the village, it appeared too danger- ous to spend the night there, so catching the buffalo we were soon ready for a start. An unexpected delay happened — that kitten that Margaret had insisted on bringing from Sul- duz couldn't be found, and she could not be satisfied until we had searched far and wide with the lantern. So leaving the cat and the marks of our camp, we started off down through a deep ravine and up on the other side to the threshing floors where there would be the protection of one bunch of robbers against another. The barking of the dogs wakened Boaz and the sleeping guards. They wel- comed us and we drove in among the piles of straw and grain and those who had no bed on the cart made one in the chopped straw. I'or ITIXKUATINO IN THF: EUiL’K(; MOl’NTAINS all the straw the cattle ate during the night no charge was made, but when the man attempted to carry away a hatful in the morning he had to pay full price — this is a custom of the land; one may enter a vineyard and eat to his satis- faction — that is not stealing — but if he should carry off one grape he becomes a thief. That morning between daylight and dark we got under way, the children still asleep in the cart as it went wheeling over the rocks and stones. Sometimes I found mj'self wondering if I were dreaming with the children or were really alive in this twentieth century. The dreamy old buffalo wobbling along so slowly, the creaking of the great cart on its wooden axle, the passing of the caravans or camels with their heavy loads and peculiar attendants singing their weird songs, mingled with the ding, dong of a hundred different bells — it seemed as though we were a part of Abra- ham’s outfit going up from Ur of the Chaldeans. Then the sun came up out of the lake and the day began to get warm, and passing through the little mud village of Diza we drove into an open field, loosed the animals, put up two cot beds, started a fire, and ate our breakfast while looked upon by a hundred curious eyes. It was late and dark when we got into the village of Babarood. And the village was in great excitement, for that evening just after sundown a woman had been shot by thieves in the vineyard. The raisins were drying on the “warazani” — a smooth sloping bank so ar- ranged as to get all the sun. The watchers were in the tower. In the gathering dusk they 4 saw the thieves sweeping u]) the raisins, and when the woman put her head over the para- pet to frighten them away site received the charge full in the face. When we arrived tlie village was simt tip tight. Xo one would stir from liis lionse. Occasionally 1 could see a form come up out of a hole in one roof and darting across the adjoining roof disappear into another hole, hut could get no one to come near to me or listen to my crying. Finally, after knocking rei)eatedly at a door where friends lived, a timid woman came and asked wlu> is there. 'I'lie voice of the for- eigner assured her and we were soon settled for the night, hut I can tell j-ou our eating that night was slim, for there was nothing in the house and no one would leave one house to get anything from another, e.xcept such as could be reached from the roofs. We did what we could to comfort and to assure them that the safest time is just after an accident. Xe.xt morning as we passed out of the village we saw the place of the shooting. The road thus far led along the edge of the lake. It is a very prettj' country and specially productive in the region of Dole hy the village where we had breakfast. It is well watered, has good orchards, an abundance of pasturage, but has been completely destroyed by the Kurds. “Everything is lovely and only man is vile” is true. The people are robbed, plundered and used in forced labor under the despotic rule of a few masters, the chiefest of whom at this tinte is .\bdulla Bog. In passing through the village I called at the fort where he is living. He was asleep, for it is said he 5 sleeps only in the daytime surrounded by his guards, and at night keeps his own watch. At that time he was in special fear, if not danger, from the Turks, who threatened to send down an army on him if he did not accept their rule and enroll himself a subject of the Sublime I’orte. We passed a few minutes pleasantly together, then I passed on and he returned to his bed. Up till January 7th I was busy in the villages only over Sundays, but on that date the heav- ier work of the W'inter began. I have visited some sixteen villages, holding special services in each for one week. Sometimes there were two villages close enough together to be worked and on such occasions I would preach three times a day. Thus to the first of March I have preached one hundred and si.xty times and reached about 32,000 people by close count. The power of God was with us in many of these services. Many men made a confession of faith in Jesus Christ for the first time. In the large city church the services were espe- cially well attended, and the room was crowded to its capacity. On