Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-18
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE ORIGINAL "SHYLOCK."
A sLAvosIc STORY. ~

A sLAvoSIC STORY. ~
Translstcd from the Scribe Language BY Louis
Ieger, and from the French by Professor 10
GcndIe.
THE father Of Omcr upbraided him
every day for his idjoDess and his love to
run the streets Of baraievo, playing on the
tambourica. l2)
"You are young, my son." said he to
him; 1--WE are old, VIC cam not work. Who
will feed us, IL you do noty"
Omer paid no attention to his fathers
counsels, and refused TO work. He was
known at Saraievo as the chief OF all the
idlcrs. To 60 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. The shame OF his conduct re-
fected upon his poor parents. The cor.
row which they experienced abridged
their lives; they died.
Omer remained the chief Of q cracked
and empty house with three orphans
For q long time he had been DESTROYS to
live in freedom, without having TO incur
his fathers reproaches, and to be able
to satisfy al his caprices; but he soon
felt how hard II was to live without pa.
rents, and how heavy was the house upon
his shoulders.
"Who will spin now, who will weave,
who will sweep the house9 This Is seri'
GUS business"
Heving thus reflected, Omer said to
himself
by my tambourica, nothing remains
but to marry"
And he hung his tambourica on his
shoulder and proceeded under the windows
of the beautiful Meira. He arrived there
at the hour when the Turks pray. A light
was burning, and voices were heard In the
chamber. Omer knocked at the window;
silence ensned. He sang; the light was
put out, No ono paid attention to him.
For three evenings in succession no
came under the window, and each time
returned home sad and desolate. Mcira
had not even showed herself. He went
back fourth time:
"Here will sing sgain tonight, and
will come back no more under her win.
dows."
He tuned his tambourica, and with q
sad voice sang:
"Tambonrica my past-timc,
i@vs @ eSauws n: thou fed my hunger
And quenched my thirst
T Tam, Dur ssa my pas
Alas I've lost whole year
Singing gnaer Meiras Windows;
Meira will not even look at me-"
Al those words, the light was ex-
tinruished. the window suddenly opened.
Omer was mad with Joy, but Meirs said
TO him: uo ,,..
I am sstonished at your whims. What 90
Won seek under my windowsf AL that 10
quito useless let me tell you"
0mer's Joy vanished awsy, and behold
him now more desolste than eyer..
Meira, seeing his great agisat'on' re-
Any friend. you wish, perhaps, to
marry me. Is II so, Omer!"
EYES," he replied.
"Take care;" she continued; that
cannot be. You have not norsel OF
bread at home, and you dream OF mar.
riagel know what you are going 10 say
Birds Of feather flock together MY
parents are poor, II is true; but there Is
no prettier girl than ! In Saraievo; | can
get rich husband. But listen, Omcr.
Neither gold nor silver can make one
happy tney 10 AOs 1""oiy s"o .sssAS
crayings. As for me, would prefer you
to all 6araievo; but ] love ana respect
NV parents. will only marry one who
iswiilinp to make them happy and capa.
bio TO maintain them till death"
Omer having heard that reflected
little. ).
"Ah, il 7 only knew how much would
be reQuiredp
"Open q store" said Mcira; "become
trader. shall DO satisfied II you can
only procure food and raiment for my pa
rents and your orphans"
"Adieu, Meira," said Omer; " com
prshend Gil, and Il anything can result
from Ill that. tomorrow we ahall zee each
other again"
Full Of Joy and sadness, ct the same
time, Omer left Meira. 8,
NAhi" said he to himself. "if couli
borrow money someWh here, who would bt
happier than I. II cannot, who will b.
moro unhapp~ :"
That idea prs ued him the whole nigh
In his dreams. When he awoke he NJ
longer knew what he was about, so joyfu
VA he. He had recollected that his great
est friend was 3 very rich Jew.
!" If that one don't lend me money no
Thus thinking he went 10 Isaac lit Wa,
the name of the Jew. He found him q
home and made him an erposs Of thai
which he had at heart The Jew expressed
HIS readiness to comply with the wishes Of
his dear friend Omer, and to lend him
III VIII be my greatest joy,r said be, "to
see Won married 10 the beautiful Meira. :
Then he asked him how long It would