Old Daniel | Page 7

Daniel says, "I was much impressed with the foolishness of all these
proceedings, and I said to myself, `What benefit can be derived from
the worshipping of these old swords? I am determined to put a stop to
this in some way.'" He thought the matter over several days, and by that
time his plan was formed. So one day, when no one saw him, he took
the swords, with the box in which they had been carefully placed, and
started for the blacksmith's shop. But on the way he met his brother,
who stopped him, and the following altercation ensued, as given in
Daniel's own words: "What is that you have got in the box? and where
are you going with it?" said my brother. I replied, "O, nothing in
particular." But he would not allow me to proceed without his looking
into the box and having a plain answer to his question. I therefore said,
"Brother, as our people have been accustomed to worship these old
swords, I think they had better be made into some proper shape. I am
therefore taking them to the blacksmith, that he may put them into his
fire and make an idol of them." My brother, on hearing this, was quite
shocked, and said, "Do you mean to say that you are going to break up
these sacred relics, which have been handed down to us from our heroic
forefathers? I think you are mad. I will go immediately to our father
and tell him what you are doing." So saying he went home in great
anger, and I went on to the blacksmith. When I arrived at his shop, I
found several men outside waiting to get something done to their
agricultural implements, and they all looked at me very enquiringly. I
said nothing, but put down my box of swords, and sat upon it. At length
the blacksmith said: "Well, Chickka, what have you come for? What
have you got in that box?" I opened the box and shewed him the swords.
On seeing them he said, "What have you brought these things here
for?" I replied, "These old swords have been occasionally worshipped

as gods in our family; but I don't see that any benefit can be obtained
by worshipping such things; in their present shape they are useless; I
think they may be made into something useful. I have therefore brought
them here for you to make ploughshares of them." As soon as I had
uttered these words, all the farmers present seemed terrified, and one
man exclaimed, "If you do this, your family will never prosper; these
are gods." I said, "Very well, we will see whether they are gods or not,
we will give them a fair trial. We will put them into the fire, and if they
are gods they will jump out: and if they are not gods they will melt like
common iron: let us see." The blacksmith did what I wished. He made
one ploughshare immediately, and the others afterwards. The
lookers-on said nothing, but they doubtless expected some dreadful
calamity would happen to me. When my father heard what I had done,
he was very angry, and said, "This boy is born to destroy our gods and
customs." For several days he would not allow me to enter his house:
but in two or three weeks my father's displeasure passed away, and the
matter of the swords was not mentioned again. But all the members of
our family complained that I never bowed to the idol when I passed the
temple as they and all the other people in the village did. To this, when
questioned, I had only one answer, namely, "I don't believe that any
image made by human hands can be God." This boy was evidently
taught of God, without the aid of any human means. He could not read;
the example of his parents and friends was bad, very bad; and he had
never heard one word of Gospel Truth.
Everyone who has seen an English plough will know that a few old
swords would not supply material for one English ploughshare, but an
Indian plough is a very different thing, and is well represented by the
accompanying sketch. All the iron required is a little bit at the point
which enters the ground. The plough is very light, and may easily be
carried by a boy from the farmer's house to his field in the morning, and
back again in the evening. A man may be often seen carrying two
ploughs, one on each shoulder.
CHAPTER EIGHT.
INDIAN AGRICULTURE.

We may imagine that the first plough ever used in India was a crooked
branch of a tree; and we may also imagine that when a suitable branch
could