Cibrarp of Che Checkered £tmimvy 
 
 PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Thomas C. Davies 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 https://archive.org/details/powerhouseatpathOOcamp 
 
THE POWER-HOUSE AT 
 PATHANKOT 
 
“Power-House at Pathankot.” 
 
The Power-House at Pathankot 
 
 WHAT SOME GIRLS OF INDIA 
 WROUGHT BY PRAYER 
 
 MARY J. x CAMPBELL 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 The Board of Foreign Missions of the United 
 Presbyterian Church of North America 
 PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
 
Copyright, 1918 
 
 BY 
 
 THE BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF 
 NORTH AMERICA 
 
THE GIRLS OF AVALON HIGH SCHOOL, 
 PATHANKOT, 
 
 WHOSE INTERCESSIONS HAVE BROUGHT 
 DOWN SUCH UNNUMBERED BLESSINGS, 
 THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY 
 
 DEDICATED. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 The author of “The Power-House at Pathan- 
 kot” went to her field of labor in the Punjab, 
 India, in 1884, where she has served without 
 interruption since that time. Going to the field 
 while only a girl and having unusual linguistic 
 ability, she mastered the Punjabi language as 
 few Europeans have done. Being possessed with 
 strong human sympathy and a great passion for 
 souls, she has been given a place of high regard 
 and wide influence among Indians of all classes. 
 On the subject of missions in India her words 
 carry weight because of her experience and suc- 
 cess. 
 
 This is a time of the intensest study of the 
 science of missions, of the testing and applica- 
 tion of methods that will secure efficiency in 
 mission work, and of the co-ordinating of the 
 forces engaged in the great enterprise. It seems 
 to be the end of an old epoch in world evangeli- 
 zation and the beginning of a new one. 
 
 In the midst of such discussions and testings 
 
 vii 
 
viii 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 and immediately facing a period that will cer- 
 tainly be one of thorough reconstruction, a book 
 which is purely a narrative of results obtained 
 through the application of the simplest and most 
 fundamental of all mission methods, must be of 
 great value, both for confirmation and for sug- 
 gestion. This will be particularly true when 
 the writer is a missionary of experience and one 
 whose work has been crowned with unusual suc- 
 cess. 
 
 Miss Campbell has been asked to write this 
 book to depict most intimately and personally 
 her experiences in connection with the promo- 
 tion of the cause of temperance in India. She 
 was enlisted in this great movement in a way 
 quite unplanned for and quite unexpected. 
 Serving with her accustomed devotion, such re- 
 sults were obtained in a few years as to be truly 
 marvelous. Indeed the results were such as to 
 attract the attention of the government of In- 
 dia which conferred upon her the Kaisar-i-Hind 
 medal, a decoration given for some conspicuous 
 public service. Miss Campbell has had a wide 
 experience in various forms of missionary ac- 
 tivity, both evangelistic and educational. The 
 later years of her service have been spent in 
 establishing and conducting a high school for 
 girls at Pathankot. In the following pages she 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 lx 
 
 has written particularly of the beginning and 
 development of the temperance work. 
 
 The book is a vivid recital of how intimately 
 God will work with those who will believe Him 
 and obey Him. There are miracles that the 
 author has not recounted because to do so would 
 have involved such added description and explan- 
 ation as were not permitted by the scope of 
 this book. What has been recorded is abundant 
 proof that Jehovah’s hand is not shortened, nor 
 His ear heavy. 
 
 Miss Campbell has made a contribution not 
 only to missionary literature but to temperance 
 literature as well. She has set forth a striking 
 piece of applied Christianity which should be 
 suggestive to those at home and abroad. Her 
 ambition in the writing of the book has been to 
 tell of what God has done for this great cause 
 in answer to prayer. She will be amply repaid 
 for her labor and for having so intimately spok- 
 en of her own life and service if others are in- 
 spired to a stronger faith in God and a more 
 devoted service. 
 
 W. B. ANDERSON. 
 
 | 
 
 Philadelphia, Pa., March 25, 1918. 
 

 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PACK 
 
 I. Allies in Prayer 17 
 
 II. A Prayer Trophy 39 
 
 III. Friendly Officials 63 
 
 IV. Father Afield 85 
 
 V. Away in the Himalayas 109 
 
 VI. A National Guest 133 
 
 VII. The Prem Sangat 153 
 
 VIII. The Praises of Jehovah 175 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 FACING PAGE 
 
 The “Little Church” Frontispiece 
 
 Girls and Teachers of the High School 20 
 
 Little Kirpu 33 
 
 Some Workers at Pathankot 4° 
 
 Some of the “Allies” in Prayer 48 
 
 Some Temperance Leaders 65 
 
 The Temperance Hall 90 
 
 The Kaisar-i-Hind Medal 97 
 
 Mountain Women 108 
 
 The “Mountain Town” 113 
 
 A Corner of the Rajah’s Palace 117 
 
 Pulad 125 
 
 Building the Temperance Hall 133 
 
 Opening the Temperance Hall 137 
 
 The Dispensary 148 
 
 Classes in Calisthenics 161 
 
 A Mountain Stream 175 
 
 . Sundar Singh 180 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
‘ 
 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 O NE crisp winter morning as I was 
 hurrying across the road from the 
 school to the new hall, I was saluted 
 by a tall, dignified Mohammedan, the sanitary 
 inspector of the town. I recognized him as one 
 who had in my early days in Pathankot taught 
 the people to beware of our pernicious teach- 
 ing. Now he stood and looked down upon me 
 with a kindly smile as he addressed me. 
 
 “I was just thinking of former days, Miss 
 Sahiba, as you came out of the gate. I was 
 thinking how God had honored your faith in 
 giving you all these fine buildings. Do you 
 know your place has become the pride of the 
 town? No other part is to be compared with it. 
 Often we old people, as we sit in our homes, 
 talk about the way you came in and settled down 
 on what we all considered a haunted place. Why, 
 before you came our people would walk a mile 
 out of the way to avoid this place. They said 
 a curse rested on it, that each leaf of that banyan 
 tree in front of your school was the home of an 
 evil spirit. We wondered if you knew this when 
 
 17 
 
1 8 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 you so bravely began erecting your school build- 
 ings. We waited to see what would happen. The 
 plague came and carried off five hundred of our 
 people, but you, your girls and helpers, all es- 
 caped. Building after building went up and 
 nothing untoward happened to you. Then grad- 
 ually our fears left us and now we all love to 
 come out here to this beautiful spot. Surely 
 God is great and His blessing rests upon you!” 
 
 Thanking him for his words of appreciation, 
 I passed on to the hall across the road, and while 
 I gave orders for the day to the head workman, 
 my heart beat faster as I pondered on the chang- 
 ed attitude not only of this stern, unrelenting 
 Mohammedan, but of nearly all our fellow 
 townsmen. I knew why, and thanked God, stand- 
 ing there with the bright sunshine all about me. 
 The glory of the Master seemed hovering over 
 the place. 
 
 A Hindu Reformer, one of the sane sort, 
 came over from the City of the Golden Temple 
 one day to visit the Girls’ Christian School in 
 the old town of Pathankot, a journey of sixty- 
 six miles by the North Western Railway. He 
 was interested in the lines of work carried on 
 for the uplift of India’s people. He had heard 
 something about the way God had supplied the 
 needs of the institution and being a man of 
 faith in God, even though a Hindu, he wanted 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 19 
 
 to have a talk with the principal, and to hear 
 from her lips the story of God’s intervention in 
 her behalf, and to see with his own eyes what 
 God had done for her and for the Punjabi girls 
 in her school. He was accompanied by another 
 Hindu gentleman, a lawyer from a town nearby, 
 who had received his degree of LL.B. from an 
 English University. 
 
 I was glad of the opportunity to tell them of 
 God’s goodness to me, and bade them welcome 
 to my home. Together we went from room to 
 room in the beautiful school building as I told 
 them of my desire for the womanhood of India, 
 and of how this school was founded primarily 
 for girls of ability who could not afford to attend 
 the other high schools of the Punjab. As they 
 stood for a few minutes before an open double 
 window in a dormitory on the second floor and 
 feasted their eyes on a long vista of snow capped 
 peaks of the Himalayas, I told them that when 
 the desire came, there was no money, there were 
 no girls and that we were shut away in this re- 
 mote corner of the Punjab, in a town that had 
 no ambition except to worship its gods of stone 
 morning and evening. They followed with ever- 
 growing interest the story of how all they now 
 beheld came in answer to prayer, — the land bit 
 by bit, the money for the buildings, and best of 
 all, the merry-hearted girls who now filled the 
 
20 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 buildings with songs and laughter all day long. 
 
 The building which they so much admired 
 had been prayed for daily for months, then 
 money began coming, and after five years’ con- 
 tinuous work, with fifty workmen on duty eight 
 months of the year, this was the result. It had 
 been pronounced both “strong and beautiful” 
 by an expert building committee. It was a gift 
 from a loving Father’s hand. 
 
 “Yes,” said one of the gentlemen, “and worth 
 far more to India’s ultimate good than that 
 ‘dream in marble’ on the banks of the Jumna, 
 built by Shah Jehan, with 20,000 workmen labor- 
 ing for a period of 20 years.” The dining room, 
 its long tables scoured white, the cupboards 
 with neat rows of dishes, the color scheme of the 
 room with the artistic border drawn by a girl 
 in the senior class, all called forth words of 
 approbation. “Just see,” said one, “what our 
 Punjabi girls can do when given an opportunity.” 
 
 The kitchen was next visited and the two 
 visitors turned in surprise when they saw a group 
 of girls singing and talking merrily as they 
 deftly rolled out and flattened into shape hun- 
 dreds of unleavened cakes for the'noonaay meal. 
 “Are these the girls,” they asked, “who help 
 you in prayer, these good little housekeepers, 
 and do they do all this aside from their reg- 
 ular lessons in this high school?” When an- 
 
Girls and Teachers of the High School. 
 
 This picture was taken by the trunk of a huge banyan tree. 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 21 
 
 swered in the affirmative, they said, “This is in- 
 deed remarkable. We know how difficult oui 
 hoys find it to prepare for the matriculation ex- 
 amination by giving all their time to study alone. 
 Your girls help in every department of the do- 
 mestic life of the school and still do well in the 
 university examination. We saw published in 
 the Gazette that all your girls who appeared in 
 the late examination passed, while only one third 
 of the boys in the Punjab were successful.” 
 
 I quietly answered, “God helps us, otherwise 
 our work would be a failure.” 
 
 I told them I had one more room to show 
 them ere they left the school premises, and that 
 was the best loved spot of all. I led them across 
 the quadrangle with its tennis courts, up the 
 flower-bordered path, into a wide verandah, and 
 opened the door into a room that was devoid of 
 all furniture and decoration except some matting 
 on the floor and a few Scripture texts on the 
 walls. It was full of golden sunshine. I said 
 to them, “This is our Prayer Room. Into this 
 place our girls come singly or in groups to meet 
 with God, and He hears and has given us all that 
 you have seen.” 
 
 With tears in their eyes they looked reverently 
 at the sacred spot, and the Reformer said, slow- 
 ly, “I begin to understand. Please show us over 
 the whole place.” 
 
22 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 I then guided them across the road to the 
 Little Church, “the House of God” they called 
 it, and told them simply of how God had given 
 us money and building material for it. I next 
 showed them the dispensary for women and 
 children just back of it, nestled so modestly 
 under the shadow of the old fort, and told them 
 of the daily attendance of a hundred or more 
 women and children who flock into its secluded 
 enclosure for the help which they always so lov- 
 ingly receive from the nurses. It was a joy to 
 witness again to the prayer-answering God who 
 had put it into the hearts of our fellow-towns- 
 men,. Hindus and Mohammedans, to give largely 
 toward the erection of the building, while one 
 had given the land for the building. It took two 
 years’ prayer to get this, hut God was faithful 
 and gave us just what we asked for. 
 
 With a prayer for the visitors, I led them 
 across the road to the new building that was 
 under erection, and bade them listen to the al- 
 most miraculous way God was helping in erect- 
 ing a commodious hall for the accommodation 
 of the rapidly growing temperance society. I 
 told them the story of money prayed out of 
 Hindu money-lenders’ pockets, out of officials’ 
 and policemen’s pockets, out of farmers’ and 
 coolies’ pockets, and of how it was gladly givea 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 2 3 
 
 Pointing to thirty or more workmen busily 
 engaged on the rising walls of the new hall I 
 continued, “Many of these men whom you see 
 working here are smokers, but before undertak- 
 ing this work each mason, carpenter and coolie 
 promised to abstain from smoking while at work 
 on this building. That Mohammedan who is so 
 skillfully carving the brick for the arched door- 
 way finds it hard to do without a smoke from 
 seven in the morning until noon, then again from 
 one until sunset, but he wouldn’t think of break- 
 ing his promise. Not a cigarette, pipe or huqqa 
 could you find inside this wall. They call this 
 the ‘Second House of God in Pathankot.’” 
 
 Then turning to the two men I said, “I’ve told 
 you so little, and that so poorly of the way God 
 hears and helps us, His little ones. My heart is 
 full. I long for you to know and love my Sav- 
 iour too.” 
 
 The Reformer who had been deeply touched 
 now said, “Sister, hear my one request and please 
 grant it. Secure a beautiful white marble tablet 
 and have engraved on it these words, ‘All This 
 in Answer to Prayer,’ and have it placed out 
 here where the roads meet, so that all who pass 
 by may see and read and understand .” 
 
 Before taking the evening train back to the 
 City of the Golden Temple, I asked the Reformer 
 to tell me what it was that led him out into the 
 
24 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 great work he was doing for temperance. This 
 is what he told me. 
 
 'When only a child his young heart had been 
 fired with hatred of drink because of the sobs 
 and cries of a woman that reached his ears from 
 the other side of the wall that separated his 
 house from his neighbor’s. One day he said to 
 his mother, “Amman dear, I’m going over to the 
 neighbor and ask her why she weeps.” “Very 
 well, Light of My Eyes, go,” replied the fond 
 mother. 
 
 When the little fellow entered the dark room, 
 he stole up softly to the side of a young woman 
 who was huddled up in a corner and touching 
 her gently he said, “Sister, why do you weep?” 
 
 In reply she pointed to a tiny cupboard in the 
 wall and said, “The Thing inside that is the cause 
 of my weeping. It makes my husband crazy. 
 Then he beats me and oh, I’m so lonely. I wish 
 I could die.” 
 
 Climbing up on a stool and peering into the 
 cupboard, he found nothing but a black bottle 
 from which came an evil smell. 
 
 Afterwards when his mother explained it so 
 well that he understood something of the tragedy 
 in the neighbor’s home he said to her, “Amman 
 dear, when I’m a man I’ll go out and preach 
 against this Thing that makes our neighbor sister 
 weep all day long.” 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 2 5 
 
 The childish resolve grew so intense that while 
 still a lad in his teens he took such a strong 
 stand for temperance that he was once debarred 
 from school. 
 
 Lala Nand Lai, for this is the name of the 
 Reformer, is known and loved in many parts of 
 India today because of the step he took that day 
 in defense of the suffering womanhood of India 
 from the demon Drink. 
 
 One afternoon in July a Mohammedan gentle- 
 man, the Secretary of the municipality, came out 
 to call on us. He had been very outspoken in his 
 antagonism to the Christian religion. The Little 
 Church was tolerated because there seemed no 
 way of uprooting it, but he would not counte- 
 nance it by even looking inside its doors. Now, 
 however, this bitterness was passing away under 
 the pressure of a burden that had fallen upon 
 him. He remembered the Miss Sahiba and had 
 come to ask her to share it, and if possible help 
 remove it. After the usual salutation he began: 
 “Miss Sahiba, we are fully persuaded that you 
 have our good ever before your eyes. The school 
 for girls and the dispensary for our sick women 
 and little ones bear testimony to this. We are 
 grateful. I’ve come out today to ask you to help 
 in a new undertaking. Miss Sahiba, you may not 
 realize it, but our town is being ruined by drink.” 
 Here he gave a long sigh. 
 
26 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 “What!” I repeated with surprise, “Our town 
 being ruined by drink! Surely it is not so bad 
 as that. Fve seen very few people in India under 
 the influence of drink.” 
 
 “What can I say to you? Your work does 
 not take you near the drink shop. If you would 
 go down some evening about five you would find 
 many men and boys lined up waiting their turn 
 to get liquor. Their poor families know what I 
 say is true. 
 
 “Miss Sahiba, here is one fact that is con- 
 vincing. Ten years ago our one liquor shop paid 
 three hundred rupees ($100.00) for license; this 
 year it paid twelve thousand rupees ($4,000.00). 
 Surely somebody’s boys are learning to drink 
 when such a high license can be afforded.” 
 
 I was dismayed over this revelation and knew 
 full well what the outcome would be if India’s 
 people should once come under the sway of King 
 Alcohol. 
 
 “And not only is our town being ruined,” he 
 continued, “but all over the Punjab the habit 
 is laying hold of our young men, and if reports 
 are true it is worse down in Hindustan than 
 here. 
 
 “I am grateful to Allah that my own family 
 has escaped. My sons detest it as much as I do, 
 and, by God’s help, they shall never touch it. 
 But, Miss Sahiba, my heart aches for the poor 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 27 
 
 fathers and mothers whose sons are being des- 
 troyed. You remember It — , the banker who 
 died a few years 'ago and left a widow and three 
 children? The eldest son, Amr Nath, was then 
 only eleven years of age, now he is nineteen. He 
 drinks heavily. He has squandered thousands 
 of his patrimony. His mother is dying from 
 grief. She visits my home frequently and with 
 bitter tears begs me to save her hoy. I cannot 
 remain silent any longer. This is the reason of 
 my visit to you today. Please do organize a 
 temperance society in our town and agitate the 
 question until our people see the evil.” 
 
 My heart was filled with sorrow at what I 
 heard, and I knew the Secretary was speaking the 
 truth. Quickly I resolved that I must give aid 
 to this cause, and said to him, “Y ou may depend 
 upon my help in combating this evil. This is 
 July. My school closes for the long holidays 
 August 1st and will not reopen until October. 
 As soon as possible after that I shall send for 
 you, and together we will plan a campaign 
 against this evil.” Thanking me most cour- 
 teously, he left, saying, “I feel sure God’s bless- 
 ing will rest upon this work.” 
 
 School holidays came and went. The Sialkot 
 Convention filled up the last eight days of Sep- 
 tember. Then followed two busy weeks in the 
 annual mission meeting. It was November be- 
 
28 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 fore I could fulfill the promise made to the Sec- 
 retary, though it had not been forgotten for one 
 day. I sent word to his office one morning that 
 now I was free to talk over plans for the inaugu- 
 ration of temperance in Pathankot. 
 
 The Secretary soon appeared accompanied by 
 his assistant. Having had all the plans carefully 
 thought out, I opened the conversation by sug- 
 gesting that first of all an organization should 
 be formed. I then asked if there was any hope 
 that the leading men, the official class, would 
 become interested. 
 
 “I’m afraid not now,” was the answer, “for 
 it is the present day fashion, alas, to drink, and 
 offer drink, at all dinner parties, and no formal 
 call is up to date without drink. Western ways 
 are not good for our people. There are men in 
 our town who use two bottles of whisky daily in 
 entertaining their friends. Never mind, Miss 
 Sahiba, if at first we do not succeed in getting 
 the influential classes, let us make a start among 
 the poor who suffer most. The children may be 
 saved and that will repay us.” 
 
 “Secondly,” I continued, “we shall need a 
 meeting place, a hall or room which will accom- 
 modate those who join us.” I had thought this 
 over carefully and knew the only suitable place 
 in the town where such a gathering could be 
 accommodated would he the church. Here was 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 29 
 
 the crux. I knew this man’s feelings toward the 
 church, that he passed by it, as did so many 
 others, with a look of haughty disdain. What 
 would his reply he to the suggestion? 
 
 With some hesitation I said to him, “I’ve 
 thought about a building suitable for our work, 
 and we missionaries are willing to give you the 
 use of our Little Church. This is an unusual 
 use to make of a church but we believe this 
 cause is for God’s glory and we freely offer it 
 to you.” 
 
 Imagine my relief when he looked up with a 
 grateful smile and said, “How good of you to 
 place your house of worship at our disposal! We 
 are thankful.” Surely the prayers of the dear 
 girls were being heard in a remarkable way, 
 prejudice just melting away in this devout Mos- 
 lem’s heart. 
 
 Back in the summer of 1913 a great burden 
 for the souls of the 7,000 Pathankot people fell 
 upon us, a burden too heavy to bear alone. It 
 was not enough that the dear school children 
 were safe in Jesus, or that the congregation had 
 an occasional accession. What would our Lord 
 say about the great unsaved multitudes? Was 
 there not enough power at our disposal to win 
 these to love the Lord? 
 
 Gradually this burden began to be assumed 
 by the school girls, for I often spoke of it at 
 
30 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 the time of evening prayers. One evening a sug- 
 gestion was made that the people of the town he 
 divided into groups and that the school be divid- 
 ed into praying bands for these groups. This 
 additional hit of prayer was gladly undertaken 
 by the earnest girls. Two lists of those to be 
 prayed for, with the names of the intercessors, 
 were made out neatly in English. One list was 
 placed on the front wall of the church, the other 
 in the prayer room. 
 
 Little Firoza, daughter of a pastor, felt the 
 burden so keenly that she wept over the unsaved 
 people. One evening she prayed, “Oh, dear Lord 
 Jesus, we love Thee and we do want our Pathan- 
 kot people to love Thee too. They are afraid 
 of this church; some of them hate it. Please 
 make them love Thy house. Lord Jesus, do 
 please fill up our church with people.” So they 
 prayed for one, two, three months. 
 
 And now God’s answer was coming, for on No- 
 vember 14, 1913, the sweet tones of the church 
 bell told Pathankot people that a temperance 
 society was going to be organized that night in- 
 side the sacred walls. A drum beater had an- 
 nounced the fact up and down the dark streets 
 of the town that day. 
 
 The news was greeted with various emotions 
 and exclamations. The well-to-do drinking class- 
 es smiled incredulously and said, “'What has the 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 31 
 
 Miss Sahiba in mind now? Why should she try 
 to take drink away from us? Doesn’t she know 
 it is the fashion for men of social standing to 
 drink ?” 
 
 Others said, “It is a good work, and she is 
 doing it for our good. Who knows hut that she 
 may be successful?” 
 
 The liquor dealer smiled and frowned by turns. 
 “She can’t hurt my trade,” he said. “I have the 
 government back of me. Why,” and here he 
 swelled up proudly before the men who were 
 drawn up in line for their evening potion, “I help 
 to fill the coffers of the great government. 1 
 paid twelve thousand rupees for the privilege 
 this year. She may influence a few of the poorer 
 classes and some of the bigoted Mohammedans 
 who think it a sin to drink, but I’m not afraid 
 of losing my trade.” 
 
 Turning to a thin, trembling Hindu youth 
 who was standing with out-stretched hands for 
 the black bottle, he said in a bantering tone, 
 “Well, Amr Nath, here is your bottle. You are 
 my best customer. Be careful that the Miss 
 Sahiba does not get you under her control. Be 
 a man and refuse to have your liberty taken from 
 you by any woman.” 
 
 Down in Brahmin street when the drum beater 
 announced to the shut-in women that a tem- 
 perance society was to he organized, the widowed 
 
32 THE POWER-HOUSE A'" PATHANKOT 
 
 'i 
 
 mother of Amr Nath, with eyes weak and swol- 
 len from much weeping, said “Oh, how I’ve mis- 
 judged that Miss Sahiba. I thought her only 
 care was for her school of Christian girls, and 
 the outcastes, but this news fills me with hope. 
 She does care for us suffering Hindu women. 
 Oh, Earn,” she prayed, “make my boy give up 
 drink. How often has he struck me, his mother, 
 and beaten with his shoes his beautiful young 
 bride until her father came and took her back 
 home, Oh, how he has disgraced us ! Earn ! Earn !” 
 Some of the neighbor women said, “You are not 
 the only sufferer. They say every man and boy 
 in this town drinks. Blessings he on the Miss 
 Sahiba! If she succeeds we’ll all put on our 
 finest silk sarees and go out in a body some day 
 and thank her.” 
 
