The Kanzas news., 1857-09-12
Vol. 1---No. IL.
The Star of Love.

Sheik Houssein, Is one Of those beautiful
bits of Eastern fiction that are well worthy
of preservation. We give it entire:
There is a moment in every mans exis-
tenee on which turns his future destiny
There are many such moments; for often
times life hangs on thread, and if the
thread is not cut, it requires but touch to
change the whole direction of the future
But in every mans life there is at least one,
and IN that of young Houssein it occurred
thus:
1t was not often in those days that travel
ers crossed the great desert. Few Europe
ans came to Egypt, and fewer still went to
Sinai. But there was a time when Hous-
sein was called to Cairo to meet noble par
ty of western travellers, gentleman and two
ladies', who were making 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 desired service.
1t was not till the party had left the Birk-
etel-Haj that he met them, where they were
encamped, by moonlight, on the sand that
stretches away to Suez. AS he sprang from
his mare, before the tent-door, he was startl-
ed by such vision as he had never seen
before, but thought he had dreamed of in
his waking dreams.
She was slight, fair, and, in the moonlight,
pale as a creature of dreams. Was this one
of the houris of his tabled paradise? No;
he rejected the thought, if it rose. There
was no spot In all the Heaven of Mahomed
fit for an angel like this. Away, like the
sand on the whirlwind, like the clouds be-
fore the sun, like the stars at daybreak-
away swept all his faith in Islam, and In
an instant the Sheik Houssein was an idol
ater, worshiping, as a thousand greater
than he have done, the beauty of a woman.
Perhaps he might have 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 a new emotion-a sensation
he had never before experienced; and it
satisfied him. Did she love him? That
was a question which never occurred to him.
What did he care for that? He was not
seeking to be loved. He was looking for
employment for his own soul, and he had
found it; and that was enough.
The tradition goes to describe his long
crossing of the desert-how he fingered
among the hills of Sinai; now he led them
by Akaba and Petra, and detained them
many weeks in 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 carried her
to the Holy City, and pitched their tents
by the mountain of the Ascension. And
all this time he watched over her with the
jealous care of father or brother; and
the quick heart of the lady saw it and un-
derstood it all. And sometimes he would
try, IN broken words, to tell her of his old
belief and his ideas of Immortality, and
she would read in his hearing sublime
promises and glorious hopes that were in
language he knew nothing of, but which he
half understood from her uplifted eye and
countenanee.
How he worshiped that matchless eye
He worshiped nothing else, on earth or in
heaven.
It was noon of night under the walls of
Jerusalem; and, in white tent close by the
hill on which the last footsteps of the as
cending Lord left their hallowing touch, an
English girl was waiting his bidding to fol-
low him.
Outside the tent, prone on the ground,
with eyes fixed on the everlasting stars, lay
group of Bedouins, and, apart from them
a little way, their chief, silent, motionless-
to all that was earthly, dead. A low voice
within the tent broke the stiffness of the
night, but he did not move. A voice was
uttering again those words, of which the
sound had become familiar to him already
the Christians prayer.
''Sheik Houssein -
He sprang to his feet. 1t was her voice,
faint, low, but silyery. The tent door was
thrust aside, and as hand motioned him to
enter, he obeyed.
She lay ON the cushions, her head lifted
somewhat from the pillow by the arms of
her sister; her brother, who spoke the Ian
guage of the desert well, stood by her as
the young sheik approached. His coofea
was gathered around his head; only his
dark eye, : flashing gloriously, was visible.
She looked up into it and whispered; be half
understood her before the words came thro'
her brothers lips, as she told him the story
of Calvary and Christ. and the cloud that
received the King and Savior returning to
his throne.
1t were vain to say he understood all this
He only knew that she was telling him Of
her hope ere long to be above him, above
the world, above the sky; and his active
but bewildered 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 the idea that the imniortals had some
what to do with the stars; and as he lay
down on the ground, close by the side of
the tent, listening for every sound from with
in, he fixed his eyes on the zenith and watch
ed the passing of the hosts of the night
until she died. There was a rustling of
garments, voice of inexpressible sweetness
suddenly silent, a low, soft sigh, the expi-
ration of saint; and, at that instant, far In
the depths of the meridian blue, clear star
flashed on his eye. for the first time, its sill
yer radiance, and he believed that she was