The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-29
SELECTED STORY.
Sunia.
A HIMALAYAN IDYLL.

SHOWS lOOkGu luutSCIlUdDlJ DhlC anu
pure against the dove-like tones of the
sky. Away, across the val ey, Kalatope
Ridge, serrated and majestic of out
line, made an incident of massive
shadow amid the tender tints around.
A Himalayan dawn is brief as it =.
beautiful; and now, sudden and swift
as magic, the full spendor of morning
flashed along the sky. Rapier-like
shafts of light pierced the. purple
lengths of shadow which lay along the
deeper ravines and engulfed the still
slumbering valley. They threaded
their golden way through the sombre,
level pine boughs of Kalatope forest,
and stretched out all their radiant
length along the narrow veranda OF
low wooden bungalow that stood alone
in the very heart of this silent, smiling
mountain world. In this same veran-
da a solitary Euglishman sat, peeling
plantains and drinking tea, in full view
of the valley and the Frightening east.
From time 10 time his eyes rested up
on the magnificent scene before him
with the quiet satisfaction of one who
looks upon the familiar face of friend;
for, under the high-sounding title of
Deputy Conservator of Government
Forests, Phil Brodie reigned sole
monarch of this his arboreal paradise
peaceful and eminently satisfactory
form of kingship.
Having demolished his last plaintain,
he rose and sauntered towards the low
wooden railing, hat in hand. He was
a long, lean man of sportsmanlike
build, though the face--sallow, serious
and sef-contained, with suspicion of
cynicsm about the mouth-suggested
possibilities of cultured thought and
feeling.
Anon, as he stood thus, his keen
eyes frightened curiously, and not
without good reason, for from out the
black mass of pine and deodar to his
right the figure of young girl emerged
and neared the hut with swift, elastic
step. Dress, face, and carriage pro-
claimed her a child of the Himalayas-
a child.woman, such as the East alone
can beget.
When a Hill girl is beautiful, you
will scarce find her match in the five
continents; and Sunia was beautiful
past question. For full eighteen months
morning after morning, Brodie had
watched her approach him thus, bear
ing on her head her daily tribute of
fruit and flowers, yet did her beauty
still take him by surprise and demand
reiterated recognition OF its rare quail
ity. There were evil moments, of
course, when he realized with pang
that in five years time she would be
coarse and commonplace, and in ten
wrinkled bag. But, be that as il might
at the present moment she was incom-
parable-and she did not know it!
Therein lay the miracle.
The face was pure oval, with smooth
egg-like curves of cheek and chin, and
eyes of that rare pale brown which is
only found among true Hill folk, and
that none too frequently. A flower
like silver ornament in one OF her del
icate nostrils seemed set there with do
quettish intent to accentuate lts ex-
quisitely tender curves. The soft full
ness of her lips suggested passionate
possibilities, and the scarlet of betel-
nut upon them made an enchanting in
cdent of color amid the dusky tints of
her face and dress. This latter was of
wooden homespun, few shades dark
er than her skin. The graceless, close
fitting "pyjamas" were atoned for and
partially concealed by rough brown
tunic, bound about the waist with
smooth black cords of twisted goats
hair, and fastened loosely across her
breast with silver pin. Around her
brown throat she wore narrow neck
let of goats hair strung with quantity
fashioned Jumps of raw turquoise, onyx,
and amber, and from the midst of
these hung a grostesquely battered
plaque of hammered silver. Her small
ears dropped with tinkling silver trink-
cts, and bangles and anklets of glass
and silver clinked unsteady as she
walked.
A round, fiat basket, piled conically
with garden produce, rested without
support upon her close-htting cap of
yellow cotton, from beneath which her
hair fell in one long braid, almost to
her knees. The Eternal Feminine is
one and the same the wide world over,
aud it is humiliating to reflect that two
thirds of this same braid-its wearer's
dearest bit of vanity-had in all prob.
ability been borrowed from the back of
mountain goat.
With gracious sweep OF the fault
less arms, Sunia uncrowned herself
and laid her dali at Brodie's feet, then
lowered her fair forehead thrice to the
very ground.
''Live for ever, lord of my lifep she
murmured. The conventional greet
ing was uttered with passionate fervor.
Brodie stopped and lightly touched
the quaint assortment of almonds, wal
nuts and early vegetables, around
which were set with scrupulous SYM
metry alternate clumps of blood-red
rhododendron blossoms and of the first
wild white roses of the year. Select
ing one of these last, he put it into his
coat with great elaboration.
"Roses, Sunia?" he said, speaking
the soft Hill dialect as unsteady as the
girl herself. "Thou has assuredly been
far afoot to procure 30 fine sheaf of
blossoms?"
She stood before him now slim and
upright as the young pines about her,
and sudden warm flush showed dimly
beneath her olive skin.
"What matter how far, 80 my lord be
well pleased?" she made answer with
yelled eyes. "Away there, down in
this valley thew were scattered abroad