There is a proverb which shows how much women
are despised in India. "How can you place the black rice-pot beside the
golden spice-box!" By the rice-box a woman is meant: by the spice-box a
man: and the meaning of the proverb is that a wife is unworthy to sit at
the same table with her husband.
In this manner a _wife_ is treated: a _widow_ is still more despised.
However young she may be, she is not allowed to marry again; but is
obliged to live in her father's house, or (if she has no father) in her
brother's house, to do the hardest work, and never to eat more than one
meal a day, and that meal of the coarsest food. Widows used to burn
themselves in a great fire with their husbands' dead bodies; but the
English government has forbidden them to do so any more; but their
hard-hearted relations make them as miserable as possible.
MISSIONARIES.--There are hundreds of missionaries in India; but not
nearly enough for so many millions of people. The Hindoos call them
Padri-Sahibs, which means "Father-Gentlemen," and they give them this
name to show their love, as well as respect.
Once a missionary who had been long in India was going back to England
for a little while. It was from Calcutta that he set sail. The Christian
Hindoos stood in crowds by the river-side to bid him farewell. Among the
rest was a little girl with her parents. She was a gracious child, who
had turned from idols to serve the living God.
Pages:
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105