Children of South America

by Katharine A. Hodge

“These children are sold by their parents when young, and sometimes never know their father or mother. How often has blood been seen flowing from the head of one of these girls, the result of a cruel blow with a strap, because she did not move quickly enough.”

A very sad story is told by one of the missionaries of the Bolivian Indian Mission, of a little Indian boy. “His left forearm, and half of left leg, are one mass of partially-healed ulcers. He tells us how, over a year ago, he was caught and deliberately thrown into the fire. His father had sold him to a neighbour, and one day, whilst shepherding, he allowed some goats to fall over a cliff: then his owner, in a fit of rage committed this inhuman act.

“After a year of intense suffering, he was brought by his apathetic father for treatment. But perhaps we ought not to blame the father too much, as he is totally blind. However, the man who burned the boy was compelled to pay the father a sum of 28s., and to release the boy. After this the boy’s father sold him again, but the boy escaped, and is now under treatment.”

Such incidents happen daily, showing how inhuman and ignorant the majority of the Indians are. The Roman Catholic religion has not converted their hearts, the only change that has taken place has been that of the religion and the idols. The hearts and lives that were dark before, without the knowledge of Christ, have been plunged into deeper gloom through the blighting influence of the Roman priesthood.

Some of the Romish masses celebrated by the people are called the “Little Masses for the Child Jesus.” These take place from Christmas to the time of Carnival. Everybody who has an image of Christ as a child is supposed to provide a feast during this time. A band of music is procured, and the little image is decked out with pearls and gay flowers, and carried to the Roman Catholic church, in front of a crowd of neighbours. A mass is said, and then the figure is taken home amid great rejoicing. Drinking, feasting, and dancing follow, and are kept up until a late hour.

On January 31st and February 1st the people prepare for Candlemas, which takes place on the 2nd. They are taught by the priest that on this day the children who have died without baptism can get a little light. It is the feast of the mothers, and the priests tell the people how necessary it is to come to church with their candles.

“Do not be like so many pieces of stick; come and bring your candles, and think of your poor dead children awaiting your candles to get some light!”

“So the next day the poor mothers come with their candles of all sorts and sizes. Long candles, short candles, thin candles, thick candles. What a mine of wealth for the priests the sale of this holy (!) grease must be!

“May God light the candle of each life in order that some day someone who reads this may be able to show the Bolivian Bairns the way to Heaven. Only the light that Christ gives is of any service to Him, and to those who ‘sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.’”

The Bolivian Indians do not have many children, as the poor mites, through neglect and ill-treatment, die in hundreds every year, most of them under two years of age.