The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-03-10
The QUEER HINDUS
They Rival the Chinese In Their
Odd Ideas and Customs.
CASTE RULES THE SERVANT.
He Doesn't Like Work, Anyhow, and
Generally Finds a Say to Dodge 1t.
Playing the Strineed Vina Is Sps-
cies of Unmusicai Torture.


Playing the Strinsed Vina Is SPe-
cies of UnmusicaI Torture.
had thought China was a queer
place and that the Chinese had queer
customs. but China can't entertain on
the same afternoon with India If
some one had told me about their man
ners and customs before got to India
l would have laughed courteously and
set him down in my little book. There
are some things that Il Hindu will DO
and some that he will not do. Work is
placed prominently on the latter list.
One thing that Hindu will not do is
TO play on flute He would rather go
10 the logging post than dash off ii Sc
lection on flute. But he will play a
stringed instrument. called Il vina, sim
liar to the instrument played by David
in the tent Of Saul. This instrument
looks as if it had originally been i'll
tended for a carpet Stretcher. but had
fallen into the hands Of muSically in
clined person who had borrowed a cou-
pie of piano wires and was determined
to lower rents. After hearing an able
bodied Hindu pick on an instrument OF
this kind one can't help wishing that
they would put it in the same class
with the flute.
a TIindu's idea Of music is to make
al the noise he can. He doesn't care
anything about rime or rhythm. All
his energy is expended in volume
Hindu musicians are all large. SpIen-
didly muscled fellows. who play us if
they were going to Il gymnasium regu
larly When one hears them playing
on Il vina one can't help wondering
how David ever came to make such an
! impression on Saul
AS soon as | got TO India | hired a
valet. 1t sounds mighty big-until you
know what You have to pay Il boy
in India \ servant is called hoy
even though he has whiskers and
grandchildren He said that his name
was Thumbo Ramalingum. or words to
that effect couldn't remember the
last consignment. so called him
Thumb. and for days | longed to ask
| if there was a Finger in his family
He wore skirt and a sheet twisted
around his head He was to be my
waiter. for in India you have to fur
niSh your own table boy. When yon
90 to spend Il day or two with friend
YOU always take your own boy along
TO wait on you Ny boy was to mend
my clothes. black my shoes, get my
! bath water ready and hold my shirt
| The way he talked | wasn't to do any
thing except open my mail. put my
feet on the table and enjoy life But /
soon found ont that his idea and mine
differed quite widely as to what en-
joyment Of life was.
y few minutes before the first meal
i be suddenly appeared. bit flushed,
and explained that he was of too high
caste TO wait on table. tried to show
him that it was an honor to be good
and efficient table waiter. but he
wouldn't bulge step he'd rather
| starve than wait on table SO had to
| look around and hustle up another boy
| to do that part Of the work. Every
| time | wanted him to do anything 1t
was against his caste. His caste seem
ed to have a special enmity toward all
work. When | wanted him to carry
my bags he begged leave to be eX-
cused. as his caste didn't allow him
! to do such menial work, and when
gave him my shoes to be blacked ne
looked at lie in horror. 1t was eX-
| pressly against his caste to touch
leather-a product Of the sacred cow.
One day when told him to pick the
hairs out Of my brush he looked at me
sadly and then began to tell me about
nephew that had suddenly departed
| this flesh and would | be so kind as
to give half rupee to the grief strlck
en- father and the other half to the in
| consolable uncle That was more than
| could stand. and on the spot l told
him that he was discharged, fired. and
to get out as fast as he could.
Thank you. sahib, thank you" said
Thumb with profound salute.
| told him that he needn't thank me
for firing him. but be only bowed his
head and thanked me more profuSely
than ever His gratitude was rs pro-
nounced as if had given him rupee
Will You give me a recommendation
kindly for the good boy have been,
Sahib?"
After what a poor servant he had
been. that was the last straw. 1t
would be underhanded to foist him off
on somebody else, and then suddenly |
saw a way out. Yes" agreed en-.
Enthusiastically. and | wrote for him.
The bearer Of this note with the un-
pronounceable name has been in my
employ for two weeks. During this
time | have aged perceptibly. He IS
servant Of caste. but he never lets
work interfere with his caste. When
to n ~