The Meeker herald., 1917-11-03
AcL|MPsE OF INDIA
Sights That Tickled a Tourists
Sense Of Humor.
COWS OWN THE SIDEWALKS,

rhsy Are All eaersd and HsWss 1hey
Havs the Right Of Way-crsss.
snakss and Msnksys Aiss sssrsd.
The Jswslry Fad.
Four things in India are held sacred
COWS, crows. snakes and monkey
says Homer Croy In, I-eslie's. How
they came to select these above all 9th
ers to put on the sacred list . more
than any one knows.
You would have to hunt long time
to find anything homelier than q sacred
COW. The sacred cows are Of sOiled
white. and they have long. dropping
jackrabbit ears and camels' humps ON
their necks Just where the collar but
tou would come. They look about -
sacred as 4 corn sheller.r
These cows wander up and down tho
street. and when they come to gro
Gerry they calmly begin eating the vege-
tables on display. The grocer cannot
drive them away. for they are sacred.
All he can do ie to stand there with .
plaintive. pleading expression In his
eyes and hope that the COW Il not feel
ing we'll.
From one grocery to another they
take the middle Of the sidewalk. They
won't turn out under any considefa-
tion-they've got to have the middle
of the sidewalk. 1t takes the last rem
nant Of my gentlemanly instincts to
step out into the gutter to let q COW
pass. Just itch to get my hands on .
club II could there'd be an awful
conclusion on about the fourth sacred
floating rib.
Ponder over 1t as may, I have new
er been able to figure out why any
body who hasn't been out In the sun
too much should pick a crow to hold
sacred. One would think that II they
were going to pick any bird to hold
sacred they would select q beautiful
one, for India has hundreds Of beauti-
full birds, and by no wild leap Of the
lima agination could . crow bs called
pretty.
thought our American crows were
homely, but they are beautiful along
side the Bombay crows. The Bombay
crows are the dirtiesf. greasiest, most
dilapidated looking birds ever saw In
my life. They take full advantage OF
their sacredness. They will swoop
down and pull vegetables out Of bas-
ket a person 10 carrying and will come
hopping in and drag things OF the ta-
bic, especially things that will spot the
carpet. but one cannot touch them. for
they are sacred.
And they retire 20 late at night !!
They dearly loved to cit on limb out
side my window and engage in scandal
and gossip until 4 late hour In harsh
voices until I would give anything II
before I left Missouri ] had packed a
shotgun.
As for sacred snakes, India produces
some fine ones, but they are in the
same class as are the sacred crows
with Inc.
Monkeys are in a class by themselves
and when one playfully tosses q tile
from the roof at my head miss that
shotgun more than ever.
Another curious thing In India is the
jewelry fad.
love to get on . street car in Bonn
bay and ride Just to zee the conductor.
He wears his turban wrapped around
his head and his skirt cotled around
his waist. and when he comes down
the aisle to collect your fare his brown
knees pop in and out from under bis
skirt as II It were some new kind OF
game.
A Hindu street car conductor doesn't
worry much about the rags situated
here and there that make up his
clothes. His efforts are concentrated
on getting Q big pair Of earrings. 1t Ia
wonderful what success they have.
Some Of the rings look rs II they had
been cast for the navy. Their earrings
are not little bobs that hang from the
lower part Of the ear. but are hoops
fastened in the top part. The right ear
In the favorite. On this they hang the
greater part of their silverware.
India Is great jewelry wearing
country. When II comes to scattering
1t around the women favor their ears
tirst and their wrists second. They
wear bracelets clear up to their elbows
until they look like q cane rack at old
home week. The Hindus are afraid
to put their money In the bank. so
they bny jewelry and string 1t On their
wives. A Hindu can't lift bis head
and look the world in the eye II his
wife. coming down the sidewalk.
doesn't rattle like q milk wagon. Ev.
cry time she puts up her hand to do
her hair II sounds AZ if the next num-
ber on the program were q muscle
dance.
Toes are Q favorite place with the
Hindus for jewelry. The big toe is
certain Of 4 silver ring. and II the
pocketbook holds out the envious small
er ones are sure to be remembered.
Some Of the toe rings have tiny little
bells. % that when Q woman walks II
sounds ~ II the cows were I'm the corn
on the far forty.
The women Of India don't 60 In very
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