The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-07-21
THE MAGIC MIRROR,
BY JOHN THOMAS.

Ali Hassan was a gay young Persian
OF twenty-one. Life was ell before him,
except the twenty>one years be had skip~
ped llght"footed over (Which were neces>
sarily behind him), and matters and things
had, IN his eyes, roseate hue. Just of
| age, he had cast his first vote for President,
and had consequently an idea that the
fate of the Republic rested on his shoul-
ders; handsome, he fancied all the blooms
ing maidens 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 young men pay particular attention
TO tooth brushes, moi on account of ceanli-
ness (Which is truly next door neigbbor to
godllness and on the same side of the
street, bat for the looks of the thing, at
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 a young man of twenty
one who wasn't ?? No one, the author
hereof ventures to assert He loved
wildly and mprehensibly-witha a love
that passed all understanding-part
ly of her father, who opposed the match.
Zobeide, the young damsel of whom
Ali Hassan was enamored, was generally
believed to be the most beautiful female
in Persia, which was saying a great deal
for her. Her eyes were like a stag's, 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 par>
ticulars ? Suffice it to say she was well
proportioned girl and her father had a
farm Of 16O acres, half under improve
ment and the other half well timbered.
Ali and Zobeide were engaged. He
had beaued her to evening meetings and
lectures, he had taken her sleigh riding two
winters, and finally, after a vigorous siege,
she had capitulated. The old mans con-
sent was reluctantly gained, and the hap-
py day which was to unite them into Que
twain, was fixed.
Ali Hassan was a happy youth. He
reveled in dreams of bliss continually
When he retired at night his last thought
was of Zobeide-ih the still watches of
the night bis younger brother, Eban Has
san, who shared his couch, was frequent
ly obliged to "hist him out,'' as he ex-
pressed it, because he broke him of his
slumbers by calling out. in his sleep the
name of ''Zobeide !" (Eben offering in
justification, that because he was shortly
to be 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,
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 note
through the postoffice from her. He
looked upon the missive with strange
foreboding. Why should she use up
paper and envelopes and squander postage
stamps, when she could see him person
ally at any time His worst anticipations
were realized He read it, and with a
heart-rending shrek he fell fainting to the
floor. The perfidous woman stated there.
in that her feelings had undergone a
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 no how, all of
which was signed "Zobeide." And, as
to finish him, that afternoon he received
an invitation to her wedding, which was
| to take place the next night, the happy