Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-06-18

CHILD LIFE ny THE GANGEs.

CHILD LIFE ny THE GANGEs.
"Many and grievous perils do en-
viron baby-life by the Ganges-perils
by dry nurses, Perils by The wolves,
perils by crocodlles, perils by the Evil
Eye, perils by kidnappers, perils by
cobras, perils by devils.
You are living at one of the up.cou
try stations, where the freer air of the
jungle imparts to babes and sucklings
a voracious appetite. Besides your
own dhye, brought from Calcutta,
there is not another wet-nurse to be
had, for love or money. Immediately
dhye strikes for higher wages. The
baba sahib, she says, has defiled her
rice !; yesterday he put his foot into
her curry; to-day he washes the mon
keys tail in her cOnsecrated lotah.-
What shall she do? she has lost caste;
the presents to the Brahnins, that her
reinstatement will cost her, will con-
sumo all her earnings from the begin
ming Gurreeb loeracan, o magnifi-
cent and merciful what shall she do -?
She strikes for hi CHER wages. But you
are hard-hearted and hard-headed {;
you will not pay-gunga, not another
|piece! by latchmee, not one cowry
more! Oh, then she will leave; with
a heavy heart she will turn her back
on the blessed baby; she will pour
dust upon her head before the mem
sahib, at whose door her disgrace shall
lie, and she will return to her kindred.
Not she! the durwan, grim and incor:
ruptible, has his orders she cannot
pass the gate. Ohio! then immedi-
ately she dries up; no "fount," and
baby furnishing. You try ass's milk !;
it does not agree wi h baby; besides,
lit costs a rupee pint. You try a
goat; she does not agree with baby,
for she butts him tremendously, and,
leaping over his PROSTATE body, scam
pers, like Leigh Hunts pig in Smith
field market, up all manner Of fgura-
tive streets. Then you send for dhye,
and say, 'Alilk, or shave your head!'
+" Milk or death! And, 10, mirac]e!--
the "fount'' again baby is saved.
What, was, then, the conjuration
and the mighty magic? In the folds
of her saree the dhye conceals leaves
Of chonabeli, the Indian jessamine,
roots of dhallapee, the Jungle radisb.
She chews the chambeli, and hungry
baby, struggling for the +" fount," is
insulted with apples Of Sodom she
swallows portion of dhallapee, and
he is regaled as with the melting mel.
ons of Ceylon. ".T'a ." d. 5s~%sE ss@Es
i Some fine afternoon your ayah takes
your little Johnny to stroll by the river
bank-to watch the green badgerows
as they glide, pulled by singing dan
dees $50 the boatmen of Ganges arc
callcd) up to Panta--to watch the
brown corpses, as they float SILENT,
down from Benares. At night the
ayah returns, wringing her hands,
Where is your merry darling? Sht
!, knows not. @ Khodobx'sa, go asl
the evil spirits! y sahib, go cry unto
j Gunga-go accuse the greedy river
/ and say to the envious waters, "Giv.
back my boy!' She had left him sit
:. ting on a stone, she says, counting th'
Fl sailing corpses, while she went to fine
a blue jays nest among the rocks
} when she returned to the stone-n,
Jonnee, sahib! !" My golden image
: who hath snatched thee away? H,
that skipped and hummed, like a sing
7 ing top, where is he gone? ?" A montl
= after that, your dandees capture
crocodile, and from his heather NAV
! recover familiar coral necklace witt
S an inscription on the clasp--"T
i. Johnny, on his birthday A pair Q
:. little silver bangles, whose jocund jim
Cling had once been happy household
music to some poor hindoo mother
have kept the necklace company
Indian Romantic aspects.