The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-07-02
THE STAR OF THE HAREM--A TALE
3 V OF THE EAST. '' t96"n

OF THE EAST. = t'9o'n
3, n II was twilight ip the East, and It's colder
hues glanced athwart the sky, that archst
above the CLASSY sea of Marmora, while the
rising moon just tipping the glded crecent,
Of the mosques, slsered the light waves O
E the Bosphorus. Near its banks at this houl
sat couple ofiurbaned youths dressed ii
the loose made attire ofthe Armenian people
Ona near approach it was easy to discoye
that one Was female evidently seeking tc
disguise her sex, the youth by her side be-
ing her lover, 10 meet whom alone she hac
hazarded this exposure by the waters side.
sab, dearest Zillah, would that we hat
been born far beyond the sea whence comes
yonder noble ship, with those stars dottinf
her azure flag, for in America, am told, tha,
religious belief is no bar to the union oI
hearts" as--.i-s~n i2.t,l rs{assa,a
"Nor should / be here, AL Hassan," ie-
replied the gentle girl by his side. "djd our
noble Sultan understand the best good of hls
people, may the Prophet open his eyes!"
"Though love thee, Zallah, far beyond
all else on earth, yet cannot abjure my re.
ligion for thy sake, for at best We can be
here but short time only, and i'll was un-
faithful in my holycreed, then could no lon
ger hope as do now TO meet thee, let what
maybe,ids US, in paradise" "
"And thus, AL Hassan, are you doubly
true TO me, for though my father has educar
ten me in the stupid rules Of Mussulman
faith, yet ana far from needing such minu-
Tia as would enti,ie me 10 bear the name Of
bigot; no, no, love you the more that you
are true 10 your religion" ..
Zillah was child in years; sixteen sum
mers had not yet fully developed their pow
er in her slight but beautiful form, and yet
it was rounded SO nearly TO perfection, so
slightly and gracefully full, as to captivate the
mos. faslidious eye. Her face was classic
ally beautiful, with aGrecian cast Of features,
and eyes that we're almost too large and too
brilliant. The acknowledged children of the
Turks can hardly escape being Lowell, in per-
sonal attraction, for the parent who becomes
the favorite, is the chosen beauty of the ha-
rem, selected from out host Of Georgian
OF Circassian slaves, any one of whom
would form worthy subject for the artists
model. And such was Zillal's mother--a
Circassan BY birth; she had been brought by
Trebizonde slave ship to Constanlinopie,
and purchased by her father, the richest Bey
in the Turkish Metropolis.
Al Ha'saR was young Armenian mer-
chant of rich parents, and good family.
BY some chance he had met Zillah, and
dana ho, .r ;,,,,nrtant ~ anf
risk to himself, by saving her from the deep
river that encircles the city. A caique in
which she was crossing, having by some mis-.
chance overturned while he was near the
spot, he sprang into the water and swan
with her to the shore. With the suddenness
of oriental passion they loved at once, but
their after intercourse was then necessarily
in secret, since they knew full well that the
Bcy would at once punish them both if he
discovered them; for how could Mussul-
man tolerate an Armenianp
AL Hassan was well calculated to captive the
fancy of Zllsh. Hs was four years her Sc
nior, well formed, and bearing acountenance
which besides being remarkably handsome,
was truly intellectual in its expression.--
Though young, he seemed to possess many
years of experience and unflinching steadi-
ness Of purpose, which together formed a
character that Zillah not only loved most
dearly, but deeply respected. AL Hsssan
had travelled much already in his business,
and had improved opportunities for acquiring
knowledge, which rendered him in advance
Of many of those who were about him; be-
sides which he seemed TO avoid by instinct
the vices of his people and the Mussulmen
Ziah and AL Hassan had ofen met as we
have described, but always with the utmost
caution, for the close watch and restraint en-
forced on the women of Constantinople is
proverbial even with US in America; indeed,
the females themselves seem fully TO approve
ftheir yelled customs, nasmuch as it is
rarely that they voluntarily depart from them.
But this was an instance when heart claim
ed sway, and breaking through all the re.
straint of forms. sought the object of its de-
v,tion, nearly needless of the risk, or cost
ofdetection. als4
But at last Zillah was discovered by her
father, the Bey, TO be absent from the harem.
None knew whittier she had gone, nor how
she had escaped; but the fathers suspicious
were aroused, and ever after, she found it
impossible to escape even for moment, and
of course TO communicate with the young
Armenian in any other way was out of the
question. This rendered miserable, the 'Star
Of the Harem,' as Zilah was called, grew
sick, and paler and paler each day, until the
old Bey, now thoroughly aroused, was ex-
tremely anxious, lest she should be taken
away. The best sages and doctors to be
found were summoned. and constantly al
tended the dropping flower; but alas! TO no
avail; their art was not cunning enough to|