Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-03-26
WOMAN'S LIFE IN INDIA.

According to tho Buffalo Courier Mrs
lihhic C. Griffin who spent the greater
part OF her life in India, gives an in
tcresttng account OF that far-away
country, Mrs, Griffin tells OF the sor-
row Of the mother OF the girl when Il
was born, All of Hindoo woman's
life. and. indeed, that of her husband,
is bound up In the hopes of having
n son, According to the Brahmin re-
liEion man can with certainty escape
hell II he has II son living at the time
of his death White a woman does not
give birth to u son In eleven years her
uShnnd must cast hor aside and
choose another wife by whom he may
possibly have a son, A vivid COM
parison was made between the lives OF
n hoy and Ghl, On the sixth night
after the birth of II child the mother
and child lilo down together In the Same
room and sleep, An tnkstand and pen
are placed IN the room and midwife
watches the seepors. If the child
moans and tosses the gods are writing
u sorrowtul existence on its forehead
II II smiles, tho opposite may he
awaited. At the ond OF month tao
astrolorer comes and socks to solve tho
fate of tho child's life, At the end OF
SIN months the child Ia given the first
taste of rice and water In NIL these
ceremonies there Ia much feasting and
celebrating In the case of n boy, but
nothing except the ceremony itself In
the case of n girl
\ girl has a miserable time of II all
her life, Only ut night Is Il mother
allowed to kiss or Caress her child. Tho
boys are allowed to roam nj will; but
girls must remain indoors and can only
get out ut long intervals for short
periods, Al 6 years OF age the child Ia
married t. a., the first wedding core
mony takes place. 1t liz more of
formal betrothal, but with all the bind
Ing of n genuine wedding, The child
must now remain indoors and her face
must be hidden from all men. If she
Is the daughter of n cast-off wife
that Is, one who for eleven years has
borne no son she has to suffer many
prosecutions, which eventually lead
her to almost any evil or sin. At IL
years Of ago tho husband, too often n
very old man. comes to take the child
to his home. Often the child does not
wish to 60 and shreks while she
vainly attempts to escape from tho
messengers sent to bring her to the
waiting husband.
Mrs, Grimm drew the picture of the
childwifo In her new home: the early
birth of n son, and the broken health
of the mother due To thIs early BIRTH
Nhe water famine such as there was
four years ago, and the breaking out
Of cholera. resulting In the death Of the
husband. When the husband dies the
wife Is shut up In Il room, sometimes
for years, whore shc sees no one Her
imprisonment depends on the caprice
Of the mother-n law.
Mrs Grimm says the child sho had
been describing had had happy life
M the life Of llindoo girls go. She has
never been burned with rcd hot irons
by her husband and her husband has
not beaten her az much as other wives
have been beaten Beatlngs che has
received, but the red-hot Irons. al
though common, she has escaped. As
widow, however, she IL in disgrace.
and the sooner she dlos the better for
her It Ia bad luck to look into her
face first on arising In the morning.
She IL allowed one meai n day and all
dellcacieB needed, owing to her broken
health ms the result OF early births.
are withheld. The reason Is evident
widows are not wanted, and they can
never remarry.