 The Mohammedan Secretary and I stood in- 
 side the church door to welcome the men who 
 had heard the call and had come. We were ably 
 supported by several stalwart Sikhs, members 
 of the Men’s Bible Class, who had already given 
 up drink through the Scripture teaching, and 
 were now red-hot temperance workers. 
 
 Little Ivirpu, the son of one who had given 
 up even a moderate use of liquor, had come to 
 me, one evening, and standing beside my chair 
 told me in his innocent childish way that last 
 night his father had come in from a friend’s 
 
Little Kirpu. 
 
 A typical Hindu boy dressed in his “Sunday best. 1 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 33 
 
 home and said, “Never again will I touch liquor. 
 Some day the Miss Sahiba will find it out, and 
 how ashamed I shall be.” 
 
 “0 Kirpu,” I said, “surely your papa does not 
 drink.” 
 
 “I don’t know,” he replied, shaking his little 
 head solemnly, “but I heard him say those 
 words.” 
 
 The danger into which Kirpu’s father had fall- 
 en put a new zeal into my heart for the cause 
 of temperance. He had been a most trusted 
 helper for years. That night he and his friend 
 took the stand for temperance. Never again 
 did Kirpu’s father touch it. He worked most 
 earnestly a few months to save others from this 
 curse, then fell ill. When on his death bed he 
 was afraid the doctor was going to give him an 
 alcoholic stimulant to deaden the excruciating 
 pain from which he was suffering, he closed his 
 teeth firmly and said, “I accept death, but not 
 this drink which I solemnly vowed in the church 
 never to touch again.” 
 
 That first evening, the birthday of Tem- 
 perance, nay Prohibition, in Pathankot, one hun- 
 dred and fifty men and boys came inside the 
 House of God and helped to organize a Men’s 
 Temperance Society. I was not surprised when 
 unanimously chosen their leader, for leaders 
 were scarce, hut I had some apprehension about 
 
34 THE power-house at pathankot 
 
 stepping out as a leader of men and told them so. 
 Quietly they assured me that they counted me 
 as a sister or a mother. I then tested them again, 
 saying, “If I become your president, I shall open 
 every meeting with prayer. My hope is in 
 prayer.” 
 
 Would these Hindus, Sikhs and Mohammedans 
 stand for this? Would they co-operate heartily 
 with a Christian in the church and have each 
 meeting opened with prayer in the name of 
 Jesus Christ? 
 
 Again the Secretary of the municipality who 
 had been elected secretary of the newly-formed 
 organization arose and said, “Miss Sahiba, it is 
 because of your prayers that we have appointed 
 you our leader. This warfare cannot be waged 
 successfully without prayer.” 
 
 Again and again, under the most trying cir- 
 cumstances did the Mohammedan brother stand 
 firmly with me in the matter of prayer. In new 
 places where work was opened, after the intro- 
 ductions were over he would say, “Now, in ac- 
 cordance with our custom the Miss Sahiba will 
 open the meeting with prayer.” 
 
 Only once in three years’ warfare with drink 
 among thousands of non-Christians did we find 
 one objector. He was a rabid, green-turbaned 
 Mohammedan, who came into the church one 
 evening for the first time, and on hearing the 
 
ALLIES IN PRAYER 
 
 35 
 
 meeting closed with prayer in the name of Jesus 
 Christ, he laid hold of both his ears and shrieked 
 out, “She’s praying in the name of Jesus! I 
 can’t listen to this blasphemy.” 
 
 The Secretary arose in his quiet dignity and 
 said, “Brother, be quiet, this is our custom.” 
 
 Custom! How often had the missionaries be- 
 wailed the cast-iron “custom” of India! And 
 now behold it, too, was working for God’s glory. 
 
 After the organization had been duly effected 
 that momentous evening in the Little Church, I 
 arose and read to the audience a Hindustani 
 translation of the W. C. T. U. pledge which 
 had been copied into a blank book. In India 
 the pledge does not prohibit the use of alcohol 
 as a medicine. Later the men of their own ac- 
 cord, made their pledge “bone dry,” not allow- 
 ing their members to use it even for medicinal 
 purposes, fearing some might be tempted to 
 prescribe it as medicine for themselves, or else 
 bribe a physician to do so. 
 
 That first evening forty men bravely stepped 
 out and signed their names under the freshly 
 written pledge in the little book. 
 
 The new work was launched and the results 
 could with perfect quietness be left in the keep- 
 ing of Him who said, “If you ask — I will do.” 
 
 I went hack to my girls in the quiet prayer 
 hour and told them what God had wrought. 
 
36 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 They promised to be faithful allies in prayer 
 until victory for the Prince of Peace was won in 
 old Pathankot. 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
CHAPTEE II 
 
 A PEAYEE TEOPHY 
 
 T HE attendance at the second meeting of 
 the society was not so good as on the 
 night of the organization. The liquor 
 forces had been at work strengthening their fol- 
 lowers against the curtailment of their liber- 
 ties. Also the winter rains had set in and the 
 night of the fourteenth was wet and cold. Only 
 fifty men ventured out, but these were full of 
 hope for the future. The Secretary was un- 
 daunted. Several new members were added. 
 
 I realized full well that nothing but perse- 
 vering prayer would be able to remove this evil 
 from our midst. The girls and I spent much 
 time in prayer for wisdom and guidance. 'We 
 felt our helplessness in the face of this giant 
 wrong. 
 
 Before the day set for the third meeting, we 
 sent out personal notes to all the leading offi- 
 cials of the town asking them to please honor 
 the temperance meeting with their presence and 
 so show the people that they sympathized with 
 the object for which the society was started. 
 We reminded them that the evil habit was 
 
 39 
 
40 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 [■ 
 
 spreading rapidly all over India and that their 
 own young men were in danger. Would they 
 not rally to the aid of this reform movement? 
 
 When the notes were ready I called the father 
 of little Kirpu, now an earnest advocate of pro- 
 hibition,' and bade him deliver the missives with 
 his own hands. 
 
 Then more prayer, and the day for the third 
 meeting was awaited with hope and longing. 
 Again the church bell rang out the good news 
 that the time for another temperance meeting 
 had come. The Little Church was all in order. 
 The school girls had sent over some of their 
 flowers for decoration. 
 
 As I stepped across the road from the school 
 to the church I was glad to see the men of the 
 (own coming up the road in groups of tens and 
 twelves. They came straight to the church 
 door and without the least hesitation walked in 
 and sat down, crowding every bench full. Still 
 they came, rich and poor, Hindu and Moham- 
 medan, until there was scarcely standing room 
 left. 
 
 My heart was full and I knew the tears were 
 near the surface. 
 
 Presently a hush fell over the audience as 
 someone whispered, “The Chief Magistrate is 
 coming.” Instantly the whole assembly arose 
 respectfully and, crowding in a little closer. 
 
Some Workers at Pathankot. 
 
 Standing at the left of the picture is Miss Bessie Campbell, and at 
 the right Miss Louise E. Scott. Seated at the left 
 of the picture is Miss Eleanor W. Maconachie, 
 and at the right the author. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 41 
 
 made way for this official and his suite to pass 
 through to a front row of chairs held in reserve, 
 up beside the Miss Sahiba. I noticed with deep 
 gratitude that nearly all the officials had come 
 with him. 
 
 By this time the church could not hold another 
 person, — benches, aisles, platform were all tilled. 
 The open windows even showed eager faces, and 
 outside hundreds stood trying to catch some- 
 thing of what was being said. 
 
 Quietly and reverently the hundreds listened 
 while I stood with bowed head and asked God’s 
 blessing to rest on the temperance organization 
 and on every member. The prayer was followed 
 by a temperance song, sung by a brother who 
 had dedicated his life to this cause. Then he 
 spoke to the audience for a half hour and they 
 listened to him spellbound as he so graphically 
 pictured in the sweet Punjabi tongue the sor- 
 rows and woes of a drunkard’s life. He reminded 
 them that the evil of drinking was growing, the 
 increase of revenue clearly proving it. He said 
 that Hindus and Mohammedans had been teeto- 
 talers for ages, and that the time had now come 
 when they must insist on retaining total abstin- 
 ence. Indians seldom drink moderately. It is 
 not their nature to be moderate. When they 
 drink, they drink to death. 
 
42 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 He also said, “I feel sure that there will be a 
 great blessing here tonight, for the Miss Sahiba 
 prayed and that prayer will be answered.” 
 
 After he had finished I arose and addressing 
 the sobered, thoughtful men, most earnestly 
 asked them if they would not all do tonight 
 what their hearts were telling them was the only 
 right thing to do. 'Who would be first to arise, 
 come forward and sign the pledge? 
 
 I was looking over the grave faces of some of 
 the poorer classes in the back part of the build- 
 ing for a response, -when I was startled by a 
 voice close beside me saying, “Miss Sahiba, I 
 will he the first to sign the pledge tonight, and 
 by the help of Ishwar (God) I will never taste 
 another drop.” It was the Chief Magistrate, the 
 man who held sway over 200,000 people, who had 
 arisen from his chair and was speaking to me. 
 T heard as one in a dream. Could it be true 
 that the highest official of the place was on our 
 side? That this dignified Hindu gentleman 
 was promising to give up all drink and join the 
 little company of those who had set their faces 
 against it? Surely God was working! 
 
 I could only smile my gratitude through tears, 
 and wait for what was to follow. The next to 
 arise was the wealthiest Sikh landowner in the 
 town, a handsome, middle-aged man, but with 
 a face that had plainly written on it the story 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 43 
 
 of his dissipated life. Lifting np his right hand, 
 he said, “Brothers, you all know me, yon know 
 what a hard drinker I’ve been, and how I’ve 
 squandered thousands. I also promise tonight 
 to give it all up.” 
 
 Oh, what a struggle he would have! Wealthy, 
 generous, friendly, he was mingling with had 
 company, with those who thought they were 
 following European ways of drinking. Would 
 he he able to keep the pledge ? How much 
 prayer would be needed to uphold these during 
 the trying days that would follow! 
 
 How the Chief Magistrate spoke out. “Where 
 is Amr Nath? I want him to come forward and 
 sign the pledge.” 
 
 Poor, trembling Amr Nath, with the smell of 
 liquor oozing out from every pore, came up be- 
 side the Chief Magistrate and listened while he 
 said, “Amr Nath, your mother’s tears make me 
 weep. I don’t consider you worth saving. You 
 are a disgrace to your father’s name and to your 
 town, but for the mother’s sake, I’m going to 
 help you to he a man. Will you sign the pledge 
 tonight ?” 
 
 What else could he do when thus commanded 
 by his magistrate, whose every request was a 
 command ? 
 
 The ice was broken. So many pressed for- 
 ward to sign the pledge that I found myself 
 
44 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 almost crushed, but, oh, the joy in my heart! 
 Here was a Sikh forestry officer with a face 
 bloated and purple from drinking, being led 
 forward by his only son who hated this evil thing. 
 Here came a Sikh schoolmaster who had lost 
 a fortune through rum and who only a few days 
 before had sold the last of his brass dishes for 
 drink. So on they came, these poor men who 
 wanted deliverance, until page after page of the 
 pledge book was filled with signatures. 
 
 The liquor seller who sat on a back seat, no 
 longer able to endure the sight, arose and with 
 curses pronounced on the temperance society 
 and all connected with it, left the House of God 
 and went down the dark street to his dirty, evil- 
 smelling abode. “I’ll get them all back,” he mut- 
 tered. “I know that before many hours have 
 passed away they will be crying out for drink.” 
 
 'When all was quiet again I said, “Brothers, I 
 believe God has given me a motto for our or- 
 ganization. Here it is,” and I wrote out in large 
 letters on the blackboard, 
 
 “Temperance, Purity and Unity.” 
 
 “Do you accept it?” 
 
 “Wei most certainly do,” said the Magistrate. 
 “It pleases us well.” 
 
 Then I showed them a box full of the white 
 ribbon bows and explained that the color white 
 stood for purity and that they should not only 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 45 
 
 keep free from drink, but from all its attendant 
 evils; that God demands clean lives from men 
 as well as women. Many faces fell, and I knew, 
 alas, that with perhaps only one or two excep- 
 tions, not one could point to an unsullied life. 
 I thanked God that now in their great need of 
 One mighty to save, some would find my 
 Saviour. 
 
 “The little bow signifies unity,” I continued. 
 “We people in India, yes, right here in Pathankot, 
 are so far separated from each other. You 
 Hindus sit off in your big mansions in your end 
 of the town grumbling at the rest of us. You 
 Mohammedans look with disfavor on both Hindu 
 and Christian, and we poor Christians, having 
 been counted as nothing by both of you, in turn 
 have not been so friendly as we should have 
 been. Now shall we not unite to put down this 
 common evil?” 
 
 Again the Chief Magistrate became spokesman 
 and said: 
 
 “Gentlemen, I move you that caste be banish- 
 ed from this sacred place; that caste be for- 
 bidden to enter the church door; that while in 
 this hallowed place we be brethren united to put 
 down this evil, which, as our respected speaker 
 showed us tonight, is ruining our homes and 
 country.” 
 
46 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 Then turning to the Miss Sahiba' he said, 
 “Kindly pin the white ribbon on my coat. I’ll 
 count it an honor to wear this sacred badge.” 
 
 Only those who have lived long years in caste- 
 ridden India can appreciate the force of the ac- 
 tion taken that night in the Little Church. The 
 Miss Sahiba here testifies that the men during 
 the succeeding months lived it out in all their 
 relations to the society. 
 
 Gladly did I now pin the white ribbon on the 
 Chief Magistrate. Greatly agitated he said, “Oh, 
 my mother will be a happy woman tonight. For 
 twenty years she has said to me daily, “My son, 
 do give up drink,’ and I would not heed her 
 pleadings.” 
 
 Many Pathankot homes were made happy that 
 night and our hearts were overflowing. 
 
 The third meeting continued three hours, but 
 not one moment dragged. 
 
 When all had said their salams (and I shall 
 never forget the love and respect shown me that 
 night by these, my fellow-townsmen) I slipped 
 back to the quiet of my own room. I re- 
 membered the prayer of little Firoza, “Oh Lord, 
 please fill up the church.” I almost laughed 
 aloud at the literalness of the answer when I 
 remembered that crowded, packed church the 
 past three hours. It pays to take everything to 
 God in prayer. 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 47 
 
 A message came to me one rfiorning from a 
 prominent Mohammedan official’s home in the 
 town. His wife, who lived in strictest seclusion, 
 had learned to love the Lord Jesus Christ 
 through Bible lessons given by the lady mis- 
 sionary. The message was a request from her 
 that prayer might be made for the husband of 
 her eldest granddaughter, a clever physician who 
 had been baptized, and who without doubt be- 
 lieved in Jesus and loved Him. He had learned 
 to drink while in Medical College, and his 
 idea of Christianity had not yet compelled him 
 to give it up. He was at that time acting as 
 surgeon on a quarantine ship at Singapore, 
 Straits Settlements. The grandmother wanted 
 the girls to pray that he might give up drink. 
 Hearing the good news of the temperance work 
 in Pathankot had led her to send this request. 
 
 That evening at prayers I said to the girls, 
 “I have another request for prayer.” Then I 
 related the message of the morning and added, 
 “It is fitting that we temperance workers should 
 make a special effort to save our own from the 
 clutches of the drink evil, so let us all unite 
 most earnestly in prayer for this Christian 
 brother. Let us ask God to do a hard thing, — 
 to bring the doctor from Singapore to Pathan- 
 kot to sign the pledge in our Little Church.” 
 
48 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 Oh, the audacity of faith! Singapore was at 
 least 3,500 miles from Pathankot by land and 
 by sea, a journey of many days. The dear girls 
 hesitated not a moment in doubt; they said, 
 “With pleasure will we pray for this dear 
 brother.” Sundoh made a note of the request 
 and date in the little brown-backed book which 
 she kept for this purpose. Here was the entry, 
 “Pray that Dr. G. A. may come to Pathankot 
 and sign the pledge in our church.” 
 
 Prayer continued persistently every evening 
 for several weeks. Then one morning a mes- 
 senger from the Mohammedan official’s home 
 came over and announced, “Your ‘answer to 
 prayer’ is in Lahore.” I smiled to myself and 
 said, “Praise the Lord. It will not take long 
 then to get the answer over here.” For Lahore 
 was only ninety-nine miles distant by the North 
 Western Kailway. 
 
 I went to my desk and wrote a letter to Dr. 
 G. A. and asked him to come over to Pathankot’ 
 at once, if possible, as I had something impor- 
 tant to tell him. He came immediately. 
 
 It did not take me long to lead up to the sub- 
 ject on my heart, for I believed God was working 
 in his heart, and I was not surprised when he 
 promised without hesitation to be present two 
 days later in the church for the February tem- 
 perance meeting. He said he would have re- 
 
Some of the “Allies” in Prayer. 
 
 These are typical faces of older girls and teachers in the school. 
 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 49 
 
 mained over, but he had a very sick patient in 
 Lahore to whom he must return, but that I 
 could expect him without fail to he present at 
 the temperance meeting. He also added, “It 
 is the strangest thing, Miss Sahiba, the way I 
 got back to Lahore again. I was over there in 
 Singapore quite happy in my work, never dream- 
 ing of returning to the Punjab, for my pay was 
 good, being one hundred dollars a month. Sud- 
 denly I became very ill, and such a longing 
 came into my heart to see my people that I just 
 left as soon as I was able to travel, and here I 
 am.” 
 
 I quietly remarked, “It was evidently the lead- 
 ing of God,” but did not then tell him about 
 the praying girls. 
 
 The fourth monthly meeting which was held 
 Feb. 22, 1914, brought a packed building, and 
 many more signers of the pledge. The Chief 
 Magistrate was one of the first to arrive and 
 proved helpful in numberless ways because of 
 his official position. 
 
 The doctor was present for the opening 
 prayer. I kept praying silently for him. 'Would 
 he be brave enough to take a public stand 
 against the drink which had fastened itself on 
 him so tenaciously? It would be difficult, for 
 in a small town like Pathankot everybody knew 
 everybody else. 
 
50 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 After prayer, speeches and songs, when the 
 invitation to come forward was given, the doc- 
 tor quickly came up beside me, and asking for 
 my pen, took it, and with a steady hand added 
 his name to the long list of total abstainers. I 
 learned afterwards that he not only gave up 
 liquor but certain drugs and tobacco as well. 
 
 Once more the school rejoiced over answered 
 prayer. Sundoh wrote underneath the request, 
 “Ans. rec’d Feb. 22 , 1914.” 
 
 But the work in behalf of this dear brother 
 was not ended. Another message came out from 
 the anxious grandmother. “If possible keep 
 Dr. G. A. near you for some time lest his drink- 
 ing friends may entice him away from you 
 again.” 
 
 He on his part was only too willing to remain 
 near the missionaries for a time in order that 
 his wife and four children might be won to 
 Christ. They were still Mohammedans. The 
 wife, though refusing to become a Christian, 
 was still too loyal a wife to give up her husband 
 because he had forsaken his old religion. It was 
 arranged by the missionary of the station to em- 
 ploy the doctor as an assistant at a nominal 
 salary of seventeen dollars a month. “All I 
 ask,” he said, “is sufficient for food and cloth- 
 ing, until my wife and children are saved.” 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 51 
 
 A great burden now fell upon him for their 
 salvation. Sometimes he wept, saying. “Oh, 
 what will happen to me if my beloved family 
 goes to hell!” 
 
 The little wife was always sweet and gentle to 
 meet, hut she remained obdurate toward the re- 
 ligion of her husband, or so it seemed to him. 
 One day in despair he came in and said, “I’ll 
 no longer wait for my wife, my children must be 
 baptized. I cannot have all the people calling 
 them Mohammedans.” So it was arranged that 
 they should be baptized. 
 
 I asked the mother if she would not like to 
 witness the ceremony, and she replied that she 
 would if a curtain could be placed between her 
 and the men of the congregation. This was 
 easily done, and she, while hidden from the 
 audience, could see the pastor as he administered 
 the rite of baptism to the three sturdy little 
 boys and the daughter, Zarina. The little 
 mother trembled and tears rolled down her face 
 as she saw the father and children being farther 
 and farther separated from her. She afterwards 
 told me that if her husband, at the time of the 
 baptism, had given the least sign that he wanted 
 her to come forward, she would have been bap- 
 tized too. No wonder she felt alone in the world. 
 Her mother had been dead several years, her 
 father had died lately while on a pilgrimage to 
 
52 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 Mecca, and now her husband and four little ones 
 were on the Christian road to heaven. 
 
 Constant prayer was made for her. This re- 
 quest was in Sundoh’s little book — “Pray that 
 Mrs. G. A. may become a Christian.” 
 
 Some time later she was taken violently ill, 
 and fearing she might not recover she sent her 
 husband over to the missionary and asked him to 
 come at once and baptize her, “For,” she con- 
 fessed, “I do believe in the Lord Jesus my Sa- 
 viour. I’ve believed for a long time, but the fear 
 of the world kept me from publicly confessing.” 
 
 That was a happy day in the doctor’s humble 
 home when his dear Firoz, the mother of his 
 four children, was brought into the fold of Jesus 
 Christ, and the church rejoiced over this con- 
 version of a Mohammedan family to Chris- 
 tianity. 
 
 I wondered if this would work against the 
 non-Christians coming into the church for the 
 temperance meetings. In order that souls might 
 he saved, I was willing, if need be, that all tem- 
 perance activity might cease, but instead of being 
 hindered the cause seemed to prosper the more. 
 The doctor became a most able advocate of tem- 
 perance, not only from personal experience of 
 the evil consequences of drink, but from a physi- 
 cian’s point of view. Besides being gifted as a 
 writer of poetry, and able to compose poems 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 53 
 
 equally well in Hindustani, Persian and Pun- 
 jabi, his ability to help was many-sided. His 
 temperance poems were published and used in 
 far distant places. 
 
 I knew his career had been an interesting one 
 and begged him one day to tell me briefly the 
 story of his life. Here it is as he told it so 
 simply to me in our school drawing room. 
 
 “ I was born in the city of Lahore, within the 
 old city near one of the large gates. My father 
 was a mullah (Mohammedan religious leader) 
 and his highest ambition for me was that I also 
 might become a great mullah. 
 
 “I started to school at an early age, and lov- 
 ing to study, was promoted rapidly and matric- 
 ulated while still in my teens. I then entered 
 the medical college of Lahore, thus disappoint- 
 ing my father. By hard study and constant ap- 
 plication I was able to win some scholarships 
 which helped me greatly, for my father could not 
 afford to pay all expenses which are always heavy 
 in a medical school. 
 
 “While in the grades I secured a New Testa- 
 ment and studied it from time to time, all 
 through my school and college career. I cannot 
 remember when I first gave my heart to Jesus. 
 My faith grew as I read the gospels. Some- 
 times I sat up all night composing sonnets to 
 my beloved Saviour. 
 
54 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 "I was married to a girl chosen for me by my 
 relatives. I will not tell you much about those 
 days. ' She was as different from my Firoz as 
 night is from day. She died after a few years 
 of married life, then Firoz was given to me. 
 Her grandmother had a fancy for me and made 
 all the arrangements, and my wife has been a 
 true helpmeet. The grandmother heard about 
 my defection from the faith of the prophet, but 
 being liberal herself, having come under your 
 teaching, she did not let this deter me from se- 
 curing Firoz as my bride. 
 
 “My married life has been a happy one, and I 
 am grateful for the loyalty of my wife through 
 all the awful days of persecution that followed 
 my open confession of faith in Christ. 
 
 “A good appointment in Bahrein was offered 
 to me when our first child was only a few months 
 old. A capable Mohammedan doctor was what 
 the government wanted for that place, and I 
 accepted the post and took my wife and child 
 with me. 
 
