Evening star., 1926-05-30

| anna that / had looked upon for nine
hours. As descended along the
clearly marked corner trail, ascending
| tourists stared in arnazement at the
strange apparition passing them--a
| solitary hatless man with sleepy eyes
| and disheveled hair, dragging a
blanket behind him.
Had they watched this odd figure
they would have seen him clump
| wearily down to Mother. Earth, wan.
der over to grove Of trees beside
grass banked lagoon, spread his blan.
ket in the shade and fall asleep be-
meath the sheltering palms.
THE Tai Mahal had been deified in
my mind ever since that child
hood day when / had first looked
upon an Oil painting Of the fairy
tomb and read the immortal story OF
it's creation. It had always been a
dream castle to me, something SO fab
ulous 1t could not have dimensions
and weight and location; something
SO lovely IL could not exist outside of
picture books.
Poring for hours at a time over
these very books I had como to revere
this building above all others and had
| made q divinity of Arjemand, the
| Mogul princess who became the En-
press Muntaz Mahal, whose beauty
and perfection It commentaries.
Facts and legends came TO me now
| in a jumbied mass, as I stood In the
| fortress tower and watched the great
| dome disappear into the night. The
follies Of the Emperor Shah .Iehan,
who built the Tai. were forgotten.
What mattered the number Of his
crimes-his genius as a builder. his
fame as the greatest lover In history,
were more worthy Of memory.
In the marble poetry Of the Tai
this greatest lover has friinortalized
the object Of his passion. Arjemand,
favorite among q thousand wives. Is
embodied in it's stones: her chastity
Is carved into its spotless walls; her
exquisiteness reproduced in every
delicate line; her majesty reflected in
the aereal grace of dome and fninaret
that floated and faded there above the
river side.
We had been silent for some mo
ments-Ahmed. my Punjabi compan.
ion, and T-enjoying the coolness OF
the night that now had blotted out
to speak.
."You know Shah Jehan?'
YES" I said, Know him"
"He die here in balcony"
what. Ahmed! Is this the Jas.
mine Tower?'
He assured me it was, and that we
were treading thoughtlessly on stones
numbered among the most hallowed in
India, for this was the point from
which the Emperor last saw his be-
loved wife's memorial.
We descended from the tower,
threaded our way out OF the unlit
corridors, found the grim entrance
gate, and hurried homeward through
the animated streets
Early and eagerly the next morn.
ing I set forth alone. / passed be-
meath the ruddy arch that commands
entrance to the gardens OF the Tai,
and there, behold!--beyond, in the
a miracle Of sky and verdure and
ivory, beckoning to me through the
framing gateway. MY dream castle
had come to life.
I answered its call with absolute
surrender. moving almost without vo-
lition down the marble pavement that
led straight and glittering into its
very heart. was unaware OF the
fountains at my feet, or Of the indigo
sky above. saw only my long
sought Tai awaiting me, harmonious
as music, lovely as the face OF the
immortal woman It commentaries.
The entire day I remained beside
the snowy temple, enchanted by tts
serenity, forgetful Of time and self. I
wandered about its polished corridors,
climbed upon its roof, descended into
It's crypts. Attracted by a myriad OF
colors drtfted about the gardens that
enthrone the monster pearl, tarried
by the lily pools rejecting dome and
.nainaret, and loitered along the ave-
nue. Of stately Expresses.
Y n y =
MOON came ana afternoon. Then
~ twilight, and the wind ceased.
The tropical dark blue background OF
all this beauty was fading into night.
About me the deserted gardens
were hushed except for the faint
splash Of falling water. Twilight
faded into starlight. still 1 chung to
could lure mo away from this glimpse
into paradise.
I. The Summer moon had reached It's
zenith week before, and now, rapidly
waning, rose nearer the hour of dawn
than darkness. Yet at midnight every
visitor must depart from the gardens,
80 I would have to leave without see
ing the palace melt beneath the flood
of moonlight.
Already guards were closing the
tower gates; sentries were gathering
before the threshold OF the tomb. A
few belated stragglers were being hur.
ried to their waiting Charles, and as
I saw them 60 the thought came to
me: .Why not try to stay?--then I
could possess the Tai by myself
alone.' q
The romantic possibilities of such
an adventure captivated my fancy.
Quickly I hid In q. darkened grove.
The watchmen. carrying their lamps.
came close to me- but passed on. Not
,iered, with THIS Aprortunity before me