The Dawson journal., 1885-04-16
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A SOLOMON ON DIVORCE.
A Queer Scene Witnessed by Col. Levin
on the Malay Peninsula.


I was sitting with the Rajah,
says Col. Levin, in his book on
India, on the raised platform in
front OF his house, drinking tea in
the cool of the evening. Sudden
ly our peaceful, silent smoking
was disturbed by a young and a
very pretty girl with flowers in
her hair and silver ornaments on
neck and arms, who rushed up
the ladder and threw herself at
the Raiah's feet in a passion Of
tears. After her assembled slowly,
one by one, a number of villagers
in their long, homespun mantles,
who quietly sat down on the plat
form to the right and left of the
chief. The Rajah smoked on ST.
lently, until the woman's sobs had
grown somewhat less violent,when
he remarked quietly, Weeping is
good for women"
Afew more puffs of fragrant to-
bacco, and, as the sobbing still
continued, he added with great
solemnity, "Three conditions are
to be avoided: first, not to be able
to weep; second, to weep without
knowing for why; third, to weep
too much" The last condition
was pronounced with impressive
distinctness, and an asserting
murmur went around the assem-
bly,. The girl raised her head, "My
father, l cannot live with Tawn-
geyl l hate himP' "What has he
done? Has he beaten you?" "No,
he has not beaten me; that /
should not have minded. He sus-
poets me. He watches me, and I
will not endure it. I demand to
be divorced! Oh! mig father, be it
on your head!''
"Tawngey, come Forward, thou
son of foolishness! What is this
l hear?"
Tawngey appeared, sinking
shamefacedly from the depths of
the crowd. First making a lowly
obeisance he sat down before the
chief. "My lord" said Tawngey,
"I saw her flirting With" 1T
is false-it is falsei'k vehemently
cried the girl, dashing away her
tears. II went with the other
girls to draw water in the stream
and Adults sweetheart, Pawthee,
came and began laue ehing, and SO
we splashed him with water. Then
this man, pointing with concentra-
ed seorn at the wretched Tawn-
gey, "this man was pying behind
tree, and he came nd dragged
me by the arm and abused me be-
fore them all. / have never suf-
fered such shame. Release me,
oh my father! | will not live with
himp' Here she again prostrated
herself at the Raiah's feet. A
dead silence ensued, broken only
by the girls sobs. Tawngcy look
ed as though he wished the earth
would swallow him, but he said
not word.
Suddenly the Rajah spoke again
and gave orders 80 you and you"
naming two or three elders among
the spectators, stake away these
two wicked ones, who disobey the
holy law, Strip them of all their
clothes, save one cloth only to the
woman, and shut them together
in the great empty gpesthouse. In
the morning | viii hear them
again. Enoughl | have spoken.
So the young couple were hustled
off and shut up in bare, empty
house, with but one garment be.
tween them. The night was very
cold, and as I pulled my thick
wadded quilt over my shoulders
before going to sleep, l admired
the shrewd wisdom Of the Rajah
In the morning when their clothes
we're handed into them and the
door was opened tooonduct then
before the chief they quietly slip
ped away hand in hand, and de
parted peaceably TO their owl
abode,