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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1933-11-16, Page 6i.•fa'i'r,,$+tsl THE SEAFORTH NEWS. 0.4....0111.1.440.00.4144.1611.1.116. !temple tts Tara ;and her mother met it in the full swell of the music. Usually the girl, and her' mother fell in behind, reverentially and calmly anti followed It es it .passed'r.qund, New, lhonever, the Shastree and his 'companions were amazed • to see Tara separate herself from "her mother, anld put herself.'. at the head of the'party, toss her arms into therairi and „loin in the,' hymn they were S1'll l,lil,�, leading them on more rapidly than they had /crowed before, The Shastree Marked that she ilsad bathed and that her 'wet garments chipped; as she went along. "She- is Aare," he thought; "sties has prepated herself 'and if 'the goddess wilt take her, it is her will There is something in this that cannot be stayed." The other Brahmans, ;stopped, still chanting, and looked to Vyas Shastree with wonder for some explanation which. was .quickly given, 'T'he god- eles's -spoke to her last night and veil, hat be repelled," he said. "Go on, do not stop her; let her do as She lists," No one ,bared stop her, or touch Tara. The height of excitement, or as they thought, inspiration, was in her eye. and that sweet face ;was lifted up ;vitt; a holy rapture. She seemed to fly rather than to walk, so completely had her feelings carried her ,forward;. and as she moved she looked' behind to those following, still chanting with them, her arms caved above her head and beckoning them onwards, They could not resist the influence. So they passed .on, round and around the tem- ple, still singing. Other anonnhng wor- shippers, attracted by the strange sight, joined them, or stood by wond- ering- until the hymn was ;finished. Then Tara, noticing no one, entered the porch of the temple rapidly, and advancing alone; knelt down before the door of th•e inner shrine in front of the image, and they watched her silently. 1Vhat did she see to cause that ear- nest look? The image Was familiar to all. The light of the lamps within shone out strongly on the kneeling fi- gure, shrouded in its wet clinging drapery, but hardly illuminated the gloomy space in the outer vestibule. around which the spectators arranged themselves reverentially. The ruby eyes of the goddess ;,littered with a weird brilliance from among the cloud of incense burning before her; and the fragraet smoke, issuing from the /door, wreathed itself about her forst and ascended to the roof, and hong abattt the pillars of the room. Those looking on almost expected the image would move; or speak, in greeting or in reprehension of the young votary, and the silence was be- coming almost oppressive when the girl's lips proved: "Tara is here before thee; what wouldst thou of her?" And she leant ,forward, swinging her body to and fro restlessly, and stretch - ng forth her 'hands, "Take me or leave me, but do not cast me away!" She could only repeat this sinnple pra- yer, for the yearning at her heart conic; 'find no other words; but her bo- som heaved as though it would burst the 'bodice, and her hands and aimss, with her whole frame, trembled viol- ently. "She is possessed, brother," said another .Wriest to her father. "What hall conte to 'her? When diel this happen?" "Peace," said her father, in a hoarse, whisper; 'disturb her not: let what will happen, even if she die She is it'd hands more e n owerful than outs, and we are helpless. O Tara, my child!' my^ child!" "Mother, dost thou hear? I will do' thy bidding," again murmured the girl. "Come, come; as thou wast in my dream. So come to Tara! Ah, yes, she cornes to me! Yes, goddess, 'I am with thee;" and stretching forth her arms, she sank clown on her .face, shuddering,. "Sete is dying; my child! earl!" shrr p cried her mother, frantically, who had been with difficulty restrained and ,vlho rushed fir rward. "Will none of ye help?" (ouch hrr not, .Anunrla," excbaim- e 1 her 'husband, holding Inc hack "this brooks no interference. 