 “All this time the love of Jesus was a con- 
 suming fire in my heart. One day an Arab 
 Christian gave me some tracts. I was so impress- 
 ed with one of them that I said to my wife 
 when I returned from my work, that from 
 henceforth, happen what might, I would be an 
 out and out follower of Jesus Christ. She, 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 55 
 
 woman-like, urged me not to be too outspoken 
 in that fanatical city, but to keep it all in my 
 heart. How could I remain silent longer? My 
 life w r as not telling for Him who bore the cross 
 for me. 
 
 “I told out my faith bravely to the sick in the 
 hospital, and to my assistants. It was not long 
 until the junior doctor who longed for my 
 place reported me as being a Christian at heart, 
 and a polite note was sent asking for my resig- 
 nation, saying that it was a Mohammedan physi- 
 cian they wanted, not a Christian. 
 
 “I returned to India with my family. A lu- 
 crative post was soon found in one of the lead- 
 ing native states in the Punjab. It was not 
 good for me there in the court, where there were 
 constant carousals, intrigues and frequently cases 
 of poisoning. It being a Hindu state, my lean- 
 ing toward Christianity did not affect my posi- 
 tion until some Mohammedans came. Then the 
 persecutions began in earnest. I used to spend 
 hours proving that Jesus is the only One who can 
 be called Saviour. This the Mohammedans 
 could not endure. 
 
 “Once my people called me back to the vil- 
 lage where my father-in-law lived. We all came. 
 There they tried to make me deny my Lord, but 
 instead I went out into the streets and called out 
 aloud my love for the Lord. I knew this would 
 
56 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 be considered a great disgrace by my aristocratic 
 people, but I did not care. Finally when they 
 saw I would not be convinced, they tore my 
 garments from my back and turned me out into 
 the streets half naked, with no money in my 
 pockets, and the door locked against me. My 
 wife was locked in an inner room so that she 
 could not follow me. 
 
 “For two whole days I had nothing to eat but 
 a handful of parched grain. Oh, how happy I 
 was, bearing reproach for His sake ! 
 
 “I returned to my work in the native state. 
 My wife got away and rejoined me, but my 
 persecutors tried me in so many ways that I be- 
 gan to fear I might become, as they were trying 
 to prove me, insane. They finally succeeded in 
 getting the Maharajah to dismiss me from state 
 service and had me adjudged insane. I was 
 hurried off to the asylum in Lahore. My wife 
 weeping bitterly, followed me as far as her 
 friends would allow. I was dragged through the 
 streets of Lahore only partially clad, head and 
 feet bare. On the way I passed a group of Chris 
 tian girls who looked on me pityingly, for my 
 condition was indeed most miserable. I cried 
 out to them, ‘Sisters, it is for Jesus’ sake I’m 
 being dragged off in this fashion. Can’t you help 
 me ?’ But poor things, what could they do ? T 
 was a stranger to them, besides my tormentors 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 57 
 
 signed to them that I was out of my head and 
 a dangerous person. 
 
 “For nine months I remained in the asylum. 
 I was given freedom to move about shortly 
 after my admittance, for I think those in charge 
 understood that it was enmity which led to my 
 incarceration. 
 
 “I’ve often thanked God for giving me that 
 quiet time of rest. I needed it very much just 
 at that juncture. On being released I repaired 
 to the Presb}derian missionary, asked for bap- 
 tism and received it. 
 
 “After that I was not so bitterly persecuted, 
 but being a Christian I often found it difficult 
 to obtain work. We know what it is to suffer 
 hunger.” 
 
 I had a picture in my own mind of his condi- 
 tion dining those years when he wandered from 
 place to place. Always studying the word of 
 God, testifying everywhere, and, alas, the drink 
 habit only growing stronger. Then one glad 
 day God let the girls have him as one of their 
 prayer trophies. During the one year of his stay 
 in Pathankot he endeared himself to many by 
 his skill as a physician. He also did a wonder- 
 ful bit of literary work. He put the harmony 
 of the gospels into beautiful but simple Urdu 
 poetry in order that the life of Jesus might be 
 made more attractive to the Mohammedan worn- 
 
58 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 en, who like religious teaching in metrical 
 version. Indeed, the temperament of the In- 
 dian people is highly poetic. This is one reason 
 why the legends of Krishna are so popular. 
 Many missionaries have been longing for a pop- 
 ular metrical version of parts of the Bible, to be 
 committed to memory by men, women and boys 
 who would be sent out to evangelize. The re 
 suit of such a course would he surprising. 
 
 A notice was seen in the daily paper one day, 
 of the need of a well qualified Indian physician 
 to take charge of two hundred lepers in a mis- 
 sion station up in the mountains. Ten of these 
 were Europeans. Dr. G. A. said, “I’ll go and 
 help these poor sufferers. I’m not afraid.” And 
 he went, but oh, how he was missed by the 
 Pathankot people. 
 
 Nearly one year he labored faithfully for the 
 lepers, going among them fearlessly. Then 
 another call came to his checkered life. This 
 time it was the voice of his country and his 
 King calling. Great Britain was at war with 
 Germany. All her loyal subjects were called 
 upon to do their share. Physicians were greatly 
 needed. The doctor was asked to join the army 
 medical service. He wrote me fully about the 
 whole matter and, after prayer, offered himself 
 as an army surgeon, was accepted most readily 
 and sent to a cavalry base regiment for a few 
 
A PRAYER TROPHY 
 
 59 
 
 months. Later on he was sent to the border 
 between Afghanistan and India to help quell the 
 turbulent Pathans. In another letter he wrote 
 me: 
 
 “Our expedition is practically over, and 
 most successfully over. The Mahsud Path- 
 ans, who are notorious brigands and maraud- 
 ers have been extremely impressed by the 
 aeroplanes throwing bombs around them. 
 The General was very humane and only 
 wanted to frighten them and cause them 
 to come to their senses. Not a single child 
 or woman was hurt.” 
 
 [Dear readers, please note this act of hu- 
 manity toward an ignorant, treacherous enemy 
 by a British officer.] 
 
 “The Pathans were so wonder-struck that 
 they came to the General and promised to 
 bring back all the stolen rifles, and they 
 kept their word.” 
 
 In closing the letter he added: 
 
 “I may be ordered at once over seas. 1 
 would prefer to go to Bagdad and see that 
 ancient city. I remember when I was five 
 years old my grandfather had an Arabic 
 primer written in Bagdad, and I started my 
 alphabet in that ancient manuscript. 
 
60 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 “May God be kind to us and save us from 
 the sword and subtlety of Mohammedanism! 
 May the war soon cease and may we ah 
 again repair to Pathankot to be happy there, 
 praying, teaching and singing praises as it 
 the days of the revival !” 
 
 What a prayer trophy this strong man is to 
 our little prayer band of school girls ! 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 P ERHAPS no other people work harder 
 and are less appreciated than the In- 
 dian government officials in the rev- 
 enue service. They stand between the British 
 rulers and the common people. It is their duty 
 to collect revenue from the head men of vil- 
 lages and turn it over into the treasury of the 
 government. The government must have money 
 to keep the machinery moving. The common 
 people or tax payers must have explanations for 
 the occasional raising of tax rates. 
 
 . The Magistrate of Pathankot was without 
 doubt the busiest man in the town. If the gov- 
 ernment wanted 100 camels for the commis- 
 sariat, he received orders to secure them. If 
 an English lady living up in the mountain sta- 
 tion, fifty miles beyond Pathankot, wanted six 
 dozen fresh eggs from a particular type of fowl, 
 the order was sent to him. When transport 
 was needed for removing a regiment to or from 
 the mountains, he it was who had to scour the 
 country for miles around to find the horses, 
 mules, camels and carts necessary. These and 
 63 
 
64 the power-house at pathankot 
 
 multitudinous other services he did, aside from 
 his ordinary duties as a magistrate. 
 
 The Miss Sahiba certainly did appreciate the 
 great effort he now made to be present at all the 
 temperance meetings. 
 
 One day in talking over the matter he said 
 to me, “I’m in a difficult position. I believe in 
 the cause we have espoused, with my whole 
 heart, and am willing to work night and day 
 for its promotion, but I must also have the gov- 
 ernment’s best interests at heart, and you know, 
 Miss Sahiba, the licenses bought by the liquor 
 dealers bring in great revenue to the govern- 
 ment, while what we are agitating and teaching 
 is going to lessen this source of income. I wish 
 I knew how my chief, our Deputy Commissioner, 
 looked upon this matter. If he is sympathetic 
 and stands behind me, I care not what others 
 say.” 
 
 I sympathized with him, and tried to assure 
 him that the government only gave licenses in 
 order to stop illicit distillation, and if possible 
 to help keep the drink habit in check, though 
 I had to admit to myself that the very reverse 
 of this result was being realized. 
 
 The British Chief Magistrate, better known 
 as the Deputy Commissioner, held sway over 
 the whole district of Gurdaspur and lived in a 
 town twenty-three miles west of Pathankot. 
 
Some Temperance Leaders. 
 
 Seated in the center is the European Deputy Commissioner who so vigorously supported 
 the cause, and grouped about are the leaders. 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 65 
 
 He was on tour almost constantly, going from 
 town to town, and from village to village, keep- 
 ing a watchful eye on all the different depart 
 ments of administration. 
 
 I myself was most anxious to know his views 
 on the work we were doing for temperance in 
 Pathankot, when, in answer to the wish it seem- 
 ed, he was one day announced by a servant as 
 having come to call on me. One look into his 
 kind face assured me he would be a friend. 
 After a few minutes he began to ask about the 
 temperance organization. “I’ve heard a great 
 deal about it,” he said, “and am deeply inter 
 ested. I believe it is doing good.” Then smil 
 ing he said in his slow, quiet way, “Would you 
 be willing to take me in as an honorary member ? 
 I neither drink liquor of any kind, nor smoke.” 
 
 Would we he willing! It seemed almost in- 
 credible that a British official of his position 
 should ask such a question. Surely God was 
 good to give our society this official’s favor and 
 patronage ! 
 
 The interest of the Indian officials had been 
 won, and I was glad that they had come into line 
 first, for now no one could say they were doing 
 what they did simply to please higher officers. 
 And today their strong British magistrate was 
 willing to co-operate with them in this reform 
 movement ! 
 
66 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 When the Indian workers heard what the 
 Deputy Commissioner had said, their cup of 
 joy was full, and they were ready to work with 
 might and main to promote the cause while 
 under the rule of such a good Christian officer. 
 
 In villages near and remote the news of the 
 wonderful work in Pathankot spread, and it was 
 not long until requests came in saying, “Come 
 and help us as you have helped Pathankot.” 
 
 The invitation from Sujanpur, a village only 
 four miles distant, but the seat of the third 
 largest distillery in the Punjab, was so insistent, 
 that a date was set for visiting it with a view 
 to forming an organization. 
 
 On a cool morning in the early autumn a party 
 of ten or twelve members of the temperance 
 society drove out to Sujanpur. Preparations 
 had been made to hold the meeting in the main 
 room of the hoys’ school, hut it filled up so 
 quickly, and such a clamor for admittance was 
 made by those who were outside, that it was de- 
 cided to meet in the open courtyard, reserving 
 the verandah space for the speakers. Hundreds 
 of Hindus, Mohammendans, Sikhs, and a sprink- 
 ling of Christians gathered there that morning. 
 
 The introductions over, the Secretary of the 
 Pathankot Society said, “We will first of all have 
 prayer by our Miss Sahiba, as our custom is.” 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 67 
 
 A hush fell upon the audience while she asked 
 for a blessing to rest upon the work they had 
 come to do, and closed in the name of Jesus 
 Christ. Without doubt this was the first time 
 in the history of that old town when a Christian 
 could have had the opportunity to pray before 
 an audience like the one assembled. No one 
 resented it. 
 
 The work of organization now' followed. The 
 Hindu headmaster of the boys’ school was unan- 
 imously chosen as president of the society, 
 while another Hindu, a clerk in the office of the 
 distillery, was elected to the office of secretary. 
 The latter made one of the most fiery temperance 
 talks that I had ever heard. It was only three 
 years before, having squandered all his wealth, 
 that he had given up drink. Since then he had 
 hated this evil, with intense hatred, and pitied 
 and sought in every way to save all who were in its 
 deadly clutches. At the end of his talk he cried 
 out, “Blessings be on the Miss Sahiba from 
 Pathankot, and on our respected Magistrate, for 
 taking pity on our woes and coming out to save 
 us.” Thirty joined the society. The newly elect- 
 ed officers wanted only those to join who fully 
 understood what they were doing and would live 
 up to their promises. 
 
68 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 It was with gratitude to God that the band of 
 workers from Pathankot saw the zeal of this 
 new branch. It has remained one of the best. 
 
 One episode must be recorded. In the midst 
 of speeches and songs, someone motioned for 
 silence, and then there was whispering hack and 
 forth on the platform and I heard one say, “You 
 tell her.” Finally the Magistrate said, “Miss 
 Sahiba, we think proceedings should cease for a 
 few minutes and another prayer he made, — a 
 prayer to God for victory to our government.” 
 
 What should I do? I remembered that the 
 American consul at Karachi had sent out, in the 
 beginning of the Great War, printed injunctions 
 calling upon all Americans to be absolutely 
 neutral. How could I explain all this to the 
 audience that was waiting for the prayer? Be- 
 sides, deep down in my heart I knew I was not 
 neutral, I knew Great Britain was on the right 
 side. So I arose and prayed a second time, this 
 time that the Allies might he successful in their 
 terrible struggle of restoring liberty to the down- 
 trodden and oppressed little nations. This pray- 
 er was greeted with applause, which was a bit 
 disconcerting, hut I knew that their intentions 
 were good. 
 
 Afterwards, in sending a report of that new 
 organization to the Deputy Commissioner, I told 
 him of the prayer incident. In his reply he wrote, 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 69 
 
 “How very wrong of you, a neutral, to pray in 
 public for the success of the British arms! Still 
 it was very nice of you, and I am very glad you 
 had such a good meeting at Sujanpur.” 
 
 After a period of four or live months the new 
 branch felt a great desire to have their one 
 liquor shop closed. They felt the distillery’s in- 
 fluence was bad enough without having the shop 
 as well to tempt the men, young and old, to 
 drink. 
 
 In India shops for liquor can be closed only by 
 securing permission from the government. The 
 request from the people must be sent up to the 
 authorities, who in their turn, study the- merits 
 of the case, and do what seems best to them 
 under the circumstances. 
 
 The following letter reached me one day, and 
 1 forwarded it to the Deputy Commissioner. 
 Having kept an exact copy, I shall share it, word 
 for word, with you, feeling sure you will smile 
 over its quaint English expressions, and deeply 
 sympathize with the spirit back of it. 
 
 “Sir:— 
 
 “As you are good natured and kind heart- 
 ed Deputy Commissioner, we beg most sub- 
 missively to approach you with our humble 
 request as under which we hope will meet 
 with your kind approval. 
 
O THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 “The drinking of liquor is considered to 
 be the most injurious to health and wealth. 
 Several families have been ruined and many 
 young men who are addicted to drink are 
 cut down in the Prime of their youth, leav- 
 ing their parents and children to mourn for- 
 ever. The drinkers are lazy and not good to 
 any societies, their whole system of body is 
 wrecked. 
 
 “Seeing so many miseries which the drink- 
 ing of liquor bring upon the families we 
 pray the benign and sympathetic govern- 
 ment to kindly save us from the strong and 
 cruel clutches of liquor and get us complete 
 deliverance from it to make our lives sub- 
 lime and save our health, wealth and morals 
 by stopping the sale of liquor and closing 
 the shop once for all, for this act of kindness 
 we shall be greatly indebted to you and see 
 with our careful eyes that there shall be no 
 illicit distillation in the town or in the neigh- 
 boring villages. 
 
 “Praying in the end for the complete vic- 
 tory over the enemies and continuous pros- 
 perity and peaceful reign of the Great 
 Britain. 
 
 “We beg to remain 
 
 “Sir 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 71 
 
 “Your most obedient and loyal subjects 
 of the British Crown.” 
 
 This petition had fourteen signatures. 
 
 The Deputy Commissioner did not think it 
 wise at that time to grant the request but asked 
 them to repeat it the year following. 
 
 A year later the parent society of Pathankot 
 visited the Sujanpur branch and found an audi- 
 ence of about three hundred awaiting them in 
 the fine new hostel lately completed for the 
 boys’ training class. All were glad for this clean, 
 well-ventilated room for their meetings. 
 
 Yo special attraction had been announced to 
 induce people to come, and though the novelty 
 had by this time worn off, still three hundred 
 came, and for three hours they sat patiently lis- 
 tening to the speeches and songs. 
 
 In their annual report it was noted that the 
 sale of liquor in the little shop had been reduced 
 one half since the organization of the society. 
 Three drunkards had been won over. One hun- 
 dred rupees had been raised, fifty being given 
 to the parent society at Pathankot for the tem- 
 perance hall, thirty set aside for the purchasing 
 of musical instruments, and twenty held as a 
 reserve fund. The leading spirit in the society 
 was the Hindu village head man who had a fine 
 voice and was using it for temperance. 
 
72 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 The second place to send out a call for help 
 was Nirot, six miles from Pathankot. They had 
 a liquor shop in one of the main streets which 
 grieved the hearts of the conservative old people 
 every day, and was bringing sorrow into many 
 homes. 
 
 'When the Magistrate next held court there 
 after the call, he sent word to me that now would 
 be an opportune time to go out with our officers 
 and organize a society. Recognizing the op- 
 portunity, I left the busy school life one after- 
 noon and drove in my cart to Hirot, being accom- 
 panied by five or six others, some riding, some 
 driving. 
 
 The Magistrate had the villagers all assembled 
 under the friendly branches of a mango grove 
 where he had been holding court all morning 
 Matting had been spread on the smooth, hard 
 earth, strings of gaily colored paper pennants 
 adorned branches and hedges, while potted plants 
 lined the avenue of approach. All was in readi- 
 ness for the little hand of temperance workers. 
 Sweet Indian music helped to draw the crowd. 
 
 After the opening prayer the Magistrate said, 
 “My friends, what is your desire? What is it 
 you want us to do?” 
 
 A middle-aged Hindu, tall and slender, arose 
 and with passion in his voice said, “I desire 
 only one thing. I want the liquor shop removed 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 73 
 
 from this village. It has done nothing but harm 
 since it came. Our boys, alas, instead of work- 
 ing all day in the fields and resting at night in 
 their homes as they used to do, now haunt the 
 liquor shop, drink, smoke cigarettes and listen to 
 unclean talk. Oh, Magistrate, honored one, hear 
 my plea and intercede with our kind Deputy 
 Commissioner that he may close this House of 
 Satan.” 
 
 Forty-five signed the pledge that day in Nirot. 
 A few months later I had the pleasure of for- 
 warding a letter to them from the Deputy Com- 
 missioner, telling them that he had ordered the 
 liquor shop in their village to be closed. I was 
 sorry to he unable to attend their, thanksgiving 
 meeting held after the receipt of that letter. 
 
 Gharota was a town of some importance twelve 
 miles from Pathankot, down the beautiful canal 
 road. Years ago the wide awake people had 
 closed a liquor shop that had intruded itself into 
 their midst, and they were not facing the foe 
 themselves, but they did want their sons to know 
 more about the evil so that when they had to 
 meet the temptation outside they might know 
 how to combat it. Hence their call came to 
 Pathankot, “Come and organize a society in our 
 town.” 
 
 I shall long remember that day. The good 
 people opened their dharmsala, a place of wor- 
 
74 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 ship and rest for Hindu travelers, and gave it 
 over freely for the use of the temperance work- 
 ers. Little temples, each with its own special 
 god, stood inside the enclosure, while niches in 
 the walls of the courtyard held many gods of the 
 Hindu pantheon. The people from, surrounding 
 countries flocked into the enclosure, hut not to 
 worship that day. So far as I could see no one 
 gave any heed to the stone gods. A living ques- 
 tion was before them. 
 
 The Magistrate had been having a hard morn- 
 ing’s work, and he looked very weary when he 
 came into the dharmsala and sat do^n before a 
 table that held three vases of marigolds and 
 roses, but he looked kindly on the waiting people, 
 and said to those near him: “How, for a little 
 while forget that I am one in authority, and 
 think of me as a brother who wishes to help you 
 and your children.” Being encouraged by these 
 kind words, an old gray-headed villager who had 
 lost his all through drink, came up before the 
 Magistrate, and falling down before him said, 
 “Honored One, I promise’ from today to give up 
 the evil thing.” The Magistrate, who was great- 
 ly touched by the man’s age, miserable condition 
 and appealing words, said, “Brother, may Par- 
 meshwar (God) help you to keep true, and to give 
 up this thing which brings only disgrace and 
 ruin. I used to drink, but I gave it up. My 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 75 
 
 family is happier, and I do my government duties 
 more faithfully. 5 ’ Sixty men joined the new or- 
 ganization. 
 
 On the return journey that evening a mes- 
 senger handed me a note from an English colonel 
 and his wife, saying they would be pleased to 
 have the temperance lady, whose name they re- 
 gretted they did not know, stop and have a cup 
 of tea with them on her way hack to Pathankot. 
 I was glad of the invitation, for the day had 
 been trying, and a cup of tea would be refresh- 
 ing. I found the colonel and his wife in one of 
 the lovely canal bungalows that are found at 
 intervals of ten miles all up and down the canals. 
 They had come to this restful spot to spend a 
 few days in quietness. Their interest in our 
 work greatly cheered and encouraged me. 
 
 On April 23, 1915, just seventeen months af- 
 ter the organization in Pathankot had been 
 effected, a new branch was formed at a prosper- 
 ous town called ISTirot Jaimal Singh, thirteen 
 miles from Pathankot. For months the people 
 of the town had been begging for an organiza- 
 tion. Twice the Sikh doctor in charge of the 
 government dispensary had come in to see about 
 holding a temperance meeting in this town. The 
 long distance over a bad road, and the busy lives 
 of the leaders, kept causing delay in granting 
 the request sent in by the people so urgently. 
 
76 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 On the morning of the 20th, a young business 
 man from Toledo, Ohio, arrived in Pathankot, 
 for the express purpose of seeing something of 
 our temperance work in India. He had heard of 
 it from missionaries up in Eawal Pindi. It oc- 
 curred to me that now would be a good time to 
 go out and organize at Nirot Jaimal Singh. 
 
 I learned on inquiry that the Magistrate was 
 holding court at that very time in that town, 
 and a reply to a note sent out to him said he 
 would be glad to have the Miss Sahiba, her 
 American guest and the temperance workers 
 come out and organize. He would undertake the 
 advertising of the meeting. 
 
 Everything seemed “most auspicious” for a 
 splendid meeting, as the Hindu friends say. 
 
 At half past six that April morning, while the 
 breeze was still fresh and cool, a company of five 
 started toward the distant town in two other 
 carts, while I took the guest in my own. A little 
 later we were overtaken by two more workers 
 riding. 
 
 After ten miles of rough road had been left 
 behind, the sandy stretch of the Ravi River faced 
 the little company and this could not be crossed 
 by the carts. They were not left to plan what 
 to do next, however, for there standing on the 
 bank were six beautiful horses saddled, awaiting 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 77 
 
 them, and a gaily adorned palanquin with four 
 bearers for the Miss Sahiha. 
 
 The young American’s eyes fairly shone with 
 delight when he saw those splendid, spirited 
 horses, and he being the guest was asked to take 
 his choice. I noted with a little national pride 
 that my young countryman chose the most spirit- 
 ed animal of all, and the way he sat and managed 
 it was the admiration of all the Indians who 
 themselves are skillful horsemen. In a very few 
 minutes, being carried slowly over the sandy river 
 bed by my men, I was left far behind by the swift 
 riders. One or two returned just to see how I 
 was faring, then whirling, with a dash, were off 
 again. 
 
 Dr. G. A. (the “Prayer Trophy”) was like a boy 
 that morning, so happy was he to find himself on 
 a horse again. His ability to ride helped him 
 later on to secure -his place as surgeon in a 
 cavalry regiment. 
 
