The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-08-12
The Caliph's Daughter.
M JAMES II. DANA.

lie sculpture adOfnln9 Tue DatH, ana
the roses that grew around, not less
than the attire of the females, bespoke
luxury and rank. The youngest and
loveliest Of the two had just emerged
from the water, and with one foot still
dangling in the cool liquid sat in pen
sivc attitude, while her companion,
who was evidently of lower rank, was
endeavoring to console her
Nay! do not despair" said the lat
ter. "Your father mag relent. Sure
ly, If you throw yourself at his feet
and tell him that you love another, he
will not force you TO marry this
strange prince"
"Alas you little the Caliph,' re.
piled his daughter. "When orce lie
had resolved on q course of conduct
he is inexorablc. Ii seems | was
promised to this prince in infancy
There is no hope" And she burst
into tears.
The rinccss Amra, or MS the po-
cts Of lsrahan called her. "GWi ssd
Jurk," the rose of a hundred leaves,
had lived to the age of seventeen
without loving. Her life had been
spent wholly nj the favorite country
palace, from the capital: her only en-.
ploymcnt being to walk with her fe-
male slaves TO play on the lutte, and
occasionally to go hawking, sport
still followed in the East.
One day, however, while flying her
falcon, Amra became separated, for a
few moments, from all her attendants
except her favorite female companion.
Just at This crisis a leopard pursued
hy some hunters, and mad with rage
from the loss of her cnhs, broke from
heighJoring thicket and bchOlding
the young princess, with n fierce growl
Sprang upon her. The beast alighted
on the launches of the paltry which
Amra rode. and the next instant the
fangs of the wild animal would have
been fastened in the princess, had not
lance, hurled with merring aim,
whizzed by and transfXcd the savage
assailant Amra and the leopard fell
to the ground together, the first in q
swoon, the last stone dead.
The hunter who hadthus opportune-
" come TO the rescue was remarka.
bly, handsome youth, some -four or
five years older than the princess, but
evidently ofan inferior rank. His at
tire indeed, was that Of the native OF
the hills, though worn with more taste
than usual. He lifted Amra from the
ground, carried her to q spring hard
hy. and sprrnklcd her face with water
while Ter attendant stood motionlcsS
rs yet bcwildcred with fright. Soon
the Young princess opened her eyes
and finding those of her prescrver hx
ed ardently upon her, hlushed deeply
In n few minutes her train come run
ming up when he resigned his lovcl,
buden, and withdrew to pick up hi,
lance. When the tumult of Amra':
attendants had subsidized, and they
came to look for the youth, they found
TINT he had disappeared.
For many weeks the young prime
ess cau3el inquiries to he made aftcl
the hunter. but in vain no one coult
remember TO have seen him, nethe
before or since that day, mcantim,
Amra thought Of him by day anC
dreamed of him by night Educated
Us she had been the romance of Ill,
rescue was irresistible to her heart
One day, when again hawking, anC
when again separated from her train
the hunter suddenly appeared before
her. The stranger implored silence
saying IN tones that Amra thought il
cXpressihly musical:
"For many weeks / have followed
you unseen whenever you have gont
abroad, but dared not make mysel
visible on account Of your attendants
The distance between daughter o
n Caliph and poor soldier is immea
surahlc yet, nevertheless, rs ou
I forefathers could worship the sun I'm
checked, so let me Mt the same DIS
tancc worship you. have loved yol
from the moment saw you shrink
ing in terror fiom that savage wilC
beast
AS the hunter spoke, he stood re
spcctfully, with his head slightly ben
before Amra, so that she thought sh
had never seen any one half as hand
some. She was silent, for she knew
not what to reply. Her heart, how
ever, pleaded loudly in his favor. Il
Persia the freedom of females i
greater than in any other oricnta
countries, and Amra moreover hs
; been brought up to roam where sh
pleased in the vicinity of tho palace
so it is no wonder that in the en-
love triumphed, and she yielded
tacit assent to another meeting. n
such interview, indeed, was propose
by the hunter, but his eyes at partin
looked his wish, and Amra the yer
next day, by accident, as she tried t
persuade herself, turned her step
toward the trysting spot, accompar
led by her confidential attendant, an
met the hunter there.
This was the beginning of rc
nance which continued for sever
months. After few interviews, An
IA no longer disguised her affection
and thereafter the lovers met by c,
plicit appointment, as they had b
fore by tacit agreement What lal
louage can describe the bliss of fir