Within a Royal Palace. On Sunday evening, October 15th, all Trevandrum was moved by the news of the death of Her Highness the Junior Rani. Forty-three guns, corresponding with her age, were fired; muffled drums were beaten all night at the top of the principal gate of the Fort; the sepoys of the Nayar brigade and policemen of the force were called out, and her remains were cremated in a few hours. Six months before she had confided to me, to my great distress, that she had a cancer on her tongue, and soon afterwards a physician and two nurses from Madras were summoned to operate on her. Every argument to induce her to submit to it was used in vain, and she placed herself instead in the hands of a Hindu doctor, who, after inflicting dreadful tortures on her, failed, as we knew he would, to effect a cure. admission, although for thirty years. her friend and teacher. She was too ill to be permitted to bathe in her tank out of doors, and thus wash away the defilement consequent on the touch of a European, so none were suffered to approach her. I did see her once more, three days before her death, through the kindness of one of her sons he allowed me, late at night, to look in through a partly-opened door, and the sight I then saw of the suffering lady seated on the floor and supported by faithful attendants was a very sad one. I had promised not to speak, so could only inwardly pray that God would bless and comfort her. The sequel would have been very different could she have been persuaded to resign herself to skilled medical treatment and nursing, but Brahman influence is yet too powerful in Travancore to admit of Western innovations. and alleviations in royal sick-rooms. (To be continued.) From this time I was denied all access to her; cruel caste forbade my COCHIN. DOSSIBLY the history and associations which cling to the little state of Cochin, which has proved a fruitful field for women's work; may not be widely known; we print an extract from a short account of it given by the Lady Commissioner of the Daily Graphic, and published on June 27th, 1894 : Historically Cochin offers interest enough to have a book of its own, for even to day one looks with some wonder upon the place which first possessed European fortifications in India, at which Vasco da Gama breathed his last in 1530, and which saw the printing by the Jesuits of the first book published in India, in 1577. But apart from its associations, there is plenty for the modern traveller to see in the miles of canal and back water upon which the town stands. The backwater runs many miles inland, with shores fringed with the richest vegetation, and dotted by prosperous village communities. Very bright, bustling, and picturesque is the scene along the canal, which runs through the town, with its banks filled with an animated, moving crowd, and upon its waters a busy fleet of the curious flat-bottomed barges with their thatched awnings, by which a great amount of the trade of the place is carried on: this.comprises a variety of merchandise, including coir, yarn, rope, and fibre, cocoanut and other oils, as well as, of late years, an enormous amount of dried fish. Both the sea and the backwaters abound in fish, and, when dried, much of it finds its way to Ceylon, where it is consumed chiefly by coolies upon the tea and coffee estates. The fleets of strangely-rigged fishing crafts, the men wearing a huge piece of head-gear, combining in itself the attributes of hat and umbrella, are to be seen all down the coast, but most particularly round Calicut and Cochin; while at the latter place, primitive supports carrying great nets are erected at close intervals along the shore. These are generally in charge of two or three men, who continually lower the nets into the water, where they are borne down by heavy stones, and when hauled up, contain, it may be, the delicious pomfret (this, however, is eaten at its best in Bombay), the tasty mullet, the seer, the barmin, or more probably, the sardine of the East, a small and extremely plentiful fish which approximates closely to its brother of the Mediterranean. Cochin also possesses a small but artistic industry in silver work. TRICHUR. The C.E.Z.M.S. in the Capital of Cochin. N the spring, Miss White and Miss Crooke being able for a few weeks to take charge of the Mission, we took the opportunity of seeing something of the very interesting work which is being carried on in Bangalore amongst the Mohammedan women by Miss Smith and her much-valued staff of volunteer lady helpers. Our very pleasant visit had one feature of sadness; this was the death an of our beloved Bible-woman, Esther Parrookuty. She was attacked with illness which culminated in cholera, and proved fatal. She had, according to Government regulations, to be removed to the hospital, and died there a few hours afterwards, having made us the guardians of her two youngest children, who are still under our care. Some of our friends will remember that Parrookuty was the first high Her caste woman who joined the Mission, in 1884. After her baptism, she was confirmed by Bishop Speechly, and then began work, more especially among high-caste women, one of whom she was the means of bringing into the fold of Christ. example influenced others for good. Thus her vacant place leaves a blank which will be difficult to fill; but for our comfort, we are assured she has now rest and joy in the presence of her Saviour. Her end was peaceful, and without much suffering; almost her last words were: "If I am to die, I am not afraid, for Jesus keeps so close to me; He never leaves me." Surely such words as these, spoken while in the valley of the shadow of death by one who had lived in Heathen darkness, is a bright testimony to the power of the Gospel, and brings with it the message to be up and doing, for the night cometh when no man can work. We are thankful to have had an increase in the number of supporters for some of our dear children during the past year, but very many of these little ones are as yet without any, and for them we should be glad to get help. In our A.V. School, thirty-five out of the fifty-six children now on the rolls are our Mission children, who are being educated there up to