Page:The Land of the Veda.djvu/550

540 in reference to this new work, but in the ordinary course of providence it happened, as it might have been expected to happen, that the people asked for church privileges and for pastoral oversight. It seemed not only natural, but in every way just, that their request should be granted, and it thus came to pass in the space of two or three years that churches of our own communion were organized at nearly all the important centers throughout the empire. This new work was destined to admit us definitely and permanently to a still more important work among the masses of the natives of India. Let me quote from Light in the East, a new book now in press:

“For some years it did not seem very clear what value would be permanently attached to our English work in India. Many of our friends in America looked upon it with great misgiving, fearing that it would divert the attention of our missionaries from the greater work of giving the Gospel to the Hindoos and Mohammedans. Others thought that among so sparse a population no important churches could be built up, and no material help received from the prosecution of the general work. Time, however, soon began to teach its lessons, and it was found that wherever a foothold had been gained among the English-speaking people a corresponding work was sure to manifest itself among the natives. It thus came to pass in due time that our missionaries were found preaching to the people, not only in the Hindustanee language throughout North India, but in Bengalee, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamul, Canarese, and Teloogoo, in other parts of the empire. As the years went by the work was extended into Burmah, and later still down the southeastern coast of the Bay of Bengal to Singapore and Penang. It is needless to narrate the successive steps by which our work was extended throughout all this vast region. It often seemed unwise to our best friends for us to plant our stations at so many distant points, but on the other hand it never seemed possible for us to hold back from doors which God so plainly opened before us. To sum up the result in a few words; our one Annual Conference