The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-09-05

and lived for one whom she loved, and who had
taught her to love God. Fer years she was
kept imprisoned in that lonely guarded tower
near the sea-where she could only put her
sorrows into mournful songs and sigh Eer love
out on the winds that blew towards England,
and gaze up at the bright, kindly stars and pray
for Gilbert. But one night as the guard slept,
the brave Zarina stole out on the parapet, and
leaped down many feet to the ground below
She soon sprang up unharmed and made her
way to the strand when she took passage on a
foreign vessel for Stamboul. Now, all the Eng
lish that this poor girl remembered were the
words Colbert and London" These she
said in sad, pleading, inquiring tones to every
one she happened to meet! but nobody under
stood what she meant by them.
From Stamboul she went on her weary wan
dering way, from port to port and from city to
city, till she had journeyed through many
strange countries, repeating everywhere these
two words of English-but all in vain, for
though everybody had heard of London, none
knew Gilbert. Yet the people were very kind
and gave her food and shelter, out OF pity for
her sad face and in return for the sweet songs.
which she sung.
At length after many months of lonely and
toilsome wsnderngs she reached England, and
found herself among the busy, hurrying throng
of London. She gazed about her, bewidered
and almost despairing at finding it so large
place-it would be so much harder to find him.
Yet STILL patiently and YEARLY up and down
the long street she went-through market
place and square-past churches and palaces,
singing her mournful songs, speaking, softly
and more and more sadly the one word-"Gll-
bert"
One evening as Gilbert Beckett, the rich
merchant, sat at the banquet table IN bis splen-
did London house, entertaining gay company
of rich and noble guests, a servant brought
him word that beautiful Saracen maiden,
pale and sorrowful looking, stood in the square
without, singing sad songs, and repeating his
name over and over In moment Gilbert
thought of lis beloved Zarina, and springing
up from the table he rushed out of the brilliant
hall into the street where poor Zarna stood,
with her long dark hair gstening with the chill
night dew, and her sweet and lovely face look
ing very white and fearful in the moonlight
4 He knew her at a glance, though she was
sadly changed from the fair young girl he had
left in the gardens of Mahmoud as gay hear
} ted as the birds, and as blooming the flowers.
He called her name--clasped her In his arms
and the next time she spoke the dear word
-"Gilbert," she murmured it against his
heart, while his lips pressed her cheeks, and
his eyes dropped happy loving tears upon her
brow
He took into his princey house, and it be-
came her home from that hour. She was bap-
tzed and took the christian name of Matilda
but Gilbert always called her ''Zarna,' for
: he said he loved that best.
The faithful lovers were married, and lived
! ~ ND
5 beloved. The Oldest son, Thomas Beckett.
| was powerful and renowned archbishop in
the reign of Henry the second.
And so ends the true story of the rich Eng
lish merchant and the Saracsn lady.
--o--0-~-~o---~~~<o~-
:. A WOODEN MAN.-The Evening Post of
s New York, tells wonderful achievement in
+ science and art that has been accomplished by
mechanic in that city, that has, in fact just in
S vented an automaton that can walk and talk
e The editor of the "Post," who has seen the
It wonder, says:
y 1T was an awkward looking thing, weighing
n it was said, three hundred and fifty pounds.
: with huge bronze head, a monstrous body
S painted red, and short legs. The resemblance
to man was very slight. Its general appear
ance, we should say, was more like that of
l monster
S Upon our entrance into the room in company
+ with several gentlemen, the figure stood near
the wall between two windows. The operator
t read description Of the invention, stating that
it was moved by machinery. Before he finished
: reading, however, the automaton began to Vi
brate in very singular manner The motion
l continued for some seconds, and the spectators
S began to suspect there was somebody inside the
? monstrous stomach of the figure. The machine
!, ry was wound up at last, and while the opera
# tor studied the figure, it shufled its elephant
# feet along the floor for short distance ana
e then stopped
i The screws were put to the figure again and
: it backed towards the wall at the same time
lifting its feet in the act and movement much
better than going forward.
: The operator then prepared the figure for
! speaking, by the use Of an air pump. This.
t some of the lockers on limited, was to give ali
to the person concealed within the figure.
While the operator was proceeding with his
pumping" the gentlemen closely scrutinized
the automaton, in order to detect any decep-
a ton. Small windows are placed in its body, TO
e allow a view of the machinery inside. But
| these apertures, unfortunately, though person
d can see directly through the body apparently
n in straight line, do not throw any light into
, the chamber. From these openings nothing
It can be determined as to its mode Of operation
o any more than by looking at the unsightly cxte-
e ror.
q Banum of the museum, two or three other
0 showmen, and several members Of the press
: were. present. None of them, it seemed, wero
l favorably struck with the invention.
The greatest point was now be settled. No
one doubted the figure had walked. The ope-
rator ceased the air pump and moved some
keys on the outside of the body, when the figure
said, with pauses between the words:
: 'Ladies and gentlemen, you see before you
a triumph of science and art.''
. Many more words were spoken, but we coulG
not understand them. The voice seemed t.
, sound if proceeding from a living body
through pipes. The operator assured the spec
! tators that any body could make the figure
speak, and there was no decluson. Barnur.
moved the keys and the figure answered, but
as he could not the interior he was not sat