 The Magistrate had encamped in a beautiful 
 mango grove. By ten o’clock the delegation had 
 arrived. At that hour the shade was much ap- 
 preciated for the sun was heating down fiercely. 
 A small tent at one end of the camp had been 
 reserved for my use. I was glad of a little time 
 to rest before meeting those who were sure to 
 call. 
 
78 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 The young American soon had a group of ad- 
 miring young Indian boys around him, with the 
 Christian doctor interpreting. It was wonder- 
 ful to these young men to see a young man like 
 themselves, keen in the business world, and yet 
 telling them so enthusiastically of the love of 
 Jesus and ever and anon singing snatches of 
 praise to Him. They knew missionaries did this 
 kind of work, hut to find a man of white face 
 and gentle manners, yet not a missionary, talking 
 about Christianity was a great surprise. 
 
 Dr. G. A. was in his element as interpreter. 
 He had found a congenial spirit in this young 
 American brother, whose love for his Lord was 
 fairly bubbling over. 
 
 I would like just here to record my heart’s 
 desire, which is that the Church may soon see 
 that God can use spirit-filled laymen in the 
 foreign field, as well as those w r ho have been 
 ordained. 
 
 The long drive had given us all fine appetites 
 for the well-filled lunch basket Avhich my sister, 
 “the Little Miss Sahiba,” had prepared for us. 
 The Magistrate fearing we might not have suffi- 
 cient, had several brass trays of tasty Indian 
 dishes, sweets and fruit, sent to our table. Then 
 he came over himself to see that all our wants 
 were well supplied. 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 79 
 
 Laughingly he said, “I cannot give you any 
 soda water for I’ve had to give that up, too! 
 I’ve always been afraid to drink the water from 
 these dirty village wells, and have carried soda 
 water about with me, but since joining the tem- 
 perance society I have found that the people 
 associate soda water with whisky, and that when 
 I drank only soda, word was circulated that I was 
 also using whisky. So now, Miss Sahiba, I’m just 
 drinking water from the wells wherever I happen 
 to be, and trusting God to keep me well.” 
 
 When those of the different creeds had finished 
 the noonday repast, they came together and 
 someone suggested drinking toasts. 
 
 “Without wine ?” asked one. 
 
 “Certainly,” said the young American, and 
 lifting a cup of tea he said, “Let us drink to the 
 long life of the Men’s Temperance Society of 
 Pathankot.” 
 
 The Magistrate with a cup of cold water fol- 
 lowed with, “Gentlemen, drink with me for the 
 victory of our gracious King-Emperor.” 
 
 The leading men of the town now began com- 
 ing out, by twos and threes, and had to he re- 
 ceived. The most influential was Sardar K. S., a 
 Rajput, an owner of eighty villages and an hon- 
 orary magistrate. He is a graduate of Forman 
 Christian College, and had signed the pledge 
 while in college. I found him most courteous, 
 
8o THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 and was pleased to learn of his interest in the 
 temperance cause. We have a long talk on 
 things spiritual. 
 
 At 2 P. M. word came that all was now ready 
 for us in the town, and arising from our comfort- 
 able place in the thick shade, we went out into 
 the open glare of a dusty half mile of road which 
 led into the town, where we found hundreds of 
 people wending their way towards the hoys’ 
 school, the place appointed for the meeting. The 
 people sat out in 'the open court, while the lead- 
 ers and speakers were taken up into the veran- 
 dah. What a transformation had taken place! 
 Instead of the dusty white-washed walls, and 
 uneven brick floor, here was a bit of fairyland. 
 The walls were covered with silk embroidered 
 curtains, the floors were carpeted with them, 
 while rich pieces of silk covered the four tables 
 and chairs. I looked at all this beautiful work 
 around and underneath, then said, “Dear people, 
 I don’t like to step on these lovely shawls with 
 my dusty shoes.” 
 
 “Never mind, Miss Sahiba,” they replied, “this 
 is all for you. We wish we could do more to 
 show our love and gratitude. You will honor us 
 by sitting on the place which we have carpeted.” 
 
 Then my heart was grateful to God for allow- 
 ing me this sweet privilege of accepting a bit 
 of love from a class of people almost untouched 
 
FRIENDLY OFFICIALS 
 
 8l 
 
 as yet by the influences of the Gospel. Surely 
 no rajah could have had a finer reception than 
 the temperance workers had that day in the town 
 of the long name. 
 
 The people listened very attentively to the 
 speeches, songs and music of the generous pro- 
 gram. Officers were elected, and ninety-four 
 men became members of the new organization. 
 The enthusiasm ran high. One said, “If you 
 would only stay over night we would visit other 
 villages and have many more join us.” I wished 
 I might remain, but the girls back in the school 
 could be left no longer. 
 
 Ten mettlesome horses brought the men down 
 to the river bank on the return journey, for 
 other men had come out from Pathankot later 
 in the day. 
 
 The Magistrate ordered one rider to remain 
 near me as I came down more slowly in the 
 palanquin. The sun was sinking, a red ball of 
 fire in the golden west, as my carriers waded 
 knee deep through the silver stream of water 
 flowing over the sands of the Eavi. 
 
 The carts were reached, horses harnessed and 
 hitched into them, and the tired but happy work- 
 ers started off in the dark for the ten miles of 
 the return journey. The road seemed much 
 longer and rougher than in the morning day- 
 light. Coming up a steep bank my horse, restive 
 
82 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 to get home, gave a leap and broke the harness 
 in three places. I could control a girls’ school, 
 and organize temperance societies, but in an 
 emergency like this I was useless. Fortunately 
 the Magistrate’s son, a young man of eighteen, 
 was near at hand, and securing ropes from some- 
 where, tide up the harness so that it did not 
 break again. A young Hindu cloth merchant 
 who played the harmonium in our meetings took 
 the lines and drove home without further inci- 
 dent. 
 
 The dear, peaceful, sleeping school home was 
 reached at 10 o’clock, and all were content with 
 the day’s work. 
 
 Ten years before the town visited bad paid 
 twenty rupees for license while this year it was 
 rated at two thousand rupees. Surely the society 
 for temperance was needed. 
 
 By remaining over for this experience the 
 young American missed seeing Calcutta, the 
 metropolis of India, but as he put it in his ex- 
 pressive American way which sounded good to 
 us, “Calcutta isn’t in it!” 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 

CHAPTER IV 
 
 FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 A S the time drew near for the first an- 
 niversary of the founding of the Men’s 
 Temperance Society, we thought it 
 might help to advance the cause to have the 
 occasion celebrated in some fitting manner. So 
 we began making plans with the help of the 
 executive committee of fifteen members. 
 
 Our sympathetic helper from the City of the 
 Golden Temple offered to come over with his 
 fellow workers and give an evening’s entertain- 
 ment with moving pictures, as well as help with 
 music and speeches. The Christian headmaster 
 of the boys’ high school, Sialkot, promised to 
 give a twentv-minute talk on the subject, “A 
 Life of Purity.” Best of all the Deputy Com- 
 missioner said he would gladly spend one after- 
 noon and evening with us. We had planned for 
 a two days’ rally. 
 
 Several hundred copies of a neatly printed pro- 
 gram were sent out, inviting friends and well- 
 wishers to 
 
 85 
 
86 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 “The First Anniversary 
 of the 
 
 Men’s Temperance Society 
 of 
 
 Pathankot.” 
 
 The notice also stated that an interesting pro- 
 gram had been prepared. 
 
 Two large meeting tents were hired and pitch- 
 ed alongside the Little Church, for it was no 
 longer large enough to seat the many who came 
 to the ordinary meetings, so wondrously had God 
 answered the prayer, “Oh Lord, please do fill our 
 church.” For this celebration much additional 
 room would be required. 
 
 The whole city took an enthusiastic part in the 
 preparations for this was to be the greatest event 
 Pathankot had ever had, a unique celebration in 
 which all classes and creeds would unite. 
 
 A Hindu money lender furnished the acety- 
 lene lights, others sent potted plants, one gave 
 from his own home a fine old Persian rug which 
 completely covered the temporary platform con- 
 structed of brick and lumber loaned by the girls’ 
 school. Everything was in readiness the morning 
 before the eventful day, and how happy the work- 
 ers were as they stood outside the church wall 
 and viewed the preparations they had made. 
 The Union Jack and the Star and Stripes waved 
 together from two tall flag-staffs in front of the 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 87 
 
 tents. God grant one may soon wave over a 
 dry British Empire and the other over a dry 
 United States. 
 
 Bugs, carpets, mottoes, palms, ferns and flowers 
 made the tents and their surroundings most at- 
 tractive. The half mile of road that lay between 
 the Little Church and the railway station had 
 never before been in such festive attire. Little 
 pennants of colored paper strung on rope, were 
 fastened from one side of the street across to the 
 other, so that those who passed beneath seemed 
 to be walking under an arbor of autumnal tints. 
 
 The Magistrate came out late in the evening 
 to see that all was in readiness and his trained 
 eye saw only a few minor changes that it was 
 necessary to make. 
 
 “May God give us success!” he ejaculated, as 
 he turned away to leave the grounds. 
 
 The next day, November 14th, was cloudy, but 
 no rain fell during the day. Early in the fore- 
 noon the visitors began arriving from the towns 
 and villages, some riding, some walking. It was 
 nearly three o’clock before the train arrived 
 bringing the Deputy Commissioner, the guest of 
 honor. He was met hv a temperance delegation 
 and taken straight out to our school home where 
 tea was served. His arrival was the signal for 
 the five singing parties to start from the church 
 and make the circuit of the city singing temper- 
 
88 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 ance songs at places appointed beforehand. The 
 object was that even the shut-in women might 
 know that the great anniversarj'’ of the temper- 
 ance organization was being fittingly observed. 
 
 Oh, it was a great day from beginning to end! 
 Everybody was dressed in his best for the occa- 
 sion; all faces beamed with happiness; Brahmin 
 and Chuhra felt equally at home. 
 
 The evening session which opened at five 
 o’clock was presided over by the Deputy Commis- 
 sioner. The president of the society led in pray- 
 er and read a few words of welcome. She said: 
 “Brothers, the Men’s Temperance Society which 
 was organized November 14, 1913, has been look- 
 ing forward to the day when our Deputy Com- 
 missioner would honor it by his presence, and 
 today sees this desire fulfilled.” 
 
 Then turning to the British Magistrate she 
 said, “We thank you, Mr. Watson, for all your 
 interest in this society, and we are grateful to 
 you for giving this evening to us. Pathankot is 
 trying to show what a united people can do in 
 the way of reform.” 
 
 She then touched briefly on the work of the 
 year, mentioning with special emphasis the or- 
 ganization of a Boys’ Band. Their pledge, she 
 said, was stronger and more comprehensive than 
 the men’s, for they promised to abstain not only 
 from all liquors, but from cigarettes and the 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 89 
 
 huqqa as well. They also promised to keep free 
 from the use of all bad language. The fifty boys 
 who had taken the pledge were seated on front 
 benches and looked up with honest pride shining 
 all over their faces as she told the audience about 
 their stand. 
 
 Mr. 'Watson closed the session with a splendid 
 address on temperance. It was published after- 
 wards in some of the leading Indian papers and 
 encouraged many to greater effort in battling 
 with the gigantic wrong. 
 
 In our home that evening after dinner, when 
 all had gathered around the bright wood fire in 
 the drawing room, I said to Mr. Watson: 
 
 “I’ve a great vision for Pathankot.” 
 
 “May we know what it is?” he enquired. 
 
 “It is a temperance hall for our town. We 
 have outgrown the church, and do you know my 
 heart aches for the young men of our town who 
 have absolutely no decent place in which to 
 spend the evenings, or to get a little healthful 
 recreation? I often see some of our members 
 playing cards or pachisi over the vile, open sew- 
 ers in the streets. How can they keep right in 
 such an atmosphere as that? 
 
 “Now if we had a hall, we would have a place 
 for good games in it, a reading room and ground 
 for tennis and badminton. Oh, I know it is only 
 a dream, hut I like to think about it. If I only 
 
90 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 had |he money, or better still, if I had the power 
 to get it from our Pathankot people!” 
 
 The little group smiled at my earnestness, then 
 passed on to other topics. 
 
 When the Deputy Commissioner had said good- 
 bye to each one and driven away to the railway 
 station, a missionary from a station twenty-three 
 miles distant said, “Did you hear what the Dep- 
 uty Commissioner said to you as he stepped out- 
 side the door?” 
 
 “I heard him say good night,” I answered. 
 
 “He said more than that. He said, T think 
 you will get your temperance hall.’ ” 
 
 “Did he really? Wouldn’t it be splendid? But 
 what an undertaking for our poor little town!” 
 
 The nest day at nine the meetings were re- 
 sumed in the meeting tent. All day long the 
 crowds surged in and out listening to songs and 
 addresses. The music was truly inspirational. 
 Some of it was classic eastern music. One who 
 sat as entranced listening to the playing of an 
 out-of-town guest, turned to me and said : “He 
 is throwing flowers to us from the tips of his 
 fingers.” 
 
 My heart was too full for much talking, for 
 that forenoon the Magistrate had come up to 
 where J was seated and said: “Miss Sahiba, where 
 would you like the new hall to be located?” 
 
The Temperance Hall. 
 
 The dream that came true through the help of the Deputy Commissioner, the prayers of 
 the “allies,” and the gifts of the people of the town. 
 

 
 
 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 91 
 
 I started in surprise and exclaimed, “Why, 
 what do you mean?” 
 
 “Just what I say. Where do you desire the 
 temperance hall to be located? 
 
 “The Deputy Commissioner called me over to 
 the railway station last night at midnight and 
 said that I was to see that you got the temper- 
 ance hall. I’m here ready to obey his orders, 
 and to help you.” 
 
 What could I say? Speech refused to come. 
 Only one year and what had God wrought! 
 
 A correspondent sent the following account of 
 the rally to “The Civil and Military Gazette,” a 
 government organ and the leading daily English 
 newspaper of North India: 
 
 “The Temperance Society at Pathankot 
 celebrated its first anniversary on the 14th 
 and 15th instants. The town was en fete 
 during the two days. Zaildars, lambardars, 
 and patwaris came in from the towns and 
 villages of the district accompanied by their 
 friends and well wishers. The society had a 
 small beginning a year ago but it has grown 
 to a membership of 230. Two branches have 
 been formed, one at Sujanpur with 37 mem- 
 bers and one at Nirot with 50. 
 
 “Saturday afternoon was given over to five 
 singing parties that marched through the 
 main streets singing temperance songs. 
 
92 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 1 ; 1 H 
 
 “The Deputy Commissioner of the district 
 came over for the occasion and spent the 
 afternoon and evening. He delivered a 
 strong address on temperance to the evening 
 audience, numbering several hundred people, 
 which made a deep impression. 
 
 “The bioscope entertainment by Mr. Hand 
 Lai and Pundit Surup Narain added greatly 
 to the success of the rally. 
 
 “All classes were represented on the pro- 
 gramme. The fine spirit of good will which 
 prevailed was most encouraging and augurs 
 well for the future. Sixty-two new names 
 were added to the membership on the eve- 
 ning of the last session. 
 
 “Mr. Watson consented to become patron 
 of the organization. 
 
 “The meetings closed with cheers for the 
 King-Emperor, and the Deputy Commis- 
 sioner.” 
 
 Mr. Watson sent back a few lines after his 
 visit at Pathankot saying : 
 
 “I congratulate you heartily on yesterday’s 
 rally and hope today may be equally success- 
 ful and that you may gain many recruits. 
 I enclose a cheque for Es. 50 for the Tem- 
 perance Society.” 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 93 
 
 The Eeformer from the City of the Golden 
 Temple wrote on his return home: 
 
 “Please accept my sincere thanks for the 
 kindness shown to us by yourself. You and 
 the Magistrate are to he congratulated for 
 the success of the rally. The meeting of the 
 14th was remarkable as regards the temper- 
 ance propaganda. God has sent one from 
 America to save our millions.” 
 
 Mr. Frederick Grubb, General Secretary of the 
 Anglo-Indian Temperance Association of Lon- 
 don, wrote October 14, 1914, as follows, concern- 
 ing the Pathankot work: 
 
 “The results you have already secured are 
 most encouraging and I am sure the good 
 effect will be felt over a wide area. If a net- 
 work of such societies could be established 
 throughout the Punjab, what a difference it 
 would make to the province. 
 
 “I am particularly glad to note that people 
 of all classes and creeds are rallying to your 
 assistance. It is a noteworthy fact that there 
 is no other movement in India which unites 
 all sections as effectively as temperance 
 does.” 
 
 The Anglo-Indian Temperance Association 
 was founded in 1888 by the late M. S. Caine. Its 
 president is Sir Herbert Eoberts, M. P. 
 
94 THE power-house at pathankot 
 
 A few facts gleaned from “Abkari,” the 
 quarterly organ of the Association, may be not 
 only of interest but instructive as well. 
 
 The Association has 280 branches in the In- 
 dian Empire. 
 
 What it wants to do is to save India from the 
 alarming growth of the drinking habits of the 
 population which is shown by the fact that the 
 revenue derived from the sale of intoxicants rose 
 from 1,561,000 pounds in 187-1-5 to 8,353,000 
 pounds in 1913-14, the annual yield having been 
 quintupled in thirty-five years. 
 
 The Association was formed for the promotion 
 throughout India of total abstinence principles 
 among all classes; the watchful criticism of the 
 excise administration; the encouragement of the 
 principle of local option and the final extinction 
 of the traffic in alcoholic liquors, opium, and the 
 other intoxicating drugs. 
 
 In its annual report for 1915-16 it said: 
 
 “There have been many renewed indica- 
 tions during the past year of advancing pub- 
 lic opinion in India in favor of temperance 
 reform and this has largely been attributable 
 to the example of personal abstinence which 
 was set by the King-Emperor to his people 
 throughout the empire. Tt is noteworthy 
 that the response to that action of His 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 95 
 
 Majesty was more definite in India than in 
 any other part of the King’s dominions.” 
 
 Many gatherings were held in different parts 
 of the country to express satisfaction at the royal 
 announcement. I often felt that I would like to 
 thank His Majesty personally for the help he has 
 rendered the cause up in the Punjab by his noble 
 stand. Often some discouraged worker would be 
 heard saying, “Never mind, the King is on my 
 side.” 
 
 A leader whose first touch with the total ab- 
 stinence world was in the Pathankot society, 
 evidently thought in the beginning of the work 
 that Pathankot was the prime mover of all the 
 temperance work in the world (his horizon has 
 widened since) for he arose in a meeting one day 
 and said: “Gentlemen, see wdiat has taken place 
 in the world since the organization of our Path- 
 ankot society. Eussia has followed suit, and now 
 our King-Emperor has signed the pledge.” 
 
 I have often told friends in America that if 
 the U. S. A. should go dry during my furlough, 
 this leader back in India would tell his friends: 
 “I knew it would be so; the influence from 
 Pathankot did it.” 
 
 The letters which now began coming in from 
 distant provinces asking us to tell how we had 
 started our temperance work or inviting me to 
 
g6 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 come and help organize, made me realize that we 
 were having part in a vital movement that was 
 very seriously affecting the whole of India. 
 
 In the spring of 1916, during the Easter holi- 
 days, I felt that God had opened up the way for 
 me to go to Karachi, a large seaport city on the 
 western coast of India. 
 
 A most earnest invitation had come to me 
 from an English lady missionary who worked 
 there. This request, which I had regretfully de- 
 clined because of stress of work, was followed 
 by a second saying: 
 
 “I am writing you once again to ask your 
 help. Perhaps you may be free to come to 
 us now. My heart aches when I see the aw- 
 ful strides intemperance is making here 
 among both Europeans and Indians. We 
 are moving on just a little as we have a 
 branch of the W. C. T. U. meeting once a 
 month, and I have a Band of Hope for the 
 Indian Christian boys, and I’m sure the dear 
 laddies would do their best to help you, but 
 it is the men who should he reached. 
 
 “Oh, if you could only come! 
 
 “Now don’t say ‘No’ this time, as some- 
 thing must be done to save Karachi. 
 
 “Such wonders have been done in Pathan- 
 kot, I feel quite envious for poor Karachi. 
 
 “Come over and help us.” 
 
Kaisar-i-Hind Medal. 
 
 This medal was conferred 
 upon the author by the gov- 
 ernment of India for her serv- 
 ice in the promotion of the 
 temperance cause. 
 
 (Reverse over leaf.) 
 
(Obverse over leaf.) 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 97 
 
 After prayer with the dear girls who promised 
 to uphold me every step of the long journey, I 
 left the school one evening to be absent several 
 days. It was a seven hundred mile journey down 
 to Karachi and most of the way through arid 
 sand. The heat was almost unbearable even at 
 that season of the year, but God gave me so much 
 joy that but little inconvenience was felt, and all 
 the discomforts were forgotten when the refresh- 
 ing sea breezes began blowing through the open 
 windows of the compartment as I neared this 
 great city of commerce on the second day of the 
 journey. 
 
 A hearty welcome awaited me at the mission 
 home. After an hour’s rest, time being so pre- 
 cious, plans were at once set on foot for using 
 every moment as wisely as possible. • 
 
 The next few days were packed full of meet- 
 ings and interviews. The meetings had been 
 very widely advertised. A leading daily had the 
 meetings announced in broad head lines and said 
 that people who knew anything of the grand 
 temperance work which was being done in Path- 
 ankot would be interested to hear that a leader 
 hoped soon to visit Karachi, and would meet all 
 classes and creeds interested in temperance, and 
 stated that there were many people in their city, 
 both Europeans and Indians, who would gladly 
 help to make her coming a success. 
 
98 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 From the first meeting held in the Town Hall, 
 where a fine audience greeted me, to the precious 
 half-hour’s talk with a little group of Indian 
 Christian girls Sabbath afternoon, I felt nothing 
 but sympathy and kindness. 
 
 On the morning of April first, I addressed the 
 students in the boys’ mission high school on tem- 
 perance, then from this place was taken straight 
 out to the women’s quarters where I had the 
 privilege of organizing our first women’s temper- 
 ance society. Fifty-two women, representing 
 Christians, Jews, Hindus and Mohammedans 
 united that day to help put down the evil which 
 was admittedly making rapid strides in Karachi. 
 
 That evening an organization for men was ef- 
 fected in the boys’ high school building. 
 
 Members of a Young Hindu Club calling them- 
 selves “Alim,” arranged for me to speak to their 
 members on the education of girls. About one 
 hundred of the representative young men were 
 present. The chairman in his introduction said, 
 “Ho matter what our personal feelings may be 
 about the religion the missionaries come to teach, 
 we must acknowledge the uplift they have given 
 India. It is due to their efforts mainly that the 
 education of our girls is as far on as it is. I be- 
 lieve in giving honor to whom honor is due.” I 
 never had a more attentive audience than those 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 99 
 
 aristocratic young men of Karachi. I told them 
 that I felt they would all agree with me that the 
 work in which I was principally engaged, namely 
 the education of India’s girls, was second in im- 
 portance to no other. I briefly outlined my ideal 
 for India’s womanhood and closed with instances 
 of the latent spiritual power that is being dis- 
 covered in so many of India’s women these days. 
 
 That day ended with a Bible talk given to the 
 Territorials, soldiers just fresh from British col- 
 onies. 
 
 On the return journey to the Punjab I had in- 
 vitations from temperance leaders to stop off and 
 give addresses at Hyderabad and Sukkir, both 
 large cities of the province of Sindh. I had time 
 for only one place and chose Hyderabad, a most 
 interesting city on the Indus River. 
 
