Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1864-08-31
Our st0rg-GtIIsr,
THE ARABIAN STEED,

ADA was the daughter Of powerful
tqjab; who, in the reign Of the emperor
Akbar, dwelt if a superb palace Oh the
banks of the Jumna.
The fajah was proud IF his beautiful
child and loved her, as far as his stern
nature was susceptible of such a passion:
But the duties of his situation and his
warlike pursuits called hitn frequently
from her; and much Of the dafk-eyed
Hindoo's time was spent in dreary sOli-
tude amid the gardens of her fathers
palace.
Beautiful as those gardens we're, spar
king with gilded pavilions, the air cool
ed with silver fountains, and rendered
fragrant by the odors of every rare plant,
still this perpetual solitude wearied her,
the society of her female attendants fail
ed to interest her, and as she reclined
beneath the pendent branches of date
tree, she sighed and felt more like n pris-
oner in cage than a princess in the
pleasure garden Of her palace.
She had dismissed her attendants, and
lay thodghtfblly leaning her head upon
her hand, wheh a fhstlibg amid the
branches of an ofaHge tree attracted her
attention, and she started to her feet in
an instant with an exclamation Of ALARM
and surprise, as she distinctly sat7 atnUHg
the leaves and blossoms, the bright eyes
and dark glowing features of man.
The branches hastily parted; and q
young Mohantmedau, rushing forward
knelt before her
'EhO art thouY she exclaimed. 'IIer-
oy, mercy, am defenceless-spare mel
Mercy, replied the Moor; It's must
crave mercy of you; I am defencelesS,
fair lady. 1 am at your feet, and in
your power
What brought you here?' she replied
Know you not the danger?'
a danger have braved too often, to
heed it for an instant now
'Often? What mean youY
Daily at this hour, the hour of your
solitary ramble, have 1 entered these
gardens-daily have I lurked behind the
shrubs that surround your favorite bow
er-daiIy have gazed on you unseenP
For what purpose?
MY purpossl madhess-deathl'
Death? to me, who never wronggd
you-who never injured human being
TO you, lady-nO, hO-uot to yoa3 I
would yOt harm you for the world.
Death to whom, then?'
fTO myself
Why, what brought you hersP
accident, or perhaps idle curiosity
first brought me here; and I looked on
you for the first time need 1 say why,
daily, after I had once beheld you, 1
came sgain2'
oh, if you are seen, cried Ada, mo
thing can save you from my fathers
rage; you know the barrier-the awful,
impossible bafrier-that divides your
race from mine. Madman begone =
The young Moor, whose face and form
were such as might have been chosen by
a sculptor who. wished to represent the
perfection of eastern beauty, spoke not,
moved not; he continued kneeling before
the agitated girl, while his dark, brilliant
eyes fixed upon her countsnance, seemed
eagerly to read its varying expression,
that memory might have a store Of sweet
thoughts to live upon, when the reality
should no longer stand before Aim. Ada
could not bear the earnest gaze Of those
fond eyes; where was her anger, her in
d1gnation at the intrusion of the stran-
ger? Gone She called not for her at
tendnts; no, she trembled lest they
should come.
4 await my doom, at length murmur-
ed the intruder. I scOrn to ay; my