66 Waring, there could be no doubt, was very much startled, He could not believe bis ears. No sacrifice? Do you mean to say that you want to leave me?" he cried. No, papa: that is, I did not. I knew nothing. But now that I know, if my mother wants me, I will go to her. It is my duty. And I should like it," she added, after a pause. 66 not get over. He was afraid of Frances | answered him with great gravity, slowly, which was one of the most comical as if conscious of the importance of her things in the world. He shook his head, conclusion. "It would be no sacrifice," and followed humbly into the bookroom, she said. and himself closed the door upon the intruder. Frances had seated herself already at his table, in the seat which she always occupied when she came to consult him about the dinner, or about something out of the usual round which Mariuccia had asked for. To see her seated there, and to feel that the door was closed against all intrusion, made Waring feel as if all this disturbance was a dream. How good the quiet had been; the calm days, which nothing interfered with; the little housekeeper, whose childlike prudence and wisdom were so quaint, whose simple obedience was so ready, who never, save in respect to the spese, set up her own will or way. His heart grew very soft as he sat down and looked at her. No, he said to himself; he would not break that old bond; he would not compel his little girl to leave him, send her out as a sacrifice. He would rather stand against all the wives in the world. "Papa," said Frances, "a great deal of harm has been done by keeping me ignorant. I want you to show me mamma's letter. Unless I see it, how can I know?" This pulled him up abruptly and checked the softening mood. "Your mother's letter," he said, 66 goes over a great deal of old ground. I don't see that it could do you any good. It appears I promised what Constance told you, with her usual coolness-that one of you should be always left with her. Perhaps that was foolish." "Surely, papa, it was just." "Well, I thought so at the time. I wanted to do what was right. But there was no right in the matter. I had a perfect right to take you both away, to bring you up as I pleased. It would have been better, perhaps, had I done what the law authorized me to do. However, that need not be gone into now. What your sister said was quite true. You are at an age when you are supposed to judge for yourself, and nobody in the world can force you to go where you don't want to go." "But if you promised; and if my mother trusted to your promise?" There was something more solemn in that title, than to say "mamma." It seemed easier to apply it to the unknown. "I won't have you made a sacrifice of, on my account," he said hastily. He was surprised by her composure, by that unwonted light in her eyes. She Waring was dumb with surprise and dismay. He stared at her, scarcely able to believe that she could understand what she was saying. He, who had been afraid to suggest anything of the kind, who had thought of Andromeda and the virgins who were sacrificed to the dragon, he gazed aghast at this new aspect of the face with which he was so familiar, the uplifted head and shining eyes. He could not believe that this was Frances, his always docile, submissive, un-emancipated girl. "Papa," she said, everything seems changed, and I too. I want to know my mother; I want to see how other people live." "Other people!" He was glad of an outlet for his irritation. "What have we to do with other people? If it had not been for this unlucky arrival, you would never have known." 66 I must have known some time," she said. “And do you think it right that a girl should not know her mother when she has a mother? I want to go to her, papa." He flung out of his chair with an angry movement, and took up the keys which lay on his table, and opened a small cabinet which stood in the corner of the room, Frances watching him all the time with the greatest attention. Out of this he brought a small packet of letters, and threw them to her with a movement which, for so gentle a man, was almost violent. "I kept these back for your good, not to disturb your mind. You may as well have them, since they belong to you — now," he said. From The Contemporary Review. NATIVE FAITHS IN THE HIMALAYAH. It is generally admitted that manners and customs change more slowly in a mountainous than in an open country; | come strong supporters of the orthodox and northern India is no exception to the faith. They display at once their wealth rule. Moreover, in the wide plains of the and their piety by erecting and endowing Punjab the hordes of Mahomedan icono- new Brahmanical temples. And, under clasts, which have again and again swept the guidance and protection of the Brahover them, have left little trace of the mans, they look down upon the old and ancient idols. A great portion of the pop- barbarous gods whom they revered before ulation, too, has been converted, more or they left their native villages. Again, owless forcibly, to Islam. ing to a strong police and the extension The Himalayan districts, on the other of railways, travelling has become safe hand, owing to the difficult nature of the and easy. Hence, pilgrimages to the holy country, as well, perhaps, as to its com- places of orthodox Hinduism have become parative poverty, have escaped to a great possible to numbers who would otherwise extent the fire and sword of the invader. have been content with an occasional visit And the people have been left to follow to the deotas in their immediate neightheir ancient customs, and to retain their borhood. Indeed, many of the principal ancient faiths. temples have travelling agents, who perHere, then, may be found traces of re-sonally conduct crowds of pilgrims from ligions and rites which have