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SERENADE.
Love songs are coming across tha seas,
Lady cf mine;
Whispered in echoes of dying breeze,
Lady of mine.
Let the songs kiss thee sleeping.
Over thine eyelids creeping,
Where thy closed eyes are keeping
Secrets of thine.
Would that my lips were a whispered song,
Only for thee;
One of the chosen from out the throng.
Only for thee.
The song so sweetly swelling
Would ope those eyes to tolling
The love that forth was welling
Only for me.
— W. J. Henderson.
TAEA.
BY SARAH F. NORRIS.
Tara’s early home was ia a little village
near the great city of Hyderabad, in the
Nizam’s Dominions. Her people were
Telugus of the cultivator caste, and her
-earliest recollection was of the tinkling
bells on the necks of the flocks, She
used to lie awake at night -listening to
their music, and wondering whether they
too came from the distant stars like her¬
self ; for her mother had told the little
girl that she had come to them from the
~the brightest star !hat was visible through
chinks of the cottage wall.
Her brothers were named for the
things longed, t of the earth to which they be¬
but she, the youngest and dear¬
est, was named for the shining place from
whence she came—Tara, a star.
When she was seven years old she
•questioned the Bai, her mother, one day,
nbout the ring which pierced her littie
nose. Soondra, “Why did she wear a ring, while
a neighbor’s child of her own
-age, wore none. Was it because she came
from the stars?”
Then the Bai explained that it was the
sign she dimly of marriage. The ceremony which
remembered was the wedding.
She was married to Lalu, who was
•now far away in his own home, “Bid
she not remember standing on one side
of a red screen, while Lalu stood on the
other side, and the family friends threw
rice over them? And when the screen
was face, removed, and they stood face to
the priest of the temple tied their
other clothing with together, and they fed each
sugar, and were declared
married. ”
“Ah!” said the^Bai, “the marriage
in procession village. was the'grandest Lalu rode ever known
our a white horse,
which was entirely covered with gold
and silver spangles and bells, while Lalu
himself was almost hidden by garlands
of flowers.
“Then the long line of carts and
palanquins, behind filled with children; and
them the women laden with
flowers, and the men bearing torches;
while the musicians followed, beating
their tomtoms, and singing the marriage
chant.
“Bid Tara remember none of this?
three Well, it had taken place when she was
her years old, and they had then given
the nose-ring—the sign of a wife—
and Lalu had gone back to his own vil¬
lage in Baroda, three hundred miles
away, to await the time when his little
bride should be old enough to come to
him.”
■ Time went by. Tara sang her little
song as she turned the millstone to grind
the grain, and rolled the spicy curry w hich
always garnished the rice at their even¬
ing meal. The flocks were herded at
night, and their bells always made music
to Tara’s ears in the low-roofed cottage
where she slept. The seasons came ana
went until Tara was eleven years old,
when Ramji, her father, announced that
the little wife must be taken to her hus¬
band’s house.
Limbaji, her eldest brother, was to go
with her, and on a tine morning, just at
the close of the long rains, they started
on their journey across the country, car¬
rying Tara’s silken bridal robes and orna¬
ments, and the little dowry of money
which had been saved for her.
) As they descended the winding path
•carefully leading to lest the perchance public road they watched
a lizard should
cross their track, and they be obliged to
turn back. But no lizard appearing,
they went cheerily on their way, which
iay .through the heart of the great city.
Gilt-spangled’ elephants howdahs tramped
majestically the high-born along, ladies the of filled
■with the realm,
whose laughing voices reached the ears
©f the two strangers as they forced their
(tvay through the of moving diamonds throng, flashed and
anon the sparkle the
out, as the silken curtains of the howdahs
were displaced by the swaying motion of
the elephants’ tread
travelers Passing outside the city gates, the
quickened their pace and were
soon m the open countiy, where there
was nothing to obstruct their progress.
