The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-12-31

secueu stiii narrower street, arched over wit
stone, and lined on each side by small hooks
Just high enough for a man to crouch comfort
ably in. In each of these booths eat q cross
legged, turbaned, or fee crowned shop keepe,
putting his chibouque, or shouting in altercatio
with some customer. Behind each is store
his merchandise, compactly arranged, on fe,
shelves. Screaming and smoking, however, CAV
place to staring, as soon as we made our an
pearance. Even the sheetenveloped females
who, ghost-hke, waddle about the streets, ar
excluded from these cavern-like arches; so tina
civil degree of wonder at our appearance wa
most pardouable. Crowds of boys gathere,
about Us, as We stopped to examine the fabric
OF civil Armenian who had bespokeu ou
custom The stout cane and energetic I" Hal
deet" (Begone y of our watchful escort, coult
scarcely sc cure to MS elbow room though curl
osity did not once pass into incivility, as ha
oftea been the case in other cities. Aud NJ
worjer. What would the boys of New Yorl
say 90 Turkish woman, who, wrapped in be-
usuet street costnme-a dingy sheet, leaving
only the eyes visible-should attempt to prom
ena, the Bowery?
y sving made our selection, we stood patientl,
wal ;ng for our native attendant to "cut thu
prit ~ as bargaining is here termed-an ope
rati akin to that sometimes witnessed in cite.
mos civilized. A much higher price than tha
exp. cted is always demanded at frst; and az
the buyer, In his turn, is sure to set his mari
tar 200 low, war of words, often long and loud
ensses until compromise having been effect
ed, Asoth parties subside into quiet enjoyment
OF ieir pipes.
n the present case, however, the alteration
wac shortened by our attendants insisting. that
as q were Franks" and truth-tellers," and
wit al Exceeding wise," it would be of no use
to anne to us an unreasonably great sum. So
the. bargaining proceeded somewhat in the fol-
lsw pg strain;
taopkeeper. -" What do 1 know? These
lad .,s are wise to discern the truly excellent
clos J; it is not that of q common price If
tab 81. piastres the endeze, do but give the
clo II"
-Hendant-" Six piastresI Do you think
to reguile eyes that have looked on the stuffs
of far-off country? Four and half, now, is
q Lsice to sound in ones ears!"
Nopkeeper.-" Inch. Allah Am I not ma
kir : you present? Five and a half"
9tendant.- Is that price for Franks !?
FtH; and not para over!"
AAopkeeper, (indi6srently) -"Eh! The
wiyof God be donel" And he motioned to
thsr boy at his side to measure off the material.
SFom this cloth bazaar we passed into au-
oterr range, wholly lined with shoe shops, re-
spendent in red and yellow morocco boots,
slF'ers, and sandals, of various sizes, but of
th,- same shape, unwieldy and announcement.
OSFard and inward we went, hither and
tnldier, In this seemingly subterranean laby-
rlnta-now by range of tailors' dens now past
gbftering assortment OF beads and trinkets !;
net through pipe bazaar; and now through
one OF native crookery--until at last, our ewes
ana feet being wearied, and our hearts satisfied
wish the spectacle we had seen and had been,
We FASTENED ont again into daylight.
10 much for city life here-now for glimpse
of he country.
yancying that we should enjoy little more
FRI ,dom than can be found in these crowded
cG,es, we concluded to seek change of air
to time. Though we have neither "Sara-
tc a" nor the "Wh:i~ M>---A-:--n- a., .,nr x,;c;,
"a t~S azrv-s.Hasm spring IN q romantic hill
gcrge, some nine miles away. True, there was no
Congress Halln nor "Glen House" near BY,
b.; we had tent, and decided to try the patri.
az Shal fashion of living for week or more.
<The ride thither on horseback was thought
r, Their long one for baby, the least important
n ember Of the party. So he, with his mamma,
w.,s snugly packed among mattresses and cush.
i,1s, with other tenthOld furniture, on the
boards of native ARABIA wagon) These
s-abas have only two wheels, and are drawn by
ozen or by butfAloes; the latter graced our
S5amily coach" These animals, the most awh-
ssrd and laggard of all beasts of burden, are
>sry unlike the bison of America which COM
Ssonly bears the same name.
SAs we set forth in The early morning SUM-
light, we presented most picturesque yet
lsdicrous appearance the any-hump ped
beasts, swaying and toiling along under the
clumsy goad of their full.tro wsered driver the
araba, garnished on all corners with hanging
baskets and bundles, and crowned with its most
precious freight. Over the heads of the latter
lowered high in air (unnoticed until after we
had started) green cross, being no other than
the up-turned handle of baby's basket carriage,
sn indispensable accompaniment of his small
rosy self, which had been fastened at the front
Of the load. This green. cross banner made
much merrlment for US who rode leisurely be-
hind. Yet we were glad one by one to enlist
under 1t, as opr horses grew FESTIVE at being
condemned to the PAGES and the society of buff
fsloes. Six slow hours did we creep along plain
apd hill side, to the forlorn music Of our creak
ing wooden wheels, enlivened occasionally by
baby's shriller protest against this novel kind
Of cradle and of lullaby.
At last we reached the desired glen. 1t lies
between two halves of range of hills evidently
s,left by some convulsion of Nature. In many
places the severed sides are as regular as though
cut by the sword Of giant; and one might
Imagine the spot to have been q playground
for the giants young family, from the quantity
OF boulders and large rocks which lie tumblsd
about here and there, in most unlocked for
places and positions.
From the few willow trees which irregularly
fringed merry millstream, we chose the tall
est, under which to plant our tent-pole. Within
and about the octagonal walls of cloth we set
up housekeeping" in the most concise and prim.
tive Of styles. Our kitchen was the "shadow of
% great rock" on the other side of the brook |;
which latter was bridged with q board, for the
convenience of those who did not care to Jump
eacross it. Our stable, tree circuit adjoining
the rock. Our parlor, dining room " and ALL"
was partly within and partly without the tent.
door, and included the whole area overshadowed
kby our " household tree" Here we spread our
table-a provision chest, with the lid turned
back-and ate our daily bread in freedom from
care and thankfulness of spirit. From the
small villages not far away, fresh eggs, goats
milk, and "kimAt," Ia sort of creamy were
brought to rs every morning for other necces-
saries Of life we were dependent on the city.
We carried pen, pencils, paper, and books, to
our rural retreat, promising ourselves a treat In
the way of sketching, writing, aud reading, to.
gether. But We found the society of the rocks
and streams far more tempting than that of our
own thoughts or the thoughts of others. So
we gave up our days to idle rambling or riding,
or yet more idle dreaming, under this blue, soft
sky of Asia. Flocks of goats or other animals
often dotted the hills around us. Often, too,
at sunset, we saw some herdsman standing
upon precipice hundreds of feet above US, to
call the cattle home; or heard the shepherd,
with his rude reed-pipe, wiling HE lambs along
the venturous hillpaths. If we had begun to
fancy ourselves in Already, however, such fam
cies would have been dissipated by any one