All Aboard: A Story for Girls

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XX.

  IN OLD BOMBAY.

  "I never expected it to look like this," remarked Faith in adissatisfied tone, as they entered the carriage for their firstexplorations in Bombay, a day or so later.

  She spoke to the air, perhaps, but her father answered the comment.

  "Isn't it fine enough to please you, daughter?" as he took his seatopposite the two girls in a handsome victoria, that would not havedisgraced the most aristocratic drive in London.

  "Fine enough? It's too fine!" put in Hope with emphasis. "It's asEnglishy as Portsmouth itself, so far. We expected to see coolies, andpalanquins, and bungalows, and cobras, and--"

  "Well, you need not hanker long after the last-named," laughed herfather, "for there is a snake-charmer this minute, and I don't doubt hehas a fine collection about him somewhere."

  "In his boots, perhaps," suggested Faith slily, as they all turned togaze at the dark-skinned fellow in dingy white turban and loin-cloth,who squatted on the sidewalk before one of those high modern buildingswhich had excited Faith's comment, a long pipe at his lips and a basketat his side, from which peeped an ugly flat head with darting tongue.

  "Ugh!" she shuddered, turning another way, "I don't care for yourcobras, Hope, and everybody knows that bungalows aren't to be found incity streets. But as for the coolies and palanquins, of course--"

  "You have them both!" laughed the captain, pointing down the narrowerstreet into which they had just entered.

  All laughed with him, while the black bearers trotted by, as suddenly,from between the curtains of this box-like carriage, out popped atennis cap, while a well-known voice shouted a boyish "Hello!" as ahand was waved in greeting.

  "It's Dwight--Hello! Hello!" Hope shouted back, waving her whiteparasol vigorously. "Isn't he the greatest boy?"

  "I wonder if he'll turn up on that bullock cart, too. He seemsomnipresent!" laughed the captain, as they whirled by. "When are theyoff for Poonah?"

  "I suppose to-day, but perhaps not till night," returned Faith.

  "Did you ever see anything like that? If you call this Englishy, Hope."

  "No, I don't. Things are beginning to look quite Indiany, since weleft those fine new streets, I confess."

  They were now slowly threading their way among the teeming crowds of anarrow place where it seemed as if the odd-looking houses upon eachside had emptied all their occupants out before their doors. Men buthalf-clothed spread out their wares, or plied their trades, in fullview of all, and children with no clothes at all paddled their bareblack feet in the gutters, or sat cross-legged, rolling marbles overthe paving stones. Presently, Faith pointed with a significant smile,and as they drove slowly by a teeming doorway, each gazed withastonished curiosity at the characteristic scene.

  The central figure was a man in the barber's hands, who was just thencalmly lathering his customer's face in the full gaze of all, whileclose by a straight, lithe, young Indian woman, with a bright-eyed babysitting astride her hips, stopped to sell the two a handful of figs,from the fruit-tray balanced lightly above the gay cotton sariconfining her dark locks.

  "The men seem to have the best time of it here," remarked the girl inlow tones. "The idea of that poor girl carrying so much about withher. I should think her baby was enough!"

  "Yes, but that is better than being harnessed up with a donkey," saidher father, bending forward to give the driver some instructions.

  Faith looked at him with an astonished gaze.

  "I never heard you speak of marriage like that before," she saidreproachfully.

  "Marriage?" He looked at her with a dazed expression, then broke intoa hearty laugh. "So you thought my donkey was a husband? A queermistake that! No, I meant the real thing--the four-legged donkey--andI literally mean that poor women are often used with donkeys to do thesame kind of work."

  "Shameful!" cried Hope indignantly.

  "That is by no means the worst that woman has to bear in this country.I thank God my daughters came to a Christian land. A girl is of littleaccount here, except to bear burdens, or wait on her lord and master.And when her husband dies she is to be deeply pitied. Married when buta small child, she goes into her husband's family to be cared for byhis people, until old enough to be his wife in reality. Sometimes sheis well treated, sometimes not. If he does not happen to fancy her asshe grows older, her lot is little better than that of a slave, and sheis beaten and abused by the other more favored women. But this isbliss compared with her condition should her husband die. Then, allher ornaments, which she loves as little children love glittering toys,are torn off, her head is shaved, she is made to look as hideous aspossible, and cannot take part in any enjoyments or festivitieswhatever, but must run away and hide from every man, even her nearestof kin. But she is not only barred from every pleasure, but from allaffection, as well. Her lord's death is laid at her door, and hisfamily take every occasion to load her with reproaches, because if shehad not been wicked in some other existence he would not have been lostto her now. It is not much wonder that the poor things used to beready to die with him on the funeral pyre, for when they decided to dothat, they were loaded with jewels and praises, everybody flatteredthem and told them that, because of their devotion, not only thehusband, but all his relatives, would have better places in Paradise,and reign forever. So, intoxicated with all this notice, and delightedwith her splendid attire, the benighted little creature, who never getsbeyond childhood in intellect, felt she would rather have a short lifeand a merry one, and so often committed Suttee."

  "And don't they do so now?" asked Hope.

  "No, it is abolished by law--British law.

  "But they burn their dead yet, don't they?" was Faith's question, asshe listened with sympathetic shivers.

  "Yes. Some day, when I get time we will go to the Ganges and see someof their strange burial ceremonies--that is, if you can stand it,daughter."

