How did Dr. Paru, the Hindu medical student, develop into Dr. Paru, the Christian physician? I asked her and she told me, and her answers were a series of pictures as vivid as her own personality.
First, there was Paru in her West Coast Home, among the cocoanut palms and pepper vines of Malabar where the mountains come down to meet the sea and the sea greets the mountains in abundant rains. Over that Western sea once came the strange craft of Vasco di Gama, herald of a new race of invaders from the unknown West. Over the same sea to-day come men of many tongues and races, and Arab and African Negroes jostle by still in the bazaars of West Coast towns. Such was the setting of Paru's home. During her childhood days certain visitors came to its door, Bible women with parts of the New Testament for sale, little paper-bound Gospels with covers of bright blue and red. The contents meant nothing to Paru then, but the colors were attractive, and for their sake she and her sister, childlike, bought, and after buying, because they were schoolgirls and the art of reading was new to them, read.
The best girls' school in that Malabar town was a Roman Catholic convent. It was there that Paru's education was given to her, and it was there that prayer, even in its cruder forms, entered into her experience. Religious teaching was not compulsory for non-Christian pupils, but, when the sisters and their Christian following gathered each morning for prayers, the doors were not shut and among other onlookers came Paru, morning after morning, drawn partly by curiosity, partly by a sense of being left out. Never in all her years in that school did the Hindu child join in the Christian service, but at home, when father and mother were not about, she gathered her sister and younger brothers into a corner and taught them in childish words to tell their wants and hopes and fears to the Father in Heaven.
The lawyer-father was the abiding influence in the daughter's growth of mind and soul. A liberal Hindu he would have been called. In reality, he was one of that unreckoned number, the Nicodemuses of India, who come to Jesus by night, who render Him unspoken homage, but never open confession. A man of broad religious interests, he read the Hindu Gita, the Koran, and the Gospels; and among them all the words of Jesus held pre-eminence in his love and in his life. When in later years he found his daughter puzzling over Bible commentaries to clear up some question of faith, he asked impatiently, "Why do you bother with those books? Read the words of Jesus in the Gospels and act accordingly. That is enough." Father and daughter were wonderful comrades. In all the years of separation when, as student and doctor, Paru was held on the opposite side of India, long weekly letters went back and forth, and events and thoughts were shared. When the hour of decision came, and the girl ventured into untried paths where the father could not follow, there were separation and misunderstanding for a time, but that time was short. The home visits were soon resumed and the Christian daughter was once more free to share home and meals with her Hindu family. And when one day the father said, "If a person feels a certain thing to be his duty, he should do it, whatever the cost," Paru rejoiced, for she knew that her forgiveness was sealed.
Dr. Paru's entrance into the world of medicine was due to her father's wish rather than her own. He was of that rare type of social reformer who acts more than he speaks. Believing that eventually his daughter would marry, he felt that as a doctor from her own home she could carry relief and healing into her small neighborhood. Paru, to please her father, went into the long grind of medical college, conquered her aversion for the dissecting table, and "made good." What does he think, one wonders, as, looking upon her to-day with the clearer vision of the life beyond, he sees the beloved daughter, thoughts of home and husband and children put aside, but with her name a household word among the women of a thousand homes. Ask her what she thinks of medicine as a woman's profession and her answer will leave no doubt whether she believes it worth while.
Actual decision for Christ was a thing of slow growth, its roots far back in memories of bright-covered Gospels and convent prayers, fruit of open confession maturing only during her years of service at Guntur. Life in the Madras Y.W.C.A. had much to do with it. There were Indian Christian girls, fellow students. "No," said Dr. Paru, "they didn't talk much about it; they had Christian ideals and tried to live them." There was a secretary, too, who entered into her life as a friend. "Paru," she said at last, "you are neither one thing nor the other. If you aren't going to be a Christian, go back and be a Hindu. At least, be something." At Guntur there were the experiences of Christian service and fellowship. Finally, there were words spoken at a Christian meeting, "words that seemed meant for me"; and then the great step was taken, and Dr. Paru entered into the liberty that has made her free to appear outwardly what she long had been at heart.
Such are a few of those Indian women whom one delights to honor. They broke through walls of custom and tradition and forced their way into the open places of life. Few they are and widely scattered, yet their influence is past telling.
To-day Lucknow, Madras, and Vellore are sending out each year their quota of educated women, ready to find their place in the world's work. It gives one pause, and the desire to look into the future—and dream. Ten years hence, twenty, fifty, one hundred! What can the dreamer and the prophet foretell? When those whom we now count by fives and tens are multiplied by the hundred, what will it mean for the future of India and the world? What of the gladness of America through whose hand, outstretched to share, there has come the release of these latent powers of India's womanhood?
