s doorstep? Would they say as he sat there in untroubled
assurance of safety, feeling the edge of the blade with his thumb, and
muttering almost audibly the name of his intended victim, "We have no
right to interfere, he is only sharpening his knife; an intent to
commit, or even the preparation for crime, is not punishable by law,
unless it amounts to an attempt, and he has not 'attempted' yet."
Surely, if such intent were not punishable it very soon would be. It
would be found possible--who can doubt it?--to frame a new law, or amend
the old one, so as to deal with Bluebeards. And a Committee of Vigilance
would be appointed to ensure its effectual working.

Of course, the simile is absurdly inadequate, and breaks down at several
important points, and the circumstances are vastly more difficult in
India than they ever could be in England, just because India is India;
but will it not at least be admitted that the law meant in kindness to
the innocent is fatal to our purpose?--which is to save the children
while they are still innocent.

* * * * *

We do not want to ask for anything unreasonable, but it seems to us that
the law concerning adoption requires revision. In Mayne's _Hindu Law and
Usage_ it is stated that among Temple women it is customary in Madras
and Pondicherry and in Western India to adopt girls to follow their
adopted mother's profession: and the girls so adopted succeed to their
property; no particular ceremonies are necessary, recognition alone
being sufficient. In Calcutta and Bombay such adoptions have been held
illegal, but in the Madras Presidency they are held to be legal. In a
case where the validity of such adoption was questioned, the Madras High
Court affirmed it, and it has now, "by a series of decisions, adopted
the rule . . . which limits the illegality of adoption to cases where
they involve the commission of an offence under the Criminal Code."
This, as we have said, makes it entirely impossible to save the child
through the law before her training is complete; and after it is
complete it is too late to save her. Train a child from infancy to look
upon a certain line of life as the one and only line for her, make the
prospect attractive, and surround her with every possible unholy
influence; in short, bend the twig and keep it bent for the greater part
of sixteen years, or even only six--is there much room for doubt as to
how it will grow? An heir to the pr