descended distant places. from very early ages. Some of these seem All this tends strongly to the spread of to have altogether disappeared from the Brahmanism, and is powerfully assisted more accessible parts of India, while oth-by the missionary influence of the waners, which here still remain outside the dering ascetics. Brahmans, too, in search Brahmanic pale, have elsewhere become of a livelihood, sometimes undertake to merged in orthodox Hinduism. The peo- conduct the worship of the outcast deople who observe these unorthodox rites, tas; and in time succeed in persuading although they are in many cases the de- the villagers that they are identical with scendants of aboriginal tribes, all consider some of the orthodox divinities. themselves Hindus. And they are gradually adopting— many have already adopted - Hindu customs, including that of caste. Speaking of the objects of their worship, they invariably call them "Hindu gods," although many of them have not as yet any place in the Hindu pantheon. Many causes tend to the extinction of these ancient faiths, but their most formidable enemy is Brahmanism. The rajahs have long been under Brahmanic influence; orthodoxy being necessary for intermarriage with other royal houses. At the capital of every small state are temples, the worship of which is conducted by Brahmans imported from Hindustan, or by their descendants. Few of these temples are very ancient, and the story told of them by the people is almost everywhere the same― viz., that Rajah So-and-so built the temples and sent for Brahmans from Benares. For a long time, although Brahmanical Hinduism was the religion of the court, the old deotas (gods) were worshipped by the people, who rarely visited the orthodox temples. The latter were supported by the rajah from State revenues, often to the neglect of roads and useful works. Now, however, as civilization extends and wealth increases, Brahmanism becomes more and more fashionable. The rich trader and successful native official be The most popular of the Brahmanical deities in northern India at the present day are Shib, or Siva, and his consort Devi, or Kali. There is therefore a constant tendency for male deotas to become identified with the former, and for female divinities to assume the name of the lat ter. An instance of this supplanting of the deotas by the Brahmanical gods is to be seen at a temple in the Kangra district. This was originally a serpent deota, and was known as Baghsu Nag; but the temple has now, under Brahmanical auspices, become sacred to Siva, and has changed its name to Baghsu-nath. The old stone figure of the snake still remains under a tree close by; but Siva, as the linga, occupies the temple and receives all the attention of the officiating priest. The nag would probably have disappeared, had it not been that the country people still bring offerings for it. The Brahman told me, with a knowing look, that it was believed that, if the nag did not receive his dues, the calves would die and the cows dry up. On more than one occasion, I have heard wandering religious devotees assure the people of a village that their deota was identical with Siva or some other orthodox divinity. The rustics are often flattered to find their god is so famous, and are persuaded without much difficulty to adopt the new title. At the temple of the Jibi Deota, however, an image of Siva, which some one had presented, was placed outside, and was said to be an attendant (naukar) of the deota. Before going further, I may mention some peculiarities which, though they vary somewhat in different localities, are common to nearly all the "deotas of the hills." The first of these is, that the priests are very seldom orthodox Brahmans. They often call themselves "Brahmans of this country." But they are people of the tribe or district, and do not belong to any of the recognized Brahmanical families. They know little or nothing of the Brahmanical scriptures or ceremonies; are held in little estimation beyond their own neighborhood or tribe; and in many places intermarry with other castes. They are of course not acknowledged by the orthodox Brahmans. These men are probably descendants of the priests of the aboriginal tribes, who have gradually assumed Brahmanical rank. In other cases the priests are of various castes and tribes, and do not pretend to be Brah mans. The temple of each deota, whether a Brahman is attached to it or not, has a priest or seer, who is called the chela. This office, which has some resemblance to that of the Hebrew prophets, is sometimes hereditary, and sometimes elective. The chela is sometimes one of the socalled Brahmans of the country, but never an orthodox Brahman. There may be no Brahman, orthodox or local, but no deota is without a chela. Where there is a Brahman priest, the chela appears to be a coadjutor and not a subordinate. In fact, he seems to represent the ancient priest. The chela gener. ally belongs to one of the higher castes; but he not unfrequently belongs to one of the low castes, or to one of the outcast aboriginal tribes; and this, even when acting as coadjutor to an orthodox Brah man. In any case, however, the chela is the mouthpiece and inspired representa tive of the deota. At the great temple of Siva at Burmaor, although the priests are now orthodox Brahmans, the chela belongs to the outcast Koli tribe. The Kolis are the aborigines of that part of the country; and to them, no doubt, the original temple belonged. Occasionally, as in this instance, a chela is to be found attached to an orthodox Brahmanical temple, but only where it has supplanted one of the old deotas. The existence of a chela, in the sense in which the term is used in these hills, is quite opposed to the Brahmanical system. According to the orthodox doctrine, the