Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1886-08-05
How Divorce Proceedings Were Arrested
by n Malay Rajah.
Lieut. Col. Lewin's Book. !

Lieut. Col. Lewin's Book.
] was sitting with the ra jah on the raised
platform in front of his house. drinking tes
in the cool of the evening. Suddenly OUT
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
!bre~ herself at the rajah's feet in pas ion
Of tears. After her assembled slowly, one by
one, o number Of villagers wrsppsd Ia their
long, homespuD mantles. who quietly sat
down on the platform to the right and left
Of the chief The rajah smoked on silently,
until the woman's sobs bad grown somewhat
less violent, when he remarked quietly,
Weeping is good for women
A few more puffs of fragrant tobacco,
and, a the sobbing still continued, he ad led
with solemnity, Three conditions are to be
avoided first, not to be able 10 weep. second
to weep without knowing for why; third. to
weep too much" The last condition was pro-
nOunced with impressive distinctpess, aud
an asserting murinur vent around the as
sembly. The girl raised her head. my
father, cannot live with Tawngey! hate
himI' "Nbat has be done! Has he beaten
you" "So. he has not beaten me; that l
should not have minded. He suspects me.
He watches me, and will not endure it, /
demand to be divorced! Obi my father. he
it on your head" "Twangey. come forward,
thou son of foolishne S! What is this /
hearr
Tawngey appeared, sinking shame face lily
from the depths Of the crowd First
making a lowly ohai 'ance, he sat down be-
fore the chief Ny lord said Tawngey,
Il saw her flirting with "It is false
il is false" vehe mently cried the girl, dash
ing away her tears. Il went with the other
girls to draw water in the stream, and Adui's
sweetheart, Pawtbee, came and began laugh
ing, and so we splashed him with water.
Then this man. (pJinting with concentrated
scorn at the wretcbei Tswngsy,l "this man
was spying behind a tree, and he came and
dragged me by the arm and abused me be-
fore them all I have never suffered such
ShGRe. Release me, oh my fathei will
not live with him. Here she again pros
tratel herself at the rajah's feet. A dead
silence ensued, broken only by the girls
sobs Tawngey looked as though he wi he'd
The earth would swallow him, but be said
not a word.
Suddenly the rajab spoke again ami gave
orders. 20 you AMI you manning two OF
,hree elders among the SPECTATORS, take
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 up together in the great empty guest
house. lE the morning will hear them
again. Enough! / have spoken" So the
y ung couple were hustled or and shut up
in bare, empty house, with but one gar
ment between them. Tho night was very
cold, and As pplled my thick wadded quilt
over my shoulders before going to sleep, I
admired the shrewd wisdom of the ra jah.
In the morning when their clothes were
handed into them and the door was opened
TO conduct them before the chief they quietly
slippe away hand in hand, and departed
peaceably TO their own abode.