Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27

faced the couple. Before the priest
was placed platter of rice. He began
to address the young man and woman.
We could not hear a word, but we I'M
derstood just as well as if we had
heard. Ever and anon he punctuated
his ceremony by a handful of rice,
which he picked up from the platter
and flung now toward the groom and
now toward the bride. We wanted to
hear the conclusion, but were told
that the ceremony would go on
for long while; indeed, that
it would not conclude until o'clock in
the morning, and this was only be-
tween and o'clock in the evening.
There would be a recess after awhile
in the ceremony, but it would be taken
up again in earnest at half past twelve.
We enjoyed what we had seen, but felt
incapa citated for six more hours wed.
ding ceremony Silently wishing the
couple a happy life in each others
companionship, we pressed our way
through the throng of congratulatory
Parsees. All of them seem bright and
appreciative of the occasion. The
streets outside joyously sympathized
with the transactions inside.
But, what an afternoon of contrast
in Bombay we experienced! From the
Temple of Silence to the Temple OF
! Hilarity! From the vultures to the
doves! From mourning to laughter!
From gathering shadows to cleaning
! lights From obsequies to weddings
But how much of all our lives is made
up of such opposites l have carried
in the same pocket, and read from in
the same hour, liturgy of the dead and
the tears meet the smile, and the
dove meets the vulture.
Thus l have set before you the best
of all the religions of the heather
world, and I have done so in order
that you might come to higher appre
citation of the glorious religion which
has put it's benedictiou over us anG
over Christendom.
Compare the absurdities and mum
meries of heather marriage with the
plain, Il WILL" of Christian marriage
the hands joined in pledge 'till deatl
do you part" Compare the doctrine
that the dead may not be touched
with as sacred, and tender and loving
kiss as is ever given, the last kiss O
lips that never again will speak to us
Compare the narrow Bridge Chinva
over which the departing Parsee sou
must tremblingly cross, to the
wide open gate of heaven through
which the departing Christian sou
may triumphantly enter. Compare
the twenty-one books of the Zent
Avesta of the Parsee which even the
scholars of the earth despair of under
standing, with our Bible, SO much O.
it as is necessary for our salvation il
language SO plain that "a wayfarins
man, though a fool need not err there
in" Compare the Flower of Silence
with it's vultures of Bombay with tn,
Greenwood of Brooklyn" with it,
sculptured angels of resurrection. An(
bow yourselves in thanksgiving ant
prayer as you realize that it at thu
battles of Marathon and Salamis
Persia had triumphed over Greece, in
stead of Greece triumphing over Persia
Parseeism, which was the national re-
ligion of Persia, might have cover
the earth, and you and i'ls'
sitting in the monday Zig
glorious Christianity might
cropping in the depressing
Parseeism, a religion wbRznw Tin
ferior to that which is oul ltiol
in life, and our hope,j -h, a
Zoraster of Persia was ih1f TO GU
radiant and superhpmal list, t.
whom be honor and g domin
ion and victory 7Il,L with
out end. Amen ...
ITEMS OF IN