The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-01-02


shipped. She is the goddess OF scold,
and slap, and termagancy. She is sup
posed to be a 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 to-day through this
Monkey temple we must not hit, Or
tease, or hurt one of them. Two En-
glishmen years ago lost their lives by
the maltreatment of q monkey. Pass
ing along one of these Indian streets
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 gath
cred around these strangers, and
the public wrath increased until
the two Englishmen were pounded
to death for having struck
monkey. No land in all the world SO
reveres the monkey as India, as no
other land has temple called after 1t.
One of the rajahs of India spent one
hundred thousand rupees in the mar
riage of two monkeys. A nuptial pro-
cession was formed in which moved
camels, elephants, tigers, cattle and
palanquins of richly dressed people
Bands of music sounded the wedding
march. Dancing parties kept the
night sleepless. 1t was twelve days
before the monkey and monlleyess
were free from their round of gay
attentions. In no place but India
could such carnival have occurred.
But, after all, while we can not ap-
prove of the Monkey temple, the
monkey is sacred to hilarity. defy
anyone to watch monkey one minute
WITHOUT laughter. Why was this
creature made? For the worlds amusc-
ment. The mission of some animals is
left doubtful and we can not see the
use of this or that quadruped, or this
or that insect. but the mission Of the
ape is certain; all around the world it
entertains. Whether seated at the
top of this temple in India, or cutting
up it's antics on the top of hand
organ, it stirs the sense Of the ludi-
crous; tickles the diaphragm into each
innation; topples gravity into play,
and accomplishes that for which it was
created. The eagle, and the lion, and
the gazelle, and the robin no more GER
tainly have their mission than has the
monkey. But it implies low form of
Hindooism when this embodied mimic
nv of the human race is lifted into wor-
ship. In one of the cities for the first
time in my life had an opportunity
of talking with fakir, or a Hindoo
who has reuounced the world and
lives on aims. He sat under
a rough covering on plat
form Of brick. He was covered with
the ashes of the dead, and was at the
time rubbing more of those ashes upon
his arms and legs. He understood
and spoke English. I said to him:
''How long 1--we you been seated
here?" He replied: Fifteen years. I"
oHave those idols which I see power
to help or destroy?" He said: mo;
they only represent God. There is but
one god"
Question-When people die where do
they go to9
Ane~er-That depends upon what
they Il ..ye been doing. If they have
been doing good, to heaven; if they
have been doing evil, to hell.
Question-But do you not believe in
the transmigration of souls, and that
after death we 60 into birds or animals
of some sort?
Answer-Yes; the last creature q
man is thinking of while dying is the
one into which he will go. If he is
thinking of bird he will 60 into a
bird; and if he is thinking of a cow he
will go into cow.
Question: thought you said that at
death the soul goes to Heaven or hell?
Answer-He goes there by gradual
process. II may take him years and
years.
Question-Can anyone become Hin
doc? Could become Hindoo?
Answer-Yes, you could.
Question-How could I become Hin
doc?
Answer-By doing as the Hindoos
do.
But as looked upon the poor, filthy
wretch, bedaubing himself with the
ashes of the dead, thought the last
thing on earth would want to be-
come would be Hindoo. I expressed
to a missionary who overheard the
conversation between the fakir and
myself nv amazement at some of the
doctrines the fakir announced. The
missionary said: "The fakirs are very
accommodating, and supposing you to
be a friend of Christianity he an
nounced the theory of our God, and
that of rewards and punishments."
There are, however, alleviations for
Benares. 1 attended worship in one
of the Christian missions. The SER
mon, though delivered in Hindoo-
stance, of which I could not un-
derstand word, thrilled me
with it's earnestness and tenderness
of tone, especially when the mission
ary told me at the close of the service
that he recently baptized man who
was converted through reading one OF
my sermons among the hills of In
dia. The songs of the two Christian
assemblages 1 visited in this city, al
though the tunes were new, and the
sentiments not translated, were uplift-
ing and inspiring to the last degree.
There was also school of six hundred
native girls, an institution established
by a rajah of generosity and
wealth, graduate of Madras
university. But more than all,
the missionaries are busy, some OF
| them preaching on the CHATS, some of
them in churches, in chapels and ba-
Ears. The London Missionary society
has here its college for young men,
and it's schools for children, and it's
houses of worship for all. The Church
Missionary society has its eight schools,
all filled with learners. The evan
gelizing work of the Wesleyans and
the Baptlsts is felt in all parts of Ben
ares. In its mightiest stronghold Hin
dooism is being assailed.
And now as to the industrious ma.
lignment Of missionaries: 1t has been
said by some travellers after their re-
turn to America or England that the
missionaries are living life full of in
dolence and luxury. That is false
hood that I would say is as high as
| I@yr