1887. As an introduction to Miss Anna Smith's Annual Letter the leading facts are briefly given. A Mission in Bangalore was started in response to an appeal from Miss Goldsmith, written to the C.E.Z.M.S. in 1886, and largely aided by her generosity. Miss Thom, our hon. missionary, whose health had failed in the Punjab, went to Bangalore as a pioneer in March, 1887. It was hoped that she might have had health and strength for work in this place. Her first impressions were promising. She wrote in INDIA'S WOMEN, March, 1888:"The Mysore, or Carnatic proper, is a tableland rising from 2000 to 3000 feet above the sea, and enclosed by mountains on the west, south, and east. It has a temperate climate, and is rich in all the elements of material wealth.'" Miss A. M. Smith, another hon. missionary, joined Miss Thom in the autumn of 1887. Since then the growth of the Mission has been remarkable; the whole staff now numbers altogether thirteen (without counting Miss Amy Lillingston, who hopes to join it in the autumn), and is very nearly self-supporting. After a time Miss Thom's health again failed, and to our great regret, she had to resign. Her visit to India last winter, to which Miss Smith refers, was in the Bombay Presidency. The town of Mysore became a station of the C.E.Z.M.S. in consequence of Miss Lee, an assistant missionary at Bangalore, removing there in July, 1892, and opening work. We hear that a storm of opposition to her work, alluded to last year, has to a great extent subsided, and her school is again flourishing. Our Mission in Bangalore. Miss Thom wrote in 1887 of the work just begun among the Mohammedan girls here: "Our great desire is to see in every school a senior class of girls able to read well, and each with a whole Bible in her hand; then indeed we shall rejoice." I often call these words to mind, with thankfulness, when returning from our schools, where bright classes of intelligent children take an interest in Scripture teaching. For many years, the first class girls in each school have been reading the New Testament, and we are now supplying them with whole Bibles, strongly bound, the gift of a friend in England. Mohammedans profess to honour four books-the Law, the Psalms, the Gospel, the Korán. If they become acquainted with the books themselves, and learn to compare passage with passage, finding how all bear witness to Christ, and noting the contradictions which are in the Koran, we trust that, at last, they will see the truth of our Lord's words: "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God." The children very much enjoy reading in the Book itself, the stories of "the prophets" (so they call all our Bible saints) whose names they know. The new Gosha Hospital. A second great subject of thankfulness is the rising of our beautiful hospital walls, and again I remember how anxious Miss Thom was for some medical work among the people, and how she urged the attempt to build a hospital. If she had been able to come to us while in India, this year, as we hoped, her heart would have been gladdened by the sight of our building, the many who attend our dispensaries, and the openings everywhere for our lady doctor, Miss Chase. The building is of stone, and of much more imposing dimensions than anything we dreamed of in those early days. It will cost, at least, double the sum we appealed for last year. As places developed we found that to make the hospital really suitable for the different classes of patients whom we hope to receive, this expenditure would sooner or later be necessary, and that it would be better, with a view to economy and convenience, that all should, if possible, be built at once. The building, as seen in the accompanying sketch, consists of a dispensary in the centre, with quarters for two ladies above, and wards (twostoreyed) on each side. The wards are connected with the centre block by corridors with five arches. Thus the patients will be removed to a little distance from the dispensary, and at the same time there will be no difficulty in getting to them in all weathers. In the four large wards, with subdivisions, arrangements can easily be made for the reception of different classes of patients. Those who gave most largely to the scheme, urged that we ought not to spoil it through the fear of want of money, and we hope that we shall be able to complete it free from debt. At present we have received a little more than Rs. 24,000, and a grant of Rs. 1000 has been promised by the Mysore Government. We shall need about Rs. 8000 (5007.) more to finish the building with compound wall and outhouses, and very thankful we shall be to any friends who are disposed to help towards this sum. The hospital is situated on high ground, well above the hollow in which lies the native town called the Cantonment, and yet close to it so as to be easily accessible. It will be very convenient, too, for any patients coming in by train, as it is near the railway-station; and will be a striking object on approach to the town. The foundation-stone was laid by the Bishop of Madras on October 30th of last year, and already the walls of the second storey are rising. Mr. Walker of the Bangalore Bank, whose kind help we mentioned thankfully last year, left for six months at the beginning of April. Since then, the work has been in the hands of a contractor, under the supervision of Captain Ward, R.E., who most kindly came to our help when we were in