Nebraska advertiser., 1858-01-07
Miscellaneous.
An Eastern Apologize.

Abdallah sat at his morning meal, when
there alighted on the rim of his goblet d
little fly. Il slipped an ATONE Of syrup,
and was gone. But it came next morn
ing, and the next and he next again, till
at last the scholar noticed it. Not quite
common fly, it seemed to know that it
was beautiful, and it soon grew very bold.
And 10! great wonder, it became daily
larger and yet larger, till there could be
discerned in the size, as of locust, the
appearance of mans From hand
breadth it reached the stature of cubit I;
and SO winning were its ways that it
found moro and more favor with this son
of infatuation. 1t frisked like satry,
and it sang like peri, and like moth
of evening it danced of the ceiling, and,
like the kings gift, withersoever it turn
ed it prospered.
The eyes of the simple one were blin-
ded, that he coald not, in all this, perceive
the subtihty of an evil genius. Therefore
the lying spirit waxed bolder, and what
soever his soul desired of dainty meats he
freely took; and when the scholar waxed
wroth and said "This is my daily por-
ton from the table of the multi-there
is not enough for thee and me-" the dog
faced deceiver played some pleasant
trick, and caused the silly one to smile,
until in process of time the scholar per-
ceived that, as his guest grew stronger
and stronger, he himself waxed weaker
and weaker.
Now also there arose frequent strife
betwixt the demon and his dupe, and at
last the youth smote the fiend so sore that
he departed for season. And be was
gone Abdallah rejoiced and said: u have
triumphed over mine enemy, and what
soever time it pleaseth me shall smite
him so thai he die. Is he not altogether
in mine own power?" But after not many
days, the tempter came back again, and
this time be was arrayed in goodly gar
ments and he broughtga present in his
hand, and he spoke of the days of their
former friendship, and'he looked so mild
and feeble that his smooth words wrought
upon his dove without heart, and saying
us he not little one, he received him
again into his chamber.
l On the morrow. when Abdallah came
not into the assembly of the studious youth
the multi said, Wherefore tarriest the
son of Abdul2 Perchance he sleepeth. u
Therefore they repaired even to bis
chamber, but to their knocking he made nc
answer. Wherefore the multi op7ned
the door, and 10. there lay on the divan
the dead body of his disciple. His visage
was black and swollen, and on his throat
was the pressure of a fihger bfoader than
the palm of a mighty man. All the stuff,
the gold, and the changes of raiInent be-
longing 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 cubits long.
Reader, can thou expound the riddle
Is it the bottle or the betting book? Is Ii
the billiard-table or the theatre? Is i
smoking? Is it laziness? Is it novel.
reading? But know that an evil habit is
an elf constantly expanding. II may
come in at the keyhole, but ii. will soor
grow too big for the house. Know, also
that no evil habit can take the life of your
soul, unless you yourself nourish it, art
cherish it, and feeding it with your OWL
vitality, give it a strength greater thar
your own.