'Let her. lie and '10 as the goddess would wis:; her; this will pass away." So they ga- therer; round 'Cara and watched her. She was tranquil now, not shudder- ing: the fair round arms were stretch- ed out towards •the shrine, and the light fdl on the rippled glossy hair, which had escaped front the knot be- hind, and hong over her face and neck, shrouding them in its heavy waves, "Let us chant the 'hymn to the praise of. Door,gai" said the old Pon- (lit ut(lit who had before spoken; '"brothers, this is no ordinary occurrence. Many cnme and feign the divine afflatus, but there hath been nothing so strange as this in my -memory," and striking a .few chords on the vine he 'held itt his hand, the ;hymn, a strange, wild cadence --was begun. The sound filled the vaulted chamber, and was taken' up by those outside, who crowded to 'the entrance. Still she moved not, but lay tranquilly;' the full chorus of the nhen's voices and the clashing of the cymbals were not apparently heeded by her. AS it died away, there was a faint trirwe lint of the arms, and gra.- dually she raised herself to her ;hees, tossed back the 'hair •from her face', and Truly the whole corner of the plat- descended. They were possessed by eau is very beautiful, The quaint uld her: they spoke and prophesied when town hanging literally on the nioruh- they were full of her presence: and he tails edge: the deep gloomy ravine of dreaded then when the worshipped the the temple opening out to the larger power displayed. As 'Tara told hint one; the precipices and rugged hills her dream, and the service the god- tc the west and north, and the beauti- dess had asked, could it be real? Could fel undulating ,plain to the south, over his d anghter, as an inspired priestess, which the eye wanders as over a map ever speak before the image? That, for fifty miles or more, checkered however, must 1 e tried without de - with thriving villages and their with lay, and he hastened enure rapidly tields and gardens.—forst a ;striking than usual to the temple, having hid assembia:;e of objects, rfut the inter -;tet- follow when her mother was eat centres in the temple itself, with ready. its gilded spires and 'picturesque Tie arrived as the ceremonies of ''rottps of buildings, as well as the bathing and dressing the image were strange effect in the position in which being perforated by the inferior it hrr rasa loace.1, attesting, no doubt priestitcod and, these concluded, the in tile a;onion of the pep''ple—if there morning service began. We :seed not were any question nn the subject, the detail it—the decking of the altar with truth, of tite legend. flowers, the marking of the forehead It 1111 be understood from the fore- ,,f the image with the sacred colors, gain_, thin the town is situated con- the offerings of daily fond and sacred siderably 'ihiive the temple, and part elements with flowers and the singing of it on the level ground of the plat- of mystic hymns, Vyas Shastree was eau or plain, The Shastree's house speedily joined by other Brahmuns toes on the cage e.f the crest of the and priests, and bare -headed, naked around, 1 .nk,n; to the south over the to the waist, carrying the sacred fire rttv'r <• to temple, the ciilfs, and zn 1 -sacrificial offerings, and chanting a a r,iem of the town beycnlil, across hymns with the accompaniment of the small plain which lay between the clashing cymbals and lutes. Thus the edge of the temple ravine and the procession was passing round and iirec oitoas side of tite mountain, and round the temple, and the simple but thence ,ser the plain which, in the far strange melody rising and 'falling distance, minirle l with the sky. To=nhidst the buildings, trees and cliffs, tits saute—east the line of hills was and filling the ravine with sound, as rugged and brken, descending. by Tara and her ntather gained the outer steep -scar into the lower plain; but :ate, and 'began to descend the steps from its edge, all round to the n,rrrlt,shich led to the lower court. the eye f i!', 0! a fair, rich country, Ordinarily they did not bathe in the pitaa ea:tear's, c„cored wills grain- sacred cistern where, from the carved fields through which the small rivet -I s: - t”: cow's mouth, the stream of the 11 .r e, her, only a 'brook, pursued a holy spring .gnshe:d sparkling into the (pude: course down among the town %t -n; but Tara paused as they passed gardens. ,;gain to the north and west, it She had felt more and more excit-I lunl. ng into tool across the large wild al as they neared the temple, and the; ravine, were he precipices of the ;Rata melody of the hymn and the clashing/ Durra, and the rugged basalt hills ,,t the cymbals, as they 'came up to -1 heynh i them S,, wherever you turn- Kether through the trees in the stall: cd, it was a ,.lir or wild scene alters -.air halt added to the effect already! ately; and standing upon tile terrace Pr, ducerl in her mind by her dream, ,'f the s'tastre house, or sitting its "Mother," site said, hesitatingly— a small t,t•,ntttcr whi-11 had been built "mother, ought I not to bathe here? iter a the corner rooms, you Can I go int° the presence, even with; could see all that has teen told; and the arnlents on 105, after what the very beautiful 1 was, r these said last night? They should, The Shastree had travelled in his be wet and pure," pilgrimages all over India: He had It 1 to cold for thee, my child,"1 teen wilder rind g,rander scenes per- replied .lttuuda. "Colne, Tara, come /taps, but none pleasanter to live in, n, the hymn will he finished ere We than this tiro; breezy, healthful moun- tain town, enhanced by the presence of one of the holiest shrines in the country. Here he most bear Itis fortune calmly; and though his iseces- sity urger; the change we have alluded "The spirit of the goddess is with to, he never issued from his door and her truly," thought the mother. "Go, looked over the fair prusnect about t•ara, it may rriresh thee," she said; /tint or performed the sacrificial dire- "and there are dt-y c!'the> 10 the tem - monies at the temple, niihont being Pia. Go,be quick, my child!' strengthened in ;tip desire to live and The girl descended the steps into die here; ::inti therefcive the struggle the lilitt, arid, turning to the east, fat rc ar1 to las slaughter n -is the P7,tired libations from her hands to more bitter. nc is ur rl iarton-s o1 the earth; then That morning lie had risen un- refrc tett his sleep had bosh restless. 5:tmc t!.in s in as ei the honks he had iseen gatilaining to Tara its the even- ing had ibr"unght up the subject of 11 51 l :ntri Is c,nsegttettncs and abligeoi "t d the 111a,g- of his soir 11111; p-htre hrid hrett disco -sett smith aitch grief and misery to ail. Phere scented to he no evasion of thein a, shote—the rites most he ful- filled; and he had 'agaits spoken of Genares, and Tara had sitnply and meekly given herself into his hands, and prostrated herself before huh- and her n'ther in submission, She was no doubt excited; and Inc'first commun- ication in the 'morning startled chin exceedingly, The 'S'ha•stree 'believed, :not lovingly perhaps, but in deprecation of wrath; while his rife and daughter saw in their goddess enough to fill their hearts with practical faith iu, and re- liance upon, her power over their des- tinies. To her, both had addressed. their vows and daily supplications, 'very simply and earnestly, for this devotion of their lives was all they could give, if (heir prayers were granted, What wonder then, that. Tara's vi- sion agitated ;him? The Shastree knew, of malty women On whom the spirit of the goddess in divine afflatus had tau join—conte." No, mother, I am hot—burning; something' urges me to the well, ,and I caanat resist it. Mother, must he pure before the shrine. May I go?" tin three ;triht;nns to the sun, saying , hymn from the Veda. Then llas, rl her, prayer to the goddess. Thin site steppe,' forth from the basin :ter .ilk garment cli=aging to lier sweet ;ors, milt revealing its perfect propor- t-: et . more than the innate modesty of her mind permitted; hastily, there- fore. she shook h free from 'her 'limbs s'l hi' her :neither wrung the -water from the Bids. "I am ready now;" she said simply; "come, mother, I will go to cher pure, amd sit before her: If she wants Tara she will speak, Come!" IIer mother had observed her glis- tening eye and glowing Cheek, which even the chill of the water slid not subdue, and seeing the expression of her face, as she ascended from the ba- sin, was changed from its habitual sadness t o .one of excite<l triumph, she caught the infection herself, and seized Tara by the hand, "Come," ale cried, ' Jey ,Kalee," "Viotory to Kalea!" ;And so they descended the steps nitre rapidly, while the nttisic r1 the h ym'n' and the clash of the deep -toned cymbals r es o u n de d through the lower court, and seemed to be echoed and repeated in the cliffs and buildingsaboveand around them, ,The procession o f E'rahmms and asir:ts was turning the corner of the 'neck, whit;/ fell over her slzoti'hlers and, back, and looked tiround. her wild- ly for a mainent; then, seeing her, mo- ther, -;she leaded towards her as she advanced, attcl,: stretching forthher arms' and clasping her: knees, liid her• fate: -lin •het• garnient arid sobben1 coie- vulsively. "My, child, :I ant here; I anti with thse," said sAnuoda, sthplpoiting,,' her, etre; herself sobbing hystetcally, "Spelain, what is it? ,What hast,'''thott seen?. My claughter, my sweet otie, O speak' to tis;"' "Water, mother, water I my throat is parched! I catiitot speal'c, Is She gone" "Who, Tara?" ; f; "The godldess; she awes whit '.nse— she entered' into rte, 0 ntotlter, what can I do? 