12XFEE1ENCES OF MR. 
iplain that no woman-beating would be allowed herOo 
'3Dhe kangani replied, he would ^top this courtship in 
the kitchen, at all risks and hazards. But Minatchi 
had now recovered her self-possession, and said, “ I 
-am a woman of Vellala caste, and spit on the very 
name of Rengan’^; here she spat on the ground with 
, great force and contempt. ‘^Rengan? indeed ! Parayan— 
.pariah fellow-— the very shadow of Rengan would contami- 
nate my caste. ” Master could have said something about 
- a loving couple under an umbrella, but wisely forbore, 
as it would merely stir up more strife. This resort 
' or appeal to difference of caste used to be a very 
frequent cloak to conceal many peccadillos, for although 
the general rule of caste was in a way kept up on 
the estates, still there it received a check and shock, 
and we suspect a good many caste prejudices were 
thrown aside, only again to be resumed on their 
return home, just in somewhat of the same manner 
-as the old saying, which most of our readers may 
have heard, that our owm people, on going abroad, 
‘‘ left their religion at the Cape, and on their return 
i forgot to pick it up again.” But we suspect the mere 
journey from the coast to the coffee estates is con- 
trary to high caste prejudices — most certainly the mixing 
up of all castes in one set of lines, although in 
different rooms, does, although imperceptibly, give a 
iblow to caste. But if one loses his religion at 
-the Cape, and forgets to pick it up, he may recover it 
again, and not be thought anything the worse, pro- 
vided he is sincere in his profession, and amends 
his life. But caste once lost can never be regained. 
You may easily descend from a high caste to a 
dower, or low one, but you cannot mount up from a 
low caste to a high one. In order to be high caste 
you must be born in it, and hence, in a great measure 
arises their dread of losing it. If a high caste man 
marries a low caste woman, he sinks to the caste of 
the woman, But if a low caste man marries a high 
caste woman she loses caste, and is cast out. Now, does 
not this sort of feeling in some measure prevail in 
^our own country ? — only, we call it class, instead of 
caste! The coolies don’t understand the difference 
between the two words, and won’t believe us when told 
that we have no such thing as caste. It certainly is very 
‘difficult to distinguish the difference; a European, a 
^man of wealth, high standing and position in society, 
.marries a highly respectable working girl, and is cut 
by most .of his friends, especially ladies. It is in vain 
for him boldly to state that this is a free country and 
^he is quite at liberty to marry, to please himself, not 
do please his friends ; he finds, when too late, that he 
.cannot but feel that be is ‘‘cast out.” A fashion- 
‘.able young lady, born and bred in “ marble hallss’ 
