Chapter XIV: Fourth Year's Work in Kashmir

The following short note from Dr. Elmslie to his mother forms a suitable introduction to another season's work in Kashmir:–

"_Srinagar, Kashmir, 14th May 1868_–.... I am once more in Kashmir, in my old house on the banks of the broad-bosomed Jhelum. I travelled from the Punjaub by the Rattan Pir,–many an extensive field of snow I had to cross, many a stiff climb to make. We had some interesting meetings with sick on the way, and now my dispensary is in full working order in Srinagar. The people are flocking to me. I have heard rumours of opposition, but as yet have not experienced it this year. The common people love me, and hear me gladly; it is a very sweet thing to be loved by the poor and needy. The demand for shawls is low just now, and the consequence is that there is much distress among the shawl makers. They are selling work at half its proper value, in order to save themselves from starving.

"TO C. J. RODGERS, ESQ.–My mental food on the journey was Boswell's Life of Johnson. It has given me many a good laugh, and much instruction. It is a delightful book. How severe the old lexicographer is on the Scotch! Never mind, we can bear it. All he says is sheer abuse, and will not harm us.

"TO MRS. CLEGHORN.–I arrived here on the 1st instant, and have now my dispensary in vigorous working order. How I long to be allowed to settle here, and to carry on my work without these periodical breaks! I am like Noah's dove. The work greatly suffers by these frequent interruptions; as you can easily fancy. Will you make this a matter of prayer? I long for an hospital too; that is another desideratum for both the medical and the spiritual work. If you saw the shifts I have to make, you would be amazed and smile. But I firmly believe that there is a better day in store for poor Kashmir. I need not now tell you of my griefs and disappointments and discouragements; suffice it to say, I have all these. But should we expect to be different from our Divine Lord? It is enough for the disciple to be as his Lord. I count upon your prayers.

"One of the two converts of last season is reported to have died in Amritsar, shortly after his arrival there. They say he died declaring his firm faith in Jesus. The other convert must have left Amritsar before my return, for I was unable to find him."

"_Journal, Sunday, May 10th._–Church in the morning. Many pretty things in the sermon, but little theology. I had my old friends the blind and lame for their service in the afternoon, and distributed alms among them. In the evening feasted on Conybeare and Howson's Life of St. Paul, taking notes of all that is most valuable in the book. Received letters from Dr. Bell, E. M. M. S., and from Brinckman; greatly tempted to open them."

Dr. Elmslie never opened his letters on Sabbath, fearing lest some of their contents should be of such a nature as might distract his mind from spiritual things; he often found good reason to confirm him in this practice.

"_Journal._–Help me, O Father, in striving to do Thy will! Make my every motive pure! May love to Christ be the grand motive power within me! I think I have some genuine love to my precious Saviour, but it is not enough, alas! it is deplorably small; O increase it, Lord!"

To a friend he writes,–"I am sorry to hear you say you are cold. You must be in the shade. Come out into the _sunshine_. Coldness is a sign of diminished vitality, and if your spiritual vitality is lessened, then there must be some obstructing cause at work preventing the vitalizing sap from flowing out of the great Root into you, one of the branches. Make an examination, and may you detect the baneful cause, and have grace given you to remove it immediately."

"_13th._–Had a large reception of sick in early morning. Resumed study of Kashmiri with my pundit. Dined with –– in the evening. I thank Thee, O God, for any measure of boldness Thou didst give me to speak out on several points.

"_14th._–Began class with dressers and assistant for the study of Materia Medica and Chemistry. Two sepoys attended the reception for the sick to-day; they were importunate in imploring me to help them to get away, for out of their nominal wage of six chilkies a month, they never receive more than three. Saw a lovely fire-fly this evening, a rare thing here.

"_18th._–Number of patients very large to-day. Several operations. Lambardar of Islamabad present, from whom I removed a cancerous tumour in the neck two years ago; no appearance of return of cancer. Taught my assistants and studied Kashmiri as usual. I am told that Nasir Shah has prohibited the people from attending the Medical Mission Dispensary. If a woman go, she is to be divorced from her husband; if a man go, he is to be divorced from his wife. He is the leading Mussulman judge of the city, and is spreading reports that the Doctor Sahib makes his medicines of swine's flesh and blood. Before a marriage is celebrated the officiating priest reads a proclamation that if either man or woman go to the Doctor Sahib, there will be a divorce!

