[41] There is a custom amongst the Hindoos that a married woman considers it no disgrace but rather an act of merit to eat the residue of her husband's meal in his absence; so great is the respect in which a husband is held, and so warm the sympathy existing between them. Even an elderly woman, the mother of five or six children, cheerfully partakes of the residue, as if it were the orts of gods. [42] It is a noteworthy fact that in contracting matrimonial alliances, some families placed in mediocre circumstances are satisfied with taking a certain sum of money in lieu of the presents mentioned, partly because the articles are mostly of a perishable nature, and partly because the making presents of money to numerous servants for their trouble and feeding them, is regarded more as a tax than anything else. They prefer utility to show. Even in such cases of verbal contract, the father of the bride must send at least thirty servants with presents, besides 100 or 150 Rupees in cash as is stipulated before. [43] In making the above imitations, Hindoo females exhibit an astonishing degree of skill and ingenuity which, if directed by the hand of an expert, is capable of still further improvement. Naturally and instinctively they evince a great aptitude for learning all sorts of handiwork. [44] It is perhaps not generally known that the dinner of a native, Hindoo or Mussulman, male or female, is not considered complete, until he chews his _pan beera_ or betel. The bridegroom after eating and washing his mouth chews his usual _pan_, and is asked to give a portion thereof to the bride; he hesitates at first, but consents at length to give it into the right hand of his elder brother's wife, who forcibly thrusts the same into the mouth of the bride, observing at the same time that their mutual repugnance on this score will soon be overcome when their incipient affection grows into true love. [45] _Jarawya_ jewellery is set in precious stones, the value of which it is not easy to estimate. [46] A Hindoo _Ayistree_ female, _i. e._, one whose husband is alive, whether young or old, is religiously forbidden to take off _balla_ (bangle) from her hands, if is a badge of _Ayistreeism_, even when dead red thread is substituted in the place of the _balla_, so great is the importance attached to it by _Ayistree_ females. When the _balla_ is not seen on the hand, it is called the _raur hatha_, or the hand of a widow, than which there could not be a more reproachful term.