The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-28
FROM HEATHEN INDIA
GOSsIPY LETTER FROM A HOOsIER
GIRL NOW A MISSIONARY.
Josepha Franklin Tells What Hap
Eclipse of the sun.
speclal 70 the Indianapolis journal.


Just been received by friends in this city,
their old home, from missionaries Stella
and Josepha Franklin, daughters of Rev.
Franklin, of Bedford, Ind, who are now
located In India. The letters are especially
interesting, as they probably contain the
first mail description of the recent total
eclipse of the sun in that country nnd deal
with phase of it, the old stories and tradi-
tions, which are very interesting. By way
of introduction explanatory to her descrip-
ton Miss Josepha Franklin says:
People In America ard Europe both
often underrate the extent of the English
civilization in India and therefore often
make ludicrous mistakes. India is as large
as all of the United States east of the Mis-
sissippi. The whole OF this beautiful coun-
try is intersected with railway lines and
beautiful, wide macadamized roads, besides
many other roads probably superior TO the
American turpikes. BY means of the free
delivery postal system anyone, even if he is
In the heart of the jungle, will have his
mail brought to him. We have here a
valuable payable parcel system, more ex-
tended and complete than our G. o. ID. sys-
tenn in America, by means of which an or
der can be sent to stores for groceries,
crocYery or anything in any city in India
and have the things delivered at the door.
We read the Reuter- kilograms from Amer
lea twenty-four hours after the news hap
pens and we have papers and magazines
four weeks later. There are thick jungles,
filled with wild beasts. and in many sections
no English people live, but in other Sec
tions you meet with the pick of English
society, graduates from oxford and Cam
bridge. With all English people come the
IS well, of England. -Four missionaries and
one Englishman here have bicycles Amer
lean wheels have recently been shipped in
and they so excel the European makes that
orders have been y iced for them to the ex-
clusion Of wheels from other countries.
Thus America reaches out across oceans.
But with all Of this advancement and
these national and natural improvements,
India is still an enigma. On the 23d, the
day of the total eclipse, we saw most
striking illustration of the heather dsmay
at the signs of heaven. We were not sew
enty miles from the center of the total
eclipse line and saw the sun diminish until
IL looked like the first new moon. 1t grew
darker than twilight and the temperature
was lowered at least ten degrees. Every
thing was weird and strange. The
birds went to roost and after the
light came again they began chirp-
ing as though 1t was morning. The native
astronomers had foretold the eclipse and
no Hindoo ate on that day, as
all considered themselves unclean because
of the shadow. AS the darkness began the
tanks of water were soon filled with people
bathing and the tanks remained full until
the darkness was over Some took a bath
both before and after the eclipse, some
only during the darkness, but all cleansed
themselves Women of certain caste were
compelled to stay in the house. The rich
people got frightened and gave out rice and
corn and other grain to the poor. All who
bathed dropped pieces of rupees in the
tank
Il tried to find the origin of all of this
fuss. The religious traditions produce many
stories. told by the high and the low caste.
The high caste believe in the story of
Brahmin Pandit. 1t is charming little
piece OF fiction, as follows: One time God
and the gods and the demons churned the
sea and threw from it many beautiful
gems. God had the gods sit on one side
and the demons on the other. He was going
to give the jewel of immortality to the
gods and the jewel of wine to the demons.
But one demon, Khetu, secretly sat among
ti~ eOoS ditu 1c SilSI uIdlih the lIllInOllal-
ity. The sun and the moon saw him and
said 10 God Look, there is a demon among
the GODS Then God in his anger picked up
a wheel and cut off the demons head He
could not die so he became two demons.
The head remained Khetu and the body
became Rahu, and the demons from that
time on were the enemies of the sun and
the moon. Sometimes Khetu comes between
the sun and the earth and the earth is
unclean from his shadow and sometimes
Rahu comes between the earth and the
sun and his shadow makes the earth un-
clean. Thus all things should be cleansed
from their influences"
THE lower caste have little different
story by which they justify their lamenta-
tions and their bathing 1t is as follows:
The demon gets angry at his old enemy
the sun and tries TO swallow him. Then
all Hindoos Shrek out and howl TO the
demon and pray, Oh, great king. let our
sun go! OH let our sun GO. and keen on
until the demon vomits him up. But the
sun has become defiled from the conflict
and all of the earth and all things on II are
dehled and must be cleansed
Another story goes: The sweeper caste
(scayengers and sweepers) are giving great
trouble TO the sun so he can't shine. and
we are all unclean from them. another
story Is that for many years the sun has
owed the moon two pounds OF grain. and
often. in rage. the moon comes before the