Eurasians -- Fiction; India -- History -- British occupation, 1765-1947 -- Fiction
I portrayed his life, the nobility of his manhood, his devotion to
purity and truth, and then I told for the first time what he had done
for us in erecting our beautiful structure, and ornamenting our grounds,
and his heartfelt interest in the welfare of every one. In closing the
lessons of his life to us, I urged all, especially the younger men and
boys, by all the powers of their being, to imitate him, and make
themselves pure and noble.
His life, his purity, his kindness, and his beautiful death, made such
an impression upon every one, as never to be effaced, and he knows now
in part, and will know all in the great hereafter, the good he
accomplished, and his heaven and our heaven will have a brighter glory
for his having lived. In closing, I pointed to one of the mottoes as
most appropriate to him, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God.”
We erected a beautiful marble monument over his grave to be a perpetual
remembrance, and a daily lesson to all, of his life and character.
Mr. Jasper, as might have been expected, left all his books and many
mementoes to “Our Club,” besides quite a sum in government bonds for the
annual increase of the library, so his good deeds did not die with him.
Somehow, after this, the ties connecting me with India, seemed to have
been sundered. One thing that greatly added to this, was the destiny of
our children. I lived in perpetual dread, that if they remained in the
country, they might be humiliated, if not cursed, with the sneering
epithet: “The children of that Eurasian.” I was determined, if there was
a place on God’s earth, where they might escape this, I would try to
find it. This may seem to some a trivial matter, yet I could not help
feeling intensely about it, for I am very human after all. I have
suffered, only God knows how much agony, and how often, from being
taunted with that accursed name, more especially when it was uttered by
Christian gentlemen and ladies, from whom I might have expected better
things, so it ought not to appear strange to any one if I should wish to
save my own dear, innocent children from the degrading stigma of their
father’s birth.
It was decided that my wife, with the children, should make their
residence in southern France, where the mild climate was best suited to
them, on leaving the heat of India, and where she could superintend
their education, thus realizing in some degree the day dream of my
youth, inspired by the reading of a most delightful book, and which I
have given at the commencement of this sketch of my life.
After their departure, I sold all my property, except two villages,
which I placed in the hands of trustees, for the benefit of “Our Club,”
having first drawn up rules of control, so that the villagers should
never be oppressed. I left many of my books and pictures to the club, to
be for the good of the members, as well as a token of my regard for
them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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