The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-19

| also the lawn tennis courts; which is an
other way Of saying that If you want to pay
your respects to any OF the English residents
of Allahabad you must turn your back to
the Jumma But as I am going to have a
chat with my old friend Manik Chand my
road leads due south.
Leaving the fruit market, with its 'heaped-
up stores of mango, custard-apple and
orange on my left I skirt the sweet-makers'
quarter and turn sharp around into the Sud-
der bazaar. Fifty PAGES further on, exactly
opposite the main entrance Of the Kotwali
(police station) you may read on a small
black board that the corner shop belongs to
Manik Chand, cloth merchant, dealer in gold
and silver jewelry, shawls, china, precious
stones, etc, etc. No mention, however, in all
this, of the fact that money-lending on a
large scale is carried on within these mean
looking premises, unless indeed the wonder
full word etcetera is intended to cover this
branch of the business.
TO prevent mistakes let me at once say I
have not come to borrow money-not at
least this time and sufficient unto the day is
the evil thereof No, pleasure, not business,
brings me to Manik Glands shop to-day. AS
a matter of fact, when business has to be
done the old gentleman takes good care to
come to my bungalow. Consequently have
come to Manik Chand.
Does any man living know so many stories
as the old cloth merchant? Stories from a
mythical past wherein the divine Hanuman
and monsters dire contend for mastery;
stories from a history with which it would
seem our historians have little in common;
stories of sahibs as they were in the youth
of Manik Chand fifty years ago; but, best
Of all, stories of native life as it actually is
0f
imagine it to be.
The old gentleman grinned me a tooth
less welcome and babe me go up to the ia
vorte corner.
The corner in question was formed by the
side wall of the house and an absurdly built
little window. which commanded a good
view of the busy bazaar below.
What a kaleidoscope! What a pande-
monium!
The street is denseIy crowded, but an old
buffalo harnessed to a municipal watering
cart plows it's way serenely through it, re-
CARELESS of the laughter or abuse it has
caused. A fiercely bearded Sikh silently
stalks along. from whose broad shoulders
the lighter-built native shrinks timidy
whilst he in turn must make way for the
prancng Of a mud-bedecked stallion where
on the Nawab sahib is disporting himself
and whence he casts most killing glances
toward the fair Kashmiri ladies, snugly re-
Ginning in yonder balcony! A noisy group Of
Bengalis on their way home from some of
the government offices draw on themselves
many unloving looks and iow-muttered
curses, for strange to say this race of quill
driving chatterers, who pose as the cham
pionS of progress and rant about the wrongs
of India, are not thought much of by the
Hindu and MOhammedan races north of
Bengal. Nay, rather, if the much-abused
government would take them at their word
and gracefully restore India to the Indians,
the bare-legged, worsted- comforter wearing
Babus would soon be in Queer street
Next, a seedy-looking Eurasian catches
the eye, meanly clad in a suit of ''jharun'
(anglice, dust-cloth.) Half-starved and list
less, he presents a painful contrast to the
snnart-looking little Ghurkas who jostle
past him, their caps jauntily stuck on one
side of their well-oiled locks.
Hullo, Tommy Atkins my friend! Those
two skunks sneaking out of the native
liquor shop over the way will not do you
much credit on parade tomorrow, feary
1t is scarcely necessary to taste native
spirits, the smell of them half a mile away
being sufficient to knock you down, but to
the regimental black sheep this is a mere
trife; he saves up four annas, HES him to
the bazaar and drinks, whence come directly
handouts and indirectly fever and smash
up.
But my study Of the crowd below must
cease, for here comes old Manik Chand who
gives me an excellent TRICKY cigar, a Sails
bury of the best, we'll worthy of their noble
namesake, whilst he himself seeks soace
from the amber lips of his beloved hubble
bubble-as such pipes are onomatopoeiacally
called.
1T must be a great comfort to you, Lal-
laji," 1 began, ito live so near the Kot-
WALL your valuable stock in trade might
otherwise be tempting scoundrels to pay you
unwelcome visitsv'
1.-The nearer the fame the fiercer the
heat" retorted the sage, systematically, and
reapsed into silence.
To stir up the conversation I ventured to
inquire whether the "Kotwal' poice officer)
and he We're on good terms.
Mank Chand thereupon began a low,
ashmatical chuckle, which soon threatened
to end his days, but, recovering gradually.
he said: ooh, the present Kotwal and 1
are on the best of terms. Ho, no, Ari! On
the best of terms! And no wonder, sahb,
for did not your slave bring about his APP
Dointment?'
Now, to my certain knowledge there are
many things Manik Chand can do, but when
it comes to obtaining responsible government
appointments of the value of 100 rupees a
month it behooves one to ask for proof
did so, and obtained the following story
for my pains
do 1 look, sahib. at all like a convicted
felon? Do L look like the associate and
sworn brother Of bloodthirsty dacoits?"
He certainly did not, and l said so.
Your kindness bids you speak thus, sahib,
but Hussain Ali, the late kotwal, thought
differently, or. at any rate he spoke words
of a contrary sense.
Standing up boldly before the newly ar
rived jint Goint magistrate), who, by your
kind permission, be it said, was no better
than an unweaned ASS colt, he spake thus:
Your Honor must surely have heard of the
great Garampura dacoity that took place
a year ago. when the. scoundrels secured
much valuable property. Now, from infor-
nation l have received, it is certain that
some of the jewelry then lost will be found
in the house of Manik Chand, whose abode
is in the Sudder Bazaar; more especially
will two heavy noserings, set with pearls,