the Sunday morning closing the series we had the pleasure of seeing forty-live persons unite with the church. A large proportion of these were young men. In the village of Geogtapa thirty-five united with the church — twenty-two of them young men. .And I have the delight of hearing up to the present time that they are all standing true to their confession I went to the little village of Kurttappa with 6 1 GUOUI* OI* PKkSIAN VILLAGKRS. ONF OF THESE MEN IS SON-INLAW OF A SAYII) OK LINFw\L DESCENDANT OF MOHAMMED. HE BECAME A CHRISTIAN AND WITNESSED A GOOD CONFESSION IN HIS NATIVE TOWN UNTIL HE MET a good deal of fear, for I had not had good re- ports from it, and the name of it is “The Wolf Hill.” There is a small Moslem population mixed with the Syrians. Our first service was not well attended, and that, added to a very cold reception we had received from the vil- lagers (though the dogs were cordial enough in the noise they made as we entered), made me feel blue as I went to bed on the floor that night — the window nailed for fear of robbers. I knew we had some friends there, or I would not have been invited to come, but the strength of the opposition was evident. The next service saw a little improvement but gradually the audiences grew till the rooms would not hold them. A large part of the hearers were Moslems. They joined with us in singing the Christian hjmins, gave in the collections and six of them rose and made confession of faith in Christ. So decided were they in this declaration that they said: “We will give a letter, striking it with our seals, to prove to you that we are Christians.” They were different from the fellow in the adjoining village where we walked each afternoon for service. There the first day the crowd was fairly good, meeting in the general living room of the family — in fact the only room in the house. It was cold and we crowded around the “tanoora,” a deep hole in the floor in which the cooking is all done. Sitting witli our feet in the hole and a blanket spread over our knees we were quite comfortable till new comers arrived and took our places. As we sat there crowded together an old woman came carrying a small child in her arms. Slie 8 squatted at the outside of the crowd, hut pres- ently crowded closer and said in a loud voice as she pushed her way through: “Let me get to the fire, this child has the smallpox.” So she sat on one side and I on the other with men, women and children between us. A little thing like smallpox couldn't scare anybody in this country. The child was brought to the service every day for a week and I haven’t heard that it died. 1 started to remark about the saying of a man who was there the first day and never returned. The young theologi- cal student with me led in singing some songs of an evangelistic nature, and then I read the third chapter of John and talked to them on the 16th verse. They listened with great in- terest and with many remarks and questions and with frequent interjections of “that's true,’’ “pah pah.” “wah wah,” “why don't our own men tell us these things?” etc., etc. I noticed the man opposite me growing sullen. He watched the student as he took some notes of my sermon, and made a note of the number present. When the service was over I invited them to the next day's meeting and urged their attendance. This man then found his oppor- tunity and with a loud voice he called out: “You had better not come back; we don't want j'ou; we are not of your religion and don’t want to be English.” A chorus of “Pah pah, pah; who made you our attorney? Has George become governor of the village!” And then he remarked again in louder tones: “Didn’t you see him writing our names? He has us all in his little book, and to-morrow they will draft us into the English army!” 9 “Out upon you, George, he is our man. The Americans are not politikie; they never have deceived us in these fifty years.” Then turn- ing to me they said: “Sahib, the village is yours; don’t pay any attention to him; he is foolish.” George was already out of the door shouting back reproaches and the people were laughing. He never came hack, hut last week when a caller came from the village I heard that he was soon after that in a fight and had stabbed a man in the village. Fortunately the man did not die and George got off w'ith pay- ing the doctor’s bill. Some people find great amusement in a drunken man and laugh heartily at his foolish- ness, but the sight of such a man brings the tears to my eyes and makes iMrs. Allen sick. 