Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-05-27
ORIENTAL JUGGELRY.

ORIENTAL JUGGELRY.
THE narrow, shaded streets of an
Oriental city, thronged by crowds of
sedate-looking men, with long boards
and turbaned heads, though seldom
showing q woman or child TO vary the
monotony, look odd enough TO unac-
customed eyes. Still more strange
seem the huge gates that lead to private
dwellings,; Tor the gates are always
closed. and the houses, with their high,
narrow windows, appear to have been
built backwards, facing inward on a
court, instead of toward the street.
These courts are adorned with bright,
tropical flowers aud cool fountains, and
they form the usual lounging-places Of
households, where indolent nabobs re-
tire from the noise and dust of the outer
world to enjoy, in the society of the
family, the quiet and repose in which
Orientals so especially delight. The
father is generally too digniiied or too
listless TO care for amusements; but his
lively wives and children indulge in
various exciting pastimes. Music and
dancing, fencing, leaping and other
feats Of agility, and, above all, juggler-
les, serve TO entertain the secluded
household; and actors in all these sports
can be readily obtained by calling in
one of the bands of travelling jugglers
met at every turn in the large cities OF
the East. For there is never wedding
nor funeral, a feast nor fast, the
consecTation Of priest nor the crown.
ing of "A king, where these "magicians, /"
rs they call themselves, are not found.
Even on the public thoroughfares, they
will sit and wait for an audience, drOn-
ing their peculiar music, or throwing
out something to attract attention.
Scarcely can one pass without stopping
TO notice weird faces and fantastic
decorations; and, as one trick follows
another, each more wonderful than the
last, every pedestrian becomes a patron,
helping TO fill the pockets of these dex.
ferrous knayes. They are believed by
their countrymen To possess super
natural powers, 10 act under the influ-
once Of evil spirits, and 10 be able, by O
mere glance of the eye, TO make well
people sick and sick people well with
out so much as touching them. OF
course, you know that this is not really
true of them, and that their marvellous
performances are only seeming. moi
real, miracles; but the exhibitions oi
their art are strangely fascinating, new,
ertheless.
On one occasion, quite famous band
of Indian jngglers was in attendance Al
great national festival; and, for theil
use, beautifully decorated booths anc
tents had been erected, and supplied
with tanks of water for the numerous
ceremonial ablutions for whichthe Hin
docs are famous. Before eating. befor'
sleeping, before praying, Us an topper
sesame" alike TO palace, theatsr ant
temple, as part and parcel Of their re-
ligion, their business and their pleas
ures, come always and everywhere thu
inevitable bath and shaving of the head
And these jugglers, one could see at I
glance, came always to the arena fresi
from their ablutions and robed in snow
white muslin.
The first trick at the festival l hav'
mentioned was known as the bamboo
trick" and, though repeated seVera
times, the audience did not seem tC
weary of il. Amid the beating Of tom
toms and the music of many instru
ments, the iugglers smoothed q plaeI
on the hard, dry sand OF the arena
We were invited TO examine tn
ground, but we could find nothing hk
an opening, nor even that the soil ha'
been recently dug up, nor did we dis
cover any concealed apparatus OF an,
sort. Presently, large basket q
coarse wicker-work was laid down an
carelessly covered with little squar
of gauze flannel. Both basket and flar
mel were passed around, so that all VIII
chose might satisfy themselves tha
these articles were quite empty Will
in the single waist-cloth and transpal
ent muslin jacket, of which the dres
of each actor was composed, no larg
article could have been concealed
Yet, five minutes later, when the has
ket was lifted. there appeared GROWN
in the hard, sandy bed a hourishin
bamboo plant, more than a foot
height! When the basket had bee
raised the second time, the tree WI
three feet high, ard in twenty minute