'Where ant J?" "Ilere 1s water for thee, Tara; drist.k,,, ,She tried to do so, but gasped at every attempl; at last she swallowed a little, and was relieved. ";She was not angry, mother," she said, whiling: "'D ei you not hear her speak? What did 1.answer?" "No, my .clsilcd," said her .father; "thou 'went silent, and we feared the goddess had taken thy spirit; but thou liveet, and we are grateful," Tara turned to her father with au imploring look for silence, and again, but stow calmly, prostrated herself be- fore the iurage, while the brilliant ruby eyes seemed, to those who be- held tlsetes, to „glow still more brightly through the smoke oaf the incense. Iu a low prayer she c•onrntitted her- self to the goddess. Then she arose and continued to hint: "Cotsse, father, behold I ant calm now." "She is accepted, 'brethren," said the old priest, turning to the others; "let us do her honour; with no life for the world, let her widowhood remain in the \fother's keeping: she .has cho- sen her, let no man gainsay it. Come, daughter, let me stark tltee as .she would have it done," and entering the shrine, he took several of the gar- land, from the heck of the image, and a small vessel containing water i15 which were the leaves of the sacred luolsee; :dipping his finger into which he ,gently sprinkled some on her head, on which he placed his hands as he said the incantation which denoted the presence of the divinity. 'Then he hung the ,garlands ;shout her neck, and the :Fragrant ret; powder of the morn- ing sacrifice being handed to frim, he drew some gently across her fore- head and bade her stand up. "Jey Tool'jai" "Victory to Toolja!" was shouted by the attendant priests and worshippers, "Victory to the goddess!" Victory to her votary!" "Let us have a procession!" "Let us go with her!" cried all around: "Ah, no, friends," said the girl, ris- ing modestly; "ye see but a poor Ihelpless child who was in grief, :and whom the goddess has comforted, I!Leave rte! Let .the go! !I would go home, Mother, take nue horse! Father, do thou conte with me!" "It may not be, daughter," said the old 'priest kindly; "we must neglect nothing, else it were dangerous for thee and for us, Bring a palkee," he shouted to the attendants "and get the music ready, and flowers, too, and offerings for the Pap -nags Ye,, broth- er," Ile continued to her father, 'for once I usurp thy office; thou l:now'est what is needed. Come, let us not de- lay" Tara looked imploringly at her fa -I titer, she would fain ;have escaped the ;public procession if she could, 'She' only wanted now to get home tuhpet I ceivetl, and to ;tide herself in her chamber, What had she done to be sn, honored—to be so noticed? "It must bc, sty child," he said; "this cannot be begun and abauclo'ned, tet not thy heart fail thee; tdhe goddess •rill be with thee: Come! Tara yielded: she bent reverently before. the old priest, and touched his feet, then her father's and going rounds the d1]]ralhnups assembled she diad the satire; last of all her mother's, who was s Gtliing, yet not ist sorrow "Curse, she said, "I an ready; do with ole as ye list. Ye are my elders, and I )obey," 01-1APTER TV So they led Tara forth and placed her ill the open palankeen, and, as they decked her with flowers and strewed garlands over its canopy, the 'temple music struck up a joyous mar- riage measure. Then, as the' bearer moved ;gently forward, her father and mother holding the sides of ,the litter, the priests arranged themselves on all sides of it, and began another solemn chant of victory to the goddess. ,By this time, news of the event had passed on into the town, and it was. the hour when all the people were astir. -Tien and women, collected in groups, heard strange (ales of how the goddess had appeared to Tara and 'talcen her away to he;a'vant again, that s'hc 'hart died before that shrine, and they were bringing away her body. The general conviction was that she had died,- and many women, collected in knots, were weeping- bitterly, and beating their breasts. But as .the trum- pets and conchs blew e sedlden and quivering blast: and the glen music ryas h,earrlwith the chant /now ridocr.; nor falling. as the Procession slowly ascended the step, ,and traversed the court ,—and ,at last, as it emerged from the gateway' and entered •the broad street which :led to the centre of the town,—the pwpular 'enthusiasm ;chew tio'hotutds. "Joy Toolijalt "Joy, Bales; 'rBomel Boixte1' the';ttntes of victory.