Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-09
LIVING IN A PALACE
Beauties and Drawbacks of a
Calcutta Mansion.
A SMALL ARMY OF HELP
WHAT THE DUTIES OF EACH SER
WANT ARE.
A SMALL ARMY OF HELP
Mosquitoes and Crows Are Pests
Every Hour of the Twenty
Four-A Ghost Tale.
Written for The Evening Star.

lce insisted on our making her Visit,
which were glad to do. so we changed
our quarters at the hotel for very much
more comfortable and attractive ones in
her home, or rather palace. as it is good
example Of all the large English places in
India. The house was, as usual, set back
In most beautiful gardens. with huge trees
cocoanuts, date palms and teaks, In pic
turesque groups or standing alone. The
trunks swathed in tropical vine with an
enormous leaf, the name of which l have
not so far been able to find out, though /
have asked many people. There was
lawn for tennis. another for croquet, and
back of the house two ferneries, with sides
and roof of wire netting, covered with
vines. One of the houses was q mass OF
dark red bougainvillea and another COW
cred literally with a net of orange colored
flowers-which l fear must also remain
nameleSs There was every kind of fern
to be seen, principally various species of
maiden hair, all clustered around a pretty
little pond full of gold fish A tame minor
a bird which talks as well as parrot. but
is not as brilliant in color, hoped about
the place. occasionally coming to the door
to gaze about him bit, and a mongoo.e,
the most attractive of all small animals,
played among the pots of ferns fearlessiy
and invited US most cordially to join in the
game. He would roll his furry self into
perfect ball, his forepaws clasping the root
neatly his head entirely concealed and in
that position would roll all over the gray
eled paths until we simply shouted with
laughter. Then he would Turk under n fern
leaf and pounce at us with open mouth,
shake our dresses violently and then leap
into the air with arched back and disap-
pear behind d flower pot He was the most
beguiling small animal imaginable about
the size of large squirrel and of q gray
brown color. The palace had q narrow
veranda all around it. inclosed in front in
glass. and, unlike many of the English
houses in India, the drawing room was
the ground floor together with the dining
rooms and the rooms used for offices by the
master of the house, and the housekeepar's
rooms. store rooms and one in which the
four government soldiers, allowed to the
establishment, awaited orders. They were
picturesque feature, clad from head to foot
in scarlet cloth. and two or three of them
were always to be seen squatting on their
heels. silently The "squatting'' they en-
dure joyfully for hours at time, but l
fear the silence is trial. One of those,
chaprassies, certainly possessed a soul!
Abdul Ahmed" was his name, and he WAS
always called by both names. He appar
emily knew every language, after fashion,
and possessed a vast store of information,
and with that fact in mind we ventured to
consult him as to the names of the trees
and vines in the compound: but. alas, here
ne failed, for with the exception of the
pepul and neem trees, which we already
knew, he was as ignorant as the rest Of
India. He could at a pinch tell mango
tree, for 'as Mem Sahib surely may know,
when one does break in twain the leaf OF
from off of that tree. If he is Mango truly
the smell of turpentine does salute the Mem
Sahib's nose" All this was said in deep
and tragic tones while illustrating the bit
o. information, and surely a faint odor of
turpentine did salute the nose Of Mem
Sahib," 50 1t turned out to be a mango
tree. and beautiful tree 1t Is with Its
crisp. fresh green foliage The servants OF
the household seemed to us countless.
Plenty of Help There.
In the house there were the cook and two
assistants two sweepers, who do nothing
but sweep the rooms and clean the fire
places and tend to the bath rooms; two
bhesties. who carry cold water, great goat
skins of 1t, to the bath rooms every morn
ing, or hot water in pitchers: these are both
very low caste men and are paid about 80
cents g rupees) a month, sometimes less;
and there is the important khitmutgar or
butler, who has the responsibility of the
dining room, prepares all the menus, does
the marketing, engages the other servants
and is responsible for their behavior and
for their offerings. He himself is supposed
to be above reproach regards honesty,
but we have been told numerous instances
when such was not the case. Under him are
the four table servants, clad in dark blue,
with a monogram on their shoulder sashes
and turbanS. Each gentleman has his own
bearer and each of the ladies her ayah, who
correspond to body servants and maids at
home. The bearer gets the sahib's pack
ready at $50, after his early ride brushes
and airs his clothes and takes care of him
generally The ayahi distinct class and,
as far as our experience goes, always
dirty, greedy and inefficient. She must have
three hours In the morning and three in the
afternoon if she be Mohammedan to pre-
pare her food; If Hindoo she will get on
with three in the morning and will take
what she can get from the table. The
dheri is another member of the household
a tailor who is engaged by the month to
sew and is paid from ten $500 to twenty
ts6.tO) rupees a month who sauats in a
sunny veranda with his work spread out
on cloth above him, and who as a cow
list. is great success. Still another the
dhobi, or washman, who gets perhaps 81 a
month. or, II the family is large more and
with him the pin-man. who does the fine
clothes and gets more In consequence We
nave not yet discovered the origin of his
name, pin-man," which is not suggestive
TO us OF any especial meaning. Add to all
these the four six government cbapras-
sizes, allowed to the sahib in acknowledge
ment of his lofty position, one of whom
rides the bicycle and is useful in emergan-
cles, ana the mouse servants are complete
The Garden Force
Then come the MISUNDERSTANDING see to
the welfare of the kitchen garden as well
as the lawns, fern houses and the potted
plants which line the drive all its length
until they form a f1owery and leafy screen:
and added to all these the stable men
whose name is legion. The stables are built
around or against the wall of the compound
and are concealed from view by trees and
shrubs. Each horse has his loose box his
sails. or groom, and his grasscutter, who
at low wage, provides him daily with
grass; then there is the coachman. always
inefficient and usually afraid of his horses
we found and three sais at least two to
stand behind the carriage on step and one
as footman on the box. These usually. with
their families. have small room each in
connection with the stable unless the sails
IS made to keep his rope bed outside the
box OF his special horse which Is often the
case Tor want of room. They evidently
grow fond of their charges and apparently
nave an influence over Them for many and
many time they were summoned to the
heads of the very frisky. over-fed horses of
our friend, wher the timid coachman felt
that they We're getting the better of him
and then each man petted and soothed his
wicked little steed. running along beside
MN and talking soothingly to him until he
gave up his antics and settled down to a
steady trot.
The Meats Are Tough.
We were told that outside of Calcutta
and Bombay, where the markets are fau,