New-York tribune., 1884-01-05
M.4TRIHONY IN INDIA.
Trnnl Helnrarin.

From Be'GraCjG
The first fev davs ih an Indian home 90 indeed
seem strange to every newcomer IRON Europe
The extreme pub city of ite IN those IaTge rooms
each having access to the other by many doors,
v bch invariab stand open 10 admit Tree currents
ofar yelled on by heavy purdahst Tor curtalnS from
behind which swift. silcnt bare-1ooted a'teudantS
suddenly appear, and as nolSclesSly VANISH again.
ike 20 hitc-rObcd ghosts. Some 0pe mas dcScrlncd
an Indian bedroom as section of a street with
bed in it, an account which recognized aSlrhe 10
tue letter when first awakened at aDout aH--'.e'
before sunriSe-by seeing acoup cor bearers OrIhs-
inc i'm o,,ps and a curiOus-iOOklng BbccStlC, or
W atcr-caITcr filling my bath from a baGk PuiIaII
skin; anothorman bringing hot WAFER, anu = lo'IlI
rith "ChOta haZcTi, or small breaiaS OF Tea ana
fruit Such an awakening seemed III truth hke
bit Of some curious dream OF Arabian Nights; now
to proceed with the mystcreS oi morning ioi tl'e
was really serious consideration with AL THESE
brown beings lifting about, and a ways appearing
a hen cast expected. Before / was hali dressed III
camo anOt her relay to tuck mp Ihe inoSl,Ito cur c,i.
taiuS and stood salaaming in solemn silence Walt
inc for orders which of course ] was unable 10
give so could only stare at them admlrlngiy.
As there was no ,aCy IN the uXullolS mono OF
the " merchant prince" who so Hospitality welcomed
me onmy first landing in India there Mcreh" ayahS,
or rwaitlng-womcn, in attendance, "hlch accounted
for all these masculine arparitlons, wheIcat my
Euglisb maid was even more be lldcrod than was
mySof though ife on board ship had accustomed
ms pretty wei to sudden InculSlons 3i SIC 9IdH
and duarcr-IaaStcrS. Nor was II very long DclOic
she like "A good many White women, learnt TO Ook
on all men of 60 OF as mere Iay-lEnTcS, whose ;" e
,urnosc i'm life rs TO wait her goodwill and pleas
urc in all things. Tho number with whom she very
soon contriycd to share the charge OF my sisters
two smal, children won ii puzzle most nurses. Not
that her at LcndantS we're united 10 bro men.
She Nas a danSe Of calm aud COInCly presence,
who seemed born for life in the tropics, lUaS!uuch
as she prew dayly more fresh and TUsY. Soon her
fame cnt forth, and the notion OF allowing such
an unapDrOpriated blessing 10 return 10 BHtaln
was too much for the many sergeant sAndc cTks ana
other officials, whose chance Of wives depend on
waiting for somebody's widow, or marrying a halt
caste or a soldiers orphan from tho Lawrence Asy-
mm So 1t Camc to pass that from distant stations
came letters from men we l-tOdO. stating their cX-
act circumstances the number of Their rupees yarl-
Ous advantages in the way OF carriages and ser
wants and the date ut which they could take they
cOuld take leave of absence and come TO ictch her,
should she honor them with her hand. should be
afraid to state how many such were kept IN play
like iugVler's balls, and how many photographs
were sent to and fro. For the credit OF the sex,
1nust add that she refused 20 leave us til Nere
safely anded in Eng and when she returned to
marry the poorest of the lot, but one whom she
had seen.
Some of these matrimonial arrangements amused
Ms considerably from the extreme velocity with
which the iuCOnsOlable widows of our soldiers tnd
"frcsl fields and pastures new ~; variety, appar-
emily not always diSp easing to these danes; One
adv TO d me how during her husband absence
with ms regiment on service OF some danger sho
had gone in TO see some Of their wives, and cheer
them IN With good accounts of the absent. She
~ "A much touched by seeing one Woman burst into
tears and stroye to comfort her, by assuring her
that indeed there was further danger, and every
reason to hope that few days would bring back
the regiment IN safety. " An, maa exclalmed tle
woman stiu sobbing, cit isn't that at all that
troub es me; but you see, ma'am, there's hard n
woman in the regiment as hasn't had two husDhldS
and n many of them, three-and most OF thCm5 had
one serceant-whcrcas Pve never had but the one,
ard he'ye been private all the timer