'I'hat was the thing we encountered when we drove into the village of with the fold- ing organ for a week’s special services. The first man we met was so drunk he did not know his own name. He followed us to the church building and entered it with us and insisted on making himself disagreeable. Swallowing my ])ain, I invited the fellow to come to the service when he was sober, and then took Mrs. Allen out into the sun. The man did come to the service and when I called for a show' of hands of those who wantercct me with Iiis peace ami say: “Sahil), you are welcome to this house; your feet are blessed, for your coming to this village has brought great joy to this family. When 1 heard that our son had given himself to he a Christian 1 said in my heart, if 1 had a thou- sand dollars it would not he enough t(j give to the Sahil) for this great joy of seeing this hoy become a clean man before 1 die.” The father has since passed away, hut the son remains true to his confession. In these services two other drunkards were converted, and one dancing man who made his living attend- ing weddings and feasts, dancing and singing lewd songs. He said: "1 don’t know where 1 shall get a new living, hut the old one is gone forever.” In all the villages I have found a great hunger for something better than the old life gives. I'p in the Fort the crowds came three times a day and sat until midnight. They gathered in the morning before I was up (and I rose at seven), and held their places for hours squatted on the floor. It was necessary for us to forbid the children coming in the morning and evening, so we held a special service for them in the afternoon. Thej’ obeyed the command but the grown folks did not — they attended the children’s meeting say- ing “we understand that better.” It was there that one woman attending regularlj’ with her three children missed one service and I won- dered. At the next she was present, squatting in the middle of the floor. I saw something had happened, for her face was swollen, her eye was cut open, and her nose broken. The THE ‘ HOLE IN- THE KUH)K” WHEKE THE l!.\KIN<; IS DUNE trouble w.ts tliis: Her luisbaud being away she lives in the house of her brother-in-law (or he in the house of her husban(n. The evening before the lire in the hole in the floor had insisted on smoking ami Idled the room with smoke. These holes have this habit — indeed they never do anything else. Hut her brother-in-law was cross that evening, for he had probably lost heavily in gambling — per- haps he had lost two new lambs. He com- plained of the smoke, swearing meatdy, and when the timid woman tried to put the fire out with water, and for a moment made more smoke, he grew furiously mad, and grabbing a stick struck her in the face, with the result above mentioned. It seemed a little strange that the women of the village considered it nothing at all. and rather joked about it. They have all had their share of similar experiences, and this man was not even censured. We took up a free-will offering here on the Sunday, and had in the basket, which was a hat, Turkish. Russian. Danish, English and Persian moneys, with sixty eggs and three roosters and one hen. It did look funny to see a boj' holding a rooster by his red legs all during the service, knowing that he was to go in the collection. The woman who had been beaten offered to go to the mountain and bring down a load of wood if somebody would buy it. and give the money in the offering. It would take her half a day at least, walking through the snow, and the back-load would probably bring not more than two and a half cents. It is not our custom to travel on Sunday, 13 .kOl l' OF AKMKM.WS r\ TIIF, CITV OF H \M.\I).\N hut it iliil seem necessary that time, so in tlie morning we started again and as there was not so much mud at this end of the road we got to Gavalan about one o'clock. To show you wliat strict cliurcli memhers we have here in this country I might say that tlie pastor of the church here was ipiite angry tliat we had come on Sunday and as the young man with me is a meml)er of this cluircli he remarked: “I am sorry hut I must withhold the Com- munion from Rahhi Yoseph for having traveled on Sun' passed us, re- ceiving our peace and returning it. A moment or two later we heard a cry and turning round saw the man and one woman lighting over the child. He struck the child, knocked it down, and kicked it: then catching it by one leg he was about to dash it on the stones when the woman caught its arm and broke the fall. By that time I was there and had the man by the throat, but didn t know what to do with him. I didn't want to hit him and didn't want to let him go, so just held him while I talked like a Dutch uncle. My blood boiled, for I had left a little girl at home and was thinking of her. Then what do you think he said when I let him go? Looking calmly at me he said: **Sahib, don't be cross; it s nothing, she is only a girl and she is my own daughter!" Just then a Russian soldier who had seen the performance from a distance came up all out of breath, looked at me and remarked: “Command, Sahib, and I’ll hit him: once will be enough.” We led him back to the village, marked his house, took his name and went home to think about it. On the road of “Ali the robber,” on the way to Oshnook (for it is nearer) we were soon o\ ertaken by a pleasant fellow who we were sure was not Ali himself. He engaged us in conversation and brought strange things to our ears— tales of Kurds and