into about as many castes as there are distinct employme as to social position they all are so nearly on a level t not worth while noticing the minor differences. These have to work for a living, hence are obliged to move They cannot seclude themselves at home if they would. must till the land, go to the jungles for wood, carry kinds of produce to the bazars and markets, and frequentl out as day laborers. This woman of the common peo therefore necessarily active and much out-of-doors. It is to reach her for purposes of instruction provided you can her attention long enough from her daily toil. She wil five minutes it may be at the preaching stand and then along. She never knew a letter of the alphabet and means to. Why, her husband would die, were she to lear read! But she is a very religious person. If she be forty old you will find denser and darker superstition in her n than in any other in the land. In fact this woman is full running over with all sorts of silly stupid trash that has handed down from parent to child for generations without n ber. In short this representative woman of the second class an ignorant, rough, stirring creature, who is quite satisfied her attainments and cares little about knowing more or bec ing better.

The morals of this class are by no means above reproa Virtue is a thing sadly rare in these homes of the common p ple. The marriage tie is lightly esteemed and easily broke How could it be otherwise in a land where polygamy prevail Concubinage is common and breeds untold misery. It furnish

a very convenient method of violating the Hindu law about widows, that under no circumstances shall they be allowed to marry again. Vice of every form not merely lurks beneath the roof, but stalks abroad at mid-day. In some of the lower order of communities shame is a thing unknown in either speech or action, and loose rein is given to every corrupt passion. Long, loud quarrels by day and by night can be heard for half a mile, and there is nothing on earth that can enter the lists in point of low vile abuse with these Hindu women. This description might be carried out into its dark and dreadful details, but this is not my present purpose. A general view of the case is quite sufficient, and is surely dark and dreadful enough.

Be

What now is the condition of woman in the upper class? To begin with, it must be said that she is strictly secluded from society. Some of these Zenanas, as they are called, i. e., the woman's department in a Babu's house, are as closely sealed against intrusion, and as secret as a nunnery. This custom is not a native one, but was derived from the Mahommedans. fore the great Mahommedan invasion nothing was known of this Zenana system. The name Zenana is of Arabic or Persian origin and belongs to the Mussulmans. It is singular to perceive how binding this custom of foreign introduction has come to be throughout India. Upon visiting the house of a respectable Hindu or Mussulman, you never get a sight of the women of the family, save possibly an aged widow or a domestic. All are imprisoned within the close inner apartments and know little or nothing of the outer world. So far is this privacy carried that even a physician cannot see his patient when summoned to one of these first class families. In these circumstances some friend of the invalid will state the case, which is usually the poorest way on earth of securing a correct diagnosis. In an extreme case by much urging and a final movement to leave the house, you may succeed to the bold extent of insinuating your masculine digits far enough through a slit in a heavy curtain to touch the wrist of the actual invalid, and under a burning or a brumal skin to feel the private pulsations of a poor Zenana prisoner's heart. Or, more public still, in a desperate case, the fair one may be constrained to protrude the tip of her tongue through a shaded

than that of the other woman. All she knows she lea her home friends. This may comprise a few words of which her lord has deigned to teach her, and which she fond of parading before the few lady visitors who are to her apartments. These Zenana women spend their sleeping, ornamenting themselves, chatting, eating, and with their children.

The morals of the Zenana though far above the stan the class already described are by no means above re Still in some of these homes there is to be seen that rea tion of husband and wife, and of parents and children i another, which is the surest guaranty of peace and hap

I have thus far sketched very briefly the present condi women in India. So much might have been said of th it has been difficult to compress the main facts into so s compass. And now we proceed to mention what is being to civilize and christianize these heathen women. The rea the foregoing pages must perceive that the work I am ab describe is one beset with serious obstacles, and so far has prosecuted under great and discouraging difficulties.

In the first place we shall inquire what is being done for lower class of Hindu women, or those belonging to the rank the common people. It has been a cherished object with sionary ladies, for many years past, to organize little vill schools for these working women, but not one school of the k that I am aware of has ever proved a success. It was impo ble to get the pupils to come to the Missionary's house for instr

un, so she went to the villages. Morning and evening did she trv to carry out her benevolent wish, but nevertheless failed. In the morning every one was off to work in the field, the jungle or the bazar, and in the evening the tired creatures were busy about cooking their food. And besides this there was the original distaste for study which it would be hard to overcome under the most favorable circumstances. So far as I know therefore these regular village schools for the women of the common people have never succeeded. The next resort then on the part of the Missionary teachers has been frequent visits to the villages for religious conversation. Sometimes one or two and at other times eight or ten women can be called together under a tree or in an open verandah for a simple short talk on ordinary religious topics. These people are free to ask questions and appear interested in what is said to them about their sinful hearts and the Saviour's love. The next time the teacher goes there may be entirely a new company of listeners. This sort of work for woman is very common throughout India and has resulted in much good. By God's blessing numbers of these village women have learned of the way of life and salvation and some have embraced Christianity. In several missions native Christian women are regularly employed as Bible-readers, and they devote much time to such house-visitation. By their untiring efforts many of these pagan women have been taught to read the Holy Word. This agency of native Christian women we believe to be one of great importance and also of great promise. And this makes the work of educating the women for teachers one of peculiar responsibility on the part of all foreign missionaries. As our labor comes to be better understood and more thoroughly systematized I cannot doubt that much more will be done for these women of the common people. Thus far what has been done can be looked upon as hardly more than a series of experiments, out of which some settled method of proceedure must surely come that will be practicable and successful.

Zenana work in India is of comparatively recent date. The Zenana has been barred and bolted against foreigners. Missionary ladies have despaired of ever carrying the light and life of the blessed Gospel into these sealed homes of superstition.

It

Such was the distrust of the husbands and such the absolu anny of the old mothers-in-law, that for many years this m teresting class of women has been excluded from all opp ties for acquiring knowledge. But the Word of Jehova drop the bars and draw the bolts of the mightiest barrie opposes itself to His truth. It has been so here. To-day hundreds of these dark households the grateful messeng Christ are daily bearing the glad tidings of salvation. easy to boldly begin this work as one of religious instru at first the consent of the husband is obtained for just a call. Soon upon getting a little acquainted attractive spec of needle-work and some handsome worsted patterns are duced. These never fail to amuse and interest the Zenana w and these alone have by the Lord's blessing opened many a to the Bible. A gay cap or slipper pattern has been shown shy wife and she has shown it to her lord, who was so entirel captive by it that he yielded ready consent to the regular of the Missionary lady. But regular visits this lady can on the sole condition that she takes the Sacred Scriptures her and teaches her pupils out of them the way of life peace. Very rarely indeed have the Hindu babus been abl resist the fascination of the fancy work spoken of above and their doors in the face of Christian teachers. This fancy w has been the key to throw open as if by magic many a seclu Zenana to the healing beams of the great Sun of Righteous Let us thank God that so simple an instrumentality has pro so signally successful in the great work of India's evang zation.

It is in place here to present some statement in regard to statistics and the success of this department of the work for man in India. There has recently been placed in my hand series of facts concerning Zenana work in Bengal and the no west provinces, to which it is my good fortune to refer. Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Allahabad and Benares this work been opened under auspicious circumstances. Needle work great variety is taught, and at this the women are very expe learning rapidly and with great relish. They say it is suc relief from the old way of spending their time, combing th