The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-20
IHB SACRED WHITE ELEPHANT.
r. IS =
BY GEORGE SAND.


longing to an inferior caste, had no right
to touch this sacred leaf. He begged me
to give it back to his majesty's prime min
lister, which l did at once. as q mark of my
Difference and friendship for Aor. The
minister received tho letter, a golden um-
bralla was uufnrled over 1t, ana he read as
follows:
!" Most mighty, well-beloyed. and highly
venerated elephant, of the name of the
Sacred Flower, deign to come and dwell in
the CAPITAL Of my empire, where . palace
worthy of you is already prepared. By the
present royal letter, I. king of Burmah, set
apart for you, a fef which shall belong to
| you in person.. a minister to obey you, n
household of 200 persons, a following of
fifty elephants, as many horses and cattle
umbrellas, q band of musicians and all the
honors which are due to a sacred elephant,
ths glory and JOY of the nations
"rhey showed me the royal seal, and. as /
remained imnassible and Indifferent, they
ask cd nay mahout if / accepted tho offers Of
their promise that | should never be parted
from him, and the minister, after having
consulted his colleagues, took his oath that
it should be as | required. Then. in dem
onatration of great JOY, I caressed the royal
%lettsr, the golden umbrella, and also
slightly the face of the minister. who ex-
pressed his great happiness in having salts
fed my wishes.
although greatly fatigued by my long
travsling, expressed my wish to move on,
10 see my new residence, and to make &C
quaintance with my colleague and peer,
the king of Burmah. 1t was a triumphal
march ELL along the river. whose course We
were ascending. The river lrawady is of
unsqunled beauty. It's banks wore COW
cred with a vegetation wholly new to mo.
We were gong Eorthward, and the AIR
was cooler, If not purer than that of my
own country. The silence and majesty of
the dexert had vanished. We wee in q
world Of luxury and rejoicing. The river
was covered with boats with high prows,
decorated with silken banners striped with
gold, and trimmed with foliage and flow
crs. Oa the bank the wealthy population
came from elegant habitations to knesl be-
fors me and offer perfumes. Bands of
musicians and priests mingled their notes
with tho strains Of the orchestra which pre-
csdad mo.
'.We were advancing in very short stages
to allow me to recover from my fatigue,
and VIC stopped two or three times a day
for nay bath.
81 sounded the river with my trunk, to
sea whether 1T were fordable. only ven
tnred IN whore the sand was the finest
and tho water the purest. Assured upon
these points, | rushed into the current,
however rarid and deep it might be, al
ways bearing Aor on my neck. He took
rs much pleasure in this exercise AZ l, and
\ IN difficult and dangerous places hs ami
mated my ardor ana strength by playing
| nome national air of our own on his flute.
! Meanwhile my escort and the throny on
both banks Of the river expressed thei,
anxiety and their admiration by ontcries,
: throwing themselves on the ground and
: stretching ont their arms toward me. lht
! ministers, made uneasy by Aor's daring
! deliberated if they should not forbid ms
thus to expose my life SO precious to the
, safety of the empire. But Aor, still play.
& ing his flute on my head above the leysl
t Of the waves and my proboscis rising up
8 like tbs neck OF q gigantic peacock. Dor,
g witness to our security. When we slowly
. and TRANQUILITY came out on the bank the
. people all ran toward me with genufeetion'
and aries of triumph, and my orchestr,
q rent tho air with its sounding psnls. Ihi
: orchestra had not pleased mo at first. |
- was composed of trumpets of piercing