Page:The Land of the Veda.djvu/447

Rh which, beaten down, made a good floor. I whitewashed it, Brothers Pierce and Humphrey made the benches, and Joel saw to the leveling of the ground outside. When it was finished and swept out, though too humble to have a formal or public “dedication” awarded it, yet I resolved that a hearty consecration to God's service it should not lack; so, shutting the door, and all alone, I kneeled down and offered up to the condescending God of mercy this humblest of all the “places where he records his name,” and earnestly besought him to make it the birthplace of some of those poor, dark souls that, during the ensuing six months, would come to worship there. When Sunday arrived, the smiles and congratulations of our ladies were really delightful. They could not imagine how we had made such a commodious-looking affair out of such a place as it had been. “Why, it looks almost like a church!” they said. Even the poor natives caught the spirit of the occasion, and, as they came in and seated themselves, looked around smiling and nodding to each other.

The entire cost of fitting up, including the boards and nails for the seats, was four dollars and thirty-six cents. Only missionaries—and missionaries under such circumstances—could adequately appreciate our joy over this humble commencement.

I also present another sketch, (on the top of the next page,) that will give an idea of the appearance of our congregation inside the “Sheep-House” Chapel.

The reader can imagine that he sees Joel preaching, and we sitting around him, the congregation being in front. The women sit on the benches to the right; the men in the center. Two poles, supporting the roof, run up in the center of the house.

We occupied this humble place for some months, when our worthy commandant, Colonel Ramsay, (to whom, next to Colonel Gowan, our mission is most indebted for munificent financial aid,) seeing our earnestness and success, resolved that we should have a house more worthy of our cause. The result was the erection of our Nynee Tal chapel, costing about $2,500, the whole amount