 I spoke in the cool of the evening to a large 
 audience of educated people, in a beautiful hall, 
 on the temperance work that was being done in 
 the little city of Patliankot, hidden away from 
 the busy world in one corner of the Punjab. At 
 the close of the talk a gentleman arose and said, 
 “If a small place of 7,000 like Pathankot can 
 accomplish so much in this reform movement, 
 what could not this great and wealthy city do? 
 1 feel ashamed of the little we have done in the 
 face of what we have heard tonight. We want 
 
IOO 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 to thank this sister for her message and for what 
 she is doing for our people.” I took the night 
 tr-ain for the Punjab but, before reaching the 
 school home again, had two other appointments 
 to fill; the first, to address a women’s presbyter- 
 ial meeting at Lyallpur; the second, to give a 
 temperance talk to a canal colony. I had been 
 invited by an Indian Christian to visit the colony 
 at the head of a great canal. His superior officer, 
 the executive engineer, and his wife entertained 
 me in their lovely home and made all arrange- 
 ments for the meeting. It was held out on a 
 beautiful lawn in front of the rest house and was 
 presided over by the engineer. An organization 
 was formed with the executive engineer as 
 patron. 
 
 The network of societies was gradually widen- 
 ing. 
 
 I regretted that it would not be possible to 
 revisit all these places and help them in the hard 
 battle they were entering. Concerning the work 
 in Karachi I had confidence that it would pros- 
 per for the missionaries with their prayer life 
 were back of it. Without much prayer this plague 
 of drink cannot be stayed. 
 
 I went to Karachi for the temperance work, 
 but I tried never to lose sight of the fact that 
 temperance was to be used only as an avenue of 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 IOI 
 
 approach to the deep spiritual things of Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 While in the mission home I was asked on Sab- 
 bath afternoon to speak a short time to some of 
 the young women and girls in training for 
 teachers. Nothing ever gives me greater joy 
 than these meetings with the Christian girls, so 
 I went to them gladly. After prayer, I told them 
 about our girls back in Pathankot, their prayer 
 life, the praying bands, the little brown-backed 
 book in which the girls wrote some special re- 
 quests and the dates of the answers, and their 
 earnestness in trying to please Jesus in every de- 
 tail of their lives. Then I had more prayer with 
 them and left. 
 
 After my return to the school and the girls in 
 Pathankot, I received two letters from the mis- 
 sion home in Karachi, one in Urdu from the dear 
 girls, and one from the missionary in charge of 
 them. They both brought tears to my eyes and 
 joy to my heart. 
 
 The missionary wrote: 
 
 “You began a great work when you spoke 
 to our Christian teachers in the house on 
 Sunday last. * * * * 
 
 “For some little time before the girls had 
 been so naughty that we really were at our 
 wits end and didn’t know what to do, so 
 
102 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 much so that I had had to give up the train- 
 ing class and turn it into an industrial one. 
 But your words came home to them with 
 such power that the very next day they start- 
 ed having meetings among themselves, the 
 first one taken by the ringleader of naughti- 
 ness, reading the Fifty-first Psalm on her 
 knees. 
 
 “They have gone on since having two or 
 three meetings a day and have started on 
 their own account a book like your girls’, of 
 prayers and their answers. There has been 
 real work going on in their hearts of confes- 
 sion of old, unknown sins and making up 
 old, old quarrels.” 
 
 This much is quoted to show that when the 
 Holy Spirit works, discipline becomes an easy 
 matter. Surely this one message alone more than 
 repaid me for the long journey of 1400 miles. 
 
 Late in the summer of the same year an invi- 
 tation came from a large city in Rajputana to 
 come down and hold a few meetings in a Chris- 
 tian girls’ boarding school, also to give one or 
 two temperance addresses in the city. 
 
 In the latter part of September, just before 
 the opening of the school after the long holidays, 
 the way opened for me to accept the invitation, 
 and I went down. 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 103 
 
 I found a willing, waiting people. The fellow- 
 ship with the Christians was most delightful. 
 The missionary in charge was most anxious to 
 have an address given in the church on temper- 
 ance, hut lest some who should hear might not 
 come, the subject of the address was not given, 
 for, alas, there were a few who considered mod- 
 erate drinking right and resented anything being 
 said to the contrary. I am glad to record that 
 the meeting in the church that evening did stir 
 up some to place themselves in line with the 
 workers against intemperance. 
 
 I would like here to testify to the fact that 
 only once was I refused permission to speak on 
 temperance before a Christian audience. It was 
 a long way from the Punjab. A Christian young 
 man and his wife, old pupils of mine, had asked 
 me to speak, but the people flatly refused, the 
 reason being given that nearly everyone drank. 
 The excuse they gave was that they did not think 
 the Bible teaching gave a woman permission to 
 speak in public. I did a good deal of private 
 speaking about the matter, and hope yet to hear 
 of a total abstinence society in that church. 
 
 The second meeting was for the general pub- 
 lic, and it was announced throughout the whole 
 city that a lady from the Punjab would give an 
 address on temperance at five o’clock in the court 
 of the boys’ high school. 
 
104 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 Whether it was because of interest in temper- 
 ance or out of respect to the well-loved local mis- 
 sionary, certain it is that a large company of all 
 creeds came together to listen to the lady from 
 the North. My heart almost failed me when I 
 looked down on the sea of faces and realized what 
 was expected of me. I asked the little company 
 of missionaries seated nearby to pray mightily 
 that this fear and trepidation might pass away 
 and that God might find me a channel through 
 which He could speak. 
 
 Before the opening of the meeting one of the 
 missionaries said, “The people themselves may 
 tonight suggest forming an organization. I want 
 a society started, but feel it will mean so much 
 more if the initiative comes from them.” 
 
 A tall, handsome man had been pointed out to 
 me as being a wealthy business man of the city. 
 He had a keen, intelligent face and listened most 
 attentively while I told them in simple words 
 what God had done for us up in the Punjab. 
 
 When I had finished and sat down there was 
 silence for a few moments. The missionaries 
 around me remained with heads bowed in prayer. 
 
 Slowly one from the audience arose and I saw 
 it was the wealthy man who had been pointed 
 out to us. “Friends,” he began, “I don’t know 
 how you feel, but as for me, I feel we should do 
 
FARTHER AFIELD 
 
 105 
 
 something, — do it now while our hearts are touch- 
 ed. This lady has come all the way from the 
 Punjab to tell us about an evil that is ruining 
 our land. An unselfish purpose brought her 
 here. Now let us make her heart glad, as well 
 as do good to our own city, by forming a tem- 
 perance organization before the meeting closes. 
 How many agree with me?” 
 
 A great showing of hands followed and the 
 missionaries of the place as well as the one from 
 the North had the joy of seeing another link 
 added to the chain of temperance societies in 
 India. 
 
 Their prayer that night was that the land of 
 the brave Rajputs might soon be freed from the 
 grip of drink. 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 
 
Mountain Women. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER Y 
 
 AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 
 
 H OW often had the school girls and I 
 turned our eyes away from the dust, 
 heat and disease of the plains, to the 
 pure, cool, health-giving mountains, and remem- 
 bered in prayer the multitudes of people hidden 
 away in their depths, asking that in some way 
 the message of hope might penetrate to their 
 almost inaccessible homes. I love the mountains 
 and the mountain people. 
 
 Pathankot is situated on the edge of the first 
 bit of rise above the plains, back of it mounting 
 higher and higher are forest-covered ranges, 
 where live a shy people who can be won only by 
 patience, sympathy and great love, — love express- 
 ed in such a manner that it can be understood 
 by them. For that matter it is love alone that 
 will draw India to the feet of the Master. 
 
 Back of all, and thousands of feet higher, are 
 other ranges, — the topmost peaks of the world, 
 glistening with the everlasting snows. Even 
 there a brave people live battling with wild ani- 
 mals and wilder storms for a mere existence. I 
 
 109 
 
no 
 
 THli POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 have a great admiration for these hardy moun- 
 taineers. Their farms consist of a few acres, or 
 perhaps only a fraction of an acre, standing al- 
 most perpendicularly and divided into terraces, — 
 stair steps I call them, so narrow are they. A 
 heavy rain is liable to wash away the growing 
 crop. If it reach maturity, it has to be guarded 
 all day long from the thievish monkeys, and by 
 night from the depredations of the bears. The 
 lives of these farmers seem to me such a slavish 
 monotony, and yet how they love those little, 
 rocky, up-ended farms and simple homes! 
 
 Just because I love them all God sometimes 
 lets me slip away into their midst for a little 
 rest and time of communion with them. 
 
 One bright Sabbath morning in Pathankot 
 when I was teaching my class of women and girls 
 on the verandah of the Little Church from which 
 I could catch glimpses of the snowy peaks, two 
 stalwart Sikhs, members of the men’s bible class 
 and temperance society came hurriedly around 
 the corner, accompanied by a well-dressed young 
 Sikh who seemed to he about sixteen years of age. 
 The men apologized for the interruption but 
 said they felt sure I would understand when 1 
 heard the young man’s request. 
 
 He now came forward, a slender, handsome 
 boy, clad in garments of silk and white muslin. 
 He saluted me most courteously and said: 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 
 
 rn 
 
 “Miss Sahiba, I’m on my way back from Lahore 
 to my home in the mountain town seventy-five 
 miles distant. My carriage and driver are stand- 
 ing out on the road waiting impatiently to he off, 
 but I have a request which I hope you will not 
 refuse. I want to sign the pledge before going 
 hack home. My father is the chief engineer in 
 the native state in which I dwell and since he and 
 nearly all the other officials drink, some more, 
 some less, I’m in danger. I don’t want to fall 
 a victim to this sinful habit. I have heard about 
 your temperance society from these two brothers, 
 and I made bold to come in and see if you would 
 not let me become a member, too. Then, having 
 signed the pledge, when asked to drink I’ll just 
 say, ‘I promised God before the Miss Sahiba 
 down at Pathankot that I would never touch 
 liquor,’ and I’ll be safe.” 
 
 The dear boy, how he won my heart by his 
 artlessness as well as by his earnestness ! I saw so 
 plainly, more plainly than I can put down on 
 these pages, the danger he was facing. Now, one 
 of the rules of the society was that all who wish- 
 ed to unite with it must sign the pledge in an 
 open meeting before many witnesses. What 
 should I do in this emergency? 
 
 One of the Sikhs understanding my hesitation 
 said, “Miss Sahiba, will it not be satisfactory if 
 six or seven members are hurriedly gathered to- 
 
1 12 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 gether as witnesses for this little brother who is 
 so anxious to join ns?” 
 
 I decided that would be sufficient, so excusing 
 myself from the class, I went home, and there 
 in the drawing room which was always open to 
 everyone who came to see us, the young Sikh 
 signed the pledge of total abstinence. Then 
 thanking me, he went out to the carriage and was 
 soon carried out of sight up the long, white road 
 which led into the mystery of the hills. 
 
 This was not the last time such a request came 
 to us. Once an official from another native state 
 came in, signed the pledge as a safeguard, and 
 resumed his journey. 
 
 Another time a Hindu excise inspector from a 
 distant city signed the pledge before witnesses 
 in our drawing room. 
 
 I long for the people of America to know how 
 very earnest the Indian men are in this matter. 
 If the right of suffrage were granted to them, 
 without doubt India would soon stand among the 
 dry nations of the world. Their interest in the 
 question is not confined to India alone. A map 
 of the United States showing dry states in white 
 and wet in black, always interests them very 
 much. One day a man pointed to the State of 
 Pennsylvania which made such a big, solid stain 
 on the map and said, “What is the name of that 
 

 
 
 
 
 
£ 
 
 o 
 
 G 
 
 t/j 
 
 G 
 
 H JS 
 
 be 
 
 G 
 
 x 
 
 be 
 
 3 
 
 03 
 
 mountains keeping guard over all. 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS II3 
 
 black spot, and why are there no white spots 
 showing in it?” 
 
 In public addresses one has only to mention 
 the name of Kansas to receive hearty applause. 
 How much it means for a state or a nation to 
 have a name that sends out sweet fragrance to 
 the utmost parts of the earth! 
 
 I often called to remembrance the eager face 
 of that mountain boy and was glad when the 
 way opened for my sister and me to spend four 
 weeks of our summer vacation in the lovely 
 mountain valley where he lived. It was a two 
 days’ journey, fifty-five miles in a two-wheeled 
 cart drawn by two horses, with fresh relays every 
 five miles, then twenty miles we were carried in 
 palanquins. 
 
 The first view of the mountain town is obtain- 
 ed when one turns a sharp hend in the narrow 
 road, five miles distant and three thousand feet 
 above it. Surrounded by high hills, it lies spread 
 out before the traveler with its palace and other 
 buildings shining in the bright sunshine, resemb- 
 ling a jewel in the bottom of a great bowl made 
 of jade stone. 
 
 The little room assigned to us that night in 
 the travelers’ rest house beside the noisy Eavi 
 Eiver, notwithstanding its dusty walls and gen- 
 eral untidiness, seemed the most restful spot we 
 
1 14 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT ' 
 
 had ever found in our many wanderings, for we 
 were very weary. 
 
 The day after our arrival in the mountain 
 town the “boy” came out to call on us, bringing 
 a friend with him. He quietly said to me as they 
 were leaving that his father had given up drink. 
 
 Others came to call, and it was soon whispered 
 about that the little mountain town was anxious- 
 ly longing for a temperance society to be organ- 
 ized during the stay of the Miss Sahiba. Before 
 that could be accomplished, much red tape would 
 have to he unwound for this was a native state 
 ruled over by His Highness, the Bajah Sahib, 
 whose word was law. It must in justice be said 
 of him that he is one of the most enlightened 
 chiefs of all India and stands high in the estima- 
 tion of the British government under whose pro- 
 tectorate he rules. 
 
 But nothing could be done in his state without ■ 
 first receiving his permission, no meeting held 
 without his sanction. It is worthy of note that 
 no religious sect except the Christian was at 
 liberty to preach in the bazaar of the town. It 
 took nearly two weeks to get all the arrange- 
 ments completed. 
 
 Shortly after arriving I sent a note over to 
 His Highness, explaining my interest in temper- 
 ance work and asking permission to organize a 
 society in his state. A courteous reply came back 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 115 
 
 saying that he had no objections, and would like 
 to be told plans in detail so that he might know 
 in what way to help. The young prince, the heir 
 apparent, came out to the rest house with two 
 of his companions and called on us. I was not 
 a little amused at his anxiety to let me know at 
 once where he stood on the question of drink 
 and so to forestall what he supposed I would say, 
 for without a pause after introduction, he said: 
 
 “Miss Sahiba, I’m sorry, but I cannot sign the 
 pledge.” 
 
 Smiling at his impetuosity, but as gravely as I 
 could I said: 
 
 “I’m sorry that . you are unwilling to help 
 in this matter. It is young men like you, sharing 
 great responsibility, who are needed to take the 
 lead in this work.” 
 
 “Oh, but I cannot, Miss Sahiba, you don’t un- 
 derstand. I move in European society. When 
 the officers come to our club I must drink with 
 them.” 
 
 I knew how happy all the royal family and 
 every subject in the state would be if he would 
 only give up this habit which was growing strong- 
 er day by day. Oh, that all the rajahs and 
 maharajahs of India, as well as all others in 
 high official position, might realize that “one ex- 
 ample is worth a thousand arguments.” Again 
 
Il6 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 I was thankful I could point to the example of 
 the King-Emperor, George the Fifth. 
 
 The Kajah himself came later to call on me 
 and to talk over the plans for the temperance 
 rally. I found him most kind and sympathetic. 
 After thanking him for his help and interest, I 
 asked him if he would not preside over the meet- 
 ing which they had agreed should be held on 
 August 21. In reply he said, “While grateful for 
 the honor you wish to give me, Miss Sahiba, I 
 feel that I must decline, for while I’m not a hard 
 drinker neither am I a teetotaler. I drink wine 
 occasionally and I feel that the one who sits 
 as chairman should be a man of total abstinence.” 
 He was right. 
 
 Then I said, “Will you kindly appoint one to 
 the chair?” Without a moment’s hesitation he 
 named an officer high in the state as being one 
 suitable in every way, a man known as a total 
 abstainer, and one who was fearless in his 
 denunciation of the evil habit. 
 
 “I’ll tell him to call on you,” he continued, 
 “and you can make the final plans with him.” 
 
 As he departed I suggested that if further in- 
 structions were necessary I should go over to his 
 office for the information. He replied, “I couldn’t 
 think of giving you that trouble. Just drop me 
 a line and I’ll come at once to see you.” And 
 he was the busiest man in the state! 
 

 . 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Corner of the Rajah’s Palace. 
 
 A type of architecture peculiar to the mountain districts. 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 
 
 ii 7 
 
 The next day we were visited by the Hindu 
 official who had been appointed by His Highness 
 to preside over the coming temperance meeting, 
 and nearly all the plans were completed. On the 
 last day the location chosen for the meeting was 
 changed from the lower end’ of the lawn to the 
 upper end in front of the palace at the express 
 request of the Rajah, who desired that the shut- 
 in princesses might be able to see it all from 
 their windows which overlooked that part of the 
 town. 
 
 The little mountain town never looked fairer 
 than on that night. It is one of the most charm- 
 ing places to be found in all India, a well-built 
 little town on the banks of the Ravi, with high 
 mountains all around it. A wide lawn extends 
 the whole length of the palace grounds and offi- 
 cial state buildings. It is always kept in perfect 
 order, and the thing that impresses one is the 
 liberty that every one has to walk over the velvety 
 green turf or to sit upon it. Little children play 
 over it merrily all day long and no big, burly 
 policeman ever frightens them away. I wish you 
 could see the little children of that mountain 
 place, for no more beautiful little faces are to he 
 found in the world. 
 
 The town is lighted with electricity, hut that 
 night as all the people gathered to this unique 
 meeting out on the open lawn, the full moon 
 
1X8 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 rose from behind a snowy peak and shone down 
 on them with such splendor that the arc lights 
 were not needed. 
 
 An Indian correspondent sent a fine report of 
 that night’s meeting to the “Tribune,” of Lahore, 
 and part of it will be given here with parenthetic- 
 al comments. 
 
 “On the 21st August a grand meeting was 
 convened in the open chaugan, the famous 
 lawn in this mountain state, opposite the 
 palaces of His Highness. All the civil and 
 military officers, merchants and noted men 
 of the town were present and every soul in 
 the town attended the meeting. [A bit of 
 hyperbole, though it 'is certain only a very 
 few remained indoors that night.] 
 
 “His Highness with his two princes graced 
 the function. 
 
 “Bakhshi Prab Dayal was chairman of 
 the meeting. He made a fine opening speech 
 and impressed upon the minds of the listen- 
 ers the evils of intoxicants, supporting his 
 arguments by quotations of able medical 
 men, and leaders of various religions. 
 
 “Lala Nand Lai made an impressive 
 speech in which he drew a grim picture of 
 the havoc done in Indian homes by intoxi- 
 cants. He expressed great satisfaction at 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 119 
 
 the interest His Highness was taking in the 
 temperance question and the betterment of 
 his subjects. 
 
 “Miss Campbell made a very effective short 
 speech and Sirdar Sohan Singh commenced 
 the bioscopic show which lasted over an hour. 
 [This was the first time the ‘movies’ had 
 ever been seen in that mountain town, and 
 the great audience sat motionless as they 
 saw the films depicting the horrors of drink 
 in the western world.] 
 
 “A temperance society was formed on the 
 spot at the express desire of His Highness. 
 
 “The State Engineer [father of the boy 
 who signed the pledge in Pathankot] arose 
 and thanked the temperance workers in be- 
 half of His Highness and the State. At the 
 close His Highness thanked Miss Campbell, 
 and Lala Nand Lai, and expressed great 
 pleasure at the success of the meeting and 
 asked them to help the new-born society in 
 every possible way. 
 
 “The meeting had a great effect on the 
 people. Early next morning the temperance 
 songs became the pet strains of the town.” 
 
 The Reformer who had come all the way from 
 the City of the Golden Temple deserves a few 
 separate words of mention. When I wrote and 
 
120 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 asked him if he would come up to this distant 
 mountain town and bring his bioscope, he 
 immediately wired his willingness to do so, not- 
 withstanding the fact that the journey was long, 
 the season rainy, the roads in had condition and 
 no promise that expenses would he met. 
 
 When he reached the mountain town late in, 
 the evening of the 21st he was almost exhausted, 
 not having been used to mountain travel, but 
 his intrepid spirit will be seen from this quota- 
 tion of a letter sent afterwards : 
 
 “The foot of one horse got lame and I 
 was obliged to walk the last six miles of the 
 journey. My body was just rattling like iron 
 chains, but thank God, by whose grace the 
 work was successful, my mind is full of joy.” 
 
 Surely the earnestness and zeal of this advo- 
 cate of temperance in India, who works without 
 salary, will one day be rewarded by seeing his 
 beloved land free from the curse of alcohol. 
 
 A short time before leaving the charming 
 mountain town I had an unusual visitor. Early 
 one morning one of the temperance helpers, a 
 Sikh who had accompanied us on this trip in the 
 temperance movement, as well as to preach the 
 love of Jesus to the mountaineers, came upstairs 
 to the verandah where my sister and I were hav- 
 ing our morning cup of tea, and announced that 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 
 
 121 
 
 a Brahmin was down below and wished to have 
 a talk with me. 
 
 “I think you must be mistaken Hatha Singh,” 
 I said, “he probably wants to see the European 
 lady in the next room, who claims to have be- 
 come a follower of Hinduism.” 
 
 “Ho, it is you,” he repeated more emphatically, 
 “he said plainly, ‘It is the temperance lady from 
 Pathankot I want to see.’ ” Hatha Singh had his 
 own views about the European lady who had 
 accepted Hinduism, and it is not likely he would 
 have carried a message to her. 
 
 “Very well,” I replied. “I’ll come right down.” 
 On descending I found a tall, middle-aged man, 
 with a sad, worn face, standing in the vine- 
 covered porch. Receiving an invitation to enter, 
 he saluted me gravely and handed me a small 
 bunch of red geraniums, then began his story. 
 
 “Miss Sahiba, I feel that God sent you here 
 just for my sake. I’m a Brahmin, but I’m a very 
 sinful man. The other night sitting out there 
 on the lawn in the silver moonlight listening to 
 what you and others said about drink, I knew 
 every word was true. I’ve been a drunkard for 
 years. I’ve squandered great wealth. 
 
 “I am court physician. I belong to a family 
 that have served as physicians in our Rajah 
 Sahib’s court for over 200 years. Anyone here 
 in the town will tell you how successful I’ve been 
 
122 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 in my medical profession when sober. Oh, 
 wretched man that I am, to have wasted my life 
 and made my family so unhappy! The Rajah 
 himself has pleaded with me again and again to 
 give it up, but it seemed I could not. I wanted 
 to come and see you on the morning following 
 the temperance meeting, but thought I would 
 wait until I had tried again to keep from drink, 
 and now today is the tenth day since I’ve touched 
 a drop. I have now come to sign the pledge.” 
 
 I was deeply touched by his humility (those 
 who know Brahmins will understand) in thus 
 laying bare his wasted life. Every word of it 
 was afterwards verified. 
 
 I felt as I looked on his sad face and listened 
 to his words that told of futile effort, that he 
 could not stand in his own strength, and pointed 
 him to Christ. He listened attentively. He had 
 often heard before, but like so many of the high 
 caste people, said it would be so difficult to break 
 away from the brotherhood. He signed the 
 pledge and on the morning of our departure back 
 to the plains he accompanied us all the way 
 across the beautiful lawn, passed under the big 
 gate in the wall, and on down the steep, stony 
 road to the little suspension bridge over the 
 Ravi River, and then with tears in his eyes bade 
 us good-bye and asked us not to forget him. 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 
 
 123 
 
 For some time 1 had occasional messages from 
 the mountain town saying that Radha Kishen 
 the hakim was keeping his pledge. The Rajah 
 had reinstated him. Then one day the beloved 
 doctor missionary of the mountain state wrote: 
 
 “Our friend Radha Kishen is no more. 
 One day he was tempted, took a drink, fell 
 down a precipice and was so badly injured 
 that he died.” 
 
 I am not ashamed to say that I wept over him, 
 as over a brother. I could still see his sad face 
 and hear his pleading cry for help. He had tried, 
 and if temptation had not been there this would 
 not have been his end. 
 
 Oh, that we who say we love the Lord might 
 never cease our offorts until we have removed 
 such temptations from the Orient! Surely they 
 have deserved better from our hands! 
 
