The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-25
Springfield Cdass.) Republican.

and others Stepped on the Fire,
Few Even Wincing.
Spring field CMass) Republican.
We found our friends and went on
again a half hour more through the
crowded streets to the temple. There a
crowd was gathered. 1t was about 5
O'Clock. and at dark the priests were to
begin to~walk over the fire-for that is
what we We're there to see. Twice a year
the gods are prevailed on to take the
heat from the fire. so that the devout
may walk upon it unframed. The skep-
tics in our party outnumbered the believ
ers, but you shall see.
At the steps we must take off our shoes
and contribute out l yen to the support OF
the temple. Arrangements had been care
fully made beforehand, and for the Eu-
1opeans small veranda was reserved di-
rectly opposite the whole length of the
fire and SO close that our faces grew hot
ter and hotter as it burned brighter. Half
Toxic was there; Russians and French,
Swiss, Germans. English, Scotch, Amer
leans Some of us slipped away to see
the ceremony preceding the fire walking.
In the chancel, as I may call it for want
of another word, two rows of priests sat
facing each other. Several were in robes
CT white silk, one in blue and one in
green The effect was brilliant and made
still more picturesque by the close-ftting
horse hair caps with long tails of the
high priest and his subordinates After
some muttered inYocations the high priest
10, If Sbr In one
corner of the chancel, where he burned
incense and performed other acts of de-
Yotion. apparently Behind him in two
long lines like flying wedge in foot
ball gam. ;, knelt the other priests, now
joined by two women Of the temple with
reverent faces The half-int0ne service
was not unlike a GregOrian chant, and
was accompanied by a continuous re-
spouse from the congregation Through
out the latter part We stood in the door
way of one of the temple apartments
opening out of the Chancel. Here refresh
ments were provided for guests, oran>,as,
tea C?)-and for courtesy, not for pay
ment. Later, in response to thanks. the
high priest presented his card to one Of
the visitors
THE BED OF CHARCOAL.
As the priests filed out of the temple
we took our places on the veranda,
proceeding less easy than it sounds,
as we had to find ourselves places on the
already crowded floor and sit or kneel
in them as gracefully as might be. The
bed of charcoal was already lighted when
we arrived. and was now fully on fire.
It was, we agreed, some sixteen feet
long, f5ir' feet Tfdes and perhaps foot
deep 1t was in space fenced off from
the court Eard, and on the side opposite
of us the crowd of men, women and
children pressed against the barrier
The fire was at present covered with
ashes. but soon attendants entered the
open space and with long handled fans
blew away the gray covering and famed
the charcoal until it was mass of blaz-
ing embers Little flames sprang up
over it in all directions, and one lady
among US put up her umbrella to pro-
tect herself from the heat. Another
of the party began to feel the headache
which the charcoal always caused her
There was no doubt in anyone's mind
that the fire was hot, blazing, burning
hot, and something like sixteen feet of it,
too 90 les malheureuX, les maiheureuN!
exclaimed an excited French woman.
as she fancied walking over those en-
bers.
When all the ash was famed away
and the fire had been beaten to a fierce
glow with long poles, white-robed priests
entered, one of whom, taking salt from
a supply placed near US, attended the
high priest as he went to each of the
four corners of the pile. At each he
clapped his hands, clasped them ana
raised them high, as if in suppHcat1on,
bent his head in prayer and ended by
strewing a handful of salt upon him. 1T
was the motion of a man sowing seed,
and but few grains can have fallen in
any one spot At the middle of each side
and end this was repeated.
UNIQUE AND PICTURESQUE.
It was now growing dark and the blaz-
Ing embeTs threw a glow over the white
dress Of the priests. The high priest was
a striking man. His motions were quick,
decisive intelligent, as he rapidly passed
from one place to another. We could see
his face distinctly, we were so close. The
darkness lent added effectiveness. to the
next ceremony. Each corner and side
was now purified again, for publication
it meant this time The attendants struck
a flint IS the priest prayed, and the
sparks, flying off in the dark, made a,
shower OF tiny, thin, yellow lights against
the rich, glowing, red mass of char
coal and the darker crowd of figures be
yond.
A drilling rain was falling, but it af-
fected the fire little. 1t was now beaten
with poles until it glowed again, as the
high priest ended his invocations And
before l understood what he was doing
a little scream from our French lady
startled me into realizing that, making
no break or pause, with one of his swift
motions he had stepped out and along the
fire path. The glow of colors from below
on his white dress and dark skin was
worthy OF Rembrandt. He trod on the
fire firmly though quickly, and the other
priest followed. The high priest walked
nine times. He set each foot down firm
~, and only once appeared to feel the
smallest discomfort. Then he stenned
somewhat to one side, by mistake 1t seem
ed, and visibly WINGED carrying if off
by a series of affected steps, high in the
air, as If it were all in his part
WINCING a SIGN OF IMPURTTY
After the priests came the crowd. wom-
en- carrying children, man with 2 sick
person on his back, boys of all ages. Each
stepped over wet mat, through a small
pile of salt on to the fire The salt was
ordinary coarse salt 1--WE had it analyzed).
At least SIX steps were necessary to cross
the fire; some walkers took more; nae r1v
all were fairly deliberate One or two
l fancied, felt the heat uncomfortable If
not painfully, for on coming off the fire
they WriggIed their feet about in the nile
of salt at The farther END as If it cooled
them. Most of them disregarded it alto
gether often stepping across it without
touching it. One child was afraid to walk
and threw up it's arms before it's face as
1t stood by the fire, as If to ward off the
heat. 1t was finally persuaded to ven
ture, and, stepping bravely on the Goals.
apparently felt no discomfort AS pain
would have been a confession of impuritv.
Of course there is a premium upon CON
cealing 1t. But there was no concealment
In the old MOnan who t11cIrad LIN H.. Ii