Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-12-24

~N--N~'NtSAS y
perpetrate crime which may diminish
your overweening pride of conscious vir-
tue. Do not interrupt me, or shall kill
you upon the spot; but listen. I give
you your choice of three of the most hei-
nous crimes which I can imagine You
shall either violate the law Of the proph-
ct, and drink your fill of good wine; or
you shall murder your father, or you
shall curse the name Of the Deity whom
you worship.A Choose between these three
Grimes
Then Hamet was very sorrowful; he
endeavored to melt the heart of the evil
genii but all his prayers and cntreaiies
were unavailing. He accordingly began
to reason within himself
If, said he. / assassinate my father,
no contrltion can wipe away my crime :;
and, moreover, the law will overcome me
with its vengeance. If curse the name
of the great Allah, I may sigh in vain for
future happiness in the gardens of para
disc. But if [ become inebriated with
the juice of the grape, I can expiate that
fault by severe modification. penitence,
and renewed prayer !"
Then turning his countenance upward
toward the genii he said, 20 fountain of
all evil | have made my choice, since
thou art determined upon this injury"
''Name the object of thy choice y said
the genii.
II will get drunk with wine, as the
least of the crimes which you propose, .
answered the deryise.
BE it So cried the genii; this even
ing, after the hour of prayer, thou wilt
find jar of Cyprus wine upon thy table.
when thy father has retired to rest in his
own cell. Thou mayest fulfill thy prom
Use then but woe unto thee if thou de-
ceivest me!'
The geuii gradually became less palpa-
BILE as he spoke those words; and, by the
time the concluding menace Issued from his
lips, he had vanished altogether. Hamet
retraced his steps toward the grotto, with
a sorrowful heart but he would not con-
fide his anticipated disgrace to the affec-
tionate parent who welcomed his return
The day passed rapidly away; and in
the evening Hamet and his sire knelt
down as usual at the door of the grotto,
with their faces towards the south, to raise
their voices in prayer. When their YES
pers were concluded, the old man embra-
ced his son tenderly. and retired to the in
ner part of the grotto.
AS soon as Hamet knew that his father
slept. he lighted a lamp, and, as the genii
had told him, he saw large measure of
wine standing upon the table The I'M
happy dervise raised it to his lips, and
drank deeply of the intoxicating draught.
A glow of fire seemed to electrify his frame,
and he lauged as he set the vessel down
upon the table Again he drank, and
felt reckless and careless of the conse-
quences He drank third time; and,
when he had emptied the measure he
ran out to the door, and threw it down
the slope of the mountain; then, as he
heard it bounding along, he laughed with
an lndeseribable mirth And as he turn
ed to enter the grotto. he saw his father
standing behind him,
Son, said the old man. 'the noise of
revelry awoke me from my slumbers, and
| rise to find my we'll beloved Hamet
drunk with wine Alas! Is this mere
ly one of many nights orgies and have I
now awakened to the dread truth of thine
impiety for the first time? Alas. thou
hast cast ashes upon the gray head of thy
father!'
'Hamet could not brook this accusation,
as it implied suspicion that he was accus-
toned to indulge in wine whilst his father
slept. He felt suddenly indignant at the
language of his sire, and erred: Return
to thy couch. old dotard Thou knowest
not what thou sayest
AL nc bo ,,t4orod 4boco ,,ord bo -,L
ed his father violently into the grotto.-
The old man resisted, aud again remon-
strated with Hamet The brain Of the son
was confused with liquor, and sudden
dread of exposure to the world entered his
mind. With the rage of a demon he
rushed upon his hoary headed sire, and
dashed him furiously against the stone
walls of the grotto. The old man fell
with his temple against sharp fint-one
groan emanated from his bosom-and his
spirit fed forever
Suddenly conscious of the horrid crime
of which he had been guilty, Hamlet tore
his hair, beat his breast, and raved like a
maniac And, in the midst of his rawlings,
he lifted mp his voice against the majesty
of heaven, and cursed the Deity whom
he had SO long and fervently worshipped!
At that instant terrible din echoed
round about-the thunder rolled -the tall
trees shook with an earthquako-and.