public worship of the gods can be conducted by none but Brahmans. In the worship of these outcast deotas, on the contrary, the presence of a Brahman is not required; but that of the chela is essential. The latter becomes inspired or possessed by the deota; and a sacrifice is incomplete and useless without him. At sacrifices the Brahman repeats Sanskrit texts, if he knows any, and incenses the chela while in the state of sacred frenzy. But it is the chela who gasps out the commands of the deota, as he shivers and writhes under the divine afflatus, and the vigorous application of the soongul or iron scourge. Whether the chela's frenzy is always genuine or not may be doubtful, but there can be no doubt as to the earnestness of the worshippers. I have seen a fine athletic young man use the soongul so energetically, to his own back and shoulders, that the blood ran down in streams and the punishment was most severe. This scourge is a formidable instrument. It is somewhat like the old cat-o'nine-tails in shape, but has only five tails, and is made entirely of iron. Each tail is formed of three links, and is terminated by a sharp, lancet-shaped blade. The weight of a soongul varies from two to ten pounds. A few years ago I was invited by one of the head men of the Guddi tribe, in the Ravi valley, to a great sacrifice, which was to be offered to the snake god, Kailung Nag. The object of the sacrifice was to ensure fine weather for the sowing. I arrived at the temple early, as I wished to see the preliminary arrangements, and was much amused at the rather niggardly way in which the assembled villagers subscribed the necessary sum for the pur. chase of the victim. After some time an old woman stood up, and made a vigorous speech, asking the men how they could expect any favor from the deota when they contributed so grudgingly. soon produced the requisite amount; and a man was sent to buy a sheep. This The men then sat round in a circle near the temple, and the women sat by themselves at a little distance. The music struck up, and some of the men and boys began to dance, the chela amongst them. After a time the music became wilder and the dance more energetic. The chela May not these resting-places for the deotas represent the "grove" which is so often mentioned in the Bible in connection with idol worship, and which Biblical scholars have found so difficult to identify? then produced the soongul, and, stripping | visited. This pole is often ornamented to the waist, applied it to his own back by strips of colored cloth being wound and shoulders, amid shouts from the spec- round it, and in some cases it is sur. tators of Kailung Maharaj ki jai! ("Vic-mounted by a tuft of feathers. It is octory to the great king Kailung"). An casionally fanned with a chowry, or yak's orthodox Brahman, attached to the tem- tail, thus showing its sacred character; ple, burned incense and repeated muntras. and it is called by the name of the deota, At length, all being ready, the head of the as if the divinity were present. victim was struck off with an axe. The body was then lifted up by several men, and the chela, seizing upon it like a tiger, drank the blood as it spouted from the neck. When all the blood had been sucked from the carcass, it was thrown down upon the ground amid yells and shouts of "Kailung Maharaj ki jai!" The dancing was then renewed and became more violent, until, after many contortions, the chela gasped out that the deota accepted the sacrifice, and that the season would be favorable. This was received with renewed shouts, and the chela sank down upon the ground in a state of exhaustion. Water was poured over him, and he was vigorously fanned till he showed signs of revival. The assembly then began to disperse. The fierce excitement of the people, and the wild frenzy of the chela as he flogged himself with the soongul, and as like a beast of prey he sucked the blood of the victim, made up a scene not to be easily forgotten. At the fire temple of Jowala Mukhi is a tall mast covered with plates of copper. On my asking the chief Brahman what it was, he hesitated, and then said it had no use. It was no doubt originally one of the masts which I have just described, and was connected with rites which have now become unorthodox. The stambhas, or stone pillars, found in connection with Jain, Budhist, and Vaishnava temples, in several parts of India and in Nepal, had no doubt their origin in these wooden resting-places for the deotas. At Vaishnava temples the pillars are usually surmounted by a figure of Garuda, the eagle upon which Vishnu is supposed to ride. These pillars seem to have been common to several of the ancient religions of the East. The office of chela, the use of the soongul, and other rites, which no doubt orig. In the valleys near the plains the unor inally belonged to the deotas of the abo-thodox deotas occupy an inferior posi riginal tribes, have now extended to other divinities of later date. In fact, they are now universal in the Punjab Himalayah, except in connection with orthodox Brahmanical temples. Even Sidh or Budha and the demigod Googah have their che las, as also has one shrine at least of the Mussulman saint, Lakh Data. To most of the temples of the hill deotas musicians are attached. They are generally hereditary servants of the temple, and receive a share of the offerings. tion, and are usually meanly lodged in roofless enclosures of rough stones, in small, rudely built temples, or under trees. Here the principal temples are sacred to the worship of the deities of modern Hinduism. In the more remote districts, however, the deotas of the hills have few rivals, and their temples are often imposing. They are generally of timber, very massively built, and are often adorned with elaborate carving. In fact, the tim ber