Chandi and Kali

       Look well at these two strange figures, Chandi, the mother, accompanied by Kali, her own little baby. Did you ever see two more remarkable dolls? They have a very strange history that I think you would like to hear, and are exactly typical of the dolls with which the girl children in the great country of India play. It was scorchingly hot although it was only seven o'clock in the morning, but nothing like so hot as it would be later in the day, when all the Europeans have to remain indoors because of the sun. The mother of the little girl to whom the dolly belonged was little more than a child herself, and, of course, lived in the zenana, or women's part of the house, where there are swarms of children as well as other women. She herself did not do much for her little girl, because she had an ayah who nursed and tended her.

An Indian Native Doll Representing Mother and Child.

       This ayah moved very quietly, because she wore no shoes when in the house. That would be considered the most disrespectful thing she could do; although, when in the street, she wore loose goat hide slippers without heels. Her dress was of woven cotton, very soft in texture, and over the skirt she wore a tunic that hung to a depth of three to four inches below the waist-line. This tunic buttons in the front with three sets of buttons. Round her feet she had metal anklets which clanked together as she walked. Her hair was parted down the middle, drawn back tightly behind the ears, and fastened at the back into a tight knob without any hairpins.

       This ayah had but one thing to do, and that was to look after the little baby. As the baby lay in the ayah's arms, she laughed and crooned just as all the other little baby girls do when they are quite small, and then she slept and slept for long hours together. And it was while she slept that the ayah made the funny looking doll for her to play with, that you see in the photograph. The arms, body, and legs are made of the finest white cotton material, while the head is of some kind of skin, and all are stuffed quite firm and solid with odd rags. The faces are drawn on the skin, and a tiny nose stuck upon the face, so that quite a wonderful expression is given to this mother dolly. Then the baby was made in the same way, only, of course, on a much smaller scale. Tiny bead bangles were placed round the arms of both mother and baby, and then they were both ready to be dressed. All Hindoos love bright colors, and especially the babies; therefore very brilliant coloring was chosen for the dress. The long skirt was vivid mauve purple, with bands of tinsel silver between the color, and a broad band of similar silver tinsel round the bottom. The curious cloak shawl was made of the same material, as was the headdress, and in both cases the same band of silver ran round the edge.

       Well, one day, when the sweet baby grew older, she was playing in the zenana with Chandi, when a most wonderful thing happened that threw everyone into a flutter, for they were visited by a Christian missionary lady who could speak Hindustani. For days after she had gone the women and children talked of her, and wondered how soon she would come again. Did she come again? Oh, yes, and before very long too. It was a very great privilege for her, and before a month had passed she was back again, chatting as brightly as ever. And what do you think she brought with her? Ah, indeed you would never guess. A real English dolly, that she herself had dressed with English clothes, and that she put into the hands of the little Hindoo girl. Everyone was almost wild with excitement, and the girl-women, who lived in the zenana, were nearly as crazy about it as the child herself. Indeed, I think more so; for, you see, they were but little more than children too. How they did stare, and how they examined every article of this wonder-doll's dress! They crowded round and laughed and laughed, while each one examined her in turn. At last the missionary lady took her and replaced her in the little girl's arms, and, in return, asked if she might have Chandi and Kali to send to a little girl in her own far-off England. At first everybody said "No," and the ayah offered to make another new and very clean one in their place. But no! nothing would do but Chandi and Kali. She wanted a real Hindoo doll, that a Hindoo girl had played with. And so, at last, she got her way, and she took Chandi and Kali from the sweet little hand and placed the lovely English doll in its place, and the pair, Chandi and Kali, set out upon the great journey to England, where they arrived safely, and are looked upon as two of the most wonderful dolls in all the neighborhood where they live. A pair of real Hindoo dolls, taken from the small hand of a real Hindoo girl.

 Dolls in their national costumes: Collection by Poppentopper.