The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-09-22


rose to his knees, and poured hand
fuls of dust upon his head.
al, all" he called. 1t is almost
done, my children. The first sign has
come from the gods. | have brought
you in human form the ancient priest
ess!" And he really believed he had.
20. my children, my little ones, my
kids! l have brought her who will now
attend to the sacred fires; for these
alone will restore the city as of old,
the fat corn, the plenitude Of fruit.
Since the coming Of the lion two rains
ago the leopard and the striped one
have fOrsaken their lairS. One bullock
month is better than fire, together
with the kids and the children. All
More dust.
Naturally the villagers set down
their water skins and jars and copper
vessels and floCked about this eXcep-
tional holy man. They wanted to
believe him, but for years nothing had
happened but the advent of the lion,
whence no one exactly knew, though
the holy man had not been backward
in claiming it was due to his nearness
to the god Vishnu.
They followed him eagerly TO the
temple. What they beheld transtiXed
them. A woman with skin like the
petals of the lotus and hair like corn
sat in the sacred sarcophaguS and
braided her hair. gazing the while to-
ward the bright sun.
The intake Of many breaths pro-
duced q sound. Kathlyn turned in
stantly toward this sound, for a mo-
ment expecting the return of the lion.
Immediately holy man and villagers
threw themselves upon the ground,
| striking their foreheads against the
damp clay. The alien spirit still ruled
the substance; Kathlyn eyed them in
mild establishment, not at all alarmed.
All" shrilled the holy man, spring
ing to his feet al She is our an
cient priestess, rising from her tomb
of centuries! Al, al! o, thou unholy
children, to doubt my word! Behold!
Henceforth she shall share the tenn
pie with the lion, and later she will
give us prosperity, and my name shall
ever be in your households"
Having secured a priestess, he was
now determined that he should not
lose her. The future was roseate in.
deed, and when he took his next pill
grimage to holy Benares they would
bestrew his pathway with lotus flow
ers.
Wood to start the sacred fires!" he
commanded.
The villagers few to obey his or
ders. He was indeed holy man. Not
in the memory of the oldest had a
miracle such as this happened Upon
their return with wood and embers
the holy man built the fire, handing
a lighted torch to Kathlyn and signify
ing for her to touch the finder. The
spirit In Kathlyn told her that these
people meant her no immediate harm.
so she stepped out Of the sarcophagus
and applied the torch. The moment
the flames began to crackle the vii
layers Frustrated themselves again
and the holy man besmeared his bony
chest with more ashes.
A second holy man appeared upon
the scene, wanting in breath. His jaw
droppedi and his eyes started to leave
their sockets. Knowing his ilk so
thoroughly we'll, he flung himself
down before the brazier and beat his
forehead upon the ground; not in any
chastened spirit, but because he had
oversight that morning. This glory
might have been his! Al, al!
Later the two conferred. During
the day they should guard the priest
ess, because, having taken human
form, she might some day tire OF this
particular temple. At night she would
be we'll guarded by the lion.
Several awe-stricken women came
forward with bowls of cooked rice and
fruits and a new copper drinking YES
sci. These they reverently placed at
Kathlyn's feet.
Gradually the spirit which had com.
forted Kathlyn withdrew, and at
length Kathlyn became keenly alive,
1t entered her mind clearly that these
poor, foolish people really believed
her a celestial being, and so long as
they laid no hand upon her she was
not alarmed. She had recently passed
through too many terrors to be dis
turbed by bit of kindness, even II
stirred into being by religious fanati
cism.
Kathlyn ate.
BY pairs the villagers departed, and
soon none remained save her self-ap
pointed guardians, the two holy men
Kathlyn felt desire to explore this
wonderful temple She discovered
what must have been the inner shrine
The chamber was filled with idols;
here and there bit of gold leaf, cen
turtles old, glistened upon the bronze
| tbo GLOW tho wood Tho rncta mork