The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-02-27
!1!,!4 of d small Old man was yisl

- a:t!iiiv on small old man was Sisi
'tIe--eycs closed, flesh dry and hard--deaa
and dry as q smoked herring. Nofooohi
70 med the corpse with the croWbar, anu
II raye dull, wooden sound. iepaaa
tossed It IN and caught tit was still as q
loo, Then he placed the mummy upon
Norodom's knees, and fetched flask OF on,
Aask Of wine, and censor burning WIN
come nupeent incense. Eorodom TOOK iEom
h;s hoir little box Of unguent, ana pryinS
nnan the mouth Of the mummy with colu
obiseI showed that the dry tongue coaia rat
tia like chip against the dry fauces. ne
f,ied the mouth with unguent and closed IL,
and annointed the eyelids, nostrits, and ears.
Then he and Tepada mixed the wine and OIL,
and carefully rubbed every part OF the body
With If. Then, laying it down in reclining
nositjop. they put the burning censor upon
the chest and withdrew pace, while tue
drums and eongs and cymbals crashed and
Catered. and the shrill, cackling treble OF
the chorus Of old women rose hideously.
breatbless pause enzued, --one, two,
three mjputes--and the mummy succeed,
sneezed thrice, so violently as to eXtinguish
the flame of the censor. a moment later
the thing sat up, and stared blinking and va
can't out around the vault--an OLD, OLD,
wrink|cd man, with mumbing chops, q
sbriye|led breast and belly, and little TUFTS
Of white hair upon bis chin and forehead
Tepada approached him reyerently upon his
knees. bringing him q salyer, with wine aud
a wafer.cake. The old man did not notice
him. but ate, drank, then tottered TO hlsfeet
the fce5lcst, decrepit old dotard that ever
walked, In apother moment he saw the
na,ltcl-sirl slumtering upon her couch
he scufied feebIy to her, and, mumbling
STONED as il to help his dim eyes
TO see her better. With glad CRY
the maiden walked, clasped him in he
| arms and to her breast, and kissed MN
| IacomprchcnSiblc magic! lie was D,
| longer a nonaeenarian dotard, but 'ull
yeiped, fiery youth, who gave her Mss 10
| kiss. How the transformation was wroush
| 7 have no idea, but there it was before GU
very ewes. The music grew soft ana pas
| sionate. the chorus of the old women cam
ont. and with strange Phallic songs an
| dances bore the two aWay-a pfidai pair
| never expect again to behold slsht 50 wo.
| derful rs that whole TRANSFORMATION, WIZ.
1 ! NAV mention, my learned jesuit iflchu,
| whom I described it, regards az piece
nure SYMBOLISM. His explanation Is 700 lou
and too learned to quote, out lie cohnec
this ceremony with the Woriu'o'o mytu
Wanns and Adonis, and Claims that it is all
form of suu-worship.
The how went on for some time long
, with many curious feats. AT the end OF 8
hour the PAallic procession returned, b
D this time the Bayadere led it, stran!
triumph in her eye, while the youth II
upon the couch sleeping. The Phallic Choir
: sank into dirge, the youth failed visibl
u he was again the shrivel!ed doa,d;
sighed, then breathed no more. Luan.pI
bana retired sorrowfully; NOrodom and I
pada wrapped the corpse again in its int
minablc shrouds, restored 1t to the cotli
i sealed it carefully, and it was borue aw
again. The attendants climbed up to al
n extinguished the lights. was blindfold
i, and borne away again. / found myself on
:, more at the doorway Of the temple in t
% broad sunshine with my friends-and I
:. my site ceremonies OF the great temple OF
= thia were over, it may be for many years.