Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-20

ever. went TO their rate Win no liz I
hearts, which was not wonderful, as IL
seemed that these were neither i'll nor
sought voluntary euthanasla- They
were political victims sent thltner py
Edo as an alternative to the terror OF
the Red Death, whereby according 10
their strange and ancient creed they
would have risked the splitting of their
souls. For the most part the crime o!
these poor people was that they nao
been adherentS and supporters OF the
old Mother OF the trees, Nya, or o
whom Eddo was at last triumphant. On
their way up to the Fence such lnol-
viduals would stop to exchange las.
few, sad words with their dethroneo
priestess.
Then without any resistance they
went on with the rest, but from them
the mutes received scant offerings or
none at all. with the result that thcy
were cast into the worst situated ara
most inconvenient graves, or even tum-
bied two or three together into some
shapeless corner hole. But after all
that mattered nothing to them SO long
as they received sepulcher WITHIN the
Wall, which was their birth-or rather
their death right.
The priest-mutes themselves were a
strange folk and oddly enough Rachel
observed, by comparison quite cheeriul
in their demeanor, for when on outs
they would smile and gibber at each
other like monkeys and carry on KIND
of market between themselves. Ihey
lived in that part of the circumference
of the Wall which was behind the NIL
whereon grew the sacred tree. Here no
burials took place. and instead or
graves appeared their tiny huts ar
ranged in neat streets and squares IN
these they and their forefathers had
dwelt from time immemorial 'ndeed.
each little hut with few yards OF
fenced-in ground about it ornamented
with dwarf trees, was freehold that
descended from father to son. For the
mutes married. and were given In mar
riage, like other folk, though their chill
dren were few, family or three peihs
considered very large. while many of
the couples had none at all. But those
who were born to them We're all deaf
mutes. although their other senses
seemed to be singularly acute.
These mutes had their virtues. thus
some of them were very kind TO each
other and especially to those from the
outer forest world who came hither to
bid farewell to that world, and others
renouncing marriage ana an eaF'n.S
peared to be long. to the worship OF
the Spirit of the Tree. Also they mad
their vices. such as theft. and the Sc
ducing away of the betrothed OF others'
but the chief of them was jealousy.
which sometimes led to murder by poi
soning, an art whereof they were great
masters.
When such a crime was discovered, ana
or II nappeued tHS "AS1
days of Rachers sojourn among thehi'
the accused was put upon his trial pelore
the chief of the muteS, evidence Ior anu
against him being given by signs Which
they all understood Then II a case We're
established against him. he was forced to
drink a bowl of medicine. Ii he did TINS
with impunity he was acquitted, but II IL
disagreed with him his guilt was held 10
be established. Now came the strange
part of the matter All his life the evil
doer had been accustomed to go within
the Fence about his business and take
no harm. but after such condemnation he
was conducted there with the usual cere
monies and very shortly persisted like any
other uninitiated person. Whether this
Issue was due to magic or to mental col
lapse or to the previous administration OF
poison no one seemed to know, not even
IVA herself. So, at least, she declared to
Rachel.
At each new moon these mutes cele-
brated what Rachel was informed they
looked upon as festival That is, they
climbed the Tree of the Tribe and scat
tered themselves among its enormous
branches where for several hours they
mumbled and gibbered In the dark like
troop of balloons. Then they came down
and mounting the huge. surrounding wall.
crept around it's circumference. Occasion
ally this Journey resulted in an accident,
as one of them would fall from the wall
and be dashed to pieces. although 1t was
noticed that the unfortunate was gener-
ally a person who, although guilty of no
actual crime. CHANGED to be out of favor
with the other priests and priestesses.
After the circuit of the wal h I'd been
accomplished. with or without accidents,
the dwarfs Toasted round fire. drinking
some shirt that threw them into sleep
in which wonderful visions appeared TO
them Such was their only entertain
ment If SO Ii could be called. since doubt
less the ceremony was of Il religious char
acter For the rest they seldom if ever
left the holy place. which was known as
within the Wall" most of them never
doing so in the course of Il long life.
Beyond the burial of the dead they did
no work as their foCd was brought TO
them daily bv outside people. VITO We're
called the slaves of the Wal" Til sir
only method of conversation was by iSns,