Page:Life in India or Madras, the Neilgherries, and Calcutta.djvu/103

Rh of the highest caste may be as poor as beggars without affecting their standing. Their very presence upon the compound of a Christian missionary is one of the evidences of the change that is stealing over the face of Indian society. Their complexions, though dark, are soft and smooth, and their features by no means devoid of beauty; indeed, they often are very pretty; their hands and feet are small and well-formed, and their figures graceful. To our eyes, the marks painted upon their foreheads and the rings in their noses are no great additions to their beauty, and the frequently dirty state of the clothing of the poor is far from attractive; but intelligence beams in their sparkling black eyes and bright faces. Culture of mind and holiness of heart only are needed to fit them for their duties as daughters, wives and mothers; their need of both cannot be exaggerated. Sad indeed is the state of woman in this land. By Christian effort only can she be raised to fitness for her high calling.

The dress of the smaller girls in the school is simply a petticoat of figured calico, tied by a tape at the waist; even this they would not need at home. The larger girls, in addition to the skirt, wear a short-sleeved jacket or bo-