The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-06-09

SlSS Vi our uIeSS6u drudJS nave peel
found mutilated and dishonored, as
you see, and by whose hand we can.
not telli"
why" the Brahman asked him
self, had this wretched old creature
destroyed the gods by which he
lived for of course this was his
work" Ram Chunga was not above
conducting a manifestation or ar
ranging miracles himself, but he did
not understand a portent on such a
scale as this; it seemed wanting in
common Judgment.
And then suddenly he saw through
the design; this Jain priest in his
mulish obstinacy had actually de-
stroyed his silva rather than deliver
it to his rival, and then to divert sus-
picion had been forced to deface his
own images.
Where is the image of silva, the
undying?" he demanded with a black
frown. Bring it forth that I may
look upon it,
1T is there, behind you" said the
Jain dejectedly, and Ram Chunga,
turning, beheld for the first time the
idol on which he had grounded so
pretty a quarrel. Till then he had
had no particular desire to possess it
for it's own sake; now the sight of it
strengthened his determination to get
it out of alien hands.
1t was really handsome idol, rath-
n1s oy1ti tod to l..
still of excellent workmanship and,
Notwithstanding its somewhat ques-
tionable origin, orthodox in all its
details; it would do credit to the
best appointed temple.
And to his intense surprise he
found it absolutely uninjured Evil
IDENTIFY this old fool had not had the
nerve, when it came to the point, to
deface it and render it useless Ca mu-
tilated Hindu idol being, of course,
about as formidablea as spiked gum .
What could have made him attempt
such piece of reckless folly? Was
it-and the Brahman's brow grew
darker at the idea-was it intended
to throw suspicion on him? If that
were so he should find he had made
slight miscalculation.
He turned upon the jams with a
magnificent gesture.
Hear me, o Acharya Chick he
said, "and answer truly. Did not
but two days since make demand of
you for the restoration of this image
of the god from which you and your
followers have turned away? Did
not warn you of the indignity you
did him in introducing a miserable
yogi, who but yesterday was in our
streets, to be his fellow god and COM
panion in your idol chamber"
Even so, Ram Chunga,'' said the
Jain, NOR will now deny it."
Behold the warning fulfilled" the
Brahman cried. silva. the beauti-
full, the blue-necked, has spoken; he
has shattered the gods whom he has
suffered SO long!"
But Acharya's suspicious of the
Brahman rose again at this attempt
to turn the situation to his own ad-
vantage; he was resolved to dispose
of these outrageous pretensions if he
could What sign have you, o Ram
Chunga, that it is as you have said?"
he inquired
"a sign?" said the Brahman. 'Is
not the image of silva unframed?
Are not yours defaced and discred-
tied? And you ask for sign!"
Acharya, in glancing round the
idol chamber, had already observed
fact which he did not at first men
ton, for it only perplexed him more,
but now he turned it to account with
desperate readiness.
silva has wrought it, because his
image has gone unharmed!" he ex-
claimed. How, then, has he spared
the very image which you assert to
be the main cause of his wrath? If
silva is untouched, much more then
is the image of Chalanka, for look
you to what honor has he been ex-
alted!"
He pointed as he spoke to the CEN
tire niche in the topmost tier, the
niche lately occupied by the portly
idol of Mahavira There, looking lu-
dicrously disproportioned to its cell,
squatted the newest and smallest tir-
thanker, basking with smile of sub
dued and private enjoyment in the
flood of mysterious glory which had
so lately belonged to the deposed Ma
havira!
The congregation, who had not no.
ticed this before, saw it now with a
cry of rapture-s surely Chalanka, who
had weathered a storm in which so
many deities of, so to speak, far high
er tonnage, had foundered, surely he
must be god of sound and solid
qualities, a god who could hold his
own with the whole Hindu mythol-
ogy!
The Brahman sneered. So this,
after all, was what the Jain had been
scheming fori He had sacrificed the
greater part of his sacred stock to in
crease the value of the remainder
well, he would checkmate him there
at all events! docs a tiger lie in
wait for rat?" he said, cor shall an
elephant charge a tortoise? Fools,
all of We, and blind, not to see that
this Chalanka of yours owes his inn
munity to his insignificance. These
others are in a measure divinities,
but he is less than all, and therefore
the mighty, magnanimous silva scorns
to lift up so much as the little finger
of his sixth hand in wrath against
him. He hath set him thus on high
in his derision, as the god before