Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-05-14
THE MAGIC MIRROR.
M JOHN THOMAS.

Ali Hassan was gay young Persian o
twenty-one Life was all before him, ex
cept the twcnty-one years he had skipped
llght.footed over (which were necessarily
behind him), and matters and things had
in his eyes, roseate hue. just of age, ht
had cast his first vote for President, anC
consequently had an idea that the fate O
the Republic rested on his shoulders :
handsome, he fancied all the blooming
nlaidens of the township in which he
lived, and the country adjacent were in
love with him. He was in the hair oil
period of existence; at that precise age
when youngm en pay particular attention
to toOth-brusles, not on account Of clean
illness (which is truly next door neighbol
TO godliness and on the same side of the
street,) but for the looks of the thing; al
the precise age when they part their hair
behind and wear number seven boots,
when number tens would be more com.
Portable.
Ali Hassan was of course in love-who
ever saw young man of twenty-one who
wasn't? No one, the author hereof ven
lures to assert He loved wildly and in
comprehensibly-with love that passed
all understanding particularly of her
father, who opposed the match. w r-
| Zobeidc, the young damsel of whom Ali
Hassan was enamored, was generally be-
lieved to be the most beautiful female in
Persia. which is saying great deal for
| her. Her eyes were like stays; her hair
was masses of wavy curls, which, had she
| lived in this day of false hair, would have
brought handsome price in any market,
and-but why go into particulars: Suf.
| flee il to say she was well-proportioncd
\ rtrl anil har f1thar ho6 of 1Rn
acres, half under improvement and the
other half well timbered
Ali and Zobeide were engaged. He had
beaued her to evening meetings and lee
lures; he had taken I sr sleigh-riding two
winters; and, finally, after a vigorous
| siege, she had capitulated. The oldman's
consent was reluctantly gained, and the
happy day which was TO unite them into
one twain, was fixed.
Ali Hassan was q happy youth. He
reveled in dreams of bliss continually.
When he retired at night, his last thought
was of Zobeide-in the still watches of
the night his younger brother, Eben Has
san, who shared his couch, was frequently
obliged to hist him out" as he expressed
it, because of his disturbing his slumbers
by calling out in his sleep the name of
"Zobeide!" (Eben offering in justification,
that because he was To be shortly married
he had no call to make a cussed fool of
himself;) and his first thought, as he
pulled on his pants in the morning, was of
Zobeide. t
While reveling in this dream of bliss,
he was somewhat astonished, being but
twenty one, and not knowing much about
female human nature, at receiving a note
through the post office from Her. He
looked upon the missive with strange
forebodings. Why should she use up pa
per and envelopes and squander postage
stamps, when she could see him personally
at any time? His worst anticipations
were realized. He read it, and with a
shrek fell fainting to the floor. The per-
fidious woman stated therein that her feel
ings had undergone change-that, while
she should always respect him as friend
and brother, two characters young men of
twenty -one are never partial to filing he
| could never be nothing else or more TO her
nohow, all of which was signed "Zobeide"
And, as if to fir sh him, that afternoon he
received an invitation to her wedding,
which was 10 take place the next night,
the happy man being new store-keeper
who had just commenced business in the
next village.
| vi tOuiS lit Sttllltu W AL lld>>s'n Il
hollow mockery. The sun was obscured
to him, with sort of haze, and for the
| first time in his life he neglected his back
hair and teeth. After passing a sleepless
night, he hicd himself to the mountains,
debating, on the way, which was the most
pleasant method Of terminating an exist
ence which was hateful to him, and at
| the same time covering the faithless- fair
one with remOrse Of the most terrible char
acter Three methods suggested them
selves, to-wit: jumping off a precipice,
lying down on railroad track, or drink
| ing pint of Cincinnati whisky. Reject
| ing the latter as death too lingering and
horrible, the second as one which would
not effect his purpose, as the papers would,
ten to one, call II an accident, and as such
it wouldn't wiring Zobeides bosom very
much, chat being what he was determined
to do in one way or another) he decided
on the former. Accordingly, he sought a
precfpice, and sitting down ON the brink
thereof, he set himself about composing a
soul-harrowing note to her, which he pro-
posed To put in his breeches- pocket. where
II would be found; it being the custom of
people finding dead bodies TO always ex-
anime the pockets, and the letters which
are found are always made public. While
composing this note, and debating in his
mind whether cruel" should be spelled
with one or two Us, a venerable old man
with white beard, such as are seen in
| Family Bibles which are sold only by SUBJ
scription, stood before him. Starting up,
Ali Hassan exclaimed:
WHO art thou?"
Thy good genius" said the presence.
My good genius Ha. ha! Lend me
half dollarw said Ali, becoming normal
| in an instant.
My son, good geniuses never lend hall
dollars. That isn't their mission-it isn't,
il may use the expression, their best
holt. They give freely, however, what is
more plenty than half dollars, advice. s
What wantest thou?" said Ali 5
$50 save you from making an ass OF
yourself" said the presence.
. Are you in that business extensively. -
said Ali, bitterly "Oh, venerable man, il
ship. You'll never run out of opportunities
to show your skill. But proceed. Go ON
with your show"
Twill Look into this glass; said the
good genius, holding up mirror six feet
by four, in a natural walnut frame, which
he dexterously drew from his right hind
coat pocket. What do yousee" 8rsif,
Il see mist y said Ali.
Look again" said the genius Si'l'
THE mist clears away. see gay
and festive scene. There is light and
| music, and fair women and brave men
and all goes merry as a marriage bell
There Is q preacher-I know him by his
black clothes and white neckercher, ant
the hungry look he ever and anon sling.
Through the door which opens into the
dining room where the refreshments are"
go on"
"A pair enter-it is-it is-take it away
1t sears my eye-balls and freezes my youn,
, bloodT and uttering Fenian war-cry tn,
unfortunate youth sank to the earth II