sanitation which must be attended to if India is
ever to become a wholesome and prosperous country. And we have got to
teach her how to work, because India wide awake, but idle, might
easily become a source of great mischief.

Every Englishman who takes pleasure in the sense of Empire ought to
realise that it brings with it great responsibilities, and therefore
that every Englishman has a measure of responsibility towards India.
We must be taking care that, if when she is wide awake she fails to
fulfil her great vocation, at any rate she shall have no cause to
utter against us the reproach, You never told me.

A better understanding of what India and the people who live in it are
really like, seems to be the necessary preparation for sympathy and
work of any sort connected with that country; and to help, in however
small a degree, to bring about this end is the object of this book. I
have had unusually favourable and varied opportunities for getting to
know intimately the inner side of Indian life and character during a
somewhat long residence in this country. The contents of the book are
exceedingly miscellaneous because the daily experiences have been
equally so. Everything that is told is the outcome of my own personal
observations amongst a people to whom I am deeply attached, and I have
taken the utmost pains to record nothing of which I was not sure, and
to verify everything concerning which I was doubtful.

The photographs were all taken by Brother Arthur of our Society.

EDWARD F. ELWIN.

YERANDAWANA,

POONA DISTRICT, INDIA.

* * * * *

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. INTRODUCTORY 1

II. INDIAN HOSPITALITY 11

III. THE INDIAN VIEW OF NATURE AND ARCHITECTURE 17

IV. INDIAN EMPLOYEES OF LABOUR 24

V. THE INDIAN POSTAL SERVICE 32

VI. INDIANS AND ENGLISH CUSTOMS 40

VII. INDIAN UNPUNCTUALITY 48

VIII. INDIAN POVERTY 54

IX. INDIAN ART 60

X. THE INDIAN VILLAGE 66

XI. INDIAN ENTERTAINMENTS 74

XII. THE CONVERSION OF INDIA 83

XIII. MISSION WORK IN INDIA