Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1876-01-13
WOMAN IN INDIA.

DR.. Duff, of Calcutta, in On article on
Indian WOmanhOOd, most graphicaliy
and thrillncly portrays her pitiable con
,ltion. Our limits allow US TO refer 10
oay n few Of his statements. She Is
compelled at the age OF ten years, OF
earlier. 10 marty the husband her Iaihct
srlccts. and her marriage is a signal tor
immediate SecluSiOn, Of course the pooi
cannot shut up their women, hut aS soon
n one grows rich or respectable he he
L ms 20 hide his female relations from
public view. A high wall anu an inucI
F, partmcuI exclusively for the use o.
women. proclaim his rising fortunes.
AWAY nom the .,rret, all respectable tc'
MAILS must live in dingy, priSou-like
apartments. with the smallest reSSibIe
humber OF doors. which thrUugh then
narrow bars admit no sightseeing bat
such rs is aifpulrd by the armament, OF
"a slaSnaut tank, OF an ihcnllivaird gar
den \. =.
Il is Thought Improper for husband
10 have Sy social intercourse with ms
wife during Vie ,lay, and she Is never
suffered To cat with him. Thus deprived
=
with strangers OF her own sex, 0ud never
with men. no furniture 10 care Tor, no
clothes tO make or mend, no fancy work
to interest them, 40 music 10 practice,
no letters To answer, no books To- read,
they are dOONcd 10 an extremely dull,
lnOuoio nnus AMI unintcrcSiing lie Much
ul ihrir time is spent in browsing and
sleeping. in smoking and chewing the
bctcl nut, in playing cards and other
games, and in quarrrlhnS and abusing
each other.
II astrangrr. meeting n respectable
Hindu. should inquire for the vile ana
family OF his new acquaintance, II would
l,c considered rs an insult. never perhaps
DC forgotten, and uOt easily forgiven.
Hence, under this system, there are mil
lions of mothers, but not II single wife,
in the noble, Christian sense OF that
term.
And We, the very goal and acme Of
misery is reserved for widOWhOOd. For
this state thoEc is no pity, no compass
zion. no sympathy. II is believed 10 be
R.curSe, inflicted for some pre-cminent
guilt. contracted in some former birth.
Widows arc REGARDED and treated as ac-
cursed by the gods and he who helps 10
make them suffer suPpOScs he is further
ing the purposes Of h~avcn AS soon rs
thr hu>baHd dies, the widow, though
Ahc NAV be only o child Of seven years,
or under. il diycSt.d Of her ornaments,
aud she is not allowed 20 retain them,
even rs precious memorials OF the past
She must wear only coarse garments, ana
iced on the cOarscSt and SC,IntieSt fare,
never eating more than one meal per
CAV. She must not even lie upon bed.
Two davs in month she must maintain
a strict fast. and not even moisten her
aoulh hy swallowing her saliva. One
ceases 40 wonder AT the thousands who
arrually I e. erred. IN DAYS gone by, the
srori-hyed "A ,ouics o. the funeral pic 70
n.,-ong agOuics of Ci,hOnorcd widow
h9,d
The condition Of woman in Burmali
is Goa striking contrast with that OF her
Hin Il sisters FROM time immcmori-
81" saws DR. Mason, a Baptist missionary
Il Burmah, h,, shr been in !uli posses
on # al hc rights ihIt,thc w oman
X IS AS.ori"i Ous Ure comprising
L.a,.n ,arih 10 oH,dn. The vile
is Ia, tr % urrr and l. cps the cash.
When n.orev is wanted the husband
ro-> 10 ihs N,.r. not tIc vile 10 the nus
band The women do the most ot the
trading. Supcrintcnd the farms. advise IN
law matters and occasionally help thciT
husbands. and canac1uire and hold prop
criv i'm their own names. They can sue
rnl he su q. ANA wh,never they are
weary If their husbands. they can OBJ
tain legal divorces on no stronger plea
than .incumqatihiliiy of disposition.
Notwithstanding the masculine
features Of female society IN Burmah,
they are no. incompatible with com
mcndahlc female traits Their books
thus Characterize good wife: She
knows when her husband is hungry,
and that D." may e1t, puts before him
the best food in tho kiudcSt way, and
dresses him bcco0n-ly, seeing that ms
clothes are not old or dirty. AS friends
consult each other ie.ar.ing their mu'
tud profit and happiness art assist each
other. she, having consulted her nus
band. lends her assistance and looks on,
aud behaves 20 her husbands relations
ms 'o her own. and does not dispute his
authority. and i, lac goes 10 the chlei $
house or other pla-cs, she waits tall his
re'urn. and eats not the meal hi she eat
In company with him.