But what of the powers not released? What of the "mute, inglorious" company of those who have had no chance to become articulate? There among the road-menders, going back and forth all day with a basket of crushed stone upon her head, toils a girl in whose hand God has hidden the cunning of the surgeon. No one suspects her powers, she least of all, and that undeveloped skill will die with her, undiscovered and unapplied. "To what purpose is this waste?"
Into your railway carriage comes the young wife of a rajah. Hidden by a canopy of crimson silk, she makes her aristocratic entrance concealed from the common gaze. Her life is spent within curtains. Yet she is the descendant of a Mughal ancestor who carried off and wedded a Rajput maiden. In her blood is the daring of Padmini, the executive power of Nur Jahan. With mind trained and exercised, she would be the administrative head of a woman's college. Again,—"To what purpose is this waste?"
Who dares to compute the sum total of lives wasted among the millions of India's women because undiscovered? Will American girls grudge their gifts to help in the discovery? Will American girls grudge the investment of their lives?
Only like souls I see the folk thereunder,
Bound who should conquer, slaves who should be kings,
Hearing their one hope with an empty wonder,
Sadly contented with a show of things.
Then with a rush the intolerable craving
Shivers throughout me like a trumpet call;
Oh, to save these! To perish for their saving,
Die for their life, be offered for them all.
MYERS
THE END
[ILLUSTRATION: A REPRESENTATIVE OF INDIA'S WOMANHOOD
Miss Lilavati Singh, M.A., Acting President of the Isabella Thoburn College, who died in Chicago in 1909 after thirty-one years of association with the college as teacher and pupil. A native of India, but a master of the English language, she was the first woman to sit on a world committee, having been president of the Woman's Section of the World Student Christian Federation. In this capacity she lectured in various countries of Western Europe and the United States.]
INDEX
Achievements of Christianity, of women,
Alliance, an international,
America, students continue
studies in,
American women, gifts of,
to Medical School,
Anglo-Saxon civilization,
Appasamy, Mrs. Paul,
Archaeology, revelations of,
Aryan invades India, the,
Art Club,
Athletic teams,
Athletics,
Azariah, Mrs.; magazine edited by,
Blue Triangle, with the,
Brooke, Rupert, quoted,
Brown-skinned tribes,
Basket ball,
Butler, Mrs. William,
Calcutta, Social Service
League of,
Caste and pride of race,
broken by Dr. Paru,
Chamberlain, Miss,
Character, training women in, and college education,
Chatterji, Omiabala,
Child marriage,
Child welfare,
Child widows and education,
Children, corpses—and,
Children's Home prevents
disease, beggary, and crime,
Chinnappa, Mrs. See Singhe,
Dr. Vera.
Christ, call of, must be heard to redeem the women of India; demonstration of uplifting influence of, demands college education, transforming power through; power, revelations of,
Christ's gift of education,
Christian education, Hindu
or,
Christian ideals, distribution
of, demands college education,
Christian unity in education,
Christian women and need of
India,
Christian workers, training,
demands college education,
Christianity, achievements of;
Dr. Paru a convert
to,
Church work and home making,
Churches should practice internationalism,
Civilization, dawn of, of
Anglo-Saxon recent,
Cleanliness inculcated,
Co-education in India, discussed by students,
College, why go to? teachers for high schools, doctors for hospitals, leadership, motherhood; co-education,
College education and future
of India; for Indian
girls justified,
College girls, missionary service
one of the greatest
fields for,
College woman, the, and
India,
College women, pioneer services
of,
Colleges, Indian, best for undergraduates; must be made truly Christian to redeem India; should practice internationalism,
Columbia University,
"Conscience clause,"
Co-operation of missions,
Co-operative housekeeping,
Corpses—and children,
Cosmopolitan atmosphere of
Lal Bagh,
Cosmopolitan Club,
Crime prevented by Children's
Home,
Death rates of infants,
Debt and dowry system,
Dissecting room at Vellore,
Doctor, when the, passes; where no, passes,
Doctors for hospitals,
Dowry, married without,
Dowry system,
Drama at Madras Christian
College,
Dramatic Society,
Dramatics,
Dravidians,
Early rising,
"Earth-thou-art, Mrs.,"
East, gifts of, to West; to West, adjustments required for change from,
Education, gift of Christ; proved that Indian girls can receive; of Indian girl; for girls; Hindu or Christian; an instrument to break down seclusion of the zenanas; college, and leadership; college, and motherhood; and early marriage; and child widows; and world peace; "triangular alliance" in; Christian unity in; college, for Indian girls justified; missions can not long meet demand for; Christian, Indian men testify to value of, See School.
Educated classes of India, to meet needs of, demands college education,
England, students continue
studies in,
English, conquest of, the big
job at high school,
Examination papers of students,
Fellowship, American, at Lal
Bagh,
Findley, Dr.,
"Flivver," an Indian,
Folk-lore, woman in; woman heroine of,
Ford, the, in a new capacity,
Future of India demands college education,
Future? what of.
