The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-07-25
r x = = ~ X X * @STTs
3
!. A Servant
: : In India
: Sss.s.s.S.ss.s.s.ss. 800 ::


They have servant problem in In
dia, and it is quite as big as the prob
| lem they have in England. IF you are
accompanied by your wife then it is
quite necessary the mem sahib should
have her ''ayah." To endeavor to go
through the East without this choco-
late colored bodyguard is to stamp
| yourself as either mean or else untu-
tored in ways Oriental. If you are
resident, and it does not matter in
how humble a position, your bungalow
is overrun with attendants. You are
waited on hand and foot; but the Gus.
tom means bondage of a peculiarly If
ritating character, since privacy virtu-
ally is non est.
Every man servant in India is
"boy." He may be 20 years of age,
bent and white haired, but he is always
"boy." Every waiter, every coolie,
in fact everybody native, is "boy,"
except those who are reputed to be able
to read or write English and insist upon
being called "babu.' After a little
while the European contracts a disease
called the "boy' fever. The luxury of
being waited on hand and foot is ire.
sistible. The most insipid of English
men soon learn to yell "B-o-o-o-y! in
that deep and choleric tone which is
so fashionable and which is supposed to
have been invented by the earliest
members of John Company
To the seasoned Anglo-Indian every
boy is born liar and thief. He is ac-
cepted as such ipso facto. To the new
conner this attitude toward our .'black
brother" is incomprehensible. After a
season in India the newcomer knows
why, and invariably is more bitter in
his race partisanship than the older
resident. do not wish to suggest that
all boys are incorrigibly dishonest. l
have heard, usually at third or fourth
hand, of the existence of an honest
boy, but [ have seen none.
I was very innocent when I engaged
my first boy, but then I had been only
twenty-four hours in India. [ was
charmed with his appearance. His
white clothes and turban were spotless.
He was tall and handsome. His
salaam was eestatic, and he wanted
only 25 rupees a month if he stayed in
Bombay or 80 rupees if he travelled.
His "chits,'' or testimonials, were
beautiful Generals, majors, captains
and all sorts of high military func-
tionaries, as well as large number of
travellers, had enjoyed the services of
Behwar, as he was called, and all said
what sorrow it gave them to part with
him and with what pleasure they rec
commended him to another wandering
sahib. lisa
For two days he was as faithful as
dog. On the morning of the third he
informed me he was married and had
quite a lot of children. AS it was my
intention to go up country, would the
sahib allow poor Behwar three months
salary in advance so that he could
leave provisions for his family. AS
have said, | was very innocent, and
the ''boy'' was so charming. I ad-
vanced him his salary and an hour
later India had swallowed him up,
never to be seen by me again.
The next applicant for the post was
a little Madrasi, whose face was one
perpetual smile He spoke very little
English, but he was armed with
bundle of chits of which he was abnor-
mally proud. The first read something
like this: tThe bearer of this is
splendid menteur. He is a most ad-
mirable voleur He has served me
with great improbite, and [ sincerely
trust he will speedily obtain situa,
ton aux enters. -