The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-18
THE HINDOO GINEE.
A Well Known Figure in the Fam
lies Of the Orient.
She Is Household Queen Who Leads =
Life of Self Sacrifice and Rules Over
Her Subjects with Rod
of kindness.

The Ginee is generally the mother
or wife of the eldest male member of
the family. She rises from her bed
about an hour and a half before sun
rise and looks to the sweeping and
cleaning of the house. particularly the
door hntels, the yards and the cow
shed. She then collects flowers from
the shrubs and goes to battle in the
river Bhagira thee, if the river be not
more than mile or so from the house.
The sun has not yet appeared in the
horizon, bat 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 MulSerji,
writing TO the 'rheoscphicaI society.
They all bathe and perform their de-
votional actions called puja on the
bank of the river and return home
about eight q. N. 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 won-
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 WON
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
ly, the servants included. IL is
very seldom that she condesccuds 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 mem
bers then congregate in a long room,
where some lie down for rest, some
knit and sew and some are engaged In
talking about the incidents mentioned
II the Ramayana and the Mahabarats-
At about four p. m. the Ginee goes
to her neighbors. for q 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 70 the
rooms. the shed and the door linfels,
and that the COWS are properly looked
after. just ct sunset every room is
lighted, and then cooking again begins
d little later. In the afternoon some
of the male members x1a rial tee rgf "A IL
tie rcfreshment, consisting generally
Of fresh fruits aud sTeetIaeats, brI, this
is managed by others.
At about eight o'clock p. IA the chill I
dren. having partaken of their meals. r
90 with the Ginee 20 lie do-xn IN their |
beds Here the Ginee begins 70 tell |
them stories tn they are asleep. These
stories are almost al Of them common 4
to all the families az the village. A /
king had tsFO queens; one s3nch be-
loved by him. the other neglected;
Slnd Providence favored the iatter aad
he former vas baEa5lsd 4 prince. a
ministers soB. = commander N chiefs [
on and . merchant son were erazt
friends; tlsey started 20 see tic corners
x the world, es-w many wonderful
hings, had many hzlgsre sezll es1apes
nd at last al returned home Hsfe and
cand- A princess of great beagfr LAP
i1ehaatea ~ castle o. .tAo CgcIors;
prince gees tze-e by chance. kills the
monster "a some re.nsrixsbie rzaoaer
;srcugh the advice of TIC disenehzntea
'rineess. fails n lore vita her aad