Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-07
THE JEWELLED TOMB.
The Wonderful Tale Maha1, De.
scfibed for Children.

larger diamond In the world. The BrahminS
be ruler Of India. This monarch loved power
ana splendor, but more than all he loved his
Vile Moomtazee. She was the niece Of the
famous Moor Mahal, and was called the most
beautiful woman in the world and was good as
she was beautiful. "Lght of the World"
" Pearl OF Women" "CroWn of Delight" were
some Of the names her husband gave her. For
hours he would sit by her side in his palace
garden, on seats made soft by cashmere shawls,
finer than any that ever crossed the ocean.
They listened to the murmur Of the river; they
watched the pink lilies, as large as christening
cups, that floated on its waves. Great leaves
and wonderful flowers, such as we see only In
Conservatives, bent their heads beneath the
birds In that land, but from musicians, hidden
behind the trees came melodies which mingled
with the sound OF ripping waters.
Arabian Nights.
One evening when the glow-worms had lit
their lamps under every bush, the Moyul and
daughter, best beloved of his children because
she most resembled her mother, was playing at
their feet.
there are some flowers that have just plueked.
How happy should be if you could not die
You are lovely as these roses, and fear some
little worm to destroy shawl that it has taken
a lifetime to make-if some unseen enemy
should take your life, there would be nothing
left me but kingdom whose sun had set"
The queen replied, 81 will never leave this
earth as long as Allah will let me stay"
Jehanara," She continued to her daughter
'if the Angel of Death should take me from
your father comfort and watch over him. and
be all that your mother is to the great and good
emperor
'.Promise, my lord" she said, elf should die
never to marry again; and place tomb over
my grave, grand as palace and beautiful as
these flowers covered with diamond dew, that
the whole world may know how the greatest OF
earthly monarchs loved his MOomtaZee Mahal"
50 promise" said her husband. with trem-
bling voice. "if you should leave me, no ona
shall ever MI youIs place, and the world has
over the lOvelest of women
Soon after the queen became Ill. The en-
perOr was distracted when she said to him,
:" Remember my two requests; now l must
leave YOU"
All the doctors and wise men in the kingdom
We're summoned but they were SO afraid their
heads would be cut off, they did not know what
to do; they suggested so many things that, Of
course, the poor queen stood very little chance.
All the love and power of her husband could not
save her any more than If she had been the
was dumb with grief. No official dared to speak
to the emperor and tell him of his loss. Jehan-
ara put her arms softly around her fathers
neck and sobbed into his ear, ''The light of the
world has gone out" The funeral was scarcely
over, when Shah-Jehan began to build the tomb
OF his wife. IN our country when we think of
monument, 1t is granite shaft or a marble
block: we place 1t in a cemetery and plant vines
and trees around it. In commemOratiOn of
many great and good men we sometimes build a
high monument-lke that on Bunker Hill
where we can climb to the top and look over the
country. telling each other how grand the na-
ton has become because of the patriots beneath
us who gave their lives, for our liberty. But in
India diamonds are dug out of the earth
precious stones filtered from streams and pearls
fished from the seas. Every thought OF ma
ture is jewel and glitters in the sunshine
that peep from under the stones show necklaces
OF brilliantS. 1t is the land Of peacocks, whose
gorgeous eyes repeat in the sunlight all the
wonders underground. No goldsmith can make
such dazzling colorS as the butterflies carry
through the air. SO, when the emperor would
build mauSoleum to the pearl of women he
adorned it with the most splendid gems that
ever shone, even in that land of jewels. Shah
Jehan had been collecting precious stones all
his life; but though he already had a greater
number than any one else in the world, he ran
sacked all countries for more and finer gems to
adorn his work. He brought the most skllfu,
architects from France and Italy. The chief OF
them was Austin de Bordeaux, named the
JeWel-handed. Seeds planted in the garden
round the editice grew TO be tall trees and chill
dren who had watched the leveling of the great
platform became middle-aged men and women
sand workmen went home every night, year
after year, always telling their families how
particular the emperor was that every stone
should be placed right till at last they grew
gray-headed-for it took % years OF hard worl,
to build the tomb. l cannot tell YOU how mlny
millions IL cost, there are so many different es-
Inmates given, but all agree that it cost an enor-
nous sum.
Nothing interested shah-Jehan but this
tomb OF his beautiful wife. l. stood on the
river Jumna in garden two-thirds as large
as Boston common. and was surrounded b. a
red sandstone wall high as the roof OF m Dst
houses. The emperor used TO sit IN one OF the
arcades On the inner side OF this wall and
watch the progress OF the building. Careless
OF the torraced garden with its paths OF varie-
gated marble and its 50 fountains THROWN: dla-
monds into the air. regardless OF the two NOS
limo,
always fastened upon the dazzling structure
which rose above all and CLEANED like a noun
tain OF snow against the blue Sky At length
the Tale Mahai. the Grown OF E1ifces,' was
completed. Let us visit it. On the side opDo-
site the river we pass the wall through the
grand red gateway. 1t seems to be orna-
mented with garlands, but looking closer you
observe that what We mistook for flowers are
texts from the Koran, the Bible Of the Moham-
medans. These texts are inlaid In the stone,
arranged in graceful lines, and illuminated
garden, an avenue OF Italian Expresses shuts
us In like PAIL, while voice from the at
tendant comes out OF the darkness, saying:
die, but you shall see heaven Emerging
from between the trees, we mount to the
platform which is raised IS feet above the
highest garden terrace, and is a square OF over
ice. At each corner and separate from the
main building rises tall slender minaret,
through whose open carving appears the circu.
"a. W iUD. Ia lie lQluot We
Dehold the octagonal mauSoleuIl. surnounted
by four small cupoaS around the central DONE
which towers as high as Bunker Hill monu-
ment.
Where we stand above the world every
thing beneath our feet and around us Is IN ,1a
or white marble. There Is no tinge OF Color on
the four minaretS. bat within them the central
pile is covered with delicate ira ctreS that look
like towering vines. They are verses from the
Koran; every letter Is black marble inlaid in
the white, and Ornamented with Jasper. agate
comedian and lapiS lazulL When we are told
that the whole sacred book is written in this
way upon the Taje Mahal, we understand why
the work took 20 years.
There is an entrance north, south, east and
west. Crossing the threshold OF either we see
that the vast interior is divided into several
apartments. Beneath each OF the four SIN Ill
dones Is separate Enclosure. Under the cen
tral dome an octagonal space is shut in by col
OnnadeS rooted with arches. High above you.
In the very center OF this great dome, Ii lsheS
golden ornament like constellation OF stars
The floor, the walls. the columns. the ceiling.
all are OF glstening white marble. About -
feet from the floor carved trets-work around
the base OF the dome lights the place, and
texts. They are made Of black letters; not
straight like those In printed book, but
twisted like the tendrlls OF vine; and in this
stones OF every color CLEAN and sparkle around
the words as II from a thorny stem gay flowers
had sprung on every side. The buds ana
leaves look SO natural as to deceive the eye
You wonder il the whole building has been
lproraf Cd q rlo do