The morning call., 1893-07-09

| out solitary leaf here and there. perhap:
cherishing at the core remembrance o
! the rains of the past and hope for those
| to come.
Bnt far ahead line of green. growing
| rapidly larger as we approach, shows tha
we are nearly across the desert plain, and
are nearing the village to which we are
bound.
In two hours and half from the time
we saw Calcutta sink into the plain behind
US we rode through the gate into the Gov
eminent Enclosure md alighted before the
hospitable doors of the Governors resi-
dence.
His was a long, low-roofed bun galow
surrounded by wide veranda, and on this
veranda were gathered a group of English
officers from the city and several ladies'
wives and daughters of the members of
the Governors establishment.
No matter how insight ficant the station,
an English officer in India will live in
greater style than the commandments
of our army would think of putting on, even
in Washington.
The grounds were fairly well filled with
a host of mingled soldiers and civilians,
some white, others native troopers. These
latter were far more picturesque than their
white superiors. and added not a little to the
charm OF the scene. which was new one
to my Amerlcan-trained ewes
A little way off to one side soldier.
standing stiff and erect on guard, marked
the place upon which all interest was GEN.
tered. There was the grave, within which
three months ago man was laid, and
from that grave his family confidently ex-
pected to raise him in a few hours TO life
and health.
The Governor came forward to welcome
us. and In a short time all was ready for
the great work Of the day. l asked one of
the officers if he felt confident that there
n ia wit
since the Hindoo was laid in it. He as
sured me there had been no possible
chance for that, as the grave had been
guarded day and night by two men, who
were interested in seeing the end of the
fakir. and who would not yield to tempta-
tion in any form and allow the friends of
the buried man to remove the body until
the day named for his resurrection.
While we were talking the laborers had
been digging into the grave. which was
covered with rank growth of grass green
and Furnishing. for the authorities had
spared no pains to secure the grave from
meddling hands. and had kept the grass
that the condition of the grass might
show the slightest attempt at opening it
before the date named by the buried man.
But, to do the friends of the buried fakir
justice, there had been no sign of any de-
sire to interfere with the grave in any
way.
One or the other of the dead mans
brothers had kept close watch beside the
soldier on guard night and day. but he
never interfered in any way with the
grave.
While we were talking the grave had
been opened by the shovels piled by the
friends of the dead man, and the body,
still wrapped in It's folds Of silks and linens,
had been raised from the depths.
The outer fold OF the wrappings was mil
dewed and rOtted by its long contact with
the earth. The men raised the body in
their arms and carried it toward the house.
a little way to one side low platform had
been built for some purpose or other, and
on bench on this platform the moldy
bundle just dug from the ground was laid.
The platform was but short distance
from the house. and most Of the white peo-
pie present were accommodated with seats
on the veranda and the steps leading
onto it.
l had clear view of all that was done,
and determined TO keep my courage and
see 1T all. no matter how repulsive might
be the sight when they removed the rot
ten folds of linen from the form lying
straight and stark before me.
A crowd OF HlndO0s had gathered by the
time the body was laid on the bench, and
the greater number of them sauatted on
their heels in circle around the platform.
luo OtotHeIS Oi Tile ueaO man ana SeVeTai
priests were on the stand, and after some
cerem Ony and a vast amount of Grating
and gestlcuatng four Of them proceeded
to remove the wrappings from the form
which they had until then hidden from
view.
Slowly and carefully the shrouding folds
were stripped away until the form OF the
dead man lay before us, covered with but
single garment of rich silk.
As fold after fold was removed the air