338 Mission Work in Oudh District, North India Conference. and influence all out of proportion to their small numbers. The proud arrogance of the Mohammedans, as well as the complacent in Lucknow, the capital of the old kingdom, is still a city of some magnificence. It has some remains of its former grandeur, although the general impression is of decaying splendor. The most imposing buildings are royal tombs or old palaces, kept in repair by the British government, and in many cases used as public offices. William Butler visited Lucknow in 1857, before the mutiny, for the purpose of seeing what could be done toward establishing a Methodist Mission there; but the outbreak of the mutiny prevented any steps being then taken-and it was not until the war cloud had passed that work was really opened. One of the first missionaries met an early death, and his grave thus from almost the beginning consecrated Lucknow for our mission and church. When Dr. Butler first arrived in that famous city he desired to visit the principal street in which the famous wares of Luck difference of the Hindus, make Oudh a hard | appointed to this station, Brother Downey, field for missionary effort, and the visible results in this field have never been as great as in neighboring districts. The classes which are so accessible in Rohilkund seem here to be of an entirely different temper, and with the exception of one or two circuits bordering on Rohilkund, where the same circumstances exist, large communities have not been gathered in. Still there is much room for encouragement, and progress, although slow, has been fairly constant and sure. The extent of the presiding elders' district of Oudh has greatly varied. Originally it consisted only of Lucknow and a few neighboring outstations, and was called the Lucknow District. Then it began to expand, was called the Oudh District, and comprised at one time not only the province of Oudh but extended as far as Allahabad and Agra. Then again Conferences were divided and the district was reduced to the limits of the province. Again a native presiding elders' district was cut off in the civil divisions, Gonda and Bahraich, and this year another presiding elders' field has been set apart. Brother Tupper now has Hardoi, Shahabad, Unao for his district, while Barabanki, Rae Bareli, Lucknow, Sitapur, and Kheri still remain under the designation of the Oudh District. This is still a fair sized territory, being nearly two hundred miles long and about fifty wide, with a population of almost five millions. ENGLISH METHODIST CHURCH AT LUCKNOW. now were to be seen, but he was told that it would be at the risk of his life or personal safety if he went without an official armed Mission Work in Oudh District, North India Conference. 339 escort. This he managed to secure from without receiving any help from the Misthe superintendent of police, and so, riding upon an elephant with an armed escort before and behind, he visited in broad daylight the chief bazaar of the city. sionary Society-the money being raised by special gifts in India and abroad-many of the members of the church having given an entire month's salary for the building, and some having given even two. Half a century has not passed since that day, but what changes have been wrought! This is a practical illustration of what A profligate and dissolute Mohammedan self-support may accomplish in India, and court has given place to the just sway of a is a good example, too, for our churches in Christian government. Lives and property America. Would that all our churches are as safe in Lucknow as in London. I would support a missionary in the field in have often, at night, and in perfect assurance of safety, walked alone and unarmed in the very street which Dr. Butler found unsafe without an armed escort. addition to their own pastor, and equal or exceed the amount of their pastor's salary in their benevolent collections. It must be borne in mind, however, that our Christians Then there were almost no native Chris- in the country, who form the great mass of tians-now there is a large and prosperous our membership, are not able to make as native Christian community with native good a showing as the Lucknow church, and Christians in all branches of the govern- yet they are doing what they can. ment service. One of the best magistrates in Lucknow is a native Christian, educated at our own mission school, and an officer in our Epworth League. The regular income of our average members in the country district is but four rupees, or $1.30 a month-many do not receive even that. It cannot be expected that from this small sum they can spare much for the support of the Gospel. And yet they are doing what they can. All our people are being taught to give something, and from these smallest contributions something tangible is being accomplished. We have now in Lucknow a large native Methodist church with a membership of more than five hundred. They pay their own pastor's salary, pay all the running expenses of the church and Sunday school, and support in addition a native preacher in the district. They pay annually in be- There is not a circuit in the Oudh District nevolent collections an amount larger than where there are not from two to four teachtheir pastor's salary-who is one of the best ers or preachers supported by these conpaid men in the Conference. The church in tributions from the people. It is only in the which they worship is an ornament to the cities where our native Christians are in