The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-07

The three great Hindoo gods and
their wives. =
marriage, and this is especially 30 as
to the Brahmans. The daughter OF
a pork packing millionaire could never
marry a duke In this country. The
Brahman thinks he condescends II he
looks upon a woman OF a caste below
him, and as q rule marriages are made
only in the caste and in the divisions
OF the castles to which one belongs.
This loads to the union OF cousins. and
the consequent degeneration OF the
race.
AS to marriages, the code OF Manu-
is rigid, especially as to the selection
OF wife by the twice-born. There
arc certain families which the Brah-
mans must avoid no matter how rich
they may be. The code advises him
TO wed female free from bodily de-
fects. one with small teeth and soft
limbs moderate quantity of hair and
the gait OF an elephant. Let him
beware OF the maiden with reddish
hair, or who has no hair at all. or
who is sickly or red-eye6. He must
marry in his own caste. but not to
one of the same family on the fathers
side. Relation on the part OF the
mother does not seem to matter.
The code OF Manu- declares that q
Sudra woman alone can be the wife
OF Sudra; in other words. dish
washer must marry dtshwaEher and
slopcarrler slopcarrier. 1t Is the
same with the Vaisyas and the Ksh-
atryas.
Some Caste Prejudices.
The laws also provide that only per-
sons of the same caste may eat to-
gether, and for person OF one caste
to touch the food of another detiles it.
I stopped to-day before an iunerant
sweetmeats peddler and began 10 fin
ger some of the candies on his table.
We grew angry and told me to keep
my hands off, as the Hindus would
not buy anything foreigner had
touched. This is especially SO of the
natives of the higher castles. In the
jails Of India the cook is always a
Brahman, for otherwise the prison
the food. / am told that prisoners
have been logged and have starved to
death rather than eat victuals cooked
by loW-caste man.
During my travels in the Far East
have frequently been upon steamers
with Hindus of one grade or another.
Those Of the higher castles carry their
cooks with them. They bring their
own water on board and never come
to the general tables. When the Ra-
1ah OF Jeypore went to England NOT
long ago he had full retinue OF SER
wants and his own kitchen, which
could be entered by none but his own
people.
The other day in visiting a temple
here at Benares I met Hindu with q
beautiful brass bowl. He had lust
come up from the Ganges. and placed
the bowl on g. ledge and was sitting
beside 1t. I picked it up, thinking to
BUY 1t. Thereupon, the man grew an
cry, and my guide said that I had
committed an objectionable sin.
He said the man could not nae tha
bowl until 1t had been heated red hot
in the fire and thus purified.
Eject OF Western Innovation.
The Hindus will not touch water
which has not been drawn by their
own people, and they must not eat
food cooked in water supplied by DIFF
'ferent castles. This fact for g long
time hindered the use Of the water
works which the English have intro
duced into some Of the cities, but by
a special dispensation granted by the
Brahmans they are now raising the
ban as to water on tap. This is one
Of the things tending to modify caste
Another is the railways and tram
ways. At first the Brahmas and 9TH
ers Of the higher castles wanted cars
OF their own. They could not get
them. and now all must travel to-
gether The schools of the govern
ment admit pupils of all castles and
the Brahman boys now sit in the
same rooms with,the Sudras.
The Brahmans have also changed
certain caste rules as to drink. The
stores are full of new things from
abroad and these are desired by all
castles IN common. It is allowable now
10 use patent medicines and soda water
without losing ones soul, A man Is
not damned If he buys ice made by a
foreigner, and he can eat soda crack
efs without being polluted. IT is the
same With ginger ale and other soft
drinks. NJ 377 NJ
1t is different as to meats. The flesh
OF q COW is sacred, and any Hindu
VINO would eat the liquid extract of
peel would be damned, ana ham
sahaWlch is passport to hell. / re-
member asking my Hindu guide the
price OF tenderloin steak. He refused
70 defile his mouth with the word. and
would nave lost caste had he handled
the flesh, ). h
One Million Takers.
nave before me the poyernment