THE BRAHMIN'S BABOUCHES.

[PRICE 13d.

to flatter his pride and gladden his eye. The figure of a lotus was sketched in chalk upon the threshold; a garland of freshly-plucked flowers hung above the door, decorating the statue of Ganessa, an idol with the head of an elephant, worshipped by the brahmins as the god of wisdom. Indeed, the sanctuary of a pagoda could not have been more fitly watered than the interior of this mysterious habitation; and each time that Nilakantha entered, he recognised the presence and devoted care of his daughter.

IN a village not far from Bombay, in the little island of Salsette, which has been rendered famous by its subterranean temples, lived a brahmin, named Nilakantha. The performance of the services of a pagoda, whose revenues sufficed for his support; the study of sacred texts, meditation, and ecstatic reveries, occupied his days. Less than any one did he doubt of his own virtues, and the authority of his word over the low-caste Hindoos whose offerings he received. Unfortunately for him, some missionaries took up their quarters in his neighbourhood; and the church bell gradually drew away a considerable part of the flock of the brahmin, who found himself left alone at the feet of his idols. Ruined by the desertion of the faithful, Nilakantha at first threatened them with the anger of the gods, and then determined to seek some other course of life. Among the professions which the laws of his caste permitted him to embrace, he chose that of a clerk or writer. A rich baboo, who hated the Europeans, and lent them money at high interest, offered him a post in his establishment. Hence it was that Nilakantha transported his household gods to one of the villages which environ the great city of Bombay.

Brought up in the prejudices of her caste, Roukminie, the brahmin's daughter, considered herself as belonging to a race little inferior to that of the gods, very superior to that of men. She had not even a look of curiosity to bestow on the elegant caleches which sometimes passed through the village, carrying the wealthy English residents of Bombay to their elegant villas; or on the young turbaned Persians who sought in vain to catch her eye. To draw water daily from the consecrated ponds, to chat for a few moments at the brink of the fountain with her youthful companions, then to return grave and haughty to her household affairs, which she considered as so many acts of piety; such was the constant occupation of her days. In the evening she put on her richest attire to sit in the portico with her father, who after ablutions to cleanse away the defilements of the day, composed himself to meditate in an attitude of repose.

This monotonous existence neither wearied the brahmin nor tired the daughter: they dreamt of no other. The distant murmurs of the European city made no more impression on them than the waves on the shore. One evening as they were seated in the accustomed spot, en

Resigned to his fate, and exact in fulfilling his duty, the brahmin sat upon his heels between two cushions, fronting the divan occupied by the baboo; there he passed the half of each day inscribing figures with his reed-pen on the palm-leaves that served as an account book; but as soon as the hour of rest arrived, he drew himself up to his full height. The humble writer, again a brahmin, traversed with dignity the courts and nume-joying the cooling breeze, two horsemen rode through the rous galleries, which gave the aspect of a palace to the village. They were foreigners, the one darkened by the baboo's residence. In the streets, crowded with palan- sun of India, the other yet fresh-looking and rosy as quins, swift coaches, and heavy waggons, he walked with one just landed, and scarcely six months from England. half-closed eyes, umbrella on shoulder, the waving folds of Mounted on handsome horses of Persian breed, they his tunic floating round his knees, and trailing his ba-paced slowly along the sinuous route among the fields bouches (slippers) with that disdainful slowness, that and gardens, overshadowed by mangoes and bananas. At affected nonchalance, which in an Asiatic, betrays the a turn in the path, a large fig-tree, of the multiplying proud sense of his own worth. In proportion as he left species, let fall a whole forest of slender roots, which the city behind, his visage cleared; the freedom, the fresh sought to implant themselves in the earth. Behind this sea breeze, the flood of light, all reminded him of the verdant screen was concealed the house of the brahmin, influence of that Nature held so sacred by the Hindoos; so that the riders came upon it unexpectedly. and thus filled with high thoughts, he approached his dwelliug, where an attentive hand had disposed everything

"Look, Sir Edward," cried the younger of the two, stopping his horse, "those two personages there make a

strange contrast. You would believe them to be an owl and a bird of paradise perched on the same branch. Faith! I would give ten guineas to have the portrait of that pretty Hindoo in my album.”

Sir Edward reined up while his companion continued his observations; at length he replied-

"Come Arthur, no gossiping on the road, let us get back, it is the hour for the music on the esplanade." "But I want to see this charming creature make some movement. What a singular costume! A single piece of linen round the body, and strings of knick-knacks from head to foot!"

