The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25

I
months of travelling in the northwes
Of India she tried to establish a schoo
In Calcutta, but the enterprise failed
In 1899 the sister travelled in Europe
| and America with the swami. In 1870:
y the master died. In that same year
Miss Noble, with an American colleague
Miss Christine Greenstidel. got hei
school going. In 1905 and 1906 she had
severe illnesses. OF which the later was {
direct result Of her labors In plague
stricken season In eastern Bengal. After
three years spent in England and Amer
lea. in 1911 she returned to her adopted
land and died at Darjeeiing: Her bod,
was given to the fire with the Hindu
rites Of which she had so often spoken
and written"
A strange life. II was odd that in
her effort to Introduce into 1.-THE cloistral
domain Of the Eastern wife and mother
the methods Of modern Occidental edu-
cation she should have been regarded
by some OF the people among whom her
labors were conducted as a reactionary
influence. "upholding child marriage and
perpetual widowhood as institutions es-
sential to the preservation OF the society
which she had learned to admire"
There Is no zealot like the adaptive
zealot. Tho sister held popular affec-
ton with the graphing hooks Of truly
helpful practical service.
Miss Noble wrote extensively Of her
indian experiences and observations.
Tho Web Of Indian Life" published
nine years ago. was striking piece
OF work. Tho papers that compose the
present volume were printed originally
In Indian newspapers and magazines,
and probably derived from similar
sources are four books now in prepara-
ton. on Indian history and education
and religion. and a collection Of Mahab-
harata stories. The present essays are
sketchy. but very we'll written; and as
they are devoted for the most part OBJ
jectively to Indian cities and scenes.
customs and beliefs and largely TO the
life OF Hindu women, with a moderate
amount Of honest impressionism, the
volume is eminently respectable. free OF
pose and artlficiality. The piety and
poetry or the authors temperament
flavor II strongly
Miss Noble must have seemed to the
Hindu women among whom she dwell,
like one OF their own number to whom
WIDER horizons had been happily opened
and who generously shared her good
fortune. Indian womanhood, as she
competently pictures II, is as different
as may be from the publicly ambitious
womanhood OF western lands, and al
most equally unlike the Indian life of
earlier report; for In this presentation
II has strong and beautiful personality.
repression instead Of the cruel suppress
sion We used to hear OF. Perhaps there
has been precisely such q change in
the thing itself. but 1t seems more rea.
sonable TO suppose that tho improve
ment has been scored in th. territory
" the reporter.
Follow a Hindu lady through the |
schedule Of AN ordinary day. II begins |
bout o'clock, and the first duty is
The cleaning up Of her own room and
the zenana department generally" AL |
most every lady. however wealthy, does |
either her husbands room |
n tho family chapel. with her own |
'ahds. The ladys dawn time activities |
wet attention less clinchingly than the |
husbands tolerance of such immodera,e
Domestic enterprise. After an hour
l'en To devotional meditation, "A visit |
the fangeS for one of the numerous
ally baths; then family worship, and
OF until after that comes breakfast.
ms the lady may herself prepare: and
here is always the possibility that beg
ars coming at the opportun., moment.
troop with begging bowls or a sue
ession Of solitary mendicants, will in
ade the meal and postpone the break
TX OF the patient lady's fast: The
ictum that the starving man has a
atural right to his neighbours bread
'ouih rouse no responsive thrill in
huia' where something very like il is
fundamental social axiom"
Win the passing OF the noon hour
10 DAY becomes less burdensom.. At
er nap the lady may read or talk
no sew with her Zenana friends, In
!" shi,nk or the afternoon tn. women |
tel their beads repeating hundreds of
mes IN" holy names Of God The
'sary ~ covered in "A little bag slipped
'er the right hand, of which the fore
niger ~ permitted To protrude The ,
ere recital of III. sacred name is a .
'a!er: ITO repeat il IL the whole of , {
ipplcation. and u parallel Is drawn |
tween The inevitable burn when n /,
ana Is thrust into "A flame anu spiritual
'heht. equally unquestionable, flowing
ON the mer" association with the di-
ne name. Moreover, There is no ,
'spicion in India of divorce between {
ith and knowledge. between the nj. c
ne Creator and the Divine Wisdom.
he thing sounds foolish. Is NOT rec
;ioh the highest knowledge. knowl-
1870 Itself the highest falth?" Thusl :
in that Indian crises are "of mind and '
ought. and these passive seeming e
hceptions exhibit dynamic bower. e
ow battling 10 the Occidental symps- I
les this substitution for active civic
eais Of IAN invisible culture, medinyal :.
its intensity. Of heart and soul" a
irthermore: n
without any break with her ovn ms, u
aia might learn 20 stand in the very van
monern progress. On no other terms
an thos. or II complete appropriation n,
w iofms OF disnterested culture can ,ho
'ion hope 10 take It's true place I'm tho
'deFn world; and to such an excursion az ~
intellect It's ancient sources OF author.
oHer full encouragement and bencdic ~
H. some understanding of such facts | !,
re or less dim penetrates even the hum u
Isl household In which the image OF -
r"s"a'i Is set up. What Is lacking 4, a "
Use OF contrast the knowledge thar 4, ~
n breadth OF view there is anythipy y
rtllns or extraordinary u
In paper called THE Sacred year" IL
IS Noble probes with skilful ,oucb D.