The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-15
HOW THE HINDooS LIVE
sQUALoR AND DEsTIrUTIoN THE
RULE OVER A VAST REGION.
Missionaries Make the Mistake of Not
Adapting Themselves tn East
ern Conditions.
c-orresponaence of the indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.
DELHI. India. Feb. 1.-THE worst shan
~ in indianapolis is better than the mud
butts and Old ramshackle structures in
which the great working classes of India
live. I doubt If in our State ten men ever
starved to death. except by accident. Here
in the Puniab, where 1 am now, a district
not much greater than Indiana, there are
to-day 100000 starving men and women.
There is not in our State a woman who is
compelled to go barefoot; here i'm India
there are more barefoot women from era
die 10 grave than the entire population of
the United States. The west half of the
great Ganges plain is no better than the
arid lands of our far West. 1t is only by
irrigation that scanty crops are raised, and
when they fail the result is famine and
death. 1t is amazing how poor the land
Is. For hundreds of miles in every direc-
ton from Delhi wretched little patches of
sickly wheat or distressed tobacco plants
are all that nature gives as rewards to the
constant diligence Of the innumerable Hin
doc villages which surround Delhi, Agra
and Lucknow. These villages are very
picturesque. /. e., very shabby and dirty.
The only house of any degree of comfort
is that of the headsman, who is usually a
fne-loOking and powerfully built man.
These villages are often within the court
OF some deserted mosque or fort, and are
alive with poultry. dogs, camels and peo-
pie. One OF the most comical sights in
Delhi was that OF the wife and daughter
OF some local ~headsInan, mounted on a
camel and up here on a shopping and
pleasure trip. Both were in all the glory
Of abundant long hair. high-colored cotton
prints and bare feet, with each toe en-
cased in a big silver ring, and anklets,
nose and earrings galore. to say nothing
Of bracelets and other miscellaneous jew
elry. When they saw anything in a shop
TO their liking they caused, through a
servant, the camel TO kneel in front of it,
and then made the s~hopkeeper bring out
his wares to them while they inspected or
bought at their leisure. Being accustomed
10 command in the mud huts at home.
they brought this habit to the great city
of Delhi. and unconsciously exercised it
TO the great amusement of at least one
spectator.
Speaking of tradesmen, those in India are
the most annoying / have ever met with
III dl NY travels. lnGV 90 not hesitate
to stick their heads in your carriage, and
TO come into your bedroom with their i'm
pudence and trashy wares. They will not
take no for an answer, but persist in an
noying you until you are forced to be vio-
lent towards them for self-protection.
DIVORCE DISCOURAGED.
Naturally, / I'm inquiring into the Gus
toms of the country. Yesterday L fell in
with a M-ohammedan lawyer educated and
married in England. He and the mission
aries here informed me that il was very
rare for even a rich Moslem to nave more
than one wife, and. while he has an abso-
lutte power to divorce her at will, it is so
great a social disgrace that it is seldom
done. To prevent it, a most ingenious legal
device is resorted to. The parents of the
girl insist upon the intending husband set
fling upon his future wife a dowry i'm ex-
cess OF his means. Now, no divorce can be
granted without first paying the dowry, so
that the dissatisfied husband seldom wan
tonly exercises his legal rights, for it costs
too much. and he is not sure of gaining a
second spouse, as a divorced man is a black
sheep in the marriage market. All the
same. no one ever sees a Mahommedan
wiz " maj d6CdDlC OahSAtCl " NAC uDDCI
classes. They are buried in their zenanas.
II is a queer sight to see, then, when a low
grade woman appears on the streets. She
is completely envelOped in white flowing
robe. which starts. in & little cap on the top
OF her head and has a couple of peepholes,
covered with lace. out of which her eyes
do business. In the country these women
take to their heels when they see me. Judg-
ing these ladies by their work, they must
be good women, for their children are the
dearest. sweetest little midgets-boy and
girl-imaginable.
Both Mohammedans and Hindoos are
very good and loving parents. One of the
most delightful sights in queer India is
paterfamilias out with his family for a
holiday, and. as it is after Ramazan. they
are taking it easy and happily. "A big two
wheeled cart. drawn by a couple of lazy
oxen, will be filed to the brim with happy
children. and. if the proprietor is a Hindoo.
with his womenkind. All will be dressed in
the bravery of cheap but brilliantly-colored
cotton, If poor, and equally brilliant silks
and satins if rich. They all sit upon the
floor OF the cart, and the result is that
around the rim of the box will be a crowd
Of brilliant black eyes and sweet brown
faces. The father sits upon the tongue of
the vehicle and acts as guide. philosopher
and friend" Nothing suits him better than
to have me stop my guide. get out and pet
his children. He will hand each one out as
carefully as if a package of gold, and. with
a proud and happy grin, chatter away in
the native language about how good Allah
or some other god has been to him.
To return to our mutton. My lawyer in
forms me that there are three separate
sets Of laws in India-the Mohammedan.
the Hindoo and the English. To my ques-
ton. How about II when a Mohammedan
and Hindoo get at l~oggerheads." he could
only answer by a comprehensive shrug of
his shoulders and something about in such
q case life's being a burden. The lawyers
here have reports and upper and lower
courts exactly as in Indiana. Two OF the
best supreme Judges in india are Moham-
medans. The practice Of Law here is very
lucrative. While talking a client came in
and a bargain was struck between then
and my lawyer agreed TO recover 225 ru-
pees, for which he was to receive 200
Rather a dis%proportionate sum-. according
49,. hnE MhAn Tho nIfAn