Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1839-06-08
LEXINGTON, MISSISSIPPI, JUNE 8. 1899.

WV $500 ~ Qun o4sNnNihS VIA
iously in the quarter whence il came, he
saw an old man of stern aspect, who, with
ferocious gestures, was urging on the wallis
guard to tear young and beautiful female,
whose veil had escaped in the struggle,
from the arms Of her aged parent, while
she rent the vault Of heaven with cries
and supplications.
Mohammed sprang forward like the
lighthooi deer before the tread Of the
hunter, and at once inquired the cause of
this 'iron.hearted violence; as the maiden
turned aside her graceful head with blush
which threw a new sunlight over her
beauty. The story was soon told. The
father Of the young houri was the debtor Of
The hoary sinner who stood by, enforcing
the deed Of darkness; and his child was
about 10 be torn from him, and sold into
slavery, in default Of other payment.
The voice of sorrow was soon turned
into that Of Joy, and the happy father laid
The forehead of thanksgiving in the dust Of
gratitude, as Mohammed, out Of the alum
dance Of his generosity, paid down the re-
quired sum, and freed the beautiful Zohara
from the grasp Of her captor. But alas
the son of Ali had administered the chain
Of slavery to his own heart; and when, IN
obedience to the old mans PRAYER, he
passed the threshold ofthe father Of Zohara,
and saw her mother weeping at his knees,
while the maiden herself stood by in her
Young loveliness, partially shrouding her
face in the folds Of her robe, he felt that
the sun and moon Of his earthly sky would
hereafter be the eyes of the fair creature
whom he had rescued. ii was true that
at present the mist of sorrow obscured the
snnbeams Of beauty, but Zohara was like
the water lily which is ever the loveliest
in her tears; and as the young man Quilted
the roof to which he had now restored hap
piness, he felt that an arrow was in his
heart which he sought not to pluck out.
Mohammed had studied like moullah
in the colleges for which Schamachie has
so long been famous and the boosted sci
ences Of the Franks were no more than
atoms in the beams Of his knowledge; but.
from this time forth he sheathed the bright
spear of study in the breart Of indolcnne,'
and wandering during whole days beside
the streams Of the valley, or beneath the
shadows of the -boughs, weaving
sweet fancles Of which the fair Zohara was
ever the brilliant subject.
Such position as this could end only
in marriage; and it was not long ere Mo-
manned, the son of the wealthy ALI, asked
for his bride the daughter Of the pennless
Timsah. whose worldly possessions would
not have loaded the weakest.backed camel
in the city. 1t is not difficult to imagine
how he was answered; and while the
mother of the young man was preparing to
receive the vile Of her son, he passed
whole hours beside her, gazing on her
fresh cheek, where nature had crushed its
roses to paint the lairest skin that ever
flushed at praise; and into her deep eyes,
where the light seemed TO slumher, save
when his smile called il forth in living fire.
Graceful was she as the safsaf, and fawn-
like as the lighlfooted maidens Of Singo;
while her voice was low and sweet as the
night.wind among the lombs Of the early
dead.
Rechid Aga was the friend of Moham-
med; they chung together like double pome-
grantees; and, 10 the exuberance ofhls joy,
the unwary young man poured into the
ear Of his chosen associate the tale Of his
approaching happiness. Rechid listened,
end wild wish grew in his soul, and poi.
soned in like the breath Of the npas. The
painted wings Of vanity were folded about
his heart; and, as he curlsd his dark and
glossy beard over his fingers, he began e
ask himself wherefore the felech OF Mo-
manned had shed light upon his path
which had been denied him? If the mai
den was so fair as the eyes OF his friend
had made her, she must be a banished peri,
condemned to visit earth for time, and to
be won by mortal. ~ Why then should
he not be that favored one? And as Eblis
thus prompted him, vague thoughts and
hopes grew into shape and tangibili'y with.
in his bosom; and he resolved to learn all
that the trusting friendship Of Mohammed
might lead him to reveal seizng, therefore,
with the hand Of sport, the skirts Of conf
dence, he smllingly asked thousand
questions, to which his friend replied with
unsuspicious frankness; and thus the pow
erty Of Timsah, and the obscurity OF his
position became known to him, as well as
the beauty Of Zohara, and the story Of her
rescue.
Rechid Aga left the presence Of his
friend with treachery in his heart. His
fancy had been taken captive BY the glow
in picture Of this peerless beauty 50 soon
to be bride, and he resolved that should
she be but half so lovely, as she had been
nainted TO him. she should be his, If craft