Page:Life in India or Madras, the Neilgherries, and Calcutta.djvu/82

68 stationery, and a great variety of useful articles, are thus brought to your door, and sold at very reasonable prices. As they always ask three or four times the proper price, the purchaser must offer what in his judgment is fair, and stick to it. If it is too little, the hawker goes off; if too much, he profits by your ignorance. They are as provoking and amusing as useful. In some cases their superstition gets the better of their craft. If they come to you in the morning before making any sale, you can make your first purchase pretty much at your own price; this insures them good luck through the day. Receiving the money from your right hand, (they will not take it from the left, they strike it on their box, crack all their knuckles, and go off quite contented.

As a race, the Hindus are devoted lovers of money. It is commonly said, if you would touch a Hindu, you must touch his pocket; it is strictly true. They will do almost any thing for money, and suffer any thing rather than give it up. But it ill becomes the American or Englishman to upbraid them with this. When a Hindu was once taunted by an Englishman with their love of money, and told that they would do any thing for a pice, (a small copper