"_19th._–A poor sepoy came to the dispensary some days ago complaining of severe pain; on examination, it was found that he is suffering from a large abdominal aneurism. He told me he had been ordered off to Gilghil. I wrote a short certificate stating that he was utterly unfit for such a journey. He came to-day and told me he had shown his certificate to his Colonel, and that he had fined him a year's pay, ordering him to set out for Gilghil tomorrow; 3,000 sepoys have already gone.

"News from home not good; my mother is ill. Have written to ask the Committee to sanction my return home next cold season. If this is right, I ask God to grant it; if not for His glory, I sincerely trust that my request may fall to the ground.

"_28th._–A large gathering of sick to-day. I feel nervous, and irritable, and restless. O God, give me strength and grace, let Thy blessing rest upon me in my work, or rather in Thy work, which Thou hast been pleased to entrust to my care.

"_29th._–W. M., merchant, called on me to-day, to ask when the great Sahib was coming to Kashmir to dispense justice. He told me that there is no tariff of taxes, but that each official may charge what pleases him at the time, and according to the influence and tact which the merchant may have. On the Murree and Abbottabad roads the merchant is compelled to unpack his goods at each stage, and the officer on duty has power to make him pay anything he pleases. This man takes shawls and cloth from Kashmir to Persia, selling them there for money and precious stones, especially turquoises. He replied in answer to my question, as to what would make Kashmir prosperous, that a code of good laws, or a change in the administrators of those laws would be necessary. He added that if the Maharajah would reign in person and afford opportunities for the poor to make their wrongs known to himself, the state of the country would be very different; the great Mogul Emperors took an active part in the business of the State, and ever lent a ready ear to the complaints of the poor. Where fidelity and principle are low, it is absolutely necessary that the ruler of a State should exercise keen scrutiny over his subordinates. In the evening I had an interesting conversation with Sher Ali Khan, on one remarkable feature of Christianity, _i.e._, that it takes cognizance of the thoughts and intents of the heart of man–that it deals primarily with them.

"_30th._–Went with my assistants to the Nasim Bagh, where there is a grove of most beautiful Chinar trees, planted by one of the Mogul Emperors. We visited the prison on the Dal lake, and saw some men boring a four pounder–they can make an eight pounder, but no larger. Saw men bruising grain by means of a grinding stone driven by water. I was told that there were no prisoners in jail at present, that the Maharajah had caused the prisoners' quarters to be pulled down. I ascertained that there were between two and three hundred prisoners within the prison boundaries, but the officials were afraid of their making complaints of the treatment which they receive from their keepers; it is said to be very cruel. The lake is covered with water-lilies just now.

"_Sabbath, 31st._–One hundred and sixty-two patients today. One man told me that his brother had beaten a cow so that blood had been drawn. He was cast into prison, and previous to the arrival of the English, had been removed he knew not where.

"Received letters from my brother, from Acklom, and from Dr. Farquhar. It is very remarkable that my most welcome letters usually come on Sundays, as if to tempt me to open them. Have felt happy to-day, and had much of the spirit of prayer. My text for to-day–'He is faithful that promised.'"

"_Srinagar, 6th May, 1868._–MY EVER DEAR MOTHER, (After some advices and expressions of sorrow about her failing health, he writes): Those infirmities of age will not pass away–will rather increase. Happy thought it is that those very infirmities are but carriers to the shores of a better land, where there is full, perfect, and endless joy. It is this hope which gives resplendent glory to the sunset of the ransomed soul."

