ideas as axiomatic,
but philosophy is not religion. The Mohammedans are one because they
have a common religion and a common law. The Christians are one,
because at least one point of faith is common. But the Hindus have
neither faith, nor practice, nor law to distinguish them from others.
I should therefore define a Hindu to be one born in India, whose
parents so far as people can remember were not foreigners, or did not
profess a foreign religion like Mohammedanism or Christianity, and who
himself has not embraced such religions."

The last answer, which reads the vaguest of any, is from Mr T.
Sadasivier, who is a Sessions Judge of Ganjam. He writes as
follows:--"One professing the Hindu faith has only to have the
following belief, namely, that the four Vedas contain moral and
spiritual truth, which are not less valid than any other spoken or
written words. He might believe in other spoken or written words (like
the Bhagavad-gita) as of equal authority with the Vedas, but he ought
not, if he is a Hindu, to believe such to be _superior_, so far as
moral and religious truth is concerned. Out-castes are Hindus so long
as they believe the Vedas to contain the highest moral and religious
truths. As regards practices, a Hindu ought to follow those he
believes to be in conformity with and not opposed to, the Vedas. He
can follow his own conscience and desires in ordinary matters, so long
as he believes that they are not opposed to the Vedas. Human nature
being liable to sin, even if he contravenes the practices believed by
him to be Vedic, if he admits he _ought_ to follow only practices
enjoined by the Vedas, he is a Hindu, even if he cannot study and read
the Vedas. If he believes that the Vedas inculcate certain practices
for him and that he ought to follow them, he is and remains a Hindu."

CHAPTER II

INDIAN HOSPITALITY

Hospitality limited by caste rules. Feasts. The Hindu's
guest-house. Laws of hospitality; observed by Indian
Christians; their generosity to each other. Indian respect
for the mother; retained through life; observed by Indian
Christians. Swithun's mother. Indian affection shallow,
except for the mother.

The peoples of the East are proverbial for their hospitality, and
certainly Indians in all parts of their country are true to this
excellent tradition, although the caste system of Hindus, which in so
many ways hinders their good purposes from producing thei