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m arriage ceremony in the temple before a Buddha, to whom th e ir fo refathers looked as a sign of celibacy. F u n eral services were of course often held in th e temple, b u t to have a m atrim onial celebration in it was before quite an unknown thing. The im itation is not lim ited there, b u t goes on in several lines. Thus we find Young Men’s Buddhist Associations; Women’s Budd h ist Societies; and many philanthropic organizations are p attern ed afte r Chris tia n models. Even an in stitu tion al temple may be found w ith a so rt of asylum , orphanage, or exprisoner’s home in it. Of course, during the past histo ry of Jap an some Buddhist tem ples were in sim ilar service in one way or another, b u t they h ad different mo tives and m anners.— The Missionary Herald. INDIA Sunder Singh, a w andering Christian fria r or Sadhu of th e 'P u n ja b , is one of th e tru e religious teachers in India, and is influencing th e whole country for Christ. This is typical of his teaching: Jesus raises th e fallen, brings honor to th e lowly. He him self rode on a don key. In a certain village was a “ dhobie,” a washerm an, one of the lowest caste, b u t he became a Christian and a successful preacher. Thousands flocked to h ear him . One day an influ en tial B rahm an said, “Why is it th a t you, a low caste man, can draw such crowds, while I, a B rahm an, seem to have no influence a t a ll? ” The dhobie preacher said: “My Jesu s has raised me. I was an outcast. He exalted me, and given me a message for men. Jesus tak es th e humble and lowly and uses them in H is work. The people brought palm leaves and p u t th e ir cloaks on th e ground for Jesu s to w alk upon, bu t He did not trea d upon them . The don key received th e honor of th a t trium ph a n t entry. Why? Because it carried th e Master. Likewise I am honored
because I am perm itted to bear the message of th e g rea t Teacher to men.” And so th is singu lar man, w ithout home or family, in sunshine and rain, in th e hot southland and in th e cold north- land, goes from large city to small vil lage w ith th e g randest of all motives: “My body will I sacrifice, my life will I lay down in th y service my noble land. May God help me!— The Missionary Herald. UNHAPPY RUSSIA Only strictly censored news comes from Russia, so th a t few realize the aw ful reign of te rro r th a t prevails there. F am ine stares th e people in the face; the civil courts of justice are suspended; the police do not pretend to preserve o rder; large sections of Petro- grad have been reduced to ashes; the m ilitary forces are under no adequate control, and use th e ir power to pillage and to oppress th e people. There is g rea t danger of Jew ish massacres; indiscrim inate slaugh ter takes place on th e streets and th e Bolsheviki seem determ ined th a t if th ey cannot ru le Russia no one else shall do it. A lready two German am bassadors have been assassinated and an attem p t was made on th e life of the Bolshevist, P rem ier Lenine. There is no prospect of edu cational facilities being open to the people th is w inter and religious ser vices are impossible, for th e Bolsheviki are b itterly opposed to th e educated classes and th e churches. Everything is in disorder and th ere is no human help adequate to cope w ith the situ a tion. A recent cablegram gives the fol lowing view of conditions: “Economic conditions growing appallingly worse daily. Many members and friends of the church, also some Americans, im poverished, starving. Now w ithout Em bassy and Consulate, and Red Cross leaving shortly. Cholera epidemic almost exterm inated, th an k s to efficient medical agencies. P resen t regim e bit-
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