In the old days when polities were ess strenuous and means of communication less rapid the simple joys of viceregal life were more leisurely and not so frequently me terrupted by the social programme of the viceregal court," Nowadays when the Viceroy's wife can be called upon to travel by wut to open fee in Calcutta or preside ata committee meeting of a hospital fund) or visit the women. of Some Indian State, there is. very Uttle time lett for the picnic party in Mashobra or the long days. zest in the pied-d-terra at Dehra Dun, The Viceroy's wife has social obliges ions unknown, perhaps, to any other woman "in her position, "Al~ though great inroads are being made Into the purdah (veil) system, it 18 ill predominant over a large portion of the Indian Empire and particularly.
the Indian States. Therefore when the Viceroy visits 'a State his wite can valuably reinforce his labours by making her entry into the zenana where men cannot go. So Vicercoy's wives have developed the practice of holding purdah parties at which high-born Indian ladies can bee lertained, Most elaborate arrange: ments are made for preserving the purdah of these ladies, their motor-fears in Delhi or their' rickshaws in Simla are heavily veiled as they go to the viceregal residence, and the servants take special precautions to see that where they are received by Her Excellency no possibility of male intrusion can occur. On one occasion history relates these precau-ions were inadequate, A" newly Joined ADE. in the scarlet and fold of his once, lost his way and plundered into a' room full of silk, jewels and ivory faces. He was hastily ejected by the senior Begum present, and she, being a woman of resource, afler he had gone, turned Found to her fluttering sisters and said, "Be not alarmed, my sister that' is one of Her Excellency's. Jeunuchs." And there is also an even more painful story of a dainty pur-Jdahnashin who, like the A.D.C. had Tost her way and dashed through a. chih fo find herself in the midst of the Viceroy's Band which had been dis-Jereetly placed behind the purdah to discourse music during the party, Purdah Disappearing But purdah is rapidly disappearing, especially among women whose hus-ands are taking their full part in the political lifo of India, and the garden parties in Simla and Delhi where these Indian ladies appear in the full glory of saris and jewels give an "amazing pageant of the ingling of East and West By Shanghai standards "the English: woman in India is usually alittle luehind the fashion, but she manages, nevertheless, to ium herself out pretty well' on these occasions, and she always has the satisfaction of knowing that any deficiencies of fash-fon on her account will be more than, covered up by the wealth of colour land distinctiveness of the dresses of her Indian friends.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.