Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1838-08-11
A ROMANCE IN BEDoUIN LIFE.

| A ROMANCE IN BEDOUIN LIFE.
TIE following little episode, which occurs
in the elegantly written travels of Lamartime
In the Holy Lands, reminds us ofthose barba-
rous but romantic times in our own country,
which are referred to in the old border ballads:
"We one day met Bodoumin, mounted on
fine black dromedary: the sheiks salute him
with an air Of concern, and inquired what had
been the issue of his unfortunate adventure OF
the preceding year. ! asked his history, and
found the recital sufficiently interesting to give
it a place in my journal. Aloian, (this was
the name eff the Bedoun,) while hunting the
gazelle, arrived at a spot where broken lances,
bloody sabres, and unburied corpses, indicated
recent battle. A plaintive sound, which
scarcely reached his ear, attracted him to a
pile Of dead bodies, in the midst Of which a
young Arab still breathed. Aloian hastened
to his assistance, placed him upon his drome-
dary, led him to his tent, and by his paternal
cares restored him to life. After four months
convalescence, Faress 1.-THE wounded many be-
gan to talk of his departure; but Aloian said
to him, 'Ifwe must absolutely separate, will
conduct you to your tribe, and there take leave
of you with regret but if you will remain with
me, you shall be my brother, my mother shall
be your mother, and my wife your sister; con-
slider my proposals, and give it deliberate
answer oh h!my benefactor,' replied Faress.
where shall find such relations as you offer
me? But for you, should not now be living;
my flesh would have been devoured by birds of
prey, and my bones by the beasts of the de-
serts; since you are willing to keep me, will
Ili,au uifh and fill tho md of "
life.'
A motive less pure than he dared to avow
had prompted Faress's decision; love for Haf-
"a, the wife of Aloian, who had been his nurse,
was beginning to agltate his bosom, and was re-
turned. Alolan, who entertained no suspicion,
one day charged Faress to concert his moth
her, his wife, and two children, to a new
encampment, while he went hunting. Faress
could not resist this fatal opportunity; he
loaded camel with the tent, placed the
mother and two children upon it, and sent
them forward, saying that he would follow with
Hafza on horseback. Butthe old woman look
ed back in vain; Hafza did not appear; Faress
had carried her away upon an extremely swift
mare to his tribe. In the evening Aloian arri-
we'd, fatigued with the chase, and searched in
vain for his tent among those ofhis tribe. The
old mother had been unable to pitch It without
assistance, and he found her seated upon the
ground with the two children. sWhere is
Hafzap said he. Il have neither seen Hafza
nor Faress,' replied she: Il have been expect
ing them since the morning. Then, for the
| first time, he suspected the truth; and having
assisted his mother to fix the tent, he mounted
his black dromedary, and rode two days, till he
came up to the tribe of Faress. At the en-
trance of the camp he stopped to speak to
an old woman, who was alone. sWhy do you
not 20 to the sheik? said she; sthere is feast
in the tribe to-day; Faress Ebn Mehidi, who
had been wounded on field of battle and left
for dead, is returned, bringing with him beau
tiful woman, this evening their wedding is to
be celebrated Aloian dissembled, and wait
ed for the night: then, while oil the camp
slept, he introduced himself into the tent Of
Faress, separated his head from his body by a
stroke of his sabre, and having carried the
corpse out of the encampment, returned upon
his steps, found his wife asleep, and woke her,
saving, It is Aloian who calls thee She rose
in terror and said, 'Save thyself imprudent
mani Faress and his brothers will kill thee
'Traitress,' replied he, what have done to be
thus treatedl Have ever contradicted or re-
preached thee? Hast thou forgotten all the
cares have lavished upon thee? Hast thou
forgotten thy children? Come, rise, call upon
God and follow me: accursed be the devil who
has tempted you to commit this follyp But
Hafza, far from being moved by this mildness
of Aloian, exclaimed, $50 hence! or / shall
give the alarm, and call Faress to kill thee
Seeing that there was nothing to be gained by
remonstrance, he seized her, stopped her
mouth, and in spite of her resistance, placed
her on dromedary, which never paused till
they were out of hearing of the camp. Then
placing her behind him, he more leisurely con-
tinued his route. ~
At daybreak the corpse of Faress and the
disappearance of his wife set the whole camp
in tumut. The father and brothers of Far
ess followed and overlook Aloian,who defended
himself with heroic courage. Hafza breaking
off her bonds, joined the assailants, and threw
stones at him, one Of which struck him on the
head and made him stagger. Aloian, how
ever, though covered with wounds, conquered
his adversaries: he killed the two brothers, and
disarmed the father, saying it would be dis
graceful to kill an old man; he restored him
his mare, and advised him to return home; then
seizing his wife anew, he pursued his route, and
reached his tribe without having exchanged
word with her. He Immediately assembled all
her relations, and placing Hafza in the midst of
them, said to her, Relate, thyselg all that has
passed; refer my cause to the Judgment of
thy father and brother Hafza told the tale
truly, and her father, full of Indignation, raised
his sabre, and laid her dead at his feet"
ANECDoTE OF JERoMEBoNAPARTE.
Previously to his elevation to the sove-
reignty, jerome Bonaparte led life Of dissi-
patton at Paris, and was much in the habit of
frequenting the theatres, aud other public