Page:Life in India or Madras, the Neilgherries, and Calcutta.djvu/191

Rh or younger brother, of his god Ganesha, the exasperated Catholic commenced more forcible arguments, and the debate turned into a fight. They were carried before a magistrate, who, hearing the story of the Catholic, demanded of the Hindu why he had thus insulted the Catholic saint. In his defence, he replied, that on a certain occasion the Hindus, wishing a new image of their god, had gone to the carpenter to contract with him for the job. Finding that he had a fine solid piece of timber, they engaged him to make them an image from it. Shortly after, the Roman Catholics, wishing a new image of St. Anthony, went to the same artificer and made similar inquiries. Thereupon, the carpenter brought out the remaining half of the same log for their inspection, and, as it was satisfactory, carved for them from it a new St. Anthony; 'And now,' concluded the defendant, will not your highness admit that I was right in saying that their god was younger brother to our god Ganesha?'”

For a Hindu to become a Roman Catholic involves no great change. He may keep his worship of visible, tangible idols, his processions, his feasts, his theatrical plays, only substituting Christ, Pilate, Herod, and Judas for