The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-11-02
HINTS FROM HlNDosrAN.
A Graphic Description OF the Lite. kanners
and Customs o. the Indian Brahmans
Told by q Woman
How They Regard Their Women-Zenana
Work In netail-Ceremonies and Ira
ditions Of the People.
Tns missionary Field.

ApuonS the most Interesting features OF the
anniversary meetings during the recent Free
Baptist conference in Minneapolis was the
graphic account given by Mrs. L C. Griffin of
the native life and mission work in the Bengal
presidency ic Hindostan. Mrs. Griffin has
been for years an active lsborer in the East
Indian field, especially in the zenana
or women's department Of evan
gelizing work. and though recently Obliged
to return to Ibis country to recupeiate her
wasted health. is now expecting to rail on Sat-
urday for her former field of labor and self
sacrifice. She is located at Midnapore, a town
of some 10000 people, situated in the great
jungle or plain of the Gauges, some distance
westerly from Calcutta, and inhabited by
Blahmaus. lower caste Hiudoos, Mohammed-
ans aud some English. Describing her life
there. che said: iSa ~ Ht@ ttRf
CONSIDERATIONS OF CASTE. Is slt9ta
The caste distinctions OF India furnish the
key to Indian society and customs, and, as they
are essentially religious in their nature, are the
most important element in the problem of Sic
cessful ovan9ellizing. The Brahmans are the
highest caste, aud are followed in order by the
Kshatriyas, Vaisyas. .Shdres or members of
the servsle casts, aud tpe Pariahs, or outcasts.
who have no caste at all. The lines of
demarcati,n between the several castles are
very distinctty drawn, and are intlexible
in their operaton; II transition from one caste
TO another is unheard OF. Tue u rahmana in
clude all the educated men; men of other
castles and the women of I'LL castles are ut,orly
without LEARNING. Among them social ameni-
ties are found in tue greatest perfection, and
they m~onopollza the wealth of tho country,
They also include all the zemindars or land
holders, owning the land as absolutely as any
feudal lord, srbjsct to a certain tithing in the
the M ure of government feeat This land
they sublet to tenants among the lower classes.
manual labor being considered an noticeable
disgrace by Brahman. MoEammedans are
also frequently louud in the capacity OF ser
wants, especially as dorlestics about the houses
OF the artist icracy, though the influence of the
Brahpanic religion makes itself felt even on
them, the Moslems beng more strict with their
women here than elsewhere. Mission, work is
largely confined to the Brahmaus, both, be-
cause they are mora fitted to receive it under
standingiy, aud because their influence. once
gained, is paramount with the lower classes,
though the latter arc reached III the ragged and
Jungle schools, The Pariahs are Almost be.
You'd reach, and but little work is done among
them. .l94iofL, 81 9ltt3.
HOME LIFE ILLUSTRATED.
Tho dom site life of the Brahmsns is peculiar
to themselves, aud in Its customs and re-
s~traiuts very interesting to Caucasians. Tho
houses are all of b ick aud N single Story high,
the wallis very thick and neatly piastered aud
white Washed, both inside and out Their out
ward ASPECT is prison-like in the extreme, there
beng no windows upon the street, and only one
door; the reasons Of this architecture will ap-l
pear uCTSalttE. NlbNlU, tno uOuS5 ID Tollu 20
be buiitgenerallyi 10 quadrapgulAr form about a
COURTYARD, the prison rooms or zehana OPEN
ing through doors and windows upon q sur
rounding yeranda, which, durigg, most of the
year., is really The living apartment of the
house. The houses are seldom neat or in good
rspair-thei o. Innate, predispbsins to indulehce,
accounting for the former fact; while the ex.
pianation OF the latter is found in the yaat
array OF white ants sud other destructive III
sects whic abound on all sjdos and cause ruin
nunr " n, e = SfT1. HHTf- HHa.HaLT 1t ZAaLNFEHA ~
The court yard is sometimes paved, but mora
generally foored sparsely with grass and ex-
telsivsayS with earth and dirt. In the center
is always placed the particular family idol, and
around 4 are planted flowers and sacred. srses,
especially the pomegral,ate and the tulsie, y
pIaut sacred peculiarly to women. Each house
hasialso here its we'll or water tank for domes.