On the 9th of June 1868, he writes to Lieut. Acklom:–... "The opposition this year to my work in Kashmir is very much less than last. This is shown beyond a doubt, by our numbers. Last year up to this date we had three hundred and ten patients, this year during the same time the numbers on the roll are seven hundred and fifty-nine. The mission this year, so far as numbers go, is more prosperous than it has ever been. For this I give God hearty thanks. The devil seemed to make a gigantic effort to crush us, but thanks be to God, we still live and work. Your last letter was precious to me; how marvellous it is that we who are in ourselves impure, and unworthy, are nevertheless in the sight of God perfectly holy and worthy, on account of the perfect holiness and infinite worthiness of our adorable Divine Redeemer which are imputed to us. Christ is our righteousness, as well as our everything else. Are we not prone to forget this precious cheering Bible truth? Hence the feebleness and gloom of many of God's people. The more we identify ourselves with Christ, the holier, the happier, and the stronger we become, for He is our righteousness, He is our joy, He is our rock. The Christian needs to know the depravity, and the desperate wickedness of his own heart, but having _known_ it somewhat, he requires to be ever looking unto Jesus in whom we and God are revealed. Look steadily to Jesus, dear Acklom, there sin is revealed, there love is revealed; there is no danger of your forgetting your sins and their deserts if you look to Jesus. Some say there is danger, but this is a great mistake, for Jesus is the price–the infinitely valuable price which the loving Father gave to atone for our sins, and to enable the Father, without doing violence to His attributes of justice and holiness, to pardon, justify, and save such sinful and unworthy creatures as we are. What beauty and harmony there are in the Gospel scheme as made known to us in the infallible word of God!"

To the same,–"_Srinagar, 8th July, 1868_.–I should say that the two surest signs of a man's being a true Christian, are _growth_ and _gladness_–growth in the Christian life,–the Christian graces–growth manifest to the man's own consciousness, and manifest too to his fellow Christians; and gladness rooted and grounded on what Christ, God's own well beloved Son, has done for him, suffered for him in Gethsemane and Calvary, and is now doing for him at God's right hand in heaven. There is something wrong when a Christian is not a happy man. Considering everything he ought to be the happiest of men. For myself I know that whenever I have lost that serene and inexpressible feeling of a full and filling joy, it has been caused by some cloud of unbelief, a looking away from Jesus, a surrendering to the world or the devil, a forgetting of the grand work of life. The Christian's joy is not a boisterous joy, but is like the calm sunset peacefulness which pervades this fair valley in the '_gloamin_.'"

"_Srinagar, August, 1868._–MY DEAR THOMSON,–I was grieved to learn that you had been compelled to leave home in search of health. Three lectures in one week, and then a ducking into the bargain! The old Martha spirit, Thomson–the bustle and the lots of service. O that we could mix the Martha and the Mary. What an excellent compound they do make. To influence the world we need to be _full_, and running over with faith and love. To be so we must often, Jesus-like, repair to the mountain side, or desert place, _alone_. It is often a great blessing for a Christian man to be laid aside for a little from the busy engrossing pursuits of this high-pressure life, which in these days we are forced to live. Even the Christian life is not exempt from this pernicious feature of our age. God did not stop your work; He only modified it for a season, and made praying your working. Doubtless the workers in prayer are most successful. I often wish I had half a dozen old, faithful, loving, lonely women, praying for me and my work. But though a _visit_ to the desert may refresh, we must not stay there, for sinners now-a-days won't come after us as they went after John; and so I hope dear Mrs. Thomson and you are again in the pit digging for diamonds. I entirely agree with you in your remarks on the relative position which piety and cleverness should hold in the medical missionary character. Without any doubt, piety first, and then attainment. Nothing but the cable of love to our precious Saviour, will be able to keep us fast to our moorings in these stormy days. I have scarcely left time to speak about my own work. So far as numbers go, this is by far the most successful year of the Kashmir Medical Mission. We have treated nearly 2000 patients during the last two months. Opposition at present is _asleep_, only asleep and nothing more. It cheers me greatly to know that you remember me and Kashmir in your prayers."

