will send her away." The poor girl
had to depart untreated, because the husband feared his bodily comforts
might be less if she were not there to minister to them.

May those who see this dark picture of the effect of Islam on womanhood
in the East, do all that is in them to bring the glorious light of the
Gospel of Christ to their suffering sisters.

XX

IN SOUTHERN INDIA

In South India the Mohammedans have been more or less influenced by the
Christian and heathen communities by which they are surrounded. Many of
them, especially those belonging to the trading communities, have
married women of Hindoo birth who have become nominal Mohammedans.

Amongst the higher classes, especially amongst the rich and well-to-do,
polygamy is still common, though there are many men who have only one
wife and few who have more than two. As a rule, in the city of Madras,
each wife will have a small place of her own. It is a rare thing for
several wives to live in the same house. It is, however, extremely
difficult to find out, without undue questioning, who the various
inmates are. Often a house will be quite full of women and children of
all ages, but as a rule the true explanation will be that the head of
the house has many sons, each of whom has brought his wife to live in
his old home, and all live in strict outward obedience to the
mother-in-law. How much depends upon this mother-in-law! When she is a
kindly, peaceable woman, things go fairly smoothly, but terrible things
happen in homes where the mother-in-law is harsh and severe.

In all the homes the purdah is strictly kept, and alas! who can tell
what dark deeds are _occasionally_ done in these secluded homes. Still
education is spreading rapidly, and with it changes must and do come.
Young educated Mohammedans are now wanting educated wives. The principal
Mohammedans in Madras come very much in contact with Europeans and are
considerably influenced by them, and we do not see the Moslem as he
appears in Moslem countries under Moslem rule, but as he appears after
living for generations under the British flag. If he disagrees with
public opinion (which no doubt he often does) he keeps his opinion very
much to himself, and with graceful courtesy agrees to differ.

The purdah system is one that brings with it terrible evils, and yet it
is a system to which those who apparently suffer from it most, cling the
most closely. The secluded women themselves look upon it as