SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11110, 6 May 1911, Page 10

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Miss Christie—An Interview. Miss Christie, wlio has'just returned from a two and a half years' study of thoosophy in India, has some interesting things to say of life, as sho saw it, and its conditions in that country. During those years she was either living and studying at Adyar, tho Mecca of tho Theosopliical Society, or else travelling through South and Central India, teaching and lecturing. Of tho life at Adyar sho was most enthusiastic. Hero students came from all quarters of tho globe—all nationalities, all creeds and sects—eager to absorb the teaching given out by Mrs. Besant and Mr. Lead beater. For two years they stay there, and then they go to make room for others, of whom there is an endless number patiently waiting their time of entrance. There are threo hundred acres belonging to the theosophical' quarters at Adyar with ten largo bungalows all in constant occupation and a co-Masonic Temple. For the time, the outside world is a thing utterly remote and forgotten, uiid the life lived is ascetic, and given up to reading, lectures, writing, translating, and studies of a profound character. They have a very largo printing office there, the "Vcdanta Press," employing one hundred and twenty hands, and the output of literature is enormous. One of Mrs. Besant's aims is to put an end to child marriages and, at Benares, there is a huge central collego attended by seven hundred youths up to the ago of eighteen, no married youths being allowed to enter its portals. This, in itself, is very helpful, for the Brahmins are most eager in their thirst for knowledge, and would ( '°i •ftiiSratyfjosJ.ijtprfnfquii'o it- Mrs. Ecsant anticipates that many of the parents will keep their daughters for the time when the students will have finished their college courses and, gradually, it will break down the old custom of child marriages. Miss Christie says that the people of India arc the most delightful pooplo that could bo found anywhere, kind, and gentle, generous and hospitable to a fault, but the moment their rclip'on is spoken against, or they are told that it is falso (as unwise people sometimes tell them) all hope of making way with thorn is at an end. Casto. governs everything, and the Christian missionaries who are most devoted to their work and most self-sacrificing, often find that it is like beating against an iron wall in their efforts to roach the lijgh casto Brahmins. Tho latter think most highly of the secular education which tho missionaries have placed in their way, and speak most gratefully of its benefits. In a Brahmin household tho kitchen ia one of the sacred places of tho household and, when the mistress goes into the kitchen to prepaio food, she always puts on a special dress kept for the kitchen alonr. When the Brahmin husbiiul oats his foot] ho puts on a certain coat kept specially for meals. Only tho most highly favoured visitor is taken into tho kitchen, and a meateater is hardly ever allowed into the house at all. While the English people think the villages, and tho way of lifn among tho inhabitants, anything but clean and sanitary, they, in their turn, think the while people most unclean in their methods, a point of view that does not strike the latter. Miss Christie gave a lecture to eighty high casto Indian women in the Temple of a Hundred Pillars on the great Trichinopoly Kock, tho first time, so far as is knov.-n, on which such a tiling has happened. An old Brahmin, of about seventy years of ago, acted as interpreter, as they would not face a younger man, and a Brahmin friend, who was present afterwards, told Miss Christie that every word had boon faithfully interpreted, even though it sometimes went against the conventions. Such impartiality was admirable. A Farewell Tea. A very enjoyable toa was given by Dr. Young, president of the Wellington Trained Nurees' Association, at tho Kolburne Kiosk yesterday aftornonn, to enablo tho nursing faculty generally to say farewell to Nurse Stewart, matron of the Nurses' Home, in Willis Street, and Nurse Dencker, who aro both leaving very shortly for England. The view seen from tho windows of the Kiosk is always beautiful, but yesterday, in the clear sunlight, it was exquisite, and a source of delight to everyone. Part of tho verandah-room was screened off from tho remainder, and hero everybody foregathered, while a band (stationed some little distance away) played at intervals. Besides theguests of honour there were present: Dr. and Mrs. Ewart. Dr. and Mrs. M'Gavin, Dr. Kendall, Mrs. Herbert, Mrs. Alex. Young, Miss Payne. Miss 8.-igloy, Miss Brown, Mrs. Masters, Miss Stillinnn, Miss Dunlop, Mrs. Macdonald, Miss Pongelly, Xurso' Macandrcw, Mrs. Kcaiie, and about fifty nurses from tho general and private hospitals of Wellington.