CORRESPONDENCE.

THE LATE MRS. MARILLA INGALLS.

[To THE EDITOR OD TH1 " SPECTATOR."] Sfa,—I wish to be permitted to say a few words regarding the life and work of Mrs. Maxilla B. Ingalls, an American missionary lady, who died at Thongze, in Lower Burmah, on December 17th last, after fifty-one years' wonderfully success- ful work among the Burmans. Born in 1828, she married in 1851 the Rev. Lovell Ingalls, an American Baptist missionary at Akyab, in Arakan, and afterwards at Rangoon, where he died. In January, 1856, I landed at Rangoon to take charge of the Pegu teak forests, which had been entrusted to me by Lord Dalhousie. On our arrival Mrs. Ingalls received Mrs. Brandis and myself into her house. Since then I have enjoyed the great privilege of her friendship. After a brief visit to the United States, Mrs. Ingalls decided in 1859 to settle at Thongze, a large Burmese village on the borders of the Tharawaddi district, at that time a lonely place, difficult of access, but thriving, and not unhealthy. Rangoon, her resort in case of need, could in those days only be reached by a boat trip of two days down the Hlaing River. In the course of my work I had often been at Thongze, and had made friends among some of the leading Burmese peasant-proprietors. A house was built for Mrs. Ingalls, and she had the protection and assistance of these truly excellent Burmese Buddhists. There she worked, then a young and most attractive woman, without doubt or fear, with a few Burmese Christians who had accompanied her.

The step she had taken, though bold and by no means approved by all her friends, was not without precedent. When about 1828 the great missionary to the Burmans, Adoniram Judson, made the acquaintance of the Karens, he came to the conclusion that to obtain real influence among these wild tribes, living scattered over vast areas of impene- trable forest, and rarely coming into town, it would be neces- sary for some of the younger missionaries to make their home in the Karen villages. Among others, a number of enthusiastic and devoted young American ladies, at his suggestion, settled among the Karens. Malarious fever, however, is pernicious in these forests, and several of them died. Thong* the place selected by Mrs. Ingalls, fortunately was not unhealthy; she and her young lady friends from America, who afterwards joined her, have lived and worked there for more than forty years. She never preached, but her personal influence was wonderful. With great tact she selected The native pastors for the charge of the Christian

communities which, through her influence, were gradually formed in the vicinity. A rest-house for the accommoda- tion of visitors from a distance, whom she had met on her travels and had intited to come to hear more of the truth, was always full. For many years she hired a stall in the Thongze Bazaar, which she fitted up with attractive

pictures, and there tracts and leaflets were given freely to the passers-by. A friend in America had presented her with a

large painted cast-iron dog, which she placed in front of the mission house, so natural 'as to give a first impression of being a live animal, and so large as to frighten the children.

This dog Mrs. Ingalls called her dumb preacher, showing the folly of idolatry, impotent either to help or to harm, in spite of all its splendid appearance of life. Her cheerful dis- position, her merry laugh, her wit and humour, and her happy way of dealing with people of all classes,—all helped to disarm prejudice and opposition.

While working in Burmah I had many friends among the Buddhist monks, or priests, as they are often called. These men, the POngyis, as a rule not only live a pure and ascetic life, but work hard, day after day, in teaching the boys of the village community, which maintains them and has built them the kyaung or monastery where they reside. It never occurred to me that any of them could be converted to Christianity. The religious doctrines of Burmese Buddhism are extremely hazy, and yet its power over the people is very great, and the monks are highly respected. On my last visit to Burmah in 1880 I was greatly surprised to find that Mrs.

Ingalls had made friends with several Pongyis. She was asked to visit them in their monasteries, and they liked to hear her read and explain the Gospel of Christ. I found that she was held in high respect by these proud Buddhist monks, a most remarkable fact, for a woman is regarded by them as an inferior being. Since that time a considerable number of them have thrown off their yellow robes, and, as the Burman expresses it, have again become men, not men only, but true Christian men. In one of her last letters she told me of one of these converted monks, a well-educated man,

who wished to study divinity at the Baptist College for Burmans and Karens, near Rangoon, in order to become a

preacher. She had told him he could do more good among his people as a Christian layman, and accordingly, at her suggestion, be had entered into business.

Daring the first portion of her work at Thongze Mrs. Ingalls had this good fortune, that the country was governed by Major (afterwards Sir Arthur) Phayre, one of the greatest of

Indian statesmen. It was known that he valued and respected her highly ; and this was a great help at the outset. At a

much later date troubles came all at once. After the annexa- tion of Upper Burmah in 1886 the Tharawaddi district was in an exceedingly disturbed state. Organised bands of dacoita were plundering the Christian villages. Mrs. Ingalls and her people were in great peril. A price of 1,000 rupees was set upon her head, and a notice to that effect was posted up near her house. But her Burman friends had gathered around her, and through God's mercy she was saved.

When the railway to Prome had been opened, which now places Thongze within a few hours' run from Rangoon, Mrs.

Ingalls at once interested herself in the welfare of the English and Eurasian stationmasters, guards, and other employes of the railway, with their families. Two circulating libraries, with their reading-rooms well supplied with the latest literature, remain as monuments of her loving interest in these people. She arranged for lectures to them, delivered by missionaries and others. She is greatly missed and mourned by the railway servants of Lower Burmah. Her remains were laid out on a

couch, which was surrounded by Burman Christians and the girls of her schools. Rich and poor, young and old, Christians,

Mussulmans, Hindoos, and Buddhists who had loved and respected her, came and seemed unable to tear themselves away. Even in death her lips, though mute, had not lost their power to fascinate and compel attention to the deep things of life, death, and immortality.

An apology seems to be needed for sending this sketch to a paper which does not generally deal with missionary work.

My apology is the deep interest I feel in the maintenance of the glorious British Indian Empire, to the service of which I have devoted twenty-eight years of my long life. The time is at hand–when every effort mast be used to make the loyal classes among the three hundred millions who inhabit that Empire the active allies of the British Government. Experi- ence has shown that the native Christians in India are loyaL Public officers sometimes haqk down upon them. but when, as in Burmah, we find a people like the Karens maintaining their own pastors and teachers, and at the annual meeting of their district associations voting large funds for sending out missionaries to the heathen Xarens andY for the maintenance of their College for training teachers and pastors, it is well worth while to make such people the allies, and not only the servants, of the British Government. Among Burmans, though Judson commenced his work in 1815, pro- gress has been slow. Through God's mercy it was given to Mrs. Ingalls to break the ice in one district, and there seems reason to hope that a spirit of independence, such as has manifested itself among the Karens, will now arise among Burmans, and this will make them desirable allies. Phayre, under whom it was my great privilege to serve during my time in Burma]; was on the most friendly terms with all missionaries,—Roman Catholic as well as Protestant. He knew where to draw the line, and he knew that it would not be right for the Government to give official support to missionary labours. But he also knew the practical value of Christianity among the people whom he governed.

What has here been advanced is only part of a general question, upon the solution of which, in my opinion, the maintenance of the British Indian Empire depends. The young civilian or forester naturally finds it more convenient to regard his subordinates, the Tahsildar, the My Oke, or the forest ranger, as his servants. But the time is approaching when, in order to be really useful, these men must gradually be made the allies of the British officer,—not, however, until they have acquired the right to offer advice and to form opinions of their own on important public matters by a thorough professional training, such as that which the Imperial Forest School at Dehra Dim since 1878 has given to natives of the different provinces.

Here I must stop. Should any one who may read these lines desire to hear more regarding the questions here raised, I am ready, as long as my strength lasts, to speak and