The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-06-22
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till they broke into pale blue flame =
This Tepada cxtinguished with his
breath, when Norodom held the goblet
to Luan- Prahana's lips, and she drained
the contentswilh a sigh. AS ii trans.
figured, she suddenly sprang to her feet,
her face strangely radiant, and began to
spin giddily around in one spot. First
the boy, then A1inhman. then Tepada
tried to arrest her, but they no sooner
touched her than she repelIed them with
a shock that thrilled them rs If She had
impaired an el,ctric spark to them =
Spinning constantly with a bewil lcrine
rapid motion, tile girl now sprang off
the stage and down the hall, along by
the foot Of the columns. Tsin-ki, Mimi
man, aud Fepafa Ia active pursuit. In
and unsa5noslg The crowd they the
Three chasing. Tepa,a seizid hold OF
the cbaplet that crowned her; it broke.
and as she whirled along, q spray of
rosebuds was scattered from her brow
in every direction Anything more
graceful never was seen. And now a
greater wonder. AT the extremity OF
the hall the three surrounded and would
have seized her, when, still revolving,
she rose slowly into the air and Il ,ated
gently over our heads towards the stage,
scattering roses as she went. At the
brink of the stage she paused in mid
air; then with slight wing like motion
OF her arms, mounted up, up, toward
the loftiest arch of the vault overhead
Suddenly old Norodom seized bow
and arrow and shot toward her. There
was wild shrek, rushing sound, and
the dancer fell with crash to the flags
of the floor, and laid there an appar-
emily bloody mss. The music burst
forth into wild wall, and the chorus
of old hags came tumultuously forth
and bore her off in their arms.
Now, from behind the rcd curtain
came dozen strong men, bearing on
their shoulders great leaden box, which
they laid upon the front part of the
stage. AS they retired the old woman
came out, bringing low couch decora-
ted with flowers and gold embroidered
tapery, upon which lay Luan Parbana,
decked forth in bridal garments, and
sweetly sleeping. The couch with its
sleeper was put quietly down upon the
front of the stage and left there, while
Norodom and Tepada went to the laden
box, and with hot irons attempted to
unseal it. "That is Stung ITEMS coffin" "
whispered Woun to me; "the old saint
has been dead more than half q millen-
ium."
Quickly. eagerly it seemed 10 me, the
two men broke open the fastenings of
the coffin, until the side next to the au-
dience falling out at last, teak box
was discovered. This was pried open
with small crewbar, and what seemed
a bundle of nankeen taken out. Tepa-
da and Norodom commenced to unwind
this wrapping, which was very tight
Yard after yard was unwound and fol
ded away by Minhman, and at last, after
at least 100 yards of wrapping had been
taken off, the dry, shriyelled mummy of
a small, old man was visible-eyes
closed, flesh dry and hard-dead and
dry as smoked herring. Norodom
tapped the corpse with crowbar, and
it gave duh, wooden sound. Tepada
tossed it up and caught tit was stiff
as log. Then he placed the mummy
upon Norodom's knees, and fetched a
flask of oil, flask of wine, and GEN.
ser burning with some pungent incense.
Norodom took from his hair little box
of unguent, and prying open the mouth
of the mummy with cold chisel, showed
that the dry tongue coull rattle like a
chip against the dry face. He filed the
mouth with unguent and closed it, and
annointed the eyelids, uostrils and ears.
Then he and Tepada mixed the wine
and oil, and carefully rubbed every part
of the body with it. Then, laying it
down in reclining position, they put
the burning censer upon the chest and
withdrew pace, while the drums and
cymbals crashed and clattered, and the
shrill, cackling treble of the chorus of
old women rose hideously.
A breathless pause ensued-one, two,
three minutes-and the mummy sneez
ed, and sneezed thrice so violently as to
extinguish the fame censer. A moment
later the thing sat up, and stared blink
ing and vacant out around the vault
an old, old, wrinkled man, with mum
bling chops, shriyelled breast and belly,
and little tufts of white hair upon his
chin and forehead Tepada approached
him reverenily upon his knees, bringing
a salver, with wine and wafer-cake.- -
The old man did not notice him, but ate,
drank, then tottered to his feet, the fee
blest, decrepit old dotard that ever
walked. In another moment he saw the
nautch girl slumbering upon her couch /;
he scufIled feebly to her, and mumhling,
stopped as if to help his dim eyes to see
her better. With glad cry the maiden
walked, clasped him in her arms to her
breast, and kissed him. Incomprehen-
sible magic! He was no longer non
agenalian dotard, but full-veined, fiery
youth, who gave her kiss for kiss How
the trans formation was wrought | have
no idea, but there it was before our very
eyes. The music grew soft and pass
ionate, the chorus of the old women
came out, and with strange phalic songs
and dances bore the two away--a bridal
pair. ! never expect again to behold a
sight SO wonderful as that whole trans
forma ion, which, | may mention, my
learned Jesuit friend, TO whom / de-
scribed it, regards it as piece Of pure
symbolism. His explanation is too
long and too learned to quote, but he
connects this ceremony with the world
old myth of Venus and Adonis, and
claims that ii is all a form, of SURVIVOR
ship. @ ifaos ae}
The show went on for some time
longer with many curious feats. AT
the end of an hour the Phallic process
ion returned, but this time the Bayadere
led it, strange triumph in her eyes,
while the youth lay upon the couch
sleeping The Pal!ic chorus sank into
a dirge, the youth faded visihly: he
sighed, then breathcd no more. Luan-
Prabana retired sorrowfully; Norodem
and Tepada wrapped the corpse again
in its interminable shrouds, restored ii
to the cufin, sealed it carefully, and il