The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1901-04-05
THE INDIAN IN ENGLAND.
another World Opened 10 Him b,
the Presence OF women
= In society.

IL Is often n great trial to a youno
mar fresh from India who Ia tbro,vn
into English society to know how
10 behave. You visit n friend. You
ring, and the door is opened by =
young maidservant, who invites YOU
u enter and closes the door M soon
as you have entered. You follow the
servant into the drawing-room, where
your friend meets and greets YOU,
Aiter some conversation your friend
BRINGS in his mother and introduced
hcr TO you. The mother is very
pleased TO make your acquaintance.
inc asks you to sit in n chair near
ners' But you hesitate. q tho
University Magazine. Is that the
proper thing to do? In India no
mother of no friend OF yours asks
You TO do the same. IL ut all, YOU
always stood at n respectful distance
and answered the mothers questions.
But here IL Is so different. You obey
with hesitation. and sit in the chair
rather awkwardly, both your legs
thrust rs far beneath the chair na
possiblc-of course. as n mark of re.
spect TO your friends mother--and
yourself only answering the moth.
sr's questions In monosyllablcs. The
mother wonders what Is the matter
with YOU; why you are 30 shy. and
why you appear 40 dull. Are all In.
dinns like this-so dull? or course.
she ANN divine the nature of the
things which pcrplcx you. She doe,
not understand; you nrc only try.
jng to be on your best bchnyior-in
fact. 10 pass for n very good hoy.
For n moment your pcrplexftics in-
crease. Your friends mother hns
dropped her handkerchief. She Il not
aware Of II. But you have seen IL
drop. What nrc you 10 do? Are
you to pick II up and give II In her?
H. that the proper thing To do? AZ
liomc you dare not do Il. hut II IL
80 different here. mud. NJ last. YOU
make mp your mind to pick np the
handkerchief; and YOU do II 40 awk.
wardly that your friends mother,
while accepting IL with thanks. looks
at your face to see why YOU bhish.
The kindness of your friend i'm
cienscs your pcrplcNitics still. lie
mud his mother desire you 10 stay for
dinner. You don't know what TO saw
IN reply. Yes or no. At home, on
n visit 20 n friend. you always say
no. The question often IL meaning
Icss. Your friend generally docs not
expect YOU TO accept the invitation,
md the Invitation IL often made with
cut making amy provision for you. |
You are generally expected to say
NO" and yon say "No." but n 10
not 50 In England. And. with some
hesitation. YOU intcrposc n wori
which may be interpreted ns ayes"
or NO" but which your good friend
understands rs signifying assent. In
III meantime, other members of tho
household nrc ushercd into the room.
and to each OF them YOU are intro
dhccd. and among the number TO
your friends sister. whose eagcrness
10 shake hands with q sends q
thrill through your whole frame.
Fancy your friends sister being in
PRODUCED NJ home In India, Can any,
thing he more n%trocious? hut such
is the custom in England. Aud then
the time for dinner arrives. And. ns
the chief guest Of the evening, YOU
are asked 20 lead the lady Of the
house. Your friends mother. 10 the
dininV-room. You are more per-
picked than ever. The idea of piv-
ing your arm to n lady whom YOU re-
spcct ms your own mother. You
never touched your own mother
at least, not after you became n man.
And how could you now touch your
friends mother?
Woman has nc individual existence
In India. To quote the oft-rcpcatrd
verse from Manu-; "Hcr father main
tnins her in childhood. her husband
her In youth. and her sons
maintain her In old age" She SELL
maintains herself. She In always
the Ivy and her husband the rak. n
IL different here. She Is n recognized .
In English society. There ID
no society In England without her,
in India society knows her
not. In London she Is n familiar fig
rrc ~cyorywhcrc; she Is Mt the shop
window. she Is Mt the restaurant. she
appears or the platform. she IL con-
with the press, she writes {
she talks politics. she has her !
clubs and her own "societics." .
Her individuality IL asserted IN a {
directions, so much so that
n woman out Of ten earns her own .
I
Suspicious. =