The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-07-08

THE MAGIC MIRROR.
BY JOHN THOMAS.

Ali Hassan was a gay young Persian of
twenty -one. Life was all before him eX-
cept the tWenty-one years he had skipped
light-footed over (Which were necessarily
behind him), and matters and things had,
in his eyes, II roseate hue. just of age, he
had cast his first vote for President, and
had consequently had an idea that the fate
of the Republic rested on his shoulders :;
handsome, he tancied all the blooming
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 ex-
istence at that precise age when young
men pay particular attention to tooth
brushes, not on account of cleanliness
(Which is truly next door neighbor to god
illness and on the same side of the street,
but for the looks Of the thing; at the pre-
else age when they part their hair behind
and wear number seven boots, when num-
Der tens would be more comfortable.
Ali Hassan was of course in love-who
ever saw n young man of twenty zone who
wasnt3 No one, the author hereof ven
lures to assert. He loved wildly and in
comprehensibly-with love that passed
all understanding particularly of her
ldJncT, WHO oppoScu inc HdJcH.
Zobeide, the young damsel of whom Ali
Hassan was enamored, was generally believ-
ed to be the most beautiful female in Per-
STA, which was saying great deal for her,
Her eyes were like stays, 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 particulars? Suf.
flee it to say she was well proportional
girl, and her father had farm of 100
acres, half under Improvement and the 9th
er half well timbered.
Ali and Zobeide were engaged. He had
beaued her to evening meetings and dec
lures, he had taken her sleigh riding two
winters, and, finally, after vigorous siege,
she had capitulated. The old mans con
sent was reluctantly gained, and the hap
Ply day which was to unite them into one
twain, was fixed.
Ali Hassan was happy youth He re-
veled in dreams of bliss continually
When he retired at night his last thought
was of Zobeide--in the still watches of the
night his younger brother, Eben Hassan,
who shared his couch, was frequently
obliged to ''hist him out" as he expressed
it, because he broke him of his slumbers
by calling out in his sleep the name OF
Zobeiden (Gben offering in justification,
that because he was shortly to be married
he had no call to make cussed fool of
himself; and his first thought as he pulled
on his pants in the morning was of Zobei-
de.
While reyeling in this dream of bliss, he
was somewhat astonished, being but
twenty one, and not knowing much about
female human nature, at receiving a note
through the post Office from her He look
ed upon the missive with strange forebod-
ing. Why should she use up paper and
envelopes and squander postage stamps
when she could see him personally
at any time His worst anticipations
were realized He read it, and with
heart rending shrek he fell faint
ing to the floor. The perfidious wo
man stated therein that her feelings had
undergone change-tbat while she should
always respect him as friend and brother
1.-TWO characters young men of twenty ont
are never partial to filling) he could never
be nothing else OF more to her no how, al
of which was signed "Zobeide." And, a
to finish him, that afternoon he received al
invitation to her wedding, which was tt
take place the next night, the happy mar
being new store keeper who had JUS
commenced business in the next village.
Of course life seemed to Ali Hassan ,
hollow mockery. The sun was obscuret