"KIM" AND HIS BROTHERS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 295, 7 September 1908, Page 4

"KIM" AND HIS BROTHERS

THE EUROPEAN WAIF IN INDIA, DR. GRAHAM'S RESCUE WORK.; 7 ; "' <By the Rev. XS. Ponder, [Waitahuna.) \ Most of us have read "Kim," Rudyard Kipling's quaint, fascinating story; of an English boy-waif, drifting amidst the native : bneaar..and village life of Inclia., The book is generally, an eye-opener Jiot pa to what "The .'White Man's Burden" is.,in .that land, but much more in its' revelation th*t children of British parents, orphaned there, bccomo waifs and strays oftimes in ■ the great cities of India, and in the end aro not infrequently swallowed up in tho lowest" life ef the land, This is far more common, thin is known. There is a great flotsam

and jetSim'of Enropcnn-borir'who fh'idb:themselves'among the teeming population of • . India,'.and when, they dio there are no friends- of those submerged Sahibs to lay clainv to thoir children. . , "Tommy Atkins" ■; sometimes marries—without his commanding oificer s. ■ consent—tho ■o'rphsii.''daUßht<;E of a follow soldier, and plants':her in sonie humble; hq'mb ■ near the cantonments, and tho brave ' : aiid ■- thrifty-wife struggles along,,'not unhappily ■ there- But one day the father is "snipped M" by an Afridi bullet and the mother perhaps suddenly carried off by cholera; and . the bairns,' . are often ." nobody's i thev are simply -swallowed' '.up.- -i The' little .' English girl children thus left friendless r arg eagerly taken possession of, and grow -iip'-to lives'of unutterable woe: the boy's futures,' in ono senso are almost equally sad. Many ■ of ■ those children, it. is. true, sare ".rescued •by ■ V.. the missionaries. ;■ and' -'by- 1 the :. charity -ofsjmpathetic Europeans, but the 1 pei'centage ■ of, those, saved to tho.so lost has-been trifling.' ■ "We talk of'the sorrows '-of' the-cluld"widow3« "of Jndia, but, what are these to tho sorrows ofEnglish bliildron in land,-sucked-in-to a life ? nior6'd,oomful still;'''' T-T. : -'-.' t'-'J-.'

