LEAVES USED AS PLATES 247
the earthen vessels. The spot must be well purified to begin with by rubbing the floor over with cow-dung mixed with water. The clothing of the persons who do the work must have been freshly washed.
The Brahmin being seated on the ground, his wife places a banana leaf in front of him, or the leaves of other trees sewn together to serve as plates. She pours a few drops of water on them, and then helps the rice, putting the other dishes on each side. To flavour the rice they pour upon it melted butter, for which Brahmins have a particular fondness, or they flavour it with a kind of sauce so highly spiced that no European palate could stand its pungency.
Everything is helped as well as eaten with the fingers only. Should however the dishes be very hot the wife may use a wooden spoon so as not to burn herself.
When a Brahmin or any other Hindu eats, those whom he has invited are allowed to be present. As a rule it is considered the height of rudeness to look at any one who is eating, and Hindus who are obliged when travelling to take their meals in rest-houses, or under trees, are very careful to hang up screens round the place where they eat so as not to be seen.
As soon as the husband has finished his meal the wife takes hers on the same plate, upon which, as a proof of his affection for her, the husband will leave a few scraps. She, for her part, will show no repugnance at eating the fragments that he has left. The following story, which
I read in some Indian book, illustrates this:
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An old Brahmin was so badly attacked by leprosy that one day a joint of one of his fingers dropped off while he was eating, and fell on his leaf-plate. When his wife ' s turn came to take her food, she contented herself with simply putting this piece of finger on one side, and ate up the remains that her husband had left without showing the smallest repugnance. The Brahmin, who was watching her, was so delighted with such a proof of her devotion that, after overwhelming her with praise, he asked her
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what she would like as a reward. Alas! she said in a melancholy tone, what reward can ' I hope for % I am young and childless, and perhaps soon 1 may find myself
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one of the hated and despised class of widows! ' No,'