LUCY AND HER DHAYE.* CHAPTER I. Lucy's Birth-Her Nurse-The Puckah House and Bungalow -Her Attendants-Their Offices-The Bullock-Coach-The Wieraun-Employment of Lucy's Time, and her Manner of Living. NEAR the royal city of Delhi, which is situated in one of the most northern provinces of India, now under the jurisdiction of the English, there lived, a few years ago, a certain gentleman, named Grenville, who was so unhappy as to be left a widower within two years after his marriage, his lady having expired a few hours subsequent to the birth of a daughter. This infant, so suddenly deprived of a mother, at the period when a mother's care was most needful, must, undoubtedly, have followed her parent, had not a nurse been immediately procured from a neighbouring bazar :† and little Lucy, for such she was afterwards called, after having received the parting kiss of her dying mother, was placed on the bosom of a Hindoo woman, to receive that nourishment without which it is found utterly impossible to rear the infants of European parents in that burning region, so uncongenial to the nature of a northern race. The dwelling belonging to the father of Lucy consisted of a large puckah‡ house, which, though it contained many apartments, was so constructed as to be chiefly adapted for show; most of the rooms communicating * Dhaye-a wet-nurse. † Bazar a market. ↑ Puckah-ripe, strong: a term generally used of stone buildings, with each other, and all being richly furnished with Calcutta mats, wall-shades in silver sconces, Bareilly carpets, Cleopatra couches, Chinese cabinets, tables of the finest Sessoo wood, and chairs blazing with a profusion of gilding. The lady of this superb mansion had occupied one suite of these apartments; but as these rooms were not judged a convenient residence for Lucy and her nurse, they were removed to a bungalow,* united to the house by a covered gallery and here the little infant was placed, with an establishment which, in England, would be considered a very adequate household for a large and respectable family. This bungalow stood somewhat behind the principal dwelling, though in a situation sufficiently airy, commanding a view over a spacious lawn, down to the shores of a small river which is one of the tributary streams of the Ganges. The gallery by which the two dwellings were connected was concealed from the eye by rows of parkensoniat and pomegranates; but the bungalow itself stood on an open space, being free from trees, and exposed to the air on every side. This latter building consisted of a hall of considerable magnitude, in the centre of which was placed an Hindoostanee bedstead for the nurse, for whom we shall adopt the Hindoostanee title of dhaye, and near to it an infant's cradle of black varnished wood, lifted considerably from the ground by claw-feet at each corner. Above these beds, and attached to the ceiling, was a curtain of rosecoloured Benares gauze, which, during the day, was knotted up to the ceiling, and at night let down, in such a way as to enclose the infant and her nurse, in order that they might be thus protected from the musquitoes. The rest of the apartment was entirely bare of furniture, excepting only a few painted moras, which had been brought from Patna, and a brass lamp standing on a teapoy. The walls of this room were white-washed, and the floor was covered with a coarse mat. Such was the inner apartment of this house; and it was furnished with double doors on every side, which opened * Bungalow a house which, whether large or small, is covered with thatch. + Parkensonia-a low tree, whose branches, of a deep green, grow somewhat in the form of plumes of feathers. Moras footstools. into four outer rooms; a verandah extending on the outside beyond them. Having described the habitation of this little infant, we now proceed to enumerate her establishment. Besides the dhaye above mentioned, she had an ayah,* whose business was to dress and undress her; a bearer,† who was to carry her in his arms, rock her in her cradle-bed, and keep the flies and musquitoes from her during the day, with a punkah‡ composed of feathers; a matranee, whose business it was to sweep the house; a beheistie, who carried the water; a dobee,¶ who washed the clothes; a chaprassee,** who ran before her carriage; a garrywaun,†† who drove her bullock-coach, and brought it to the door at sunrise and sunset, in order that the little lady and her female attendants might take the air; and a female cook, whose business it was to prepare food for the dhaye, and retail the anecdotes of the bazar, Lucy's nurse not being permitted to visit her friends in that place, while the child depended on her for food. To these we may add a dirge,‡‡ whose occupation was to prepare the robes and caps of the little infant, and to adorn with borders of silk the chauder§§ and khortees of the lady dhaye, who was supplied with clothes by Lucy's father. This dirge, whom the ladies of the nursery called Califat, by way of distinction, sat at his work on the floor, in one of the outer apartments above mentioned; and, together with two chockedaurs,¶¶ completed the establishment of the little lady. Lucy's father had business which called him from home for many hours every day; this, therefore, independent of other obstacles, rendered it impossible for him to be constantly watching those who had the charge ⭑ Ayah-a waiting-maid. + Bearer a servant whose work is to carry a palanquin; but who is frequently employed to take care of children. ** Punkah-a fan. Matranee-a low Hindoo female, who does the most servile work. Dobee a washerman. Chaprassee-a kind of messenger who has his name from wear ing a badge or breastplate. tt Garrywaun-a coachman. Dirge-a tailor. Chauder-a veil. Khortees-a kind of jackets. TT Chockedaurs-watchmen. |