robbers. He was a middle-aged fellow and of a pleasant face. He continued with us slowly along the road, asking leading questions that brought out discussions of the differences between i6 Islam and Cliristianity. W'lien he came to the forks in the road that led to his village, just off the side of the main road, he persuaded us to rest in his house and cat bread. And there being plenty of time 1 consented with the hope that I might he able through the friendship with him to find a place of entrance into his village. He proved to he one of three cousins — sons of three brothers — and he and his cousins have large influence throughout the whole of the district and are rated as wealthy. All three were present; pleasant fellows, the two younger I holding lower places and recognizing the posi- I tion and power of the elder. He sat at the head ’ of the room as I entered, rising at my appear- ance at the door, coming forward and leading me to a seat by his side. In a moment dinner was ordered, though it was but nine o’clock, and the room began to fill up with men curious to see and hear. The talking was started by our ' companion of the way, telling the things I had said to him on the road, and the elder looked to me for confirmation. All the men were armed with rifles and belts of cartridges about their waists and over their shoulders. I had remarked that the Kurds and the English are of one blood and that I liked to think of them as my brothers. A brave young fellow im- mediately asks: “If that is so why is it that you have gone so far ahead and we have remained so far behind in the world race?” That was a good question and I replied: “As I see it, it is I this way — our fathers, if they were two broth- ers, started across the bteppes toward Europe. The brother who became your father turned '7 I KKNDISII rlllEK AND MIS KETAINERS. THIS KURD HEARD THE GOSl-EI. ONCE FROM A MISSIONARY LADY IN PERSIA soiitli under the Caspian Sea. came into these parts, later embraced Islam, learned of his prophet the ways you follow — that is, they learned to rob, to kill, to steal, to have many wives and to live an idle life. The other brother went over Kurope, became a follower of Jesus Christ, learned of him his way, did the things he taught them — that is, to tell the truth, to work, to abhor idleness and to make men of themselves. W hat we are we have learned of our religious heads. He became our father. .\nd now that we have found you our brothers in this condition. I have come to invite you to come with us and follow Him who gives the greater blessing." Immediately there was a great uproar, the younger men all accepting and defending me, the older declaring the foundations of Islam would give waj' under such talk from the Infidels, and that in the good old days the Infidel’s blood would mark the place where he let such foul words out of his mouth. As they fought among themselves 1 sat still and cpiite safe, as I saw the strength of the division was perhaps on my side. One old man with long grey beard remarked when quiet was restored: “If we are brothers and you want us to he one, why don’t you come and he one of us, we are willing?’’ The j-oung braves began to scold, but I said: "Let him alone, he asked a good question. See. his beard is grey. Father,” I said. "3'ou have lived manj- 3‘ears, 3-011 have gained much ex- perience. Can 3'ou go back to the 3-oung again? Xo. The 3-oung must conic up to 3-0U. So it is with us. I am far ahead on the journe3- of life. W’e have received from the 19 good God many blessings and our lives have been made rich with His love. We cannot come back to you in your low condition, but we want now to lift you up through Him who lifts us up to the place where we are. Come up, don’t pull others down.” The \\ inter s work has been very satisfac- tory. Far better than last year I think. There is a better spirit in the churches and a greater desire for the. truth among the people. For seventy-five years this W'est Persia Mission has prayed for open doors, and God has answered our praj-ers and given us an open country. An old Kurd said to me last Spring: “I saw the Christians in Urumia fifty years ago. They were ignorant laborers and poor. I see them to-day and' because of your schools and churches under the blessing of God they have become the learned and the masters of the land and the land is in their hands. But the Kurds are yet as dogs. I have thirty-two boys under my roof, give us a school and these thirty-two shall be your first scholars.” These are the two positive facts — the open door and the great conviction. .And the nega- tive is this that our Moslem work still lies almost untouched. There comes to my mind frequently that incident of the man into whose charge the prisoner was put with the words: ^ hy life for his if he escapes”; and who made reply in the evening at the close of the fight: "\\ hile thy servant was busy here and there he got away.” May the good Lord enable us this coming year to do the thing wc know ought to be