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than otherwise having a balance against him at his 

 banker's ; and that do what one will, he will always 

 be in debt. 



Nothing can convey a more thoroughly and utterly 

 false conception of our agriculturists as a body. 



That these, in common with the entire population, 

 high and low, do, in accordance with immemorial 

 custom,* spend a great deal more upon marriages than 

 according to English ideas any similarly circumstanced 

 sane man ought to or would, may be at once ad- 

 mitted. 



Any real, vigorous, and persistent actionf to check 

 this common form of extravagance, taken under sound 

 native advice, would be a real blessing to the country. 

 But, after all, this is the poor fellow's onjy extrava- 

 gance ; these are almost the only white days in his 

 dull-coloured life of toil and pinching, and unless he is 

 singularly blessed (or unblest ?) there are not many of 

 them, and for the rest, a more careful frugal being is 

 not to be found on earth. 



He hates debt ; he hates the usurer's name ; let 

 any stroke of luck befal him, and see how soon the 

 monstrous account against him is settled. This is not 

 the case merely with individuals, the population of 



* In most parts of India custom is still, be it remembered, where 

 social matters are concerned, an iron, all-embracing, law. 



t Hitherto, as in most other matters in India, there has been a 

 vast amount of "cry," and the smallest possible amount of "wool." 

 Every now and then the question crops up, a great deal of talk 

 ensues, nothing effective is done, and the matter drops. 