�- were taken up from those Who led procession, "'leaping ;and shooting:' -Many rum inc.incense or for;g'arlands; men and tvoinett thronged froni street sia'rl alley, and •joined the proc'e'ssion ft Moved, up; others,, stood upon the terraces. of "their ;roasts aind' Waved garments or hanldlce'rchjefs, or !lung out cloths front the• balconies atld- w'itidows "tJ�ay '1"ooiljal'a:13-'11%3'W "Joy13how- attil" shouted all who eame:IP ingittms; front• the /:Ganges, . Sunniasis holding ;aloft their withered amts; Gosaees with their orange clothes etini matted locks, strange, wild,, eerie folic,—issued. from archways where they had slept,. or vaults w'h'ere they had lodged; and still the crowed swelled; and the e!toint- i'itg and throttgh all, and over all, the solemn chant and the hoarse and shrill quivering' notes of ,the trumpets. IFew- ;knew w•lsy this was, .but the procession advanced out of the Stemple gate, se it belonged to it; and as the girl passed, seated calmly avow M. .her litter, fioWers were cast on her, in- cense was burned before her, and fra- grant 'powder thrown over ;her, with blessings. Her old'friends, the flower - sellers, emptied their morning baskets of 'jessamine over her, and touched her feet reverently; and the old con- fectioner; who had always kept a sweet morsel for his young .friend, 'threw showers of comfits upon her litter, and in his excitenl'ent generous- ly flung the contents .of his baskets among the crowd, So they passed on, through the eas- tern gate, and over tate plain which led to the fPap-has temple, and the sun was now rising over the ;distant purple ;hills in great glory among gorgeous golden clouds. IAs the first beams fell upon the procession, the priests changed their hymn to that in adore - tion of the Sun, ,from the Vedas, and the 'neottle stili shouted the cry of the :goddess, or joined in the hymn of , the priests. till the small temple was reached. The ceremonies there were brief and, simple. Tara bathed in the sin.'cleans- i'ng basin, but site would not change .her wet garments, still'resisting her mother. Once more were holy tests and incantations said over her by all the priests collectively; and for the last time they led her round and round the little shrine and court of the spring, chanting a hynoe of praise; her :father leading, but snbmittiug to the old priest, who .has already been sten tioned, It was finished, and her new life 'began. The excitement which had possessed her and carried her on tyaS already passing away, and giving place to a sick weariness and irrepres- sible languor, which not only her face Out her limbs expressed. "She will need careful 'tending for a long time, brother," said the old priest to her father. "Give her a cool- ing drink of toolsee attd tamarinds, sweetened with honey; put 'her into dry clothes anal let her rest quietly• she may not even speak for many days; for so I have known it, Let us take her ;home," "I ant thankful to ye all, friends and brethren, said the Shastree. touch affected. 'This manifestation bath filled me with many cares, for we ware not votaries of the goddess. Now she hath conte into the house, and the service site exacts 1 rigid,' and w -e will obey and do her will, If ye will ;depart and leave us, take my bless- ing'." "Nay, say not so," cried all who were near. "Let us take her hone; and in honour and duty lot this rite be finished." So the procession was again firmed, and in the name order that it had reached She temple, it ag- ain returned to the town -gate, and wound through the streets, thronged with tnrints gazers, to the :door of the Slip ace's bonne where the priests and Bra!intuns were dismissed with thanks and those only remained who were specially bidden to do so. 'Cara's exhaustion !sad ;been increas- ing since the ceremony- was conclud- ed; and the wet garments about her, which had not been felt while the ex:then-tent lasted, now struck a chill into her which even dry clothes, cast over Ise:- by her mother, dirt not re-. prove. 