Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-24
seriousness or peace.

and idol of the class, yielded up his life.
Not one dared speak. 1t was treason to
question the right of this potential ruler
to direct their destinies, to dispose OF
their lives, even according as he willed.
More than treason. This being was pos
sessed of superhuman capabilities. He
had simply smitten the boy, Ono, with
look. Never so much as fingers tip had
he laid upon his person. A look had
compelled his life to depart out OF him.
He bent himself now, overshadowing the
pulseless body with his gaunt person,
while his hands played kind OF rhyth-
mical movement in the air above it. At
length a mute gesture announced to the
boys, at is finished"
Upon that a great vail rent the air.
Unroticed by the boys, and even by the
priest himself, so entirely did the work he
had in hand tax the forces of his soul, the
little group which surrounded the pros
trate body had been silently augmented
to a multitude. All Ono's kinsfolks were
/ there-father, mother and a swarm Of
sisters and brothers, and it was at first
with no asserting demonstrations that
they comprehended the nature of this
very pronounced miracle, They were
speedily given to understand, however,
that there was nothing for them but to
submit. Perhaps, too they took pride in
the fact that, of all the world, their boy
had been selected for this high destiny
OF course they never could expect to see
him again, that is, with the eyes that had
been accustomed to watch over his well
fare, but in the far future, after they had
been the rounds of occupancy through
some thousands of different species of the
earth's inhabitants, the hope was held
out to them that some member Of the
family might be his elephant, perhaps, or
his horse, and have the privilege Of bear
ing him on his back on his triumphant
professions. He would require two sing
ing birds and all kinds of pet animals.
These were consultations not to be des-
pissed. Indeed the priest gave it as his
opinion that, in some shape OR other, they
might all hope to be present at the show.
1t would be long story to detail the
precautions that were taken for the pres
ervation of the vacated tenement in the
meantime. OF course its receptacle was
contrived SO as to fit it pretty closely, and
with that wonderful cement, which the
Daryas alone of all India knew the secret
of preparing, it was made perfectly air
tight
A great crowd kept guard about it all
that night and through the next day, in
deed for many days and nights afterward.
The boys brought jars of water and guam
titles of toothsome things to eat from time
to time, through every day and night for
long while, laying their offerings
against the stone on which the priest had
recorded, in his mystic characters, the
story and the time Of the removal, with
the prophecy of return.
Not yet, however, was the young class
leader ready to wake up and burst through
his adamantine covering. Hunger will
break through stone wall. There is q
tradition that this proverb originated then
and there. Ono had been remarkable for
his excellent appetite, and he would
probably come out pretty hungry. But
his time was not yet.
And so the years passed. The boys
grew old and left their own bodies to be
gathered into their graves, and the story
of Ono came at length to be known only
as a tradition. Indeed, even the spot,
sacred in old times to Ono's ownership,
came to be forgotten, for as the age crept
on the land got SO covered over with
grand sculptured memorials, poor Ono's
lliOtlCSl SdplCG lilttuC uO oIlO" III 1HCl e
it remained, however; the Daryas had
done their work well.
And Ono? Did he sleep9 Not certainly
for long. The next he knew was the
touch of gentle hands. o, so gentle!
Surely he was awake. And how alive he
was in all his senses! 1t was as though,
until now, the whirl and tumult of exist
ence had deadened his perceptions to life's
b., 10
might have seemed unaccountable that
the people about him, though not his own
homefolk or his school fellows, he already
knew most intimately. They had been
close about him through his whole life.
But he had no consciousness of himself.
He was simply absorbed in learning and
in bringing his requirements into use.
Still student, he had entered upon an
advanced course. Hitherto the surface
had been all Now what chapters, won
ders within wonders, were revealed in the
CommoneSt things about him! The
smallest leaf, the tiniest insect--al life
being of the spiritual world-now that his
eyes were opened, have written on them
treasures of wisdom inexhaustible. So
was be made aware that in the processes
of spiritual growth lives each minutest
detail of the actuating thought. 1t was
only, however, as his understanding be-
came illuminated by sweet affections, and
only as he made knowledge of avail by
giving forth, that these wondrous pages
unfolded themselves before him.
Perhaps he was intrusted with the con-
veying of suggestions to people in the ma
terial world. If SO, he did not reflect upon
it, for he never thought of himself, at
least of the uses he performed, as ap-
pertaining to himself. fine had speculated
upon what heaven might be lke-he
never had-he could not have imagined an
existence more perfect in delight than his
genial and ceaseless occupation made for
him.
He had been too busy to give thought
to that last earthly experience of his, un-
til now, right in the heyday of his joyous
activities, he was suddenly overtaken by
an unaccountable stupor. I cannot say
he lost himself. He had learned that
nothing can be lost. But he seemed in
spired in his work by the restraints of
some clogging environment and his forces
called a halt
Meanwhile, in those very old times,
though the human race was, as now,
steadily advancing in enlightenment, no
body dreamed of the wonderful scripture
that was writing itself along the centuries
in the worlds history. But the era had
now come when this majestic truth stood
forth revealed, and everything of science
was brought to bear in its interpretations.
Men studied the earth's strata, and q
mania prevailed for bringing out into
modern sunlight the stone relics of past
civilizations. And so it came about that
on recent day party Of eager scientists
deciphered the unique inscription that re-
corded Ono's experimental interment. A
record that proclaimed itself to have stood
for more thirty centuries! But what