The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-16
GLORY OF WOMAN.

AODdAis AObdh- u VI StldiAlts loI SIidAhE- y
Mistress Fakr-un-nissa. Die if thou wilt
10 make room for the hussy. AS for me,
l wait on the will of the Lord"
murmur Of assent ran through the
| semicircle once more.
Nay nay. I meant not So pro-
tested Fakr-un- nisSa hastily. 10 death
comes TO all, and goeth not by age.
meant but this-sure tbs hard 10 put il
10 wOrds-that the old should make
room for the young, or make the wait
ing bearable''
"Tchu! If the heart be set on a frog.
what doth it care for a fairy2" insisted
the hOarder of other folks wisdom.
'Dost mean to hint that in this place
the girl hath not had virtue set con-
stantly before her; ay, and preached
tooy 1t seems to me that we have it
almost 10 safety. Is it not so, sisters?' %
Once more the chuckle ran round the
circle, and GlOry-of-Woman sat still
more upright. Amongst thy other pro-
verbs, canst not recollect the one which
says, between the two priests the fowl
killed for dinner became unlawful TO
eat?' Then the temper died from her
face and she went on in a softer tone:
Il find no harm in the girl, and what
wrong hath she done this day more than
another"
mo more. for sure" put in Mumtaza
Mahul. "since she is late at work every
day; that is no new thing, is it, sisters?'
yet she finishes her task as quick as
any-as I, anyhow" persisted Yasmin's
advocate, who having come TO the gold
thread late in life found it apt to knot.
''Wah illah, What fuss about a will
full girl" put in a new voice. she is
no worse than others and needs re-
straint no more. She hath grown saucy
since we gave her money instead Of
broken victuals. Put her back to the
old footing. say 1. when she had naught
of her own
Khadjiya Khanum's yelled head nod
ded sagely. Thou hast it, Hameda-
banu. Lo. l for one. know not why the
girl was ever given such freedom, save.
indeed. that il tallies with Fakr-un-nis-
sa's indecent fastening of Providence. l
am for the old plan"
And T. And l." And T." assented
a chorus Of set. certain voices.
Glory-Of-Wowan's fingers flew faster.
''Then will We drive the girl from US al
together. l know it. / feel it. Yea, /.
Fakr-un-nissa, singer Of the Koran till
my tone failed me. remember it, those
Gays when some other song seemed bet
ter and one must needs sing il. Think,
sisters, remember The eyes of the body
are two: the eve of the soul is one" The
work had dropped from her hands, which
were stretched out i'm eager entreaty.
TITS but patience for a year or two.
Then. since there is no harm in her, she
will settle down as-as las l did. tbs
but the youth in her veins. and God
knows that is soon past for a woman
yet ones glory remains Her voice re-
gaining some Of its past strength, recOl-
lecting all its old skill under the stimu-
lus of bOt1 memory and hope, filled the
little COurtyard-and availed nothing
Half an hour afterward struck dumb,
as sensitive natures are, by the stress
Of passion around her, she was watching
with stupid inactiOn Yasmin'S final ven
geanCe on that decOrous row Of curly
shoes behind the screening wall. To
right and left. 10 this corner and that.
they sped before the reckless young feet
while the reckless young voice rose in
mockery. 10, 1 wait no longer for old
women's shoes. l will have new ones
Of my own. Khujju. and Mujju, and the
rest Of ye can sort them for yourselves,
or go down to the grave one foot at
a time as seemeth TO We best. l care
not; ] wait no longer.
One pair flew full in Maimana Begum's
face. and then came a pause before the
last pair. an odd sound between a laugh
and a sob, a sudden sweep Of the net
veil over the shoulder. and a half-de-
fiant nod 70 the old white figures.
These shall stay. because they were my
mothers. and because"
The next moment she was gone. leav-
ing the twelve old women sitting in the
sunshine, brcathless, silenced by her
youth. her unreasOn. her fire Even
But after a time when Juntu, full of
smiles and winks. came from the steps
TO aid the cackle which arose as the sill
enCing effect of the shock wore away.
Glory ofWOman began 10 feel the old
pain at her heart once more. Because
they were my mothers, and because
-" She could fill up the pause in two
ways: Because they are yours, and you
have been kinder than the others" BE
cause they should by rights be mine"
Both answers were disturbing. She
leaned back against the wall, pressing
her thin hands TO the thin breast which
had known so little of a womans life.
save only that craving for another song.
Toward the bazaar, sayest thou?'
came Khadiya's Wrathfully satisfied
voice. ITO the bazaar, and in MOhur-
rum-tide. too, That means the worst.
and we were none too soon in getting
rid Of her. heaven be praised
The cousin lives close to the Chowk, -
put in Fakr-un-nissa family. "Mayhap
the girl goes there"
Juntu laughed THE cousin is a bad
one; no better"
Whereat Maimana Begun remarked
savagely that whether the knife fell on
the melon or the melon on the knife was
all one; the melon suffered. Yasmin' S
reputation was hopelessly hurt by that
going bazaar-ward.
For a Syyedani per chance" retorted
Juntu with some acerbity. Yet this
/ say; there is no harm in the girl,
though she be younger than some folk
who need dhoolies 70 their virtue" She
hated the prOverb-mOnger who never from
years end to years end gave her a
cOWrie or so much even as a word of
thanks. And then being Mohurrum-tide
when in all piOus houses the assemblage
Of mourning must be held the work was
folded away in the old carved Golfer the
desecrated shoes sorted into pairs, and
one by one the old ladies' were smuggled
into the curtained dhoolie and trotted
away 70 their homes. with buXOm Juntu
cha altering and laughing alongside.
"Dost recite the Murseah" at the Ma
wab's this year. Fakr-un-nissa?" asked
Humeda- banu, wrapping herself care
fully in thick white veil.
Glory-of- Woman shook her head.
.'They have a new one. Last Mohur-
rum I grew hoarse. Perhaps twas the
fever: it had held me for days"
Fever echoed the other "Say
rather the fasting. Thou hast a dead
look in the face even now, and as for
me, God knows whether l feel hungry
or sick. Thou shouldst remember that
thou art growing Old
Il do remember it," said Fakr-un-
nissa, half TO herself.
In truth she did. AS she sat await
ing her turn for the curtained dhoolie
she felt very old, very helpless. Vas
min, whom she had loved had broken
loose from all tradition and gone ba-
zaar-wards. The very idea was terrify-
ing. The brain behind that high narrow
forehead Of Fakr-un-nissa' could barely
grasp the situation. For fifty years it
had circled round the one central duty
of pious seclusiOn, and Yasmins choice