RELICS OF POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. 85 



walked one clay under his canopy of plantain trees, wreathed with 

 yellow roses, and inhabited by crov/ds of singing-birds, and ad- 

 mired the freshness of his shrubs, till he perceived the cistern 

 which supplied them was worked, not by a beast of burden, but 

 by a female Pariah. The human particles, even in the Guebre's 

 heart, was touched by this cruel spectacle ; but his disgust was 

 changed to surprise, when he heard that she had solicited the em- 

 ployment, He directed his superior servants to remove her to a 

 detached apartment of his mansion, where several of her cast were 

 busied in grinding rice, and performing the lower culinary offices. 

 Chandela, as she was called, distinguished herself by the neatness 

 of her labours ; and it was soon remarked, that the rice- cakes she 

 prepared for Ibrahim's adopted son, were her favourite tasks. The 

 boy loved honey, and as no hives were near, his foster-father was 

 surprised to see his breakfast-table regularly furnished with a small 

 quantity. The poor outcast had traced a bee, and lodged its nest 

 among the moonfiowers in his delicious garden to supply an addi- 

 tion to his luxuries. She brought the delicate winged creature 

 which most resembles the humming bird, to build its house on 

 the fan-leaf of the palmyra-tree for his adopted son's amusement, 

 and spent hours in chasing away the tree snake and cobra-manilla 

 from among the jasmine and scarlet mulberries, where he loved 

 to play. Ibrahim was a learned and sincere Guebre, but he knew 

 very little of human nature. He believed the fixed and deep con- 

 tempt which his religion taught him for ap outcast, was too strong 

 to need defence ; and had never guessed that men always begin 

 to love whatever beautifies and enriches their felicity. As a Par- 

 see, he was privileged to take another wife, having no hope ot 

 progeny by the first but the infamy attached to a Pariah, the 

 utter ruin of his adopted son, if his origin should be discovered, 

 and his own high station, determined him either to resist or banish 

 the tempter. He made a thousand wise resolutions, and kept 

 them all till he heard Chandela's voice again. Ibrahim's wife, 

 married in her seventh year, and deprived of any motive to im- 

 prove, was as indolently insipid as the ladies of a Bombay harem 

 are usually found. Plaiting coloured threads, embroidering, mak- 

 ing pastry, and chewing betel, had composed the history of her 

 whole life, except when she awakened herself sufficiently to paint 

 her eye-brov/s, and load the hems of her ears with jewels. When 

 the roots of her hair, the palms of her hands, the soles of her 

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