St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-27
MARRIED TO A GOD.
Degraded Condition Of Women il
India.

India.
Indianapolis Sentinel.
The Third Christian church was flied
with ladies yesterday afternoon, when
Mrs. Mitchell, who has been an earnest
worker in the missionary field, spoke of
the domestic life in India. The talk
was informal in character. the ladies
present asking questions upon the sub
Ject matter. Mrs. Mitchell spoke of the
women of India as women without a
gospel, aud said that what was stated
about the women of India could be said
of the women of any land where the
gospel is not known. She spoke of the
fact that the Hindoos have no words
which convey the same ideas as our
are the slaves of the men and their fam
lilies: the family does not mean man,
his wife and children, but the man who
has wife and sons and grandsonS to
the fifth and sixth generation.
All members of this family live in the
same house. The greatest sign of re-
spect is for a man to possess a large
famlly-he calls his great-grand chill
dren his own children. The only re-
spect and honor which a woman re-
ceives from her n3igbbors and women
relatives is through her belonging to
man who has a large family. This
being the case it is matter Of great i'm
portance to her that she possess large
family, and she must see also that her
sons are provided with wives. The son
is but a few years old when they ar
range for his marriage. If belonging
to the high caste the sons are given
sufficient education to read, write and
keep accounts, but the low caste boys
are not educated, neither are the girls
of either class.
The women. have no faith in their
ability to learn. When the mission
aries try to teach them it is always the
same reply: why, we're women, we
can't learn"
A girl is born to get married. Her
parents search for family into which
to place her. After they settle the
question OF finances they call in the
priest. They must have the priests get
authority from the gods. If the parents
are wealthy and don't want the trouble
of hunting wife for their son they get
the priest to find wife. He mnst see
both the girl and boy, then he consults
the gods. and if all is we'll the parents
go on settling the dowry. The girl
must belong to the same caste as the
boy, and the parents look for wealth.
his daughter i'll the shape of jewelry,
Which is not hers, but belongs to her
husband and his mother.
There are two other ceremonies be-
fore girl becomes wife. The second
is religious ceremony which is sacred
and binding; should the boy die after
that ceremony the little girl is widow.
She never can marry. This ceremony
takes place when the girl is about five
years old, and sometimes she is three.
1t would be disgrace to the father to
have the daughter grow up unmarried,
and the gods would punish him for it.
The little girl remains at home until her
parents see fit to send her to the other
family, or until the other family gets
ready to come and get her. The latter
may be years in getting ready for the
bride. The bride becomes the absolute
slave OF her mother-in-law and does just
what that parsonage permits her to. IN
til she herself is grown up and has sew
eral sons, then she is more respected.
Mrs. Mitchell spoke of the terrible
manner in which the Hindoo widows
are treated. In their religion, when the
husband is taken it means that the
woman has In some way offended the
gods and they have punished her thus.
Her own father says: IF she has
is much better for her to suffer here
than to go up and be sent back to earth
as cat, dog or louise. The gods gave
her to the other family. and he doesn't
dare to take her back. Her husbands
father and mother argue-'If it had not
been for you my son would have been
alive increasing my family in numbers
and wealth. Now you must pay for it,
She is given but little clothing and
food, is the drudge and servant of the
family. and is SO debased that she dare
not speak to any of them. She Is cursed
by the gods, and dare not allow her
shadow to fall upon any of them. If
there is widow in the house they do
not tell of it, it is such disgrace. The
missionaries find it almost impossible to
get chance to see these widows. 1t
takes days of talking about the hus-
band being taken with disease and
death, and explaining our ideas OF
widowhood ere the family will allow
the widow to come in and hear the
teachings.
Even worse than that of the widow is
the condition of the dancing girls.
When girl remains unmarried her
parents take her to priest. If she is
say there is no husband for her, and
she is married to one of the gods with
great ceremonies. She serves the gods
by becoming the slave of the priest who
is dedicated to the god she serves. The
prists live in large rooms IN the tenn
plies. When girl is married to god
she is taken to the temple and some of
the other priesteSseS teach her now to
dance. Then she goes out on the street
to dance; her face is uncovered and she
can speak to any one. When a rich
man entertains his friends-always
men friends-the dancing girls come
and dance for them. The money which
they earn is all taken to the temple as
an offering to their god. This is the
way they serve him, and they are ear
nest and conscientious in their immoral
lives because 1t is made reputable and a
part of their religion.
Mrs. Mitchell spoke of the effect of
the doctrine of reconsideration of spirits
upon the condition of women. The man
is the central object-he goes up and is
absorbed by the great being. There is
no place for woman beyond this life.
She is told that if perfectly obedient to
her husband in every thing-if she has
never offended him in the least thing
when she goes before the god he may
be so pleased with her thai she may
come back as man. The standard is
placed 50 high that the women have no
hope whatever.
There are more girls than boys in
India. The English government takes
the census. 1t advances education, but
not the religion. 1t does not dare inter
fere with the religion of the HindooS,
lest they rebel.