New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-06-05
CLEVER INDIAN WOMEN.
The Work of Several PROGRESSIVE
Daughters of the Orient.


whose photographs are reproduced herewith, are
three Of the seven progressive daughters Of high
caste Indian family that has the reputation of
having done for the uplifting Of the women in
India than any other group Of people has done
Miss Susie Sorabj, who is well known in Amer
lea, especially at the summer religious conferences
where she spoke frequently three years ago. has
recently returned the United States from India
TO arouse an interest IN Of the four schools
founded by her mother at Poona. her home.
Girls in India are. as every one knows. held OF
little account. but such is not the case with Mr
Sorabji. He was Parsee, member Of midas
highest caste. who. when only eighteen years Old
won the Of his people by being converted
from Zoroastrianism Christianity. He married n
Hindoo Christian woman, and six daughters in
succession were born them amid the condolences
of their friends. Then son. and later
the seventh girl.
Contrary the Indian traditions, centuries old,
M and Mrs. Sorabt resolved that their daughters
should not be secluded but should receive a thor
ough education. To carry this purpose the
father 10 the universities in India urging
them TO open their doors to women, which they
finally did in 1876. The government became in
terested in Mary and PheroZe. and. as Miss Susie
Sorabji expresses It. when telling the story Of her
family borrowed them" and sent them to Eng
land 10 be educated. They went back 10 India
trained as teachers and took government positions
in the college at AhTnedabad, in the province CT
Guze-at. After her fve-years contract nag ez-
1ired Pheroze married an English army officer
and Mary remained in tho work. until now she Is
al the head Of the Female Training College ana
Girls High School fer Hindoo high caste girls In
yooora ehe is the first woman who has ever been
,.,a= IN charge of an Indian school. and the fact
~ her nosition takes en- added weight when 1t IS
known that she was chosen by committee COM
posed Of TIndoo men.
C-o-,eIfa the fourth sister is well known in Eng
land being the first and only woman who has ever
taken lawyers degree at Oxford She receivast
= P A at Bombay University-the first woman =
take degree there-and when not more 'lah
twenty years old she received an arts professor
ship in one Of the mems colleges OF the unlVerslty'
vvbe-a she was called 1.-The infant professor" Al
+h,e +ir,a she was fired with the ambition 10 be-
come lawyer in order that she might heip the
purdah women who are wards or courts 1hese
women are sometimes defrauded or their last cent
l,acause being permitted to see no men, all their
1.toss ,,,st he transacted for them. and the
na-so, IN do this is usually relative who has
an interest of his in the matter To this am
,,,,tors woman then oxford opened It's doors, and
. ta1v months ago after working ten years for
IN. positioa she was appointed by the government
IN bengal 70 see that justice is given TO these
purdah women. She has also literary incinations
and has published a number Of books about life in
India Az, 49,, .. ro,o7 ,
doctors degree in London. and next month Is go
ing out TO India where she may have charge Of one
OF the DIfferin hospitals for women
Several years ago the mother Of these daughters;
as European women. founded four schools in Poona
for % the n eo School is for the English another
for Parsees third for HindooS and the fourth Tor
Miss Susie Sorabji is pleading in New-York City
oar school must be enlarged she said yester-
day to Tribune reporter. for the Parsees are
corning to US all the time asking us to admit their
Children and we have room Tor them In me
school heavily endowed. where they oHer large
scboIarshfps as an jnducement for pupils ana yer
eESI - rs because Of the education We give
them So anxious they for their BItIe ones 20
oe T- SoS IN our school, they are willing to run
the risk OF having their children YER th The
School tbins out for little while, but soon we are
Miss susie SorabJi teaches daily IN these TOUT az
ctoois and her carriage is always stanolng at
the door TO take her from one aM6IWeeInce6 Grade
she mas Where she VIII conduct kindergarten
Is had TO nght against the government inspect95r
h9u e Is started the kindergarten, she said
b1t now the system has peen n dsaDIv interested
in the government schools tbe a- songs and some Of
tbe lanes are not appropriate for our have
noer eli fn rnap Of India made. and there tns
little pupils study geography, naaI veter runs
boats down the TyeT Ts;aIent ports to take on
sag - Geography is fairy play 70 InT en- visit
Miss Susie sorab also does mu Of fSe Secluded
ng that is she talks chiefly Christtani!y-
Il 90 TO them with me me RAJ the men of the
said an ,. IL Sit out in the court with ,rlS
women of the house gatne.reu d sneak with me
often me nis ,e women read for only SIX oG a.
OF every 1850 Of them are SIS ssiS with which some OF
p pa tigb caste old women study over the
little WORDS; s,rn,er Miss sorabt win SPEAK az ia
DuIns ~ +ne religious conferences al, tS Hotel
she viii return India she - INV 60
Martha Washington.