The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-26 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Tara : A Mahratta Tale. By Captain Meadows
Taylor, M.R.1.A., author of " Confessions of a
Thug," &c. Three vols. Blackwood.
Never since the wondrous tale of " Alroy" was
written, has an English novel been more thoroughly
imbued with the spirit of Eastern Romance. Capt.
Taylor has fairly transported himself, and his
readers also, into the age and place of which he
writes. The illusion throughout is perfect. We
take part in the home life of the Bramhuns some
two centuries back, we witness the frantic worship
of the Hindu goddess, and are, for the time, almost
carried away by the wild phrensy of the excited and
exalted Tara. Later on
" The fierce Mahratta swordsman and the Mussulman
Ameer "
appear upon the scene, and the interest, although
not less thrilling, becomes more human, and the
crafty wiles of Asiatic intrigue alternate with
scenes of blood and carnage. The story possesses a
powerful interest throughout, and the lovely face
and lovely character of Tara gleams like a silver
thread throughout the intricate maze of tho momen-
tous and, at times, most stirring narrative. Like a
calm clear dawn, unconscious of coming tempest,
the opening chapters introduce us to a charming
picture of domestic life in that far-off age and
country. Here is a passing glimpse oZ
A HINDU INTERIOR.
Enter the Shastree's house at any time, and you were at
once struck with its great neatness. The floor was always
plastered with liquid clay by the women-servants when he
was absent at the temple for morning worship, and retained
a cool freshness while it dried, and, indeed, doting the day.
It was generally decorated by pretty designs in white and
red chalk powder dropped between the finger and thumb, in
the execution of which both mother and daughter were
very expert and accomplished. The Shastree's seat, which
was, in fact, a small raised dais at one side of the large
room, was usually decked with flowers, while, upon the
door before it, the greatest artistic skill was expended in
ornament by Tara and her mother. Above it were pictures
of favourite divinities, painted in distemper colour : the
amorous blue-throated Krishna playing to the damsels of
Muttra ; the solemn four-armed Ganesha, sitting with a
grave Elephant's head on his shoulders; the beautiful
Lakshmee and Suruswitti, the goddesses of wealth and
learning, the objects of household adoration : and the
terrible six-armed Bhowani in her contest with the demon
Maheshwur, in commemoration of which the temple had
been erected— all surrounded by wreaths of flowers inter-
woven with delicate border patterns ;—had been partly
executed by the Shastree himself, and partly by Tara, who
followed his tastes and accomplishments after a pretty
fashion. Thus decorated, the dais had a cheerful effect in
the room: and choice and intimate friends only were admit-
ted to the privilege of sitting upon it.
The house itself was perhaps in no degree remarkable,
Outside, facing the street, was a high wall, with a large
door within a projecting porch or archway, which had a
seat on either hand as you entered. The door-frame was
richly carved, and on each side a horse's head projected
from the upper corner. Above the daor, in a space left for
the purpose, was written in red Sanscrit letters, " Sree
Martund Prussunn," "The holy Martund protects ;" and
Martund was one of the appellations of Siva. This legend
was surrounded by wreaths of flowers in the same colour;
and across the whole was a garland of mango leaves now
withered, which had hung there since the last festival.
As you entered the court, the principal room was before
you, on the basement of the house, which you ascended by
three steps; It was a wide open verandah, extending the
width of the court, supported upon seven wooden pillars,
also richly carved, on which cross square capitals were
fixed, and from these beams were laid to form the roof,
This verandah was double ; the inner portion being raised
a step above the other to form a dais, and at each end of
the inner portion were two small rooms in the corners, one
of which was the Shastree's library. The whole of these
verandahs could be shut in closely by heavy curtains of
quilted cotton, neatly ornamented by devices of birds and
flowers, which hung between the pillars ; but usually all
was open, or closed only by transparent blinds of split cane
suspended outside.
Having a northern aspect, this room was always cool,
and was the ordinary resort of the Shastree. Here he re-
ceived his friends and neighbours, held disputations and in-
structed his pupils. The women seldom entered it except
in the evenings when undisturbed : for though un-
secluded from men a certain degree of reserve and retire-
ment is always observable in the women of Hindu families.
There was no ornament about the main apartment except
the Shastree's dais, and the borders painted about the niches
and architraves of the doors; but it was kept a pure white,
and was scrupulously clean.
Such is the early home of Tara, daughter of Vyas
Shastree, priest of the Bramhuns, and here is a
portrait of the heroine herself
:
TARA.
Do you expect that her complexion will be fair like that
of our own northern girls 1 Ah, no I that would not har-
monise with the dress of the country; and yet it is very