. nightfall on the tenth day of their
journey they entered a little village in
LatLawar, where hvett .at ram, a friend
i “ e y baited at the door
of this friends house, , and asked if they
might enter and rest their wearied
limbs.
.Jairam and his wife greeted them with
true Eastern hospitality,begging them to
theiT^idf th S Vd f T d Cat °i
In Thev R 1 b °“ a! ’^
pa nir-li that take e we of your own, while h -i r we ? bring 1
wmM™"' vl JtiT' you aQtl are tarry quite -7 rested h , U? i
ta ? y
'
, lh /-[th n Ster , co ” sented , , , to
stop ston a a week rvM0- with tRp the.,e good friends, .
when they would start again on their
30 U ,-Z ° ! arU Bar0< i!'
Ti n f f, d } „ after r, th]3 , 1 ,- a
• r6at has te
Hyderabad, f , cam saying . p e la that f Ramji bad . died
P ' t ° rm ^' £ m e r funeral ajl T ceremonies. 3t at
top ,® Q arose the question. What
, , dara Meanwhile,
n0t eher
must make ail possible speed. He would m
be obhged to feed the crows for a cer
tain number of days, until he cdu.d be
sure whether his father’s spirit had en
tered a crow; and he must make several
feasts lor the Brahmins and d.stnbute
alms among the poor of the village. All
this would require so much time, it
wou d be fully three weeks before he
could continue the jouiney with lara.
Finally it was decided that he leave
Tara with his friends, ana return as soon
as the customs of his caste would permit,
bo he sped away on the messenger s
bor \ e ’ < * mte satisfied that he had
made the best airangement for the little
wlle '
The following week Jairam, who was
in the employ of one of the Ivattiawar
chiefs, was ordered to a distant part of
the province. Then a very serious ques
tion presented itself, for Jairam must
takehis family with him—“What would
they do with Tara?” They could not
take her along, and they dared not leave
her behind alone.
cussing While the they sat in in jthe^doorway loud dis
matter very tones,
two strange women came along, and
bearing and inquired the loud voices, they stopped
what was the matter. .Jai
ram said: “Here we have this girl on
our with hands, and wo know no- what to do
her. Her brother was taking her
to her husband in Baroda, when he was
ea’led back to Hyderabad by the death
oi his father. We promised lo keep her
safely until his return, but we are or
dered away, and there is no -me to look
after the child.”
The women said: “Why, we are on
best our way to Hyderabad now, and your
plan will be to put her in our charge;
and we will take her back to her brother,
then after the funeral ceremonies are
over, he-can start again with Tara.”
The simple minded Jairam thought
this a very good solution to the prob
lem, and at once gave the giri into their
keeping, with her silken garments, jew
elry, and money.
The women led her along quietly until
they came to a wild, desolate part of the
country, when they tore off her gar
ments, seized her bridal robes, jewelry
and money, and tying her hands and
feet, prepared to kill her. Tara had no
suspicion of their purpose until thdy
commenced tying her, When she screamed
lustily. .
the Fortunately side a cartman was passing on
other of the hedge, who rushed
to her rescue, and reported the women
to the district police. They were ar
rested and brought before the English
magistrate, who was making his annual
toui in that neighborhood ; Tara’s prop
erty was recovered, and the women were
sent Then to prison.
Tara was left on the magistrate’s
hands, his and he placed her under the care
of butler’s wife, expecting that her
friends would claim her as soon as he
could communicate with them. But
transferred just at this time the magistrate was
to the Ahmedpore district,
which lies one hundres miles nearer
Hyderabad. district .
A magistrat^iives in his tents,
and moves trough the districts with much
tent furniture and a large retinue of
servants and camp followers ; so with the
butler’s family went little Tara. As soon
inquired as they reached place the city the magistrate
for a of refuge where the
girl could remain uutil her frinds should
claim her. He was told that a “Madam
Sahib” i ad a school where girls of Tara’s
age were cared for, and to the “Sahib s”
bungalow the magistrate hastened at
once.
