Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-02-17
lND|A'S MANNERS AND WAYS
Some Things That a Hindu Will
Never Do.
Work aud Play the Flute AMONG Them
queer system of Etiquette
Homer Croy's Experience with
High Cnstc "Boy."

had thought China was a queer place
md that the Chinese had queer Gus
toms, but China can't entertain on the
same afternoon with India. If some one
had told me about their manners and
customs before I got to India. I would
have laughed courtcouslN and set him
down I'm my little book. There are
things that Hindu will do and some
That he will not do: work is placed
prominently ON tho latter list.
ono thing that Hindu viii not do Is
TO play n flute. lie would rather go
10 the floGgng post than dash off a
selection on flute. But he will play
Strinsed instrument, called vina
similar to the instrument played by
David in the tent of Saul This instru-
ment looks as if it had originally been
Intended for carpet s'retchcr but had
fallen into the hands of u musically in
tllned person who had borrowed n couple
Of piano wires and was determined t. low
cr rents Aftcr hearing an ablc-hodicd
Hindu pick on Instrument OF this
kind ono can't help wishing that they
would put it in the same class with the
flute
~ Iiinuu 1bHa or muse Is 10 1ldhc
all the noisc lie can. lie doesn't care
anything about rhyme or rhythm, all
his energy Is expended in volume. Hindu
musicians arc all large, snlcndidy
muscled fellows who pay as if they We're
going to gymnasium regularly When
one hears them playing on vina one
can't help wondering how David over
came to make such an impression on
Saul.
You can never tell what is manners and
what isn't in India When a woman
wants to be very polite to a man she turns
her back on him; it hatters any Hindu
man to have Il pretty woman plainly and
ostcntatiouslN turn her back to him
Between husband and wife there ia Il
queer system of etiquette. Whatever
happens, a hindu wife must never
mention her husband by name. When
she Cos To call on her nciChbor, lightly
chatting tho afternoon through, compar-
Ing notes on the latest nose rings and
the best way 80 stain the fingers with
the fashiouabo hcuua. she must never
let the conversation swing around SO that
she will have to mention her husband
CAN TALK ABOUT HER CHILDREN.
II she should 20 so far as to forget
herself and mention her lord and master
70 her shocked companion. her hostess
would soon Yawn and explain that she
had to go and nat the bread in. How
ever. she can talk about her children all
she wants to: there is nothing in the
Hindu etiquette book against that. She
can tell what funny thing Jamjij
said the other night at tho supper table
how much he helps her around the
house and delicately hint how much
brighter he is than the other children
In the neiehborhood, but she must never
under any circumstances mention his
father.
Even stricter social rules govern the
men. One Hindu man just never asks
another Hindu man how his wife is get
ting along That would brand the man
as not having the slightest idea what
drawing-room usage was. All the men
at the club would shun him; 40 one
would dare to ask him to come over to
the table and have a grapeiuice for
fear right before everybody he might
ask how his wife was.
When a Hindu goes to call il is not
good manners to leave until the hos
gets up and tells him to go.
AS soon as I cot to India hired
valet. II sounds mighty big--until you
know what YOU have to pay "boy' in
India. \ servant is called a boy" even
though he has whiskers and grandchil-
dren lie said that his name was
Thumbo Ramalngum. or words TO that
effect. ] COUNT remember the last con-
signnent, so T called him Thumb, and
for DAYS I longed to ask if there was
Finger in his family. He wore a
skirt, and sheet twisted around his
head, He was to be my waiter for IA