One morning, as I went to look at the work, I saw a well dressed
European walking about, and examining the building, with the air of a
Lord Moses at the head of the public works department. I paid no
attention to him. He came up to me, and without a nod, or salutation,
asked in an authoritative tone, “What is this building for?” as if I was
some native mistree. I replied that it was for a library and reading
room, with a lecture hall to be a resort for the Eurasian community. He
asked, “Is it not too large for them? Could they not have done with a
cheaper building? It is a very fine building, too good for them, it
seems to me. In fact, I have not a very good opinion of the Eurasians.”
I interrupted, “You are talking to one now, and I do not think your
remark very becoming, at least, it is not pleasing to me, for you, a
European, to speak so of a class of people, who are here, or the most of
them, through the lusts and licentiousness of your Europeans.”
I was angry, and he saw it. He reddened up and said, “Excuse me, but I
did not know you were an Eurasian, and you know that present company is
always excepted.”
Either he was guilty of dullness, in not perceiving my complexion, or
else of lying, and either was the same to me. I turned, and went to look
at some work, and thus began and ended my only interview with the
Commissioner of the Division. This little matter quite upset me for the
day, for this reason. This man of pink eyes, white eyebrows, and yellow
complexion, in appearance, manner and insolent words, was so like that
paternal ancestor of mine that the sight of him, with his insolence,
brought all those black, hateful scenes of my earlier life to my mind
again, not that I cared so much for the name Eurasian, as applied to
myself and others, for I had given him the word, but on account of his
insolence and insulting remarks.
On another morning came the Collector of the District, quite a different
type of man altogether from the Commissioner. He was very courteous,
praised the building and grounds, hoped our undertaking would be most
successful, as it was just what was needed. “By the way,” said he, “why
didn’t you send your subscription paper to me, for I would gladly have
subscribed.” I thanked him, saying that except two, all the subscribers
were Eurasians, as we preferred to have them own the building, and feel
that it was theirs. “A very good idea,” he answered. “As you will not
let me help you with money, I will give you my best wishes for your
success, and bid you good morning,” and shaking my hand, he left. There
was such a wide contrast between this man and the Commissioner, that I
enjoyed as much pleasure from his call, as I felt angry and disgusted
with that of the other.
Still another caller, and he the Chaplain. Though he had been more than
a year in the station, he had never called on us. We had never met until
he appeared that morning, at our house. He introduced himself as the
Chaplain. He need not have done this, as he had the padri marks all over
him. He excused himself for not calling, on account of his many duties.
Considerable of a lie for a padri to tell so early in the morning, I
thought, for I had often seen him going to the club to idle away his
time.
After some thoughtless conversation he hemmed and hawed, as some men do
when they are in a quandary, or destitute of ideas, but finally said,
“Mr. Japhet, I have noticed for some time past that very few Eurasians
come to church, and as you have great influence over them, I trust you
will use it for their good, and get them to attend divine service.” I
replied that I had no influence over them in that respect, that if the
church could not draw them, I certainly could not, and would not drive
them to it, even if I had the power to do so; that I always reserved my
right to decide for myself in all religious matters, and conceded to
everybody else the same privilege. He left this tack, and began praising
the building, inquired its object, and then suggested, “You will soon
have the opening, I suppose, and as the Lord Bishop will soon be here on
a visitation, would it not be well to invite him to preside.” I saw
through his scheme at once. It was to get his fingers into our pie, or
in other words to make a grand affair of us for his own eclat, with pomp
and procession by the help of the Lord Bishop. Certainly, I did not give
him a hint of my thoughts, but replied that we did not know just when
the building would be finished; that we had formed no plans about the
opening.
Others seemed to be suddenly afflicted with an intense desire to have
the opening in good form. Among them my courteous caller, the Collector
wrote, suggesting that the Commissioner be invited to preside on the
occasion. I silently passed the note to my wife who viewed it for a few
moments and then exclaimed, “The idea! Should he dare to preside after
making such insulting remarks to you about the Eurasians, I would hiss,
and every woman present would follow me. If you men have not spirit
enough to stand up for your honor, and are too cowardly to resent
insults, we will show you what we women can do,” and she would have done
just as she said, for like a good and true wife she was very quick to
resent anything that disparaged me. Then she laughed, one of those
joyous inspiriting laughs, “Wouldn’t it be fun, though! Do it, Charles,
do it; get him to preside, and I’ll give you a thousand rupees for a
piano. It would be the best scene at the opening when all we women stand
up and hiss until His Highness should retire.”
