The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1883-04-07

Devas about him Let her be purified by
fire, inasmuch as discern about her an odor
of mortality offensive to immortal sense. And
even so often as she returns TO her folly, SO
often let her be consumed in my sight "....
Accordingly they bound the fairest of APP
saras, and cast her into a furnace furious as
the fires Of the sun, so that within moment
her body was changed to white heap OF
ashes. But over the ashes was magical water
sprinkled and out of the furnace Bakawali
arose, nude as one newly born, but more per-
feet in rosy beauty even than before. And
Indra commanded her to dance before him,
as she was wont to do in other days.
So she danced all those dances known in
the courts of heaven,-curving herself as
flowers curve under a periumed breeze, as
water serpentines under the light; and she
circled before them rapidly as a leaf-whirling
wind, lightly as bee, with myriad varia-
tons of delirious grace, with ever-shifting en-
chantmeht OF notion until the hearts Of all
who looked upon her we're beneath those
shining feet, and all cried 'loud-O flower
b 1dyl-O rose-bodyl o ia m ne ofthe Garden
Of Grace!-blossom Of dainuness!-O flower
body! ......
#*x
Thus was she each night obliged TO appear
before Indra at Armanagar,- and each night
to suffer the fiercest publication of fire for
asmuch as she would not forsake her folly;
and each night also did she return to her
mortal lover, and take her wonted place be-
side him without awaking him,-having first
bathed her in the great fountain of rosewater
within the court.
But once il happened that Taj-ulmululS
awoke in the night, and reaching out his arms
found she was not there. Only the perfume
OF her head upon the pillow, and odorous gar
ments flung in charming formlessness upon
every divan.....
When she returned, seemingly iairer than
before, the youth uttered no reproach, but
on the night following he slit up the tip OF his
finger with a sharp knife, and filed the
wound with salt, that he might not sleep.
Then, when the cereal chariot descended all
noiselessly, like some long cloud moon
silvered, he arose and followed Bakawal
unperceived. Clinging underneath the chariot
he was borne above winds even to Armana-
gar, and into the jeweled courts and into the
presence of Indra. But Indra knew not, Tor
his senses were dizzy with sights OF beauty
and the fumes of soma-wine.
Then did Taj-ulmuluk, standing in the
shadow of pillar, behold beauty such as he
had never before seen, in Bakawali,-
and hear music sweeter than mortal musician
may ever learn. Splendors bewildered
his eyes; and the crossing of the fretted
and jeweed archwork above him seemed
an intercrossing and interblending Of
inrumerable rainbows. But when it
was given to him, all Unexpectedly, 10
view the awful publication of Bakawali,
his heart felt like ice within him, and he
shrieked. Nor could he have RETAINED from
casting himself also into that burst of white
FIRE, had not the magical words been pro-
nounced. and the wizard water sprinkled be-
fore he was able to move a limb. Then did
he behold Bakawali rising from her snowy
understanding like an image of the Goddess
Lakshmi in the fairest Of her thousand forms
more radiant than before, like some comet
returning from the embraces of the sun with
brighter curves OF form and longer glories of
luminous hair ......
And Bakawali danced and departed; Tai
umulull likewise returning even as he had
come
Nv
But when he told her in the dawn of the
morning that ne had accompanied her in her
voyage and had surprised her secret, Baka-
wall wept and trembled for fear: "Alas !!
Ais! What hast thou done " she sobbed I;
thou hast become thine own greatest enemy.
Never canst thou know all that have suffered
for thy sake, the maledictions of my kindred,
the insults of all belonging 10 my race. Yet
rather than turn away my face from thy love,
] suffered nightly the agonies of burning; |
have led a myriad deaths rather than
lose thee thou hast seen it with thine own
eyes go. But none of mankind may visit un.
hidden the dwelling of the gods and return
with impunity. Now, alasl the evil hath been
donel nor can devise any plan by which to
avert thy danger, save that of bringing thee
again secretly to Armanagar and charming
Indra in such wise that he may pardon
ALL" ......
- *x*
So Bakawali the Apslra suffered once more
the agony of fire, and danced before the GODS
not only as she had danced before. but so that
the eyes Of al! beholding her became dim in
watching the varying curves Of her limbs, the
dizzy speed OF her white feet, the tossing light
of her hair And the charm of her beauty be-
wtched he tongues OF all there, so that the