The young girl, impatient of the speaker's fixed gaze, started up and fled into the house.

the large fans suspended over the heads of the guests,
and dozed in corners of the apartment, a coolie suddenly
entered, bearing a neatly-enveloped packet addressed to
Sir Edward.

"From whom do you bring it?"

"Maaloum nahin, sahib. I know nothing about it, Sir," replied the messenger, with a salaam, and disappeared.

Sir Edward half opened the packet, and perceived that it contained the slippers which with his own hand he had placed on the brahmin's head. He reclosed it hastily, with a look at Arthur that seemed to say, "Why did you drive me to commit this folly?" All the guests overwhelmed him with questions to know what the mysterious parcel contained, but he contented himself with answering "It is a farewell present from a Hindoo of my acquaintance."

"Bravo!" exclaimed Arthur, “she leaps like a doe; the copper rings tinkle on her legs like the bells on a dancing girl's tambourine. And this old dreamer, is he under a vow to remain there until the day of judgment? The next day, Sir Edward, having sent on his heavy bagI won't leave this without waking him from his reverie.gage, left the Island of Bombay in a boat for the mainland, Eh; brahmin, brahmin ;" and the thoughtless youth be- where his horses and attendants awaited him. At the gan to shout in the ears of the impassible Hindoo. moment of quitting the shore, a Hindoo penitent, one of "Do you not see that he is in a state of ecstasy, and those known by the name of sanniassy came up; his hair nothing in the world will rouse him from his meditation?" was in disorder, his finger-nails long and bent like a vulinterrupted Sir Edward, "your conduct has only excited ture's claws, and his half-naked body smeared with ashes. his self-esteem as a devotee; and you may be certain he Upon his back he carried a copper vase, under his arm will not stir." And then as the young man, excited the skin of an antelope, and a stick in his hand formed with the frolic, shook his whip in the brahmin's face, of three branches twisted together as serpents, emblehe continued impatiently, "Wait, if you must, absolutely matic of the Hindoo triad; his eyes glowing with ecstatic I shall have recourse to a grand measure. I know an furor, darted lightnings. The sanniassy, standing in infallible one that will drive the most patient, the holiest front of Sir Edward, addressed him in a paternal tone, of these hypocritical personages quite beside themselves: which contrasted strangely with the menacing expression let us see if it will succeed." of his features, uttering a valedictory formula often employed by the poets-" Go, my son, go where thy desires summon thee, and may the paths be pleasant unto thee." Sir Edward, without appearing to see or hear him, gave orders to set sail; the boat leant over upon the waters and glided lightly towards the coast. The sailors turned their looks frequently to the shore they were leaving; and pointed out to each other the sanniassy still standing in the same spot, seeming at last but a black spot on the sand; and, when this disappeared, they pronounced in a

Sir Edward had dismounted while speaking; he then took up delicately, with his gloved hand, the babouches which the brahmin had placed near the door, and laid them on his head, immediately over the tilak or triple line of red and blue which ornamented his forehead. Nilakantha did not move; but the young girl, who had kept herself concealed in a corner of the house, gave a piercing cry. The two riders went off at a rapid trot, Sir Edward somewhat vexed at having touched in vain the old foot-coverings of the brahmin, and Arthur laugh-low tone the name of Nilakantha. ing at the fun and his friend's disappointment. At a turn in the road, they looked back; but a group of labourers returning from work prevented their seeing whether the Hindoo still bore the babouches on his head.

Mingled with the gay residents of Bombay, the young men speedily forgot the incident; riding parties into the country and boating parties on the sea occupied their time agreeably. On one occasion, however, as the adventure recurred to Arthur's memory, he laughingly related it, but suppressing the names of the actors.

"Don't laugh," rejoined one of the gentlemen, who, advanced in years, sought to impart a paternal tone to his words, "the joke was rather too strong. The European of whom you speak has inflicted an irreparable injury on the brahmin. The Hindoo is degraded, he has lost caste from the foul contact of an unclean object which has defiled his forehead; he will hardly survive the disgrace, and probably not without taking vengeance."

'Perhaps, a duel?" asked Arthur, with a smile. "A duel, if you like, but one in which the choice and advantage of arms will be altogether on the side of the native. However, if the affront which he received did not take place in the presence of other witnesses than Europeans, it is possible be may not attach great importance For my part, I would not trust to that: a brahmin never forgives an insult."

to it.

