and turn her back," he said.

This naturally startled the girl. "Is his god stronger than Jesus?" she
asked in real perplexity. We told her we thought the tale was concocted
to frighten her; the priest had seen her, and made up the rest. But
twice since then, driven by dire danger, that girl has tried to get to
us, and each time she has been turned back. And now she is kept in
rigorous guard, as her determination to be a Christian is well known to
all in the place.

Do you say, "Tell her to stay at home and bear it patiently"? We do tell
her so, when we can see her, but we add, "till God makes a way of
escape"; and if you knew all there is to be known about a Hindu home,
and what may happen in it, you would not tell her otherwise.

But supposing there is nothing more than negative difficulty to be
feared, have you ever tried in thought to change places with such a
girl? Have you ever considered how impossible it is for such a one to
grow? The simple grace of continuance is in danger of withering when all
help of every sort is absolutely cut off, and the soul is, to begin
with, not deeply rooted in God. Plants, even when they have life, need
water and sunshine and air. Babes need milk.

You find it hard enough to grow, if one may judge from the constant
wails about "leanness," and yet you are surrounded by every possible
help to growth. You have a whole Bible, not just a scrap of it; and you
can read it all, and understand at least most of it. You have endless
good books, hymn-books, and spiritual papers; you have sermons every
week, numerous meetings for edification, and perhaps an annual
Convention. Now strip yourself of all this. Shut your Bible, and forget
as completely as if you had never known it all you ever read or heard,
except the main facts of the Gospel. Forget all those strengthening
verses, all those beautiful hymns, all those inspiring addresses.
Likewise, of course, entirely forget all the loving dealings of God with
yourself and with others--a Hindu has no such memories to help her. Then
go and live in a devil's den and develop saintliness. The truth is, even
you would find it difficult; but this Hindu girl's case is worse than
that, a million times worse. Think of the life, and then, if you can,
tell her she must be quite satisfied with it, that it is the will of
God. You could not say that it is His will! It is the will of the
Terrible, who holds on to his prey, and would rather rend it limb from