grain at home is almost universal, because
of the adulteration of flour sold ready ground. There are numbers of
working women whose sole occupation is that of grinding at various
people's houses, and though it is hard work, they earn in return what
is to them a pretty good living. It is curious that men apparently
never lend a hand in this department, even if the wife is poor and
sickly, and sorely in need of help. It appears to be regarded as such
an absolutely feminine employment, that a man would be disgraced if he
put his hand to the mill at all. Even Christians have not quite
succeeded in shaking off this idea.

Careful housewives go over all the grain minutely before it is ground,
so as to make quite sure that no bit of husk, or defective grain,
finds its way into the mill. This is a long and troublesome process.
Watching a Christian woman engaged in this occupation, I said
something to her husband with reference to its being rather a toil. "I
always have the grain prepared in this way," he said cheerfully. "Do
you never help your wife?" I asked. "No," he smilingly answered, "but
our little girl does."

Ever since the earth began to be inhabited by man and woman, food has
been a delicate subject to deal with, and probably the larger number
of domestic quarrels find their origin in this department of the
household. In India, certainly, food is a subject of prominent
importance in the minds of the people of the country. Well-to-do
Hindus find their chief interest and pleasure in the two big meals of
the day. Very few practise any real asceticism concerning food. An
orthodox Hindu does not break his fast until he has taken his bath and
worshipped his household gods, so that he is habitually fasting till
nearly noon. But those who have been always accustomed to this say
that it causes them no inconvenience. It must also be remembered that
their evening meal is nearly always very late. If guests are expected,
and the preparations more elaborate than usual in consequence, the
meal may be delayed till ten o'clock or later.

But at these two principal meals the Indian, if he can afford it, eats
a large quantity. It is not merely that his appetite should be
satisfied, but if the meal is to be regarded as a satisfactory one
there must be the physical sensation of repletion, and the diner does
not need to eat again for several hours. Nevertheless he nibbles odds
and ends of spices and fruits and sweets a good deal in the