BUDDHA.
“UNCLE WALTER," said the children one morning, "do tell us about when you were a missionary away off in India."
Uncle Walter, who had just returned from his long voyage, had been for many years teaching the heathen about the only true God; and now he had come home to get well and visit his dear friends.
"Well, Harry," said his uncle, "get your geography, and we will see if we can find India on the map."
When the children had gathered around him, Uncle Walter opened the book and turned to the map of Asia.
"Now, then," said he, "see if you can find Burmah."
Carrie's sharp eyes were the first to find it, away down in the southern part of Asia, east and north of the Bay of Bengal.
"That's right," said Uncle Walter; "now I'll tell you a little about the people who live there."
"India, you know, is a hot country, and the people wear very little clothing. Their dress is usually a long, flowing robe of cotton, but a great many wear nothing but short, full cotton drawers.
The richer class wear a great deal of jewelry, in the shape of chains, nose rings, ear-rings, bracelets, and the like, while the very poorest wear chains of
rusty iron.
"They have a curious carriage to travel in. It is not like the buggies that you see here, but looks more like a bed with a canopy over it. In this sits the rich man who makes the journey. There are bolsters and pillows inside, so that he can sit up or lie down as he pleases. This palanquin, as it is called, is not drawn by horses, but is carried on the shoulders of four or six men."
"That's a lazy way to travel," said Carrie.
Harry thought it would be real nice, and said he would like to live there.
"I have seen a great many of them when walking in the streets early in the morning," said Uncle Walter.
"They have," he continued, "a very queer religion. If Harry will go to my satchel up in my room, he will find a little image which he may bring down stairs."
When he had brought it, his uncle said, "This is the image of Buddha. Buddha is the god the people worship. The images are not all as small as this; some of them are quite large, and the people build beautiful temples to put them in. This idol is made of wood, but many of them are made of stone, brass, or ivory.
"When you walk along the road, you quite often see among a cluster of trees a little temple with a long, tapering spire. Perhaps you will see a man going in to worship. He has in his hands an offering for Buddha.
He goes and lays this down quite a way from the idol, and then drops on his knees, and putting the palms of his hands together, bends over till his face touches the ground.
Then he mutters his prayers, and laying his offering at the feet of the god, goes home. They do not go to worship in companies as we do here, but each one goes by his self.
They have no weekly meetings, and the little heathen children have no Sabbath-school to go to."
"Oh, I'm so glad," said Carrie, "that we live in a country where we are taught about the true God, and have a chance to go to Sabbath-school."
"Dear me! There goes the school-bell," said Harry.
"Well, get your things and run right along," said their uncle, "and I'll go and write some letters; then may be this evening, we'll have time to talk some more about this curious people."
W. E. L.