The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1850-01-08

I'd spent my strength for naught.
al became rich, but riches did not make
me happy. | married, but my domestic re-
lations failed of meeting my hopes, though a
wife of uncommon beauty and purest virtue
sought, by all the talents and arts she pos
sessed, TO make me happy. Three sweet
hoys and daughter gathered around me
with their laughing eyes and prattling
tongues. and called me '.tathe,.'
Years rolled on, and still my wealth in
creased among the merchants of Bagdad
none stood higher, and none commanded
such confidence and weight of influence
But l was still unhappy. My mind was
dreaming still, in vague concelts, OF mines o.
peace and Joy in some strange land.
1.-THE things of eaith, of which / doubted
not had the best, were but mockery o
hope deferred. / had some notions of an
other world and another life; and when &
teacher Of Mahommed's faith showed me the
Koran, and asked obedience 10 the prophets
laws, i listened to the call and gave my mind
to all the prophets teachings. A pilgrimage
to the prophets tomb became the proper pen
ance of my sins. To live and CHERISH pride
and discomfort, amid MY own vast wealth
had been my lot. My wife besoughl me not
to leave my home and all my friends so kind
But when she found her efforts vain, with all
the devotion of angelic love, she employed
herself in preparations to make my future
Journey pleasant and delightful. With sim
gle camel and a pilgrims robe, | left my
home and all the palaces and stores of goods
that ranked me with the first of Bagtlad's
merchant princess: nor cast one thought be-
hind, till the morning dawn saw me lonely
traveller by the desert way, trusting to the
holiness of my mission for protection. In n
day or two l fell in with a caravan boInd to
the holy city of Mecca. But little lid my
ncw-found friends care for the prophet or his
faith. They said their prayers, 'tis true, at
early morning, bowing toward the east.
But an old slave, from the mountains OF
Ethiopia, belonged to the company, and with
him | continued TO talk and while away the
tedium of the road. At the mention of a
pilgrimage, one evening, the eye of the old
African kindled with delight. " Yes" said
he, al have been at the holy sepulchre at
the holy city of the renowned David! The
place where Christ once slept is the most sa-
cred of all holy affairs this earth has ever
SEEN" A Christian dog. as the slave was
called by his masters, could not distract my
mind from the absoution ! hoped to obtain
by the sight of the prophets dust A few
days passed, and l came and bowed in the
sacred mosque, expecting some new and
STANCE sentiments would enkindle in my
mind by the sacredness Of the associations a.
round me.
But deception was on every hand, frauds,
robberies, thefts, and knavery, ministered at
the very altar of the sacred temple. l be-
gan to suspect had mistaken the true faith;
and as / gave to reflections on the statements
of nv slave companion, who looked to the
holy city of Jerusalem as marking his path
way to hearen, l sought him again, and talk
cd of all the incidents of pilgrimage there,
But on the morrow he was TO leave, with his
master. for the desert. Had been travel
ling as a merchant with money or means of
credit, | certainly should have redeemed
him and set him free. But l was pilgrim
now, among strangers, and nearly as poor
as himself / gave him a piece of silver
and in his gratitude for it, he presently
brought me an old book, with the remark
that il was one n good man gave as guide
book in his former pilgrimage to Jerusalem
But he could not read it, and he would give
it tome as a memento of our association un-
der the sorrows of this world Of tears. lie
supposed-me in all things as poor as himself;
and, for all facilities for moral happiness,
seemed 10 myself to be much poorer. i took
the book, and on opening it, discovered il
to be the Christians Bible and having learn
ed to read by efforts to instruct my children
in that art, at my home in Bagdad, rejoced
that had, through Gods goodness, obtained
the possession of such confidential and SYM
pathizing companion as an Interesting bouk
The impression hung around me that
Jerusalem was the true holy city, and thai
Mahommed's religion was an imposition ant
a cheat. l fixed my resolution for further
pilgrimage. But, as / went on, began t.
give more careful attention to my guide
book, the bible | had received. At first
sought to make out the proper road by ira
cling the track of Moses and the children o
Israel in their Journey to the holy land ant
in few weeks was looking over the Rec
Sea, standing on the identical shore wher'
Moses and his followers stood, as they turned
to see the calamity of the Egyptian host.
traced this prophets path in the desert, ant
pressed on, oTer the same journey and upoI
the same mountain ridges; having no thought
however, that God would care for me,
wretche1 sinner And then rambled dow
| into the plains of Jordan, where its water
stood upright, and left the bottom dry for Is
raeps passage over. / knelt with awe a
Macp helah's cave, and read before the pa
triarchs dust the history of their renowned
| IL Af Calo
the distance, charmed my delighted view.
bent my steps to the sacred mountain wher
the Savior died, and where a world was pur
chased by his blood. Isought his holy tomb
and knelt on the marble steps before the IS
cred sarcophagus, where twas said Christ
BODY Law, as iMere in state, until he Iosc unt
his glorious home and dissipatcd all the shade
of death.
But all this long, laborious pilgrimae
Twas vain found my own heart still mii
(erable knew not where 10 fly. But
rambled on, ill at Jacobs well / stopped
read what Christ had said to the woman
Samaria that neither III that mountain nc
vet at Jerusalem, should men worship ii
Father, but they that worship him, shoul
worship him in spirit aud in truth
My awful OuFCeH Vi SIN L ndu Deeii
tempting to bear alone, and nv proud hea
! had never asked the peace which GoD giv'
to his humbled children. / bad rambled ia
4 over MANY countries, TO find what / shou
/ have soug ht at home. by communing vii
God and my own heart. My eyes were
t lpened and found that all Gods servant
). and the Savior too, made up life's burdei
: and It's duties in usefulness to a sufferir
4 world. Ere this, myself alone had been Il
II subject of my care. ] had left my wife al
c children, and rambled far away, led on
! vain delusions of self-righteousness. had
. fortune. which charity might dispense
J; bring the sunlight down to the poor man
O heart-to comfort the bed Of sickness. al
n make the orphan feel that yet a father W
, left for him on earth. But what thieves al
y knaves might, ere this, have robbed me