Thus the winter passed: Sir Edward was about to set out for Bengal, whither the prospect of elephant and tiger hunting allured him. The eve of his departure, he dined with a party of friends, Arthur among the number. Towards the close of the repast, when the servants had withdrawn, or, overcome with fatigue, ceased to swing

Their

It was a long journey to Bengal; but provided with
everything that could contribute to pleasure or conve
nience, Sir Edward performed it in leisurely marches.
Two-thirds of the route were passed, when he fell in
with a party of officers coming from Madras.
tents were pitched a short distance from the road; Sir
Edward camped near them; and several days of agree-
able intercourse and sport interrupted agreeably the
monotony of travel. One evening as each one was
boasting of the quality of his horses, it was agreed to
extemporize a race, and the situation was so favour-
able, that the proposal was received with acclamation.
Among Sir Edward's horses was an Arabian, his pride
and glory, with which he felt assured of an easy victory,
and flushed with hope he accepted every bet that was
offered. At last, the hour arrived: the tents ranged at
one extremity of the plain, recalled the elegant pavilions
of European race-courses. Flags floated in the breeze;
while sepoys, armed with lances, and placed at regular
intervals, marked the course. A ruined pagoda half-
hidden by fig-trees, was fixed upon as the turning-point
of the farther extremity.

At the given signal, the horses dashed impetuously
along the route: Sir Edward, who at the first round had
taken the lead, felt his steed tremble while passing the
pagoda, but without being able in the rapid movement
to distinguish what had alarmed the animal. At the second
round he was careful to look betimes to the interior of
the old temple; he saw nothing but a black statue
with eight arms; the horse however stumbled slightly.
At the last round, the hindmost riders redoubled
their efforts; as for the leader, it was a settled point to

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conquer; he had now only to reach the goal well in advance of his rivals. Sir Edward regarded the double success as certain; he was passing the pagoda for the third time, when a fragment of the statue, thrown with violence, struck his horse between the eyes. The animal reared suddenly, missed footing, and rolled over in the dust.

The victory was lost. Sir Edward, mad with rage, rose hurriedly and ran to the pagoda. He found nothing but the motionless statue, which seemed to look at him with surprise; and, on examining it attentively, he observed that a portion of one of the hands was missing. In the first moment of anger he felt tempted to blow the head off with a pistol shot; but recovered himself on thinking that this useless vengeance would render the humiliation of his defeat ridiculous. His favourite horse was for ever incapacitated from service, and his own arm was sprained. To console him, the officers mentioned many cases of difficulty that had occurred with Arabian horses in India As for the stone being thrown by an invisible hand, the discomfited baronet said nothing about it; he would have been laughed at as a visionary.

The next day, Sir Edward, with his arm in a sling, resumed his route, greatly chagrined at the check he had received. As he paced slowly up a hill, not far from the halting place, the sound of conch shells announced a Hindoo ceremony. Men, women, and children, were hastening towards a spot where devotees, intoxicated with opium, were walking barefoot on red-hot coals. Near the fire rose a tall post, to the top of which a long pole was attached in equilibrium; and at the moment the baronet's cortége was passing, a sanniassy, suspended himself to one end of the pole by a hook through the muscles of his back. At a signal, which he himself gave, twenty pairs of arms bearing on the other end, raised the devotee into the air. He twisted and contorted himself with marvellous rapidity; then, as a hovering bird, he swayed gently from right to left, throwing down flowers on the astounded multitude beneath. The blood streamed down his back, and, as Sir Edward came near, the sanniassy looked fixedly at him, with an air at once triumphant and inspired, and flung to the traveller a newlyblown branch of asclepias, at the same time calling out, "Go, my son, go where thy desires summon thee, and may the paths be pleasant unto thee." An involuntary shudder seized the baronet as the words came to his

ear.

cessary for the service of the floating habitation; all the preparations being made with that punctuality and exactitude which render Indian life so pleasant and so easy, that one is tempted to command for the simple pleasure of being obeyed. Most frequently the newly-married pair sailed up the stream beyond Calcutta to enjoy the view of the scenery, which the farther you proceed into the interior becomes more varied and picturesque. Sometimes they went down towards the sea, to view the distant waves repulsed by the current of the river, while they sat on the deck of the bholia which floated peacefully in calm water.