  "Oh yes, but I do think there are some dreadful things in this world,papa!"

  "True, darling, and there would have been more dreadful, if the blessedSon of God had not come to teach us better ways. Man, left to himself,is always a savage. God and good women, both, have helped him to bebetter."

  He spoke reverently, touching the visor of his cap involuntarily. Whenhe thought of good women, memory always recalled the wife he had loved,and his soul blessed her memory.

  They had now left the new town far behind them, and were slowly passingbetween expressionless house walls, with soiled awnings stretched abovethe lane-like street. The whole population seemed to live out ofdoors, and the cooking, hammering, tailoring, baby-tending, andlounging, was all done at so close range that the horses could scarcelykeep from stepping on the merchants, and the carriage was in danger ofmaking a wreck of his stock of goods. The houses, which seemed only toserve as backgrounds to all this teeming life, were of all colors--red,green, orange, and blue--and between the queer, many-shaped roof-topswaved the feathery crowns of date trees, the glossy foliage of the fig,and the stately fronds of the palm--but these were of scanter growthjust here, though what there were, swarmed with kites, crows,parakeets, and even squirrels, while dogs "by the million," as Hoperemarked, and cattle, and monkeys, and goats, were on every spot wherebabies and larger children had left an inch of room.

  As they penetrated further into the native portion of the city, CaptainHosmer called the girls' attention to the many shrines, where some onewas always standing with clasped hands and bent head, engaged inprayers to Parvati, perhaps, or Vishnu--for the image in the shrinediffered--and to the peculiar reverence which every Hindu shows to thecow, a sacred animal to them. The gentle creature seems actually oneof the family, possibly prized even more than the children, for itfurnishes them with food, drink and fuel and receives in return thefirst notice and care.

  "The orthodox Hindu will feed his cow before he does himself," said thecaptain. "And as he does so, he will repeat a little invocation, andwhen he meets one on the road he will tou
ch her sleek side and then hisown forehead, that so her blessings may be upon his head."

  "And let his daughters be treated worse than dogs," breathed Hope indeep disgust.

  "Father," said Faith with sudden fervor. "I am ashamed of myself thatI ever begrudged the little bit of missionary money I used to give atSunday-school. If I could have realized how much these people need tobe taught better, I would have given four times as much, and weightedit with prayers. Why, I think it is awful!"

  "And yet this land is far advanced in decency and civilization comparedwith many," was the reply. "With the missionary, the trained nurse,and the railroad, India is in a fair way to become thoroughlyenlightened before a half-century has rolled away. The trouble is thatshe clings so to her own cherished ideas of caste, and of worship.Personally the Hindostanee is a good fellow--gentle, charitable, and aloyal friend--but he is so priest-ridden, and so filled withsuperstitions and notions, that it is almost impossible to get anysense, far less any Christianity, into his pate. I have a largerespect for those who stay here year by year, braving a climate that isenough to take all the life out of the strongest, and laboring withthis prejudiced people, just because it is their duty. Folks oughtn'tto begrudge them a few pennies, saved from candy or ribbons, my dear."

  "No," said Faith, leaning back and closing her eyes a moment. "What aglare it is!" she murmured wearily. "The sun is so hot, and the lightso white and blinding; then the houses are so dreadfully blue and pink,and the crows and people so black, and the dogs so greedy, andeverything so noisy, it makes my head ache!"

  "It _is_ wearing, daughter, and one can't stand too much of it atonce." He gave another order, and they presently came into a widerstreet, that was almost like a viaduct for shelter, as awnings werestretched above it the whole length. There was scarcely any life here,and the high stone walls of wealthy homes shut them in, with only anoccasional balcony, or latticed window, to break the monotony of theirblank surfaces.

  "Here live the native families of the highest caste," explained thecaptain, "and inside are beautiful courts, with flowers and fountains,where they lounge and live, as the lower classes do in the streets.But it is cooler here, if not so lively."

  "Delicious!" murmured Faith enjoyingly, still resting her eyes wherethere was little to see.

  They turned from this shaded way into one of the new streets and, asthe carriage suddenly stopped with an exclamation from her father, shelooked up to see Huri, Tegeloo, and a half-dozen other Mohammedans ofthe "International," bowing to the ground before them, their whiteteeth showing in their fine dark faces, full of joy and devotion. OnTegeloo's wrist perched Texas, while a little black head popped up froma fold of Huri's mantle, and both bird and monkey began a noisygreeting in their own tongues--which meant a vociferous "Hello!" fromthe former and a chuckling cry from the latter. Warned by pastexperience the girls had left their pets on shipboard, in care of thesefaithful servants, who now were evidently giving them an airing.

  "How nice of you, Tegeloo!" cried Hope, stroking the parrot, whogrunted with satisfaction, and informed her many times that he wasstill, "Poor Texas, pretty Texas!" nipping her finger gently as hesidled and snuggled, while Andy leaped to Faith's lap, and was sodetermined to stay that he had to be removed by force, soft-heartedFaith looking back at the crying baby with the expression of a motherbereft of her child.

  "Andy got swell-head!" laughed Huri, as he stroked him into submission,"Andy like to ride in big carriage. He no walk!" at which resentfulAndy gave him a sounding slap that promptly ended his comments.