New-York tribune., 1884-10-12
IN ELDER WORLDS.
THE CAPITAL OF THE GREAT MOGuL.
AGRA. 1Ss.i.

n,,,c an acoualntance at CaWnporc WHO Is 'oo
Interesting to he altogether lost sight OF. we met
first in the early morning when was iooh'"s ioi
,ho most Office. There approached from down the
road u gharry with human shoulder projecting
from either open window, aud prodisous arm
hanging limp. pcnsivcly cnicying the cool morning
air Tho nearer approach of tie eharry disclose"
tho MINER part of n gigantic man. HIS 'urpah
brusbed the roof of the ghany rs he sat, anu II ho
had not C,t his arms outslac cannot CONCEIVE
where he would have pat them. As s'"'" no W
nodded in the friendest way, and when "S"en II
he knew where the post-oiice was II" S'oi'cH '"'
carrare with elusive politencSS lie even hia'e IL
If he would descend but reflection on the diicu 'es
that surrounded his getting back again haue MN
nausc As il was he insisted upon shaking me oN
Tho hand and so bnbblcl over with friendship that
felt as if we had known each other Tor many years.
His knowledge of English was not more than
mllccd with the assistance of gestures, to direct
mo to the rost Office and after he had shaken hanis
With me again the patient horse moved OF with
him I maryellcd much who he might lie. nut nav
mo no means of learning had given mp the puzzle
when met him olc mere amid surroundings 'ii''
dcepened the mystery
had obtained the address OF the cdito~ OF ma
tive papcr published in Cawnporc. ana went III
oncst of him desiring to have talh ON the subject
cfthe uhcrt bill aud other matters. His Once was
I'm the native pait of the town. approached ny
.,,cct Gu uarrow that driving was inconvenient II
not impossible. Holding the address IN my manu-
walked down the street, narrow lane thanked with
shops few feet siuarr windowi,ss amt uooiiesS'
Native shupkecpcs in the street at the ton sktthg
tbe Memorial Gardens might. ii they pleased, dress
tbenselyrs i'm the borrowed plumrs ot the Enclish.
Nhnnsla Nisr" misht Nlnnt hi' " "tutntutes
room" aud "Mis,rv jannii might write himself
,p conrh-lnitrn' nnt in this street, oHr hN n
century than the English occnration, natives We"
,nnirnt ~ follow old cnstoms ahl lloan ancient ar
ppllaiions. Ia each shop s,,Nattod q man az woman
waittns toe enstoln, which VanV hNl SLOWLY. Ntfd-
ejaRalN Il ehid Cane np Ahd had WeisNcd oAt ~ h'i
With nthitv oArciNnoss Ah Nhh'" at eh'N lHh'"
out oi q iar hy the IMPARTIAL hhscf "l to W"N"'",
which Was neNt m.e,tel III whatever either le-
oeptaole had call mado Npon II. Nav aud then q
woman brought a lew PEE Wotth oi rier, ana lha
trad, in betel nuts was comparatively lively, For
tho rest the dealers sat in their shops gazing into
vacancy or taking across the narrow passage To
their equally discngaged neghbor On the other side
At the corner OF hy-street sat an old woman Win
a few handsful of larchtd peas stored IN a Int OF
paper with little tin measure designed To Ihete on
the luxury to solvent customers. As none came. the
old woman fondlcd the peas with bony hands not
less parchel than they. arranging and rc-arraneng
them with a tire,css devotion that must have added
herself and thus da!liel with an appetite too eX.
pensive to he satiated | suppose the market value
of the whole stoc, was one penny, ana when tins
was turned over and the irs profits cleaned the on
lady would have her dinner. In tn meanwhile she
took in slstenancc by the pores. a. Joey Lade was
accustomed in the of h> employers cellar,
TO take his winc Whenever saw Il comparatively
well-to-.lo person >howci him the scrap OF paper
with the lImdoo's address Generally hc turned
il so as read il sideways, and invariably returned
it with deprccatorr sh ike OF the heh. No ChTis-
tian. il seems, ever pcnctrdtcs this quarter.
At last cane to place with Press written
over it, and showing the paper was directed by sign
M a conrtyarl There stables outside, and at
first that seemed all But espying narrow passage
| fo,lowc it, and came into a courtyard ta"ed hN ::
house cf remarkable appearance. flankc1 on either
side by on.buildmgs. The h1use was a cut between
a dsu,ed GIN palace and show booth. 1t was
paintel in caudy colors, had gas' chandeliers hang
i'm, down and was adorned with many mirrors IN
one corner of the veranda, rolled mp in bluc and
red coveret was patriarch fast asleep. ana there
in the centre of the yari, sitting up low couch
some eight feet long 10y six broad. my mys-
terious acqnaIntance of the morning. lie was as
delighted to see me as was surprised at this seconG
rcncontre IN this uut-of- thcway yarl IN the native
,uorter. His back was Turned as | entered, and lie
WAS gazing rcllectivoly upon basket of very dirty
cakes which shared the couch with him. Around,
in different postures al Indicative of proiOund,st
respect and vcncratlon, were hah oo>en men
One waving n dIty pocket handkerchief, was keep
ing flies oft the too seductive face OF the giant.
second held in his hand a stock OF lime leaves and &
third held fast in the damp palm OF hlS swarthI
hand n store of small licces ol betcl mat. frGn
these the mysterious creature on the conch alter
natcly hclrcl himself while he gazed with troubled
brow upon the basket of cakes apparently dtbai ni
with himself whether he should bay penn,
worth Rut trouble vanished when he saw me
The cake man was pc:cmptorily dismiSscd. the oihe
two scrvitors were waved oil, and great fat han'
was arectionatcly pressing mine. Po>t-oiice
LA ~ hr said hy way of greeting. and that Icing hi
available stock OF English hc shook hands again
Ia his country the essentially absurd ceremony II
unknown But he knew Englishmen did A. and /
hc could not speak English he could shake hands
which II, did Frequently. sat aud talked Will
him for a time, hut / could make nothing Of hin.
nuj left without the slightest notion whether M
was the liindoo editor ,whom otherwise hcvc
ionnd or whether hc was a false prophet or a dc
noscl p,incn He VAS certainly. taking INTO &C
rount the absence oi preliminary acquaintance th
trrndlirSt man ever met.
hrra called by tie MuSSulnan Ahbarabad th
Cty of Akhar was not always the capital OF 'h
Great Mcgnl. llc had begun to bGl,d II IN l6U''
hut four years later u Circumstance happened wtc'
determined hm 10 move 10 Falt'hpoir NiNrL so'n'
twcnty.iour miles distant At THIS place 'lo'c ii>c'
A holy man named Solm Chlsti, who ioctod th'
birth oi u son 10 the great Emperor The son ~
rived IN due time. u ronlarhabo circumstance II
e,yly married lite which so pleased Akbar that h'
not only called the lad sclim. after the She'k, bn
determined to go and reside ia the immediate neigh
borhood Of the holy man Agra was projected ah'
partly b,ilt, but that was Il mere ir'ic III the way
of an imperial whim The capital should be al
Cuttchporc Slhr and forthwith the Emperor Sc
ohout huildiur a palace for himself, one for h