or from the evil one.


THE HINDOO WOMEN.

It is a miserable thing to be a Hindoo lady. While she is a very little
girl, she is allowed to play about, but when she comes to be ten or
twelve years old, she is shut up in the back rooms of the house till she
is married; and when she is married she is shut up still. She may indeed
walk in the garden at the back of the house, but nowhere else.

Hindoo ladies are not taught even those trifling accomplishments which
Chinese ladies learn: they can neither paint, nor play music; much less
can they read and write. They amuse themselves by putting on their
ornaments, or by making curries and sweetmeats to please their husbands:
but most of their time they spend in idleness, sauntering about and
chattering nonsense. As rich Hindoos have several wives, the ladies are
not alone; and being so much together, they quarrel a great deal.

Some English ladies once visited the house of a rich Hindoo. They were
led into the court at the back of the house, and shown into a little
chamber. One by one some women came in, all looking very shy and afraid
to speak; yet dressed very fine in muslin sarees, worked with gold and
silver flowers, and they were adorned with pearls and diamonds. At last
they ventured to admire the clothes of their visitors, and even to touch
them. Then they asked the English ladies to come and see their jewels;
and they took them into a little dark chamber with gratings for windows,
and displayed their treasures. They talked very loud, and all together
and so foolishly, that the ladies reproved them. The poor creatures
replied, "We should like to learn to read and work like the English