A Woman's Journey Round The World, From Vienna To Brazil, Chili, Tahiti, China, Hindostan, Persia, And Asia Minor By Ida Pfeiffer
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The Children Also Are Weak,
And Must Be Taken There, At Latest In Their Seventh Year.
Their
father accompanies them, and makes use of this pretext to return to
Europe for some time.
If it is not possible to undertake this
journey, they go to some mountainous country, where it is cooler, or
he takes his wife and family to visit a Mela. {287} At the same
time, it must be remembered that these journeys are not made in a
very simple manner: as mine has been, for instance; the missionary
surrounds himself with numerous conveniences; he has palanquins
carried by men, pack-horses, or camels, with tents, beds, culinary,
and table utensils; servants and maids in sufficient number. And
who pays for all this? Frequently poor credulous souls in Europe
and North America, who often deny themselves the necessaries of
life, that their little savings may be squandered in this way in
distant parts of the world.
If the missionaries were married to natives, the greater part of
these expenses and requirements would be unnecessary; there would be
few sick wives, the children would be strong and healthy, and would
not require to be taken to Europe. Schools might be established
here and there for their education, although not in such a luxurious
manner as those at Calcutta.
I hope that my views may not be misunderstood; I have great respect
for missionaries, and all whom I have known were honourable men, and
good fathers; I am also convinced that there are many learned men
among them, who make valuable contributions to history and
philosophy, but whether they thus fulfil their proper object is
another question.
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