The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-05-04

10 quito - much to blame ~ the Enslishmau
for the maintenance OF this barrier; that tho
laws OF caste. which forbid the former to eat or
drink with the latter. out him on from tho one
sure road to an Englishman's heart that. name-
". which runs through bis stomach. But Mr..
MalabAri thinks that the repsllIng effects ofcaste
have been exaggerated. "One does not SOC" he
says. what caste has TO do directly with the
absence OF cordiality between natives and Euro
in mind. IL not FREQ from caste prejudlces." He
concurs with other writer's In thinking that tho
present unsocial state Of things IL partly due to
the backwArdness Of female education among
the natives. Notwithstanding some optimistio
reports published In England. the progress
made In this direction 10. he ayers. In reality
not much to speak Of Moreover. though
II IL devoutly to bo wished that the woman
In india soon camo up to the level OF man.
despair OF any improvement In the relation be.
tween tho two races from moro social causes.
For real and lasting good We must look
to the political Advancement Of the people Of
India. Tho Englishman will never caro- for the
Hindu unless he knows him to BIO his equal"
A It IL. the native oven Of good birth. thorough
education. and high station II looked down
upon a. an inferior. mo wonder. then. TINT
on the social platform. too. the European re-
native. discounts candor. and lays premium
on servility" By way Of illustrating the In
suits to which Indian gentlemen arc incessant-
ly subjected at the hands Of British boors. and
which naturally rankle in the minds Of men
whose rank and title assure to them
srecies OF reverence from the masses
Of the people. Mr. Mslabdri relates an
incident OF which no was lately nm eye witness.
He was running down by train. II seems. to
Surat. and happened to have. for companions
in q compartment. an Englishman and dis
tinguisbed local magnate. one Nicer Cuban
Bnba Khan. who was attended by his secretary.
Now. It 80 happened that the Englishman. not
knowing Nicer Cuban. went to sleep with his
boots in Nicer Gulam's lap; the Nicer. unwilling
to provoke quarrel. quietly moved away from
under the insulting encumbrance. The Euro
pean hereupon accused him Of having dia-
turbed his rest and fired of volley OF ear
splitting abuses. The poor Nicer held his
tongue. though could SEQ. from tho
working Of his face. that his blood was up.
But the Englishman. thus emboldened. took the
Nicer by tho arm and attempted to push him
out Of the carriage. Hero I interiered. and.
after good deal Of explanation. got the Eng
lishman to desist from annoying the nobleman.
The man won't to sleep again. muttering. i
don't caro- q hang who he is.' Ihinted TO the
Nicer that he might have mot the bully with
moro spirit. but no mildly replied in Hindu
stani. We have had our day; these people have
their day now. you see.' After this philosophic
remark We dropped tho unpleasant subject.
and becnme very fast friends for the day. ex-
changing some fine Oriental compliments at
parting"
Every phase OF life in tho native community
is here depicted. the author seeming almost as
much at home with Hindu and Moslem as with
Pnrsl. All Of the sketches are crisp and taking.
and some OF them are onlivened with real
humor. Among the latter may be mentioned
the portrait Of a village barber. the description
Of Hindu marriage. tho study OF tho Mar
wari or Gujarati money lender. and scene in
a police court. These. however are too long
to quote. and we must content ourselves with
exemplifying the writer's lighter manner by
some glimpses OF his visit to the once busy but
now decayed town Of Breach.
Invent a-marketing here" he tells us, once
upon day In the merry month OF May. APP
preaching dairy shop and seeing pot OF
boiling milk. ! asked the woman sitting there
how much she would take for ser tnbout
pound OF her milk. She elared upon me In
answer. got UP from her crouching posture-I
could SOC she was short woman. with shorter
petticoat and a shorter temper stil-she got
up. say. and asked In gasping tones:
Is 1t asking for the milk you are after
And asking me Aren't you ashamed
Ask my this Her this. I saw. was
her cid man. sitting in the Utmost recesses OF
the shor" 1t appears that Hindu woman
will die rather than address or speak Of her
husband by his name; she will say. I say or
my this II they are an elderly pair tho
wife will describe her husband "a father OF nv
manning her eldest born). The husband does
the same by her. and 1t is delicious to hear
those old creatures chatting costly Of an even
ing. i say. mother Of Rama Yes. father Of
Rama. what isit2'"
According to Mr.. Ma'abdri ono OF the most
noticeable sights in tho streets OF Breach and
other Gujarati towns are the close family rela-
tions subsisting between the cart driver and
bis bullock. The animal Is coaxed. embraced.
dashed. and imprecated by turns. Go on. bull
lock Of my heart. go on. thy mother In laws
darling" will you 60 or not. you lazy Wild
over. you son Of widow" These7Rre tho
sounds the car continually catches. inter-
spersed with whscking. twisting Of tails.
gougng of flesh. &c. The vituperative
phrase selected by the bullock driver
recalls the dsplorable position Of widows
in Hindu society. OF course suhes has been
abolished. and the British Government snnc-
tions remarriase. but caste will not tolerate it..
and under its bishtinR influence tho widow
becomes almost As much an outcast as the
leper. Her look" the author tells us. lis in
suspicious. her touch pollution. Despised
neglected. and often betrayed by tho wolves OF
society. her life becomes burden. and she has
nothing for 1t but to abandon her womanhood
to impure customs or to drag on her miserable
solitary sojourn to the bitter cnd." Apropos OF
case OF infanttctde which recently occurred
at Jetpur. a high widow long suspected
by the police and closely watched gives birth
20 chi!d. The newcomers mouth e Lmmedi-
reliEiously disposed OF and thrust into. n bas-
kct Of rubbish. the loving grandmother deposits
when tho author dwolis, on the wretched lot Of
Hindu widows. he is thinking OF the women
loft chi!diess by their husbands. Tho widow
with children. and especially II these are
grown-up boys. Is not so utterly 1.-THE mercy OF
caste and custom.
has not b,en brought within the reach Of
American readers. Nowhere else Is Il possible
to gain 40 distinct "a. conception OF the modes
OF thought. points OF view, usages, and man
ners OF the Indian community. No English.
man could got 30 close to the lives OF tile peo-
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