Gandhi, Mr., and Miss Maya
Das.
Garden of hid treasure the.
George, Miss.
Girl, Indian, to-day; uneducated; marriage of; life of; school life of; religion of; why go to college?; Girl students at Vellore Medical School; who they are; why they came; their future.
Girls, proved that Indian, can be educated; education of; high school, where they come from; what they study; Indian, college education for, justified.
God alone will not redeem India; in nature; transforming world through Christ.
Goreh, Ellen Lakshmi,
quoted.
Government. See Student
government.
Graduate from Madras
Christian College, letter
from.
Griscom, Dr.
Guntur Women's Hospital.
Harischandra.
Heal, sent forth to.
High school, at; where girls are from; studies; conquest of English; life of girls; athletics; basket ball; dramatics; Harischandra; student government; co-operative housekeeping; religion of girls; religion made practical; outlets for religious emotion; teachers for.
Hindu or Christian education.
Hindu lawyer prefers Gospels to sacred books of India.
Hinduism, actualities of, unprintable; and Christianity; to Christianity, Dr. Paru a convert from.
History Club.
Home life and college women.
Home making and church
work.
Homemakers, training, demands
college education.
Hospital, in a.
Hospital wards at Vellore.
Hospitals, doctors for.
Houses at Vellore.
Housekeeping, co-operative.
Idol, wives of the.
"In the Secret of His Presence."
India, poetry of, felt to be insincere; no place for redemption of woman in the religions of; need of, can only be met by educated Indian Christian women; silent revolution has begun in; God alone will not redeem; future of, demands college education; the Aryan invades; Muhammadans invade; co-education in; superstition in; and the college woman; medical needs of, and supply of women physicians,
Indian conditions, worship adapted to,
Industrial education;
Infants, death rates of,
Isabella Thoburn College, beginnings of, See Lal Bagh.
International alliance, an,
Internationalism, let churches and colleges practice,
Jahan, Shah,
Janaki, Miss,
Karma,
Kindergarten, Indian,
Kinnaird College,
Kipling quoted; cited,
Kugler, Dr.,
Lal Bagh; cosmopolitan atmosphere; scholarship; American fellowship; first fellow; social questions; co-education discussed; early marriage and child widows; purdah discussed; social services; cleanliness inculcated; religious instruction by students; medical instruction by students; reading taught by students; sewing; purdah park suggested; social service during vacation; social service and strikes; visiting the poor and sick; what alumnae records show, See Isabella Thoburn College.
Lamp and the sunflower,
Languages at Madras Christian
College,
Leadership forced upon educated Indian girls; training native, demands college education; and college education,.
Legal profession for women,
Lela, Chandra,
Licentiate in teaching,
Life of Indian girl,
"Lighted to lighten,"
Literary and Debating Societies,
Literature; magazine edited by Mrs. Azariah,
Lucknow,
Lyon, Mary,
Madras Christian College,
letter from student at;
"triangular alliance;
inter-missionary; nine
languages represented;
sunflower and the lamp;
campus of; student
organizations; student
government; athletic
teams; Literary and
Debating Societies;
Star Club; Natural History
Club; Art Club;
Dramatic and Musical
Societies; History Club;
Y.W.C.A.; social
service; applied psychology;
The Sunflower;
superstitions; the
college woman and India;
teaching; legal profession;
politics;
home life; what one
reformer achieved;
dowry system; college
education for women justified;
letter from graduate;
extract from
journal of teacher in;
students continue
studies in England and
America; licentiates in
teaching; examination
papers; student
body of; "conscience
clause,"; effort to aid
cause of nationalism;
social service by students;
students of, love
Shakespeare; drama
at; students collect
fund for science building,
Madras Corporation Child
Welfare Scheme,
Madras Mothers' Union,
McDougall, Miss Eleanor
Magazine edited by Mrs.
Azariah,
Manikin, makeshift,
Manu, laws of,
Marriage of Indian girl,
Marriage, early, and education,
See Child marriage;
Dowry system.
Maya Das, Dora; and
Mr. Gandhi,
Medical instruction by students,
Medical needs of India and
supply of women physicians,
Medical School, Vellore. See
Vellore Medical School.
