RUNGIAH, THE PARIAH YOUTH.

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grow crooked and deformed. What, then, can be expected of the sons and daughters of India, who grow up from childhood in such dense moral darkness? Can we be surprised if they are precocious in vice, and become, at an early age, old in sin? Happily, in the good providence of God, a ray of light broke in upon this dark heathen hamlet, and the poor Pariah boy was led to turn towards it, as plants in a dark room make strange efforts to face the solitary ray of light that has found its way into their prison-house. A Christian school was opened by an American Missionary: it was the first opportunity of Christian instruction which these poor people ever had, and Rungiah was amongst the few scholars. There he learned to read, and there God's precious book, so beautifully and considerately written as to suit all classes, all minds, was placed in his hands he read it, and profited by it. He was diligent and wellconducted, and was regarded as one of the most promising boys, whose life, if spared, might yield pleasant fruits to his heathen countrymen.

But it pleased God to decide otherwise. Often it happens so. Those whom we regard as the most promising are removed, and it is our duty to submit, and acknowledge, not only that the Lord has a right to do what He will with his own, but that He, who sees the end from the beginning, knows best what to do.

Rungiah was taken ill, and his people being bigoted heathen, and fearing lest European medicines might be prescribed for him, kept it secret from the Missionaries, so that they knew nothing of it until a short time before his death. He was then in the last stage of consumption. Carefully was he carried to the Mission house, and then all was done that skill and love could devise, to revive the fading flower, but in vain.

And now, as his father was too infirm to visit him at the Mission house, he was carried home again, and for two days he was enabled to manifest to the heathen relatives and friends who gathered round him the sustaining power of faith in Christ. "Weep not for me," he said; “I am not now a heathen. I have done much evil. I have been a great sinner, as you all know, but I have been pardoned. Idols are nothing, caste is nothing, time is nothing: we are as the flower that withers. Leave your idols now, and go to Jesus. You, my aged and only earthly parent, must not grieve for me, but hasten to the Saviour of sinners, who alone can save you." To each of his brothers he spoke in a similar way, urging them in the most earnest manner to believe in Jesus. He prayed much. "Come, Jesus, take me. I am ready to go: my work is done here. Thou art my hope, my all. I have no fear of death or the grave, for thou hast conquered both."

As the last moments drew on, he called all his friends around, and, in the full possession of his reason, said, "I am going now to God and heaven: you must not shed one tear for me, but you should rather rejoice. Don't speak to me, or to one another. Now my work is done here. Put my body, after I am gone, into the ground; but you must not wail as the heathen do, neither must you observe the anniversary of my death with any heathen rites; for I die a Christian, and wish to be buried as such, in the most quiet way. Ask the teacher, the Missionary, to see, if he choose, that the place of my body's resting be not desecrated; for I would have my tomb a witness for Jesus, not of me or for me.

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POETRY-WORK WHILE IT IS DAY.

"Hark, I hear the call of my Redeemer. It is all dark now. Farewell. O Lord Jesus, secure my soul, I come to thee."

With these words on his lips, and a smile on his face, he fell asleep in Jesus. But not in a ceiled house, with Christians to cheer him, but amid his own heathen relatives and friends, in a poor mud-house covered with straw.

His family often refer to his death, so bright, so peaceful, so different from the hopelessness of a heathen's death. May the words which he spake remain written on their memories as with a pen of iron, until they, too, are brought to Jesus to be saved.

"I shall never forget," writes the Missionary, "my visit to his grave. It was at twilight. His four brothers went with me to the grave, and, while standing there, his aged father came with a little brass pot of drinking water. As he neared the grave, seeming not at all to recognise us, with tears streaming down his face, he poured the water into a small depression made on the top of the grave, and into another at the foot, crying, in the deepest agony, 'My son, my son, the light of my eyes, the staff of my old age, thou art gone!' The old man then checked his sorrow, by remembering the dying words and courage of his son, which to him now are a living fact, but a great mystery."

INDIA OPENING UP.

AMONGST the many significant features which mark the opening up of India is the great improvement as to facilities of travelling. For many a long day travelling by palkee, or palanquin and bearers, relays of which were placed at stated distances of eight miles or so

on the road, the journey being prosecuted by night as well as day, was the most approved mode of conveyance for European travellers. This was not only expensive and tardy, but attended by many dangers. Instances have occurred in which the dozing traveller has been rudely awakened by the palanquin coming to the ground, amidst the discordant shouts and screams of the bearers. The cause of this has been formidable enough. A foraging party of tigers springing from the rocks have just dashed across the road close to the palanquin, and, leaving the unfortunate traveller in the midst of the road, the bearers have huddled together, bellowing fearfully, while the mussaulchees waved their torches most vehemently. Sometimes worse happened. The late Rev. H. Fisher, when dâk travelling in the North-west Provinces, experienced a marvellous preservation.

