The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1853-05-21
THE LOST WIFE!
Or The Whispering Tree.

7
In the city of Cairo there once dwelt a
Christian merchant named Hanna, who had
amasSed a considerable fortune, so that envy
often turned its slances towards him. AS is
usual, however, in this world, Hanna found
cause to complain of his condition. 1t was
true that he had fine house in the street of
the saddle makers his furniture was
co>tly-that his slaves, pipes, mules and asses
We're of the first quality One thing WAS
wanted a son and heir to inherit his wealth
and continue his name.
Now in an Eastern story no sooner is this
difficulty mentioned than we cana general
rule, forsce that in some manner, more or less
ingenious, the much desired addition to the
hero's family is miraculo,lsly made Some
times pilgrimage is undertaken to the tomb
of a SAINT sometimes prayers are addressed
directly to heaven; sometimes a magician
makes his appearance, and gives two children
on condition that at certain are he shall be
allowed to claim one and sIav it for the pur-
pose OF some horrible incantaion,it following,
as a matter of course, that he chooses the IA
voritc and leaves the ii>consolatc parent to
cover his head with ashes, to clo.hc himself
in sackcloth and to perform all the heart
breaking ceremonies of an Eastern mourning.
The difficulty in the case of Hanna was that
he had no wife, and was determined never to
Get married: and considering that he was
past his seventeen year the determination
can scarcely be called unwi>c.
There was a mystery however. connected
with the life of this Christian. which will cx-
plain in some measure why he did not rive
, himself up to absolute and >ullrn despair A.
hont half a century before the period of which
we speak he had been traveller had visited
Hind and Sind. with many other wonderful
places: had resided in Persia and sailed up
on tn" Caspian.
He would tell to ono or two friends that
when at I>pahan he had loved and been be-
loved hv lady. whom he married and lived
: with nearly year \ child was horn to them
urcS of their affection But it happened one
day that tlev were in the gardens in the Vi
i cinity of the city, and Hanna feeling weary
went under some trees to sleep. whilst hi
u wife sat with the child bv the side of stream
of water that danced gaily alon. through d
u graS>-frinrcd bed
Il The Young mans >lumhcr lasted some time
i The shallow which had protected him whcl
he lay down had moved away when he awokc
Indeed. it was the sun playing upon his eve
lids that recalled him from the land of dreams
He rose from tho warm turf and called Ian
y gudlv for Li>het but though he could So,
: all across the meadow where he had lcf
her under a locust tree by the water, his eve,
! disccrncd no sign of life. He went forward
slowly, stretching his arrls and yawningur
- til he came to the spot where the Young moth
" had been sitting. Here he saw traces of tn,
tramping of many feet, both of horses an,
. men. and rihand that had adorned the wris
y OF the child lay on the ground. Fear of ;
" calamity came upon him. He gazed NOR.
: eagerly over the meadow, and brheld tracl
IL through the grass as if Il body Of horse ha'
" passed along. One cry of "I.isbct ia or,
that burst in anguish from his lips, but t.
which he did not expect an answer, shove,
Il" that he understood what disaster had bctallrl
: him. He sprang on the track of the rayish
- erS, crossed the meadows, burst through lit
- tie screen of trees, and saw on the cxtrcm
limit of the plain, ust fading from his view
little moving cloud, with a cluster of spark
: ling rays of light above it. The Turkoma
y were shaking their spears in triumph as the,
entered upon the desert with their prey
Hanna had never obtained any REASONABLE
! information as to the fate of Lisbet. Perhap
IL he did not do all that some heroic nature
would do to recover her and the child. III
{ sent messengers with offers of money to th
10 tribes he undertook a journey to the strong
Il hol,: of .Jaflir Kahn, but without success Th
Id Turkomans limited that perhaps the charm
=" of Lisbct had slnitten some independent chief
/ who had carried her far away into the wilder
~ ness.
After some wears of vain waiting, the ex
i tremc manifestations of grief disappeared
{ Hanna resumed his commercial enterprises
u and at length became established in Egyp
where he remained, buying and selling unit
+ wealth surrounded him. But fifty years passc'
u away and he did not take unto himself anoth
er wife.
SO far he easily confdcd to the few h
e called his friends and when these would con
u dole with him as to his childless position, h
II used to smile strangely, and insinuate tina
Il there might vet bc found an heir to inheri
what he had amasSed Yet he never alnittet
q that his hopes lay in the child Of Lisbet, am
, that he had some faint reason for bclicvin;
that he was not counting upon delusiv.
4 hope,
!. The truth is that Hanna, who was good
II kind man-madc better and kinder by al
d his n.isfortunes-as he was travelling betweel
:. Baolad and Damascus, several years after the
;, loss of Lsbet, fell in with poor man whC