the First Form. For this school we are now in receipt of Rs. 87 per month grant-inaid from the Sirkar, who have also sanctioned grants of from Rs. 3 to Rs. 4 monthly to each of our five high caste Hindu schools, and Rs. 71 monthly for our Widows' Industrial School; but an important point gained is that, in addition to the grants, permission has also just been given, allowing us to teach the Bible in school-hours, which was afterwards notified in the Government Gazette. Thus that cloud is now removed, and the Scriptures may be taught without any such obstacles being again put in the way. Our Industrial School. In our Industrial School there are now twenty-one widows, and a deaf and dumb girl, who have constant employment. This work is kept only for the converts, and after baptism the daily B.ble-lesson is continued as before, so that they may grow in grace and knowledge, and at the same time be trained to habits of industry, together with the useful art of selfsupport. On behalf of these we would send special thanks to Miss MacGregor, Hon. Sec. of the I.W.U., for her kind practical help and loving sympathy. Also for the many warm articles of clothing sent by her in the Christmas box. Twenty-four Baptisms. We would also give praise for twenty-four baptisms during the year, and especially for two high-caste young women, who with their three children were baptized together, and for two new inquirers (widows) who have but recently come into the Mission. Our Bible-women are going on with their self-denying work, and we only want to see their number greatly multiplied, and the needed funds for their support. The dispensary has continued open throughout the year, excepting the three months we were absent from the station. This accounts for the numbers being less than last year. Patients treated in the dispensary, 3286; outside patients, 460, To all friends who have sent contributions or gifts for school prizes, we send warmest thanks, and would ask for their fervent prayers that God may give us greater success in winning souls. August 6th, 1894. HINA MISSION. Whilst the great empires of the far East have been shaken by war, and we have looked eagerly for mails from China, our missionaries in the Fuh-Kien Province have been kept in peace without and within. Never have they written more brightly. The name Fuh-Kien means "happily established"; the population numbers 14,777,410, and we have thirty missionaries appointed to eight stations in this province. This number includes Miss Hessie Newcombe, now on her way out after furlough, Miss Strong, at present at home for the benefit of her eyes, and Miss Wedderspoon, a new missionary whose departure has been delayed until the assurance has been received that she may travel in safety. NANGWA. The Women's Hospital, Nangwa-Ke. BY MISS JOHNSON. LTHOUGH the second year o our work in the women's hos. pital at Nangwa-Ke has perhaps not been quite so prosperous as last year, yet we would ask you to join us in giving thanks to God for much blessing which has rested on it. This year the number of in-patients has only been seventeen: the falling-off is not surprising, since there has been no English doctor during the greater part of it. Owing to serious illness, Dr. Rigg was obliged to leave for Foochow, and afterwards was invalided home. He left the hospital in charge of students, who also attend the women's hospital, but the Natives do not think nearly so much of them as of a "foreigner." I have not got the number of out-patients at hand, but one hundred would be under rather than over the mark. These are not all at Nangwa; those of us who go to stay in the villages, generally take medicines for such simple cases as we understand ourselves. We are, of course, expected-in virtue of being foreigners-to understand the healing art! and we see so many cases where a very simple remedy would give relief and avert serious consequences, that common humanity compels to do something. Help in sickness sometimes makes the people more friendly, and shows them that we care for and sympathise with them. Opium-smokers. This year two of our patients were opium cases. Among the women in this part we do not meet with many who are victims of this vice. I am told that among the rich it is not uncommon : where the men of the family take it, it frequently spreads to their women-kind. Among women of immoral character it is also common. Our first opium patient, however, belonged to neither of these classes. Her husband is a tailor, and had smoked opium many years, so she, too, had fallen into the habit. She was a fortnight in hospital. At first it was evident she was determined not to believe anything of the doctrine which she knew we taught. She simply wished to make use of our hospital to be cured of the effects of opium. She listened stolidly with a look that plainly said, "You can talk away. I'm too sharp to be taken in by you. I'm not going to be influenced by anything you may say," but He Who, when lifted up, will draw all men," awakened in her heart a longing against which she could not hold out. She confessed before long that she believed what we told her was the truth and very much to be desired; she went so far as to kneel in prayer with us every day, she even herself prayed, confessing her sins and asked for pardon. But there was a stumbling-block to becoming a Christian which she herself soon perceived: she and her husband were "eating the idol's rice" -they were caretakers of a club and temple combined-and they were required to burn incense daily to the idols. The husband having sent his wife to be cured of opium-as an experiment followed her example, and he too, while in hospital, became interested and convinced of the Truth; but, alas! there they have stopped. So far they have not come to a decision to let go almost their only means of support and to trust God to take care of them. Both are old, and they have no children; the man's eyes are getting too dim to do much. One can see his wife is just longing to possess Jesus Christ and to have His pardon and peace. It is a very sad case, In China it needs to be desperately in earnest to obtain the pearl of great price. Many in our own land, who have known and proved |