an
best be conducted under a Christian government!

All this is illustrative of that leavening influence of our faith as it
comes into contact with and permeates the spirit and teaching of these and
other religions of that land.

(_c_) Another marked result of Christianity in that country is seen in the
attitude of many thousands of Hindus who live contiguous to the Christian
communities found there.

In the first place we see it among the common people. I have already
referred to mass movements which have largely helped to strengthen the
Christian Church in the past. Those movements have only just begun; they
will continue and increase in the land. Day by day Christianity is
commending itself to the people in a thousand ways. In times of famine,
when the old religious leaders of the people--the Brahmans--render no help
and manifest no sympathy, yea more, are as rapacious as ever, the loving
sympathy of Christians there and in far off lands, and their outgoing
charity and their substantial help to the famine stricken and the
suffering--all this does not fall in vain upon the susceptible mind of the
people.

This work of Christianity in uniting the world through brotherhood and
sympathy seems wonderful to a people who are crushed and robbed by the
wretched divisiveness of their own terrible caste system. They recognize
also the truth and the life which Christianity presents in contrast with
the debasing idolatry and the senseless, all-pervasive ceremonialism which
haunt them.

It is not surprising therefore that we see, not only certain mass
movements towards our faith but also, on the outskirts of the Christian
community in every district, a growing number of doubting, halting
ones--those who have done with their ancestral faith and who are attracted
by the religion of Christ, but who are so much afraid of the terrible
demon, caste, that they dare not openly accept Christ and unite with God's
people through baptism. They linger on the outside, hoping for some great
tide of influence to come, soon, to carry them, without persecution, into
the kingdom. Their attitude of mind is encouraging, and the missionary
hopes for the day which will furnish the strength and opportunity for this
great host of weak and doubting ones to make its decision for Christ and
to enter, in ever-increasing numbers, into His Kingdom.

I have come into daily, close touch with many men and women of this class.
They, at the same time, encoura