command European, most persons engage native
accountants as a matter of choice.

The same facility possessed by the working
classes in the imitation of European articles of
manufacture, is marked in their educated
countrymen by the reproduction of European
manners and ideas. The result is about equally
superficial in either case; but it is certain that
the new generation of Bengalees—Young
Bengal, as they are collectively called display
immense facility in the acquirement of both our
language and our literature. Their knowledge
is acquired mainly through their talent for
imitation; but it is sufficient to make a very fair
show either in conversation or writing. Its
depth may be estimated from the fact that they
learn the peculiarities of the language, almost
before they learn the language itself. Young
Bengal may blunder wofully in grammar, but he
will make use of the current phrases of the
day as if he had just stepped out of a London
club. If a member of parliament or a journalist
employs a phrase which catches the
public, Young Bengal will have it at his fingers'
ends before it has half gone the rounds of the
press. Thus he would tell you gravely during
the Crimean war that it was absolutely necessary
that we should have "the right man in the
right place;" also that a "dismounted dragoon
is about as effective as a swan on a turnpike-
road." An anticipated event he would describe
as "looming in the future;" and in a very short
time, I would lay a moderate wager, he will be
informing his European friends that the "bloated
armaments" which we maintain are more than
the public purse can bear. His handwriting is
another illustration of the imitative nature of
his talent. He may be guilty of a hundred
faults of orthography in a single letter, but that
letter will have nothing of the schoolboy about
it as far as appearance is concerned. The
handwriting will display a determined character,
such as he has observed in the caligraphy of
official men, and it is always sure to be what
people call "gentlemanlike" in its style. Some
Bengalees are of course more proficient than
others, both in conversation and in writing, but
even the most ignorant student of English will
be tolerably certain to have our mannerisms
thoroughly at his command.

Young Bengal, besides writing letters,
occasionally prints them. Nay, more. Besides
letters, he prints articles—literary articles,
political articles, articles upon every conceivable
subject, from some question of Hindoo theology,
to Lord Palmerston's last speech in the House,
or the Emperor Napoleon's last move in Europe.
Some of his prolusions are crude, others almost
incomprehensible, but they never fail to exhibit
a certain "knack" of falling in with English
forms and conventionalities of expression, which
indicate close if not acute observation. If the
editors of the local journals chose, they could
fill their columns with "leading articles"
contributed by Young Bengal. These are generally
written with due regard for journalistic
observances, but occasionally the writer betrays
himself as the lady did who undertook to edit a
newspaper, in opposition to another lady who
conducted a rival publication. The pair attacked
one another for some time in a strictly
parliamentary manner, contenting themselves with
such modes of expression as, "we differ from
our contemporary," "the writer is misinformed,"
&c. &c. Until at last one of the fair editors,
stung by some severe sarcasm, put forth a
rejoinder, in which she said, "This conceited puss
should be aware that," &c. &c. The mystery
hitherto observed was of course at an end; she
proclaimed her own sex and that of her rival.
In the same manner Young Bengal occasionally
forgets himself, and comes out with some gross
or grotesque image which marks the Asiatic
origin of the composition; but for the most part
he manages the disguise wonderfully well, and
is not much more misty in his style than the
British writer sometimes is himself.

Young Bengal, not content with talking and
writing English, and reading Shakspeare and
Milton in the original, has of late years taken
to eat beef and drink champagne and brandy-
panee, besides smoking Manilla cheroots. All
these proceedings are strictly contrary to his
religion, but he is not particular, and is fast
becoming too philosophical to have any
religion. For be it observed that although a bad
Hindoo he never shows any sign of becoming a
good Christian, or even a bad one—and the
policy of our rule does not permit the smallest
suggestion towards that object on the part of his
European teachers. This is a delicate subject,
however, and has nothing to do with the matter
in hand. "What I was coming to was this—
that Young Bengal, from talking, reading, and
writing English, has advanced so far as to eat
beef, drink champagne and brandy-panee, and
smoke Manilla cheroots, and further, that he has
of late years made an additional stride towards
Europe by wearing Wellington boots. It is
thus that he has become connected with the
"Great Shoe Question."

It is very likely that in his enthusiasm Young
Bengal would have adopted European costume
entirely, but for the inconvenience of the
arrangement. One can scarcely fancy a native of
India, who has been used to the perpetual
deshabille of Oriental costume, being fool enough
to make a finished toilette. Young Bengal, if
he tried the experiment, must have found it a
failure; for it is certain that he has addicted
himself to no article of European attire but the
boots. In these same boots he used to go
stamping about in public places, in a state of
great pride; but when he presented himself
thus equipped at Government House a
difficulty arose. So very ordinary a piece of
courtesy as the removal of the slippers in the
verandah, had never been omitted, and the
attendants saw no reason why the boots of Young
Bengal should lead to a breach of etiquette.
But how to get them off, was the difficulty.
There were no boot-jacks at hand, and if there
had been, it was felt that to produce them would
have rather a ridiculous effect. So, as Young