Demoine courier., 1855-06-14
i
TIE ENGLISH MERCHANT AMI
THE S.iRACEN LADY.
ny GRACE GREENWOOD.

FfH+E-affNE @H-#8E &E. HErN&HtsN4k E&f& MEtaN. #ENH III
T La 10 'ne reign Of Henry. lle Firsb
England, called Beaucierc or Fine Scbl
ar, for tie was actually 50 well lea&t
'has he could write lis W namG-s
great at,ainmcn, for a king in those d..
there lived in London a rich ycne
merchant named Gilbert a Beckett.
In that simple old time the wonda q
science and art, among which we NALL
and live just az il they had AWAY saeen
- like the trees, the flowers, the skyaG,
The Stars were never thought OF
Dreamed OF. except by the great fs.s
who may be, with their prophet 4 lee
looked away into the far future, and y
them looming up above the coming les,
like mouhiain peaks in the distsnceil a
landscape. Then the great oceans &ald
heave and swell. and roar. and rage. md
toss the mad foaning waves up at tntsky
as II TO defy the great God-and hen
obedien. to His will, grow quigan
smooth agein. year after year, wihou,
one single ship venturing over lLet vas,
exPanse-to lie made afraid, of ,hef vic,
iencc. or flas.ered by their calm--hd all
the commerce Of the world was s~ctrcely
equal to tl.at of the smallest and ppores:
kingdoms of our times. Then, geng to
sea was considered more perilous than
going TO battle, ,oyagers never fe!el to
make ttsir wills and sc, their wokily af
fairs inor2tr, before they weighed anchor
and set sail fur foreign parts. 10 be
sure. it has lately seemed very much as
though we were fast going back 10 those
old doubtful, dangerous times-ihcse
dark ages of navigation, and that all
our wonderful improvements and discov.
cries, we can count very liule upon safe
ard prosperous voyages. gfg
BI, to return 10 Gilbert a Beckett. He
va, thought n brave and adventurous
nan when he left his comfortable Eng
!ish home. and sailed for the Ioly Lind,
to trade with the ricl. Syrians for salins.
,e.vct aud gems, which lie meant 10 bring
10 Englaud and sell al erea. profit. He
prtaa,ly caleulAisi BY shis speculation to
double his fortune, and perhaps be able
To buy n ii;Is and SO become one of the
nobIes of The land, and live in a brave
c~as.le. where he would receive the king
and cour, AMI entertain them in princelv
style. 81, alas! titles and royal guests
were no for him, and all the castle be
was eve to lay claim to was such a .cas
sc in The air." as any one Of US may
build lie was taken prisoner by the
Turks robbed. of his chip. sold as a slave,
ferefd ana set at work in the palace
gasdas of Mahmoud, a terrible, fierce
eyef, black hearted, big iuibaned Sar.
aees chit. p ads fw
was q very hard fortune, that of
por Gilbert. He was obliged TO Toll
finn morning till night, digging and spad.
fig. planting aud wedding. and oil The
lille with the disadvantage Of no know.
ag much ubou. the garden business, and
ll having a heavy chain dragging and
:lanking at lis ankles. You may de
pend ,hathc Eel, il he could get safe back
to England he would never more aspire
10 castles aad titles, nor trouble himself
if the king and court never should eat a
good dinner or shake their heels a! a ball
again.
Bl, often out Of your greatest mis-
fortune mi our best good and hap
piness--and hope and joy often follow
times OF fear and Sorrow. as beautiful
.rainbows are made out Of, storms tAai
have just darkened The sky and beaten
down the flowers. One evening just as
The muezzein was calling all the pious
Mussulmen to prayers. Gilberi a Beckett
stood leaning against Q palm gee. resting
a little from his daily toll, and thinking
Iongingly Of his country ard home. JUS,
then. a young Saracen. lady Of marvel
lous beauty. called Zarina, CHANGED ,ha,
way on her evening walk, and was very
much struck by The appearance of the
stranger. Ia truth, Gilber, stood there
lesning SO gracefully agains, The palm,
with his pale face cast down, and his sof.
auburn hair yelling his sad cyes-to say
nothing Of his long golden eye lashes,
and his curling silken moastache, he
was a very handsome and interesting
young man, anc in a spite. Of The garden
er's dress and hat s!avish chain, looked
as proud and noble as a prince. = ~
\ Zarina thought so, and though very
1odes, aud .imid drew near 10 speak a
few kind words Il him. He looked up
at We sound Of Ter Ugh. step, and. for
lheAirsl time tor many months. he smil-
ed, gaddcnel by the ligh, OF her beau,i
ful Innocent face.
The ballad does moi. tell just how these
,wo became acquainted. but it is ce,,ain
they soen grew TO the escellen, friends.
and managed to meet often, and have
long walks and talks in the shaded bow
ers Of Mahmoud's gardens. They first
talked Of the birds and flowers, then of
the stars and the moonlight, then Of love,
and then. Of God. Gilbcrt told Zarina OF
the Christians blessed faith. ard related
all the beautiful and marvellous stories of
U Lord Jesus, and Zarina wondered
and wept and believed.
Gilbert had learned the Saracen Ian.
guage and spoke i, very well. but Za,;na
did not understand the English at all.
The first word O.. he ever spoke
w It her 10
Re