Middletown transcript., 1874-03-14

AS wNw spsVVtf-SKqus ~ sWs~s ~ SUu Ua4 \
,nast peculiar cunning. sslf- pcssessed lsck
Of > .rsef aud ihtsiligsncs. So q. \, s'.s, .s,
/ apsda y exclaimed both u my COM
panions at once, but the man, Who vas
smkslps4spt fors y bgssah -clout, tcok sno
eSsisesor them. 'Hs put his hand hsssiiy.
but not uukiadiy upon my bte4Ss, snye
|. aie z piaasoiax( ionE slhoks aid sald, ib ex-
| sslleni Freash. /, Ars ysusay bssvs usni'!,s
another word ,1hs bshdaged ~ eyer Win.
,psrt q the long white rohs a wore; be
ais.Asases.saaisiul - Z ilnp1niae-
il ny ssrss Not word. yfor ysns life r.
aud the next moment I found myself seis-
ID in the hands Of several strong men,
and borne some distance along devious
nay. ascehdipg and descending several
Zines At iast wss put down, the band-i
age was quietly removed. and | found my
selfsqustted on q stone Acor, between
Soonda,ch and Woun-Tsjac. who with
bowed heads and faces partly shrouded 10
their white rsbes, squsttcd like statues Of
Boedha, their knees and shins 1at-to 4l,cl
grcuads s6eir hsanches resting upon their
heels. their hands spread palms downward
upon thrir knees their eyes ds1scted. and
. LOOK II devout reverence and abstrscted
meditation in their scouptenances. Il The
light wns dim 70 my unaccustomed' eyes.
but I'll around, as far as i could see, we're
white-robed worshipsrs crouchsd in the
Same sttitude Of silent reverence. i ~
:. BY degrees. rs my eyes grew used to
the din gloum, i began 10 lsnk about me
The place was asquare vault. 90 lofty
that could not SEQ the ceiling. and
should say not less than hundred PAGES
long aud vide. All around the sides rose
gigantic column. carved into images sf
Boodha always. yet with thousand Yari-
ations fron the central pIaB. . thousand
freaks of fancy, a thousand grotesqueries,
through which shono. the mere effectively
for the depariarcs The eternal calm. tn.
stagnsus imp-rturbed ecsiacy Of apathy Of
Bouaha > remarkable face, with tue great
pendsnt ears, and the eyes looking out
beyond yon into the supreme swiAtlessness
Of Ni-ban--a face that osee seen can new
er BE- forgotten BY degrees came to
see the plan Of this evidently subterrarean
vault. and to look With wonder upon the
simple grandeur 81 It's massive arcbitec-
,urs. which vas severely plain. except SO
far % the carving R the great columns
went. Al the tarthsress end of the hall,
resting against the columns, was q raised
dais or platform. covered with rcd cloth.
This ,stsge WINS raised between three and
four feet above the Hoor Of the vault, and
was about thir,y-6vc or fnrty feet deep
and one hundred and ffty broad. Be.
hind it curtain Of red cloth hung down
from the capitals Of the towering columns
[a trout Of the essge. just about the spet
where the pulpit If the orchestra in y
Greek theatre woald Be. wss tripod
shaped altar. With broad cen4er upon il. /.
in which vss burning scented oil. mixed
with gums and arsmstic woods. that diff
fused through the whole vault . pungsut.
sacranlentAl odor. i5S , II. III .,s5
|, Suddenly there WAS 4 wild and startling
crash Of barbsric music from under ths
stage -gongs. drums. cymbals. aud horns
-and with wonderful alertness and .
really indiscribabls eject band Of naked
men came out from behind the curtains,
bearing each a scented torch in bis hand,
climbed the columas with the agility Of
monkeys. and lighted eaell<a hundred
lamps. strung from the base almost Of the
celumus sheer up 10 the apex Of the vault.
which, could now see, rose in lofty
doule, that deubtless pierced far up into
the interior Of the pagoda proper. the ap-
pearsnce Of which outside have describ.
ed. The illumination from those multi
tudinous lamps was very bright and bril-
liant, too soft to be dazsl ng or overpowef
ing. yet 30 penetrating and psrvasive that
one missed nothing ef the perfect light Of
the day l could distinctly trace the as
csndiag and diminishing rings Of the Gu
pola above us. and ths rows Of brick work
only thinly white washed, that supported
il. ~ y, !, egfryrr4v ~ sff
4 The din 81 The horrible orchestra in
creased. ssd baud Of old, wopsp, csmc
ou. from nAdsr ihe stage singiug Cor rather
shrickisg oss) the msst disl,olieal chan,
! ,ha' |, svss heard. Ths red curtain aut.
| tered lissls. there vas dall shud. and
: there. right before us. sI"ng.iis the cen
-er. stood 2 very old man. but wrinkled
with long hair aud beard white as ccttsI
fleece. Hh 6hxer-nails we're several IN.
I ches long, and his sunken jaws we're hor.
ribly diversified with two long teeth. y.l.
J low and argreish. He was naked, except
= for hreech-clo aud his shrunkeh mus
cles shono with OIL Tie to"k the censel
in bis hands and blew his breath into i
until the fane rose twenty feet high. rec
and furious !, then. With sudden jerking
: 'nsiion, be Tossed the burning oil towards
the crowd Of squntting spectators II sho
. towards thew "a broad sheet, Of terribl,
y 6ame--it dascendcd upnn them showe,
: It Poses. japanicas, miro than could hav,
been gathered in care Turning tn,
{ censefs bassam upwards. he spun itsfos
. tninute upon the Poinr If his long thumb
nail. then flung il disdainfully away to
= wards the audience. sItsrack the pave
: ment with u metallic clAng. bounced. ant
! rnse. with sudden expanss Of wings. i
: shricking eagle, frightened horribly, an,