Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-07-15
An East Indian Farmer at Home.

One of the English weeklies, in the
course of a letter from the famine dis
tricts in India, gives this account of Kul-
loo, a typical old farmer of that region:
" He has a compact little domain-some
seven acres in all A field of onions, a
field of rice. a field of barley-on a little
hilock, a well picturesque as are all
wells in this part of the world, with broad
leaved 5lantains, curved and split by the
wind, waving slowly above its mud pillar);
finally, in front of his small howell, space
enough for Il fine plum tree, under which
he cooks his 'chupatties' Uice-cakes) for
his one meal, after sunset; and at night
spreads his charpay, and sleeps under the
safe guardianship of his fierce, lean. pariah
dog. Certainly. it would be mistake to
associate 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, lettering limbs, and
the contrast of sparse white hair and a
shrivelled dusky face, make senility hid
eous? Be this as it may, fancy the most
uncompromising opponent of the Darwin
ian theory would feel his assurance shak-
en- 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 brown
ing among the embers. kuiioo is Il pa
triarch, in his way. In his small mud hut
live also his old wife his son and his wife,
and any number of round, dark-limbed,
naked little ones DISCRIMINATING their
grandsire-squat also habitually in the
dust, their plump knees level with their
ears) also, two mild-eyed hump-backed
oxen, who draw water from the well. drag
the plough, and, when need arises, act "a
ca"t-hOrseS. As seems natural enough,
considering the dimensions of IN Indian
hut, and that it lacks windows and chin
neys, the low door being the only aperture,
the family live out in the open air, except
during the fierce midday heat; but no
single member, except occasionally the
son at supper time. ventures to invade the
old mans sacred spot, beneath the plum
tree. The women squat immediatelv in
front of the hut; and there they grind
their corn-at primitive mill. of the
same sort as that mt 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 cook chupatties for themselves and
their children. But men. women, little
ones and bumped backed oxen. all unite
in the field work, and appear alike sun
proof and untiring. Just lately two extra
hands'-women of low caste-have had
to be hired, to help cut and gather in the
barley-crop. The sight would have re-
ioiced the heart of Mr.. Ruskin. No trace
Of machinery. nor of any diabolical con-
trivance to shirk the primeval curse that
men, and women also, shall eat bread in
the sweat of their brows: or at least, 50
produce it, that others may eat. The
reapers. some six or seven, labored two
days, armed with small sicklc,, not much
larger than carving knives. At length all
was heapcd together and stacked under
the sacred plum-tree; and yes-actually,
in honor of the occasion. al the laborers
were permitted to squat around it and
smoke their hookahs.'