The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-08-01


but you shall not be the first" cried
Cssein, gayly; ~ will be the first, l am
the oldest, and then the others can follow
in succession"
"Yes, that is right, the oldest shall be
first" asseuted the others.
The dervises could hardly wait patient
ly for the next day, Friday. When the
hour drew near at which the Turks 90 to
the mosque, the dcrvses took up the board
on which their elder brother was already
stretched out and went with it to the mid
die of the street which leads to the mosque
Of st. Sophia. One winked to the other
and then they began to weep and lament
They had not long INDUCED in this loud
expression Of their grief when an Adzia,
II worshiper, noted for his piety, stood be-
fore them. He will give something"
thought the dervses. But the hypocriti,
cal dervises were soon convinced that men
are often deceived, while they are striving
to deceive others.
"What trouble has befalen you serv-
ants OF the Prophet" ?"
10, do not ask dearest Adzia; our bles-
sed Ussein has died to-day. He was a
brave honorable and holy man, and the
eldest Of our number. We poor brethren
have not the means to pay the last hon
ors to our elder: we have nothing where
with to bury him, if some one does not
care for his soul. 1t is pious work to
bury any dead, but how much greater to
do this honor to dervise, the eldest of
the dervises. man Of such sanctity."
My ancestors, have done many such
pious works, and l will do the same"
said the Adzia. ado not grieve your.
SELVES, go home; it shall be my care to
bury him." So saying, he gave two ser
wants who attended him, the keys of his
dwelling, with orders to carry thither the
dead body, and lock it in room, and then
return Immediately to the mosque. And
when the hour of evening prayer arrives,
when we are called from the minaret, we
will then bury him." he added.
II seemed to the four dervises when
they heard those words, as if all Constan.
tinople was turning around them. But
there was no help; the servants of the
Adzla TOOK up the living corpse, and the
dervises with heavy hearts, were obliged
TO thank the good Adzia for this labor OF
love. But who could be so unhappy as
these dervises, or more to be pited than
theya The pretended dead man was
locked up in the cabinet of the Adzia
How did his courage hold out2
The four returned to their brethren and
as they told what had happened to Us,
sien, they all fell into deadly sweat.
And poor Omer! They all fell upon him
like white crow. Foolish boy, we might
have known that nothing betser would
have come from your silly skullw In
vain did Omer justify himself, and main,
tain that they were as foolish as he to
follow his counsel. No one woad listen
to him. Complaint followed complaint,
hrst for their companion and elder, ard
still more because the people would say
the dervises were deceitful people, and
practised hypocritical tricks and there
would be no end to the jeers about them.
There came over the Adzia, as he re,
turned from the mosque, suspicion
whether the dervisc was dead or not. The
Adzia was somewhat familiar with the
arts Of the dcrviSes. Occupied with these
thoughts, he reached his dwelIing-and
behold, his suspicious were justified. On
his enterance Into the apartment he re
marked that cluster Of figs, which had
been hanging on the wall. were no longer
there. The hungry rogue Of a dervise
had eaten them, and then laid down a.
gain in his place. The Adzia called his
cHnl hot h., l., 4.
away the cluster Of figs. Their denial
strengthened the suspicious of the Adzia
that the dervise only pretended to be
dead.
"Rascal Of a dervise," cried he, "whero
are my figs, do you hear" Though the
Adzia repeated these words several times
mockingly, and touched the apparently
dead man with his foot, it was in vain
The dervise was dead, and remained dead
and neither rose nor moved. Al last the
Adzia began to beseech him to get up
and assured him that no one should be
told the story. The Adzia spent two hour:
partly III prayers, aud partly in threats
that he would have him buried alive. AL
was fruitless. The dervise still remained
stiff and stark. Hereupon the Adzia wen
out and sent a servant into the room, Will
orders to make the deYyise leave the place
either by prayers or threats.
But the servant effected nothing, and
and things remained the same in the Al
zia's room till twilight. As it began tc
grow dark, the Adzia ordered his servant.
to carry the drryise to the burying place
and leave him there. The servants hard
Iy waited for this order, but took him VI
and hurried him out. But what have
they been doing to the dervise in t'.e mean
tiinel They prioked him with needles
they pinched him, tickIed him on hi
toe, and slapped him with the palm o
their hands--a Of which the deryise suf
fered like martyr, for the glory Of hi
brotherhood, for they would have los
much OF the respect and consideration o
the world II he bad betrayed them.
The servant announced 10 him In
threat that they would bury him II he Il,
| not confess his cheat and oret mn IVhn,