The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-06-14

meet here under the tropical sun the
French priest in long black robe and
broad black nat. the English high
churchman in his long white robe and
Curzon topee and the American MISS
ionary in high cut vest and Prince
Albert coat designed for semi-artie
climatic. But give us credit, we
Americans are fast discarding our
formal clothes and adopting light
clothes.
The middle class of Indian is prone
to adopt English clothes with the one
exception that he insists on wearing
the shirt outside OF the trousers ac-
cording TO the custom OF his native
garents. The Burman men and wo-
men alike. wear light Jackets and
longees, silk skirts Of bright patterns,
most attractive costumes. The native
barber and his subject scoot down in
front of each other, while bell of the
BARRIERS shears announces each clip
and adyertises for the next customer.
All corners to Burma adopt the Bur
man bath, for the reason that there is
no other to be had. Water is carried
by the servants and poured into large
Jars, with small necks, known as
pegu jars. You dip the water out
with cup and pour 1t over yourself.
They tell of Methodist missionary
who on his first arrival in Burma,
not understanding the method, at
tempted to get into the Pegu jar,
with success. His efforts TO get out,
however, were not so successful. He
summoned aid, but his fellow mission.
aries decided that an action SO
thoroughly Baptist on the part of q
Methodist was a matter for the Bis
hop and dignitaries., These were col
lected and with their sanction and in
their presence the jar was solemnly
cracked with an axe and the prisoner
liberated
The sun is the great problem in the
tropics. We venture out but little
between ten a. m. and three p. m
and never for a moment without a
topee, this is a pith or cork hat about
an inch thick. During the middle Of
the day it is not safe even to step in
to the sun to pick up something. Ny
! topee was knocked off one day il
the blazing sun, and in the moment
of exposure while recovered it, | &C
quired raging headache. On tn,
other hand, moonlight in the tropics
Is dream, the people shut in during
the heat of the day, go out at night
the streets are lined with outdoor
| shODs and eating Dlaces
To go for walk under the tropica
moon, one can hardly help but thinl
what an ideal situation for low
making" in spite of the fact that h,
knows that there is no such thing il
Asia. These things are arranged b,
the parents and relatives often with
out consulting or even informing tn,
parties directly concerned.
Excepting very slightly in spot
where western civilization Is touch
! ing there Is no association whateye
between young men and women il
India, China or Japan. In Burma W
have probably the nearest approac
and 1t is very little, few co-educa
tional lower schools are tolerated an
girls are admitted to the college do
partment of our institution. TIL
position of women in Burma is prof.
ably the highest among indigenou
people Of Asia. The man sits wit
his legs crossed and meditates Will
= the woman buys, sells and manages
thus she secures a larger degree {
freedom. The Burman Bruddist ha
but one wife. divorce is free hut a
rule he remains with the first viii
/, and both are Loyalty devoted to tn
+ children.
have been impressed with no
! much the religion and philosophy
a people affect their development
: Buddhism teaches meditation al
suppression OF desire; Christianit
praises the man or woman WI
searches diligently for what he d
sires. II man in America desirl
something he works and strives f
1t until he gets 1t and in so doing
velops life all around him. II mi
in Burma desires anything, he 81
down, meditates and stiles the d
sire, with the result that his life al
that of his neighbors is just about
barren and CONSTRUCTED as il was
the time Of Christ
The standards of living are not
low as in India proper, but are lC
enough. II is so warm that cloth
are not necessary for warmt
houses are only needed to shelf