stage of Indian architecture, referred A curious feature in the worship of to by Fergusson, here still survives; and some of these deotas is the erection near the resemblance between these wooden the temple of a tall mast, usually a pine- temples and some of the sculptured stone tree stripped of its branches. Upon the edifices represented in his works is very summit of this thamba the deota is striking. Whatever the name of the desupposed to rest when sacrifices are of- ota, the plan of the temple is generally fered to him, or festivals are held in his the same. An inner cell of wood, or more honor. Sometimes the worshippers dance rarely of stone, contains the god round it. (Can this have been the originally a rough stone or a rudely carved imof our Maypole ?) age. Over this cell, and extending a little beyond it at the back and sides, is a wooden roof, with overhanging eaves, supported by massive wooden pillars. This roof is prolonged in front so as to A smaller pole is sometimes carried round from house to house by the chela and other officials of a deota, when contributions are received from the persons usu what the name or attributes of the deota may be, if pilgrimages to his shrine are attended with success. Siva, Devi, the nag, Sidh, Lakh Data, and others are each visited by women of all ranks, castes, and degrees of orthodoxy. form a pillared hall, in which the worship- | spreads to distant places. It matters little pers assemble, and in which sacrifices are offered. Travellers are allowed to lodge in the hall, but women are not usually admitted. Sometimes a high pyramidal structure is raised over the cell, but in most cases the roof is of the same height throughout. The carving is sometimes very elaborate, the serpent being almost invariably introduced. A fringe of carved wooden tassels round the eaves, so ar ranged as to wave in the wind, is a common decoration. The deota worshipped in some of these temples is Shib, and in others Devi; and it is sometimes doubtful whether these are the original deities for whom the temples were erected. Doubtless, however, these were the deities of some of the aboriginal tribes, and they are perhaps here seen in their original form. They are worshipped with the same rites as the other deotas. The Kylas peak, at the source of the Sutlej, and the peak of Munh Mahesh, at the head of the Ravi, are both considered as the home of Siva, and as such are visited by crowds of pilgrims from India and the countries beyond the Himalayah. Other mountain peaks, too, are believed to be the abode of particular deotas. All the deotas of the hills have their melas, or festivals. The people flock to these from great distances to do honor to the god, to meet their friends, and to do a little business in buying or selling. Swinging-boats, merry-go-rounds, or other amusements, are provided, as at an English fair. The women, who are the great support ers of the melas, are allowed much more liberty on these occasions than at any other time. Dressed in their best, and decked with the family jewels, they make up parties, and travel under the escort of one or two male friends. They relieve the tedium of the journey by singing in chorus. The songs are sometimes in honor of the deota, and sometimes not. And the ladies, to make up for their good behavior during the rest of the year, are often quite ready to exchange a little badinage with the passers-by, especially if the male escort does not happen to be near. Besides these melas, pilgrimages of a private nature are often performed in fulfilment of vows made during sickness or trouble, or by married women without families. When, in such cases, the pil. grimage results successfully, the deota soon becomes popular, and his fame In these cases the journey is generally made by night; and, apparently to prevent any evasion, a mark is made at every few yards upon a stone or some object near the road. These marks are made with a mixture of rice-flour and water, and. are called likhnoo (writing). Each deota has his appropriate mark; thus, Shib has a circle with a line drawn through it; Devi, a circle; Sidh, a pair of footprints; etc. Besides the ordinary sacrifices there are votive offerings, as in the Catholic Church, in fulfilment of vows made during sickness or misfortune. To Sidh is usually presented a pair of wooden sandals; to the nag, a small iron or wooden snake; to Shib, a trident; and to Devi, a sword or trident. Sometimes a man vows a new bullock-yoke, or hoe; or a woman vows a spinning wheel; and these, or small models of them, are deposited in the temple. Of all the unorthodox deotas, the one known as Deo (god) most nearly approaches to our idea of the Deity. His altars are on the mountain-tops or in soli. tary places. They are simple, square platforms of unwrought stones, without any temple or enclosure. No image is placed upon them, but sometimes a rough stone is set up. The platform is sometimes almost covered with votive offerings of flowers, grain, or models of farm or other implements. The attributes of the Deo are far more sublime than those of the other deotas. The latter are often malevolent beings, to be dreaded, and to be appeased by bloody rites. But the Deo is beneficent. The people say, "He has no form, is never seen, but is everywhere, and sees everything even at night." And he only punishes men when they do wrong, or do not fulfil their vows. Sacrifices of goats are made to the Deo, but more frequently the offerings are of the fruits of the earth. The altars of the Deo are not to be met with everywhere, but they are numerous in some districts. I have never seen a newly built one. In the Himalayan villages are numbers of deotas, many of them doubtless the deities of broken aboriginal tribes. These are known usually by the name of the vil |