The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-04-19
CHRISTMAS IN THE DESERT
PART i.

II seemed all too good to be true: the rest from
labor, the swift fight across southern seas. the
Landing amid strange, dark faces on a FURNISHED
shore, the slow. delicious journey through tam
srisk groves and palm forests, and halt In the
Desert that came at last.
| had heen doing for the last twelve months
what young ARTISTS and authors constantly do
ing to their own ruin and the Unsuitable ill-humor
of critics, namely working against the grain. A
sweet generous and beautiful patroness. seeing
me on the high road 10 brain fever or hopeless
mediocrity stepped forward in time and sent me
10 The Desert. II ever ! achieve anything excel
lent, it will be owing TO that lady, the Vittoria
Colonna Of her humble Michael Angelo. My
little sister Mary came with me, and when | tell
you that she was teacher in a school, you will
easily understand what an intoxicating thing it
VAS for her TO see new world every day, and
have nothing 10 do from morning till night. The
poor child could hardly believe in an existence
without Czerny's scales being played on three or
four pianos at once, and barrel organ and brass
band in the street. 90 Tom," she would say 10
me dozen times day, ave got G scale and
Wait for the wagon on my brain, and can't get
rid Of them" so that verify believe TO my beau
tiful Vttoria Colonna Mary's present well-being
is due as much as my own.
We halted al little military station on the bor-
ders Of the Great Sahara, about week before
Christmas day. The weather was perfect, and
not TOO warm. delicious mellow atmosp here
enveloped palm, and plain and mosque (; the
air, blown across thousands ana thousands of
acres of wild thyme and rosemary. refreshed
us Ike wine we seemed TO have new souls and
bodies given u.s. and were as free from care as
tie swallows flying overhead. Travellers never
came to Teschoun, as this little oasis Is called
but we had placed ourselves under the Gull
dance Of an enterprising Frenchman, who trans.
acted all sorts Of business on the road between
Mascara and Fig gig, the last French post in the
Desert His name was Dominique, aud | shall
always look upon him as the most remarkable
man ever knew. He was as witty as Sidney
Smith, as clever at expediences as Robinson Cru
Soc as shrew politician as Machiavelli, as apt at
languages as Mezzofanti, and as brave as Carl
baldi. Being bachelor, Dominique was none
the less ready to receive US, and with the help Of
. an old CoTsican named Napoleon, made us very
comfortable. When Dominique was carrying his
imperial majesty's mails to some remote station
southwark, or gone to an Arab fair to buy cattle,
Napoleon catered for and cooked for US, and
did both admirably. Both master and servant
spiced their dishes plentifny with that mother
wit, never seen in such perfection as in crude
colonies where people without it would fare
30 i'll.
What are we to do for society for poor made.
moiselle?" asked Dominique, he served our
first oiDner. Monsieur can amuse himself with
the officers of the garrison, out there are no la
dies here"
when my brother is out | shall stay at home
and talk TO Napoleon" Mary said with a mock
assumption of dignity; =" don't want TO be
amused, Monsieur Dominique"
u
garrison will all fall in love with you, and that
ought to smuse you better than talking to Nspo.
leon, )" Dominique answered. " It's very dull
life they lead here, these poor officers, and il il
weren't for hunting gazelles and hyenas, and play
ing the deuce with the Arabs, they'd die of ennuI;
bat a pretty young lady like you will turn their
heads soon enough"
Mary blushed, and tried to change the CONVEX
sation.
What DO they do with themselves all day
long?" she asked.
IN tell you that quickly enough, mademoiseIe.
Nj. ie CommAndaht has to see that the Cadi gets
what he osn out OF the Cheiks, and the Chess get
what they out Of the tribes and tsat the tribes
hold their tongue. That is what the commandant
has to do. young lady, and he does it pretty well.
N. lie Capitaine has an easier time of it, except
when there is an lnsurrectlOn, and then he makes
raid against the Arabs, and after keeping his men
out Of their way very clevery sticks up the French
flag somewhere in the Desert, and comes home. NJ.
lie Lieutenant does odd jobs for the commandant
and the cspitsine, and plays the flute but we have
got N. lie General down here for few days and he
is setting every body to work | dare say the end
Of it will be an expedition into the Desert. You
may look, monsieur, I'm not talking at random
assure You generals love war as umbrella-makers
love bad weather, and il is easier to make people
fight, than il is to make IL rain"
Il think French officers must be a wicked set !;
l hope none of them will come near US" Mary
sad. 1.-The poor Arabs, how my heart bleeds for
them!n
ITEMS Mademoiselle, there is no reason for
your heart to bleed. Big flies live on little ones
all the world over, and if the French eat up the
Arabs, the Arabs eatup each other, and would be
starved else; the officers are very nice, harmless
gentlemen, assure you; and as 10 the comman.
dsnt, though be thinks fighting the best fun in the
world, he wouldn't hurt fly. To see him pet his
little gazelle would make you cry. She's the
only lady 10 the place, and believe if she died it
would break his heart. But people must have
something TO be fond of. My old Napoleon yon-
der has taken fancy to cat, and when the cat
dies, Napoleon will be as lost as bis namesake the
emperor was at ST. Helena. Listen moment.
that's the lieutenant prsctcing on his flute; he
has little lodging next DOOR"
The lieutenant played very prettily, and Mary
seemed to like his playing much better than Domi.
nque's stories. AS her room adjOined the lieuten-
ants she seems likely 10 have the full benefit of
his musical capacities; but do not think she lay
awake to be serenaded that night We we're fairly
intoxicated with the sweet air of the desert we had
been breathing. all day, and went to bed at eight
o'clock, too tired and happy TO dream.
Next morning Dominique informed US that he
had himself delivered letter of introduction TO
NJ. lie CommsDdant, who promised to wait upon US
in the course Of the day. Not knowing at what
hour we might expect him, we set TO work imms-
dstely after breakfast 10 prepare my room for
the reception Of so distinguished a visitor.
helped Mary az well as | was able, and when
nothing remained to do but the busting, retired
into a recess 10 trim my beard.
An Englishwoman is never so well dressed as
when che energies from her bedroom at early
morning; and | must say that Mary looked the
dantiest little housewife possible to conceive as
she went about busting and polishing IN a pink
cambria dress and tiny black apron. But neat as
she was, ADD neat as nay beard and the room we're
in a fair way of becoming, we we're overwhelmed
with surprise and confusion at what followed, for
quite suddenly the door was thrown open, there
was a military tramp and a rafting Of a sword
autside, and Dominique exclaimed in a voice Of
thunder, IN lie Commandant."
Impossible self-possession is beautiful quality,
and whilst Mary and stood blushing and aghast,
Ike school children caught at stealing cherries,
d. 10 Commsndant had made a courteous speech,
welcoming us 10 TeschOun. Then we sll sat
down, and NJ. lie Commandment talked to US. He
sunburnt soldierly man about ifty-fve,
with a rough manner but a kind smile, and we
felt at home with him in a moment.
Z" presume that monsieur wishes to see "a much
of the country as possible" be said, "and shall
be enchanted TO place at monseurs disposal
horses and my servant and spahis as guides.
But what will mademoiselle do whilst her brother
is awsyl / must send her my little gazele to
play with her,"
My sister will like to 60 with me where it is
practicable, )" said.
The commandment onanad hia avea and Iookad