I wanted no such fun as that, though I would like to have pleased my
wife and wanted the thousand rupees, so I calmly wrote to the Collector
describing the call of the Commissioner and his remarks against the
Eurasians; that some or all had heard of what he had said, and that it
would be impossible for them to treat him with respect. I think the
Collector was not at all displeased with the result, as there was not
much love between the two men, and I mistrusted that the Commissioner
had given a hint of the subject of the note to me.
Then there was a lull for awhile in regard to the opening. At length the
building was finished, not a touch more needed anywhere and all as neat
as a pin. I think that is the phrase to use, as good as any other. Our
furniture was of the best kind, a goodly number of new books were on our
library shelves, and the tables in our reading room were covered with
magazines and papers, and best of all, everybody was delighted and
happy.
I feel like moralizing on the new life that had come into our people.
They seemed to be endowed with a new energy and inspiration, as if
they felt they were somewhere and somebody. They carried themselves
with an air of independence, and had thrown off that limp and
God-and-man-forsaken appearance that they formerly wore. They had
become proud, and that is one of the necessary elements in the making
of manhood.
“Independence is the rarest gift and the first condition of happiness.”
We had a general meeting, or several of them, in the lecture hall, of
the women and men, for the women had an equal share in everything, and
woe to the man who should have dared to propose anything else. I think,
and am proud to say, that my wife was probably the instigator in this
equal rights matter.
At our meeting it was voted that our building and association should be
called “Our Club.” A constitution and by-laws were adopted, a committee
of management elected for one year, consisting of an equal number of
women and men who were to elect their own president.
At another meeting came the question of the opening or dedication of the
building. Then there was an excitement. Some one not quite in the inside
who had not heard of the insulting remarks of the Commissioner, proposed
that that gentleman be invited to preside on the occasion. He had no
sooner uttered the words than he was silenced by a storm of noes, those
of the women the most emphatic of all.
There was a little fellow so retired and diffident that I had never
heard him make a remark in any of our meetings, though he was always
present. He sprang to his feet, lost sight of himself and rose to the
occasion. Said he, “I am utterly opposed to inviting any outside
Europeans. If we get one of the swells to preside he will look down on
us and talk to us as if we were children, fools or outcasts. We have
been patronized long enough. We are always put in the background,
crowded into the outskirts, treated as scum or menials, except when the
Europeans can use us for their own advantage. Then they fawn on us as if
we were dogs, to do their bidding. They do not want us anywhere, and
always treat us with contempt. Even a blatant Babu is treated with more
respect than we are. They will not allow us to enlist as soldiers. They
insult us when we ask for employment in the Government offices. The
Government Railway Companies and the merchants stick up notices ‘No
Eurasians need apply.’ When they advertise for clerks they add, ‘No
Eurasians wanted.’
“In the mutiny they made all the use they could of the Eurasians. They
were then considered good enough to help them fight and to protect their
families. But if another mutiny occurs, the Babus or the Russians may
take the country for all the help these haughty aristocrats will get
from me.
“Don’t I know what I am talking about. My father was a shopkeeper in
Lucknow at the time of the mutiny. All of his stores he took into the
residency and gave them out to be distributed among the officers and
their families. While the stores lasted he was patted on the back. It
was Mr. Evans here and Mr. Evans there; let us see Evans! He was put in
the most dangerous places of defense. What a favor! When the mutiny was
over and others received medals and honors, his name was not even
mentioned. He was only a shopkeeper and worse, an Eurasian. When he
suggested payment for his stores he was told that he must submit to the
usages of war, so he was left without a rupee for the support of his
family, and died almost a beggar, though he had taken many thousands of
rupees worth of goods into the entrenchment. Officers who had drunk many
cases of his wines, and whose families had been kept from dying through
his supplies of canned goods, afterwards did not know him when they met
him face to face on the road. I could tell of the rebuffs and insults he
received from them when he applied for honest work, but what is the use?
Everybody knows the story and everywhere it was the same. It is time we
stand up for ourselves and demand our right to live. If we are so
lacking in energy that we cannot do this, and are so degraded as to be
willing to be insulted and patronized as inferiors then the sooner we
die the better.”
These are only a few of his sentences. He was greatly excited and each
sentence came out like the puff report from a Gatling gun. His remarks
had a great effect and it was some minutes before the audience became
quiet, for he was cheered again and again.
Then some one arose and very deliberately said: “I heartily agree with
every word Mr. Evans has said. It is time we cease to be patronized. We
have been made slaves, menials, and been done to death by patronage, as
if we existed only through the mercy and favor of these haughty
over-bearing Europeans who are the sources of our being and the causes
of our degradation. Without any further remarks I would suggest that we
have no occasion to go outside to solicit any one to honor us with his
presence. We have one among us, of our own class, who is our best friend
as we all know, and but for whom we would not be assembled here
to-night. Need I mention his name—Mr. Japhet—”
At this I sprang to my feet, for I had been silently enjoying, listening
to the various speakers, thinking that from the independence in their
remarks they had already mounted several rounds of the ladder towards
liberty and manhood.
