The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-03-06
Matrilnony In India.

L nc ilESl lew ud}S III ali 4uuldH HOI1f6
do indeed seem strange to every new
conner from Europe. The extreme pub
licity of life in those large rooms, each
having access to the other by many
doors, which invariably stand open to
admit free currents of air, yelled only
by the heavy purdahs Cor curtains),
from behind which swift, silent, bare
footed attendants suddenly appear, and
as noiselessly vanish again, like white
robed ghosts. Some one has described
an Ind an bedroom as "a section of q
street with a bed in it!' an account
which | recognized as true to the letter
when first awakened at about five a. m.
i. e. before sunrise-by seeing couple
of bearers bringing in lamps, and Gu
rious looking Bheestie, or Water-carrier,
filling my bath from black buffalo
skin; another man bringing hot water,
and fourth with "chota hazeri," or
small breakfast of tea and fruit. Such
an awakening seemed in truth like
bit of some curious dream of Arabian
Nights; how to proceed with the mys-
teries of morning toilette was really
a serious consideration with all these
brown beings fitting about, and al
ways appearing when least expected.
Before | was half DIRE ;sed in came an
other relay to tuck up the mosquito
curtains, and stood salaaming in solemn
silence waiting for orders, which of
course was unable to give, so could
only stare at them admiringly.
As there was no lady in the luxurious
home of the ''merchant prince who
so Hospitality welcomed me on my first
landing in India, there were no avahs,
which accounted for all these mascu-
line apparitions, whereat my English
maid was even mo- bewildered than I
was myself, though life on board ship
had accustomed us pretty well to sud
den incursions of stewards and quar-
ter-maSters. Nor was it verv long be-
fore she, like a good many white wo-
men, learnt to look on all men of color
as mere lay figures, whose sole purpose
in life was to wait her goodwill and
pleasure in all things. The number
with whom she soon contrived to share
the charge of my sisters two small
children would puzzle most nurses.
Not that her attendants were limited to
brown men. She was a damsel of calm
and comely presence, who seemed born
for life in the tropics, inasmueh as she
grew daily more fresh and rosy. Soon
her fame went forth, and the notion of
allowing such an unappropriated bless
ing to return to Britain was too much
for the many sergeants and clerks and
other officials, whose chance of wives
depend on waiting for somebody's
widow, or marrying half-caste, or
soldiers orphan from the Lawrence
asylum. So it came to pass that from
distant stations came letters from men
wefl-to- do, stating their exact circum-
stances, the number of their rupees,
various advantages in the way of car
riages and servants, and the date at
which they could take leave of absence
and come to fetch her, should she hon
or them with her hand. | should be
afraid to state how many such were
kept in play like iuggler's balls, and
how many photographs were sent to
and fro. For the credit of the sex /
must add that she refused to leave us
until we were safely landed in England,
when she returned to marry the poorest
Of the lot, but one whom she had seen.
Some of these matrimonial arrange
ments amused us considerably from the
extreme velocity with which the incon-
solable widows of our soldiers find
fresh fields and pastures news" varie-
ty, apparently, not always displeasing
to these danes. One lady told me
how, during her husbands absence
with his regiment on service of some
danger, she had gone in to see some of
their wives and cheer them up with
good accounts of the absent. She was
much touched by seeing one woman
burst into tears, and strove to comfort
her by assuring her that indeed there
was no further danger and every reason
to hope that few days would bring
back the regiment in safety. s'Ah,
ma'am," exclaimed the woman, still
sobbing, sit isn't that at all that troubles
me; but you see, ma m, there's hardly
woman in the regiment as hasn't had
two husbands, and a many of them
three-and most of them's had one
sergeant whereas I've never had but
the one, and he've been private all
the time '-BetgTdUi1