Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-26
TARA.

Near tne great city OF Hyderabad. in the
nizams dominions- Her people were
Ieiugusof the cultivator caste, and her
earliest recollection was of the tinklinp
bells on the necks of the focks She used
10 lie awake at night listening 10 their
music. and wondering whether they. too,
came from the distant stars like herself,
for her mother had told the little girl that
she had come TO them from the brightest
star that was visible through the chinks
of the cottage wall
Her brothers were named for the things
OF the earth TO which they belonged, but
she. the youngest and dearest. was named
for the shining place from whence she
came-Tara star
The bright eyed. gentle Tara often pom
dered these things in her mind as the
days went by. and seed time and harvest
followed each other. She dimly remem-
bered great ceremony In which she had
had a part, but who the other actors
were and what il all meant she did not
know.
When she was years old she ques-
TONED the Bal. her mother. one day about
the ring which pierced her little nose.
why did she wear a ring while Soondra,
neighbor's child of her own age. wore
nonel Was it because she came from the
starsy''
Then the Bal explained that 1t was tho
sign of marriage The ceremony which
she dimly remembered was the wedding.
She was married to Lalu. who was now
far away in his own home. Ibid she not
remember standing on one side of a red
screen. while Lalu stood on the other side
and the family friends threw rice over
tbemi And when the screen was re-
e. n IL
priest of the temple tied their clothing
together and they fed each other with
sugar. and were declared married"
"Ahl' said the Bal. 1.-THE marriage pro-
cession was the grandest ever known in
our village Lalu rode white horse.
which was entirely covered with gold and
silver spangies and bells. while Lalu him
self was almost hidden by garlands of
flowers.
Then the long line of carts and palan-
quins. filled with children: and behind
them the women laden with flowers, and
the men bearing torches; while the
musicians followed, beating the tomtoms,
and singing the marriage chant
did Tara remember none of thisf
Well. it bad taken place when she was
years old. and they had then given her
the nose ring-the sign of a wife-and
Lalu had gone back TO his own village in
Baroda. 800 miles away. to await the time
when this little bride should be old
enough to come to him"
Then the Bal charged the child that she
should 60 every day TO the temple and
make offerings of flowers and fruit to
Moroba and pour melted butter over him.
and beseech him not to allow her to be-
come that vile thing. a widow. If the
husband. whom she did not remember
having seen. should die she would be
counted AS the guilty cause of his death.
and would be treated as such.
The little wife followed her mothers In
functions religiously. She searched the
fields for the fairest and choicest flowers.
and carefully tended and watered her
tulsi bush SO that the god should have
its most fragrant blossoms: and she poured
melted butter over his grinning face until
il trickled down and lay in little pools
upon the stone floor of the temple; and
this was her petition: ''Shri Moroba. be
pleased to have compassion upon poor lit
tie Tara. and do not let her become
widow Spare the life of her far off Lalu.
and permit him to become the father of
many sonsi'
She learned to grind the grain and bake
the chapatties. so that she might please
the Sassu. her mother in law. when she
should be taken to her house IN far away
Baroda.
How Tara shuddered when she thought
of the Sassu and of the time, not far dis
tant now. when she must leave the gentle
Bal, her mother, and become the slave of
the mother in law, in whose presence she
might not speak without permissionl
At the village well. whittier she went
morning and evening with her water jar
deftly poised on her head, she questioned
the other girls of her own age as to the
time when they were to go to their Sas-
sus' houses. and whether they were not
looking forward TO the time with fear and
trembling.
And so the time went by. She sang her
little song as she turned the milestone to
grind the grain. and rolled the spicy curry
which always garnished the rice at their
evening meal The focks were herded at
aight. and their bells still made music to
Tarais ears in the low rooted cottage
where she slept. The seasons came and
went until Tara was II years old. when
Ramji. her father. announced that the
little wife must now be taken to her hus-
bands house.
Liulbaii. her eldest brother was to 60
with her, and ON a fine morning. just at
the close of the long rains, they started
On their journey across the country, car
rying Tara's silken bridal robes and orna-
ments and tine little dowry of money
which had been saved for her.
Just as they left the cottage door, the
,braying of donkey was heard from
field away at their right. This was good
omen. and gave them q hope that they
4 ,,,s fft,
If the braying had been heard on their
left, they must have returned to the
house and awaited q more suspicious day.
As they descended the winding path
leading TO the public road they watched
carefully lest perchance lizard should
cross their track, and they still be Obliged
20 turn back. But no lizard appearing,
they went cheerily on their way, which
lay through the heart of the great city.
The streets were full of fierce looking
bearded men armed to the teeth. and little
Tara CLING closely to her brother as they
slowly weuded their way through the
crowl
They passed numberless mosques, where
the followers of the Prophet could be seen
prossrating themselves on their prayer
rugs. with their faces devoutly turned to-
ward Mecca, while from the many pointed
minarets the muezzin's call. Allah lila
Allah!" rose above the uproar of the
Streets.
Gilt bespangled elephants tramped ma
iestically along. their bowdahs filled with
the high born ladies of the realm. whose
laughing voices reached the ears OF the
two strangers as they forced their way
through the moving throng. and anon the
Il, Aash hs.A nrr4 hn