THE FELLAHS OF EGYPT. 111 Her complexion was darkened, by exposure to the sun, to a much deeper brown than that of the inhabitants of the city, and made her white teeth look more brilliantly white by contrast. She might have been eighteen or more, to judge by looks, but was, no doubt, at least three years younger. I was drawing. A picture of any kind was, of course, a complete novelty to her, but, on being shown the trees, &c., and then told that these marks and colours were to represent them, she understood the object very readily, and watched the process with great satisfaction. I then called her attention to the beauty of the trees, and talked about gardens. Every Egyptian delights in a garden beyond any thing else, and I then related to her the story of the garden of Eden, and Adam and Eve. When we came to the sentence of death, I asked where she thought she would go after she died. She opened her bright eyes very wide, and then drooping the long black eyelashes over them, and raising her hands with a gesture between uneasiness and indifference, replied, "Marafsheh!” (the common Egyptian contraction of the words meaning, “I do not know," or "I know nothing of it"). "You have a soul, Zeynab: it is not only men who have souls: every child, every girl, has a soul." "Yes, lady, I know it." "Have you not heard that every soul must go either to heaven or to hell? Have you not heard of heaven and hell?" "Yes, I know," she said again. "Well, when this is all become dust," touching her arm, "where do you think your soul will go?" "Marafsheh," she repeated, very sadly, hanging down her head. "You Mohammedans are always afraid of death: is it not so?" "Oh yes, greatly afraid!" she echoed, shuddering, and contracting her features with terror at the very word; "and you are not afraid, nor that lady?" "Those who trust in the Messiah, whom she told you of, need not fear death, because they will be very happy in heaven: it is good up there, much better than here." Zeynab remained silent for some minutes, with a puzzled, half-dreamy look in her eyes. Heaven was such a vague, unmeaning word to her: how was it good; what was it, to be so desirable? She could not take it in. Presently she noticed a ring I wore, and with childish versatility began expressing her delight and admiration. "I wish I had a ring like that! but I have none," she exclaimed. "Well, Zeynab, in the place we were speaking of they will wear golden crowns on their heads." "What!" she cried, eagerly, as if she now caught a notion that she could comprehend, "what! gold like that?" "Far more beautiful: and they wear robes of white." "All white?" she asked, taking hold of her dirty blue cotton veil with rather a contemptuous air. "Yes, white, and clean, and bright, and beautiful, because their hearts are clean." Her interest was now again fixed: instead of a vague, unreal, incomprehensible thing, she had a notion of some place which she could in a 112 THE EDUCATED BENGALEES. faint degree conceive: the outward glory, which was all the childish mind could yet seize hold of, was brought before her, and she was willing to converse about the love of God in providing a place of happiness for his children, and to hear more of "Him the lady had talked about." Mrs. R now rejoined us, and taught the girl a short prayer, which she made her repeat several times, and which she promised to say every day. She parted from us with regret, and begged we would come again." Once again the Christian ladies saw Zeynab, but not until after a long time. I asked if she remembered the little prayer. She said she had repeated it at first, but now had forgotten the words. I told them, and made her repeat them several times, shortening even that short sentence to suit her memory, unused to learn. We had a little talk, and she seemed much interested and pleased. In honour to an Egyptian girl, it should be told, that neither on this nor our first interview did Zeynab ask for a "backsheesh," or seem to have any idea of getting money from the strangers, although evidently poor; and, in general, the village children and girls are all clamorous for backsheesh as soon as they see a European. I gave her, however, a piece of money at parting, saying I was going away, and wished, as Í might never see her again, to give her a present. She drew back at first, and when she had accepted it, she said, in a deprecating manner, "I did not ask." This looked as if there was a good natural disposition in the poor girl. She was recommended to our good matron, who we hoped might find her out and talk to her again; but illness, the increasing business of the school, and a variety of other circumstances combined, with the absence of both our friend and ourselves from Cairo, to prevent the tracing of poor Zeynab, and we know nothing more of her. eye But there is One who does know, and whose eyes are in every place. The that never slumbers has been watching the young Egyptian on the borders of the desert, as surely as if she were known to hundreds of her fellow-creatures. We cannot but hope that in some way she may yet be taught by his Holy Spirit, and learn. to tremble no more when the name of death is mentioned. Alas! how many are there not of these wanderers who might be brought to the fold, if only there were some willing to seek for them. wwwww THE EDUCATED BENGALEES. OUR readers are aware that for a number of years the Government of India has been affording to the youths of that country a firstrate secular education, and that many of them have availed themselves of it. They have thus become acquainted with European literature and science, and have learned how false and puerile are THE EDUCATED BENGALEES. 113 those notions which, under the name of religion, have been handed down to them by their forefathers. So far as their convictions are concerned, they have ceased to be idolaters, although the generality continue to conform to the prescribed customs and rites. But although, in their educational course, they learned the folly of Hinduism, they learned nothing of the excellency of Christianity. That was withheld. It was thought to be inconsistent with the duty of the Government to afford any Christian opportunity, and so the young men came forth into the world destitute of any religious convictions whatever. There are, however, hopeful circumstances in connexion with this important and numerous class of men, which we desire to notice. At first they avowed themselves Atheists. This, however, seems to be abandoned: it was, in fact, unreasonable. Generally now they profess themselves Theists. Young men, when entering the Calcutta University, are obliged to declare what religion they are of, and they usually subscribe themselves Theists. By this they mean a crude Socinianism. They believe in the cold abstraction of a God without a Trinity of persons, without any atonement whereby they can approach Him, and so far removed from them as to be incapable of affecting the human heart. They have