INDIAN CHARMS 489 



taneously evolved. People in all countries love to meet their 

 relations and friends ; they write letters and send out invita- 

 tions. The Indian can do nothing but use his swallow, or 

 the other beena, if his friends do not come back, at the time 

 when the last hole of the stick, left behind on their departure, 

 is clear from the cord. This stick has been treasured; every 

 day the thread is removed from one hole and every day their 

 return comes nearer. But, something happens and they 

 don't come ; they may be delayed from many causes some of 

 which are well known. There may be uneasiness, but the 

 Indian does not feel any real distress. He does not neglect 

 his duties or sit down and groan; he is never downhearted. 

 He may, however, have hung up a "leaf of life," and as this 

 has sent out some young sprouts, he is assured that all is 

 well with his parents or friends. Nevertheless, something 

 more may be done, and he therefore inoculates himself with 

 the swallow beena to make them come all the quicker. Per- 

 haps they may return next day, and of course the beena has 

 proved itself a success. 



The love beenas are also pretty and suggestive. An old 

 man wants to marry a young girl — she can be charmed even 

 when she has expressed a dislike to her suitor. He uses the 

 special beena, which is the caladium with a crimson suffused 

 centre an inch or two in diameter. The girl knows that she 

 is being charmed and drawn to the man. Something bad 

 for her will happen if she resists and therefore she consents 

 to the marriage. The man is proud of his beena and the 

 girl excuses her love on the ground that she was charmed. 

 We do not fmd such marriages entirely failures. 



The girl, however, may get somewhat tired of her old 

 husband and turn her eyes towards a younger man. The 

 old man is sharp enough to see that he must do something. 

 But, he does not abuse, strike or chop her like some of the 

 other races, but gets the beena which he believes will help to 

 retain her love. This caladium has a broader suffusion than 

 the love beena, and perhaps suggests that there are wider 