difficulties about arrangements in Mr. Walker's absence. He is now planning the laying-out of the ground and the planting of trees kindly given to us by Mr. Cameron of the Lal Bagh (Government Gardens). We hope the building will be finished by the end of the year. Then there will be the furnishing to think of. We look forward to the opening of the hospital after the arrival of our promised lady doctor from England, early next year. The medical work is constantly growing under Miss Chase, and she meets often with cases which she longs to have under proper care in a hospital. Our Zenanas. In our Zenana-visiting work we are now rather short-handed. It is chiefly undertaken by Miss Dickinson and Miss Clift, neither of whose names are on our Society's list. Miss Clift has helped us for several years, and is very fluent in Hindustani and earnest in the work. She has, for a time, undertaken charge of the Arab Lines School, which is a great help to us. Miss Dickinson, though she has only been eighteen months in the country, has got on so well with the language, that she is nearly ready for the second examination. She works most indefatigably and is always doing all she can to help the people in every way. Miss Ewart has been in England since the beginning of the year. Many of the Zenanas she visited are eagerly looking for her return. I miss her help and counsel every day, though it is a pleasure to think of her with friends at home. Miss Denny has left us "for good," and very sorry we all were to part with her. We are glad to think that after her marriage she will be again in India, though probably far away from us, and that her missionary experience will enable her to help the work wherever she is. Miss Lillingston takes charge of the Pettah School, and Miss Graham of the Cantonment School, and of the reading in the dispensary-and they both do some Zenana visiting, as much as their strength, which is not great, will permit. My work is general supervision, and visits to the schools and Zenanas in turn. As I am decidedly stronger now than some months ago, I hope to be able to undertake a few Zenanas regularly myself. In our daily routine, many interesting incidents occur which we do not like to put in print. We receive a warm welcome in almost all houses. Everywhere we read the Bible, and often sing hymns, but having no Bible-women, from lack of time, only in a few houses can we give much regular instruction. The women love to see us, and we trust that in getting to know us, they learn something of the Lord whose Name we bear. I am often struck with the fact that we are well known in this large city. I scarcely ever go to a new house, or meet strangers in the dispensary, without some woman present greeting me as an old acquaintance, and saying she has seen me before and heard me read. The gross ignorance of the women is the great difficulty we have to contend with. They meet with flat denial the facts we tell them of the life and death of our Lord, which are contrary to the traditions which, far more than the Korán, form the substance of their belief. The Friday readings, in the Bible and other subjects, with the women who come to our house, week by week, are specially valuable as opportunities of dispelling this ignorance. What the effect of our work is we can hardly see. Our Lord's command is enough for us, and we believe that by the power of His Word and of His Spirit some hearts will be renewed, endued with "the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." May we be taught day by day how to do the work which is to lead to such a result more wisely and faithfully! The Projected Training Home. The subject of a Training Home, which has been so long before us, has necessarily been in abeyance while the building of the hospital has been upon our hearts and hands. But we, and I think many missionaries in South India, feel the need of it as much as ever. I believe we ought to employ girls of this country, more than we have done, in our work, and if the complaint is made that they fall short in character and in high principle of the standard required, it is our duty to endeavour to give them more of the advantages we ourselves have had in high-toned, Christian, practical education. The task may be difficult, but I believe it ought to be undertaken. Girls, as well as young men, are pressing forward into Government employment as doctors, teachers, and in other lines—ought we not to make more efforts to enlist them in the service of Christ and give them opportunities of using their talents to the full in His work? We earnestly hope that this subject may be taken up before long by our Society. The City of Mysore. The intrigues among those employed at Mysore were so perplexing that we found the only plan was to dismiss the teacher, and send one of our own teachers from here to take her place. Since then the school has Miss Lee has prospered. many Zenanas to visit, and the women are all very fond of her. We are very anxious to send a second lady to Mysore, feeling that it is not good for Miss Lee to be working alone, and with a population of 40,000 Mohammedans there is ample work for two. Gifts, Past and Future. We send hearty thanks for the never-failing supply of beautiful presents and of work for sale, sent by our old friends in Paddington and Clapham, and also by Miss Jay in Florence, and by Miss Bence Jones, Mrs. Snowdon Smith, Miss A. C. Thom, and for the texts from Miss |