Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-08-13

Christian at Work. From n recent one w
make the following extract, in which she
describes religious gathering:
And how to turn to sad sight which
witnessed during my visit to Allahabad.
went down TO see the neia, at which thou
sands of pilgrims had collected from all parts
Of the country. 1t is held on the strip or
tongue of sandy ground which runs out
between the two rivers. Here are erected
long rows OF booths or stalls, and the mer-
chants from all parts OF the continent bring
their wares here for sale. Beggars innumer
able, with all sorts of diseases and deiormi-
ties, exposing these to the public eye to at
tract attention, ply their trade. Most of
these sit on the ground near the public road J.,
with large, filthy cloth spread on the
| ground. They sit on one end of this, and
1t is kept from blowing up by large stones
set at the other end. On this cloth are DIFF
ferent little piles Of rice and wheat. and a
a variety of other different kinds of grain.
with one little pile Of pice, (this is a small
copper coin, rather less in value than our
cent? this pile, however, was very small,
and another pile of c1wries; this Is shell
which is used As a coin believe forty of
them make pice
Pilgrims who 20 there for religious pur-
poses generally buy rice at the stalls, and as
they pass they will throw few grains on
the pile Of each Of these beggars, as it is
considered an act Of merit to help each one
and though each person passing gives but
halt dUzen grains, yet from the multitude
that pass the aggregate amount becomes
considerable. The purpose for which pill
grims come here IS this they are told that
If at this season Of the year they bathe at
this spot and are shaved, for every hair they
shall have year Of happiness in one of the
heavens Of their gods. - on one position
OF the grounds You viii see some three or
four hundred BARRIERS blsily occurred shay
ing the heads OF men, women and children,
and 1t was marvellous to see the immense
piles of hair collected. You could hardly
believe it possible. Each one of these bar
bers Is obliged to pay a tax Of eight rupees
To be permitted to ply his trade here. Each
man alsJ who has shop here Is obliged 10
pay the government for license to sell his
goods. The shops or booths are arranged
IN regular streets
There was an immense crowd the DAY we
were there, it being one Of the great days:
It was almost impossible to get near any Of
the booths to see what they had for sale.
But we saw the thousands bathing, and the
thousands being shaved. But o the sad
deSt sight of all was one street which ap-
pelred to be entirely devoted to fakirs, or
religious mendicant- or devotees-men who
are supposed by salt-inhicied tortares to
have Dee me very holy, and to have over
come all the passions and appetites Of the
body. There was arrayed a long row of
booths, in which were some Of the most
hideous images Of the gods, and each holy
man sat on the ground IN front of his own
particular g,d, which i also his personal
property. lie is the priest who receives all
gifts offered 1t the shriue Of his god.
Most Of them were seated on filthy cloths,
on which were piles Of rice, grain, cowries
and pee, like the beggars, only their piles
OF offerings were much larger than those OF
the latter. They were also in many cases
surrounded by number Of their disciples,
who profess profound admiration for them,
aud whu>e duty it i 10 attend 10 all their
personal wants, and who are fed and sus-
tained by the gifts presented to the holy
men. Bat u describe these men them !
selves.
They were aboat the vile,t looking crea-
tures that 1t i possible to describe; 1t
makes one shudder to think that humanity /
could be 50 DEGRADED. and that too, under /
the sacred name Of religion. These men /
were al Of them almost entirely nude |
none OF them had any covering but one /
filthy little piece Of rag, not more than a |
hg-ltai, AMI this Wa all the clothing they /
Wore winter and summer. There were /
about three hundred Of these wretches. and |
each one had become very holy by some /
method OF se.i-t1riurc. Their hair and /
boards were all long and matted with iilth |
their bodies smcared with a mixture Of cow /
dung and ashes some OF them bad a thick /
mixture Of whitewaSh or white plaster, /
with one. two or three broad stripes like /
blood down the forehead. In fact, every /
one of them wa- ms; loath>ome to look I
at.
One man felt very lrry for. His body |
was all most f0ully smeaTcd, but his face /
WAS tolerably clean, and hi hai- and his I
beard were all shaved off, lie was an old .
man, with really very mild, benevolent .
expression. He 81; on Led OF ashes, with /
iour ireS built around him On either side. /
no; VI course close enough To burn him, but /
close enough To scorch hin and cause great /
suffering; and 0f course he could not move /
10 relieve the pain. as the fire was on either /
side. lie sat all the time with his eyes /
fixed on The ground, apparently never moy- I
lng muscle, except when he would take .
up some Of the smouderins ashes and .
Place taem on bis bare bald head. lie /
would keep them there till they were !
cod, then remove them 10 replace them /
with Others equally h0t.
~ | stood and looked at this man (
could only think of dob. The same bowed /
detected form; the same sad, mournful, I
yet patient, almost holy expression that you
always Imagine that saint Of God had /
and could not but ask myself, might .
not this man really be in earnest in think
ing he was thus acceptably worshiping his .
god And If -, wuu!d not he rise up at /
the last dag in condemnation OF many one /
in our Christian land who never knew what |
was for the sake OF Cnri>t? There /
was another, a mi>erable-looking creature, |
who for many years had held his arms up I
over his head with his hands crossed. At 4
first, wien he began 10 do this, he was
obliged to have his hands bound TO poles, 10 4
keep them up till they stitfened in that po /
sitiUn. Another there was who had kept .
his left arm up in this position, and it had /
all shrveled up, and his finger nailslwere /
grown three or lour inches long. third .
had stood on one foot for years he had I
sort OF frame made to which he was laSten-
cd by a rope tied around his waist, and from
the upright part a piece came out on which .
he leaned his arm. They said he had been
in this position for eight years, and that he
never slept Tor mere than five minutes ut
time. Another laid contentedly covered up
with mud, as if he had been buried, with
Just a place for him to breathe, and he laid
thus every day for eight hours in the day.
And they toid me OF another who had his
feet fastened to the roof Of hut. and bad
hung with his head downward for eight
hours every day. But it would be impos-i
bic for me TO describe all the fearful self
imposed toriurcs tuat were >lfered by these
poor creatures in the name of religion
thus, as they supposed, purchasing Tor
themselves future Happiness. o, how
onged for them to know that
Jesus paid it all.
All the debts they owed,
and all they had to DO was to believe and
i've. | would cry ont "IIow long. o
Lord, holy and true. shall Satan thus tri-
Imph? Come, Lord jesus, come quickly
mi claim these kingdoms for Thine own.
May Thy church awake, gird on her armor,
md 60 forth eonquering and to conquer
GETTING RrD OF IiER DAUGHTER's BEAU
She lives down on Baker street, and she has
daughter about eighteen years old. The
I'D lady retains all her simplicity and innO-
renee. and she doesn't 20 two cents on
style The other eevning when splendid
latch called to escort the daughter to the
opera the mother wouldn't take the 5ini to
keep still. While helping her daughter get
ready she asked
" Mary, are you going to wear the shoes
with one heel of, or the pair with holes in
EN- "
Mary didn't seem to hear, and the mother
Z" Are you going u wear that dollar gold
;hain and that washed locket, or will You
wear the diamond father bought at the
hardware store?"
Mary winked at her, and the young man