intimation of the approaching death of a near relation or a dear friend
who, in most cases, lives at a distance.

There is a well-known family in England (one of the peers of the realm)
in whose case previous intimation of death comes in a peculiar form.
Generally when the family is at dinner a carriage is heard to drive up
to the portico. Everybody thinks it is some absent guest who has arrived
late and my lord or my lady gets up to see who it is. Then when the
hall door is opened it is seen that there is no carriage at all. This is
a sure indication of an impending death in the family.

I know another very peculiar instance. A certain gentleman in Bengal
died leaving four sons and a widow. The youngest was about 5 years old.
These children used to live with their mother in the family residence
under the guardianship of their uncle.

One night the widow had a peculiar dream. It seemed to her that her
husband had returned from a long journey for an hour or so and was going
away again. Of course, in her dream the lady forgot all about her
widowhood.

Before his departure the husband proposed that she should allow him to
take one of the sons with him and she might keep the rest.

The widow readily agreed and it was settled that the youngest but one
should go with the husband. The boy was called, and he very willingly
agreed to go with his father. The mother gave him a last hug and kiss
and passed him on to the father who carried him away.

The next moment the widow woke. She remembered every particular of the
dream. A cold sweat stood on her forehead when she comprehended what
she had done.

The boy died the next morning. When she told me the story she said that
the only consolation that she had was that the child was safe with his
father. A very poor consolation indeed!

Now this is a peculiar story told in a peculiar fashion; but I know one
or two wonderful stories which are more peculiar still.

* * * * *

It is a custom in certain families in Bengal that in connection with the
_Durga pooja_ black-male goats are offered as a sacrifice.

In certain other families strictly vegetarian offerings are made.

The mode of sacrificing the goat is well known to some readers, and will
not interest those who do not know the custom. The fact remains that
millions of goats are sacrificed all over Bengal during the three days
of the _Durga pooja_ and on the _Shyama pooja_ night, (_i.e._ _Di