Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-11-28
AN EASTERN APOLOGIZE.

Abdallah sat at his morning meal. when there
on TIE rim OF his goblet Il little fly 1t sip
ped an atom OF syrup, and was gone. But it came
next morning, and the next, and the next again.
ill At last the scholar noticed it. Not quite u com.
mon Hy. il seemed to knrw that it was beautiful,
and it soon grew very bold. Aud 10. Il great won.
der: it became daily larger and yet larger, till
there could be discerned, in the size, as Of Il To-
Gust, the appearance Of a man. From a hand
breadth, it reached TIE stature of Il cubit; and
still 50 winning were its ways, tina, 1t found more
and moae favor with this son OF iniatuhtiOn. 1t
frisked like a satyr, and it sang like IA peri, and like
u moth of the evening it danced on the ceiling. and,
like the kings gift, whittier sUever it turned, it
prnsperej.
The eyes oc the simple one were blinded, so that
he could not, in all this, perceive the subtiity Of an
evil genius. Therefore the lying spirit waxed
holder and yet holder, and whatsoever his soul de-
sired of dainty meats. he freely took: and when
the scholar waxed wroth, and said, This is my
daily portion from the table of the mufti there is
not enough for thee aud me- the dog-ia0cd tecoi-
yer played some pleasant trick, and caused the
silly one to smile; until. in process of tune. tive
scholar perceived that, az his guest grew stronger
and stronger, he himself waxed weaker and
weaker.
Nov, also, there arose frequent strife bctwixt
the demon and his dupe, and ut last the youth
smute the fend SO sore that he departed for a sea.
son. And when he was gone, Abdailah rrjoiced,
and said. Il have ~triumphed over mine enemy, and
whatsoever time it pleaseth me, | shall smite hin,
so that he die. Is he not altogether in mine own
power?" But after not many days, the tempteI
came back again and this time, he was array cd
in goodly garments, and he brought a present il
his hand, and he spake of the day Of their frs
friendship, and he looked so mild and feeble. tina
his smooth words wrought upon this dove withou
Il heart, and saying, 'Is he not a little one?' Ii
received him again into his chamber
On the morrow. when A5dallah came not int
the assembly of stulious youth, the multi said
Wherefore Earliest the son Of Abdul? Perchanc
he sleepeth." Therefore they repaired even to hi
chamber; but to their knocking be made no answer
Wherefore the multi opened the door, and, 10
there lay on the divan the dead body of his disciple
His visage was black and swollen, and on his throa
was the pressure Of a finger broader than the pnlu
Of O mighty man. All the stuff, the gold, and tn
changes of raiment belonging to the hapless one
uere gone, and in the soft earth of the garden wer
seen the footsteps of a giant. The mufti meas
ured one of the prints, and, behold i: was 81
crbirs long.
Reader, canst thou expound the riddle? Il
the bottle or the betting.book? Is it the billiard
table or the theatre? Is it smoking? Is it lazi
ness? Is it novel-reading? But know that an evi
habit is an elf constantly expanding. 1t ma
come in at the keyhole, but it will soon grow to
big for the house. Know, also, that no evil habi
can take the life of your soul, unless you yoursel
nourish it, and cherish it, and by feeding it wit
your own vitality. give it a strength greater tina
your own.-Home Journal.