A Courageous Enterprise. Curing the-last few years, • however; a de-jvtfc.finite-land strenuous effort-Jo rescue them has .' ; : .i' been/made.,.. The Rev. Dr.-.GrahamjUiead^of. ojSf the;extensive; Church of Scotland Guild',,MiS-: sion at Kaiimpbng'': , in i tho' ; :N'.E.'; -Himalaya.s,. At;-f ound'his • -by :,; ''the'cry-of - the children", oven' more than by the claims' of" • the heathen round about him. .:Many,. an-, '"t had felt like him in regard • to those waifs, and had mourned that tho Home churches in their Christianising zeal • for India ;were oblivious to the crying liefed . in direction." 'But DrjiGraham,-;withf tho faith of a 1 Qeorge'Muller and the!energy ■ of avDr. Barnardo, determined -to do more ■ thaif>'mourn over tho ovil; ho made up 1 his ■ : ;mind ; to grapple it single-handed. , Ho resolved to malse "Kim" and his brothers and sisters his-personal responsibility in addition to the. burden of his special,.missionary . work.' v.?-'. ft.;::'; 1 Without any financial backing in 1900 'ho' daringly founded , what- he 'calleii "Tho;:St. Andrew's Colonial''Homes" 'for tho European and' Eurasian waifs;: The' 'Indian , Government, - knowing Dr;r Graham's ehar- . acter, and capacity, promply gave him four . hundred acres of choice land in Kaljmpong (a hill sanatorium) as a settlement,"aria" tlio'" Anglo-Indian population, civilian, military, ' and -mercantile, . simply- leaped with ''united - ■ hearfcsympathy, to.. ; E|s.i ; support.:.. ./Wi.tjv .fine ■ /■ 'judgment, Dr. Graham organised his : insti- ' -tutioji on lines blending .the , distinctive characteristics of the well-known Quarrier HomEs of Glasgow, and the great Blantyno Industrial Mission in East Africa. Th§ re- • .suit ; has' been phenomenally successful. From' its. first small beginning the. institution,has 'grosft into well-nigh the largest 'and most , TOdely-iSupported philanthropic - institution in India. No. finep , testimony to this can bo founii. than- • testimony of .Sir ;: oharle's. : Elliq^- K.C.5.1., i, late , Lieut.-Governor of Bengal 1 , _ who ! callS'Dr. Graham's work''tho ! , idea|fmission .of; India. •';. •, ,' : r Last year the number of children in residence* toso. from 194 to 226,. and when tho additional cottages now being built'are completed there willbe accommodation for 275. . ,;Tte ''demand . for admission "is always far . ahead of tho capacity to receive.. There is , a; staff of; 19; ladies in tho'cottage homes, cne iiurse, 8 school teachers, and four others in th'e industrial'departments. Besides ; this four/doctors,'two of whora-'aro medical missionaries, give their honorary services to Dr. Graham for this work .... Eabji cottage i?, turned into, a homo, and put under the charge of two ladies, a •■''mother'.',.. and.»an: •. -call uthemj-' ' by , 'peisbhar' example' show' •■; that"n;qrki and refinement, are not antagonis-. tic, a wise and needful lesson to teach white childjren, especially of the . poorest class in -. Indian-; Happily, Dr. Graham has been able '. • to secure for these posftionsPhelpers of exceptionally fine ladM" of culture and rank even-from the Homeland enrolling as voluntary workers in'this effort;to rescue ■ the perishing. „Qne. ,lady;;h'as lately, become aii -'."auriticj!'; and-other ;New Zealand ■ ladies, are likely, to follow her. jThis "home" method .of; morally educating .the .children, . . though" violently opposed <_ at ; first as -'con- .»/ trary to the 'dignity of' tho white blood in ; India has- amply.' justified.itself-and is ndwia v.. prowd success.;-/ A j The lijcfustrlal Sidg, ; ' - 7 | - : ■ The! training of;the;. children of "usefulness well organised. So • - soon,;as a boy reaches a certain standard of y education, ho. becomes a halfttimer in. one or v other 'of the '• industrial departments, ! and later on when "'ho has" gone : through' the 1 higher elementary course, , a whole timer. There is a large and well-Equipped farm .under the charge of a'skillod-Scottish farmer, where the lads,are cducatsd-in' : arable, farming, -in wcttlo' and 'sheep-rearing,' ! and in dairying.. .Two lads, so trained, have-come to work with farmers near Dunediu, who speak highly both of their .character and working powers, and this article is mainly, written with tho view of securing similar openings for other lads. ?ino .workshops have boon . erected at the- ; Homes;; antl ;the, ;kds are there , taught all kinds of carpentry and house-building, under the supervision .of-,a Scottish-expert. Engineering' is., taught .by affiliation with the'Sibpup;.-.': College, and Macksmithing and other departments ara - to be added' as the work develops. The girl's industrial work is—pins a thorough domestic training—at present confined'-chiefly to lawmaking,, whioh is,.carried .on- Tery.extensively. under the charge of a skilled English lacemaker. . But a; fine hospital, ; 'has;been'd6nated by tho Steel family-, of Glasgow, as a memorial of tho late Octivius Steel, of Calcutta,; and this was opened last. February. This'is to be used for .the training of such ■ girls as show an aptitude for tlio nurse's ' profession: ThoVpoint aimed atvis ; that .'whe'it a girl leaves tho Homes she. shall be in a position to, earn, her'" own livelihood besides being a well-equipped housewife: All work and no play proverbially makes f • Jack a dull boy, so. tho element of play' is not neglected. Every boy- who . can beax a riflo enters tho cadet corps and is trained in gymnastics. A number of these cadets .have been received into-tho Royal Navy. is a-large playground where tho hoys have-cricket, football, and other sports; and the girls delight, themselves in hockey and other athletics as enthusiastically as ' New Zealand girls do. -The lino bracing-.air ■' of the' H'imal'avas 'dt'.'Kalimpobg develops'ln- "' deed, as" h.ealiliy-nii.nded; ;jl tofco£'7flung#era .jn this rospe'et-as ono could-.wish-to :sce. Dr. Gralrtm, .missionary . ' - though he be, wisely V-' .that ''f the '■ peounar nature'-:of: this/re'seue.'; ■worlf-nqces-sitated that it' should; bo - run on .undenom- '.•> inational. lines-. ■ Honca.; ,theiQr -ha> jpovcv - arisen any ... ing ■of the. childreji. The" Baptist: -is .not ' baptised till-h'o'/or-slier is of mature .years; thu Aneliciui is. trained- f&r .Confirmation by • the- BiSop; the. Presbyterian;-cbildMS ■ in- ' structed for.- -fenmunionvajitt'Sbi oh. And the child-on'living the Homes'goes ■ forth- with a-''cdm&nd*tioir'.to;-tbat;*refigioii! - btily in oonnecti.bn with; .which. 1)6. ,or.' she ! ~,WBS * registered" on . adini'seipn. - •

