11 Christmas With The Lepers
Chapter 11 CHRISTMAS WITH THE LEPERS
"Glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people." This was the message of the angels on the first Christmas morning, and when we find the sad hearts of the lepers of Chandag made happy by Christmas cheer and Christmas gifts, we seem to hear the music of the angelic song still sounding on "through the ringing grooves of change." If the lives of these afflicted and hopeless people can be brightened by the rays of the Star of Bethlehem, then we may be sure that no lot in life is too sad and dark for their cheering and illuminating power. And that they can be so brightened, the following accounts of Christmas among the lepers will abundantly demonstrate. The Christmas festivities of 1893 are thus described by Miss Reed, in a letter to Miss C. E. Pim, of Dublin, whose interest in the needs of the lepers has been warm and active ever since she helped, twenty-five years ago, to found the Society of which Miss Reed is now a Missionary.
" I am giving you the tidings of the very happy Christmas I had in seeing all my poor dear people’s hearts filled with such real joy and gratitude and surprise over the very substantial manner in which you and your circle of dear workers have manifested the love and care of Him whose birthday had such a joyous celebration in our Retreat here this year. This expression of your loving-kindness has wonderfully helped to emphasize God’s love to these, ’ the least of His little ones.’ These new, bright, warm garments, so lovingly prepared, in His name, for them, deeply touched their hearts ; there is an infinite satisfaction to me in the thought that He whom you thus served, heard and appreciated all the salaams and messages I was authorized to send to you ! For I cannot write them for you, else there would not be space left in this letter to tell you of our Christmas tree.
’I put all the gifts on an evergreen tree which stands near the Hospital : there were dolls for my dear little girls, bright scrapbooks for the boys, hymn books and other books for all who have learned to read, bags of nuts, etc., oranges in abundance, sweets (1/2 lb. for each), and last and most appreciated of all, were the warm sulukas and waistcoats ; all was a complete surprise to them on Christmas morning. Just after the service, they filed out of our little chapel joyously singing ’Jai Prabhu Yisu,’ — "Glory or Victory to Jesus," as they went to receive what will make them happy for many weary months to come. Accept my heartfelt gratitude for this help to them and to me, for it is an untold delight to my heart to witness their growth spiritually. Peace, gentleness, patience, and love are being cultivated in hearts comforted and touched through the constraining love being manifested to them in various ways, and I thank you, oh, so much, for your large contribution to this end. I must not write more now. Many, many thanks for the copy of the Christian Choir.’ Yes, I have a musical soul, and often and often do I prove that love, work, and song cause sorrow to depart. Many of the sweet hymns in this book are very familiar, and I love to sing them in praise to Him who so wonderfully keeps and blesses me."
Another letter, also to Miss Pim, tells of gifts and gladness in connection with the Christmas of 1895.
" Chandag Heights, February 29th, 1896. — I very much regret my inability to write to you ere this of the happy, blessed Christmas we had here on Chandag Heights.
’’ The wondrous love of Him whose birthday we had such joy in celebrating was made more real by the gifts, the handiwork of those who prepared the splendid warm garments, as tokens of the love of Christ constraining and drawing hearts to thus lovingly minister to the comfort of the least of His little ones.’ It gave me more pleasure than I can ever express to present these precious gifts in His name, and I do assure you they were received with loving gratitude, and are much appreciated by all the recipients, who wish to send more salaams than I have time or space to record. But the record of this ’ labor of love’ is on high. Believe me inexpressibly grateful for the happiness and help you have given to me, and to the dear ones to whom I have been called to minister. . . .
"The gift of dear Mrs. Buttfield and her husband, affording a bounteous dinner of curry and rice, and cakes fried in ghi, of which Hindustani people are so fond, and sweets and oranges, were ’ treats ’ indeed, which were relished with very evident appreciation. How I wish you could have witnessed the scene, the happy, orderly groups, which took us nearly two hours to serve. The services in the Church, too, were greatly blessed, and several received the rite of baptism. . . ."
I am glad to be allowed to quote the following graphic account of Christmas, 1896, from the pen of Miss Martha Sheldon, M. D., who is one of Miss Reed’s most valued friends. Dr. Sheldon is a Medical Missionary of the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America and is laboring in the adjacent territory of Bhot. On several occasions this friend and fellow-worker has cheered Miss Reed by her welcome presence at Chandag, and has, as her letters testify, herself returned to her work encouraged and stimulated by intercourse with her sister-friend. Dr. Sheldon thus describes the Christmas she spent at Chandag :
’’On my way to the Conference from my distant home in Bhot, I was privileged to spend Christmas with dear Miss Reed. In the afternoon of Christmas Eve there was the distribution of warm jackets to the women of the Asylum, which took place on the open grounds ; twenty-nine women and four girls were already seated on the grass when Miss Reed and I arrived. The sloping rays of the afternoon sun fell gratefully upon us and the poor creatures who sat before us ; in the distance stretched the mountains of snow on the North, beyond which lay my field of work among the Bhotiyans and Thibetans.
