The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-02-27

cTedtlOIi, eAcepI Wiei lHS PCiN"i7 h"~hNN
themselves together to doze away digestion
or snub-nosed alligator took Shiny snooze
on the extreme edge. If you wished to
watch the birds, or the palm-squirrels, or
the jerboa rats, you had to face northwards
and skirt the high bank So much of Dame
Natures ways, and a vast deal more, Mus
sumat Nuttia learned ere the setting sun
and hunger drove her back to the brick
kilns, and the never-failing meal of scraps
never failing, because the Lords of the Uni
verse liked people to be fat, and the head
men were responsible for the Legacys con-
dition
So when an assistant magistrate
mite because of the constant changes which
apparently form part of Western policy-in
cluded the Bhamaniwallahs in his winter tour
of inspection, p"nchaiyat, or Council of
Five, decided that it was the duty Of the
village to provide Militia with veil, in case
she should be hailed to the Presence; and two
yards of Manchester muslin were purchased
from the reserve fund of the village, and
handed over to the child with many wise
saws on the general advisability of decency.
Nuttias delight for the first five minutes
was exhilerating, and sent the head men back
to their duties with glow of self-satisfae-
ton on their solemn faces. Then she fold
ed the veil up quite square, sat down on 1t,
and meditated on the various uses to which
it could be put.
The result may be told briefly. Two
days afterwards the Assistant Magistrate
being keen sportsman, was crawling on
his stomach to certain long low pool much
frequented by teal and mallard. In the
rear, cleaning white through the casper
bushes, showed the usual cloud Of witness
es filed with patient amazement at this
unnecessary display of energy; yet for al
that counting shrewdly on the good temper
likely to result from good sport. So much
so, that the sudden uprising into bad Ian.
guage of the Hlt=oor sent them forward
prodigal of apology; but the sight that me-
their eyes dried up the fountain of excuse
Nuttia, stark naked, stood knee-deep in thu
very centre of the pool, catching small fry
with bag-net ingeniously constructed Ou
of the Manchester veil.
The puBchaiyt sat again to agree tha
4 child who could not only destroy tht
sport of the Guardian of the Poor, bu
could also drag the village honor through
the mud, despite munifcent inducements
towards decency. must be possessed of ;
devil. So Nuttia was solemnly censed witt
red pepper and turmeric, until her yells ant
struggles were deemed sufficient to denot,
casting out of the evil spirit 1t is not il
the slow Drained, calm hearted peasant o
India to be unkind to children, and so
when the function was over, Mussuma
Jewun and the other deep-chested, shrill
voiced woman comforted the victim with
sweetmeats and the assurance that sht
would be ever so much better behaved il
in future.
Nuttia eyed them suspiciously, but att
her sweetmeats This incident did not in
! au.o.r H., oo,6Jonoo ~ bun,on;tr. M, tbf
other hand, the attitude of the brute crea
ton was a sore disappointment to her. She
might have had heart instinct with greed
of capture and sudden death, instead Of
that dim desire of companionship, for all
the notice taken by the birds, and the
squirrels, and the rats of her outstretched
handful of crumbs She would sit for
long hours, silent rs bronze image set in
the sunshiny sand; then in rage, she
would fling the crumbs at the timid crea-
lures, and go home to the dogs and the
bufaIoes They at least were not afraid of
her; but then they were afraid OF nobody,
and Nuttia wanted something of her very
own.
One day she found it. 1t was only an
old bed-leg, but to the eye of faith an in
carnation. For the leg of an Indian bed
is not unlike huge ninepin, and even a
Western imagination can detect the embryo
likeness between ninepin, and the human
form divine Man has head, so has a
ninepin; and if humanity is to wear petit
coats, one solid leg is quite as good as two;
nay better, since it stands more firmly.
Arms were of course wanting, but the holes
ready cut in the oval centre for the inser-
ton of the bed-frame formed admirable
sockets for two straight pieces of bamboo.
At this stage Nuttia's treasure presented
the appearance of sign-post; but the pas
sion of creation was on the child, and few
hours afterwards something comically, yet
pitifully, like the Legacy herself stared
back at her from that humble studio among
the dirt-heaps-a shag of goats hair glued
on with prickly pear juice, two lovely black
eyes drawn with Mussumat Jewun's khOl
pencil, few blue heads, scanty pettieoat
and veil filched FROM the child's own gar
ments
Nuttia, inspired by the recollection of a
tinsel-decorated bride in Big Bhamaniwal-
lah, called her creature Sirdar Begun on
the spot. Then she hid her away in tus-
sock of tiger-grass beyond the thorn en-
closures, and strove to go her evening
rounds as though nothing had happened.
Yet it was as if an angel from heaven had
stepped down to take her by the hand.
Henceforward she was never to be alone.
All through the silent sunny days, as she