Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-11-16
TIE STAR OF LOVE.

walton. We give it entire:
There is q moment in every mans existence
on which turns his future destiny. There are
many such moments, fer ofttimes life hangs on
a single thread and if the thread is not cut, 1t
requires but touch to change the whole dIrec-
ton of the future But in every mans life
there is at least one, and in that Of young Hous-
sein it occurred thus:
1t was not often in those days that travellers
crossed the great desert. Few Europeans came
to Egypt, and fewer still went to Sinai. But
there was time when HOusSein was called to
Caior to meet noble party of western travel
ers, o gentleman and two ladies, who were max
ing a pilgrimage to Sinai and the Holy Land,
and who wished his protection in crossing the
desert. He saw but the gentleman, and readl-
" engaged to perform the desired service.
It was not until the party had left the Birke-
tel Hal that he had met them, where they we're
encamped by moonlight on the sand that
stretches away to Suez. As he sprang from his
mare, before the tent door, he was startled by
such a vision as he had never before seen,
but thought he had dreamed of-in his waking
dreams.
She vas slight, fair, and in the moonlight,
pale as a creature of dreams. Was this one of
the hours of his tabled paradise? There was
no spot in all the Heaven of Mahommed hit for
an angel like this. Away, like the sand on
whirwind, like the clouds before the sun, like
the stars at daybreak-away swept all his faith
in Islam, and in an instant; the Sheik Housseln
was an idolater worshipping, as a thousand
greater than him have done, the beauty of
woman. Perhaps he might nave quenched his
thirst for the unknown at some other fountain;
but this was enough now. He had found that
wherewith to fill the void, and he was content.
Love was new emoion-a sensation he had
never before experienced; and it satisfied him.
Did she love him? That was question which
never occurred to him. What did he care for
that He was looking for employment for his
own soul, and he had found it; and that was
enough
The tradition goes on to describe his long
crossing of the desert-how he fingered 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 he car
ried her to the Holy City, and pitched their tent
by the mountain of the Ascension. Aud all tnls
time he watched over her with the jealous care
of father or brother, and the quick heart OF
the lady saw it and understood it all. And
sometimes no would try in broken words tntep
her of his old beliaG.NR1. hIIS' nearing sublime
srVuIses and glorious hopes that were in Lam
guage he knew nothing of, but which he half
understood from her uplifted eye and counte-
nance.
How he worshiped that matchless eye!
He wOrshiped nothing else on earth or in
Heaven.
1t was noon of the night under the walls of
Jerusalem; aud in the white tent close by the
hill, on which the last footsteps OF the ascending
Lord left their hallOwing touch, an English girl
was waiting his bidding to follow him.
Outside the tent, prone on the ground, lay a
group of Bedouins, and apart from them a little
way, their chief silent, lnotionleSs, to all that
was earthly, dead. A low voice within the tent
broke the stiffness of the night but he did not
move. voice Was uttering again those words,
of which the sound has become to him more IA
miiar already, the Christians prayer.
"Shek Houssein!"
He sPrang to his feet. 1t was her voice, faint,
low, but silvery. The tent door was thrust
aside, and as hand motioned to him to enter,
he obeyed.
She lay on the cushion, her head lifted some
what from the pillow by the arms of her sister;
her sister, who spoke the language of the desert
well, stood beside her as the young Sheik APP
preached. His coofta was gathered around his
heads only his dark eye flashing gloriously was
visible She looked up into it and whispered
lie 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 Saviour returning to his
throne
1t were vain to say he understood all this
ne Olly knew lnaC she was teIllng MN OF ner
hope ere long to be above him, above the WORLD
above the sky; and his active but bewiIdered
mind, inwrought all this with his ancient tr;ldi-
TONS and having long ago rejected the creed
that did not teach him she was immortal, as he
fell back on the idea that the immortas had
to do with the stars: as he lay down
on the ground close by the side of the tent lis
tening TO every sound from within he fixed his
eyes on the zenith, and watched the passing of
the hosts of the night until she died. There
was a Tustling of garments, voice of mex
presSable sweetness suddenly sighed a low, soft
sigh, the expiration of a saint; and at that in
slant, far in the depths of the meridian blue, a
clear star flashed on his eye for the first time,
is silver radiance, and he believed that she was
there
For three score years after that, there was on
he desert, near the group of palm trees, and |
he lonely spring, small turret built of stones, |
bought long distance, stone by stone, on
,amels. And in this hut, or on its summit,
lived a good wise man, beloved of all |
lis tribes, and especially followed by his own I
tribe, who with him, rejected Mo- /
damned, and worshipped unknown God,
through the medium of the stars. and especially |
me star. which he had taught them toreVerence
bove all others.
And at length there came a night when the
Wind was abroad on the desert, and the voice of
he desert was fierce and terrible. But high
yer all the sand hills, and over the wIirIing
forms of sand, sedate, calm, majestic, the i'm.
l. Al.