N KHILARI, A FARMER'S SON " 42

THE KINDLY HINDU NEIGHBOUR AND HIS FAMILY " 48

A MODERN HOUSE IN POONA CITY " 60

MRS SALOME ZADHAW " 66

RAGU, THE NIGHT-WATCHMAN " 72

THE YERANDAWANA VILLAGE WRESTLERS " 138

NIRARI BHOSLE, THE MISCHIEVOUS VILLAGE BOY " 168

MILKING THE BUFFALO " 180

DOWD PHERIDE, THE EGG-MERCHANT'S SON " 198

SARLA KALU, THE YERANDAWANA WIDOW " 206

THE INDIAN BUTLER " 242

THE CEMETERY CROSS " 268

* * * * *

INDIA AND THE INDIANS

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

Misconceptions about India. Hinduism. An "infernal
religion." Hindu mythology. Ascetics. Translations of Hindu
sacred books. Modern and ancient ways of teaching
Christianity. Danger of the incorporation of a false Christ
into Hinduism. Hindu India as it really is. Definitions of
"What is Hinduism?" from representative Hindus.

India is not really quite so mysterious a country as it appears to be
on first acquaintance. But you have to live there a long time before
things begin to reveal their real shape. It is only on the ground of
long residence, and frequent and often close intercourse with a great
variety of Indians, that I venture now and then to give some of my
experiences to others. India remains almost an unknown land to a large
number of people in spite of all that has been written or spoken about
it, and it is hard to dissipate the many misconceptions which exist
concerning the country. Some of these misconceptions came into being
years ago, but they have become stereotyped. They were presumably the
outcome of hasty conclusions drawn from superficial knowledge. But
even visitors to India often view the country in the light of
preconceived ideas which they have either heard or read of, and they
therefore fail to see things as they really are.

It is inevitable in dealing with Indian things that the defects of the
people of the country should occupy rather a prominent place. The
cause is their misfortune and not their fault. They have many
delightful natural characteristics, and the years that I have lived
amongst them h