"_Srinagar, 24th August, 1868._–MY DEAR ACKLOM,–It is too bad of me to be so dilatory in writing to you, but the truth is, I have been in a sea of troubles. My native doctor I found out to be a great thief, and I gave him his leave immediately. This of course increased our work very greatly. He was also a '_din-raiser_' and succeeded admirably. I fear he has completely spoiled one of my native dressers,–Thomas,–whose conduct this season has been far from satisfactory.... You complain of a cold heart! The fact is our hearts–all human hearts–are as fickle as April or the thermometer. It is well to remember that the connection between our body and our affections is very intimate, and very often extremely disadvantageous to the Christian. A heavy dinner, a sluggish liver, or constipated bowels, will frequently freeze our affections, or rather make them as flat as thunder does beer. But let us not brood over the coldness. Our union to our blessed Saviour, and our possession of eternal life through His merits, does not depend upon, or vary with our feelings and affections,–were it so, this would make salvation like Joseph's coat, of many colours. Remember Jesus' dying words, for they are very precious, '_It is finished_.' What is finished? Man's salvation. It is sad to think that we sinners, for whom the glorious Jehovah gave up His only begotten Son, should have cold ungrateful hearts towards Him who gave so much for us. _The place to warm our hearts is the cross._"...

"_Srinagar, 2d October, 1868._–TO REV. MR. MALLETT.–Don't you think we are apt to forget that we have not yet finished our spiritual education? We are apt to forget that in all that befalls us, our heavenly Father is making everything subservient and conducive to our spiritual nourishment and growth in grace. What we need, you and I, M., is more of that spirit–that Christ-like spirit, which, looking lovingly and confidingly up into the Father's benign face, ever says, 'Father, not my will but Thine be done.' If there is matter for thankfulness on my part in your letter, there is in my circumstances much which ought to make _you_ thankful when you compare your lot with mine. Here I am almost as lonely as John in Patmos. Without a tender loving wife to cheer me with her hearty sympathy. This great blessing _you_ have, and doubtless you feel very grateful to God for the blessing. How expansive our capacity for happiness is. In all probability before you were married, you thought if you only had a wife you would be contented and happy. You got the wife, and now want something else. And doubtless if you got that something else, you would long for something more. Don't you think that this fact of our spiritual nature points to the strong probability of there being a future state? This is an argument apart from the Scriptures. This thought in passing."...

"_Srinagar, 5th October, 1868._–MY DEAR MOTHER,–Long ere now you will have got my letter, in which I tell you that although the Church Missionary Society in Salisbury Square, London, have most generously granted me permission to visit home this cold season, instead of next winter, according to agreement, I have after much thought and prayer, decided on _not_ going home till the close of next year, as was previously arranged.... I am busy collecting materials to make a Dictionary of the Kashmiri language, of which there is not one. I hope when I come home, to employ part of my time in having it published.... Then again, dearest mother, one or two natives are in a very promising religious condition. I should like to be with them a little longer before making a considerable break in my visits to the valley.... I feel greatly drawn to this unfortunate country and people. The power of sympathy and kind deeds has very greatly melted their prejudice, bigotry, and ill will, and gained for the precious Gospel a patient and dispassionate hearing. The people generally now consider me their friend, and it would do your old heart good, and lift it up in warm gratitude to God, to hear the poor people praying for blessings on the head of your dear Willie. This is all God's doing, for He alone has given me a heart willing and capable to sympathise with these poor people, and to help them in their distress. I know that my presence here has some influence for good on the heartless, bigoted, and tyrannical government which rules over this most beautiful country. Pray much for us, dearest mother."

A few days before closing the dispensary, Dr. Elmslie wrote a long letter to Mrs. Lake, from which the following passages are taken:–

"_Srinagar, 12th October, 1868._–I fear medical missions are not likely soon to spread in the Punjaub, or, indeed, anywhere else. Men and money are so scarce. You will be sorry to learn that nothing has, as yet, been done with respect to the training of native medical missionaries. I refer to the Lahore Medical Missionary Training Institution. I think the friends of this most needful and feasible scheme are waiting to see the good people of the North-West carry out their intention of setting on foot such an Institution. I think this delay is a pity, because their success is not likely to benefit the Punjaub. They will have enough to do to supply home, not to speak of exporting. And I fear, even if the Institution of the North-West prove a success, that we in the Punjaub shall not be able to prevail upon our Punjaubi converts to go all the way to Agra or Allahabad for their medical education. Besides, in my opinion, this is altogether unnecessary, seeing we have a good Medical School in Lahore.

