The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-08-11
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE ORIGINAL "SHYLOCK.o
A sLAvONIC STORY. Il

sLAvoNIC STORY. Il
Translated rom the Scribe language by Louis
Ls{sr, and rom the French By Professor LIE
Gendre.
THE father of Omer upbraided him
every day for his idleness and his love to
run the streets Of Saraievo, playing on the
tambOurica. (2)
"You are young, my son." said he to
him; eve are Old, we cannot work. Who
will feed rs, if you do not?"
Omer paid 20 attention to his fathers
counsels, and refused to work. He was
known at SsraievO as the chisf Of all the
idle-s. To go from house to house, from
window to window-such was his Occu
patton. Everybody saw that Omer was
not yet ripe for marriage, and marriage
was forbidden to him, both on account of
his youth and his empty purse. Every
body was convinced that the devil was
in HIM TIE shame Of his conduct re-
fected upon his poor parents. The sor-
row which they experienced abridged
their lives; they died.
Oner remained the chief of cracked
and empty house with three orphans
For a long time he had been desiEous to
live IN freedom, without having TO incur
his fathers repro2ches, and 10 be able
felt bow hard it was 10 live without pa
rents, and how heavy was the house upon
his shoulders.
"Who will spin now, who viii weave,
who viii sweep the house? This Is seri-
GUS business"
hevlng thus reflected, Omer said to
himself:
by my tambourica, nothing remains
but tC marry"
And he hung his tambourica on his
shoulder and proceeded under the windows
OF the beautiful Meira- He arrived thore
at the hour when the Turks pray. a light
was burning, and voices were heard In the
chamber. Oner knocked at the window;
silence ensued. He sang; the light was
put out, No one paid attention to him
For three evenings Ii succession he
came under the window, and each time
returned home sad and Gesolate. Meira
had not even showed herself. He went
back fourth time:
"Here / viii sing again tonight, and
will come back no more under her WIN
dovs."
He tuned his tambourica, and with a
sad voice sang:
TambOurica- my past-time,
Bow, my sEeetlOy;
Long enough has thou fed my hunger
And quencned my thirst.
Tambourica, my past-tlme,
Bow, MI sweet Joy.
Al&sl Eve lost whole year
Singing under .eira's Window;
Mcira will not even look at me-"
At t1ose words, the light was ex-
tinguished, the window suddenly opened.
Omer was rnad with JOY, but Neira said
to him
81 think you have become crazy, Omer.
am astonished at your whiEns. What 90
you seek under my wirdows? All that ls
quite useless let me tell you"
Oner's Joy vanished away, and behold
hin now more 6esolate than ever.
Meila, seeing his great agitation, re-
sumed:
"My friend, ysu wish, perhaps, to
marry me. Is it SO, Omer ?"
Yes" he replied.
"Take care :" she continued; "that
cannot be. You have not 3 morsel Of
bread at home, snd you dream of mar
riagel l know what you are going to say ::
Birds OF q feather flock together Ny
parents are poor, it is true; but there il
no prettier girl than L IN Ssrsieve; L can
get q rich husband But listen, OmsT.
Neither gold nor silver can make one
happy; they do not satisfy the hearts
cravings. As for me, would prefer yOu
to all SaraievO but I love and respect
my parents. l will only marry one who
is willing to make them happy snd cspa-
ble 10 maintain thsm I'll death"
Omer having heard that reflected q
little
"Ah, if only knew how much would
be requiredp'
"Open a store" said Meira; " become
a trader | shall be satisfied if you can
only procure food and raimen! for my pa
rents and your orphans"
"Adieu, Meira," said Omer; com
prehend all, and if anything can result
from ali that, tomorrow We shall see each
other again"
Full of joy ard sadness, at the same
time, Omer left Meira.
"Ah !" said he to himself, IF / could
borrow money somewhere, who would be
happier than |. If cannot, who will be
more unheppy?"
That iGsa pursued him the whole night
in his dreams When he swoke he no
longer knew what ne was about, so joyful
was he. He had rec0llected that his great
est friend was very rich Jew.
"If that one don't lend me money no
body viii"
Thus thinking he went to Isaac Git was
the name Of the Jew. He found him at
home and made him an erpose of that
which he had at hesrt. The Jew expressed
his readiness to comply with the wishes OF
MS Gear friend Omer, and TO lend him
thirty purses.
''It will be my greatest JOY" said he, "to
see you married to the beautiful Meira.' Al
Then he asked him how long it would
take him 10 pay the money back.
"SeTen years." replied Omer.
"And if you can't pay me at the end
of seven years, what shall we do thenY'
Hcr hc nj
ing agreement to registered in presence
Of the JUdgs (CadD:
at Omer, in seven years, has not re
turned Isaac the thirty purses borrowed
let Isaac, in presence Of the tribunal, cu
off dTachm of Omer's tongue"
VINO was happier than young Omer
All that day he could think OF nothing
but his wedding What grand repas
be would give! What beautiful dresses
he would give to his beautiful Meira- IL
aword, he never inquired whether ht
could return his friends money; he only
thought of the best way to spend it.
At the end of month Mena wa
brought into rich Omer's dwelling. Tn,
feast lasted eight whole days. Everyone
asked whence came to Omer that fortune
which enabled him to display such mag
nifcence. Many supposed that he hat
not IOuU1 IL Wlthlu OHc BlOU(lc. lucIc II
an old proverb which says, "Labor i
better than money" And another stil
which says, 1T is not sufficient to sing il
villages"
Our Omer, after the wedding, felt NJ
uneasiness. He said to himself
al have still fifteen purses left. / shal
commence trade with that
Soon he filed store with salt, tobacco
pineapples, brooms, etc. Thus he trade
for four years. During that time no sin
gle care was visible upon his brow. Prot
ably he had forgotten both the borrowe
On This story is curious, because it shsws thi
the account OF Shakcspeare's "shylock" lie Yer
ancient.
C2) string instrument Of music.