Things as They Are Book

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: close at the upper end we sat, somewhat damp, but happy. At last we got, to our destination, reached through a lane which then was a stream with quite a swift little current ($ its own. Cupid's Lake the place is called. We thought the name appropriate. Cupid's Lake is peopled by Castes of various persuasions; we made for the Eobber quarter first. The Eobber Caste is honourable here; it furnishes our watchmen and the coolies who carry our money. There is good stuff in the Eobber Caste people: a valiant people are they, and though they were not prepared for the thing that was coming towards them, they met it with fortitude. A little girl saw it first. One glance at my hat through the end of the cart, and she flew to spread the news? " Oh! everyone come running and see! A great white man is here! Oh what an appalling spectacle! A great white man !" Then there was a general rush; children seemed to spring from the ground, all eyes and tongues and astonishment. " She isn't a man !" " He is !" " She isn't!" " He has got a man's turban !" " But look at her seeley!" (Tamil dress.) A woman, and white?it staggered them till the assurances of the Band Sisters prevailed; and they let me into a neighbouring house, out of the sun which made that hat a necessity. Once it was off they lost all fear, and crowded round in the friendliest fashion; but later, one of the Band was amused by hearing me described in full: " Not a man, though great and white, and wearing a white man's turban, too ! Was it not an appalling spectacle ?" And the old body who was "AN Appalling Spectacle" 7 addressed held up both her hands amazed, and hastened off tc investigate. An English magazine told us lately exactly what these poor women think when they see, for the first time in their lives, the lad...Read More