The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-06-09
The QUEER H|NDUS
They RivaI TIE Chinese In Their
Odd Ideas and Customs.
CASTE RULES THE SERVANT

had Thought China was 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
ncrs 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 a nutc lie would rather 20
TO the logging post than dash off "A Sc
lection on "a flute. But he will play n
stringcd instrument. called Il vina. sim
liar to the instrument played by David
in the tent OF Saul This instrument
looks IA If it had originally been in
tended for II carpet stretChcr. but had
fallen into the hnnds OF n muSicaily In
clincd person WHO had borrowed II 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 thar
they would put it in the same class
with the flute
4 llindu's idea OF music Is to make
oil the noise he can. He doesn't care
anything about rhine or rhythm. All
his energy IS expended in volume
Hindu musicians are all large. splcn.
didly muSclCd fellows who play rs if
they were going to a gymnasium regu-
larry. When one hears them playing
on u vina orc can't help wondering
how David ever came to make such an
iaprcSSion on Saul
Az soon as | got to India | hired n
valet 1t sounds mighty big-until you
know what you have to pay hoy"
in India. a servant is called "boy"
even though he has whiskcrs 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 I lonGed 70 ask
if there was 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 you
go to spend day or two with friend
you always take your own boy along
to wait on you. My boy was to mend
my clothes. black my shoes. get my
bath water ready and hold my shirt
The way he talked 1 wasn't to do any
thing except open my mail. put my
feet on the table and enjoy life. But
soon found out that his idea and mine
differed quite widely as to what en-.
joyment OF life was.
few minutes before the first meal
he suddenly appeared. bit flushed.
aud explained that he was Of too high
caste to wait on table. I tried to show
him that it was an honor to be good
and efficient table waiter, but he
wouldn't bulge a 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 I wanted him to do anything it
was against his caste. His caste seem
ed to have special enmity toward all
work. When | wanted him to carry
my bags he begged leave to be ey
cuscd. as his caste didn't allow him
TO do such menial work. and when
gave him my shoes to be BACKED be
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 hesh and would / be so kind as
to give half rupee to the grief strick
en- father and the other half to the I'm.
consolabie uncle. That was more than
l could stand. and on the spot told
him that he was discharged. fred. and
to get out AZ fast as be could.
'"Thauk you. sahib. thank you" said
Thumb with profound salute.
told him that he needn't thank me
for firing him. but he only bowed his
head aAd tharked me more profusely
than ever. His gratitude was as pro-
nounced as If | had given him rupee
VIII you give me u recommendation
Kindly for the good boy I have been
Sahib"
After what a poor servant he had
been. that was the last straw. 1t
would be underhanded to foist him of
on somebody else. and then suddenly
saw 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 a
servant of caste. but he never lets
work interfere with his caste. When
he came to me ne was man of fam
at m id 20 iIu
has been depleted I doubt If he has
left more than enough children to last
out week. You will find him especial
iy good at getting your shirt studs I'm
tack ward and at pulling Off the tips
< your shoestrings."
Thumb. who made nretense OF being
an English scholar. read the recon.
InenIAlIOn carefully. but his mastery