The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-12-21

man brute ana woman the loves
type of slave. Iwould rather be horse
or COW or a dog in India than be
woman. The greatest disaster that Car
happen to a Hindoo is that he was borr
at all.
A City of Illusions.
Benares is imposing in the distance al
you look at it from the other side o.
the Ganges. The AZ CHATS or flights Of
stone steps, reaching from the waters
edge to the buildings high up on the
banks, mark place for the ascent anc
descent Of the sublimities The eye is
lost i'll the bewilderment of tombs,
shrines, minarets, palaces and temples.
1t is the glorification of steps, the tri
umph of stairways. But looked at close
by the temples, though large and ex-
pensive, are anything but attractive.
The seeming gold in many cases turns
out to be brass. The precious stones in
the wall turn out to be paint The mar
BILE is stucco. The slippery and disgust
ing steps lead you to images of horrible
visage, and the flowers put upon the
altar have their fragrance submerged
by that which is the opposite of aromat-
les.
After you have seen the CHATS the
two great things in Benares that you
must see are the Golden and Monkey
temples. About the vast Golden temple
there is not as much gold as would
make an English sovereign. The air it.
self is asphyxiated. Here we see men
making gods out of mud and then put
ting their hands together in worship of
that which themselves have made. Sa-
cred COWS walk up and down the tenn
pie. Here stood a fakir with a right
arm uplifted and for SO long time
that he could not take it down, and the
nails of the hand had grown until they
looked like serpents winding in and
around the palm.
The god of the Golden temple is ST.
va, or the poison god Devils wait upon
him. He is the god Of war, of famine,
Of pestilence He is the destroyer. He
has around his neck string of skulls.
Before him bow men whose hair never
knew a comb. They eat carrion and
that which is worse Bells and drums
here set up a racket. Pilgrims come
from hundreds of miles away, spending
their last piece Of money and exhaust
ing their last item of strength in order
to reach this Golden temple glad to die
In or near it and have the ashes of their
bodies thrown into the Ganges.
The Monkey Temple.
We took carriage and went still far
ther on to see the Monkey temple, so
called because in and around the build
ing monkeys abound and are kept as sa-
cred. All evolutionists should visit this
temple devoted to the family from which
their ancestors came These monkeys
chatter and wink and climb and look
wise and look silly and have full pos
session Of the place. We were asked at
the entrance Of the Monkey temple to
take off our SHOES because of the sacred
ness of the place, but a small contribu-
tion placed in the hands of an attend
ant resulted in permission to enter
with our shoes ON. AS the Golden tenn
pie is dedicated to silva, the poison god
this Monkey temple is dedicated to ST.
vas wife, deitess that must be propi-
tiated, or she will disease and blast and
destroy. For centuries this spitfire has
been worshiped. She is the goddess of
scold and slap and termagancy. She is
supposed to be supernatural Xantippe;
hence to her are brought flowers and
rice, and here and there the flowers are
spattered with the blood of goats slain |
in sacrifice.
AS we walk today through this Mon
key temple we must not hit or tease or
hurt one of them. Two Englishmen
years ago lost their lives by the NAL
treatment of a monkey. Passing along |
one of these Indian streets, a monkey |
did not soon enough get out of the way,
and one of these Englishmen struck it |
with his cane. Immediately the people
and the priests gathered around these
strangers, and the public wrath increas
I'D until the two Englishmen were
pounded to death for having struck a
monkey. No land in all the world so
.everes the monkey as India, as no 9th
sr land has temple called after it.
One Of the rajahs of India spent 100,
700 rupees in the marriage Of two mon
,eys. A nuptial procession was formed
n which moved camels, elephants, I'll
gers, cattle and palanquins of richly
lressed people. Bands of music sounded
he wedding march. Dancing parties
,ept the night sleepless TWAS - days
,efore the monkey and monkeyess were
rec from their round of gay attentions.
n no place but India could such a car
lival have occurred. But after all,
while we cannot approve of the Monkey
emple, the monkey is sacred to hilari-
y. defy any one to watch monkey
ne minute without laughter. Why was
his creature made? For the worlds
The mission Of some ami
nails is left doubtful, and we cannot see
be use of this or that quadruped or this
r that insect, but the mission Of the ape
J certain-all around the world it en-
ertains Whether seated at the top Of
his temple in India or cutting up its
mites ON the top Of a hand organ, it
tirs the sense of the ludicrous, tickles
be diaphragm into caohinnation, top
les gravity into play and accomplishes
hat for which it was created. The ca
lie, and the lion, and the gazelle, and