“My friends,” said I, “kindly allow me a few words. We have one among
us, though not of us, and as he is not present I can speak freely of
him. He is our truest and best friend, and has done more for us than all
the rest put together. Therefore I move that this our sincere friend,
Mr. Jasper, be invited to preside at our opening and give us an
address.” As I spoke his name, there was such a cheering that the rest
of my sentence, was completely drowned. It showed such a unanimity that
it was not necessary to put the motion to a vote.
I had never told any one except my wife, of our friend’s most generous
aid, as he had requested me not to do so, but all knew him well and
esteemed him as their friend and one of the noblest of men.
Thus this long mooted question was settled and the other part of the
programme was soon arranged. We were to have music by some in our own
circle and by some other musicians, the best we could get, besides we
had our grand piano, and paid for by my wife, though she did not do it
at the expense of the Commissioner Sahib’s discomfiture.
Some one asked if it would not be proper to have the Chaplain make a
prayer? For a few moments no reply was given, then one with the fervor
of little Evans burst out, “Who is the chaplain? Where is he? What is
he? What have we got to do with him? What has he done for us? We do not
even know him. We were born without him, have lived without him and
shall have to die and be buried without him, unless he can find it
convenient to leave his croquet or billiards and rattle a prayer over
our graves.”
Nothing more was said about this, not even a motion offered, and the
little chap did not so much as receive an invitation to our opening. Why
should he? He had never called on any one of them, never noticed them
and so was nothing to them. What else could he be? His time was so
occupied in “Society,” at the grand dinners, at the lawn parties,
gossiping with the women about the latest fads in church decoration and
millinery, preparing sermons on the wearing of surplices, the position
at the eucharist, or the sign of the cross at baptism, the training of
his surpliced choir, his postures and intonations, his daily visits to
the club; so engrossed with the silly sheep and the follies of his flock
that he had no time or inclination to look after the poor outcasts, the
goats outside, so why should these run after him?
I think this was the milk in the cocoanut in regard to the opinion and
feeling about the Chaplain.
There was a disposition not to have any Europeans present except Mr.
Jasper and my wife, but I proposed that the Collector and a few others
be invited and no objection was made. I had a sinister motive in this
which was to have enough of this set present to see what we did and to
circulate the report in “Society.” There was a Mrs. Grundy, a terror,
not to evil-doers, but to everybody else, on account of the wagging
facility of her tongue. She resembled a busy bee in this, that she was
always busy and carried a sting in her tale. Her husband was an
homunculus of a man, so counted for nothing. As I knew she would be
excessively flattered by an invitation when all the others were left
out, and as she would make an excellent substitute for a night reporter
on a morning paper, she got one of our engraved cards highly perfumed.
The women took charge of the refreshment part of the ceremony, and
assisted with their good taste in the decorations, and it is not
necessary to say that everything they did was worthy of them.
Mr. Jasper at once consented to preside and to deliver the address, as
it was a pleasure as well as a duty he felt he ought to perform. The
time came. There were a number of Eurasian friends from other stations,
besides those who had aided us with their subscriptions. “Our Club” was
crowded to its fullest capacity. It was a rare entertainment. The music
with several recitations, the refreshments and the after social visit
were very enjoyable, but the creme de la creme of the occasion was the
address of Mr. Jasper, so characteristic of the man, eloquent in its
rhetoric and delivery, but still better because he spoke the thoughts of
his soul, with such kindly, yet severe criticisms of the Eurasian
character as to make us all wince under them, and with such tender
urgent appeals as to bring tears into the eyes of everyone.
The main idea was the development of true manhood and womanhood, first
in purity of thought. “For you are what your thoughts make you, and
remember that every thought you have and every word you utter are
immortal and will effect your souls forever.” While he was describing
his highest ideals of character the audience seemed lifted up above
themselves with holy aspirations, and when he showed the failure of many
and the causes of them, every one could see himself as in a polished
mirror and feel that he himself was being described. As several said
afterwards, Mr. Jasper could not have given a better description of
themselves had he known every secret of their whole lives. There was not
an objection to any of his criticisms as all knew they were true to the
strictest line. He took an hour in the delivery of the address though it
seemed not more than half that time as all were entranced by his earnest
thoughts. The address was printed to be kept as a creed or a Bible among
us. Why not as a Bible or Sacred Scripture as good as any other man or
set of men could make for us? All truth is true, no matter who utters
it. “Precepts and promises from the lips of Jesus are not made true
because he uttered them, because they were eternally true in the
beginning with God.”
