Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/1030

 984 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. during which she never moved her hand, uttered a sound or.altered the expression of her counte- nance. She then said :—‘‘ Are you satisfied?” to which I answered hastily, ‘‘ satisfied,” upon which with great deliberation she removed her finger from the flame, saying: ‘‘ Now may I go?” To this | assented and she moved down the slope to the pile. This was placed on the edge of the stream. It was about 4} ft. high, about the same length, and perhaps 3 ft. broad, composed of alter- nate ‘layers of small billets of wood and light dry brushwood between four upright stakes. Round this she was marched in a noisy procession 2 or 3 times and ascended it, laying herself down on her side with her face in her hands like one composing herself to sleep, after which she was covered up with light brushwood for several inches, but not so as to prevent her rising had. she been so minded. The attendants then began to fasten her down with long bamboos. This I immediately prohibited and they desisted unwillingly but without any show of anger. Her son, a man of about 30, was now called upon to light the pile. It was one of those frequent cases in which the husband’s death had occurred too far off for the body to be brought to the pile, and instead of ita part of his clothing had been laid thereon by the widow’s side. <A great deal of powdered resin and, [ think, some gz had been thrown upon the wood which first gave a dense smoke and then burst into flame. Until the flames drove me back I stood near enough to touch the pile, but I heard no sound and saw no motion, except one gentle upheaving of the brushwood over the body, after which all was