"After song, talk, and prayers, in which the women took part, the presents were distributed. It was a touching sight to see the stumps of hands, which up to this time had been hidden beneath the enveloping chaddars, now emerge, and in one way or another, appropriated the nice, warm garments which interested friends across the sea had sent, while each expressed her grateful thanks. The girls’ presents had been reserved till the last. They received warm chaddars, dainty dolls, etc., etc. As Miss Reed called them to her, and gave them their presents, each girl said, ’Mama, salaam.’ Miss Reed turned to me with a smile, and said, ’I have allowed them to call me " Mama " ; they began it themselves — if it is any happiness to them I am willing they should call me so.’
"In the evening we had dinner together. Miss Reed sitting at her little table with separate dishes, and I at another, eating chicken, curry and rice, and peaches from far away America. We talked with many a ripple of laughter as we enjoyed our meal in the cozy little dining-room where the wood fire burned cheerily.
"Then what an evening we had together ! There were heart experiences to tell, difficulties of the work to recount, and travail of soul over wayward ones to relate. In the course of conversation, I asked Mary, ’ Do you think the disease is making any progress with you ? ’ She said, ’ I feel that it will never be any worse for others to bear than it is now, but I am conscious of its presence within, especially during the last few months ; but I feel the power of God upon me in holding me quiet. There are days, too, when the external symptoms are aggravated and more noticeable. Then again, they recede. What I pass through in my experience no one knows. The furnace is only heated a little hotter. What dross there must have been in my nature ! ’ she added. ’No, Mary,’ said I, ’it is all for the glory of God, and He has honored you in choosing you to suffer for Him, and to show His keeping power. Not you only, but many, many, are blessed with you.’ But I felt deeply that, as far as human help was concerned, she was walking in the furnace alone and that there was only One who could enter in and comfort her.
"Later, at the sweet-toned organ, the gift of kind friends in America, we sang several hymns, including the one beginning, ’Father, whatever of earthly bliss Thy sovereign will denies,’ and the Christmas one, ’Hark the Herald Angels sing.’ Then I left to go to my tent which was pitched in her yard. A gentle rain, almost snow, was falling. O blessed rain, greatly needed all over India. It was as though, at this holy Christmas time, the heavens, full of consolation and peace, were gently brooding over a parched and weary world.
’Christmas morning we were up bright and early, as it was to be a full day. After our little breakfast, we went to the dedication of a new chapel which Miss Reed has built at Panahgah, the men’s refuge, about a quarter of a mile from her house. As I walked with Miss Reed to the chapel, I realized the exquisite beauty and adaptability of the location. She has, as Mr. Bailey expresses it, ’ the whole side of a mountain,’ and nature is not niggardly here. Those who are accustomed to look upon Miss Reed’s work from a purely sentimental standpoint, do not realize the practical and permanent character it bears. The Asylum for lepers which, formerly, had been all in one, has now been divided, and new houses for the men and boys built on another and separate portion of the estate. To this locality we went. The rows of neat, well-built houses, with many a green, well-kept garden patch, cultivated by the inmates, presented a pretty sight. The chapel has been built this year. It is commodious and convenient. The caretaker of the men and boys is Yuhanna, a most valued servant; though not afflicted himself, he has, as Miss Reed said, a genuine call for the work.
’’ Miss Reed’s organ had already been carried there, and soon fifty lepers, men and boys in all stages of the disease, were seated on the clean matting in the back part of the chapel. The visitors, including Miss Budden, the preacher in charge, two native pastors and myself, and a number of sweet-voiced singers from the boys and girls schools, Pithora, occupied the front part of the chapel. Large, open doors, facing each other, furnished a draught of pure, fresh air between us and the afflicted ones.
" Very touching were the exercises, and very earnest and tender were the prayers that went up to the Lord, who, on this day, made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, to serve just such needy ones as these. After these exercises, Miss Reed and I went to distribute the warm, comfortable garments which had come for the men and boys. In giving to these helpless people, or in witnessing the bestowal of gifts upon them, one may enjoy the most unalloyed pleasure of giving. I thought of the givers far away in Great Britain, and wished they might have been present.
"One old man could not wait till he reached his house, but at once slipped his new flannel shirt over his other clothing ! Oranges were distributed to all, and an extra dinner of goat’s meat and rice provided.
’ Miss Reed and I, with full hearts, went back to the house for our Christmas lunch, after which there was a service for the women and girls.
" The sweet memories of this most blessed Christmas Day will ever remain with me." A few glowing sentences from one of Miss Reed’s own letters will aptly close this Christmas chapter. " Yesterday (she writes), we had the most blessed of any of the five Christmas Days I have spent in this work and in this much-loved home of His choosing. Never was the meaning of that wonderful word Immanuel more consciously realized than during this Christmastide. Surely, surely, the names "Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace," given to our blessed Saviour are fitting,—
" Oh ! Sing of His mighty love, Sing of His mighty love, Mighty to save."