The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-05-29
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 Way to Dodge II.
Playing the Stringed vina Is Spe-
cies of Unmusical Torture.


cies of unmusicaI Torture.
| 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
ners and customs before | got to India
| would have laughed courteously and
set him down In my little book There
are some things that Hindu will do
and some that he will not do. Work is
placed prominently on the latter list.
One thing that q Hindu viii not do Is
to play on flute He would rather go
to the Jogging post than dash off Sc
lection on flute. But he win play
stringed instrument, called a vina, sim
liar to the instrument played by David
In the tent of Saul This instrument
looks AZ If it had originally been in
tended for a carpet stretcher. but had
fallen into the hands of unsteady In
Dlined person who had borrowed 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
Hindu's idea of music is to make
all 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, splen-
didly muscled fellows, who play as II
they were going to gymnasium regu
larly. When one hears them playing
on 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 Ii sounds mighty big-until you
know what you have to pay a boy
in India A servant is called boy
even though he has whiskers and
grandchildren He said that his name
was Thumbo Ramalingum. or words TO
that effect. couldn't remember the
Thumb. and for days | longed TO 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 wal, 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 ! 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-.
joymenr of life was.
A few minutes before the first meal
ne suddenly appeared. a bit flushed
and explained that he was Of too high
caste 10 wait on table. tried to show
him that il was an honor TO be a good
and efficient table waiter, but be
wouldn't nudge 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 / wanted him to do anything Ii
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 mental work. and when
gave him my shoes to be BACKED he