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

That evening, as Acharya presided
over the distribution of the days Of
ferings, he was even more careful
than before to restrict Chalanka Is
portion both in quantity and quality.
1t was vain to tell himself that the
Brahman's story had had no inf1u-
ence upon him-a slandered saint is
like a damaged plum, something is
gone from him that can never be re-
stored-and then, too, the Jain had
had his doubts from the beginning.
But the very next morning re-
vealed an outrage of the grossest ir-
reverence. Every one of the firth
ankars had been turned upside down
in his niche. except Chalanka, who
was almost hidden under mass of
fiowersl
Acharya well knew that no Jain
would be guilty of such impiety; he
saw in it the hand of his unscrupul-
Gus adversary, Ram Chunga, and was
struck with mingled CONSERVATION
and wrath
He got the idols replaced in nor
NAL position before the worshipers
arrived, and as soon as the mornings
rites were ended he went down to
the village and had an interview
with the headman, Fattekhan Gul,
to whom he disclosed what had hap
pened.
The headman sent him to the Mus
sulman guard, who having SPLEEN
did contempt for jams and Brahmans
alike, might be trusted to remain i'm
partial, and who were posted around
the temple in such manner that
none could approach unchallenged.
And then the idols were all care
fully oiled and bathed with sandal
water, and left for the night with a
strong conviction on Acharya's part
that their tranquility was not likely
to be again invaded.
But when he entered the idol
chamber at dawn next day it was to
find it in condition at the sight of
which he staggered back confounded
and appalled, All that had gone be-
fore was child's play to this. Every
niche on the lower tier was bare, and
in the centre of the pavement was a
pile of images, each one of which
proved to have been mutilated-its
nose, it's ears (which were dispropor-
tionately large) and the triple UNI
brella above it's head had all been
Clipped off, and upon each altar a
nose, an umbrella and pair of ears
lot ~ wit tel
Acharya almost lost his senses at
the sight, for he had spent the whole
night in watching, in going from post
to post, and he knew that for this
second outrage the Brahman could
not by any possibility be responsible.
Yet complete and valuable set of
images had been ruthlessly defaced
by some one, and the pious jams
would soon be at the gates to per-
form their mornings devotions.
What would they think-what expla-
nation could he give them?
To his more enlightened mind the
images were but emblems, but this
was a doctrine wholly beyond his
flock, and he trembled to think of the
view they might take of such whole
sale destruction.
The reader, who was quick of re-
sources, proposed to restore the idols
to their inches and trust to the semi
darkness to conceal their imperfect
condition, but Acharya was too de-
jected and, be it added, too conscien-
tious, to resort to any such evasion.
And so, when the earliest braziers
and coppersmiths, after depositing
their offerings in the porch, came
into the idol chamber to walk around
three times and make obeisances to
the images as usual, they found their
priest standing, with bent head and
his white robes torn, behind a heap
of mutilated divinities, and they
stood aghast.
Gradually the chamber filled and a
buzz of dismayed curiosity rose from
the various groups. If their gods
were cast from their shrines what
was left for them to worship? And
while some of the less devotionally
minded were rather relieved to have
ASoANAAheltO CAOuoV III AOA-dlbCAQ-
ance in future, the majority felt a
pious regret for their gods - their
bland, sleepy, smiling gods, who
never gave any trouble and whose
faces had become as the faces of old
friends.
MY children" faltered the priest,
perceiving they were waiting for
some explanation, 1.-THE destroyer has
been at work in the darkness. /
know no more than We why this has
come upon us to humble me and per-
pick your hearts.
ut is the evil spirits!" whispered
Murli Dass, the coppersmith, and the
congregation took it up and cried
Eyes, it is the evil spirits-it is the
saktisi" And they fell on their
knees and struck their foreheads,
and Acharya, whatever his private
opinions might be, did not contradict
them now,
But there was a sudden stir in the
crowd; several rose to their feet and
made way as If for some person of
distinction, and Acharya, with an
agony of modification, saw his rival,
Ram Chunga, approach 80 the very
last person he wished to witness his
embarrassment.
A village in any part of the world
is not the place for a secret. The
jams suspicious and request for a
guard had not been long in reaching
the Brahman's ears; he had come uO