The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-10-19
THE HINDOO GINEE.
A Well Known Figure in the Fam
lilies Of the Orient.
She Is = Household Queen Who Leads Z
Life of Self Sacrifice and Rules Over
Her Subjects with a Rod
of Kindness.

The Ginee is generally the mother
or wife of the eldest male member Of
the family. She rises from her bee
about an hour and half before sun
rise and looks to the sweeping anG
cleaning of the house, particularly the
door lintels, the yards and the COW
shed. She then collects flowers from
the shrubs and goes to battle in the
river Bhagirathee, if the river be not
more than a mile or so from the house.
The sun has not yet appeared in the
horizon, but most of the women have
left their beds and many join to go to
battle in the river, talking on their
way, says Kali Prasanna Mukerji,
writing to the Theosophical society.
They all battle and perform their de-
votional actions called puja on the
bank of the river and return home
about eight a. m. The Ginee then pre-
pares herself for cooking, in which act
she is assisted by the younger women
of the family, who must have bathed
themselves by this time. Out of mex
pensive vegetables, some of which are
planted and taken care of by the wom-
en- themselves in little bit of ground
near by, the Ginee prepares excellent
dishes and the cooking is all complete
between eleven and twelve a. m. The
children take their meals first, then
the men, then the younger wom-
en-, then the servants and last
of all the Ginee herself. AS
a rule she never enjoys anything that
is liked by either the children or the
male members, and she has to distrib-
ute and superintend the partaking Of
food by every member of the fam
lily, the servants included. 1t is
very seldom that she condescends to
take food cooked by any other woman,
even of her own family.
Taking meals is generally over lit
tie before two p. m. The female men,
bers then congregate in long room,
where some lie down for rest, some
knit and sew and some are engaged in
talking about the incidents mentioned
in the Ramayana and the Mahabarats.
At about four p. m. the Ginee goes
to her neighbors, for chat or any
trifing business that she might think
of, and for the purpose of washing her
self She must return before dusk to
see watering and sweeping done to the
rooms, the shed and the door lintels,
and that the cows are properly looked
after. Just at sunset every room is
lighted, and then cooking again begins
n 1nf Tn, 1n Of
of the male members partake of a lit
tie refreshment, consisting generally
of fresh fruits and sweetmeats, but this
is managed by others.
At about eight o'clock p m. the chill
dren, having partaken of their meals,
go with the Ginee to lie down in their
beds. Here the Ginee begins to tell
them stories till they are asleep. These
stories are almost all of them common
to all the families of the village A
king had two queens; one much be-
loved by him, the other neglected.;
kind Providence favored the latter and
the former was humbled. A prince, a
minister's son, a commander in chiefs
son and merchants son were great
friends; they started to see the corners
of the world; sew many wonderful
things; had many hairbreadth escapes
and at last all returned home safe and
sound. A princess of great beauty lay
enchanted in castle by the Cyclops;
a prince goes there by chance, kills the
monster in some remarkable manner
through the advice of the disenchanted
princess, falls in love with her and
marries her. Such, in substance, are
the stories told by the Ginee to her de-
lighted little audience, who are all
very fond of hearing from her. She
then takes them over to their mothers
and comes to the cook-room again.
The younger women take food, then
the men, the servants, and, last of all,
the Ginee herself. She goes to bed at
about eleven o'clock p. m.
The Ginee is a little talkative, rather
hard on the weakness of her neighbors,
partial to the members of her family,
and is not much loved by young daugh-
ters-in-law of the family, who have
often to invent excuses for rising late
and going to bed early. The Ginee has
fair knowledge of domestic med
icines for small complaints and often
initiates the family priest by presum-
ing to correct him when he happens to
omit anything in a family religious
ceremony. The Ginee is no respecter
of persons and often tells disagreeable
truths to ones face. She is kind to
the servants and beggars and loves to
feed Brahmins on particular suspicious
days of the year. She generally spoils
the young children by always taking
their sides and often makes them i'll
by overlooking them.
Thus pass the lives of many middle
class ladies of lower Bengal; in indus
try, peace, self-denial and devotion,
beloved by all, teaching others to do
their household duties.
But perhaps twenty-five years hence
this will be a thing of the past Sell
fishness and righteousness are maxi
ing sad inroads in families, and dis
union, want of peace and patience are
driving members of the Ilindoo family
to find happiness and comfort in that
will-o'-the-wisp, western civilization.
| have closely observed other families