Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-05-12
THE DAILY TIMES
HAyID TIE LOCKER-ITp

L
Hajid Din was one of the most skilful scribes !,
the Coptic quarter of Grand Cairo. He was rich
too, though nobody but his neighbors would hay,
| thought so, as he was seen stealing along in hi
four cotton jackets, his silk SASH with an nkhorr
hanging from 1t on one side and a pencase on tn,
other, his great turban, and long abba or over
coat sweeping the dust of Egypt. The origina
color owned by any of these garments no beho
der could guess. They had been all new at Ha.
jd's first wedding; and at least twenty wears be.
fore the period of this tale, the bride of that day
had gone, IN Coptic phrase, to rejoice with her
forefathers. llajid had house at the end of one
of the drtiest and narrowest streets in Old Cairo
Like the homes of Coptic rank and riches in gene.
raj, it was large wooden fabric crazy and wea.
ther-worn, with fiat roof, small windows set
high in the walls, resembling loophoes covered
with lattice-work, and one substantial door Sc.
cured by wooden lock and key Haiid had in
that house Persian carpets, Turkish divans, and
curtains OF Damascus; two disc eet cid danes
from Nubia, bought spec lily for their prudence
a second wife, an infant son, and two grown-up
daughters. These last were Hajid's great con.
Germ. Nazir the younger, was a beauty accord.
ingly to Coptic taste for her eyebrow was scarce
ly visible, and her teeth were of amazing black
ness; while Hazilay, the elder, was destitute of
all such attractions; and the fear of their fathers
days was that the one might be carried off with.
out o sufficient dowry, and no husband would
ever be found for the other. Between these con-
9cting terrors Hajid's mind had little rest. On
Nazir's account, it needful to keep his castle
with more than common precaution; and how to
get her palmer sister disposed ofpuzzled him night
and day. In the first duty at least, he did not
fail: Duly as the sun rose in the unyarying sky
of Cairo the household messages were sent, and
the daily supplies brought in with the help of his
trusty Nubians. Then Had issued forth with
the great wooden key in hand, carefully locked
his door. which, like those of his people from
time immemoral, could be locked and opened
only from the outside, and leisurely preceded to
his place Of busness-the lowest and most dingy
room in the house of the renowned governor
Meerschid Pacha, surnamed, from his abundant
use of that Instrument, Aboo Nabat, the Father
of the Stick.
While he sat there OH ragged cushion, with
the paper stretched on his knees, writing an or
der for head, a demand for tribute or any other
of the pacha sublime dispatches to inferior 60
ernors, the timber-house remained secure from
all outgolngs or visitors whatever, its embargoed
condition being announced to pertinacious knock
ers by one of the discreet Nubians shouting
'MaGsh = There is nothing y from the window
above the door. That paraphrase of mot at
home = had been common for ages in the Coptic
quarter, but from no mansion was it heard so
often; and at length the neighbours became aware
that no better could be expected till half an hour
generally came home. The scrbe's watchfulness
had been stirred up to this point by Schamll lid,
chief scribe of the merchants, who, having grown
rich about the bazaars aspred to IIajid s younger
daughter as spouse for his only son Iraf, and
offered dowry of 1900 piasters.
The fame of MARS beauty, which had by this
time had spread far and wide, and reached the
young mans ears, where he studied at the col
lego of scrbes beyond the Great Pyramid, alone
induced Schamil to make this magnificent offer:
but Hajid had set his mind on two thousand at
least, and cherished the conviction, that his fam-
ly would be disgraced for ever if the dowry were
permitted to fall one piastre short of that sum-
Schamil knew the value of money as we'll as any
man in Egypt; moreover, he made it point of
honor not to give the required hundred though
lraf had come home, having finished his educa-
ton, and, according to report, did everything
short of turning Mussulman to bring his father
up to the two thousand. All was as vet to no
purpose. Schamil held out stoutly, but Had
had the repute of slrpassing him in obstinacy;
and the pachas scribe felt assured, that if no OPP
portunity for clandestine courship could be found
he would finally obtain the dowry of his hopes.
The strictness of Oriental discipline is not always
sufficient to prevent such occurrences; but Hajid's
trust was in the wooden key, and his dwelling
had continued in that state Of barricade from one
rising of the Nile almost to another.
Passers-by at times averred, that though there
might be safety, there was scarcely quiet within;
and it was the general opinion of the neighbour
hood, that somebody in that house could scold.
A loud shrill voice was frequently heard ringing
through its wooden walls for hours together, and
volleys of names, known only to the popular ear
of Egypt as the reverse Of complimentary escaped
now and then by the latticed-windows. Inquisi-
tive people-and some such there are even among
Copts-were curious on the subject; bui the less
particular contented themselves with guessing,
that the plain elderly sister might be troubled
with envy, and was occasionally in ill-temper.-l
The discreet Nubians gave no explanation; indeed
the lockiDg-up process allowed them little time
for gossip, had that been their chief joys but like
other great social experiments, it was not destined
to long continuance. .-.,
One day, when Hajid had made things secure,
and departed as usual, a prolonged knocking
broke the quiet which just then happened to
reign in the house; and after waiting consdera-
BILE time, in hopes that the applicant might guess
the state of matters, and go his way. the younger
and more active Nubian climbed to the window.
There she pronounced the accustomed deliver
ance of sMafish y but not till she had seen that
the intended visitor was youth quite as black
as herself, with small packet in his hand.
Scarcely had an hour elapsed, when there was
more knocking; and time being allowed for refec-
ton, the Nubian again assembled. 1t was the
same youth, packet and all, and Ma6sh = follow
ed by few Nubian maledctions, sounded over
his head Another hour passed, and the knock
ing once more began. By this time, there was
some noise in the domestic circle, and her own
peculiar part Of the subject was discussed before
the Nubian deigned to looked out. 1t was the
youth again, and the discreet DANES wrath broke
through all bounds.
Son of COMPOUNDED father :! she cried, hast
thou no manners Twice within these two hours
have said to thee mafish and there thou art
knocking at the house of an honorable scribe, as
though it was a caravansary. Tell me thy bust
ness, that may inform my master when he comes
home. If it is not of consequence, the scourge
be upon thee
4 come, said the young man, no way disturbed
by the fury of her onset, from the most mighty