The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-07-31
An East Indian Farmer at Home.

One of the English weeklies, in the
course of letter from the famine dis
tricts in India, gives this account of
Kulloo, typical old farmer of that
region
HE has compact little domain
some seven acres in all. A field of
onions, field of rice, a field of barley
on little hillock, well picturesque
as are all wells in this part Of the world,
with broad-leaved plantains, curved and
split by the wind, waving slowly above
its mud pillar; finally, in front of his
small howell, space enough for plum
tree, under which he cooks his 'chupat-
ties (rice-cakes) for his one meal, after
sunset and at night spreads his char
pay, and sleeps under the safe guardi-
anship of his feIce, lean pariah dog.
Certainly, it would be mistake to asso-
ciate any idea of robustness, with the
Indian agricultural laborer. Kulloo,
our neighbor, is an old man. Natives
appear to live to an incalculable age
or is it that their bare, wizened, totter-
ing limbs, and the contrast of sparse
white hair and shrivelled dusky face,
make senillity hideous? Be this as it
may, I fancy the most uncompromising
opponent of the Darwinian theory
would feel his assurance shaken could
he behold the ancient Kulloo at even,
seated, like some gaunt bird, upon his
launches, his chin between his skinny
knees, as he watches the red cracking
fire, and his precious chupatty slowly
browning among the embers. Kulloo
is patriarch, in his way. In his small
mud hut lives also his old wife, his son
and his wife, and any lumber of round,
dark limbed naked little ones (who
initiating their grandsire-squat also
habitually in the dust, their plump
knees level with their ears); also, two
mild-eyed, hump backed oxep, who draw
water from the we'll, drag the pillow,
and, when need arises, act as cart
horses. AS seems natural enough, con-
sidering the dimensions of an Indian
hut, and that it lacks windows and
chimneys, the low doo1 being the only
aperture, the family, live out in the open
air, except during the fierce mid day
heat but no single member, except oc-
casionally the SOD at supper time, ven
lures to invade the old mau's sacred
spot, beneath the plum tree. The
women squat Immediately in front of
the hut and there they grind their
corn-at primitive mill, of the same
sort as that which, according to the
prophecy, "two women" will be seated
when the sum of earthly things shall
be over and told-or else light their own
fire and cock chupatties for themselves
and their children. But men, women,
little ones and hump-backed oxen. all
unite in the field-work, and appear alike
sun-proof and untiring. Just lately
two extra "hands" of low
caste-have had to be hired, to help cut
and gather in the barley crop. The
sight would have rejoiced the heart OF
Mr. Ruskin. No trace of machinery,
nor of any diabolicaI continuance to
shirk the primeval curse that men, and
women also, shall eat bread in the sweat
of their brows; or at least, to prod Ice
it, that others may eat. The reapers,
some six or seven, labored two days,
armed with small sicKles, not much
larger than carving knives. At length
all was heaped together, and stacked
under the sacred plum-tree; and yes
actually ! in honor of the occasion, all
the laborers were permitted to squat
around it and smoke their hoobahs.'