That Eurasian

by Aleph Bey

I wrote letters to various firms and all replied, “No assistants required,” or, as some of them put in their printed slips, “No Eurasians need apply.” So there was no help for it; to the books again! It was everything to me that I had an income, but what of the thousands of poor wretches who had neither money, income nor employment.

A year later the bequest of Mr. Percy was placed in my hands, and every rupee accounted for. I invested in villages, and in various parcels of ground in the station, on which I erected bungalows, one of which was for myself, according to my own taste, with one room especially for a library for the books that I had been accumulating.

All this gave me employment for several years, and I was quite happy. My new house was the best in the station, and was better furnished, with ample grounds, ornamented with every kind of shrubbery and flowers. It became the envy of the station. The Commissioner of the Division wrote, asking if he could rent it; then the Barra Sahib wanted it, and the officers wished it for a Mess Koti. My refusal to all created quite a feeling against me. Some one told somebody else, who told me, that the “higher classes” considered the house too good for an Eurasian. I wonder if they should accidentally get to heaven and find some of the lower classes—Eurasians—there, whether they would blow up St. Peter for letting us in?

I had numerous brushes with the magistrate; for he seemed determined to annoy me because I had not let him have my house. My hedges were too high or too broad. I should trim my trees, or should not trim those by the roadside, which I myself had planted. When I had one of my houses partly constructed he forbade the work to go any further, as I had not obtained his permission to build, and besides it would obstruct the view from his house, though it was five hundred yards away. I felt that all this was petty, spiteful tyranny, and resisted as well as I could, but of what avail? I might as well have quarreled with the man in the moon.

The magistrate had almost absolute power over affairs in the station, and could be a despot if he chose. He was the Great Sahib, and he let everybody know it, especially those he styled the lower classes. If he could not carry out his plans in an open, manly way, he resorted to petty tyranny that goaded one to madness. I had never met him, and all his orders to me were made not in person or by letter, but through his servants, which made it more annoying.

I was soon to make his personal acquaintance. One night, after dining with a friend, I was walking homeward when I heard the screams of a woman, or rather of a girl. I ran, and found two native policemen, one holding each of her hands and dragging her along the road. They stopped at once, and she begged me to have her released. They said they had orders to bring good looking girls into cantonments, and they found her on the road. I ordered them to let her go at once. They said they could not do so. I insisted, and they replied that I should have to answer to the magistrate for obstructing them. I took the girl to a friend’s house, and told them to keep her concealed at my expense. The next morning a servant came, ordering me to appear at the magistrate’s bungalow. I went. As I entered, this worthy was sitting at his writing table.

I said, “Good morning,” and bowed, but he made no salutation. His manner and silence was very embarrassing to me, so I said, “My name is—” “Yes, yes,” he interrupted, “I know you well enough; you are that damned Eurasian who is always making trouble.” “But,” said I, and before I could get in another word he retorted, “I don’t want a word from you. I will let you off this time, but if you ever interfere with the police again, I will give you cause to remember it,” and with a wave of his hand, a servant opened the door for me to retire.

The seizure of this girl was a part of a damnable plan established by a Christian government to supply victims to gratify the lusts of its imported soldiery, and these soldiers probably all baptized, confirmed Christians.

I sent that girl to a girl’s school, and paid her bills for years, which I trust the Recording Angel has put down to the credit of my account.

All the Eurasians were my friends, all the second class whites, and I had besides a number of acquaintances among the first grade. I had several riding horses, the best that money could purchase, a fine carriage, and several rigs of the best make, with horses to suit them. I had a fine house and could give good dinners, no small item in making friends, so some were glad to know me for that, if for no other reason. Then I was greatly interested in sports, and was liberal in my subscriptions, so that, having received my money, they could not well overlook me, especially as they no doubt expected other favors to follow.