. Winter India . see to America. Put away not think sorrow. Do not think money. Andthe renowned seer of seers, sage of sages, the livinggod, the Brahman above caste laid his hand in bless-ing like any noble old bishop. We spent a charminghalf-hour under the Annanbag trees, eating thesaints oranges, talking with him and his visitorsas at any garden tea. When we were leaving, thesaint threw over our shoulders the jasmine garlandshis worshipers had laid at his feet, wound the bor-rowed chudda around him, and, rising, stalked withthe swaying gait of extreme age to the shook hand
. Winter India . see to America. Put away not think sorrow. Do not think money. Andthe renowned seer of seers, sage of sages, the livinggod, the Brahman above caste laid his hand in bless-ing like any noble old bishop. We spent a charminghalf-hour under the Annanbag trees, eating thesaints oranges, talking with him and his visitorsas at any garden tea. When we were leaving, thesaint threw over our shoulders the jasmine garlandshis worshipers had laid at his feet, wound the bor-rowed chudda around him, and, rising, stalked withthe swaying gait of extreme age to the shook hands with us fearlessly and convention-ally, for he was beyond defilement, and urged us tocome again and talk with him in his garden. Then Chaturgam Lais tongue was loosened andhe told us more of the great mahatma and of the mir-acles he had performed. Why, once they sentofficials to invite him to come to America. Theywished him to perform miracles at the WorldsFair in Chicago. This was shock and anticlimax, BENARES 175 We took a boat at the next ghat, and were towedup-stream by a rope made fast to the tip of themast, iu the crazy Yang-tse and Asiatic fashion, andthen were rowed quickly across to the marble palaceof the Maharaja of Benares. Instead of landingat the inviting marble steps, we climbed the mudbank and walked around to an untidy back gate,the land entrance, seeing there an ill-kept menagerieand the frowzy soldiers of the body-guard. Wepassed through several courts and marble halls tothe state apartments, where splendid rugs, tawdryEuropean ornaments, and mechanical toys made ex-treme contrasts, and came out on the marble terracesand latticed loggias overlooking the river and thecitys long line of palaces and temples. The jeweledbeauties of the zenana should have been loungingthere to complete the picture, but they were shutup behind latticed windows looking on the insidecourt. This Ramnuggur palace would seem to be themost desirable place to live in, but there
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