 The following autumn while praying about 
 where to spend the five weeks of my vacation, the 
 door opened into another mountain region sev- 
 enty miles from Pathankot, and east of the 
 mountain town where our previous vacation had 
 been spent. A kind European official, a sessions 
 judge, gave my sister and me the use of his rest 
 house in the town of the pine forest. This bunga- 
 low had six large rooms and a garden. 
 
124 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 From the little study window I looked out on 
 a wondrous view of mountain stream and bowl- 
 ders, and pine-clad rocky steeps. Ordinarily the 
 waters came tumbling down clear as crystal, over 
 the gray granite rocks where they were dashed 
 into feathery sheets of foam, but sometimes when 
 a storm swept over the upper hills, and the rain 
 descended in torrents, the flqod came down in 
 wild impetuous grandeur. 
 
 One day while busy writing, I heard an un- 
 usual roar in the noisy stream, and hastened to 
 the window to see what was happening. A wall 
 of yellow water was tumbling down the gorge at 
 a furious rate and I heard the stonebreakers who 
 had been peacefully plying their trade out in the 
 center of the bed of the stream where the quiet 
 waters played around the big bowlders, scream- 
 ing out to each other, “Run for your life, the 
 flood is upon us!” In watching these floods I 
 was reminded of some of the mighty revivals I 
 had witnessed in India, sweeping through con- 
 gregations, schools and conventions, leaving be- 
 hind them as the floods always do, an enlarged, 
 cleansed channel, through which the water of life 
 could flow more freely. 
 
 I had not been in the town of the pine forest 
 many days until a group of men, women and 
 children, all non-Christians, were coming daily 
 for Bible study and prayer. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PULAD. 
 
 The “assistant water carrier” who had heard of Christ in a way 
 so wonderful. 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 
 
 125 
 
 I must tell you about Pulad. The assistant 
 water carrier who was attached to the rest house 
 said it was impossible for him to carry two or 
 three jars of water up from the spring of sweet 
 water daily, so Pulad, a lad of ten or eleven, who 
 was hovering around the place in search of work, 
 was glad to be taken on as assistant, and as is 
 usually the case, the big burden of work fell upon 
 the assistant. He came in to prayers bright and 
 early the day after having been engaged as water 
 carrier to the household. 
 
 It did my heart good to see the sturdy limbs 
 of this boy. Most of India’s dear little ones are 
 so pitifully thin. The hurt of it all never leaves 
 me. 
 
 I began questioning him while the others 
 gathered. 
 
 “What is your name?” 
 
 “Pulad.” 
 
 “Pulad, whom do you worship?” 
 
 “God,” answered the boy. 
 
 “How many gods do you think there are?” 
 
 This puzzled him and he answered, “I don’t 
 know.” 
 
 “Which one do you worship?” 
 
 Imagine my surprise when he promptly replied, 
 “Isa Masih” (Jesus Christ). 
 
 “Pulad, who told you to worship Isa Masih ?” 
 
126 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 “Pithu tolcl me,— Pithu the brother of Gopalu 
 who lives with yon.” 
 
 Then I understood. My mind flew back to a 
 precious morning last Christmas week when a 
 beloved missionary of the Punjab, known as the 
 Apostle of Praise, and I were coming down from 
 the quaint old hill town of Kangra where we had 
 been helping in some evangelistic meetings. We 
 were in a tonga, and as we had a fresh relay of 
 horses every few miles we fairly flew over the 
 forty-mile journey down to Pathankot, but we 
 did not travel too rapidly for that devoted serv- 
 ant of God to try to give the message of love to 
 every man, woman and child we met or passed. 
 It sounds incredible, but I saw it and know it is 
 true. Once the tonga rolled rapidly past a young 
 Hindu who was walking in our direction. His 
 face looked familiar, and I exclaimed: 
 
 “Oh, that is Gopalu’s brother. I)o speak to 
 him !” Seeing my smiling welcome the young 
 man ran quickly and overtook the tonga. Mo- 
 tioning him to sit down in the only vacant place, 
 a low seat at the footboard, he clung to the jolt- 
 ing cart like a monkey, while the good padre, 
 putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder, said, “My 
 son, listen earnestly to what I have to tell you.” 
 Then in what seemed inspired words, he told 
 Pithu of Jesus Christ. He had only a few min- 
 utes, for the driver, a Hindu, objected to the 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 
 
 127 
 
 queer ways of this missionary who caught up 
 strangers by the wayside and gave them a free 
 ride. 
 
 As Pithu clambered down the padre said, 
 “Now you know the way of salvation. Remem- 
 ber the name, Isa Masih So this morning’s talk, 
 eight months later, revealed how well the way- 
 side message had been remembered. I praise 
 God when I think of it. 
 
 You who read, pray for Pulad who lives in a 
 village wholly given over to idols, high up in 
 the Himalayas. Pithu, too, remember. He was 
 at one time a drunkard and while under the in- 
 fluence of drink committed a misdemeanor which 
 sent him to jail for one whole year. 
 
 Gopalu, whose story I wish I could give in de- 
 tail, followed me down from still another 
 mountain retreat among the tea plantations when 
 only a boy of thirteen or fourteen. He learned 
 to read and write, then studied photography and 
 was soon able to make his own way. His father 
 was a well-to-do shepherd farmer, but coming 
 under the influence of a second wife, refused to 
 help support either the first wife or her children. 
 However, Gopalu, from the very beginning, loved 
 Jesus. 
 
128 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 One morning in my little study I read to him 
 the following lines which a dear brother in Christ 
 had put into Urdu verse: 
 
 “Under an eastern sky, 
 
 Amid a rabble cry, 
 
 A man went forth to die 
 For me. 
 
 “Thorns crowned His blessed head, 
 
 Blood stained His weary tread, 
 
 Cross laden He was led, 
 
 For me. 
 
 “Pierced were His hands and feet. 
 
 Three hours o’er Him beat 
 Fierce rays of noon-tide heat, 
 
 For me.” 
 
 The tears streamed down Gopalu’s face as he 
 heard these soul-piercing words of his Saviour’s 
 sufferings for him. Choking back a sob he said, 
 “Oh, it is the cruel cross and all His awful 
 suffering, that make His life shine so brightly in 
 the world today!” 
 
 Never can India’s precious ones be brought to 
 His pierced feet until the “sent ones,” too, go 
 the way of pain and suffering. 
 
AWAY IN THE HIMALAYAS 
 
 129 
 
 To resume, word soon spread through the town 
 of the pine forest that the Miss Sahiba, who was 
 stopping in the government rest house, was the 
 lady from Patliankot, who was interested in put- 
 ting down the drink evil. Timidly some of the 
 people sought me out and when they discovered 
 that I treated them as brothers, others came, 
 and it was not long until a meeting for August 
 12th had been arranged for the purpose of 
 bringing this subject before the people. 
 
 This meeting was so enthusiastic that I was 
 urged to call another one for organization. On 
 August 31st the boys’ school hall was again pack- 
 ed, and a program which covered three hours 
 was listened to intently. 
 
 Showers interspersed with sunshine came and 
 went but the ardor of the audience was so great 
 that the changeable weather had no effect. 
 
 This pine-sheltered town is the centre of a 
 great tea industry where hundreds of coolies 
 work on the plantations. The hill people, gen- 
 erally shepherd-farmers, are greatly addicted to 
 the drink of chatki and sur which they make in 
 their own hordes from rice. 
 
 Mr. Mohamed Azim, a forest officer whose 
 work takes him into the remote villages of the 
 high hills, said that drink was ruining this once 
 prosperous district, that people drank every- 
 where, in their homes, in the bazars, by the road- 
 
130 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 side, under the bridges, and in the shelter of the 
 trees. 
 
 This Mohammedan official who is keen on the 
 temperance question, at the close of an impas- 
 sioned appeal to the audience ■ to help in put- 
 ting down the great evil, said, “ I am interested 
 to the extent of 10 rupees, and will give more 
 hereafter.” Thirty-five rupees were then and 
 there raised by the fifteen members of the newly- 
 organized society, to be used as an equipment 
 fund. 
 
 This union promised to try to organize branch- 
 es in every important center throughout their 
 beautiful valley. The net was being spread 
 even in the remote mountain regions. 
 
 Prohibition is sorely needed. Indians want it, 
 and before long we hope its banner will be wav- 
 ing from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin, and 
 from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. 
 
A NATIONAL GUEST 
 

 
Building the Temperance Hall. 
 
 The crude methods employed on construction work in India. 
 
CHAPTER YI 
 
 A NATIONAL GUEST 
 
 T HE year of 1916 will ever be remem- 
 bered as the time when the temper- 
 ance society found for itself a home. 
 None too soon did it come; but some at least are 
 glad of the memory of those precious days in the 
 Little Church where the work was started and 
 where those wonderful first meetings were held 
 when enthusiasm mounted high. How often 
 have I heard the most endearing names given 
 to the House of God by those who once passed 
 by with looks of indifference and scorn. Twice 
 at least the magistrate had said to me as he 
 entered the church door, “That corner up there 
 by the pulpit is the dearest spot in all the world 
 to me, for there I gave up that evil habit which 
 caused so much unhappiness to my loved ones.” 
 
 The new home was needed, for long ago the 
 society had outgrown the Little Church. A fine 
 plot of land just across from the church had 
 been secured by the vice president of the so- 
 ciety and given over as his contribution to the 
 work. 
 
 133 
 
134 THE power-house at pathankot 
 
 Most of the town people gave liberally to the 
 building fund. A few who promised, hut failed 
 in paying up, gave under compulsion. One such 
 person one day invited the Magistrate to dine 
 with him. The Magistrate sent back a message 
 saying, “I will not enter your house until you 
 have paid over to the Miss Sahiba what you sub- 
 scribed that day on the building fund.” It was 
 paid, and then the honored guest accepted the 
 proffered hospitality. 
 
 When a few hundred rupees were in hand the 
 foundation was laid and a wall was built around 
 part of the compound. More money came and 
 the walls of the building were started. This 
 work went on until the walls were ready for 
 the roof and then the flow of money ceased. 
 Since I would not allow any debt, the work also 
 stopped. 
 
 I was in distress, and greatly tried. 'While 
 nearly all the town people were sympathetic, 
 there were those who viewed our work with sus- 
 picion, and would have been only too glad to 
 see all the work terminate in failure. Some 
 said, “After all, she is a Christian, and it is her 
 object to win us away from our old faiths, and 
 who knows what use may be made of this build- 
 ing when it is finished?” The liquor dealer 
 was rejoicing openly and saying, “She undertook 
 what she cannot finish.” Even our faithful 
 
A NATIONAL GUEST 
 
 135 
 
 helpers remained away. The winter rains were 
 near at hand and it was doubtful if those sheer, 
 straight walls eighteen feet high, unprotected 
 by a roof, would stand a forty-eight hour down- 
 pour such as Pathankot frequently had. I often 
 had visions of the walls crumbling down in the 
 rains. 
 
 Several days passed away with no relief in 
 sight. They were praying in the school, praying 
 every day, still the answer came not. 
 
 One evening after prayers with the girls in 
 the church I said, “Will all who have a little 
 leisure, please remain here with me for more 
 prayer.” A dozen or more remained, came up to 
 my chair, and sat down on the floor beside me. 
 Leaving the chair and sitting on the floor among 
 them, I told them of the great need, and of how 
 their faith was being tried, and how many were 
 looking on to see the outcome. 
 
 They poured out their hearts before God and 
 asked that they might not be made ashamed be- 
 fore the enemy. They knew not whence money 
 could come, but He knew and they left their 
 case with Him. 
 
 So they prayed several evenings; then one 
 night about nine o’clock the watchman announced 
 that two gentlemen were waiting outside to speak 
 to the Miss Sahiba. I told him to admit them 
 
136 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 and when they entered, I saw the Magistrate and 
 the Secretary. Apologizing for troubling me at 
 such a late hour, they said they had such good 
 news that they could not wait until morning to 
 break it. The Magistrate turning to the Secre- 
 tary said, “You tell her.” This is what I heard: 
 
 “Today we received five hundred rupees for 
 the roof of our hall, and now we want to know 
 what the estimate for the roof is. With this 
 sum you can begin the work, and we now know 
 where to get sufficient to finish it.” 
 
 I could not keep back the tears, and my heart 
 just seemed ready to burst at this wonderful 
 answer to prayer. The two men were deeply 
 moved, too. 
 
 “Brothers,” I said, “forgive my tears. I can- 
 not keep them back. I’ve been carrying a very 
 heavy burden of late, for you know the re- 
 sponsibility of the building rests largely on me, 
 but God is indeed faithful and has heard our 
 cry for now this wonderful answer has come.” 
 
 “Miss Sahiba,” said the Magistrate, “we said 
 today when the five hundred rupees came we felt 
 you and your school daughters must be praying, 
 for it came in such a strange way. We now 
 know where to get more, so just call back your 
 carpenters and coolies and get right at the 
 work before the rains set in and injure the un- 
 protected walls. We are sorry to have kept 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Opening the Temperance Hall. 
 
 The Deputy Commissioner officiating at the opening ceremony, and other temperance leaders. 
 
A NATIONAL GUEST 
 
 137 
 
 away so long but we were ashamed to come 
 empty handed. Now we know God does hear 
 and answer prayer. Just keep on praying and 
 all will be well.” 
 
 On May 29, before the hall was entirely finish- 
 ed, it was formally opened by Mr. Watson, the 
 Deputy Commissioner, who had received the news 
 that they had all along feared would come, that 
 he had been transferred to another district and 
 would have to leave very soon. They felt no 
 other person was so worthy as he to open the 
 Temperance Hall. No one had helped more than 
 he, not only by sympathy and admonition, but in 
 a financial way as well, for out of his own pocket 
 he had given 350 rupees toward the building 
 fund. 
 
 The opening ceremony was performed in the 
 evening, quietly and reverently, after an im- 
 pressive program. Most of the speakers took 
 this opportunity to bid farewell to Mr. Watson 
 and referred to his sympathetic and popular 
 administration in most eulogistic terms. 
 
 Mr. Watson humorously replied in a closing 
 speech that he had written to Mrs. Watson that 
 he had become very proud of hearing his praises 
 in the past week and that she would have to 
 adopt some means to knock out his pride when 
 he reached Dalhousie. A garden party at the 
 
138 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 school bungalow closed the functions of the 
 happy day. 
 
 'When it was first suggested that the National 
 W. C. T. U. of India should hold its fourteenth 
 annual convention in Pathankot, we were indeed 
 puzzled what answer to give. Heretofore this 
 organization had been entertained by one of the 
 large cities; sometimes it was Calcutta, some- 
 times Madras or Bombay had been honored, and 
 now it was willing to receive an invitation from 
 the little town of Pathankot. 
 
 I remembered how several years ago soiffe In- 
 dian friends in a certain large city had expressed 
 sympathy on my being sent by the Mission to 
 the out-of-the-way, unknown town of Pathan- 
 kot. I had answered, “Who knows, it may be- 
 come known some day.” And now God had 
 let it become known to the outside world, partly 
 through the band of temperance workers whose 
 motto was “Temperance, Purity and Unity.” 
 
 In order that the invitation might receive 
 recognition it must be sent to the national union 
 through the local society. When the Pathankot 
 group of missionaries decided that they could 
 provide food and lodging for the members of 
 the convention, I introduced the subject to our 
 executive committee. By this time the men had 
 a greatly enlarged vision of the army of workers 
 for temperance in the world, but the four let- 
 
A NATIONAL GUEST 
 
 139 
 
 ters W. C. T. TJ. mystified them. What did they 
 stand for? 
 
 Then I had the opportunity of explaining the 
 origin of the temperance work in our own country. 
 I told them that many years ago, in a small town 
 in the state of Ohio a little band of Christian 
 women met and prayed that the drink traffic 
 might he destroyed; yes, prayed kneeling even 
 in snow outside the liquor shops. These devoted 
 women, now known as Crusaders, were the 
 founders of the organization later known as the 
 Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and it 
 was a part of this organization working in India 
 that wished to come up North to hold one of 
 its big conventions. 
 
 “But how did they ever hear about our little 
 town?” one asked, with surprise. 
 
 “Because of your zeal in the temperance 
 cause,” I replied. 
 
 The Magistrate said most heartily, “These 
 good and noble women do us an honor in wish- 
 ing to visit out unpretentious town. I move that 
 we send them a most cordial welcome to our 
 hearts and homes.” 
 
 Now what preparations should he made? Many 
 suggestions were heard and committees appoint- 
 ed to carry them out. It was decided first of all 
 that the time of the convention should be in 
 the month of November and should include our 
 
140 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 anniversary days, and that the town should have 
 finer decorations than the preceding year, more 
 paper pennants, cleaner streets, larger meeting 
 tents, brighter lights, and a coat of fresh white- 
 wash on the shops of the main street. The men 
 as they talked became most enthusiastic and 
 went to work at once to raise funds for all this 
 extra expense among themselves. Some put in 
 as much as ten rupees. And so it came to pass 
 that the Men’s Temperance Society of Pathan- 
 kot, North India, had the honor of having their 
 town chosen by the 'Women’s Christian Temper- 
 ance Union, as the place of meeting for the 
 Fourteenth National Convention. 
 
 The whole town entered into this new under- 
 taking with great zeal and allowed itself to be 
 scrubbed and scoured until, on the day of the 
 arrival of the guests, it scarcely recognized its 
 own shining face. The guests probably did not 
 appreciate the transformation so much as some 
 of us did. 
 
 One motor truck and several carriages met 
 the incoming guests on the day set for the open- 
 ing of the convention. They were received on 
 the long railway platform by the temperance 
 reception committee. Tents were in evidence 
 everywhere, and the government rest house, 
 freshly painted, had been given over freely for 
 
A NATIONAL GUEST 141 
 
 the use of the guests. Soon all the tired ladies, 
 some of whom had come a thousand miles, were 
 safely housed and told to rest until evening. 
 
 The Magistrate had been given a day off so 
 that he might help the Miss Sahiba in every pos- 
 sible way. He had also been informed that it 
 would be incumbent on him as the highest offi- 
 cial of the town to give the address of welcome 
 in behalf of the people. This worried him not a 
 little, but realizing it was his duty he set his 
 teeth firmly and said, “I’ll do my best, but Miss 
 Sahiba, you know I’m no speaker. I can give 
 orders and have them executed, but I am not 
 accustomed to making speeches.” Notwithstand- 
 ing his trepidation he did splendidly, though 
 he afterwards remarked naively, “I’m glad no 
 one noticed how my knees trembled when 1 
 stood up there on the platform.” 
 
 Many full accounts of this unique gathering 
 were published and bits culled from some of 
 them will be given to show what others thought 
 of it. 
 
 Mrs. M. B. Denning, the President of the Na- 
 tional Union, wrote: 
 
 “For the first time in the history of the 
 W. C. T. U. in India we went to the North, 
 and held our convention in Pathankot, a 
 city in the Punjab. [Yes, she wrote city. 
 
THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 Lo, the unknown little town had become a 
 city of the Punjab !] 
 
 “It was a lovely spot, just in the foot 
 hills of the Himalayas and a long line of the 
 snowy range in sight all the time. The 
 air was bracing, and I told the audience 
 at the great anniversary of the Men’s Tem- 
 perance Society that it was no wonder there 
 were so many tall men up there. A fine 
 body of men they were. In the whole dis- 
 trict there are eight hundred members of 
 the society. They are Hindus, Sikhs, Mo- 
 hammedans and Christians. 
 
 “On Sabbath I addressed an audience of 
 four hundred or five hundred on the sub- 
 jects embodied in their motto, Temperance, 
 Purity and Unity. As I spoke from the 
 text ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they 
 shall see God,’ I saw many tear-dimmed 
 eyes. There was real soul-hunger in their 
 faces. 
 
 “The meeting was held in a Shamina or 
 open-sided tent. Pine looking Sikhs, Mo- 
 hommedans and various sects of Hindus 
 made up the audience. Think of these men 
 looking up respectfully and listening to the 
 President cf the W. C. T. U., a Christian 
 woman ! They saw that the message came 
 not from her but from God.” 
 
A NATIONAL GUEST 
 
 M3 
 
 Another guest wrote: 
 
 “Pathankot will stand out in the history 
 of temperance work as a banner town hav- 
 ing made leaps and hounds in definite ad- 
 vance toward victory.” 
 
 Still another reported : 
 
 “Led by Miss Campbell, one of the mis- 
 sionaries, Pathankot has a temperance or- 
 ganization of eight hundred men, including 
 a number of societies in the surrounding 
 towns and villages. It was the second an- 
 niversary of their organization. Arrange- 
 ments had been made to celebrate this an- 
 niversary with the coming of our conven- 
 tion, and to place the memorial tablet in 
 the fine Temperance Hall they are building. 
 The Deputy Commissioner, who is heart and 
 soul and by example with them, also came 
 to do honor to the occasion. Delegates came 
 in from the outlying towns and villages to 
 help form the procession as they marched 
 through the town. Never before had we 
 seen such little home-made push carts that 
 headed each delegation, carrying on them 
 their drums and musical instruments. As 
 they rolled past, each one paused in true 
 Oriental style before the assembly that their 
 singer might give his song, composed for 
 
THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 the occasion, telling of the woes of the 
 wine-cup. As he sang, the refrain would be 
 taken up by those around him. One told 
 of the Temperance Tree planted by Miss 
 Campbell, watered by the magistrate, and 
 fenced in by the Deputy Commissioner. In 
 one cart sat a cultured man from Oxford 
 University, who gladly gives his time and in- 
 fluence to help his less favored fellow- 
 townsmen. It was no town rabble, for the 
 magistrate and the leading men of the place 
 are enthusiastic members of the Society. 
 
 “For two nights the shamina was throng- 
 ed. At one time fully one thousand were 
 present. They came to hear and see magic 
 lantern pictures showing the evils of intem- 
 perance. Some were lurid views by ama- 
 teur artists, in Oriental colours and settings, 
 much more appealing to an Indian crowd 
 than the cold, dull plates of western life that 
 cannot be understood. Eesolutions were 
 passed asking the Punjab Government to 
 close all liquor shops during all religious 
 festivals and to suppress the use of cigar- 
 ettes by minors. 
 
 “We heard many touching incidents. For 
 one poor drunkard who they feared might 
 break his pledge, the saloon was watched 
 by day, and some brother at night would 
 
A NATIONAL GUEST 
 
 145 
 
 take his bedding and sleep by its door to 
 guard his secret entrance. Another mis- 
 trusted one had to place the forfeit of fifty 
 rupees with the society as a security for his 
 standing firm. 
 
 “We could not close this report without 
 mention of the spiritual side of these meet- 
 ings. Amid the rush of business how often 
 was heard the call to prayer, and our hearts 
 were uplifted as one of David’s Psalms, 
 wrung from his heart in some great hour 
 of trial or triumph, was sung in gladness 
 and trust as of one voice. Over and over 
 the thought would come, we are among 
 women who know how to touch the Arm of 
 Power, who have been with the Master in 
 the garden of anguish and have seen Him 
 on the Mount of Transfiguration. And so 
 while all would walk humbly, know that the 
 White Ribbon banner is being nailed higher, 
 with the hope that some day it will float 
 over a world redeemed from the curse of 
 drink.” 
 
 “The Civil and Military Gazette” had a fine 
 notice of the meeting. It said: 
 
 “A most interesting ceremony took place 
 at Pathankot on Saturday, Nov. 13th, when 
 the cornerstone of the new Temperance Hall 
 
146 
 
 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 was laid by Mr. H. D. Watson, the popular 
 Deputy Commissioner of Gurdaspur district. 
 After his address in which he congratulated 
 the inhabitants of Pathankot on their zeal 
 in this cause and bade them God-speed in 
 their efforts to improve the condition of 
 their fellow men, he proceeded to lay the 
 cornerstone of the fine new hall. 
 
 “Beneath a large tent the company as- 
 sembled, while pennants fluttered in the 
 breeze and songs and music filled the air. 
 The enthusiasm of the great audience was 
 an inspiration to all. 
 