One evening Sir Edward had descended the stream as usual; the moon rose resplendent and pure upon the sky, still glowing with the rays of the setting sun. His young wife, leaning upon her arm, looked over the side of the vessel, her long dark hair floating carelessly in the breeze, and abandoned herself to a reverie, while watching the agitation of the water beneath the strokes of the rowers.

"What are you gazing at so steadfastly, dearest Augusta?" asked her husband, coming towards her.

"I am looking at these waves,' she answered, calmly, "which speed to the ocean, as life flows towards eternity.” "that

"And do you not find," rejoined Sir Edward, there are in this life, which many so imprecate, days, at least moments, when we feel too happy to desire anything beyond? What a splendid night! Look at those gigantic fig-trees which bend down their thirsty branches to the water, those slender palms displaying their dark crowns against the sky. Ah! Augusta, in our cold climates we have no days which can be compared to nights in the tropics; the European sky has neither this transparence nor depth. The stars seem to expand as so many flowers upon the serene vault; one would say it is from them that this cool odour comes to the earth."

"Edward," replied the lady, "that reminds me of having forgotten the beautiful flowers you brought me this evening."

"I thought of them for you," answered the baronet, clapping his hands.

A Hindoo domestic appeared on the deck, bearing a large China vase filled with flowers of the most magnificient splendour.

"Thanks, thanks!" cried Augusta, bending towards the colossal bouquet, the perfume of which seemed as it were suddenly to electrify her; "now nothing is wanting to the beauty of the scene which surrounds us. Let us sail more slowly, and prolong, if it be possible, these charming hours which have all the sweetness of a dream!

The

Months went past after Sir Edward's arrival at Calcutta, where he tasted the pleasures offered by the East to favourites of fortune. At last he gave up brilliant routes and hazardous hunts for the joys of domestic life he married. The young girl on whom his choice fell was born in India, of English parents; in her, were united the delicate graces of the north with the At a sign from Sir Edward, the rowers drew in their severest beauty of the Asiatic type. The burning climate oars, leaving the bholia to drift with the current. of Bengal, which had impressed a soft languor on her jackals began their howlings along the banks of the features, seemed to have developed rather than subdued river; now silent for a moment, then recommencing their the energy of her character. In her might be recog-interrupted yelp, which at times resembles the painful nised one of those courageous and romantic women, who cry of distress. Water-fowl disturbed by the lights in give themselves up without fear to the rapid gallop of a the vessel's lanterns, flew hastily under the low branches freakish horse, or the caprices of a menacing sea; and of the overhanging trees, the rapid flapping of their wings who rashly front perils and emotions, but without for sounding strangely in the silence of the hour. Here and getting that their flights of passion are not to be exhibited there little skiffs anchored at the end of narrow coves in presence of the world. The baronet, who loved her floated quietly under their half-furled sails. Leaning on tenderly, retired with her to a handsome house on the the arm of her husband, Augusta walked for a time on banks of the Ganges. the deck; then again attracted by the perfume of the Howers, she plucked a spray of the asclepias which crowned the houquet, and took a seat at the stern.

Of all the tranquil pleasures which their new residence afforded, Sir Edward most delighted in excursions on the river. As is customary with many of the wealthy Eng- A profound silence prevailed for some minutes on board lish settled in Bengal, he owned a bholia, one of those the slowly doating bholia. Suddenly the rowers, who splendid boats fitted with spacious cabins in the steru. had been slumbering on their benches, started up, all When the evening brought down its refreshing coolness, speaking at once in that tone peculiar to the Bengalis, he ordered his vessel to be prepared. In a minute which might be taken for the twittering of birds. One or cooks and waiters had carried on board all that was ne- two among them, seizing their oars, thrust cautiously

As he spoke, he commanded the boatmen to resume their oars the bholia cut the waters, and the raft of reeds, on which lay the Hindoo, disappeared in obscurity. Augusta, overcome by sleep, retired to her cabin for a few hours' repose; while Sir Edward remained on the deck to direct the movements of the crew. Impelled by the oars, the vessel moved swiftly, but being obliged to make frequent détours to avoid shallows, while the raft drifted in a straight line, it happened that at daybreak the baronet and the Hindoo found themselves again near each other. Already the green and foaming line, which indicates the sea showed itself on the horizon, sur-devotees. mounted by the white sails of tall ships. Sir Edward descended to the cabin to waken his wife: she was in a profound sleep still holding in her hand the beautiful spray of asclepias.