The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-01
WOMEN IN INDIA.
Th'OdOrs Psrhsr Among the "BAboos!'

'0n" OF the most painful contrasts in the
world is that between the condition OF woman
IN America ana INDIA. Caste here holds them
IN is uureeniiug gtasJ with all the concentrated
despotlsm OF the ages. Woman cannot rise,
because caste holds her down. The immoOility
OF the H,Ddoos, their slowness 10 feel the tides
of time, to be moved by the mighty pusations
of this century, though IN contact with the
Civllza ion vt England Is conprehended in this
one sentence:-'As our fathers did, so do we.'
For tWentJ 1--we hundred years they have carried
the stone to null IN one end OF the meal bag
because their fathers 0id.
ITO comprehend the condition of the highest
classes o. Hindoo women, look Tor moment at
native society-to the Baboos or wealth princes
and merchauts-men worth anyW where from
100000 TO Sl,O00,000 1he BaboOs- themselves
are educated. Tney speak Eugish as we'll as
Bergal and Hndostani. You VIII fud all the
new books published in Eue land in their houses
open he uaily papers of Calcutta and you will
read that Ba0Oo Jodooulth Chose is to pive n
lecture on the Wants OF lndla,' or that Baboo
Dooga Cnuen Law offers to give S25 900 to the
HoOghly College 10 establish scholarships the
NOMINATIONS 10 remain IN the hands of himself
auG his descendants. The Baboos are excesd-
lnply anxious to have their sons educated, not
in Benp9n alone, but In English, and all of the
high class Hindoos speak the English language.
"a lady who was In Que OF the Baboos houses
to-day SAID that she noticed, among other vol
umes ON q book shrlt, such WORKS as Beeton's
Universal Kno Wedge, Euclid, Algebra, Black
stone, Selections OF British poets, Cowper's
Poem, Webstels Unabridged Dictionary
Irvinqs works, Pickwick, aud many oilers,
besides Jews papers and magazines.
"kducation has made great progress among
the raives. There are several ne W. papers pub
lisbed in BeDgali, which discuss the questions of
the hour with abllity-with as much vigor of
thought as their English contem Doraries. In a
recent number the Duccd PrOkdsh objected to
the plan OF founding university for Bengal
vern acular, because suitable b Joks could not be
obtained: because the native could not acquire
a superior education III an Institution where
English is not taught; because Uatives preferred
to study English; because the Government was
just now crippled for money.
"The discussion OF English politics aud Eng
lsh management in India are intelligible aud
creditable. Inns 'ght make this PLAIN by quosa-
tions from the Bi9yapunee and also the GrG-
n,0drtd These three papers are published IN
the Beneali language. In Hindostani there is
the Uhbdr Ann, which has an excellent edito-
rial on travelIing-its advantages, showing ln
connection that the Hindoos stay at home in the
women's apar meDts when they ought to be
abroad, informing their minds by coming IN
contact with the world. These men, who have
thus moved up into the atmosphere OF civilza.
ton, are beginning to feel that they stand aloue.
Their wives are where the women of India have
been ever since the Jolly god KTishna broke the
hearts OF the milk-ma ds, and turned the whole
female sex to himself.
''To comprehend domestic life among tue Hin
doos let us take look at one of their homes.
The family is patrarcha. The taJher Is the
head, his sons bring their wives home, one after
another, the women having apartments by them
selves. The Hndoo word Tor tue woman's apart
ment is zenGnna. Tue women of the household
mnge freely together, bat John never sees the
wife of his brother Joseph. SIX or eight families
and three or tour generations are sometimes
seen under one ROOT, and when the house be-
comes thus populous, the head of the household
has quite as much as he can attend 10 IN setting
family troubles Think of the life OF these
women. They are wholly ignorant; they know
not letter of their language. Why should
woman learn to read? What good would come
of it? They cannot go upon the street. If they
go to visit neehbor, 1t must be in close
palankeen, their faces yelled. They kno nothing
except family gossip; they cannot do the plainest
sewing. The little towheai on the lowest seat
of an infant school in America making patch
work, can use the needle more deity than most
of the wives of these millionaire BabOos.
Think of your little rosy-cheeked darling
who climbs upon your knees for her good night
kiss, being affiauced in marriage. at the age of
five, and at twelve being bride, shut up for the
rest OF her days with nothing to do-no knitting
work, no bed quilts to make, no kno Wledge of
needlework; surrounded with books, yet not
knowing a letter; her room blank wall; her
daily duties for the remainder of life being the
performance of daily pdojas-a worship of
little brass or stone image in the form OF
monkey, or Hgure with six arms and four
faces; hanging flowers round its neck, sprnk-
ling it with water, bowing before il, walking
round it, talking to it little girls talk 10 their
dolls; lighting little wax tapers; nothing but
this, except to dandle her children, bring food
to the husband, and eat her own, and re9rrange
the fold of cloth which answers for a garment;
doing this and sleeping the rest of the time,
from morning till night, from night till morn
the months, the years, from childhood to old
agel Such is the daily unvarying life of the
Hindoo women OF the upper class.
'The Baboos, who read Shakespeare, who
know what is going on in America even 10 the
rappings of the spirits, who will discuss the
Theism of Theodore Parker with you are begin
ming TO feel that there is an awkward gap in
their system o life. The Hindoo upper classes
are too intellectual to be grossly sensual.
Baboos repudate Brigham Young. They are
not polygamists-are fond of their wives, treat
them with respect, and love their children,
especially If there are soDs. But there is no
Eve in their paradise. They come home from
the counting house when their days work is
done, read play from Shakespeare or an
article from Bldckaoood, or Long fellows last
poem, and then comes the painful reflection
that the wife, so far as all this is concerned, is
an idiot.
MANY of the Baboos are now anxious to have
their wives educated; bnt the women, knowing
nothing of the sweets of knowledge, as q rule,
manifest but little desire TO OBTAIN an educa-
ton. Yet they are very desirous of learning
embroidery. Those VINO have undertaken to do
something towards raising the women Of this
land from their degradation have seized upon
this, and are using it TO great advantage.
1.-THE Baboos have given Hp idols
and the Shasters and have for themselves ac-
cepted Theodore Parker. Some are Pantheists
others Dests. ! am informed by those who are
intimate with the educated Hndoos, that nc
modern writings have exercised a greater in
fuence than those of Theodore Parker. 1t in
wolves no loss of caste TO believe in him, but to
become Christian, TO attend the church and
receive the rite of baptism to believe in
Jesus as a Saviour, is to become an apostate
unclean and impure. No man can become 9
Christian without being cast off by his dearest
friends; wife, children, father, mother, all hate
and curse HIM; but no such consequences follow
when idols and Shasters are rejected, and the
theology of MIR. Parker Is accepted instead.