Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-11-12

like the sand on the whirlwlnd, like the
clouds before the sun, like the stars at day
break. away swept all his faith in Islam,
and in an instant the Sheik Houssien was
an idolater wcrshipping as thousand great
er than he had done, the beauty of a wo-
man. Perhaps he might have quenched
i his thirst for the unknown at some other
fountain; but this was enough now. lie
had fornd the wherewith to I'll the void,
aud lie was content.
Love WAS new emotional sensation he
had never before experienced; and 1t salts
fed him. Did she love him? That was
question which never occurred to him
What did he care for that? He WAS look
ing for employment for his own soul, and
he had found It; and that was enough.
The tradition goes on to describe his
long crossing ofthe desert--how he lihger-
ed among the hills Of Sinai, how he led
them by \ ;aba and Petra, and detained
them there 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, wellpigh dead, be
carried her to the Holy City, and pitched
heir tent by Tie mountain of the Ascen
sion. All this time he watched over her
with the Jealous care Of father or bro
ther, and the quick heart Of tie old lady
saw it and understood it 2ll And some
times he would try in broken words to tell
her of lis old belief, ana lis ideas of i'm
mortality, and she woull read in his hear
ing, sublime promises and glorious hopes
that were in a language he knew nothing
of, but which he half understood from her
uplifted eve and countenance.
o, how lie worshipped that matchle:s
eye.
He worshipred nothing e,se on earth or
in Heaven.
[, was noon of the ri ght under The walls
Of Jerusalem; and in the white tent close
by the hill. on which the last footsteps OF
the ascending Lord left their hallowing
touch, girl WAS wai-ing his bidding 70
, follow Him.
f Outside the tent, prone on the ground.
o lay group of Bedouins. and apart from
o them = lttle way. their chief silent. mo-
! tionless--to all that was earthly, dead. \
n low voice within the tent broke the still
: nes> of the night, bur he did not move
D A voice WIS uttering again those words. of
e which the sound has become to him more
familiar already, the Christians prayer,
'Sheik fIoussein'
He sprang to his feet. 1t was her voice,
e faint, low, bur sivery The tent door was
thrust aside. and as a hand mot;oned him
to enter, he obeyed.
She lay on the cushion, her head lift
, ed somewhat from the pillow by the arms
: Of her sister who spoke the language of
the desert well, stood by her as the young
: Sheik approached. His coofia was gath
cred around his head; only his dark eye
flashing gloriously was visible. She looked
up into into it and whispered: he half In
{ derstood her before the words came through
, her sisters lips. as she told the story of
, Calvary and Christ, and the cloud that re
ceived the King and Savior returning 70 his
throne.
Ii were vaia to say he understood all
, this. lie only knew that she was telling
him Of her hope ere long to be above him,
above the sky; and his active but bewider-
ed mind inwrought all this with his ancient
traditions, and having long ago rejected the
creed that did not teach him that she was
immortal, as he fell back on tie Ilea that
the mmortals had somew hat 10 do with
the stars; as he lay down on the ground
close beside of the ten, listening to every
sound from within, he fixed his eyes on
the zenith, and wa,cled The passing of the
hosts of the night until she died. There
was rustling of garments, voice of in
expressible sweetness suddenly sighed a
low, soft sigh, the expiration ola saint; and
at that instant far in the depths Of the ne
ridian blue, clear star flashed on his eve
for the first time, its silver radiance, and
he believed that she was there.
For three score years after that there
was on the desert, near the group of palm
trees and the lonely spring, small turret
built of stones. brought long distance.
stone by stone. upon tho camels. And
in this hut. or on its summit, lived a good
wise man, beloved Of all the tribes, and
especially followed by his own immediate
tribe, who with him rejected Mohammed,
and worshipped an unknown God through
the medium of the stars. and especially
one star which he had taught thom to rev.
erenco above all others.
And at length there came a night when
! Tho wind was abroad on the desert and the