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SEPTEMBER, 1895.)
THE SHIPWRECKED PRINCE.
weeping and silent, in spite of kind and reiterated questionings. This is strange, he thought within himself. When the first woman came here the trees and the bushes budded; and now on the arrival of this second woman, the buds become larger and many, and the trees give out branches and increase in height and thickness. Perhaps these women are very holy women, and therefore blessing rests upon the garden. On this account also they will not speak with me. He visited the king : second time that day to tell him go. The king was pleased to hear this, and immediately ordered a holy person to go and commune with these women, if possible, and get to know all their circumstances. But this holy person could not make anything of there, and told the king that probably the gardener's surmisings were correct, and therefore he advised that suitable food should be daily provided for them, lest God should be angry and cause the garden to wither as before. Accordingly food was sent every day from the palace, and in other ways special attention was manifested to these strange persons.
As has been mentioned the prince, their husband, reached some other place, which chanced to be a great and magnificent city. While walking in the bázár of this city, he observed a learned pandit reading aloud from the Sástras in the shop of a certain merchant, and many people were assembled there to listen to the sacred words and wise interpretation of the same. He, too, joined the company and when the reading was over and people had dispersed, he remained behind by the merchant's shop. On closing up the place for the night the merchant, seeing the stranger still there, spoke to him and inquired who he was. He replied :
"A cruel fate forced me from home Far in a foreign land to roam; There I became most wise and great And raised to second in the state. "In time my heart began to yearn
Unto my kindred to return; Natives, but especially faqfrs, of both sects and BOIes, sometimes give themselves up to such absolute contemplation of the Deity that they will not hold converse with any person for weeks and months and years in Succension and some, when they do speak, will only speak with those whom they recognise as holy as themselves. There is # panditant at BArAmuls who constantly site for days without uttering syllable.
To see again my home and there To tell them of my fortune fair. "I bade my wife behind to stay With patient heart, until the day We met again, to part no more Till one should enter at death's door. "She hearkened not these words of mine, But said, O love, my fate is thine! Whither thou goest, there go I, With thee I live; with thee I die." # Thus, though the king our absence wailed, The mighty bond of love prevailed; And kept us happy by the way. In loving longing for the day, “When all the weary journey o'er, We'd see the dear old home ouco more, -- The welcome bright of loved ones dear, The smile of love and best of cheer. “The ways of God God only knows : A mighty wind and waves arose, And ship and all have passed away
Except this waif that pleads to-day." And then he added in a most carnest tone :
"And must I plead, kind friend, in vain For aid in this my life of pain ? Give me thy help and thou shalt see, How helpful I shall prove to thee."
The merchant was much moved by this story, and gave him permission to sleep in the shop saying that he would send him some food pre. sently from his private house. Accordingly the prince arranged a little place in the shop for himself, and the merchant departed to his honse and ordered his servants to prepare and take some food for the man in his shop. The next morning the prince was accepted as servant by the merchant, and verified his promise in a most grateful and respectful demeanour and ready and efficient help. Byand-by the merchant discovered that his servant's services were indispensable, and told him so, adding, that such being the case, he had better make his abode there and marry into the family-would he care to marry the mer. cbant's daughter? The merchant for some There is a famous faqir residing at Lar, who may nothing for weeks together. And at Srinagar, two years ago there died a Brahman, named fahar Sahih, who is reported to have kept perfectly silent for over thirty years before his death. Chana Sahib living at Rens wârl, Srinagar, and Rajab Shah who resides at Kariyar, An adjoining district, with many others, are also quoted na famous silent faqirs.
