At this wedding Lord Tremlyn met a gentleman whom he introduced to some of
his party as Sahib Govind. This gentleman had just invited him to visit a
theatrical performance at a private house, such as a European can very
rarely witness.
"I never went to a theatre in my life!" protested Mrs. Belgrave.
"But this is a representation in connection with the religious traditions
of the Hindus," argued his lordship.
It was decided to go, the scruples of the Methodists being overcome by the
fact that it was a religious occasion, and not at all like the stage
performances of New York. The carriages conveyed them to the house
indicated by Sahib Govind, and they were conducted to a hall, at one end of
which was a stage, with a thin calico curtain in front of it. The
performance was just beginning.
A Brahmin came out in front of the curtain, with some musicians, and set up
an image of Ganesa, the god of wisdom; then he prayed this idol to
enlighten the minds of the actors, and enable them to perform their parts
well, which was certainly very untheatrical, the Americans thought, when
Sir Modava had translated the substance of the invocation. The Brahmin then
announced that the subject of the play was the loves of the god Krishna.
"Who is the hero of the piece, Sir Modava?" asked Mr. Woolridge, who was a
theatre-goer at home.
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