Tne “Madam Sahib” was verv willing
to receive Tara into her school, but
thought it boarding would not be well for her to
enter the department, as
would destroy the child’s caste, and
make much trouble for her after her re
turn to her friends.
So a Te’uga woman of Tara's own
and caste was found, who promised to feed
otherwise care for her, and she en
tered the school as a day scholar.
A P d now be « an a lle ' v life for Tara
-
T } - nhl sh ? wa ? brought before the magis
trate > a few days before, she had never
even seen a white person. New she was
wakened each morning by the bugle call,
and she saw troops of Highlanders and
otber uniformed soldiers inarching in
and around the grand old fort, with
colors flying Sow and bagpipes playing.
She was in a large, bustling city,
and there was nothingjto remind her of
her old home except the tinkling of the
bells as the herds were driven outside
the gates in the morning and brought
back at night.
She had never thought of learning to
read. !Nbiie of her family or neighbors
could read or write, and there had never
bee11 auy necei ' sit y f °r such accomplish
me nts.
when one of them wished to send a
letter, he called m the village scribe to
write it for him, and also to read the
aDStver when it came. Why should they
lea ,. n tc rea d? Their fathers and grand
fathers b fore them had never learned,
and the ways of their fathers were good
enough for them.”
Nowhere was Ta^ learning to read
and write and sing and embroider. It
was delightful for her-infinitely better
than the Sassu’s house, where she would
be obliged to work so hard.
The magistrate and Lessib Sahib wrote
to Hyderabad and Baroda, but no answer
came. Little Tara could give no direc
tions for writing. She only knew that
her brother’s name was Limbaji, son of
Ramji, but there were many Limbajis
and Ramjis in Hyderabad, and the let
ters never reached the Limbaji for
for whom they were intended. Her
husband’s name was Lalu, and he lived
in Baroda, but more she could not fell,
and Lalu received no letter. So Tara re
mained in the school, and as she was
dil’gent' in and studious, she made good
progress her studies.
Hyderabad Tears passed, with no tidings from
when or Baroda, and the time had
come Tara’s class was to graduate
from the school. It was a great day for
those young girls. The hall was crowd
ed with the native gentry of the city,
for it yvas still a novel sight to see girls
reading happened, and writing.
As it a native chief was just
spending little time in the ‘
had been a pilgrimage city. He
on a to the holy city
of Benares, and was on his way back to
his province in the South Marathi couu
try. Hearing that all the best people
would be at the school, he too came to
see what it was like. He was immensely
pleased find with words the exercises and could
scarcely to express his appre
ciation.
’ The girls arrayed in their
were most
dazzling garments and jewelry, but Tara
outshoiie all the rest, for her wedding
robes and jewelry had been kept for this
very occasion, and very ; retty she
looked, so the young chief thought, and
as soon as the exercises were over he
came forward and asked if he might
make the bright-eyed girl’s acquaint
ance. girl, He and was shyly greeted by the
young it was noticed that they
each spent other. a long time in conversation with
The next day the chief made a formal
application and to the Sahib for Tara’s hand,
great was his dismay when he learned
that she had been married in infancy,
He ruled a large district and occupied a
grand palace, and was in receipt of a
good tad revenue from his sub'ects.
He wife who long could been looking his' for a
home; but until this time grace he had stately
seen no
one who suited him. Tara was lovely
and accomplished, and she could direct
his large retinue of servants with becom
ing dignity; yet because she had been
married a dozen years before to an ob
scure lad whom she could not remember,
he was to be forever debarred from woo
ing her. Hindoo law is like the laws of
the Medes and Persians, and the marriage
of an infant is binding for life, unless
the husband chooses to turn her out and
divorce her.
The Sahib tried to comfort the chief
with the hope that Tara might already
be a widow and free to marry him. Noth
ing had been heard from Lalu for five
years, anfi rney set themselves to devise
lived. a plan for discovering whether he .still
Thev decidedtosendaprocla
mation into every village in Ivattiavvar,
calling upon .Jairam to come forward,
brother, Through him they hoped to find Tara’s
and then news of her husbmd.
