the help of the author's help. Assistance has also been given by the
Rev. E. J. Thompson, Panna Lal Basu, Prabhat Kumar Mukerjii, and the
Sister Nivedita.




THE HUNGRY STONES



My kinsman and myself were returning to Calcutta from our Puja trip when
we met the man in a train. From his dress and bearing we took him at
first for an up-country Mahomedan, but we were puzzled as we heard him
talk. He discoursed upon all subjects so confidently that you might
think the Disposer of All Things consulted him at all times in all that
He did. Hitherto we had been perfectly happy, as we did not know that
secret and unheard-of forces were at work, that the Russians had
advanced close to us, that the English had deep and secret policies,
that confusion among the native chiefs had come to a head. But our
newly-acquired friend said with a sly smile: "There happen more things
in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are reported in your newspapers." As
we had never stirred out of our homes before, the demeanour of the man
struck us dumb with wonder. Be the topic ever so trivial, he would
quote science, or comment on the Vedas, or repeat quatrains from some
Persian poet; and as we had no pretence to a knowledge of science or the
Vedas or Persian, our admiration for him went on increasing, and my
kinsman, a theosophist, was firmly convinced that our fellow-passenger
must have been supernaturally inspired by some strange magnetism" or
"occult power," by an "astral body" or something of that kind. He