BURNING A WIFE. 
201 
whether she was willing or not, he might carry her to 
the stake, and, if the police are to take no cognizance 
of the matter, might burn her under pretence of a 
suttee. How little the interference of neighbours is 
to be apprehended in such cases, and how little a 
female death is cared for, may appear by another 
circumstance which occurred a short time ago at a 
small distance from the city of Ghazipoor, when, in 
consequence of a dispute which had taken place 
between two freeholders about some land, one of 
the contending parties, an old man of seventy and 
upwards, brought his wife, of the same age, to the 
field in question, forced her, with the assistance of 
her children and other relatives, into a little straw hut 
built for the purpose, and burned her and the hut to- 
gether, in order that her death might bring a curse 
upon the soil, and her spirit haunt it after death, so 
that his successful antagonist should never derive 
any benefit from it. On some horror and surprise 
being expressed by the gentleman who told me this 
case, one of the officers of his court, the same indeed 
who had reported it to him, not as a horrible occur- 
rence, but as a proof how spiteful the parties had 
been against each other, said very coolly, f Why 
not ? She was a very old woman, — what use was 
she V The old murderer was in prison ; but my 
friend said he had no doubt that his interference in 
such a case between man and wife was regarded as 
singularly vexatious and oppressive ; and he added, 
f The truth is, so little value do these people set 
on their own lives, that we cannot wonder at their 
caring little for the life of another. The cases of 
