Feeling sure that everybody wants to know these very things about India,
it might be well just here to answer some of these questions.

In regard to the meat in India: The Hindus are vegetarians, but the
Mohammedans are great meat eaters. So are the English. Meat can be had
almost every place. The kind of meat differs much in locality. Chickens
can be obtained anywhere. The Indian cock is small of head and long of
leg, shrill of voice and bold in spirit. The Indian hen is shy and wild,
but gives plenty of small, delicately-flavored eggs. On the whole, aside
from a few idiosyncrasies, the Indian fowl is very satisfactory.

In large cities like Bombay, Calcutta, Lucknow, Madras, etc., where
there is a large English population, any kind of meat may be obtained.
In other places only goat meat can be obtained. This is especially true
in many hill stations. Even in small places, if there happens to be a
large Mohammedan population, good beef and mutton can be obtained in the
cold weather, and in many larger places where there are few Mohammedans
no meat of any kind is to be found excepting chicken, and one usually
has to raise them himself.

Meat is cheap in India. Indeed, in some places beef can be bought for
two cents a pound. However, it is not so good as is the beef in America.
In the hot weather, as it has to be eaten almost as soon as it is
killed, it is tough and tasteless.

Vegetables differ, too, according to the locality. If Mrs. A, returned
missionary from India, pathetically states that year in and year out she
never gets _any_ home vegetables, and thereby causes everybody to pity
her, and if Mrs. B, returned missionary from India, boasts that she gets
plenty of home vegetables, even better than she could get in America,
and thereby causes everybody to envy her, don't think that either Mrs. A
or Mrs. B have fibbed. Mrs. B lives up north and Mrs. A lives south, and
both speak truthfully.

The same is true in regard to fruits. Certain fruits, such as the citrus
fruits, the unexcelled mango, bananas, etc., are found all over India;
but in certain sections there are not only these, but all the home
fruits. This section is to the north and northwest. Pears, apples,
peaches, plums--in fact, any fruit that can be grown any place in the
world can be grown successfully in this favored section of India.

"Why don't missionary ladies do their own cooking?"

The idea seems to be abroad that the reason that missionari