Medical service,
Medical treatment, ignorant; superstition in,
Mid-wife, work of a,
Mid-wives, ignorant
Mission boards, fourteen, support
Madras Christian College,
Missions, criticism of;
can not long meet demand
for education,
Missionary service one of
greatest fields for college
girls,
"Moral equivalent of war,"
Morality and religion unrelated,
Motherhood and college education,
Mt. Holyoke College and
Mary Lyon; first
Indian student at,
Muhammadans invade India,
Multiplication, problem in,
Musical Society,
Myers quoted,
Naidu, Mrs. Sarojini,
Nala and Damayanti,
Natural History Club,
Nature, God in,
National life of India, training women for, demands college education,
National Missionary Society,
Nationalism, effort to aid
cause of,
Nur Jahan, "the light of the
world,"
Nurses' Home of Vellore
Medical School,
Obstetrics, makeshift manikin
for teaching,
"Once upon a time,"
Opportunities for service,
Organizations of students,
Palm trees, school under,
Parker, Mrs. Edwin W.,
Paru, Dr.; breaks caste; father of, prefers Gospels to sacred books of India,
Peace. See World peace.
Physicians, women. See
Women physicians.
Pioneer services of college
women,
Poem by Rabindranath
Tagore,
Poetry of India,
Politics, training women for, demands college education, women in,
Poor, visiting the,
Prostitution, religious, protected,
Public service,
Purdah, origin of; discussed,
Purdah parks suggested,
Pushpam and her work as a reformer,
Race, pride of, and caste,
Rama and Sita,
Ramabai, Pandita,
Reading taught by students,
Redemption of woman, no place for, in religions of India
Reform
Reformer, one, and what she achieved,
Religion, the Indian girl's,
and morality unrelated,
made practical,
Religions of India, no place
for redemption of woman
in the,
Religious education, aim of,
Religious emotion, outlets for,
Religious instruction by students,
Revolution, silent,
Roads, metalled, in India,
Rukkubai
Salvation, yearning for, of
souls, Myers,
Sarber, Miss,
Schell Hospital,
Scholarship at Lal Bagh,
School, at; Hindu or Christian; under palm trees, See Education
School life of Indian girl,
Science building, students collect fund for,
Scudder, Dr. Ida
Sent forth to heal,
Servants of India Society,
Serveth, among you as He
that,
Service, great field for, for
college girls; public,
Sewing taught by students;
lessons in,
Shakespeare loved by students,
Sick, visiting the,
Singh, Lilavati,
Singhe, Dr. Vera, quoted,
Sirkir, Miss,
Site, new, of Vellore Medical
College,
Social life, moralizing, demands
college education,
Social questions discussed by
students,
Social services of Lal Bagh students; during vacation; and strikes, at Madras; by students of Madras Christian College; in outcaste villages,
Social Service League of Calcutta,
Sociology, applied,
Solidarity of the world,
Song of the Women, The, quoted,
Sorabji, Cornelia,
Sorabji sisters,
Star Club,
Stone age, remains of,
Strikes and social service,
Student body of Madras
Christian College, at
Vellore Medical School. See
Girl students.
Student government,
Student organizations,
Students, examination papers of; collect fund for science building,
Summer school for rural workers,
Sunflower and the lamp,
Sunflower, The, college magazine,
Superstition in India,; in medical treatment,
Suttee,
Tagore, Rabindranath, poem by,
Taj Mahal,
Talisman, reliance upon,
Tank described,
Teachers for high schools,
Teaching as occupation,
licentiate in,
Telugu outcastes, missionary
work among,
Temples, vile things connected
with,
Thillayampalam, first fellow
from Isabella Thoburn College,
Thoburn, Isabella,
Thumboo, Regina,
Tinnevelly Missionary Society,
To-day, yesterday and,
Traditions of womanhood,
Trail, the long, a-winding,
Transportation, Indian,
Treasure, the garden of hid,
Triplicane Health Centre, 144.
Union Missionary Medical
School for Women, Vellore.
See Vellore Medical
School.
Vacation, social service during,
Veil, use of,
Vellore Medical School, needs of; modest start of; scholarship at; Licensed Medical Practitioner; visit to; housing shortage at; corpses— and children; dissecting room; early rising; Schell Hospital; the Ford in a new capacity; Nurses' Home; makeshift manikin; new site; who the students are; why the students came; future of the students; medical needs of India; ignorant medical treatment; gifts of American women to,
Villages, outcaste, social service in,
Vincent, Shelomith,
Visiting the poor and sick,
"War, moral equivalent of,"
Waste? to what purpose,
West, gifts of East to,
Widowhood; compulsory,
Wives of the idol
Woman, redemption of, no place for, in the religions of India; in folk-lore; heroine of folk-love; and laws of Manu, See Girl.
Woman's Christian College,
Madras. See Madras Christian
College.
Woman's Foreign Missionary
Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church,
Womanhood, traditions of,
Women, Indian, are asserting their rights; gifts of American, and Vellore Medical School; who do things,
Women physicians, pre-medical training of, demands college education; efforts to increase number of; supply of, and India's medical needs,
World, solidarity of,
World peace and education,
Worship adapted to Indian conditions,
Yesterday and to-day,
Young Women's Christian
Association of Madras College,
Zenanas, opening of, through
education,