Chapter 6 of 39
Chapter XV
Among the Wild Tribes of the Afghan Frontier: A Record of Sixteen Years' Close Intercourse with the Natives of the Indian Marches · T. L. Pennell
Chapter XV
Afghan Women
Their inferior position--Hard labour--On the march--Suffering in silence--A heartless husband--Buying a wife--Punishment for immorality--Patching up an injured wife--A streaky nose--Evils of divorce--A domestic tragedy--Ignorance and superstition--"Beautiful Pearl"--A tragic case--A crying need--Lady doctors--The mother's influence 190-201
Chapter XVI
The Story of a Convert
A trans-frontier merchant--Left an orphan--Takes service--First contact with Christians--Interest aroused in an unexpected way--Assaulted--Baptism--A dangerous journey--Taken for a spy--A mother's love--Falls among thieves--Choosing a wife--An Afghan becomes a foreign missionary--A responsible post--Saved by a grateful patient 202-210
Chapter XVII
The Hindu Ascetics
The Hindu Sadhus more than two thousand years ago much as to-day--Muhammadan faqirs much more recent--The Indian ideal--This presents a difficulty to the missionary--Becoming a Sadhu--An Afghan disciple--Initiation and equipment--Hardwar the Holy--A religious settlement--Natural beauties of the locality--Only man is vile--Individualism versus altruism--The Water God--Wanton monkeys--Tendency to make anything unusual an object of worship--A Brahman fellow-traveller--A night in a temple--Waking the gods--A Hindu sacrament--A religious Bedlam--A ward for imbeciles--Religious delusions--"All humbugs"--Yogis and hypnotism--Voluntary maniacs--The daily meal--Feeding, flesh, fish, and food 211-226