Accordingly the headman a printed circular was sent
to of every vi.lage, and in
a Limbad, . few days Jairam was found. Then
the brother, was communicated
with, and he soon came, declaring his
intention to take Tara to her husband’s
house at once,
The poor girl be-^ed him to snare her
She had been happi all these rears, and
did not wish to go to the stranger whom
she could not remember. But Limbaji
was inexorable. It was a disgrace to the
that she had been kept from her
husband so long, and every dav she re
mained only added to the disgrace. So
she was torn from her friends at Ahmed
pore, and a<za : n they started on their
ouniev to Baroda
When thev reached I.alu’s house they
learned that he was in the Mahara’ali’s
armv, and was then fighting a rebellious
hill‘tribe. He had taken another wife
who was then living with the Sassu whom
Tam had so much dreaded in her child
hood.
And now commenced a hard life for
the poor girl. The Sassu and the other
wife were unsparing in their abuse of her.
She had disgraced the family, and had
broken her caste, and thev'tried out, al¬
“Unclean! unclean!” whenever she
proached them
They tossed her food to her like a bone
to a dog, as she crouched in the darkest
and dampest corner of the house, fhe
was drudgery—grind compelled to do all the household
riel the grain and pound
oat the and carry the water. The
few books she had brought from Alimed
pore the were torn in pieces and scattered to
four winds, while her knitting
and embroidery materials were cremated
before her eves. Her only comfort was
an occasional salaam from the Telugu
woman who caved for her in Ahmedpore.
. The chief had sent this woman to
Baroda to give Tara aid and comfort as
often as opportunity offered, But the
opportunities were few, for Tara was
sedulously watched by the Sassu, lest
she should make her escape.
Sometimes the woman disguised hcr
self as a bangle-seller, and succeeded ia
secretly conveying food to the poor girl,
who was made to fast until she was ai
most starved. She shed bitter tears
over the life she had left behind, and
thought regretfully of the grand home
which the chief had offered her in the
far-away Marathi country,
Why Why had she been married in infancy?
should she not have a voice in the
matter of her life’s companion? She
asked herstlf these questions number
less times, but no answer came. She
had been born a Hindoo, and she must
submit to Hindoo customs.
Time passed drearily enough, until
one day word came that Lalu had been
slain in battle. Then the house was
tilled with wailing. The mother beat
her breast and clutched her hair, de
daring that vile, polluted Tara was the
cause of all this. She was thrust
‘into the street, and told never to darken
their doors
tunity, Now and was she the Telugu woman’s oppor
came to Taia’s rescue, as
the cartman had done years before,
At early dawn they were on their way
to Ahmedpore. There was no traveling
across the country on foot now, but with
the swiftest speed of the iron horse; and
in twenty-four hours Tara was in the
midst of her friends in Ahmedpore agaiD,
and the news was hashed to the young
chief in his southern home.
In a few weeks there was a grand wed
the ding iu Ahmedpore—the old grandest since
time of the Mohammedan kings,
The bride was lovely iu her white
silken robes and diamonds, and the chief
was handsome in his full durbar cos
tume, with his jewel-hilted sword at hi 3
side. His garments were embroidered
with scc-d-pearls, and the diamonds com
posing bought the aigrette "up hundred of his turban would
have a villages like
the one in which Tara had in childhood
listened to the tinkling bells of the flocks
as she lay under the cottage roof and
thought ’of the distant stars from whence
she came,
An old lady, with several unmarried
daughters, feeds them on fish diet, be¬
cause it : s rich in phosphorus, and phosr
phorus is the essential thing for making
matches'.— Commercial Adcertiser,
Wife—“Did you know, my dear, that
there is sex iu fruit?” Husband, whef
feels surly—“Well, if that’s so, then
persimmon must be a female.”