fair. Not a deep rich olive, but what seems at first glance
pale and colourless; yet the skin is so glossy and trans -
parent that the warm glow of her blood is suffased under it
with the least passing emotion or excitement, which, as it
fades, leaves, as you think, a more beautiful tint behind.
And the features harmonised with the colour. To a
casual observer their expression was almost one of habitual
sadness, yet it was not so in reality; there was calm, which
as yet had known no rude ruflitinee—a sweetness that was
index to a simple, loving, trustful mind. True, she had
cares beyond those of ordinary household occurrences, and
these had no doubt increased the pensive expression always
remarkable. So her countenance was not easy to describe ;
nor could you acccunt very well for the patient, care-
enduring look which met you from one so young. What
every one saw first, were the soft brown eyes, shaded with
long eyelashes welch rested upon the cheek. Ordinarily
perhaps, or if seen when cast down, these eyes appeared
nowise remarkable; yet if passing emotions were noticed,
they closed when she was merry, till only a bright spark
of light remained glistening through the long lashes ; and
again, if surprise, wonder, or admiration were excited, they
suddenly expanded, so that one looked into a depth of clear
glowing colour, violet and brown, the expression of which
could not be fathomed. But habitually they were modest
pensive, and gentle full of intelligence, and seemed to cor•
respond with a low musical cadence of voice perfectly
natural, yet, assisted, perhaps, by the habit of reading and
studying aloud, which she has learned from her father. In
those calm eyes there was as yet no passion of any kind.
Some suffering, perhaps, but no rough awakening to the
reality of life.
The rest of her face left nothing to be desired. The
Bramhuns of Western India usually possess features more
European in their character than those of the same sect in
other parts of the country, and in this respect the women
share them with the men, if they, do not, indeed, exceed
them. So Tara had a soft oval face, with small full lips
and mouth, a thin straight nose with nostrils almost trans-
parent, which seemed to obey the passing emotions of her
countenance. Though the features were soft, they were
neither insipid nor weak in character; on the contrary, they
appeared full of a woman's best strength—endurance and
patience; while, in the full glossy chin and throat, enough
of determination was expressed to show firmness and con•
sistency of no common order. Except the eyes, perhaps,
there was no feature of the face which could be called
exactly beautiful, yet the whole combined to create an ex-
pression which was irresistibly interesting and charming ;
and where all harmonised, separate portions were not re-
marked.

Every movement of her lithe form was displayed by the
soft silk drapery which fell over it in those graceful folds
which we see expressed in ancient statues, and it was cast
in those full yet deAcitely-rounded proportions which
sculptors have best loved to imitate. Standing as she was,
the girl had fallen into an attitude which was most ex-
pressive: her head raised and turned to meet her mother's
entrance : a delicate naked foot, with a chain anklet of gold
resting on it, put out from beneath her robe : her eyes
open, yet not to their full width : and her lips apart, disclos-
ing the even glistening teeth—she appeared, in her arrested
movement, as if she waited some further communication
from her moth-,r, or had herself one to make before she
stirred.

A shadow may well rest upon the brow of Tara.
According to native custom, she had been married
in childhood, at the age of six years, to the son of
some friend of her father. The death of the bride-
groom, three years afterwards, left Tara a widow!
—a name of disgrace and reproach among her coun-
trymen. As yet her loving parents had brought
her up as though no such calamity had befallen
her, but the time was approaching when certain
cerem)nial rites must be performed, and Tara's
girlish happiness would be at an end for ever.
Unexpected and marvellous are the various mis-
fortunes that befall her. The ardour of her enthu-
siastic temperament at first saves her from the de-
graded position of a Hindu widow, and she is for a
time regarded as an inspired votary of the goddess.
A yet more direful persecution, however, follows
her foOtsteps, in the unholy love of Moro Tremmull,
the evil genius of Tara's life. Saved, in the first
instance, from his power by the happy advent of
the Moorish horsemen, Tara, later on, is again
within his grasp. Then it is that, dreading a yet
more fearful fate, the excited girl, standing by the
altar of her divinity, demands, with eager accents,
the Hindu widow's privilege of Suttee—the awfai
death by fire to which so many hapless and mad
dened women have before now been consigned.
Then, towards the close of the third volume—for
Captain Taylor understands the art of working the
►nterest of the reader up to a climax—the follow-
ing vivid scene occurs, an admirable specimen of the
effective style of the narration :