She then told a good deal about the way the missionaries work among the people, taking her hearers with her in imagination to some of the mission-schools, and to the Sunday services in the little church where her husband had preached. In doing this she repeated a passage of Scripture and sang a hymn in the Tamil language--the language used in that part of India. "Now I will tell you something of zenana visiting," she said. "Mrs. Thurston," said Ruth, "wont you please first tell us exactly what a zenana is?" Ruth knew herself, but she was afraid some of the others did not. "The word zenana," replied Mrs. Thurston, "strictly means women's apartment, but as it is generally used by us it means the houses of the high caste gentlemen, where their wives live in great seclusion. These high caste women very seldom go out, except occasionally to worship at some temple. They live, as we would say, at the back of the house, their windows never facing the street. Sometimes they have beautiful gardens and pleasant rooms, but often it is just the other way. They have few visitors and no male visitors at all, never seeing even their own brothers. The low caste women, though they lack many privileges the others have, yet have more freedom and are not secluded in this way." "I'd rather be low caste," said Marty. "You wouldn't rather be either if you knew all about it," said Miss Fanny. "In visiting the poorer people," Mrs. Thurston went on to say, "when I was seen to enter a house the neighbors all around would flock in, so that I could talk with several families at once. But in visiting a zenana I only saw the inhabitants of that one house. To be sure there was generally quite a crowd of them, for the rich gentlemen often have several wives. Then there would be the daughters-in-law, for the sons all bring their wives to their father's house. Then all these ladies have female servants to wait on them and who are constantly present, so altogether there would be quite a company." "I suppose they would be glad to see you," suggested Mrs. Ashford. "Oh, yes. They welcome any change, their lives are so dull." "What do they do with themselves all day long?" inquired Miss Fanny. "I suppose they don't work, as they have plenty of servants to do everything for them. They don't shop or market or visit. They have no lectures or concerts to attend. They are not educated, at least not many of them; and even if they could read, they have no books. Oh, what a life!" "What do they do, Mrs. Thurston?" Marty asked. "Well, they look over their clothes and jewels, spend a great deal of time every day in being bathed in their luxurious way, and being dressed. Then they lounge about, gossip, and quarrel a good deal, I suspect. They are very fond of hearing what is going on, and the servant who brings them the most news is the greatest favorite." "And that's the way so many women have lived for centuries!" sighed Ruth.