A. Work of National Importance. The mojiDfisineut ot th*. Homos- is under a bciafd* wFios»' president i's tho Lieut.-Gov-dioor of Denjslj.. whoso vice-president is a te'a-planfcec, and- wlloso. ,otheu members are the. leading civil servants, planters, and professional' mfliL- of tIM: faijeeling-Ealimpong district. Tho Indian Government is decidedly

sympathetic and' assists, not only with a capitation - 'grant-, -but -in tho erection of -buildings. ,Tho merchants of Calcutta havo a pbmmifcteo; in .tho", interests of tho Homes and make a splendid. annual contribution. Local committees aro established in other ;6flhtfesi&f India and in London, and retired in. .Britain ' aro championing tlie Institution right nobly. A striking articlo' - ■iif'"" : thc'" "April issuo of_ _ Iho Asiatic \Quaiiorly," on "Tho British in India;," by :Mr.!-R., Ca-rstairs, late Commissioner -for Burdwan, dealing with the presoiit unrest iii India, refers at some Icngih 'tb''Dl'. , ' I Gl , aliam , s''Work"as ono of national importance.- and-likely- to 1 have no- small n 1 " 1 !- , enoo in-maintaining -tho moral side of tho English Raj. Arid men of tho experienco 01 Sir 'Arthur Wihgafco, K.C.5.1., Sir J. A: ■Bmirdillon, K.C.S.Iv, and Sir A. H. Fraser, K.C.5.1., give equally valuablo testimony. Perhaps tho most striking' faot in coniicctiori •with; is tie way in which several 'of' the 1 provincial Governments and the cities .havo jnadfi ..possiblo the rapid extension of the building of the various cottage homes, etc. ..CalqqtiJLled tho wny with.tho "Calcutta Cottage," the Central Provinces followed with tho farm homo. Sir J. I. A. Bourdillon put up tho Educational Buildings, and others -imitated his generosity. Last year Sir.; L. Hare, Governor of East Bengal and A?sam, offered 4000 . rupees towards tho erection of an "Assam Cottage" on condition that-other 4000 wero raised by ,piiblic»sub?criiJtion within the'province. Tho ;AssamV Cirttiisj! is no\y opened. The Steel Hospital ' and * Sanatorium was opened last February. Tho "Fraser Hotel" for the bigger boys .and. the.J,'Lucia King Cottago"-for babies are now Hearing completion; and a "Bombay Cottage," and a new and larger 'Educational Institute are under, way. And these l>y no iji oans represent all •of tho attempted, something done. .. "Perliaps the' reader may be a member of '"The Craft" \rith a heart that responds to . the, ".Opßii .Sesamq"'',;of the word "charity. If so'," it "inay interest, him to know that In.diari". Jfasons aro enthusiastic supporters of tlio'.honteß.-v If any New Zealand brothers heart should incline him to "pay the piper 'iriie'wirsoiKl-Eis--rontribution to the writer of this articlo it will bo forwarded, with Brother Graiiam. • New ' Zealand 1 - has' shown a splendid symgenerosity"-- towards the child "widows of .India,'.and towards other Christian and philanthropic ,work done among tho natives;- • -But' tho .brotherhood of race should .ever.- cbmnlind- a jqiiickqr and ..more generous ' sympathy-than.'; that' :bf mqro cosmopolitanism. Hero we have' "John Tamson's bairns," 'bur -own kith and kin, floating in tho great sea 'of" degenerate Orientalism and • heathen .environment, ...needing.. our help as no slum arab ever yet needed Dr. Barnado s. Shall Now Zealand's "bowels'of compassion" bo shut up towards them?