Evening star., 1899-01-28

intervals. but this one was crude and orig
inai. something of the ''oid oaken bucket
style of well. about three feet wide and
walled with evenly cut rocks. l gazed into
its lucid depths and beheld nothing more
startling than frog.
''Only those who go to the temple TO pray
can drink from this said the guide
May I?'
Yes; for you are a visitor. But pour the
water you do not drink lack into the well,
for it is sacred
less true. the water was dipped from the
well by an empty American tomato can at
tached to a piece of string. Great Is the
advancement of America, l lowered the
can and brought it UP brinming. | have
drunk of the sacred water of Buddha, and
il is no different from the placid beverage
of the ordinary town pump.
The temple is only one story high. 1t is
built of a sort of sandstone A porch runs
around the main building, the roof of
which Is supported by stone pillars, orna-
mented with woodwork painted in bright
yellow. red, green and biue 1t is all kept
neat and clean, and Buddha rests in an in
closure butt in the center of the main
room.
At the door of the temple was a table
covered with flowers and small branches,
the offerings of the worshipers. In the
middle of the table Is a contribution box
Ihis is not for Buddha: it is for the poor.
The guide tells you to put something in,
and 1t is a wise traveller who obeys his
guide.
In the Temple.
One more step and 1 stood inside the tenn
pie. The floor was covered with bits of
broken china daintily inlaid. the ceiling was
beautiful mosaic design of harmonic coll
orS, but the walls were covered with all
manner of seemingly comic pictures and
Wierd Brahmancal writings sazetl
around in admiration, wondering what oc-
cult influence would occur wondering if any
OF the ugures in the pictures would come to
lie or If my guide would blow OUT of
the little window near the ceiling to seek
his Nirvana in some esoteric spot IT was
all very weird. but there was no Buddha.
W mere is Buddha?' l asked the guide.
S-s-s-s-h! He's in there" WHISPERED
the Hindu pointing to the door of an inner
May I see him. please?"
Ven, continued the guide. in the most
aggravating undertone, ''Buddhas room is
never open until full moon: but as you are
visitor and as We like to please all visit
ors, If they please us, l.
l knew that there was no chance of get
ting inside that room without parting with
more money. So, when he was paid, my
smiling guide took from some secluded fold
in his white robe Il key as large as any
that hung from the waist of the tabled Blue
beard and unlocked the door Inside were
three huge glass cases containing Buddha
reclining, Buddha sitting and Buddha
standing-Sreat, bulky. uncouth, unhand-
some figures. carved without grace and
PdiHltu III 4 variety OF gdmboge ttntS which
do not tend to improve the deity's appear
ance. At first l thought | was in the
properly room of a comic opera company
but when the guide began to mutter a
prayer l realized that | was standing in the
presence of a god as old as the ages. | sup
pose that the reclining figure was about ten
teet long. while the two in the standing and
sttlng postures were six feet high each.
Buddha is queer old fellow. When he
stands he is no taller than when he is sit
ting, and he has little image of himself
placed outside his sanctum. to be Worship
ed and fringed with offerings of flowers
For Cruel Husbands.
The outer walls of this room we're painted
with pictures of purga tory and heaven. The
guide pointed out one picture to me of a
man writhtng in agony and his flesh being
picked by green-eyed vultures as he fell
into a burning pit.
That ia where the men &c who treat
their wives badly, said the guide. pointing
TO the picture. But" he added indicating
another higher up, This is the heaven
where the men go who love their wives and
treat them we'll"
l looked and beheld a well-dressed indi-
vidual stretched at full length on d sofa
smoking cigar and reading newspaper,
AS / walked out l met half a dozen Bud
dhlst priests coming from their little houses
which surround the temple, each with hand
outstretched for a piece of money. They
have comfortable homes and plenty to. eat,
and they invite you in to see the rich orr
ent&I draperies which hang from their
walls: they show YOU rolls of parchment
on which are written the commands of their
idol, and they bring in great baskets of
cool. fresh fruit, but still they beg. One of
them robed in a gown of the palest shade
OF yellow and white whom | had overlook
ed inadvertently. followed me down past
me sacred we'll to the gates and piteously
pleaded for coin. One can never never
forget visit TO the city of Buddha and