The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-12-23
HindOO Farmers,

~ my 6ou0A "aAy UA0 AAk n0St
caste of Hindoos = Brahmins. They
never eat meat, nor anything that
grows under ground. The rGi0ts are
the poorest Of the poor; large families
will live for q month on q dollar. They
take but one meal per diem, and that Is
at twelve o'clock midday. The women
prepare for the days consumption
coarse wheat cakes called chGppGtis.
Their thickness depends upon the
purse; the richer the family the thicker
the chappGti. A few garlics, q cup Of
milk or draught Of water complete the
meal, although sometimes the richer
classes cook curry Of vegetables. The
delightful taste that this cake must
have can only be relished by the mild
Hindoo." Before the roiat even thinks
of eating he must battle. He draws in
tosa "a brass vesseD the water neces-
sary for his ablutions, and throws it
over his back. If he desires to enjoy .
thorough bath he washes himself with q
peculiar white mud, which fathers like
soap. This is highly esteemed on &C
count Of its cleansing properties.
Whilst he battles himself he washes his
clothes; and this he manages cleverly
without stripping. His only garment is
called dtoti, which is merely q cotton
sheet bound around his waist. He first
unbinds and washes one-half; then un-
does and washes the remaining half.
He squeezes it nearly dry, but though
still damp, he dresses himself, leaving
the powerful sun to do the ironing and
bleaching. The middle of his head,
from the crown downward, as well as
his face is clean shaved. A long tuft
of hair is, however, permitted to grow
ut the back of his head, which he leaves
for the good spirits to catch in order to
drag him when dead to the abodes of
bliss. Directly his additions are over;
he prays reverentlv to the idol, which
is always placed near q tree or well. In
fact, the Hindoos consider every well
sacred; and man who digs a well OF
plants tree insures for himself and his
descendants Heavens pleasures. He
never 0mits to offer pNiG or thank Offer
ing at the shrine Of this particular tenn
pie; and never is he permitted to forget
that the priests, who keep in repair and
of1iciate at these holy places, require
some portion of the yearly crop in order
to keep soul and body together. Taken
all in all, no better man exists than the
poor Hindoo raiat. He is mild, for
giving creature; and where he quietly
sorrows, other people would commit
suicide. Never in his life does he see
more than four rupees, or two dollars,
at one time together; and that is when
his ground is lying fallow he travels for
miles to some European station, and
gains this fortune either by pulling
punkas or selling some small tribe
worked by the dexterous fingers of his
ignorant and wretched wife. His life is
one round OF never-ending toll, and his
ceaseless care is to meet the dire land
tax. He has ever been q slave to the
soil. Nor will the lapse Of years better
his condition. With childlike simplici-
ty he firmly believes all that his CORN,
or priest tells him; and. is ever ready,
even when his means are most limited,
to assist the needy supplicants who de-
mand his help on account Of their char
acter - religisssx. 10 He begins no jour
ney, undertakes NO business, plants NO
seed. without tirst asking from his god
blessing upon the enterprise. No strong
drinks ever pass his lips; he is content
to work and be cheerful. In no coun-
try in tho world are the peasantry poor
er than in India. In China husband.
man lives sumptuously compared to the
Indian raiat. The latter, by his relig-
ion, is forbidden to eatmeat of any kind
whatever, and even if he were per-
mitted his means, which Just allow Of
his making ,bread from the rcoarsest
cereal that grows, would oertainly bar
him from eating flesh. Cor. San Tyas-
cisco WroDicle..