Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-07-23
THE DAILY SPY.
Urganda and Fatima.
AN EASTERN TALE.

AN EASTERN TALE.
i In one Of the most beautiful valleys that lie upo,
the borders of the capital of the east lived ZegdaC
an inotensiye shepherd. He had but one child and
having been early deprived Of his wife, he layished
his whole stock OF tenderness Fatima. Though
fortune had not been lavish of her gifts the father
of Fatima, yet he wanted not the necessaries or
comforts OF hte. His cottage clean, and fur
nlshed with everything useful. His fields supplied
them with food; his flock with raiment Fatima
was coarse in her person, but she was cheerful and
good natured-she each morn with the feather
ed songsers, and cheerluly performed the duties of
| her station. Her whole study was to please her
father, and smile from Zegdad was at any time
ample recompense for the severest fatigue, and like
cordial, served to revive her dropping spirits She
would assist, unasked, in the most laborious en-
| Payments, and when the labor of the day was past
she would lightly trip The green turf with her
young companions, while her father played on the
fiagelet. The mind of Fatima was calm as the de-
lights of Paradise.
One day her father sent her to the Grand Vizier's
with fruit for his favorte. She was conducted by an
| enuch into the garden, where the beautiful Semira
was reposing bed of roses, clad in all the pomp
of eastern magnfcence, while two slaves were fan
ming her rest.
Fatima had never before seen ought but simplicity
| she was filled with wonder and establishment at
the surprising beauty and grandeur of Semira, and
as she gazed, envy and discomfort crept into her
hitherto guileess heart.
She returned home with mind totally altered
from what ii was. Her rural pastimes no more de-
| lighted her-abOr was now a trouble-she had been
a witness 10 the ease and Incidence of Semira. If
| at any time she caught glimpse of her person in
the stream, she turned from it with disgust. Her
days joyless, and her nights spent in bewa-
ing her unhappy fate.
| One evening deaf to the solicitations of her COM
panions, she retired TO a thick grove, and inatten-
tive TO the distant sound of the fageet, thus gave
vent TO her sorrow;
''Oh, wretched Fatma, unhappy maid! why was
| born to know so hard fate, to eat the bread Of
labor, to sleep upon rushy couch, while Semira is
surrounded with splendor, Is served by kneeling
| slaves, and sleeps bed Of down.! Why has ma
ture denied me those ravishing beauties it has
bountilully avlshed on her-her eyes are bright as
the stars, her lips like half blown roses, her hand
and arm like polished ivory! Oh, why was not
lovely Semra, and a favorite to the Grand Vzier?
IN this low abject state my being is intolerable-I
will no longer endure it, but in yon lnipid stream
lose the remembrance of myself and Semira.
At this moment, the Fairy Urganda stood before
her.
Thy complaints are Just, oh, Fatima! (said she)
q and if thou wilt renquish thy home, and forsake
thy father, thou shalt enjoy the utmost extent of thy
n wishes. Fatima eagerly complied with the offered
terms, and the Fairy Immediately sprnkled her
with water, at the same time pronouncing some
mystic words, when she was transformed into vir-
gin of transcendant beauty, and found herself in the
garden of palace belonging to the Grand Vizier.
The lovely Semira had, the day BEFORE offended
her Lord, and no longer favorite. Fatima at
tracted the notice of the Vizer-he ordered her to
be led into splendid apartments, clothed with costly
robes, adorned with jewels, and appointed slaves
wait on her, and comply with all her wishes-and
Fatima supplied the place of the degraded Semira
She now thought herself the happiest among the
happy; but the Vizier was passionate, caprieious,
Jealous, and extremely cruel, and it not long
before the disappointed Fatima discovered that to be
favorite to the Grand Vizier, TO live only in
splendid slavery. @ et
But though (said she often TO hersel) the grand
ViZiers favorte is miserable, how superatlyely hap
py must be the favorite Sutana Of my lord the en-
peror Oh, could but attain that envied station,
how soon should the imperious Vlzer suffer for his
barbarity TO me!
Again did the bosom of Fatima suffer all the mis-
cries Of discomfort; the vaulted roofs, spacious gar
dens, and rich presents of the Vzier, no longer
charmed her. She sighed for the ensign of royalty,
and her pillow nightly believed with her tears.
One evening, she retired TO arbor at the exremi-
ty of the garden and, throwing herself the banks
where she had first seen Semia, thus poured forth
| her complaints H
How wretched is the fate of Fatima-condemned
to drag hated being with who studies only
his own qualification, and expects me to be the slave
of his caprice and passion. Oh, could but get
from this detested place, would fly to my lord the
emperor, and bow myself low in the dust before
him. My charms might captivae his royal heart,
and might reign the Empress Of the east.
I AS she spoke these words, sudden light entered
the arbor, and the Fairy Urganda again stood before
her. M. NJ
Beautiful Fatma, (said she) forbear your COM
plants; the prophet permits you TO enjoy your wish,
, then rise and follow me.
> The Fairy led her to the emperor's palace, and
placed her among number OF beautiful slaves,
from among which the emperor was next morning to
choose favorite.
} In the morning, the emperor passed through the
apartment. and bis choice fell on Fatima. She was
clothed In the ensigns of royalty led in state to the
Mosque and in few hours heard herself proclaim
j ed Empress Of the East.
But Fatima had, to the ideal of royalty, annexed
the ideas Of youth and beauty; how surprised
she then TO find the emperor old, ugly, and deformed
in his person, morose in his disposition, and jealous
in the extreme-she shrunk from his embraces with
HORROR and contracted so settled aversion to him,
that the splendor that awaited her. could not IN the
smallest degree, compensate for the many tedious
hours she was obliged to devote to him. $500
Among the slaves that attended on Fatlma was
the artful Zynna. who had long, with envous eyes,
beheld the love Of the emperor bestowed on others,
and only watched an opportunity to ingratiate her
self in his favor, by rendering him some piece Of
service. To this end she cultivated the friendship
Iof the new queen, and by degrees drew from her
the reasoned her tears and detection. This ntelli-
eence was instantly conveyed to the emperor, with
shc addition Of Fatma's heart being dedicated to
! ano,her. Osmin, willing to be convinced Of the
truth OF Zynna declaration, desired to be CONCEAL