The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-10-06

Shiek Houssein, is one OF those beautiful
bits of Eastern fiction that are we'll worthy
Of preservation. We give it entire.
There is moment in every mans exist
ence on which turns his future destiny.--
There are many suoh moments, for ofstimss
life hangs on single thread, and il 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 time when Houssein
was called to Cairo to meet noble party OF
western travellers, gentleman and two la
dies, who were making pilgrimage to ST.
mai and the Holy Land, and who wished his
protection in crossing the desert. lie saw
but the gentleman, and readily engaged to
perform the desired service.
1t was not until the party had left the
Bir-ketelHa that he had met them,
where they were enoampsd by moonlight on
he sprang from his mare, before the tent
had never before seen, but thought he had
She was slight, fair, and, in the moonlight,
pale as creature Of dreams Was this one
Of the hours OF his tabled paradise? There
was no spot in oil the Heaven Of Mohamme1
fit for an angel like this. Away, like the
sand on the whirlwind, like the clouds be-
fore the sun, like the stars ut daybreak, -
away swept all his faith in Islam, and in an
instant the Shiek Houssein was an idolater
worshipping as a thousand greater, than him
have done, the beauty Of q woman. Per-
haps he might have quenched his thirst for
the unknown ct some other fountain; but
this was enough now. He had found that
wherewith to fll the void, and he was con-
tent.
Love was . new emotion--A sensation he
had never before experienced; and it salts
fed him. Did she love MIN! That was o
question which never occurred to him. What
did he care for that. He was looking for
employment for his own soul, and he had
fonndit; and that was enough.
The tradition goes on to describe his long
crossing of the desert-how be fingered
among he'hills Of Sinai; how he led them
BY Akaba and Petra, and detained there ma
ny weeks as 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, AMI pitched their tent by the
mountain Of the Ascension. And oil this
time he watched over her with the jealous
care Of father or brother, and the quick
heart of the lady saw it and understood il
all. Andsometifnes he would try in broken
words to tell her Of his, old belief, and his
ideas ofimmortalisy, and she would read inhis
hearing, sublime promises and glorious hopes
that were in language he knew nothing OF,
but which he half understood from her up
lifted eye and countcnnnce.
How he worshipped that inatchless eye
He worshippcd nothing else on earth or in
Heaven.
1t was noon Of the night 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,
an English girl was waiting bis bidding to
follow him.
Outside the tent, prone on tho ground, 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 tho tent broke the stiffness OF the
night, but he did not move. A voice was
uttering again those words, of which the
sound has become TO him more familiar al
ready, the Christians prayer.
sSheik Houssein!'
He sprang to his feet. 1t was her voice,
faint, low, but silvery, The tont door was
thrust inside. and as hand motioned to him
TO enter, he obeyed.
She lay on the cushion, her head lifted
somewhat from the pillow BY the arms Of her
sister her sister who spoke the language Of
the desert we'll, stood by her rs the young
Sheik approached. His coofta was gathered
around his head; only his dark eye flashing
gloriousiy, was visible. She looked up into
It and whispered: he half understood her be-
fore the words came through her sisters
lips, US she told him the story OF Calvary and
Christ, and the cloud that received the King
and Savior returning to his throne.
II were vain to say he understood oil this.
He only knew that she was telling him Of her
hope ere long to DO above him, above the
world, above tho sky; and his active bu.
bewildcred mind inwrought eli this with his
ancient traditions, and having long ago re-
jectel the creed that did not teach him che
was immortal, as he fell back on tho idea
that the immortals had somewhat to do with
the stars as he lay down ON the ground close
by the side Of the tent, listening to every
sound from within, he fixed his eyes on the
zenith, and watched the passing Of the hosts
Of the night until sho died. There was .
rusting Of garments, voice Of inexpressi-
bic sweetness suddenly sighed low, soft
sigh, the expiration OF Q saint and ut that
instant, far in the depths Of the meridian
blue, clear star flashed on his eye 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 tho group Of palm <eef,
and tho lonely spring, small turrct built Of
stones, brought . long distance, stone BY
stone, on camels. And in this hut, or on its
summit, lived good, wise man, beloved OF
all tho Tribes, and especially followed by his
own immediate tribe, who with him, rejected
Mohammed, and worshippsd an unknown
God, through the medium Of the stars, and
especially one star, which he had taught
them to reverence above al others.
And At length there came night whom the
wind was abroad on the desert, and the voice
Of the desert WAS fierce and terrible. But
high ovsr all the sand hills, and over the
whirling storms Of sand sedstc, calm, ma
jstic, the immutnblc stars were looking
down on the plain, and the old man on his
tower beheld them, and went forth on the
wind to search their infinite distances.
That night, saith the tradition, another
star flashed out Of heaven, beside the star
that the Arabs worshippsd. and the Sheik
Houssein was young again IN the heaven Of
bis beloved.
Let US leave him 10 the mercy of his tradi-
ton, nor seek to know whether he reached
that blessed abode.
RAISE MuRK FooD.--The New York Post
gives some ssadvice to the tillsrs Of the soil"
from which we take tho following sensible