The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-16

the second time, the fair Haluta directed her
course, with beating heart, toward Masud's
lawn. The heat was excessive--every eye that
could afford Il was shut up in sleep, nor was
there at that moment single man Of fashion
awake in all Bagdad The only sounds that
broke on the stiffness, as she passed with Ian
guid step across the lawn, was faint laugh,
now and then, from distant group of peasant
girls who were taking advantage Of that hour of
repose to battle under the shade of the tamarlnd
trees, in the clear waters of the Tigris.
She looked anxiousy toward the pavilion-it
was now silent and empty; buta sort Of instinct
whispered TO her TO try the dark alley OF lines
on the right. This path opened upon small
lake which now lay basKing in the full splendors
OF noon, while the verdure around it slept coolly
under the shadows Of the encrcling trees. The
source Of this lake was a marble fountain, al
most hidden among the lines, from which the
water stole with clear but lettering current, as
II hall afraid TO encounter the sunshine that
wantoned so boldly over the lake. The deep
basin, in which the stream thus fingered on its
way, looked clear and motonless mirror {:
and by It's side lay young Mail, in light dreamy
sleep, his cheek resting against the marble,
whose pale, inanimate hue was contrasted stri-
kngy with the fresh glow of his manly features.
Haluas heart beat high, as well with apprehen-
sion as with hope, while she wrote on tablet
the following verses, and tremblingy hung them
from branch of the tree which formed the can
opy of his resting-place:
He that was content to look
AT the moonlight in the brook;
To reward his humble view,
Saw both brook and moonlight too.
While the proud, aspiring ELF,
Who would view the moon himself,
Fell into the brook before him,
Ere he saw the moonlight Ger him.
Dost thou love a smile of JOY
Seek it in the fountain boy
Look not up, thou shalt miss
Present smile and future bliss.
The rustling sound caused by Halula, in
placing these verses, had some what loosened
the bonds OF sleep; and scarcely had she time
TO fly and hide herself among the lime trees,
when the young student awoke His first
movement, on seeing the tablets, was to look
anxiously round for the writer of them. But
she was too well shaded within the foliage for
even her bright eyes TO betray her and no soon
err did she perceive that he had read the verses,
and that obeving, almost unconsciously, their
mandate, he bent his head down over the wa
ter, than, with palptating heart, she stole
from her concealment; and, stepping on a rus
tic bench Immediately behind him, looked down
over the liquid mirror, with smile, whose re-
Election, like Greek fire, burned unquenchably
through the very waters. The young student
started with establishment and was just on the
point OF forgetting the warning of the verses,
when Haluta, gently laying her hand upon his
head, said, with voice sweet as the song OF
promise,
Look not up, or thou shalt miss
Present smile and future bliss
and then, hyIng through the lme-iree walk
like an antelope, scarce touched the grass Of the
lawn, and was once more in the gardens of the
seraglio.
"Oh, Plato " exclaimed the student, as he re-
turned thoughtfully TO his lone pavilion, '.if, as
thou sayest, whatever Of good or lovely we see
in this world be but the shadow, the softened re-
Election Of something glorious above US, let thai
smile which have just seen be the exemplar Of
all my thoughts; and, as gaze upon the pass.
ing stream OF life, be it my lot to have always
such bright eyes thus peeping over my shout
der !"