The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1867-03-30
n lmb weaalaa NJ Waaailihi.

AaAaea n ~ neH ghsh kahw.
lHA #aal tempered AmlN had hbAnA
II HiFsif hhm iha tH 4HA tBitai
ifpla HeHlh lhtm, AaA 3hfh eeI
HfFa ffsfsd fha mem NhI mgs M lhs
vlIlsse AlHalbd aNual IA hfsa
eifHIel sHgslafed ~ ihsls white III
aaa# heklhg We ~ mfay tola,
noes a. llle fmeke n tlpe w dga
feife emsfgfd iipm ne hpsla m
Tires Kffmenif IN ane taH N fhe
sifele hfa ehi llghied ~ eaasa
iuHklbK n fpfh,f, tloaa ~ ma
seiYet 4 e1fpei NJ palifi efaas wss|
pfeHd sad behind all Nv me- shallow
n The hui one could soo q dim grsnp
~ f1fms N dafk dfessos nnd linmled
vails, ffpm which evtfy minute 4
Iillle llek ~ laughter N me- suubd
n bfaeelela and lmnales rolling a.
eelher anHlced n ieii IA that NE
Indies n ihe place we're. as nsual, all
alive about The interesting wcasion
Then, collier being served, tho drums
vent at ! agnin, and The pipes blew
vigorously, The drums advancing and
the pipes fetfeaiing, and vice versa.
as In . guadrille, till, with an espe.
eially loni honfish, drums and pipes
changed places, and The jackals, Who
had been joining In, eiivo NJ The
evening ~ quite spoiled for hunting.
and went bowling up the ravine.
The Music was rude, Int Of sinan.
lar charm and character for all that.
and seemed TO excite the Arabs to
boundlcss delight. One pulled my
sleeve, and whispered, 'hada iayis,
va khawaja isn't II beautiful
By-and-by, last wailing scream Of
the pipes and an earnest rappcl Of
the goatskins was answered by q
shrill cry from the women behind rs,
whereupon the ring opened, and into
Il glided in the moonlight, Fathma,
the best dancer of her tribe, and
"chief maiden" 10 the invisible bride.
Fathma Is sixteen, petite, slight,
graceful as n gazclle, dark as the
brown patches on its muzzle; with
large eyes like a gazclle's, shining
in the moonlight, aud teeth as white
as the lemon flowers strung in her
black tresses. They are tied up with
a handkerchief Of black and silver,
and she wears besides a long white
robe, which hides her feet, and q
bodice Of white and silver opened
between her bosoms, the sleeves OF
which come down far beyond her
hands, leaving lappets which she
waves as she begins the marriage
dance. The marriage dance, | regret
to say, was sometimes too decidedly
dccentuce to describe pas a pas; but i
ever grace and apparent innocenc'
could excuse the plain significance o
every look, gesture and movement il
such ballet de fascination, prett,
Fathma's might. First, with subtle
rythmical, and almost serpentinelik,
wreathings Of her 1.-the body she lee
the drums and pipes round the ring
then she glided to one end of it, ant
her light figure throbbed and palpi.
tated with the quicker but perfectly
graduated action Of growing passion
till, though her feet could not be seer
to move, her form passed up ant
down in the moonlight, eloquent o
what Arabs mean by love, with every
vibration and musical shudder of th,
young limbs and bosom. By-and-b,
she ceased from this part of th'
dance with a quick tremble of hel
body, and an indescribably graceful
and languid abandon of attitude; ant
while deep sigh OF "Wahl wah
va Allah !" went round the bur
houses, the women raised the shril
cry again. Then Fathma executed
a pas for the special benefit of he
visitors--dancing in front of each o
us, and touching each-upon which
as in courtesy and gallantry bound
we put piece of money upon he
forehead, which was transferred I,
. some deep receptacle in her bosom
the drums and pipes proclaiming eacl
i gifi, and the ladies outside maxim,
| us blush by their excited acknowl
edgments. These coins and thos
9 given by the relations go TO the bride
who remained all this time concealed
r and as etiquette and fatigue alike de
r manded il, we rose and left Fathml
! refreshing herself with coffee, gettinl
r a glimpse as we passed out Of the un
|, veiled faces of the women; and th
, bridal drums were banging still, an,
; the pipes rivaling them, when w
|, fell asleep. .s,