I was utterly unconscious how far I had travelled, when I was suddenly awakened by what appeared to me to be a smart blow with a stick upon the roof of my palkee, and which was instantly, but very gently, lowered to the ground. I threw open the slide and inquired what was the matter. The answer was a dreadful blow on the breast with a heavy-laden lattee (a solid bamboo, with iron rings round the butt-end), which laid me upon my back forthwith, and the pannels of the slides were in a moment beaten in. As I endeavoured hastily to jump out to make the best defence I could, not liking to die in my nest, I distinguished a tall Mussaulchee standing with an uplifted sword, ready to make a cut at my head, and which, happily for me, I saw in time. As I sprang up from my left hand, I struck him with my right with all the strength I could muster, and he fell like a dog, not, however, without inflicting with his falling sword a severe wound across the jaw-bone, which instantly gushed out a torrent of blood. Of course I concluded it was mortal, but, in the anxiety and confusion of the moment, felt only that my desperate situation called for as desperate a defence. Yet the cowardly villains did not close upon me as I expected, but stood in a semicircle in front of me, gazing on their prostrate companion. He speedily got up, however, and flourished his sword, and encouraged the men by his gestures to resume the attack. Several of them had lattees in their hands, with which they kept threatening me in the way in which the natives usually practice fencing, leaping forward and retreating, and ejaculating a sort of grunt, "huh! huh!" at every feint. They observed (with that exception) a death-like silence. I retreated before them, asking them what they wanted, assuring them I had nothing about my person. There was for some time no reply. At last the Mussaulchee growled out the word rooh-pee, (pronouncing it deliberately as I spell it). I said, "All are in the palkee." They interchanged looks with each other, but followed me up as I retreated. From the exceeding loss of blood I suddenly became faint and sick, my knees trembled under me, and I was sinking to the ground. I had turned at the moment to ward off a threatening blow from another of the party, when the Mussaulchee made another successful cut at the back of my neck, but happily the

wound was slight. I still kept retreating with my face towards them, and remonstrating with them, but my weakness and faintness increased so visibly, that the ruffian seemed encouraged to make a rush at me, and with his uplifted sword to cut me down, when one of the bearers seized his arm, exclaiming in a sort of suppressed whisper, "marro mut, marro mut!" The man hesitated. There was a large sheet of water close behind me, and, having no alternative, as they followed me up to the very edge, I waded into it. They followed me a little way into the water, and then stood and watched me across. It was not more than one hundred yards over, and not deeper than my waist. On my reaching the opposite bank, they all hurried back, and began to break and plunder the palanquin. The dâk jungle was very high; I therefore went down upon my hands and knees, and crawled a considerable distance into the thicket, and lay down, as I hoped, secure from further molestation. The cold water had refreshed me much, and I was able to twist the wet bedgown into a kind of rope, and bind it fast round my throat, to staunch the bleeding. I had not the slightest conception. where I was. It was starlight, but there was no moon. I looked for the north star to afford me some guiding direction whither to turn my steps, when, just at that moment, I heard the ghurree of Her Majesty's 67th Regiment strike eleven o'clock. It was as the cheering voice of a friend inviting me to a safe place of refuge, and I was much delighted to find that I could scarcely be three miles from my own home, a distance which I thought I could easily accomplish. I need not say how fervently and gratefully I lifted up my heart to God, and how much my whole soul was engaged in ejaculatory prayer and thanksgiving to my almighty Deliverer. Never have I, before or since, so realized the apparent actual approach of death, and never before or since have felt, deeply felt, how in the midst of life we are in death. I had closed my eyes to sleep in robust health and strength, dreaming of no danger, and fearless in consequence, and now I was tottering along like a helpless infant, scarcely able to make an effort to seek assistance. I sat awhile on the ground to gather a little revival of spirit, and to bind up my wound more securely. There had been a heavy fall of rain a few days before, which was most fortunate for me, as, by washing my parched mouth now and then, I felt wonderfully refreshed. I had lost my shoes in the struggle, which rendered walking rather painful; nevertheless I made tolerable progress by resting now and then, and washing my face with cold water. When I got out of the jungle into the open plain, and saw the glimmering of the distant light in the guard-room, I was able to keep a straight course. But fainting continually returned, and I was obliged in consequence to lie down, thinking I must die. I had, you may be sure, many very anxious and serious thoughts, the benefit and savour of which I think I feel to this day, though, alas! not with suitable and sufficient strength. I thought of my large and interesting flock, of my peradventure widowed wife and eight fatherless children, and I prayed to God to protect and preserve me for their sakes.

In this state he was found by the soldiers, and carried into the guard-room, and his life was thus preserved.