EURASIA. 9 



ceed, though the race has not the physical qualifications to make 

 such a resource general. And, of course, there are the saving 

 few, who make their business successful whatever it is, and rise to 

 positions of moderate affluence and general respect. In spite of 

 all this, however, the Eurasian element of the population of Cal- 

 cutta has become so large, and the problem presented by its con- 

 dition so pressing, that a special commission has recently been ap- 

 pointed by Government to inquire into its circumstances and de- 

 vise some means to make them less distressing. Among other 

 remedies it is proposed to utilize Eurasian youths for military pur- 

 poses, and to make certain Government appointments more easily 

 accessible to them. But the problem will doubtless always re- 

 main a problem, presented by the remorseless operation of natu- 

 ral and economic laws, and only tampered with, more or less 

 futilely, for the sake of a common humanity by the efforts of 

 philanthropy. 



Now that I have finished my imperfect sketch, the ink in which 

 I have drawn it seems too black. After all, there is a great deal 

 of red blood in Eurasia ; sometimes, indeed, the admixture of the 

 other color is so slight as to completely impose upon society, know- 

 ing as society thinks itself. In the heart of Eurasia — a heart which 

 has yet to be bared to us by the scalpel of modern fiction — surely 

 may be found much that is worth adding to the grand total that 

 makes humanity interesting. On the other side of a prejudice, 

 well founded and well built, who knows what fruits may drop and 

 what flowers grow ? Nothing is more certain than that we can not 

 see over it. 



I met Mrs. De Souza only this morning, in the bazaar. She w£ s 

 buying fruit and vegetables, and she argued with great fluency 

 and decision about their price. The brown Bengali vendors of 

 these things quailed before her ; she understood to a thread the 

 construction of the web of their duplicity. In the end, she got all 

 she wanted at about two thirds of the price I should have been 

 obliged to pay — and I know the bazaar. It is the dustur, the im- 

 penetrable, unassailable dustur, for the Tcala mem to pay less for 

 everything. She was accompanied by two Miss De Souzas, who 

 did not pay much attention to the fruit and vegetables. Very 

 smart were the Miss De Souzas, all in pink and blue, for it was 

 Sunday morning, and on Sunday morning Eurasia is en prome- 

 nade at the bazaar. Also I saw two very elegant young men, with 

 dapper sticks and fresh ties, looking smilingly in their direction. 

 And just outside, high in a swaying sago palm, three hoarse old 

 crows told each other what would certainly happen. 



