the people appreciate the
privilege of wearing it.

There are many examples of the highest distinctive insignia being worn
by the unworthy. The aristocracies of Europe and Asia teem with such.

--A. Sarman

Reading in a Sealed Envelope

Some years ago, a Brahman astrologer named Vencata Narasimla Josi, a
native of the village of Periasamudram in the Mysore Provinces, came to
the little town in the Bellary District where I was then employed. He
was a good Sanskrit, Telugu and Canarese poet, and an excellent master
of Vedic rituals; knew the Hindu system of astronomy, and professed to
be an astrologer. Besides all this, he possessed the power of reading
what was contained in any sealed envelope. The process adopted for this
purpose was simply this:--We wrote whatever we chose on a piece of
paper; enclosed it in one, two or three envelopes, each properly gummed
and sealed, and handed the cover to the astrologer. He asked us to name
a figure between 1 and 9, and on its being named, he retired with the
envelope to some secluded place for some time; and then he returned with
a paper full of figures, and another paper containing a copy of what was
on the sealed paper--exactly, letter for letter and word for word. I
tried him often and many others did the same; and we were all satisfied
that he was invariably accurate, and that there was no deception
whatsoever in the matter.

About this time, one Mr. Theyagaraja Mudalyar, a supervisor in the
Public Works Department, an English scholar and a good Sanskrit and
Telugu poet, arrived at our place on his periodical tour of inspection.
Having heard about the aforesaid astrologer, he wanted to test him in a
manner, most satisfactory to himself. One morning handing to the
astrologer a very indifferently gummed envelope, he said, "Here, Sir,
take this letter home with you and come back to me with your copy in the
afternoon." This loose way of closing the envelope, and the permission
given to the astrologer to take it home for several hours, surprised the
Brahman, who said, "I don't want to go home. Seal the cover better, and
give me the use of some room here. I shall be ready with my copy very
soon." "No," said the Mudalyar, "take it as it is, and come back
whenever you like. I have the means of finding out the deception, if
any be practiced."

So then the astrologer went with the envelope; and returned to the
Mudalyar's place in the afternoon. Myself and