The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-18
QUEER HINDU CUSTOMS.
One Is to Judge People by Their
Souls.

/ recent traveller through northern Ini.g
/ tells an interesting incident in connection
| with a visit which she made TO one of the
| rude little homes in Kashmire. where thu
| world-renowned India shawls are made. L:
7 CHANGED to be n very hot day. even fot
India. and when our traveller found herself
being conducted through dusty, dingy
narrow street toward squalid little house.
she almost regretted her inherent thirst
for knowledge. However. upon entering a
, little room, she found ten or q dozen mon
sitting on the floor. patiently weaving the
richly -hued threads in and out. and evil
IDENTIFY happy. since notwithstanding the
heat and general dnginess. they were
chanting together some pleasing little mel
ody.
While watching them at their their care
full, painstaking labor. she noticed that
each man had little slip Of paper pinned
to his work, which she naturally took TO
be the design of his particular shawl Upon
closer investigation, however. she found
that they all contained musical notes
Fancy her surprise TO learn that ii really
was the pattern expressed in musical Eota-
tlon, and represented. in point of fact the
tune the men were then singing. She fur
Their learned that they had discovered
curious relation between color and sound
whereby they determined the coiors they
were TO use by the way they harmonized
in musician inharmonous blending OF
tones always signfying inharmonious col
oring.
The attitude of native Indians toward
the Queen of England" continued the
same traveller, lis really very curious and
Interesting. and is entirely detached from
aay feeling which they may have for or
against the English Government. They
look upon the Queen as saint frequent
ly worshiping her as such They consider
that she has gone through all the earthly
incarnations necessary TO her highest de-
relopment and that she has now reached
a degree of sainthood which entities her
to the choicest blessing of Niryana The
reason for this worshipful attitude does
not rest upon her position. power, talents.
or general character. but more than any
thing else upon her long period of widow
hood, which to the Indian woman is a
state of the highest dignity and sanctity."
But supposing they were TO see her
now asked listener. Just as she is,
short stout. old and unbeautiful-
wouldn't that be something of shock?
halo of sainthood?"
oh that wouldn't make the least diff
ference" replied the cosmopolite The
Hindu only sees or fancies he sees de-
grees of spiritual refinement to which we
of the West are strangers: spiritual cul-
ture is also far more tized among
them than among us. Once having in
their imagination elevated the Queen to
the rank of sainthood. no physical limi-
tatiors would have the slightest effect
upon their alteration
Another remarkable thing | observed
is that on the slopes of the Himalayas the |
native women have a most curious plan |
of disposing Of their babies and keeping
them quiet while they are engaged at |
work in the fields during the greater part |
of the day. Before the mothers set cut |
to work in the morning they wrap tt ir |
babies in swaddling bands, leaving nothing |
but their little faces exposed. Then the |
ba bies are taken and laid under ledge
Of rock from which water is falling. and
by means of bamboo the water is made |
10 drip gently on each baby's forehead |
The effect of the dripping water is most
and soon the little ones are all
isleep, and remain quite motionless until
aiken up by their mothers on their return
rom their work when they are carried off
10 be unwrapped. dried, and fed. Very
ew Of the little ones treated on this hy-
lropathic system seem to be any the
worse for il. and as rule they grow up
trong and healthy men and women.