Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-30

TEUAIG js1.8O strictly an advance
EhMO, sa,O0 at tho years sna.
An Eastern Apologize.

Abdallah sat at his morning meal, when
there alighted on the rim of bis goblet a little
n.y. 1t slipped an atom of syrup and was gone
But 1T came next morning, and the next, and
the next again, till at last the scholar, noticed
1t. Not quite common fly, it seemed to know
that it was beautiful, and it soon grew very bold
And 10 agreat wonder it became daily larger
and yet larger, till there could be discerned in
thePtze, as of a locust, the appearance of a man.
From handbreadth it reached the stature of a
cubit; and still so winning were its ways that
1T found more and more favor with this son of
inlatuation. 1t frisked like a satyr, and it sang
like peri, and like a moth of the evening it
danced on the ceiling, and, like the kings gift,
whthersoever it turned it prospered
The eyes of the simply one were blinded, SO
that he could not, in all this perceive the sub
tilty of an evil genius. Therefore, the lying
spirit waxed bolder and yet bolder, and what
soever his soul desired of dainty meats he free
ly tookG and when the scholar waxed wroth and
said, "This if my daily portion from the table
of the mufti-there is not enough for thee and
me- the dog-faoed deceiver played some pleas
ant trick, anc caused the silly one to smile, un-
til in process of time the scholar perceived that.
as his guest grew stronger and stronger. he him
self waxed weaker and weaker,
Now also there arose frequent st,ife betwixt
the demon and his dupe, and at last the youth
smote the fend 30 sore that he departed for a
season. And when he was gone Abdallah re-
joiced and said " have triumphed over mine
enemy. and whatsoever time it peaseth me
shall smite him so that he die. Is he not alto
gether in nine own power? But after not
many days, the tempter came back again and
this time he was arrayed in goodly garments,
and he brought present in his hand, and he
spake of the days of their former friendship
and he looked so mild and feeble that his smooth
words wrought upon this dove without heart,
and saying, " Is he not little one?" he re-
ceived him again into his chamber.
On the morrow, when Abdallah came not In-
to tie assembly of studious youth, the muft
said, ," Wherefore tarriest the son of Abdul?
Perchance he sleepeth." Therefore they re-
paired even to his chamber but to their knock
ing he made no answer. Wherefore the mufti
opened the door and 10 there lay on the di-
van the dead body Of his disciple. His visuge
was black and swollen and on his throat was the
pressure of a finger broader than the palm Of q
mighty man. All the stuff, the gold, and the
changes Ornament belonging to the hapless one,
were gone and in the soft earth of the garden
were seen the footsteps of giant. The multi
measured one of the prints, and, behold it
was six eubits long.
Reader, canst thou expound the riddle? Is
it the bottle or the betting-book? Is it the
billiard-table or the theatre Is it smoking
Is it laziness? Is it novel-reading? But know
that an evil habit is an elf constantly expand
Ing. 1t may come in at the keyhole, but it
will soon grow to big for the house. Know,
also, that no evil habit can take the life Of your
SOUL unless you yourself nourish it, and cherish
it, and, by feeding it with your own vitality,
give it strength greater than your own
Home Journal.