city and to our denomination. It was built better circumstances that we can have really 340 Mission Work in Oudh District, North India Conference. guages, large editions of tracts, religious books, Sunday school papers, and lesson leaves being continuously published. self-supporting churches. For many years 175 hands. Printing is done in four lanyet our already existing Church must continue to receive help from home, while all advance movements, of course, must be supported by the home Church. For these the doors are open on every hand, and the opportunities are boundless. The victories for Christ on the foreign field seem almost to be only limited by the faith and gifts of the Church at home. The stores in front of the Publishing House are rented for the Press endowment. Work is carried on at thirteen centers in the Lucknow circuit. Bazaar preaching regularly conducted, pastoral visiting, seeking out and instructing inquirers, teaching But I must return to our work at Luck- school, holding meetings for Christians, and now. In addition to our Hindustani church in every way trying to advance the kingwe have an English church for the large dom of Christ; this constitutes the regular English and Eurasian community which is work of our missionaries and preachers in always to be found in railroad and garrison Lucknow, and it is, I can assure your readtowns. This has always been an important ers, an inspiring and encouraging work. Barabanki, Rae Bareli, Sitapur, Lakhimpur, church. Here originated the famous Dasehra Besides Lucknow we have circuits named meetings where so many conversions have taken place which have helped to extend evangelical Christianity over the land. It Barabanki is the headquarters of a large was here that Dennis Osborne was con- civil district adjoining Lucknow. There are verted, and Louis Ingram, whose Christian here many large towns and a prosperous labors in England and whose extensive farming community. We have had several work on his own estates in India have promising openings in this circuit. We have brought so many others into the kingdom. a good church building erected by Dr. Reid We have an extensive educational work at Barabanki, a growing Christian comalso in Lucknow, comprising two colleges munity, and a promising boys' school. We (one for men and one for women) teaching greatly need a house for the preacher, but to the B.A., standard, two high schools, ten up to this time have not been able to arrange branch schools for boys and eight branch for it. schools for girls, enrolling in all 906 pupils. Rae Bareli was formerly an American We have 38 Sunday schools with 1,700 schol- missionary's appointment, but since the ars. We have a Deaconess Home, a Home policy of retrenchment had to be adopted no for Homeless Women, and an extensive missionary could be sent there, and the miszenana work for women. There is a large sion house has been rented. It is an imMission Press with improved machinery portant city, the head of a populous civil operating five large presses and employing district. There is here a good mission Mission Work in Oudh District, North India Conference. 341 house, a neat little church, and a fine sonage for the native pastor. There is a church and school in the main street of the very encouraging work in the country discity, erected by William Butler, besides tricts about Sitapur, with constant conversmall houses at various points for teachers sions from the farming community. and preachers. There are several centers Lakhimpur is one of our oldest circuits where growing Christian communities are and has had a varying history. It was here found, and a very encouraging work among that the Christian colony of Wesleypur was a large community of forest rangers who established in the early days of our misare found only in Rae Bareli. A mission- sion-a colony which was destined to failary ought to be stationed here at this im- ure because of the noxious climate. The portant center, lying half way between name yet survives, and with the gradual ex tension of the drainage of the moist jungles in this region the little hamlet of Wesleypur may yet become a flourishing Christian town. We have a good nucleus for a growing church at Lakhimpur, and a beautiful chapel, the Learned chapel, built by H. J. Learned, Esq., of Massachusetts. There is a school, an extensive zenana work, and a number of outstations well manned and with hopeful prospects. Sitapur has for two years been the presiding elder's headquarters. It is not the natural center of the district, but here again a mis- The other circuits are somewhat smaller sionary had died whose place could not be and newer than the ones described above, filled by a new missionary, and his work but all are good centers of work, and the was provided for by moving the presiding outlook is everywhere encouraging. Special elder from Lucknow, and combining two efforts have been put forth at particular districts and two men's work. Here we have points where the indications seemed favortwo good schools, one for boys and one for able for special classes such as the chamars girls, with excellent boarding arrangements or leather workers, and Lal Begis, or sweepfor both, good mission property for both ers. These two classes are both outcastessocieties, a native church in the center of and not allowed to worship in orthodox the city, a neat English chapel in the mili- Hindu temples or to in any way associtary cantonments, and a comfortable par- ate with the caste Hindus. They have |