The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1913-07-03
A Transmigration
Story :
By F. A. Mitchell

In the city of Rungalore, in India,
one Kadur, an old man, lay dying. His
wife knelt by his bedside-there were
10 children-waiting for the end and
praying to Vishnu in his behalf. In
India they believe in the transmigra-
ton Of souls, and the woman prayed
that in order that she might have her
husband near her his spirit might pass
into the body Of one Of her pets, OF
which she had a great many. When
she was satisfied that he was dead she
left the body where it lay and, weep
ing, went out to another room. AS she
opened the door she saw In the middle
of the floor q tiny monkey that had
just been born looking up at her with
a peart face and pair of bright eyes.
Whether or not it was her Imagination
that made this human-like cOuntenance
appear in her eyes to resemble her late
husband it is impossible to say. Ger
tain it is that she took the little crea-
ture up in her arms and hugged 1t to
her bosom, at the same time thanking
her god that he had answered her
prayer. for she did not doubt that the
soul of him she loved had passed into
the body of the monkey just born.
Now, the woman was rich, and this Is
what she did. She made will, leav-
| ing all her property to the monkey so
| long as it lived, and at its death it
was to go to her nephew, Rustom, a
boy of whom she was very fond. She
| To
man in whom she had great confidence,
who was to have large sum for its
care as long as it lived. 1t was thus
made the interest Of it's keeper to pre-
serve its life as long as possible.
The widow lived three years after
her husbands death. When she died
her nephew, Rustom, was about eight
cen years old and had q sweetheart
Naturally he wished to marry and
needed the money.
But the woman, Dulmara, who was
getting large pay for taking care OF
her ward, realizing that Rustom was
Interested in it's death. redoubled hel
efforts to keep the monkey alive. She
nut it in q wing of the house, hat
iron bars put on ail the windows, ano
no one was permitted to go in to i
without nessinc through apartments
occupied by herself.
But these precautions were not nee
essary, for Rustom had been brcugh
up to believe that his uncle's soul wa'
in the monkey and If he killed it h
would be guilty of crime. But Agya
the girl he wished to marry, had beel
to q Christian mission school and di'
not believe in the transmigration theo
ry. She could not see why monke.
, should prevent her and the youth sh
loved from enjoying a fortune. In
deed, she thought no more OF killing
monkey than dog. Besides, 1t wa
7 plain that Dumara might at the moi
, keys death substitute another monke
in its place and keep on thus subst
tuting monkeys till the crack of doom
She therefore determined that the Ii
2 tie beast should die.
2 Fortunately for her intention, Ru'
p TOMS love for her was not known I
DuImara, nor had Dulmara ever see
her.
: One day Agya appeared to Dulma1
: ord said that she had a singular drear
! Put before she told the dream she loo
ed about her at the pets which we
wandering around. a hen was sittii
Il on some eggs, upon seeing which Ag1
V told her dream. She said that womf
had appeared to her in her sleep al
said that her husbands soul was in
monkey in a house which she desert
. ed. The woman herself had died al
IL Dassed into the body of COW (sacr'
n in India. The COW was about to u
4 and the womans spirit had been pc
- mitted by Vishnu to be born IN {
~ house where her husband lived In
l. monkeys body She would come o
r of an egg. The girl was instructed
r. go to the house described, and the III
-. chicken hatched in that house Wot
contain the spirit of the wife OF t
l. man whose spirit inhabited the nc
e kev. She was to have the care Of
I'd chicken.
70 There is 10 end to the superstition
-, the people Of India, and Dulmara
. lieyed the story. While the two We
talking a wee chick picked throu
If the shell Of an egg, and this settled
re matter. Dulmara did not dare 10 u
o. Agya away for fear of the wrath OF
- tiny bird which might contain the 81
e. of her from whom she drew her
ne pand. The girl was at once taken II
or the household and given the care or
chicken. She took it in to see the m
kew. but the little brute evidently
not recognize it as its wife. Tor IL
T. ,o;+tod to pat at it would have eaten
sh Agya, having effected an entrance
ell the household as we'll as access 10
monkey, lost no time in carrying
the rest of her plan. Soon after
arrival the monkey sickened ana
- the next day.
Though Agya did not admit that
had poisoned the monkey, she thre"
.1>@ Lad nut on and lelY