Page:Between the twilights being studies of Indian women by one of themselves (IA betweentwilights00soraiala).pdf/82

62 there, who is of one fellowship with me: ‘This thing—cursing—is of the evil one. Do not practise it. Besides I do not believe you can curse. I believe it is only magic, like the gypsy folk do use.’ And he: ‘Nay, Mother, I do it in the name of the Writings—try me.’ And I wished to test this thing, but because I had said it was wrong, I could not then consent. Yet on the third day I said: ‘Well, if you can work a curse in a good cause … I will be witness.’

“The Gods sent the occasion. A poor man, threader of flowers for the neck of a sacred bull in a rich man’s temple, came to me the next day. He and his family were starving. The rich man had out of caprice dismissed them. My holy man turned to me.

“ ‘This is the occasion of your seeking, Mother,’ he said. ‘That rich man is known to me. I will hurt him—but not much—for this poor man’s sake.’ ”

She smiled again whimsically. “I was in the body—what would you? It was wrong: but I consented.

“So the holy man sent for a little dust from off the feet of the rich man, and with the help