tic supply; fountains are unknown, and the
cooling sound Of the falling spray never bresks
upon the torriG air. The summer TEN pera&ure
here is something terrible, the. thermometer
often marEIug 80 deg. ina cool (?) room, asitke
lowest for Sax weeks ut q, time. The yearly
range is about from IS to 100 deg. IN the
shudc. The furniture OF the houses il genrr-
ally of the simplest kind, consisting principally
of mating, which answers all the. purposes Of
tables, chairs aud beds. OF which, in the En-
gtish' sense, there are rome. The meals are
eaten from the floor, anu wish the time-hon-
first alone and the women and children after
ward. The food is of q character we'll suited
to the tropical climate, consisting mainly of
rice, curry, oates, aud other fruits. Flesh and
TOW! are rlgtdly eschewed as contrary to the
Brahmanic dogma Of the transmigrAtion OF
souls. Fish, however, ,is freely partAken Of,
sub.aqueous life having no soul to migrate.
according to tho faith. waz attTt
TILE WOMEN. yat#s} u 81,
The government OF the house Of the Brahmap
10 strictly in the hands Of the men; Of tue
father during the youth of the family; 81 the
eldest son when he marries. The sous always
bring their wives homes to the parental, root,
and as tho number Of families thus Increases,
lishment often forms. quite s village
in itself. ~ In this place the women
are imprisoned, literally buried alive. The
dead outer walls of the zenanai are anpierced,
save by one door, aud TINS merely opens into .
room communicating with tue inner court, but
which the Brahlnan women never enter. From
the day Of their marriage, which is at . very
early age, their eves. Never behold more or the
outer world than the narrow expanse Of sky
and cloud which LOOKS down upon them be-
men are allowed to enter the house except
the members of the family aud the priest, ex-
cePt upon very rass occasions, and then no.
seen ~ the 2 mana. women, There are 4 very
marriage, to visit her fathers house or the
sacred temple. Then the zenana women are
all, hustled cut Ct the way and locked np
securely while the bearers bring in the
palapquin sud set it down in the court, re
tiring Immediately after The wife il then
released and placed in the pa,enquin, which is
locked tightly. aid wound about several times
with q bright scarlet cloth, 80 as to prevent
the occupant from peeping out between the
stats. The bearers then return and carry
their burden to her destination, when they,
again retire until shs has been taken out had
her visit, and been reimprisoned for her ride
homeward. The scarlet wrapping OF the
p~aiaiquin serves ss . warning 10 psssers-
1 w n roS t1,at. 49, LEA o. -
quently are wives thus permitted to go abroad,
that its bright color lisa rari y upon tAes streets.
BOW rRBY LIVE AND DIE.
Thus cut of from all intercourse with their
fellow creatnrns,t and unable io;rsad or write.
the lilo of the Brabman women can be ,easii,
COZ ceived. Married at ten years for spiinstsr
hood is abominabie9, mothers At fwelve,. they
are faded and old at the beginning of thei
nth l%ustrurp, aud die of sheereage at ahent
thirty. Their time is passed most aimlcsslyi IL
the care of their. children and the mysteriass Il
the toilet They dress, as a rule, richly. o..
peciaily in the. matter Of jewels, Diamonds
and pearls are the fayoritc ornaments. SEsace-
let's and aakleis adorn their arns and legs,
ana nose rings, finger rings and 3toea sinSe arr
abundant; but, by a queer contrast, thsy al
go barefoot. sandals being arrogated to then
own exclusive nse by the m II.
Numerically, women are mi~nusiqnAntities ii
india When a proud father enulnerates hi
family to his friends no only counts the sons,
HIS daughters are hailed at their birth Nit
disgust. for there is no family honor in thei
beng and their marriage implies NO inconsid.
erable expense for dowry; in fact, tile inho
cent unfortunates are lucky if the father dos
to die Of exposure or to be-. d.
ynured by passing carnivorA Female infs ri
eide Is : very common crime all through
lndiA Yet the hardest lot Of the BrahmII
woman, perhaps, falls upon her. with her wid
or widow burning, is no longer permitted 8,
the English law; but, instead, the poor Great
ures are subjected to great penalties for pre-