Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-22
A MODERN HINDU REFoRMER.
BY CHARLES WOOD.

By CHARLES WOOD.
went, one hot afternoon last May, to call
upon Keshub Chunder Sen at his home in Cal
cutta. had heard that he was in retirement"
such was the term used and might refuse to
see any one; and mistaking at first the house
where he once lived for his present residence,
tall, stout Indian BaboO, of whom made in
quiries as he was about stepping into his palan-
quin, turned upon me rather sharply and said,
May ask why you wish to seevChunder SEM"
To which question: considering my nationality,
there her could be but one appropriate reply: MAY
inquire why you ask" "Oh." answered the
Baboo, Il am relative, and doubt if he will
see you; but l will with pleasure direct
yOu to his house." comfortable Eu-
ropean house it was, somewhat better
even than most American societies provide for
their missionaries, though they are nearly al
ways OF good size and appearance, as they
should be. | took it for granted though for
eign missionaries do not live ordinarily in native
houses, that an Indian reformer would have q
purely Indian home; but this refOrmer has been
to Europe, has associated more or less all his
life with Europeans, and has gradually and al
most necessarily substituted Occidental comfort
for Oriental simplicity Twas shown into Just such
drawing-rOom as one might find in almost any
OF the smaller London houses, with the one ex-
ceptiOn of a large tiger skin stretched upon the
floor, which did service as rug. Almost i'm
mediately keshub Chunder Sen entered; he was
tall, well-fOrmed man. with tendency to over
stoutness; cofee-cOlored. skin; eyes of the deep
est black and flashing with fire; handsome
face OF the eastern sort, full of animal life and
passion, yet the face of a possible mystic; long,
delicately formed hands. such as men of the
west, rarely. if ever, possess. A good type of
the Oriental; dressed too as native gentleman.
long. loose, tOga-like garment, lighter than
any fabrics ever used by US, supplied the place
ovp6
comfortable and graceful articles which make
up the ordinary costume in every country of
Europe.
His welcome was very cordial He said moth
ing about his retirement" but began at once
to ask the usual questions which are put to all
travellers, in English as pure and grammatical
as one would hear in oxford or Cambridge,
though without that certain accent or infection
OF the voice which one rarely finds except among
native-born Englishmen. He spoke with per-
which invites questioning When 1 asked if a
member OF the BrahmO Somaj would ever speak
OF himself as Christian, he said, with smile,
oh, no; that is term of narrowness; the
Christian must hate" q wondered from what
sources he had formed this idea) '.the Hindu
and the Buddhist and the Mohammedan but we
honor all. Christ is to us the great
est, his life is the purest, but he is
only prinaus inter pd,es." Remembering
what | had heard about his retirement,
system. 'NOt with the meaning which is ordi-
narily given to that word" was his reply. eve
believe in and advocate the greatest simplicity
OF lfe We live on aims, we eat no meat. and
there are times when we go into the wilderness
to be alone for days" Then he showed me a
picture ofhimself and his wife seated on the tiger
skin which wasunder our feet spread apparently
on some hilltop of sand, in q barren Indian
desert. He held in his hand, so the picture rep
resented him, the ehtara, an instrument of
nn1 RIM fbn 1~lx,1, r Iii
by the Brahmo Somaj. ''We sometimes spend
hours In that position" he said, "communing
with the Infinite"
Do you believe, 1 asked in modern revela-
tons! 1t was somewhat generally thought in
Calcutta, / had found. that whenever Kesbub
Chunder Sens authority was questioned by the
Brahmo Somaj, he had the habit of falling back
upon revelation just received as the motive
and authority of his action. Certainly" he
SAID, God has not become dumb: He speaks
now as OF old" You have missionaries, l said.
ION, yes; we are sending them into nearly every
part Of India, and they are meeting everywhere
with good success" But. 1 asked, what if one
OF these men should say have revelation to
go to Allahabad, when the church wishes him
to work in Trich;noply? He would be forced
to YIELD" was the answer. 1--WE would
not believe in revelation OF that sort,
In opposition to the opinion of the whole
church" This might lead, l suggested, to
scnisms. Have you ever had any division
into parties in the Somaj? yes" he answered;
within very short time there has been one of
somewhat serious nature. 1t resulted in part
from the marriage of my daughter, of which
you may have heard something" One can
scarcely mention Keshub Chunder Sen or the
BrahmO Somaj anywhere in India without being
tOld the story OF this marriage, and in more
OF less incorrect form, so that | was very glad
to have him speak of it of his own accord, and
to hear from his own lips the truth of the mat
ter. 1t was a rather romantic story, and one
that could not fail to excite sympathy as well as
interest
The marriage of children has long been gen.
eral In India. | was present, one evening, at
wedding where a boy Of six was married to
girl of four. The boy must become man be-
fore he takes his wife to his home; but if he
should die In the mean time, the child whom ne
ceremOnally married must always remain
widow. Latterly the more thoughtful have
come to look upon these early marriages as
among the greatest Of evils. One of the obi
cations which members Of the Brahmo SOmaj
took upon themselves was not to marry their
daughters Till they had reached the age of six
teen.
few years ago Maharajah. or prince. was
left an orphan, and became necessarily ward of
the English government. His property was
cared Tor, and mis- educatiOn-a very careful
One-seen to by the lieutenant governor of Ben
gal. This young Maharajah Of Kuchberge be-
came one OF the best known characters in CAL
cutta, and was universally liked both by the
natives and the Europeans. It was thought
wise for him to travel in Europe. but it was
more than probable that if he undertook the
journey unmarried he would return with Eu-
ropean wife, and this would injure his influence
over his future subjects. The English govern
ment wished him to be married at once, and,
on looking around for wife suitable for
their ward they decided to make proposals
for the hand Of the daughter of Keshub Chun-
der Sen. 1t was a great temptation, q real
Indian prince, and called by the English the best
Of them all. 1t was too great temptation to
be resisted, and few months before the young
lady had reached her sixteenth birthday she was
married to the Maharajah, but with the cOndi-
tion that she was not to be taken to his home till
his return from Europe. Even the Europeans
considered the marriage understandable, but
the members of the BrahmO Somaj moved
court Of inquiry into the conduct of their minis
ter and in spite of his assurance that he had re-
ceived direct revelation from heaven that this
marriage was right and proper, a large number
withdrew from the Brahmo SOmaj, and organ
lied reformed Somaj Of their own.-Apra At
ldrstic.
How to Make Brick Walls Water-tight.
From the Scientific American.
The Sylvester process was successfully ap-
piled to the interior walls Of the gate houses of
the CrOton reservoir in the Cantral mark IN ftia