on, heart that had
never felt, ear that had never heard of the "Light of Life" or the
"glory that shall be revealed." Our Christian assistants sat beside
him day by day, and told him of Christ and His love; but he never,
so far as we could judge, seemed to grasp the truth for himself, and,
when his wounds were healed, left us to beg by the wayside. We pray for
Mirzada, "who sitteth by the wayside begging," that he may yet find
the Light! He at least has learnt to bless the mission hospital and
the Christian friends in England, through whose charity he can say:
"I was a stranger, and ye took me in; sick, and ye visited me."

The doctor or his assistants may go a long journey up and down the
frontier and both sides of the border without coming to a village
where they will not get a hearty welcome from some old patient. He
will be made to sit down for a little good cheer in the village chauk,
that the grateful patient may call his acquaintances round to shake
hands with the Daktar Sahib, whose patient he was while in the mission
hospital, and with stories about whom he has so often regaled them
in the winter evenings.

CHAPTER VII

FROM MORNING TO NIGHT

First duties--Calls for the doctor--Some of the
out-patients--Importunate blind--School classes--Operation
cases--Untimely visitors--Recreation--Cases to decide.

An Eastern day begins early. As the first streak of dawn lightens the
Eastern sky the slumberers are awakened by the long-drawn-out chant of
the Muezzin calling to prayer from all the mosques in the city. "God
is great, God is great. I give witness there is no God but God. I
give witness that Muhammad is the prophet of God. Come to prayer;
prayer is better than sleep." And forthwith every pious Muslim hastily
rises, performs the necessary ablutions, and commences the day with
ascription of praise to the Creator. The Hindus follow suit: little
bells tinkle in their temples as their priests rouse the slumbering
Gods, or as the Puritanical Arya Samajist offers his early sacrifice
of "Hawan," or incense. Meanwhile, the church bell calls the little
Christian community together for early morning worship, and they
unite in prayer and praise before separating, each to his or her
own sphere of work for the day. If the missionary desires a morning
"quiet time" he must get up early enough to get it in before this,
as after morning service the busy round of duties leaves him little
leisure till