'She could not speak, and cottid hardly move from the litter as it was set 1 and, whew simoorted by hen mother and the servants, she reached the 'inner apartment, she sant: helplessly in .her mother's arms. But she was now in gentle, careful hands and at rest; and though she ,diol not speak as yet:, her grateful looks ere long expressed all the censciausness lier mother bodged to see. Site had ever after only a confit;sed recollection of what had occurred: anis even as they came home there was a vacancy in .her look which had seriously alarmed her parents. . Her father could remember many such vo- 'taxies, in :whom the light of reason had been utterly quenched, and he trembled for his slaughter. We can scentrnt For the occurrence by ration- al emise, a long -continued mental es'ni enteo't andsuppressed! care brought on by the nature Of her Own THURSDAY, NOVEMiBER 16, 1933 PROFESSIONAL CARDS Medical J?R, H,: HUGH ROSS, Physician and Surgeon, Late' of Loddon Hos' pita;, London, . England, Special. .attention, to diseases of the' eye,'arta•, nose and throat, Office• and roe- dente behind 'Daminiott Bank. Of ice ercial• Rotel, Seaforth, 3rd; Monday in Phone No, 5; .R'esidencc Phone lt'r4:, 'DR, F. J. BURROWS, Seaforth,/ Office and residence, Goderich street, east ,of the United Cheerdi. Corroder for the County of Huron. 'Telephone' DR. F. J. R.'FORSTER-sEye, Ear Nose and Throat: Graduate in Medi- cine, University of Toronto "187. Late Assistant New York Olhbhal-, mit and Aural Institute, Moorefield'ei Eye, and Golden Square throat hoepd- tals, London, England, At Corium, ercial iH:otel, :Seaforth, 3rd Monday in each month, from 11 a.m. to 3 pies, DIR. W. C. SBR1OAT,—Graduate of Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London. Member of College of Physicians and Sar- geons of Ontario. Office in rear of Aberhart's drug store, Seaforth. Phone 90. I•i'ours 1.30-4 p.m,, 7.30 -9 p.m, Other hours by appointment. Dental DR. J. A. MLnNN, Successor to Dr, R. R. Ross, graduate of North- western. University, Chicago, Ill. Li- centiate Royal College of Dental Sur- geons, Toronto. Office over Sill' hardware, Main St., Seaforth. Phone 151. DR. F. J. BECH'ELY, graduate Royal College of Dental Surgeons, Toronto. Office over W. R, Smith's grocery, Main St., Seaforth. Phones, '411 4' office 185W, residence 1854, Auctioneer. GEORGIE ELLIOTT, Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron, 'Arrangements can be made for Sale Date at The Seaforth News. Charges 'moderate and satisfaction guranteed. WATSON AND REID REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE AGENCY (Succssors to James 'Watson) MA'I'N ST„ SEAFORTH, ONT, All kinds of Insurance risks effect- ed at lowest rates in First -Class Companies. THE McKILLOP c 1 Fire Insurance Co. HEAD OFFICE—SEAFORTH, Ont OFFICERS Geo. R, McCartney, Seaforth - Pres. James Connolly, Goderich - Vice -Pres. Merton A, Reid, Seaforth 'Sec, - Treas. AGENTS: W. E. Hineltley, Seaforth; John Murray, R. R. 3, Seaforth; E. R. G. Jarmouth, Brodhagen; James Watt, 131yt'h; C. F, Hewitt, Kincardine; Wm. Yeo, H'almesville. DIRECTORS: William Knox, I.onctesboro; George Leonhardt, Brodhagett; James Con= nolly, Goderich; Alex, Broadfoot, No, 3, Seaforth; Robert Ferris, Blyth; George McCartney, No. 3, Seaforth; John Pepper, Brucofielc1; James Shot - dice, Walton; Thomas Moylan, No, 5, Seaforth, Parties desirous to effect insurance or transact other business will be promptly attended to by applications to any of the above named officers ad- dressed to their respective post offices, 'belief in, to her, that goddess of dreaei ,power, yet of sympathy with human t'eq.uimtanents,-wand its hysterical ef- fect; but to leer father, and more so to her .mother, as also to all the priests of the tempe and people o•f ,the town, it was a ma'rt'ifetetation of the divine interest, and a claiming of the girl for her own peculiar .set'vioe, We wiiii not fol'i'o'w the conference between the 'Shastree and his friends, which related to the cere'ntotiies to be performed and s'acriiflces to 'be offer- ed: nothing must he neglected. One of ,them was the resident agent of the spiritual' prince before alluded to, who had only a few :clays before de- livered the .friendly -yearning, now, un- 13e'act ed, "The ltotlter Bath seated the matter herself, :fi•ientls,"" he swirl, "and no one can resist it; we will' Continued Next Weelt