The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-03-31
MIS- CELLANEOU US.
Savage Notions Of Philanthropy.

Savage Notions OF philanthropy.
There are few more precarious in.
vestments than spending money, time,
or labor on other peoples affairs, with
an eye.to speculative return in graft
sude. Those who have done so once
will seldom knowingly venture on Sc.
cond experiment. If man from the
feeling of simple benevolence feel in.
sclined to beStow benefits on his friends
or neighbors, let him do so; but if he
is rash enough 10 imagine that his gen
serosity Is likely TO yield him large re,
turns in gratitude and good offices
hereafter, he will find it a very poor
speculation indeed When I hear a
dnan'complaining of the ingratftude OF
some friend or relative 10 whose inter
est ihe had sacniEeed his own, look
upon him as disappointed specuiator,
not ,disinterested philanthropist
Having from the period of my, eaSli-
est recdllections been afflicted with an
inipulslve tendency to give away, and
TO thrust kindnesses upon other people,
usedto feel very much puzzled TO ac-
count for the fact. that when ventured
to solicR favor from those to whom |
had in my own way been most lavish,
! was much less likely to receive it
than some one else who had given them
nothing. My eyes were for the 6rst
time opened 70 the true state Of the
case by some incidents which occurred
TO me while living among the haEf-sav-
age tribes who inha bit the iunglesdis-
tricts BORDERING Nepaul.
There being. no civil or military sta
tioa within Several days journey of
where | was stationed, | had. in the
event of sickness, OF accident befalGng
my servants. to prescribe for them " hat
are usually included under the name of
domestic medicines. This was quite a
new field 10 me, and | went into it con
am0re administering pills, making
poultiees. and applying bandages, with
zeal and energy very edifying to N.Y.
sell, and, as | imagined, highly bene-
ificial to my patients. This lastimpres-
sion. however, was a gross delusion, as
L subsequently, discovered.
One of my first patients was tall,
.unwholesome-looking youth of the cog
rnonen of Bheem, who had charge Of
the goats kept for supplying my table
with milk. Bheem III his personal ap-
lpearsnce and predacions instincts made
the nearest approach to what might be
termed 8 human weasel ever saw.
He had the sharp nose and concaye
belly, and the same irrepressible ten
dency to hunt up and desour small ver-
min which eharactefize the weasel
tribe all over the world. When Bheetn
departed to the Moidhan with his goats
at daybreak, he was furnished, besides
his galeh or pellat-bow, with number
of odd-looking skewefs and hooks. for
trapping and disintering rats, hedge
hogs, and pOrcupines. The pellat-bow
was used Or shooting parrots and squir-
rels; and it was seldom that Bheem re-
aurned without some half-dozen rats or
squirrels strung by their tails to his
,girdle.
On one occasion, when in pursuit of
a porcnpins which had taken shelter
among the fangled roots of bantam
tree, Bheeq having made up bis mind
that the poreupins was to be cooked
with chillies, garlic, and gol merttch.
became somewhat forgetful of his per-
sonal safety, and having the animal at
bay ID blind haie, he was digging
away with all his might to get at it,
when the porcupine rushed between his
legs, tearing them with his quills as he
passed, and escaped
Bhesm came limping home at even
tide in very sad plight, with his legs
swathed with bandages of jungle grass
over aplasler of ehewed seem leaves.
Asa matter Of course, | took the legs
under my care; and bad the satisfac-
eion, after washing them every MORN
ing with lukeWarm water and applying
ponltices, to see them gradually get
ing well again. But the distinction of
having bis master to z cook his shins
every morning was entirely too much for
Bheem's head, and he began to exhibit
symptoms of self eonceit and arrogance
among his fellow-seryants, as if his get
ting bis shins scraped By porcupine
had been something highly meriIori-
ons Alter all pretenee lor looking at
his shins wasover, he discovered null
titude q petty ailments in his back,
his sides, aaa his belly, for which
gava him pills and powders without
lu 6er. Bns although he always pro-
fessed TO dasise great benefit from my |
dkoOsrys lfnedicines), he nevst got well /
ami IN q II fiRnlthand ravor ,r,aY,fd Is ~