New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-01
EUROPEANS IND NATIVES IY INDIA.

From Rdiire L1dgS Letter ~ Tie London spectator
Speaking rs a native, ! can say generally that
natives regard Europeans with SORT OF respecttui
awe. They can be- and are treeSpOken amongst
themSeves-ln fact, they pride themselves upon
not being burlcued with social cOnVcntondlltlei
ike the Europeans-but they never dream even OF
being as free their intercourse with those peopd
as among Themselves. Our friend Nlshnupant' Tor
instance. may hold IS high position lhnaDc!lllyl
rs Mr.. Brown but NlshnupaAt would never thlqK
OF taking any liberties with the latter, or OF laugh.
ing and talking rs freely with him as he would
unhesltatingly do with his subordinate clerk,
GovindraO. Europeans, he would say, asked.
care not OF Gs,-how 10 you expect them TO under
stand Us {" Even the children know that saheb
is different sort OF being from a native. II q
Saheb comes to see their father. the children ara
told to be "chupp l. shut up ". "a SaheO has
come take care" they are told, and So a fear OIL
such people is iustled from infancy. which fear
gradually develops into sort OF respectful awe, as
the child grows mp into the man.
Very few Europeans care enough for Indians TO De
anxious 10 know anything about their inner lives.
They live on tho spot with them AMI work with
Them because they have TO DO 90 Dut as iof
genuine affection and misunderstanding friendship
doubt whether there IL much OF either. n lew
European ladies' may. perhaps, take sort OF
patronizng interest IN women like NlShnupants
WIFE nat world they ever unlock their hearts TO
such Is 1t, then, surprising that toward Euro.
peans our minds are kept 10 casket," as Won say
II the An dol Indians could like and mix with tha
Indians more il they could shake Oh little OF that
81 am the salt OF the earth AR which is so IN,
finitcly amusing 10 the quiet humorousneSs
which you have recognized in the Hindu, there
would be- some chance OF opening the cdsket ana
revealing Its contents: as things stand. II j. I'M
likely that such event should occur, when there
is 50 much of constralnt on both sides lhere IS
much in the Indian character which hPt lew huro'
peaus know Of one main feature OF II " us Hesl-
tVenesS, intensely acute sonsltiNeuess 70 iacuity
closely allied 10 the humOrGusn,ss Won speak OF
which makes Us 0ftontlmes fancy slight or Idc 1le
where neither slight nor ridIcue Is meant ierhaps
NIshnupant, being a rei0rmer, may WISH MS
wife to - out with him, and will INSIST on her COW
ering her pretty little bare feet with brand.new
English boots: the poor wife, with true Indian
wifcly obedience. would 20 out with INN thus COM
pOstey attlrcd; presently tbey comc across nts'
Brown with some English companions. Mrs.
Brown perhaps, thinks, or even whispers, W bat
a guyw and though Mrs Nishnupant has not heard
the whisper she has read the Look. ANA I'VE are ali
sensitive about our appearance when We We got new
clothes on will at once feel that she l. being
laughed at. Mrs Brown had been fairly friendly 10
her Indian acquaintance; when alone together sno
may be "A kind hearted woman in her way, but,
before other Europeans the fear of rldlcule over
powsrs her good intentions and that feeling which,
In private, betrayed her into approach 90 cor
dahty 49, in public, chilled into the stliiest Tor
said that Europeans talk OF natives as II they
were OF single nation and single type. Inc
absnrdity is 10 oby ious that one would hardly
think it worth recurring %, If At were not 50 Often
committed. / am Maratha aud can speak OF my
own people only distinct - they are to nue., 20 tho
English eve they como under the samc broad class-
fcation which groups all Indian races aud creods,
more numerous and diverse than all the nationai-
ties of Europe put together. under the one term
natives And what natives does tue average
Furopean see His lOw-caste Servants or nus
official depcndentsf Tho former he lcathes tor
their savaceness and uncleanliness; the latter ha
despises for their obsequi0uSness and their lhdc,
lence OF true indian life of the honely JOYS ana.
destiny obscure" OF the millions OF non-olhelai
natives he knows as yon say, next 10 nothing.
And so long rs he thinks-or lets the natives fancy
that he thinks-that he is eoeessiehalns ~ I he
will fail the mild Hindu VIII not wear MS heai'
upon his sleeve Tor even Sahehs to pluck al