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A striking proof of the genuine public spirit which animates the Karens was given not many weeks ago. When the Mayankhyoung poongyee was captured, the Government reward of five thousand rupees was given to the captors-the hill Karens. The question then arose how to dispose of the money. It was put to the vote, and resolved by the villagers without a dissentient voice that the money should be given to the schools, which, they proudly said, had made men of them.

CHAPTER XI.

CHRISTIANIZING A HEATHEN KAREN VILLAGE.

A HEATHEN village asks for a native preacher. Perhaps some of the children have been to a Christian school; perhaps the preaching of the missionary has excited some discussion among the young men, who see more of the busy world around them than their fathers did; or perhaps, as frequently happens, some man who has been brooding for years over the God-traditions of the people, begins to wonder whether Christianity may not be the long-expected deliverer of his race. Or it may be that some of the residents have gone on business to a Christian village, and, noticing the sober, industrious lives of the people, and observing how happy and comfortable all of them are, have been puzzled to know how this change has come about, and have inquired. They have been pointed to the Bible, and led to desire to know something

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of its teaching. Their request is brought before the Karen Home Mission Society, with a statement of what they will do for the support of any man who may be assigned to them. This is insisted upon as a pledge of good faith.

A pastor is chosen and sent, but with no promise or certainty of any salary. He knows that he is sure of nothing but bare subsistence. He takes with him a stock of quinine, some carbolic acid for wounds, plenty of aperient pills, vaccine tubes for a crusade against small-pox-the arch-destroyer in these jungle villages-a few other simple medicines, and off he goes. During the day he keeps up a school. Every evening he rings his gong, and gives a short Bible-reading, followed by prayer, and talks with the people in a free, easy way about some of the simpler doctrines of the Christian religion. He attends to the sick, praying over them before administering medicine, urging them no longer to fear the demons as the causes of sickness, but to place themselves directly under the protection of God, who has now returned to them, often alluding to the casting out of demons by Christ while on earth. Much that the preacher has to tell them they already know, almost by heart. From their childhood they have heard of

the great wonderful God, but they have been taught to think of Him as far distant from them, as angry with them because of their sins. They know He is the Creator of the world and of man. They are proud to acknowledge Him, but their pride is the pride of an outcast of noble lineage whose only solace in poverty and misery is that he had a great and noble ancestor. The assurance given by the pastor that God has now come back to them, and wishes them to meet Him half-way, is a revelation which stirs them to the depths of their hearts. Some marvel and can scarcely believe; others doubt; a few at once grasp the truth with ecstasy. All feel that something has happened which their forefathers had said and their minstrels had sung would one day happen; and all are impressed with the necessity of setting their houses in order, and of making their village worthy of the pastor who has told them such wonderful news. Although only a few of them accept the whole truth at once, all of them connect the coming of the pastor with the prophecies which they have so often heard of the restoration of the Karen race, and believe that something good is coming. All feel that they have risen somewhat in the social scale; and it is a point of honour to make their children worthy of

the great future which they feel may be in store for them.

Not many months pass before the preacher has become the leader of all the business and real life of the place. Being the only educated man in the vicinity, he has to draw up all agreements and manage everybody's business for him. His advice is asked about everything, and as experience shows him to be a safe guide, he is implicitly followed more and more as the sagacity of his counsels is proved. Everything does not go smoothly how

ever.

Bouts of drunkenness and rioting occur, and the preacher is sometimes much disheartened. But he patiently shows the rioters the folly of their conduct and the sin and danger of once more embroiling their nation with the God who had condescended to be reconciled to them. One after another surrenders himself to the preacher's influence. The children begin to take home some of the knowledge of Scripture which they have picked up at school. Above all, the music of the hymns goes right to the Karen's heart. His own national music was plaintive and lugubrious-in the minor key, with scarcely a major passage. It voiced the sad, querulous plaint of a race that confessed itself deserted by God. The Christian Karen will

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