Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-11-26
INTERESTING TALE.
THE STAR OF LOVE.

1here Is moment IN every mans ex-
isteDce on which turns his future destiny.
There are many such moments, for oittimes
life hangs on a single thread, and if the
thread is not cut, il requires but touch
10 change the whole direction Of the fu-
ture. But in every mans life there is at
least one, and in that Of young Houssein
il occurred thus:
1t was not often in those days that trav.
elers crossed the great desert, Few Eu-
rOpeans came to Egypt, and fewer still!
went to Sinai. But there was a ti--
when Houss-in was called to q ' .'ne
"''' p' :. western travellers, gen.
selnan and two ladies, who were making
a pilgrimage to Sinai and the Holy Land,
and who wished his protection In crossing
the desert. He saw but the gentleman,
and readily engaged to perform the desi-
red service.
1t was not until the party had left the
Birketel Hal that he had met them where
they were encamped by moonlight on the
sand that stretches away to Suez. Az be
sprsDg from bis mare before the tent door,
lie was startled by such vision as he had
never before seen, but thought he had
dreamed Of in his waxing dreams.
She was a slight fair, aud in the moon.
light, pale as a creature Of dreams. Was
this one Of the houris OF bis fabled para.
disc? There was no spot in all the heav-
en- of Mahommed fit for an angel like
this. Away; like the sand on a whirl.
wind, like the clouds before the sun, like
the stars at dsybreak-away swept all bis
faith in Islam, aud in an instant the Sheik
Houssein was 40 idOlater, worshipping, as
a thousand greater than him have done,
the beauty # woman. Perhaps he
might have quenched his thirst for the un-
known at some other fountain; but this
was enough now. He had found that
Iwheresith to fiIl the void, and he was con.
tent.
Love was new emotion-a sensation
he had never before experienced; and it
satisfied him. Did she love him! That
was question which had never occurred
to him. What did he care for that. He
was looking for employment for his own
soul, aud he had found it, and that was
enough.
The tradition goes on to describe his
long crossing of the esert-how he ling
cred among the hills of Sinai, how he led
them by Akaba and Petra, and detained
them many weeks at the city of Rock
how the fair English girl faded slowly
away, for she was dying when she came to
Egypt; and how weary, well nigh dead
be carried her to the Holy City, and pitched
their tent by the mountain of Ascension.
And all this time be watched over her with
1.-THE Jealous care of father or brother,
aud the quick heart Of the lady saw it and
understood it all. And sometimes he
would try in broken words to tell her oI
| his old belief, and his ideas of immortality
and she would read in bis hearing sublime
promises and glorious hopes that were in
a language he knew nothing Of, but which
he half understood from her uplifted eye
and countenance.
| How he worshipped that matchess eye,
He worshipped nothing else on earth OIL
in heaven.
| It was noon Of The uight under the walls
Iof Jerusalem; and in the white tent close
by the hill on which the last footsteps oil
The ascending Lord left their hallowing
touch, an English girl was waiting his bid
ding to follow him.
Outside tie tent, prone on the ground,
lay a group of Bedouins, and apart from
them a little way, their chief, silent, mo.
i;onless, to all that was earthly, dead. A
How voice within the tent broke the still
ness of the night, but he did not move.
A voice was uttering again those words,
of which the sound has become to him
more familiar already, the Christians
prayer.
"Sheik Houssein!" !"
He sprang to his feet. 1t was her voice,
faint, low, but silvery. The tent door
was thrust aside, and as hand motioned
him to enter, he obeyed.
She lay on the cushion, her bead lifted
somewhat from the pillow by the arms Of
her sister; her sister who spoke the Ian
guage of the desert we'll, stood beside her
as the young Sheik approached. His
coofla was gathered around his head; only
his dark eye flashing gloriously was visible.
She looked up into it and whispered: he
half understood her before the words came
through her sisters lips, as she told him
the story Of Calvary and Christ, and the
cloud that received the King and Savior
returning to Lis throne.
1t were vain to say that be understood
all this. He only knew that she was tel.
ling him Of her hope ere long to be above
him, above the world, above the sky; and
bis active but bewiIdered mind inwrought
all this with bis ancient traditions, aud bav-
ing long ago rejected the creed that did
not teach him she was immortal, as he fell
back on the idea that the immortals had
somewhat to do with the stars: as be lay
down on the ground close by the side Of
the tent, listening from every sound from
within, he fixed bis eyes on the zenith, and
watched the passing Of the hosts of the
night until she died. There was a rust.
| ling of garments, a voice of inexpressible
sweetness suddenly sighed low, soft sigh,
the expiration of saint; and at that in
stont, far in the depths Of meridian blue,
a clear star flashed on bis eye for the first
L