A little incident occurred during the social part of our opening that
greatly affected me. Among our guests were a woman and her husband from
a distant station. She was of fine appearance and address. She came to
me and taking my hand, asked, “Mr. Japhet, do you remember me?” I could
not for the moment recall her, and she remarked, “Do you remember once
at night rescuing a young girl from two policemen? I was that girl, and
many a thousand times have I thought with tears of joy of what you did
for me! And I have prayed for you almost daily that the richest of
heaven’s blessings might descend on you. Where would I have been taken
and what would have become of me, if you had not saved me from what
would have been my fate infinitely worse than death! I owe my life here
and my eternal life, all I owe to you. You were indeed my savior, and I
want to thank you with all my heart and all my soul.”
She wept for joy, as the contrast, of what she might have been and her
present position, overcame her. I would belie myself and not be true to
my manhood, if I did not admit that I also wept. What could give me a
greater joy than to have been the means of saving a soul, and she an
innocent helpless girl, from the jaws of a monster vice, and from a life
of the foulest degradation, misery and eternal death? Better this than
to be a hero in the greatest battle of the world. Such a deed, I can but
think it, has an eternal record of good, while even the destruction of
one fellow mortal in war, bears with it an everlasting stain and
remorse, though it may win a medal or an empty plaudit to perish with
this life. Some one has said: “He that saveth a soul from death shall
hide a multitude of sins.” I trust this may be true for me.
She introduced me to her husband, a fine looking man. I heard afterwards
that they were well-to-do and highly esteemed. She had heard of “Our
Club,” and they came of their own accord, as she wished to see me and to
express her gratitude for her salvation, as she called it. They were
introduced to my wife and invited to our home where the whole story was
retold and again she expressed her thanks with tears. There was joy not
over a sinner that repented, but over an innocent one saved from sin and
death. Is it not far better to keep people from sinning than to redeem
them from sin?
“To prevent the commission of crime, prevent the manufacture of
criminals.”
The Collector was one of our delighted guests and could not be lavish
enough of his praise, and ever afterwards was one of the best friends of
the Eurasians, giving employment to a number of them. Self help leads to
other help, and the gods help those who help themselves. He was often a
welcome visitor to Our Club and did not hesitate to make his tiffin of
our soup, excellent bread and butter, and to praise our coffee, better,
he said, than he could get at home and asked the privilege of getting
his supply of bread and butter from our kitchen.
I need scarcely say that with our opening began a new era among the
Eurasians. They took upon themselves a self reliance, an independence
and an ambition to make themselves, what Mr. Jasper called in his
address, true men and women. Even the very poorest of them walked more
erect, when they could think of being members of the club, having a
place they could call their own, and not live in a perpetual fear of
being snubbed and scorned where they were not wanted. Not the least of
the incitements to their energy and ambition was the interest “Our
Club,” excited among the outsiders. Many sneered at what they called the
“airs,” the Eurasians were putting on. Many were the insulting remarks
that came to our ears. The lash of envy is often a greater stimulant
than words of praise. A very few spoke well of our enterprise, though
all seemed to feel a chagrin that we had such a grand building and much
finer grounds than theirs.
Our work was not finished with the building. The management was yet to
come, though as there was such an unanimity, there was little trouble.
We had made our laws and rules. One of the most prominent matters was
temperance. No intoxicating drinks were to be allowed on the premises.
This was one of the laws fundamental and ever to remain unalterable. Mr.
Jasper urged this with all his force of words. Another was that there
was to be no gambling or betting of any kind, though there were fine
billiard tables and other games for recreation and amusement, but no
money to be involved in any game; no profanity, indecent stories and
remarks, or improper behavior. Any one violating these laws was to be
excluded from the privileges of the club at the discretion of the
managing committee. No one was to be admitted without the payment of a
fee, so small as to be within the means of the poorest. Nothing was to
be donated by the club, as it was not to be a pauper asylum or a free
soup kitchen, but it was assumed that the members might and should pay
the fees of any they chose and purchase tickets for food. This would
maintain the integrity of the club, stimulate benevolence among the
members and tend to create independence in all. It was accepted as a
part of our Gospel that all were to help each other, and especially
those the most in need. Mr. Jasper made a point that the degradation of
only one individual would affect the whole community as surely as that
the smallest pebble thrown into the biggest ocean would make a ripple.
Our Club was for the development of manners, morals and mental growth,
not for one day in seven, but every day in the year.