That Eurasian

by Aleph Bey

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.