The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-18
LIVING IN INDIA.
House Service in nm English or Eu-
rOpean Family There.

Vicks Monthly lia
1t may be interesting 10 note how English
people live in India. Those who have been
used to climate like ours cannot, without
great danger and sacrifice, live as the ma
tives do, SO they adopt style that prudence
and experience have suggested as best suit
ed to the conditions that exist there. In
nearly all the large cities the houses of the
Europeans are found in the suburbs; sur
rounded by large plots of ground, often four
or five acres in extent. Thus the noisome
smells of the thickly crowded native city are
in measure avoided. and one is shut out.
from the peculiar noises and cries and
drumming of Oriental instruments of music
and the clouds of dust that continually swell
up from the great cities. The houses oc-
cupied by the Europeans are usually built
on plan that will allow of lofty rooms and
ample ventilation. They are only one story
high and have a large yeranda across the
front and rear. Thus the hot sun is kept
out and free circulation is allowed. The
kitchen is a small house, all by itself, at
one side of the dwelling house, or in the
rear. Owing to the extreme heat, white
women cannot possibly do their own work.
The climate is such that manual work is
simply out of the question. Servants are
easily obtainabe and with their assistance,
when one has a genius for managing them,
living in that country is not only tolerable
but even pleasant. Servants will work in
definite hours each day for $3.50
a month, and support themselves; they
are neat, quiet and almost invariably per-
form their respective duties in an efficient
manner. 1t takes twelve or fifteen servants
TO run house WE'LL many ladies have even
larger numbers. The matter of expense is
not serious matter to the wives of Eu-
ropean officials, who draw excellent salaries.
The head servant OF every house is called
the bearer. Upon him 'devolves the respon-
sibility of the general management of all
the servants, except the cook. His particu-
lar dutleS are TO dust and arrange the turnl-
ture and to attend the door when callers
arrive When lady drives up in her car
rage the bearer goes to the carriage door
with card tray to receive her card. He
conveys 1t to his mistress, who sends back
the word ''salaam' if she is prepared to
receive callers. If she does not care to re-
ceive, the servant returns to the carriage
and says Dwarf bund," which is, the
door is shut. The next servant in impor-
lance is the cook. This important individual
is, because OF caste reasons, a Moham-
medan Hindoos will not handle or cook
meat; Mohammedans will. so Mohammedans
do the cooking in European families. This
servant not only cooks but buys all the pro-
visions. 1t is necessary to hold this inn
portant. parsonage to. strict account, for,
unless ne is so held, he will run up bills
that are astonishing. What he buys in the
market. how he buys it and how he prepares
what he buys for the table, would require
time to describe. The food served to Ea-
ropeans is partly like that served here and
partly like that which the natives them
selves eat. Here is the order of meals for
one day: AT rising-5 o'clock in the morn
ing---the cook serves in your room what is
known as "chhota hazree'' of the small
breakfast; 1t comprises tea, two pieces Of
toast with fruit. and an egg If desired. A
about 10 O'Clock breakfast is served; this
consists of a milk dish, then a meat course
followed by an Indian dish prepared in the
inimitable Hindustani fashion. Curry and
rice is the most common HinduStani break
fast dish; this is very well suited to tempt
the appetite in a hot country, and all Eu-
ropeans are fond of IT, To prepare it the
rice is first boiled skillfuily that every
kernel remains whole. The curry is made
of chicken or beef as a foundation, stewed
with a mixture of various India spices, this
compound being well oiled with refined but
ter or ghee, as it is called in India. This
curry is served with the rice and further
seasoned with chutnee, and makes one of
the most palatable of dishes. In some of
the favored sections of India, where it is
cool for few weeks of the year, coffee is
served during the cool season. At in the
afternoon luncheon is served; this meal con-
sists of fruit, bread, butter and jam, with
tea and cold meat. Dinner is served at
o'clock in the evening, and is a formal oc-
casion; the courses consist of soup, side
dish, two or more meat courses. pulao, am
other India dish, cake and pudding, fol-
lowed by nuts, fruits, etc, after which the
ladies withdraw TO the sitting room and the