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Mv First Night in Chicago
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HE second of June, 1906, was amemorable day m m y life., On
that day; entered into a new phâse of s W ^ ÿ was a ‘
new“ scene of the world’s theatre. Living in an orthodox
city like Benarqs, India, with different ideals and habits, ànd then
plunging into the I Western ocean where the scientific R R |1 are in
full tide', would play' a prominent part in shaping the' future g my
career.
I
,
.
It wâs. past ten in the morning;when the train reached Chicago a
Grand Central station. All passengers left the car | and Ï waS the
last to leave. But why? They, were in a h u rrÿ t<5 reach their
homes,, to look after their business, to see their swééthearts, bût I
—a stranger—did not knoy/> where to go.
I y?as 4*he "typical East Indian in this American city, who was
n^vet m a hotel in his" fife, not accustomed to eat at tablés^ not1
familiar’ wT$0he uSe£>(fork and knife at meals,' not understanding
the manner and etiqh'ett^of the occidentals, and last, but not the
least, a man of very little /"Worldly experience. Indeed, it was a
unique moment ; the Oriental !was going to embrace the. Oj&idental,
with what Issue? God knows.
•’’*Fortunately, I knew the language—the language not learned by
imitation or by'picking ufp few words, b u t' by an academic study,
which helped me a great deal.’ So I thought, it better to get some
information about the localities; but wherd to go and enquire?
I think a few words of explanation will not be out of place. ,
In India, the English représent the Dons of the sixteenth cen
tury. Their rule in results stands Wery nearly parallel to that of
Spain.' Naturally w.e, children of the soil, look at the white race
as an incarnation of Death and Dés|rudtion. I, on my, part, had
‘ never piet a kind-faced Englishman, and in my experience 'always
found them lackin^’in ¡sympathy and è£>urtesÿ,-
Here, then, Was thdÿ^ycholo,gÿ;*€f the whole matter.
Tb hioe«ed with H story; I stood in the waiting room watch*
ing the people. What a contrast! ‘> n,,w om en and children—nice
and .clean—fres“h and blooming, were'seen all around, sitting on
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