There was once a little Hindoo girl named Rajee. She went to a
missionary's school, but she would not eat with her schoolfellows,
because she belonged to a higher caste than they did. As she lived at the
school, her mother brought her food every day, and Rajee sat under a tree
to eat it. At the end of two years she told her mother that she wished to
turn from idols, and serve the living God. Her mother was much troubled
at hearing this, and begged her child not to bring disgrace on the family
by becoming a Christian. But Rajee was anxious to save her precious soul.
She cared no longer for her caste, for she knew that all she had been
taught about it was deceit and folly; therefore one day she sat down and
ate with her schoolfellows. When her mother heard of Rajee's conduct,
she ran to the school in a rage, and seizing her little daughter by the
hair of the head, began to beat her severely. Then she hastened to the
priests to ask them whether the child had lost her caste forever. The
priests replied, "Has the child got her new teeth?" "No," said the
mother. "Then we can cleanse her, and when her new teeth come she will be
as pure as ever. But you must pay a good deal of money for the
cleansing." Were they not _cunning_ priests? and _covetous_ priests too?

The money was paid, and Rajee was brought home against her will. Dreadful
sufferings awaited the poor child. The cleansing was a cruel business.
The priests burned the child's tongue. This was one of their cruelties.
When little Rajee was suffered to go back to school, she was so ill that
she could not rise from her bed.

The poor deceived mother came to see her. "I am going to Jesus," said the
young martyr. The mother began to weep, "O Rajee, we will not let you
die."