St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-11
"HIGH CASTE SWEETMEATS..
Adventure of a Missionary in In
dia With Thieving Candy
Merchant

dia With a Thieving Candy
Merchant.
Travelling in India, / had heard at
Delhi certain sweetmeatS described as
very toothsome, and on my way to Jay
poor, at station where we were de-
layed for some time, l thought would
buy some of these famous sweets. So l
went up to vender who had fair va
riety and proposed taking one or two of
different kinds, says Wide-Awake.
No sooner had l touched one of them
than the man, SOur-looking HindOo,
became angry. look out some money
to show l intended to buy them. That
had no influence, and he began talking
In very excited manner. | could not,
of course, understand him, but conclud-
ing he was surly fellow, l put back
what l had in my hand and left him,
taking my place in the ears.
l soon noticed buzz of talk on the
platform and a crowd gathering. Then
this vender, accompanied by the Eng
fish guard, came up to the car, pointing
ME out as if l was a criminal. The
guard surveyed me, but seeming to dis
cover nothing atrOciOuS, walked away.
began to feel, however, as if l were
an escaped lunatic OF runaway thief.
Determined to know of what was &C
cused, l sprang from the car, pushed
through the crowd and demanded of the
guard the occasion for all this disturb
ance.
THE man charges you with having
spoiled all his high-caSte Sweetmeats
which he was selling to high-caste Hin
dooS.''
II touched only one of them. Tell
him this and that l had no thought of
HARM"
With that | went back to my seat to
await events. Soon police sergeant
appeared on the scene, the crowd fol-
lowing after him. He did not seem
angry, only anxious, and after looking
me over, retired like his predecessor.
Then / called him. and he came back.
repeating the same statement, and ask
ing my name and destination. | told
him l was simply passing through the
country and could not be expected to
understand these .absurdities. l also
claimed that if the Vender exposed his
goods for public sale, without any notice
that they were reserved for special
class OF customers, he must take the
consequences. But as he might have
suffered in the loss of sales at this train,
L would give him rupee as compensa-
ton.
The sergeant repeated this to the
man, who rejected the offer. "He
claims that his stuff is worth rupees,
though don't suppose the whole thing
cost him half of that
| then told the sergeant that wished
neither to commit nor to suffer injustice,
and would do in the matter whatever
he thought right. AS he had no sug-
geStion to make / offered to give the
man 2 rupees.
''Don't you givea pice," nterposed a
military officer who had just appeared
on the scene. He will take your money
and then go round selling his candies
the same as ever
Anyway, l offer him 9 rupees" I
rejOined.
He will not take the M" replied the
sergeant, 80 you may as well keep your
money"
Just as the train was moving the ser
geant reappeared with the announce
ment:
The man says he will take the ru-
peeS, and if you choose to give them
will see that the goods are destroyed"
L thought the experience well worth
the money, and handed out the rupees,
although have not the least idea that
the sweetmeats were destroyed, except
by the consumption of the mouth, in
lOOh Hio
full share.
But this incident shows how, in spite
of all changes, they cling to their old
customs. | was to them Mleccha or
barbarian, and my hand contaminated
not only what | touched, but the whole
basket. The railroad, however, is do
ing much toward breaking down caste.
The Brahnsin and the sweeper must sit
on the same seat, and the HindoO
cannot avoid the shadow of the Euro
pean.
And what kind of sweetmeats were
they?"
All kinds of India sweetmeats are
made of brown sugar, many of them
nodded into various shapes of birds and
beasts. Tubes also are made, filled
with honey, and twisted into various
forms. Then there are balls of sugar
and clarified butter. These confectiOn-
cries are soft and melt in the mouth.
Those made by the higher caste differ
from those made by the lower, SO abso-
lutte are the laws of caste.