 “In a separate building the National W. 
 C. T. U. of India held its meetings. Dele- 
 gates were present from all over India, some 
 from the mountains and some from far dis- 
 tant places in the plains, all delighted to see 
 the great interest of the Indian people of 
 Pathankot in this cause. 
 
 “The women of this great organization, 
 which has as its chief aim pure homes and 
 pure lives, were interested in and greatly 
 encouraged hy the zealous efforts of the 
 members of the Men’s Temperance Society 
 of Pathankot and congratulated them and 
 their leader.” 
 
A NATIONAL GUEST 
 
 147 
 
 The third anniversary took place Nov. 12, 
 1916, and was celebrated with great eclat in the 
 new hall. How beautiful it looked to our eyes! 
 The people were greatly stirred and filled with 
 gratitude and wonder. One was overheard say- 
 ing, “Just to think that we poor people should 
 have been able to erect such a beautiful tem- 
 ple?” Two of the first delegates who arrived 
 came from Nirot where the liquor shop was 
 closed and said, “We have come to tell Pathan- 
 kot friends of the great blessing conferred on 
 us by having prohibition in our town.” 
 
 At 2 P. M. the new Deputy Commissioner, Mr. 
 Bosworth Smith, and his wife motored over from 
 Gurdaspur. He made an earnest appeal to all 
 to keep the pledge. A message came from our 
 friend Mr. Watson, the former Deputy Commis- 
 sioner, now of Jullunder. He said: 
 
 “I wish you all blessing on this auspicious 
 occasion. May your new habitation be a 
 great success. May you go from strength to 
 strength and prove a great power for good 
 in your part of the Punjab.” 
 
 At the close when the call was given to come 
 forward and sign the pledge, the first to step out 
 was a European who had been a hard drinker 
 for thirty years. His name had been on the 
 school prayer list. The effect of his public stand 
 was great. 
 
I48 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 An Arya Somaj member of the village asso- 
 ciation said, “The one whom the Miss Sahiba 
 follows, Jesus Christ, died on the cross to save 
 men, and His Spirit has caused her to help save 
 us from this awful curse.” Such testimony from 
 this source was soul-refreshing! 
 
 A missionary from Eawal Pindi wrote: 
 
 “What hath God wrought! It is just 
 grand about your Temperance Hall. I never 
 heard anything like it outside of fairy land 
 or the Bible. 
 
 “How we do praise for it all and are re- 
 membering the leaders in our prayers. God 
 hless and prosper all your work more and 
 more wonderfully.” 
 
 Before the year 1916 closed the school, dis- 
 pensary and temperance hall were visited by His 
 Honor Sir Michael O’Dwyer, Lieutenant Gover- 
 nor of the Punjab, and Lady O’Dwyer, and the 
 Commissioner and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Casson. 
 All had tea in the little drawing room of the 
 school home afterwards. On their departure the 
 ladies thanked us for giving them the privilege 
 of meeting with the staff of Indian young wom- 
 en. They said it did their hearts good to see 
 such refinement and culture, and it promised well 
 for the future of India. 
 
The Dispensary. 
 
 Erected by the Hindus of the town on condition the missionaries would conduct it for the 
 
 help of the women and children. 
 
A NATIONAL GUEST 
 
 149 
 
 His Honor, after inspecting the hall, gave us 
 reason to believe that after the war the Govern- 
 ment would give a substantial sum which would 
 enable us to add a verandah on three of its 
 sides. 
 
 I had the privilege of attending the thir- 
 teenth session of the All-India Temperance Con- 
 ference in Lucknow, Dec. 27 and 2S, 1916. 'While 
 there. I learned what earnest efforts are being 
 made by some missionaries and Indian men to 
 stamp out the evil of drink. The President, 
 The Hon. Eai B. N. Sarma, of Madras, said in 
 the closing part of his long address, that the time 
 had come when the government and temperance 
 reformers should place total abstinence in In- 
 dia as the ultimate goal to be reached in a not 
 distant future. To this our friends in America 
 will say, “Amen.” 
 

 
 
 
THE PREM SANGAT 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE PREM SANG AT 
 
 T HE Men’s Temperance Society of Path- 
 ankot was without doubt the result of 
 the prayers of the “allies” in the 
 girls’ school, hut it received great encourage- 
 ment and help from the Men’s Bible Class, bet- 
 ter known in Pathankot as the “Prem Sangat” 
 or “Band of Love.” Three years before the be- 
 ginning of the temperance movement, some 
 Sikhs and Hindus became so interested in the 
 Bible lessons at morning prayers in my study 
 that they began bringing in their friends to hear 
 God’s word. 
 
 It was not long until the room was too small to 
 accommodate all who wished to come. The sug- 
 gestion was then made that if they were willing 
 the class might be held in the Little Church 
 early on Sabbath mornings, before the time for 
 the regular services of the day. We arranged 
 that the first bell to ring should he the signal for 
 the Prem Sangat to meet for the Bible lesson. 
 
 This was heartily agreed to. From that time 
 on every Sabbath morning at seven o’clock the 
 church bell told the people of Pathankot that 
 
 153 
 
154 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 any who wished might come to hear the Bible 
 taught. 
 
 The class grew steadily in numbers and inter- 
 est. It was made more efficient by being thor- 
 oughly organized. It chose its own secretary and 
 treasurer. In a short time they had enough 
 money in hand to secure a double drum, a small 
 harmonium and a seven-stringed instrument, and 
 it was wonderful how popular their music be- 
 came. The international lessons were taught 
 with the help of beautiful picture rolls. 
 
 What a help those illustrations were! The 
 pictures of our Lord appealed to the hearts of 
 the Hindus in a very special way. The Sikhs, 
 who never cut their hair nor shave their beards, 
 often said when commenting on the long hair 
 of our Lord, as shown in the pictures, “See, He 
 wore His hair as we do!” 
 
 It was not long until it was noised abroad that 
 some of these men had turned Christian. Then 
 began petty persecutions. 
 
 The wife of one would not allow her husband 
 to eat in the place set apart for that purpose. 
 The Hindu religion requires the performance of 
 certain rites, one of which is to practice a great 
 aloofness in the preparing and partaking of 
 food. A small square place in the kitchen is 
 freshly plastered each day and sprinkled with 
 
THE PREM SANGAT 
 
 155 
 
 water for purification. In this place the head 
 of the house eats his food. 
 
 This big, strong man, now under the ban of 
 the Sikh brotherhood, aided and abetted by the 
 irate and disgusted little wife, was made to sit 
 outside the purified corner and eat his food, just 
 like a low caste menial. One day when I asked 
 him how he, a Sikh, could so patiently bear the 
 insults heaped upon him by his wife, he replied, 
 “I scarcely understand the reason myself. In 
 former days for a much smaller offense I would 
 have beaten her and flung her outside the door, 
 but something has changed in me since I began 
 to love the Lord Jesus. Now I feel only pity for 
 her, and pray that I may be patient and so help 
 her to see the light as I see it, and find Him 
 who has given me this inward peace.” 
 
 Another Sikh member of the class was de- 
 nied food for three days in his home because he 
 would not promise to give up the Bible Class. 
 
 When the temperance society was organized 
 the members of the Prem Sangat became the 
 most ardent personal workers. They were busy 
 men, some farmers, others artisans, and for them 
 to give up even one whole day to this work 
 meant much. In their zeal to save their brothers 
 from drink they sometimes arranged to attend 
 the great religious festivals where thousands of 
 people congregate. In some clean, shady spot 
 
156 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 they would pitch their tent, having put the 
 name of their Band over it, bring out their 
 musical instruments, sing first a temperance 
 song, then turn away to the psalms and hymns 
 they loved so well and sing by the hour to a 
 delighted hut puzzled audience. “Who are these 
 men?'"’ they would say. “We see before us the 
 bearded, long-haired Sikhs, and all are dressed 
 just as we dress, -hut what about these songs? 
 They are singing about one Jesus whom the 
 Christians follow.” 
 
 The singers would say, “When you hear words 
 that do not please you, just get up and go away. 
 We have found great comfort in what we are now 
 singing to you and that is one reason we came 
 here today; the other reason is to tell you of 
 the ruin that is coming to our Tun jab because 
 of the drink habit.” 
 
 They always came home full of joy and with 
 many signatures to the temperance pledge. After 
 returning from one of these gatherings they 
 usually had a little secret conference with me in 
 the school study to tell of some who, like them- 
 selves, were beginning to love the Lord. 
 
 Deep down in my heart is a hope growing ever 
 stronger, that from this Band a church will yet 
 be formed that will be self-supporting and self- 
 propagating. How these men loved the book of 
 Bevelation! This was the last hook I had the 
 
THE PREM SANGAT 
 
 157 
 
 privilege of teaching to the “inner circle” who 
 met every morning for Bible study. 
 
 One morning the sorely tested Sikh after 
 hearing the sixth chapter read, said, “Now I un- 
 derstand why this war is going on. God fore- 
 told it. The red horse and his rider have come 
 and taken peace from the earth.” 
 
 From prayers he walked straight down to the 
 bazar and told many people that if they wanted 
 a program of coming events, to go up to the 
 girls’ school and the Miss Sahiha would tell them 
 all about it. Many came, and said, “Do tell us 
 about the red horse, and the black, and the white, 
 
 that N keeps talking about in the bazar.” 
 
 This gave a wonderful opportunity to tell them 
 about the coming of the King and without doubt 
 a deep impression was made. 
 
 One morning N came in with a beautiful 
 
 light in his face and said, “Coming up the road 
 this morning I saw the most wonderful clouds 
 in the sky, so soft, and white and I said to my- 
 self, ‘It may be He is coming in these.’ ” 
 
 The Prem Sangat had very original ways of 
 building up its membership and attendance. 
 Early on Sabbath mornings one of the members 
 would he stationed by the side of the church gate 
 near where the roads meet, to call out to passers- 
 by, “0 brothers, turn aside for a little and come 
 
158 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 into this House of God where you will hear that 
 which will do your soul good.* 5 
 
 One day the father of Kirpu was standing 
 there calling, when a man leading a goat came 
 along and received the invitation. “But broth- 
 er,” he said, “I can’t go in and leave my goat. 
 It would either be stolen or stray away.” 
 
 “0, never mind the goat,” he replied, “just 
 bring it along, too.” 
 
 Later when I took my place before the class 
 and saw that man sitting in the corner of a pew 
 holding a goat by one of its long ears, and no one 
 taking any notice of it, I was glad that I was 
 able to keep hack the smile at the novel sight, 
 and was not ashamed of the tears that filled my 
 eyes when I thought on the earnestness of these 
 men, still outside the pale of the visible Church, 
 yet working so earnestly to bring others to hear 
 the words they had learned to love. Surely the 
 Lord Jesus looked down on them in love. 
 
 One week-day morning when the “inner cir- 
 cle” was having its lesson, a Mohammedan 
 stranger came in and sat down. As I finished tell- 
 ing them that there is no salvation save in Jesus 
 alone, and that He is the Son of God, the Mo- 
 hammedan said, “I admit that Jesus was a 
 great prophet, hut more than that, I cannot con- 
 cede.” 
 
 1 
 
THE PREM SANGAT 
 
 159 
 
 The father of Ikirpu, who was a fine, hand- 
 some man, arose and said, “0 Mohammedan 
 brother, Jesns Christ is more than prophet. He 
 is the Son of God/’ 
 
 How that declaration, so simply yet so clearly 
 given, has comforted my heart since. It was 
 the last time the speaker ever attended morning 
 prayers. He fell ill from a fatal disease and was 
 taken away from us, but he had left behind his 
 public confession. 
 
 The members of the temperance society also 
 did much personal work. One of their special 
 duties was to strengthen the weak and keep 
 them from falling. One day I suggested the 
 appointment of a look-out committee. Usually 
 the men accepted my suggestions without com- 
 ment, but this one did not please one of the 
 wealthy Sikh members who had given up drink. 
 He arose and said, “Miss iSahiba, a look-out 
 committee is not needed. If you only knew how 
 every member watches with the greatest vigil- 
 ance every other member, you would see that 
 such a committee would be superfluous.” 
 
 Three young men of the fast set were de- 
 termined not to unite with the temperance so- 
 ciety. On the day of the monthly meeting, in 
 order to escape the efforts of the zealous tem- 
 perance workers to get them to attend, they 
 used to hide in some dark inner room in their 
 
l6o THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 homes and remain hidden for at least twelve 
 hours. They said, “Whoever wishes liberty to 
 drink must keep away from that church. Once 
 you go inside the temperance meeting you can- 
 not get away without signing the pledge; once 
 it is signed you have to keep it for the whole 
 town will see to it that it is kept.” 
 
 The drink shop was well guarded. Imme- 
 diately back of it, the Magistrate held his court; 
 at one side the superintendent of police, a very 
 tall, broad-shouldered man, a Mohammedan and 
 temperance advocate, had his office; while in 
 front of it stood the government hospital for 
 men, with the Hindu doctor, a strong pillar in 
 the temperance society, in charge. This doctor 
 offered to prescribe free of charge to all drinkers 
 who might suffer from having given up drink. 
 Some, I believe, did suffer agony, but very little 
 was ever said about it. Many said that after 
 three months’ freedom from drink the desire 
 had gone but I knew they were always in danger 
 when they had to smell it in passing by the 
 shop. 
 
 The Sikh who had lost all his wealth through 
 drink was a teacher in the government school for 
 boys. He told me that sometimes when a ter- 
 rible craving for drink came over him, he would 
 feel himself being drawn almost irresistibly to- 
 ward the drink shop, then realizing his danger, 
 
’ • 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 ( 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Classes in Calisthenics. 
 
THE PREM SANGAT l6l 
 
 he would turn and flee away to the open country, 
 walking miles and coming hack utterly exhaust- 
 ed. 
 
 If Christian rulers could only see the cruelty 
 of putting men, made in God’s image, in such 
 danger! 
 
 Tobacco was not mentioned in the pledge 
 taken by the men, but some gave up its use. 
 The Secretary, like nearly all Mohammedans, 
 smoked and loved his pipe. One day in thinking 
 over all he had seen in the temperance work he 
 said, “What a selfish man I am ! I see all my 
 poor brothers around me giving up drink and 
 fighting so bravely the craving for it. Shall I 
 not suffer a little with them? I’ll give up the 
 huqqa.” And he did. 
 
 One day the school girls came to me and said, 
 “Miss Sahiba, we would like to organize a tem- 
 perance society in our school. We know that 
 we do not face this evil here, or in our homes, 
 but we want to study the question so that wheD 
 we go out into the world we may be able to help 
 save others. Besides, there is one wasteful 
 habit practiced in nearly all our homes. Our 
 fathers and brothers smoke and sometimes the 
 women smoke too. Please teach us about the 
 evil effects of nicotine, in order that we may 
 be able to talk intelligently about it.” The or- 
 
162 the power-house at pathankot 
 
 ganization was effected with about thirty mem- 
 bers and held monthly meetings. 
 
 It was not long until the girls began praying 
 very earnestly that their fathers and brothers 
 might give up the use of tobacco. Requests 
 like these became common: “Please pray that 
 my father may give up the huqqa,” or “Please 
 pray -that my brother may see the sinfulness of 
 using cigarettes.” 
 
 In a remarkably short time some answers be- 
 gan coming in and the praise offered did my 
 heart good. There were three sisters in the 
 school who had a great burden for their aged 
 father, a pastor, who felt he could not give up 
 the pipe. The girls always asked for prayers 
 on his behalf. One evening one sister said, 
 “Father says smoking is a social custom. He 
 thinks he can draw closer to the village people 
 by smoking the huqqa. He also says it is easier 
 to think out his sermons when he is smoking.” 
 
 It was suggested that they keep praying that 
 he might see that a little prayer meeting with 
 the village people would be a stronger bond to 
 unite them than the social custom of smoking. 
 
 As girl after girl reported victory in her honm 
 over the tobacco habit, these three sisters be- 
 came very much disturbed and their prayem 
 were most touching. At last one evening 1 
 knew there was something good to hear for 
 
THE PREM SANGAT 
 
 163 
 
 they came to prayers with their faces wreathed 
 in smiles. Rosa, the eldest, at the first oppor- 
 tunity arose and said, “Girls, rejoice with ns. A 
 letter came from home today from dear father. 
 He says that God has enabled him to give up 
 his pipe and has taken away all desire for it. 
 He also wrote that never before had he such joy 
 in his work as now, being no longer a slave to a 
 habit.” Greatly did all rejoice with the three 
 sisters. 
 
 The missionary in G had a great burden 
 
 on his heart for the pastors and other Christian 
 workers who were addicted to this habit but 
 felt that they regarded it as only a little thing 
 and not worth speaking about. Presbytery was 
 to be held in his station. He arranged for a 
 part of one of the sessions to be given to the 
 Reformer from the City of the Golden Temple. 
 An elder from the Pathankot congregation who 
 went over as a delegate announced on his return 
 that he had given up the noxious weed. He said, 
 
 “I attended the meeting of Presbytery in G . 
 
 A man had come to us from a distance to give 
 a talk on temperance. His first words were — 
 ‘Brothers of the Christian faith, I know I am 
 standing before an audience tonight that hates 
 liquor as much as I do, so will not take your 
 time in dealing with this evil, but forgive me 
 if I do speak a few words concerning a habit 
 
1 64 THE power-house at pathankot 
 
 which the Indian Christians have not yet thrown 
 off to any great extent. I refer to the use of to- 
 bacco. Now your religion is, of all religions, the 
 most spiritual. Your Christ calls on his fol- 
 lowers to lead pure lives. Why sully them with 
 the dirty habit of smoking?’ 
 
 “These words,” said the elder, “pierced my 
 heart. I said to myself — ‘This man, a Hindu, 
 yet speaking to us of the purity of our faith 
 and begging us not to tarnish it with the filthy 
 habit ! I’ll give it up.’ ” 
 
 Later almost all the leading Christian workers 
 in that district gave up the use of tobacco. 
 
 The matter was agitated in other presbyteries 
 and when synod next met there were few minis- 
 ters and elders who sought quiet corners for the 
 friendly smoke; rather did the few remaining 
 smokers seek places of concealment to have their 
 smoke in peace. Such is the power of prayer! 
 
 One of the good results growing out of the 
 temperance agitation was the abhorrence that 
 people began to have for the drink shop and all 
 connected with it. No one wanted it placed near 
 his home. The new Deputy Commissioner sent 
 over word one day to the temperance society in 
 Pathankot, that while he did not see his way 
 clear as yet to close the shop entirely, he did 
 give the society permission to have it removed 
 from its present position on one of the main 
 
THE PREM SANGAT 
 
 165 
 
 streets to the most undesirable place they could 
 find. This order came on Nov. 22 , 1916. The 
 Magistrate who had been such a power in the 
 temperance cause had been transferred from the 
 town of Pathankot to the great city of the Golden 
 Temple, a promotion which showed how well he 
 stood in the estimation of the government. The 
 title of Kai Sahib, an honor bestowed by the 
 government upon Indian gentlemen for some 
 conspicuous social or political service, had also 
 been conferred upon him. 
 
 Fortunately his successor was also heart and 
 soul with the temperance cause. It was through 
 him that the order came from the Deputy Com- 
 missioner. He sent a note over to me saying, 
 “The Deputy Commissioner wants to put the 
 drink shop in a more distant place. Please let 
 me know where, in your opinion, it should be 
 placed.” 
 
 The members of the executive committee were 
 called and we started out to find a new home for 
 the drink shop. We stopped first in a tiny, three- 
 cornered hit of land, belonging to the govern- 
 ment, which the Magistrate thought might be as 
 inaccessible as any place in the town, but it hap- 
 pened to be near the home of the European who 
 had lately signed the pledge. He objected so 
 strenuously to having it so near his home that 
 we moved on in search of another place. We 
 
l66 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 next came to the Sikh quarters and found on the 
 outer edge a piece of unfilled land covered with 
 refuse from the village street. It was sug- 
 gested that this might be a good place to locate. 
 The odor from the shop would partly be lost in 
 the many foul odors that already abounded in 
 that unclean spot. While discussing the matter 
 a Sikh came up and said, “Brothers, the only 
 path our women have to go in and out of our 
 quarters is past this spot and if you decide to 
 place the shop here I shall he obliged to appeal 
 to the higher authorities for redress.” 
 
 Not wishing to place the objectionable thing 
 in any place it was not wanted, the committee 
 walked on until they came to the butchers’ quar- 
 ters where Mohammedans kill and dress beef 
 for sale. Now this portion of the town is never 
 entered by the orthodox Hindu, who, because of 
 his great reverence for the cow, counts it sacri- 
 lege to slaughter cattle. 
 
 A Hindu lawyer, a bright young man and good 
 temperance worker, laughingly suggested that 
 if we really desired the wiping out of the shop 
 we could find no better place to locate it than 
 here beside the butcher shop, for he said, “The 
 Mohammedans who frequent this place do not 
 as a rule drink, and no Hindu would dare set 
 foot inside the enclosure no matter how much he 
 might be longing for a drink.” 
 
THE PREM SANGAT 
 
 167 
 
 This matter of slaughtering cattle is perhaps 
 the cause of more religious disturbance in India 
 than any other. Kemember this, the Magis- 
 trate who always had thoughts of law and order 
 in his mind, said the government might not think 
 it wise to have the shop placed there. 
 
 There seemed to be no place for the drink 
 shop, — no place, either suitable or unsuitable. 
 At last when all were weary from the long walk 
 about the outskirts of the town, the Magistrate 
 stopped in a field and said, “Do we not have a 
 temperance society in Pathankot ? Have we 
 not erected a fine hall for our society? 'What 
 do we want with a drink shop? Let us vote it 
 out of the place. Let us get 3,500 signatures 
 and send them up to our Deputy Commissioner 
 begging him to close the drink shop in Pathan- 
 kot once for all.” To this all agreed. 
 
 A few weeks later hundreds of signatures 
 over a request for closing the shop were sent 
 up to the authorities. Having to leave India 
 about that time I could not see the matter push- 
 ed through, hut I rejoice that the town put 
 itself on record as being wholly against drink. 
 
 The liquor dealer lost heavily in his business. 
 Once he approached a young Hindu lawyer and 
 said to him, “I’ve suffered great loss because of 
 this temperance society. Now I’m going to bring 
 
/68 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 a suit against it and I want you to take up the 
 ease for me.” 
 
 The young man in replying said. “I’m afraid 
 you are too late in making your request. A few 
 weeks ago I became a member of that society 
 myself.” 
 
 One incalculable good accomplished by the 
 missionary’s taking an active part in the tem- 
 perance cause w r as the help in removing the stain 
 that rested upon the Christian name. Over and 
 over again does one hear it said that to be a 
 Christian means liberty to use alcoholic bever- 
 ages. 
 
 Miss Louisa Marston in her little book, “Vic- 
 tory or Defeat,” a temperance story published 
 in India in 1912, makes one of the characters 
 w r ell say: 
 
 “What about the blessed name of Christ 
 our Lord? How r is that affected? For to 
 those who call themselves Christians this 
 should be a vital point. 
 
 “In this land wdiat causes the greatest 
 slur on that holy name? Surely it is that 
 His followers are those who are known to be 
 drinkers of alcohol. If this be so, surely 
 we should say, Away with it! Away with 
 it! We will have naught to do with that 
 w'hich causes the name of Jesus to be bias- 
 
THE PREM SANGAT 
 
 169 
 
 phemed. Hundreds of years ago the cry 
 went forth through all Christendom to 
 rescue the sepulchre of Christ from the 
 hands of unbelievers who held it and at 
 the call men sprang to their feet with the 
 cry, ‘Let us avenge the shame of Jesus.’ 
 
 “Today that call comes to us. Let us 
 avenge the shame of Christ Jesus in this 
 land, let us wipe the stain from the name 
 which is above every other name, and let it 
 cease to be said that His followers are 
 known by their love and use of alcohol, let 
 them rather be known by their pure, holy 
 lives, by their hatred of all that is evil.” 
 
