The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1851-07-04
An Incident Of Indian Life.

An Incident of Indian Life.
a Brahmin. with his wife and only daughter.
were making pilgrimage 10 the banks OF the
sacred Ganges. With the Characteristic indif
ference of their case, they had incautiouslv hal
ted in the midst of The Jungle to cook some rice.
The little girl, while the mother was occupied in
preparing the frugal meal, had fhonghiiessly
wandered into the long grass in quest of some
gaudy insect fitting past: on sudden the father,
who had thrown himself on ihe ground to snatch
few moments repose, was aroused By the
screams Of bis child, and. regaining his feet, per-
ceiVed a fnll grownncheetahi in the act Of spring.
ing on his tender girl. To see, and rush to her
rescue, armed only with knife, was the work
Of an instant; he arrived too late to arrest the
tiger as he made his rarely missing, and in this
case, fatal spring on the beautiful and dark-bos-
ofned maid. terrible struggle now ensued,
the infuriated animal relaxed lis grasp of the
child. and fastened on the father. Tie tender
and loving wife, only now fully awakened TO the
extent Of the danger, forgetting her sex, insen-
siole to aught but her husbands peril reeklessly
rushed forward; but ere she could reach the spot
TO become third victim 10 the insatiate monster,
the providential fight Of bullet from stran.
gers rifle, penetrating the animals brain, stretch
ed him dead at her feet. The brave husband,
on approaching the spot, lay extended on the
grass in the last agonies Of df attn. tdreadfully
mangled, the brute having torn away the greater
part Of his brain and face. The little girl bad
already expired
Never can | forget the calmness and apparent
" stojcal Indifference Of this iUdan woman
while her husband lay extended before her, gasp.
ing his last. She supported his head, gently
wiping the blood from his face and lips; no sign
Of her feelings could be detected 10 her features
Igazed uponh her with establishment; but no soon
er was it evident that death had effactuay ter
minated the loved ones sufferings, than she gave
way to the mnst frantic and heart-rending ex-
pfessions Of grief. The anguish of that woman
death alone can obliteraie from my memory
words cannot picture it. see her before me as
! write, alternately embracing the lifeless and
bloody bodies of her husband and child, lavish
ing over them the most tender, en6earing inro-
cations OF affection, then as suddenly turning
round and sei2ing the crimson knife other heroic
husband, plunged il again and again into the
body Of the insensible animal. uttering all tie
time the most fearful and violent imprecations
of despair and anguish
1t was with The greatest difficulty she could
at length be removed from the tragic scene, and
conided 10 the care of some neighbefiRg villa
gers. Ihad oecasionto revisit the same scenes
some few months alter, and found the bereayed
wife, bui, indeed. how changed! could hardly
recognize her. Day and night, was informed,
she wandered about, calling Oh her husband and
Child. "A deep, settled gloom beyond any thing
] ever. witnessed, was upon her features; her
eyes had wandering. restless expression. She
knew me immediately, and TALKED in the most
pathetic strain of her napless child and husband.
Poor creature. tried TO console her, bat in
vain. She said, her only wish was, as soon as
the monsoon or rainy season abated, to prose-
cute her journey to the Ganges, and die by its
sacred stream. / demonstrated with heron This
folly. and explained to her the divine truths nj
Christianity. All. in vain. She was fixed in
her resolution; and when pointed TO the heap-
ems, and spoke of the mercies of God and His
power, she replied, '.that were He powerful, He
could not be mercful, or lie would not nave
taken her husband and child away without Ia
king her. also" All could say made no i'm.
pression, nor seemedto abate her determination,
and time would not permit my stay. nor did /
ever.ehance again to traverse the same scenes;
but have no dopbt, from u,y knowledge of In.
dian character, she subsequently carried her
resolution into effect.
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