Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1889-11-30

"l 1908 10 oAC JCllHloUON w WCdl ulC uLlllSo3
even though she is rich, for she must assume the
aspect of a beggar AS regards her food she
must eat only the simplest and as self-sacrfce
and modification often not more than once day.
She must not think of sleeping on any other than
straw mattress and an old blanket. In fact she
must adopt all the prescribed formula of her lot,
which means standardization widows dress,
widows food widows bed widows company,
widows pastime, in short, Widows everything,
for the rest of her whole life.
Many different reasons are given by the priests
for the necessity of such severity and harshness,
undeo the pretense of religion. But the fact is
(which is admitted by many) that if widow is
allowed to dress and live properly and comforta-
bly,, as other women the attention of men might
be attracted towards her and some might even
wish to marry her. The safe way, therefore, to
prevent such things from happening, is to make
her look as repulslve and forbidding as possible,
and to persuade men that she is the most uncean
person on the face of the earth So for the con-
yenence of selfish men the widows whole life is
ruined. In this way men will act, whenever they
think they can do so with impunty, and where
the other sex is weak enough to submit to it.
Even the above mentioned entire self-sacrfce does
not end the widows misery. Every day of her
life she has to undergo numberess notifications,
and meet contempt and cold reserve from all she
comes in contact with.
For instance, it is considered an evil omen to
see widow the first thing in the morning or the
last thing before leaving home on business. The
widow, therefore, must be careful not to be
seen, lest she should bring misfortunes on others.
If she is very young she does uot for some time
remember what is expected of her in this matter,
for which she has to meet with reproaches and
hard words. She cannot join any festivities or
sacred ceremonies, such as marriages, etc., unless
it were to help in the kitchen, where she may pre-
pare dishes for her more fortunate sisters and
brothers. If she is impertinenty eager to see
any religious ceremony or procession which hap
pens to be going on, the greatest privilege she
can enjoy is to see it through hole in the wall or
window shutters. TO dare to let her face be seen
by men would be outrageous audacity.
BY law widow is entitled for her maintenance
to portion of her late husbands share of his
patrimony. But SHE would be fortunate indeed
if she really came into possession of it. 1t is no
secret how the whole womankind in India is cheated
robbed and deceived by men, No WONDER there
fore, if an unprotected widow is. However, she,
as rule, | am thankful to say, is chartably sup
ported by the father or father-in law as long as
either of them live, provided she submits to all
the notifications and expressions of the pre-
scribed system What is she to do when both of
them are gone?
In a country where all the professions are mo-
nopoHed by the stronger sex by means of keep
ing the weaker one in utter ignorance, it is hard
for widow to earn her living Cooking she can
do, but in India, rich and poor alike do their own
cooking, as caste p"ejudices do not allow eating
food unless cooked by person of the same caste
or the highest The poor widow therefore, has very
little chance of employment even in this branch
of occupation.
The only resource left to her is either to be
worked to death by grinding or beating corn, or
some such drudgery, for which she receives a
handful of corn, or couple ofpence day. The
other means open to her is to lead an mineral
Hha lott hn 70 tho Tor Hindu