man's training school, with seventeen
students, complete this organized work for women in that town. From it, as
a centre, seventeen other women visit and work in seventy-two different
villages and instruct 1,005 pupils. No work at present is more important
or finds more encouragement than this organized activity for women.

[Illustration: A Junior Christian Endeavor Society.]

[Illustration: A Village Christian School.]

(_g_) Work for the Young.

Ours is preeminently the age of youth--the time when the importance of work
for the young is fully appreciated, and when manifold activities are put
forth by the Christian Church in their behalf. During recent years such
activity has been extensively introduced into mission fields. In India at
present, Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., Y. P. S. C. E., Epworth League,
Sunday-school Union and a host of other less-known organizations for the
young have established themselves and are working with much enthusiasm. In
former years little was done for the young of the infant Christian
communities. The old Oriental idea that young people are of no account,
and that effort in their behalf is hardly worth while, obtained in India
until recent years. The consequence was that the children of Christian
congregations were neglected and allowed to absent themselves from
Christian services and to grow up in ignorance and heathenish darkness. As
a result of this many of these boys and girls, when they grew up into
manhood and womanhood, reverted to heathenism; and many flourishing
Christian congregations of the last generation became defunct. It is now
understood, with increasing distinctness, that the permanent success and
growth of a Christian congregation, as of the whole Christian community,
depends more upon the effort which is exercised in behalf of the young
than upon any amount of labour lavished upon those of maturer years.
Hence, more activity, of an organized type, is being wisely put forth in
behalf of the children and of young people. The more plastic, responsive,
tenacious mind of the young takes in more readily, appreciates more keenly
and clings with more persistence to religious instruction and inspiration
imparted to it than does that of the older members of the community. The
Christian worker thus finds earlier and greater fruit to his labour among
the young than among the old. Any enthusiasm imparted by him to the young
people is also, sooner or