 Just before leaving dear India two letters 
 were sent to me by two Sikh members of the 
 Prem Sangat, which I prize more than any other 
 possessions I have. The older of the two wrote — 
 
 “It was by the command of our Heavenly 
 Father that you started the temperance so- 
 ciety and the ‘Prem Sangat’ Bible Class. 
 All of Pathankot will be grateful to you all 
 their days. 
 
 “I want briefly to give you my history. 
 God gave ine a love for Him from the days 
 of my childhood, but I did not know where 
 to find Him. I visited all the- different re- 
 
170 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 ligious bodies, I read all the sacred books, I 
 consulted many religious teachers, but no 
 one could tell me where to find Him. 
 
 “While in this condition of unrest about 
 five years ago, I began coming to your Bible 
 Class, and listened while you taught from 
 the holy book. From it I learned that the 
 dear Lord, having conquered death, went 
 up alive to the Heavenly Father, from 
 whence He had come. Then I knew where 
 to find God. Peace and joy came into my 
 heart and I kept on coming to your meet- 
 ings. One night in June, 1916, at eleven 
 o’clock, I was lying on my back meditating 
 on what I had read in the gospel of Luke, 
 when I distinctly heard a voice saying, ‘Who 
 is my servant?’ I sprang up and replied, 
 ‘I am,’ and before me I saw such a beautiful 
 person standing clad in shining garments 
 looking down upon me with such tender- 
 ness. In a few moments the vision vanished, 
 but my heart was filled with rapture for 
 I knew I had seen Him.” 
 
 The younger Sikh wrote: 
 
 “I am grateful to you with all my heart 
 for your most earnest endeavours in lead- 
 ing me, a great sinner, into the knowledge 
 of the way of salvation. My heart used to 
 
THE PREM SANGAT 
 
 171 
 
 be like stone, but since hearing about the 
 Lord Jesus it has become like wax. Now I 
 have light. Now I see the way. I love the 
 Lord Jesus with my whole heart. I know 
 no other. I believe that there is only one 
 door, and besides Jesus I see no one else 
 who can save me. 
 
 “At first I was in darkness. I thought 
 there were many roads that led to God, 
 but sister, you held out the true light, the 
 word of God, and I saw Jesus. 
 
 “I was an ignorant man, but you explain- 
 ed to me so clearly that I understood. Like 
 as a fish without water dies, so I without 
 love, would surely die.” 
 
 After receiving this letter I learned from a 
 Christian brother that the writer had called him 
 into the Little Church and said, “Let us kneel 
 and pray.” He prayed that he might write me 
 nothing but the truth, then said, “You write 
 what I dictate,” and the above was his message. 
 

THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Mountain Stream. 
 
 Through most of the year a limpid stream fed from the perpetual 
 snows, but during the monsoon season a 
 rushing torrent. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH. 
 
 O NE evening while standing on the front 
 verandah Bible in hand waiting for 
 the signal for evening prayers, I heard 
 voices calling down from the roof, “0, Miss 
 Sahiba! 0, girls! Do look at the beautiful sun- 
 set. Surely the gates of Heaven are open to- 
 night !” A group of girls, who, like myself, were 
 waiting for the call to prayers, had their faces 
 turned toward the glory of the departing day. 
 
 The sunsets of Pathankot are always worth 
 stopping a moment to see, but that night the 
 sky seemed lit up with unusual splendor. The 
 sun had set behind the old fort in a bank of 
 huge, grey, sullen clouds which threatened to 
 cover the whole heavens with darkness, but the 
 sun had yet to put the finishing touch to his 
 wrnrk of the day. He flooded the clouds with 
 gold. Great streams of gold shot through with 
 streaks of silver poured over those mountains of 
 vapor, while on the outlying rim of the grey, an 
 unseen hand seemed to be scattering rose buds of 
 faintest pink. 
 
 175 
 
1/6 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 I turned toward the long ranges of the Him- 
 alayas, so serene and still, and as I looked 
 cloudlets that rested so lightly on the highest 
 peaks began to take on faint touches of the rosy 
 hue. 
 
 The master hand of the Divine Artist again 
 swept across the sky and the lovely touches of 
 color gradually faded away giving place to the 
 pure, deep purple of the dusk, out of which shone 
 with unwonted brilliance the evening star. 
 
 As we slipped quietly into the Little Church 
 for our evening devotions, the impressions of the 
 sunset were still vividly with us and gave added 
 fervor to the song service which preceded the 
 evening lesson and prayer. 
 
 At the close of the Bible lesson for several 
 evenings I had been reading a little booklet to 
 the girls which contained the story of the mar- 
 tyrdom in Tibet of an aristocratic, young Sikh, 
 Kartar Singh, who had forsaken all for Jesus. 
 The book was written by Sundar Singh, who 
 was also a convert from a fine, old Sikh family 
 and who had given up everything the world 
 counts dear for the love he bore to his Saviour. 
 
 We in the school all longed to meet Sundar 
 Singh, and hear from his own lips his wonder- 
 ful experiences as he traveled into the depths 
 of the forbidden land of Tibet. The members 
 of the Men’s Bible Class also longed most 
 
THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH 
 
 177 
 
 earnestly to see and talk with the man who had 
 faced death so many times for Jesus’ sake. They 
 somehow felt he could understand their posi- 
 tion. They shed tears over the account of the 
 jmung martyr who had bravely followed the 
 Master’s leading from the plains of the Punjab 
 to the bleak heights of Tibet, and there alone, 
 surrounded by a cruel, jeering crowd of Tibet- 
 ans had given his life gladly for the sake of Him 
 who had died for him. 
 
 A chorus of voices in Pathankot now began 
 asking me to call Sundar Singh, but it was not 
 easy to know where to find him. He had no 
 fixed abiding place. At last the invitation that 
 was published in the vernacular weekly Chris- 
 tian paper, “Scattering Light,” reached him, and 
 he wrote from the borders of Tibet that he would 
 be happy to visit Pathankot on his return from 
 that land early in October. It was May when he 
 wrote. 
 
 During the months that intervened before his 
 coming many of the school girls had entered in- 
 to deeper spiritual experiences than they had 
 ever known before. Some were definitely blessed 
 in the Sialkot Convention that fall where an un- 
 usual work of grace went on in the women’s 
 prayer room. On Saturday night a missionary 
 came over from the big “tent of meeting” into 
 the prayer room and said, “The work of God is 
 
178 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 being hindered. There was no liberty in that 
 big meeting tonight. Oh, what can be wrong?” 
 
 A Welsh sister who had been taught the deep 
 things of God suggested that the hindrance 
 might be right in the prayer room. “For the 
 past hour or so,” she continued, “my heart has 
 felt like a heavy weight; to pray has been a 
 burden. Let us ask why we are so wanting in 
 C^fervor and power tonight. I wonder how many 
 in this room have at some period in their lives 
 definitely yielded to the Holy Spirit.” A young 
 Indian teacher said weeping, “I know not 
 whether I have the Spirit.” 
 
 Other similar confessions were made (there 
 were twelve or thirteen in the prayer room at 
 that midnight hour) and then the flood gates of 
 blessing were opened. None who were there that 
 night can ever forget the joy that filled hearts 
 after lives were wholly given over to God. 
 
 Many things worked against the Convention 
 that year, — every plan upset, terrible rains, the 
 big meeting tent soaked with rain so that it 
 could not be used for two days. This made 
 smaller groups necessary. The great audience 
 was divided into four groups for the Sabbath 
 morning service. This gave the missionary, 
 whom God had used so wonderfully that mid- 
 night hour in the women’s prayer room, an op- 
 portunity to give to many the message God had 
 
THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH 
 
 179 
 
 laid upon her heart, — the message of receiving 
 the Holy Spirit by faith. Now this truth had 
 been taught from the first at this convention, 
 but had been gradually lost sight of by many of 
 the speakers in late years. The sister’s message 
 startled the audience that listened to her that 
 Sabbath morning in the school chapel. Dr. G. 
 A. was especially impressed with her presenta- 
 tion of the truth. Fallow ground was broken 
 up. 
 
 In passing through the dining tent the morn- 
 ing following this meeting, I came face to face 
 with one of my school girls and her mother. 
 This girl was eleven years of age and one of the 
 brightest students in the school, but was care- 
 lessness personified. It was laid upon my heart 
 to speak to her there in the tent. Drawing her 
 close to my side I said, “Dear child, you want 
 to be an earnest follower of Jesus, don’t you?” 
 She nodded her assent. “Will you not then ask 
 the Heavenly Father to give you His Spirit?” 
 Bowing her head she said so simply, “Please, 
 dear Father, give me the Holy Spirit.” Then I 
 said, “Now won’t you thank Him for having 
 heard and given you just as you have asked?” 
 This too, she did, while the mother, who had 
 been praying silently all the time exclaimed, 
 “Praise the Lord.” 
 
l8o THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 School reopened immediately following the 
 close of the convention. How my heart was 
 made to rejoice in the change that had come 
 over that little girl. All the teachers and girls 
 noticed it. Hands and face scoured clean, hair 
 neatly combed, dress buttoned, desk tidy, and a 
 bright smile for everybody ! Love was now reign- 
 ing where selfishness and wilfulness had held 
 sway. 
 
 Many other girls had received an uplift at that 
 convention, and when school reopened, the prayer 
 room meant more than ever before. 
 
 Then Sundar Singh came! 
 
 I had forgotten the exact date of his expected 
 arrival and no one met him at the station. I 
 met him first as I was crossing the road to the 
 Little Church. I saw a tall, slender man clad 
 in a saffron robe that reached to his ankles, 
 standing before me, with such a look of peace 
 on his face as I had seldom seen before. Who 
 could it he ! Then quick as a flash I remembered 
 and said, “Are you Sundar Singh, the one for 
 whose coming we have prayed so many times?” 
 He smiled his reply; then I apologized for my 
 forgetfulness and asked him to accompany me 
 into the drawing room and have a cup of tea. 
 
 This was the beginning of an acquaintance 
 with one whose deep spiritual life brought bless- 
 ing to me and mine. It is only in India that this 
 
Sundar Singh. 
 
 “The Apostle of the Bleeding Feet.” The evangelist who is giv- 
 ing himself devotedly to the spread of the gospel in 
 India and over its borders. 
 
THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH l8l 
 
 life of self-denial can be understood, and even 
 there, where the ascetic life appeals most strongly, 
 few there are who would deny themselves to the 
 extent that he has done for the sake of Him 
 whom he loves so devotedly. Viewed by our 
 present day ideas in the western world of per- 
 sonal comfort and convenience, Sundar Singh had 
 some very old-world, rather other-world concep- 
 tions. One of these was, that as far as possible 
 be should endeavor to follow the Master’s foot- 
 steps literally. He said, when questioned about 
 why he chose this kind of life, “Christ Himself 
 lived on the earth in poverty. He visited the 
 poorest and simplest habitations and lived as one 
 with the inmates.” 
 
 His coming was like a breath from heaven. 
 At times in telling of Jesus, the very gates of 
 heaven seemed to open and permit us ravishing 
 views of the glories that await those who, while 
 here below, patiently bear the cross. 
 
 The five days he could give us passed all too 
 quickly. Mornings and evenings he spoke to the 
 school girls; the rest of the day he gave to the 
 members of the Prem Sangat, who clung to his 
 every word. The wife of the one who was made 
 to sit outside the purified place and eat his food, 
 so far relented that she cooked a meal with her 
 own hands and served it to both Sundar Singh 
 and her husband as they sat side by side like 
 
1 82 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 brothers in that home. Many men of the town 
 came out and had long heart-to-heart talks with 
 him. Notwithstanding his long, full days of 
 work, sometimes not touching his bed until mid- 
 night, he always rose early and repaired to a 
 mango grove a quarter of a mile distant for his 
 morning devotions. One who followed him secretly 
 into the grove to watch him as he prayed return- 
 ed with a look of awe on his face and said, “He 
 is a saint of God.” 
 
 One of the wee girlies in the school was greatly 
 disturbed because he wore no shoes. She was an 
 orphan, and her spending money was only eight 
 cents each month. She came to me and lamented 
 that she did not have enough money in hand to 
 buy a pair of shoes for the dear brother. In 
 telling Sundar Singh about the little one’s con- 
 cern because of his bare feet, he was touched, 
 and said, “Tell my little sister that even my feet 
 are being used for the glory of Him whose feet 
 bled for me.” Then he recounted how once on a 
 trip in the mountains when his feet were swol- 
 len and bleeding from the stony paths, that a 
 fellow traveler’s heart was so touched when he 
 learned why this man had forsaken all for Jesus, 
 that he gave his heart to the Lord and brought 
 others with him. This satisfied the little girl and 
 all the others who sympathized and they said, 
 
THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH 
 
 183 
 
 “Now we understand; he has presented his body 
 a living sacrifice.” 
 
 His last sermon, preached in the Little Church 
 to a full house on the morning he left Pathankot, 
 seemed like a direct message from heaven. His 
 text was, “Behold, I come quickly: hold fast 
 that which thou hast, that no man take thy 
 crown.” He preached as one who knew the 
 Bridegroom was at hand and that the door would 
 soon he shut. Oh, how earnestly he pleaded for 
 all indifference to he put away! Soon the 
 trumpet would sound and the watching, wait- 
 ing ones would he caught up in the air to meet 
 the Lord and to remain with Him forever. His 
 fine features glowed with fervor and feeling 
 as he carried his audience with him right up to 
 the very gate of heaven. 
 
 The men of the Prem Sangat accompanied him 
 down to the station, after he had said good-bye 
 to all his little sisters in the school. One of 
 the members, bought his ticket to the place of 
 his next service. 
 
 All that Saturday as the girls washed and 
 swept and dusted, they talked over the wonder- 
 ful things the brother had told them. They 
 were all experiencing a sense of nearness to Jesus 
 which they had not felt before. 
 
 Some were greatly impressed by what Sundar 
 Singh had said about our guardian angels, always 
 
184 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 present with us, day and night, beholding all 
 that we do, and how grieved they must be when 
 we keep on doing wrong things. 
 
 I spent the afternoon in the home of one of 
 my dear girls who was dying. Married five years 
 before, a widow for the past three years, with 
 a little daughter aged four, Kishnee now lay 
 dying from that dread disease, tuberculosis, 
 which she had contracted from her husband. She 
 was the eldest of my seven “famine” daughters, 
 and the best. Never once had Kishnee given me 
 a moment’s worry, neither in school nor after- 
 wards in her husband’s home. His people all 
 praised her and said, “She is one in a thousand.” 
 Poor Kishnee had a hard life, full of suffering, 
 but no word of complaint ever escaped her lips. 
 Little Grace ran in and out of the room that 
 afternoon, not realizing that in a few short hours, 
 she too would be left a little fatherless, mother- 
 less child. Sometimes Kishnee would whisper, 
 “Be good to my little girl ; train her as you train- 
 ed me ; take her into your school.” 
 
 She listened as well as she could between 
 paroxysms of coughing while I read sweet words 
 of comfort from the old book. At four o’clock 
 Sabbath morning, when the first glimpse of dawn 
 was beginning to show, she passed over into the 
 sunshine of God’s perfect day. Having been a 
 great favorite in the school all the girls felt her 
 
THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH 185 
 
 death keenly, especially when they took the little 
 motherless girl into their arms, but they re- 
 joiced that she had entered in behind the pearly 
 gates and was now standing in the presence of 
 Him whom she loved. The “famine way” led 
 many of India’s sons and daughters into the 
 fold of the Good Shepherd. 
 
 In India where the climate is so warm, the 
 dead are quickly buried, usually on the day of 
 death. Kishnee’s funeral was arranged to take 
 place at five o’clock Sabbath evening. 
 
 At three o’clock the temperance band of girls 
 went over to the Little Church to hold their 
 regular monthly meeting. I was in my study 
 talking with a guest, when the door opened 
 abruptly and one of the oldest girls said in tones 
 of great excitement, “0, Miss Sahiba, do come 
 over quickly to the church. Something has hap- 
 pened.” Snatching up my hat and excusing 
 myself to the guest, I hurried out through the 
 gate, across to the church with the messenger. 
 On the way I heard the sound of bitter weeping 
 coming from the church. Entering I found 
 every girl with her face down on the pew in front 
 of her weeping and praying. I heard one of the 
 older girls saying, “It was my sins that pierced 
 with nails Thy dear hands, that put the thorns 
 on Thy brow, and drove the spear into Thy side. 
 Oh, what shall I do ? My sins ! My sins !” 
 
1 86 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 Another was heard saying, “Yes, dear Lord, 
 I can see Thee on the cross and Thy suffering 
 was all for me.” Listening, I xmderstood. These 
 who were being led up to this view of the Great 
 Sacrifice were most earnest Christian girls, 
 leaders in the Christian activities of the school, 
 hut God had something greater for them to do 
 and had now come in mighty cleansing power to 
 make for Himself deep, broad and clean channels, 
 and I thanked Him. 
 
 Those, who on hearing the noise made by the 
 weeping had come into the church, were prevent- 
 ed that afternoon from interfering with the work 
 of the Holy Spirit. Other girls from the dormi- 
 tories came running over and were soon under 
 conviction of sin. The missionaries who stood 
 by praying for these stricken hearts were them- 
 selves, a few days later, to be helped into deeper 
 spiritual experience by some of these little ones 
 who became living channels. 
 
 Finally, when the sobbing died away, I learned 
 what had taken place. The girls belonging to the 
 temperance band were all seated in the church 
 waiting for the program to begin, when their 
 leader arose and said, “Girls, you know bow busy 
 we’ve been all week with the extra meetings held 
 by our brother, in addition to our regular duties, 
 and I’ve not had time to make any preparation 
 for this meeting. I’m sorry. What shall we do 
 
THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH 187 
 
 ■with this liour ?” A girl arose and said, “Let us 
 spend it in prayer/’ To this ail agreed and in- 
 stantly every head was bowed reverently. One 
 led off, but after a few broken sentences she 
 burst into tears, sobbing over the vision given 
 her of the sufferings of the Lord in her behalf; 
 others feeling the same sorrow began weeping 
 too. Then it was that one ran across the road to 
 call me. 
 
 As the time drew near for the funeral services 
 to he conducted, the girls began to grow quieter 
 and brushed away the tears that kept filling their 
 eyes. Two and two the school followed the white 
 casket down the mile of road to the cemetery. 
 What a dreary spot it had always seemed! No 
 marble shaft or headstone there to mark the rest- 
 ing places of the sainted dead. Two or three of 
 the graves had a bit of masonry over them, while 
 the others were only earth-covered mounds. Tall 
 grass and a cactus hedge hid the lonely spot 
 from the gaze of passersby. Yes, it was lonely, 
 but that evening with the sun setting as the loved 
 remains of Kishnee were let down gently into the 
 newly made grave, heaven’s glory seemed so 
 near, so real, that the veil of separation scarcely 
 hid it from the vision. It seemed to me I could 
 almost hear Kishnee’s voice joining the angels’ 
 as they sang praises to Him. 
 
1 88 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 Monday and Tuesday the work went on as 
 usual in the school, with one exception. I asked 
 the teachers to excuse from recitations any who 
 might wish to slip away for a little time of 
 prayer in the prayer room. I realized that there 
 would be some carrying burdens too heavy to 
 bear alone. 
 
 By Wednesday conviction of sin was being 
 felt outside the school. Early in the morning 
 one of the Prem Sangat came and said, “0, Miss 
 Sahiba, Jesus Christ is here now in Pathankot in 
 mighty power. Please close school, ring the 
 church bell, and let all the little sisters come in- 
 to the church and pray and pray that people may 
 be aroused and saved.” I consented, and from 
 that morning until Sabbath night at nine o’clock, 
 the church was occupied all day long, and Thurs- 
 day some stayed on in prayer the whole night 
 through. 
 
 Marvelous things took place. I can only 
 describe it as being like a great storm. It was a 
 spiritual warfare. All the Satanic hosts seemed 
 arrayed against Pathankot. The burden for the 
 souls of the people became almost unbearable. 
 In agony many prayed. This caused a terrible 
 onslaught of the enemy, and it seemed at times 
 that flesh would fail under the strain, but God 
 gave victory. 
 
THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH 
 
 189 
 
 The last three days all preaching ceased, there 
 was no audible praying, and only praises went 
 up from the church. As we sang praises, people 
 flocked into the Little Church; those came who 
 had never seen the church before. Hindu and 
 Mohammedan men came and removing their 
 turbans fell down on their faces crying out, “0, 
 we want God’s blessing, too.” Many took Bibles 
 hack to their homes. 
 
 One afternoon I was perplexed for a moment 
 when I saw a group of heavily veiled women 
 coming down the fort road toward the church, 
 for the church just then was filled with men of 
 the town, and I knew how embarrassed the wo- 
 men would be if, on entering the church, they 
 should find the men there, but quickly remember- 
 ing that the Holy Spirit was leading and guid- 
 ing, I sang on. Just as the women were about to 
 enter the side door of the church, the audience 
 of men, without having seen the women arose 
 as one man and left by the front door so that 
 the women glided quietly into their empty seats. 
 The memory of the sweet little faces of the 
 babies and tiny children that accompanied these 
 non-Christian mothers can never be forgotten. 
 The music which was heavenly music seemed to 
 strike a chord in their little hearts, and as our 
 girls sang the little ones smiled and some held 
 out their little arms to he taken into ours. All 
 
190 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 fear had left them. Even they felt the heavenly 
 atmosphere. 
 
 The “praying hands” of the school had now 
 become “praising hands.” Since it was impos- 
 sible for any one to sing continuously from morn- 
 ing until night, the girls divided themselves into 
 four groups of twenty each for singing. Each 
 group sang one hour and a half. As one group 
 left by the front door of the church another was 
 ready to enter by the side door so that there was 
 no break in the singing. 
 
 By Saturday opposition had largely disappear- 
 ed and the sweetness of the heavenly fellowship 
 can never be forgotten as the girls sang on and 
 on. 
 
 One evening my heart was greatly touched 
 when a group of the temperance leaders came in, 
 dressed in pure white muslin, and sitting down 
 on the benches said, “Please give us your Psalm 
 books. 'We know God has commanded you to 
 praise Him, and thinking you must all be weary, 
 we have come out to help you.” How they did 
 sing over and over “Praise ye the Lord.” The 
 148th Psalm was sung many days afterwards by 
 the people of the town. 
 
 The Secretary always referred to that wonder- 
 ful week as the time when the Holy Ghost fell 
 on the school. Many times of spiritual refresh- 
 
THE PRAISES OF JEHOVAH 
 
 191 
 
 ing had some of us experienced, but nothing 
 similar to this had I witnessed. 
 
 Some had visions and were strengthened by 
 them. Sins were confessed and put away. The 
 coming of the Lord became the Blessed Hope. 
 God taught us that He would have us sing His 
 praises on earth while the saints in glory and the 
 angels praise Him in heaven. 
 
 As we were singing one night a humble, illiter- 
 ate Christian brother cried out, “Girls sing on. 
 I see the angels singing with you. Your voices 
 blended with theirs are reaching the throne of 
 God.” 
 
 Dear friends, you who have read in this simple 
 recital some of the things that God did through 
 the believing prayers of a few of India’s girls, 
 have you caught the vision of what might be 
 accomplished if all the Christian organizations in 
 America would become praying bands? Do you 
 not see that individuals, homes, villages, yes even 
 towns and cities in our foreign fields might be 
 swept into the kingdom if only incessant, im- 
 portunate prayer should be organized? I fear 
 that we in America have not yet entered in the 
 slightest degree into fellowship with Christ in the 
 matter of intercession. 
 
 God grant we may get such a clear conception 
 of what prayer can accomplish that “praying 
 bands” shall be formed in all our homes, neigh- 
 
192 THE POWER-HOUSE AT PATHANKOT 
 
 borhoods and places of worship. Will you not 
 choose some town, city, or district in some one 
 of the foreign fields and pray on until it is 
 evangelized ? 
 
 Faith laughs at obstacles. Let us ask our great 
 God to do great things. 
 

 V 
 
 
 I 
 
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