Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-09
SOCIAL OUTCASTS.
HUMAN BEINGS SUFFERING FOR THE
SINS OF OTHERS.

The Eurasiaus. or Indian Half Castles, who
Are Tabooed by Their Angio-I Indian Fell
low Citizens - Marriage with One Of
Them Means Social Annihiiation.
There Is body in India speaking the Eng
fish language, holding various British creeds,
wearing the dress, guided by the customs and
inspired by the example of the sahib and the
memsahib, hanging desperately on by the
fringe OF the Anglo-Indian social garment, Of
whom Anglo. India knows very little and the
world nothing at all The ignorance OF the
sahib Is the reason OF the worlds ignorance,
for the world has nobody 10 tell II but the sa-
hib, and he, No far, has been blind and deaf
rs well rs contemptuous. | mean the Euras.
ians, or Indian half castles.
cannot tell you how many there are In
the viceroy's domnions but as one travels
through one sees them everywhere-ns hotel
clerks, as shop girls, in any OF the lower offices
OF life, occasionally in n commercial cerkship
OF Importance. though this Is rare; and once
we met n volunteer company of them. Their
Asiatic blood shows in different degrees and
different ways, In all shades OF color and all
types Of feature-perhaps chiefly In the dis
turbed liquidity of the Aryan eye or the blue
darkness Of the lip
II n impossible for the stranger % guess,
but the sahib will tell you at glance the
proportions Of the Eurasian mixture. He
has phrase for it, aud II another Sahib
should inquire about it, saying, with signif-
cant smile, "How many annas In the rupeefn
he would answer eight, or six, or four, or
two, rs the case might suggest. II is a con-
venient form for an awkward question, the
rupee having sixteen annns and being easily
IL,
unfortunate object Is classified labeled and
dropped into some social deep, whittier no.
body follows him.
CURING AN INFATUATED OFFICER
Sometimes the EuraSian tinge is 50 slight
that even the sahib will not trust his diyining
powers wholly unless he has the opportunity
Of applying one infallible test Let him SEQ
tho finger nails In question. IL the usual
white crescent at their base is n blush purple
there Is no further question-it comes OF ma
tive blood, however little. Sometimes this
knowledge is important, for with the disguise
OF money, fair hair, pure complexion and
foreign education the native faint might
easily pass unsupported In young lady met
under any OF tho accidental circumstances
that crop up all the world over, with disas-
trous consequences TO the uninitiated, IL he
happens TO be young man and falls In love
with her
For 20 marry such an one would mean
social ammunition as soon as the fact were
found out, and most unpleasant possibilities
for the complexion Of the next generation.
In one OF kiplings "Plain Tales from the
Hills, he tells OF such an one, hopelessly en-
amored OF lovely Portuguese half caste and
determined, IN spite OF all his friends could
say, 10 marry her He isan officer in crack
regiment, popular fellow, and they are in
despair.
FlnaiIy clever woman who likes him hits
upon plan-her influence secures fort
nights leave for him unknown 70 himself,
ana the night before, three OF his fellow off,
GERS drop In 70 see him, lettering three cam
els In his compound, the camel being noise
less and rapid traveller. In the midst OF a
social evening they fall upon and pinion him,
carry INN on and lock him up in madhouse
Tor the fortnight, at the end OF which time
nc comes torth sane and grateful though
very abusive man.
MT. hlpnng does not place his heros pas
sion on very high plane, and one finds ones
sell sympathizing with nobody In the story
out tue devoted friends who have had 10 take
70 uuch trouble 10 cure temporary aberra-
uon-out TINS may Do somewhat due 10 the
authors Angio-Indian prejudice
DOWNRIGHT FACTS LITTLE KNOWN
The common soldiers marry half castles
quite frequently up 10 color 'ergeants, and
so do whites OF all the lower middle classes,
out u Is thing utterly, absolutely aud strin-
gently forbidden 20 the elect
As nave limited one bears little OF down
right Tact about the Eurasans In India,
SIMPLY because they are next thing to pariah
creatures, about whose manners and customs
nobody cares Their general appearance,
however, tells story that all who run may
read, story OF physical deterioration that
makes one prone TO believe more or less OF
what people say OF the moral deterioration
that 80 otten goes hand Ia hand with It. 1t
Is hhrd saying, and doubtless must lie taken
win many exceptions and qualifications, but
Tue WORD goes that as class they are COW
huIy anu prone 10 the vices, that they seem
70 inherit unhappily from both races, TO bear
ABOUT Ia themselves not the best, but the
worst, OF their mixed ancestry.
70