their forms of worship, and meet together for this purpose. Instances are not wanting of young men, who, chilled amidst the dreariness of such a faith, and feeling the need of some sun, some centre from whence they might derive genial influences, have never rested until they have found Him who is the true life and restingplace of the human soul. Good men at Calcutta feel that the present is an important crisis, and they are doing all they can to help these young men out of their entanglements. Able lectures have been delivered in the cathedral on the evidences of Christianity, and the admirable suitableness of the Gospel to the necessities of man. Some of these lectures have been delivered by the Bishop, others by Professor Banerjea, the Revs. the Chaplains, Missionaries, &c. The attendance on one occasion, when Professor Banerjea lectured, amounted to about 250, of whom perhaps fifty were Europeans. The scene was most impressive. A Brahmin convert, standing up in a Christian cathedral to entreat his countrymen to embrace the faith, in which he had found the rest and peace after which their ancestors had striven in vain, was surely a sight not unworthy of a historical painting. The lecture was admirably written, arranged, and delivered in pure idiomatic English, and with most apposite and striking applications of Holy Scripture. When the lecturer spoke of our "Rishis," our forefathers," nation," we were forcibly reminded of St. Paul preaching to the Jews. May the Spirit of the Lord work so powerfully through these efforts, that many of these young men may be brought to know the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! "" our ( 114 ) THE LOVED AND LOST. "THE loved and lost!" why do we call them lost, They are not lost; they are within the door And God Himself their Lord, and Judge, and King. And this we call a "loss;" Oh selfish sorrow Aye, look upon this dreary, desert path, The thorns and thistles wheresoe'er we turn; Ask the poor sailor, when the wreck is done, Who with his treasures strove the shore to reach, Anon. THE LAPLANDERS. THE Laplanders inhabit the most northern part of Europe, and number in all about 10,000 souls, divided, in almost equal proportions, between Norway, Sweden, and Russia. They are of Asiatic origin, closely related to the Finlanders and the Hungarians, There can be little doubt that at a very early period they inhabited a part of Turkey. It is possible that they may have come into Europe in the train of Attila, or, like the Hungarians, at a somewhat later period; but having been so long subject to Europeans, they have utterly lost their former martial character, and become servile and effeminate. It is not easy to ascertain what form of heathenism prevailed amongst them; but, strange to say, the most recent investigations appear to lead to the conclusion that they were Buddhists, and that many of them are Buddhists at heart to this very day. About the middle of the fourteenth century they were compelled to conform to Romanism; but whilst they outwardly adopted the new religion, it was only like a cloak, which they laid aside again as soon as they ceased to be watched. Being Buddhists, they were not open idolaters, though they had small images in their houses: their ceremonies consisted chiefly in the use of ablutions, incantations, and charms, which it was easy for them to retain and perpetuate in secret. When an infant had been received into the Christian church, it had to undergo a certain exorcising process immediately on its return home. Whenever a Laplander went to the Lord's Supper, he would on the way select some secluded spot, and there, by means of confession and ablution, propitiate beforehand the heathen deity, whom he was about reluctantly to offend by joining in a ceremony peculiar to Christianity. When, after the time of the Reformation, the Laplanders of Sweden and Norway were compelled to conform to Protestantism, their real character underwent no material change. The Protestant clergy appointed to the inhospitable parishes of Lapland were usually the refuse of their class, who were pretty attentive to the few Norwegians settled in their parishes, but in other respects contented themselves with going through their prescribed round of duties. Occasionally a better minister would endeavour to be somewhat more faithful with his parishioners; but they knew how to make him desist. If he came to visit them, they would set before him the most offensive articles of food, bad enough to poison him; or supply him with unmanageable reindeer, whose fury threatened to put an end to his life. In this way the minister's patience and zeal were soon worn out, and he would naturally seek to be promoted, as speedily as possible, to a parish situated in some more civilized region. The Laplanders may be divided into two classes or castes, one pastoral, the other devoted to fishing or catching birds. The latter naturally reside along the coast, which, in Norway especially, is indented by numerous gulfs and inlets. They live in huts made of turf; their food consists principally of fish, and is dressed with the same train-oil that burns in their lamps. The pastoral Laplanders, who keep herds of rein-deer, live on the hills, or rather on the elevated table-lands above the coasts. Their dwellings consist of the rudest tents, and the reindeer supplies them with food. In summer the days in those high latitudes are very long in some districts the sun remains above the horizon during twentythree out of the twenty-four hours. The heat then becomes intense, and engenders such clouds of stinging flies that the cattle rush into the thickest smoke they can find, in order to obtain some relief; whilst the men are compelled to besmear their hands and faces with tar. To escape from their tormentors, the hill-men almost invariably drive their herds down to the sea-coast, where they also sell skins, and other produce, and purchase such articles as they need, if at least they can abstain from wasting all their money upon ardent spirits, of which they are passionately fond. All Laplanders, especially the hill-men, are somewhat sullen towards Europeans, unless they are propitiated by a present of liquor and tobacco; but, although sullen, they are timid, so that no violence need be apprehended from them. The Board of Missions, having been ordered by the king to extend its operations to the Laplanders of Norway, was providentially directed to select for its agent a man peculiarly fitted for that work. His name was Thomas von Westen. He was originally a poor boy, destined by his father to learn some trade; but as, in spite of all obstacles and prohibitions, he manifested a most studious disposition, his father was at length persuaded by some friends, who engaged to defray the expense, to allow him to go to the University. In compliance with his father's wishes, he studied medicine; but just when he was about to receive a doctor's diploma, his father died, and the young man imme |