Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-05-04
An Oriental Legend.

Emancipated from the body of Sy-
rian, who. had just died OF cholera, a
human soul flew up to heaven. Knock
irg gently on the golden portals, which
swung round on their ivory pillars on
the instant, It gently asked for admit
tance. elef dauJ3i 11f1 rrfdl4ar. .sl89x8.
Where do you come from2 demanded
the angel with the beautiful but impas-
sive countenance, who guarded with q
flaming sword the entrance to Paradise.
From Aleppo, answered the Syrian.
What were you2
A merchant.
Tell all, and conceal nothing, contin-
ued the angel, for all is known up here.
I II all its actions were known, thought
the poor soul, It was an extraordinary
thing 20 ask it 10 recount them. Bnt it
did not dare to express it's surprise, or
endeavor to dive into the inscrutable.
With great equanimity and scrupulous
exactness the soul Of the Syrian went
through the history OF its career in the
flesh.
The merchant, Abdalla, had purchased
as cheaply and sold as dearly as he could,
troubling himself very little on the one
side or the other with the follies or ne
cessities of mankind. The world was a
vast bazaar, in which buyers and sellers
alike did their best for their respective
interests, which were, to get the better
of each other. He had visited most of the
ports Of the Mediterranean in pursuit of
his business; he had been up and down
the wondrous Nile; he had wandered
among the stupendous ruins OF Thebes,
and ascended the mightiest Of the Egyp-
tian pyramids. He had sailed to the
Persiar, gulf, and down the Red sea, and
across the Indian ocean. He had been
TO the diamond valleys of India, and to
the far-off regions of North Asia, where
ate mountains teemed with gold. If his
means and power to do good were not
os great, his thoughts we're as generously
inclined as Haroun Alraschids; and if
he had not gone through as many, ad.
ventures. he travelled over as much of
land and sea as ginhad the sailor.
And is that full and true account Of
your doings upon eartb2 inquired the
angel.
A full and true account, to the best OF
nv belief and recollection, Of all that is
worth relating. az lp!!il1e -
But you have not said word about
YOUR domestic deeds and relations. We're
YOU ever married2
All | once passed that Rubicon. GER
tainly, with a sigh, said the soul of the
merchant.
Pass in, afflicted soul, said the angel,
and ioin the noble array of martyrs and
cenfessors iitatti tllV as
And the soul of the Syrian passed in,
singing joyful canticle Of THANKSGIVING,
not improbably like Tom Moore's lay OF
the enraptured Peri, who had been kept
so long waiting in the same neighbor-
hood: ~
lH "Joy. 10y forever! My task is done!
The gates are past and heaven is won't
The gates were about to be closed by
the angel when another soul having ar
rived during the latter part Of the fore
going conversation, requested TO be al
lowed to pass through. =
The angel subjected the new conner,
which was male soul also, TO the usual
examination, concluding with the same
question as in the former case, whether
K had been married or single. This
foolish soul thought that il the one
which had beeH just passed "a, and
whose confession it overheard, was
deemed worthy of being admitted into
the regions of bliss for having married
one woman, he might justly claim ad-
mittance for having married two. He
said so. therefore, without hesitation,
confident of being deemed q double
martyr, and rewarded accordingly. The
angel, however, on hearing the words
twice married uttered, cried out in a
voice of mingled anger and contempt;
Begoae. silly soull Paradise receives
the unfortsnaGs, but has no place for