"You and Colonel Lake will be happy to learn that this year, so far as medicine and surgery are concerned, has been very successful,–indeed, the most successful year the mission has yet seen. From the 8th May last till the 12th October, to-day, a period of five months and four days, 4161 individual patients have received medical and surgical aid at the Mission Dispensary. All these persons have heard the gospel, more or less, and many of them have obtained books. Many of these people come very considerable distances. We have had several merchants from the interior of Asia as patients. Some of these have seen the Russians. But nearly the whole of the number are Kashmiris, living in the valley or on the surrounding mountains. Those people are much less bigoted than formerly. We can speak to them much more freely and plainly, without fear of offending them, and a very large number of the inhabitants of the valley, both high and low, now look upon us as their friends, and, in their difficulties and sorrows, come to us for advice and sympathy.

"As to decided converts, there is none this season. One family is in a very hopeful condition, as also my pundit. They are nothing more than hopeful. May God reveal Himself in Christ to them, and influence their hearts with love to Him, for what He has done for them.

"A little progress is being made in the valley. The first school established in Kashmir by the Maharajah has just been opened. Its history is the following. The father of the family of which I have already spoken, was particularly desirous that his two sons, two very fine lads, should learn a little English. He asked me if I would teach them. I said I had not time to do so, for my medical and other duties; but I would allow one of my assistants, who knew a little English, to teach his sons. One of the two lads has been very regular in his attendance, and has made some progress. A report of all this was carried to the Diwan, the Maharajah's representative in the valley. Thereafter, a vigorous effort was made to get the father to give up sending his son to the mission bungalow to learn English. The effort failed, however. The father, I must tell you, is a Pathan, and is not so much afraid of the Kashmir Government as indigenous Kashmiris generally are. The Maharajah, in due time, received a full account of all that was going on; and His Highness, after some time, gave orders for the opening of a school for the teaching of Arabic, and desired the Diwan to try to prevail upon Sher Ali, my Pathan friend, to desist from sending his sons to the Doctor Sahib to receive instruction in English. In this effort, I am happy to say, the Diwan has failed. The boys come daily to us. This class for Arabic, got up primarily to decoy Sher Ali's sons away from us, is the _first Government school_ the valley has seen during the reign of Gulab Sing and his son, the present Maharajah. The class, I am told, is intended exclusively for the sons of those who may be called the nobility of Kashmir. It is a pity the language was not Persian, and the school intended for any who was willing to attend. This is trying to boil the kettle from above."

The dispensary was closed on the 19th October, and Dr. Elmslie and his assistants returned to Amritsar.

Shortly after his arrival in Amritsar, he had a pretty smart attack of fever, to which he thus refers.

"_Amritsar, 22d December, 1868._–MY DEAR MALLETT,–I would have written to you before this time, had I not been in the sick list for the last three weeks. I have had a very sharp blow of intermittent fever, which has extracted all the pith out of me, besides running off with a good many pounds of my flesh. However, I am mending rapidly now, and expect soon to be myself again–I mean as to strength. The less we are ourselves the better, dear Mallett. Oh, to be more Christ-like, to have more of His wise, humble, submissive, loving mind. The mind of Christ! What a treasure to have! May our heavenly Father graciously grant you and me more and more of it.... I have _put off_ my visit home for another year. The parent Society (Church Missionary Society) were most gracious in granting me leave to go home this cold season. A whole year sooner than the time specified when I left England. How is God's work prospering with you? Dear Mallett, let me wish you and Mrs. Mallett a very happy Christmas and New Year. If the dear Saviour is present with you, then assuredly Christmas cannot but be happy. For if we have everything else, and want Jesus, then the season is no _Christmas_, but a worldly and sensual occasion. May the Master preside at His own feast, and make you His guests really happy."