The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1873-07-31
Letters from the Old World
BY MISS JENNIE A. NELSON.
NO. XXXII.
DEHRA DooN, Northern India,
Nav 7 1879

NO. XXXIT.
DEuRA DooN, Northern India,
May Z, 1873.
Yesterday we had some curious
visitors in our school. An old En-
glishman, who has lived in the Snowy
Range of the Himalays for the past
3S years. and made an immense for
tune, came to see US and brought
with him his native wife, dressed in
the style of the ''Hill-tribes. She
wore large white turban, white
muslin dress, very full in the skirt,
which was bound around the bottom
with red calico. 1t was rather short,
and showed plainly her bare feet.
She wore any quantity of gold and
silver ornaments on her neck and
arms. They were of several pounds
weight. She was as dark as our
light cOIOred people.
With them were a young woman,
dressed in the same style, anda young
man. They are engaged" and are
to come here tomorrow at u o'clock
to have Mr.. Heron unite them 'for
better or for worse"
This old Englishman came out as
soldier, but left the army and retir-
ed to the mountains, where he began
his fortune by killing and selling
stuffed birds. He is now worth many
hundred thousand dollars.
| He was at one time a very wild,
wicked man, but now he is devoted
Christian, and uses his means IN
many benevolent ways. He says his
wife is a Christian, though she has
never been baptized. She believes in
the doctrines of the Christian religion.
Mr.. Heron returned from the
Hardwar "Mela" last week, and has
entertained us ever since with accounts
of what was seen and done 'Hard-
war" means Door or Gate of ''Vish-
nu." At that place the Ganges pass
es through narrow pass OF the
mountains, and this spot is consider
ed specially sacred. Here hundreds
and thousands of pilgrims come once
a year, to bathe and carry away bot
ties of water. The Englishmen'S s
beer bottles are thus converted to a
holy use. AS of old the people shout
ed 'Great is Diana" so the watch
word of these people is, ''Victory to
Large Ganges!''
Mr.. Heron says it made them feel
rather small, after preaching hard for
an hour, to have the crowd shout af-
ter them, "Victory to Large Ganges"!
You would have been amused to
have heard me attempting to teach
some banana women to sing. They
have no idea of time or tune, and ]
told Miss Craig it required great
strength of mind and purpose to per
severe through the tune. They never
spoke the words until after 1 had, an6
no two of them at the same time
The artistic effect may be imagined
FRIDAY, May s.
The ardent youths referred to above
came in state, on handsomely ca
+ parisoned and very large Elephant
accompanied by the aforesaid Ms
+ Wilson, and little girl of u. The.
were told to be here at twelve o'clock
, but they came about nine, and wer
obliged to wait all that time in tn
, drawing room.
t The ladies had made no change il
j. their dress, excepting to don httl
more jewelry. They had heavy gol'
t chains, connected in some way wit
massive earrings, and these passes
o over the top of their heads, over til
0 huge white turbans. We dismisse
o school at III, arranged the roor
/ nicely, placed some white roses in
It vase on pretty little table, and otf
= er vases on the desk. I led Mrs
!, Wilson and the little girl, followed b
!, Mr.. Heron and the happy pair, VIII
n seemed perfectly serene. The cer'
e mony was in Hindustani, but SCENE
S very impressive, and both gave
e, hearty response.
IS After all was over, they left us o
d their pranciog Elephant, the gallar
/ bride groom coolly holding the un
j. brella over himself, leaving the blusl
ing bride exposed to the sun. Th
ID is a fair specimen of Hindustan ga
re lantry 1t is hard for even educate
'e men to treat their wives as in al
K way their equals.
It. The season in the "Hills" has opel
Of ed. Many go up from the plains
b, spend six months Of gaiety, dissip
lie ton and frivolity. Scheming mar
I'd mas, with their manageable daug
h, tyrs, are ready with their traps f
OF bachelors, hoping to get the
in daughters settled this season.
We Missionaries occupy the mo
st. enviable position of any persons
a this country, both socially and pecu
l9 iarily. Our bread and butter a
to sure, (unless the crops fail); then '
IS! can mingle freely with every class
ID people without being afraid of losil
hit position, and yet we have access
IL the very best of English society. 7
al English residents are often out
IL employment. Some have little meal
er, and some spend what little they ha
ill in waiting for an appointment frc
1y- Government Then the ladies ha
tie nothing to do but kill time with e
cir broidery, novels, balls, parties a
vii picnics. 1 am thankful every day