The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-06-26
q The oriental Merchant. ":

faad Kodadad was old anI wary. "My
SON. said the latter, ,"tliis is perhaps r:,si,
promise. sSSay one year. But IIhj Harmed
would not'accepta further delay. He was
goingsfrom Tarsus to .Delnascus on a com,
- nereiai journey, and lad accurately calcu
lated the time. Ono month to go; ono
smonthsto'come back; three months to sell
E NIL his goods whole month to spare. But
theIaecidents ofatiies roSd-sickncss, rob.
{. bcrs, ,;unforesen delay IIo relied upon the
mercy Of God = and with many assevcra
a. tions Said that at the appointed time .he
- would present himself, at, the kiosque o
the merchant Kodadad, on the banks of tile
= yer,sandsla lay before him "a hundred golden
;2 tlinats! The money was lent without inter
; ~ est andspay was a sacred obligation.
The caravan set Fout,. flags flying aud
drums beating, from the rendezvous on the
= opposite side ofsthe river, and soon entered
e z the gorges sof, The mountains After pro-
sceeding little way,;a halt was. agreed
y ssnpon; forSTmany OF the merchants had
i'sestayed behind; saying their, last adieus to
- their families and making saddi6ons to their
s5;Ilerclia ifdizess: ,u.J Hamed, who possessed
several fanieh hloads, ahds had been among
-9,he lfilsttp be ready at thu place of meet
lng, ,repaned mt this delay.
y q Hes siiad earned his title of Hal or Pill
u grim; when a boy by going in company
esavith his fatherto the shrine of the pronhei:
but this was the first Journey he had un.
dertaken snce.; His i,npatience, thereto
may be. excused. He had started with the
idea Of making a fortune; and was i,npa-
tientto.b be doing. Besidesr There was his
promise to KodadatL If lie forfeited that,
his credit was gone forever. Accorlnolv'
}, he spentthe first part of the day that fol.
lowed the halt, sitting by. the road side,
counting the siraggIers that came in, and
jeering, them for their tardiness. 'This
young man" said some, sbelieves that time
Has made only for him. What matters a
day more or less.a At the end of life we
shall have to regret our impatiencc. There
aIesevils blythe wayside (, Why should we
besager to comesap With them 2"
fsse philosophical remarks found no
favor witlfsHai Hansed,I who, instead of
initiating his .'cempanions, and, reclining
lsslyss nndets the shadow of trees on tho
gfeens grass, listening to the SONGS of
:th!esbablt1s he's and the gargling Of tlIe
Sstfeausbegan at length to roam .tfreasly
about nHe~ saw that another sun would
\ setsahd dperhaps another and behold them
still ln'theF lap of. the same valley. lie
climbed the mountains, endeavoring to dis
@stractihis thoughts, and whenever2'he OBJ
ta1neda glimpsesof tie encampment be-
low; hegazed at ii, endcworing to discern
Signs, Of a, forward movement. But, the
tents remained innsbruck the people re-
- cined groups; the sealnels aud horses
were dispersed here and. there !" and the
lazystinkling Of stlieir bells showed that they,
: at any rate, were se6jaying themselves. The
young merchant at length turned away and
Plungedinto The deep reccsses of the forest.
- nature had charms for him. AS he
Went, he connted-in bis memory the num-
RrGofBiecesf f cloth his bales contained,
Compared the cost price with the probable
Market price, and Ieyelled in the anticipa-
8t'ons Of gigantic profits 10 be realized in the
Paradise Of his imagination some dusty
bazaar in the farsef city Of Damascus.
40 Whilst he wasSmeditatifbg on these sor-
did matters, she was suddenly recalled 10
himself BY a surprising accident. A huge
mantle was, thrown overghis head; and
Before iesAad time TO struggle, hv was cast
onsthe grounIand rolled ZIP, like bale OF
{ his own goods, in complete dsrkness AT
first hesdhonght instant death was to be his
fate; and he murpared,,: "May Heaven
pay mglsbt The merchant kodadad "
Soon, However, il appeared. that lie was
Hnly prison sghis .smothered laughter
Came to IBIS, ears. He tried to speak, but no
answer. was returned, except renewed laugh
ter. Presently, those who carried him set
BIN acH = the bonds. that ;cou6ned him
were 1oosened, the maatle was swhisked a.
way, and ,tdshis surprise; he found himself
in beau,ifufganlen, surrounded by bevy
OF MhidenS, who i3anDed their hands and
epJpyassais amazed appearance.
). Haj Hamed was tootthor6ugbly 40 Ori:
d entail hot to understandable position, after a
= few thoments.tliought. Hahad- evidently
the forest bsihs. inmates on Of some 'I,oug h0reS
unereu,ngs!ad - male attendants, who in