Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-03-27
AN AUATOLIAN sPECTRE.STORY.
From the cOrnhill Maeauino.l

| From the Cornhill Magazine.
It was in the Mohammedan or lunar
month of sha aban which that year cor
responded pretty nearly with our De
cember, and which, as preceding the
thirty days yearly fast of Ramadhan, is
in some measure festive time for the
followers of the Prophet, sort Of Car.
nivsl before their severe Lent. Osman
Kaleeb-ZGdeh, to give him his name in
fall, he'd sat mp one night till rather late
in one of the coffee houses-here the
ordinary social resorts=-of the quarter,
amusing himself after the fashion of the
country, by playing back CANNON with
friend of his own age and position and
chatting on the ordinary topics of the
time. When the colfee-house had to be
closed, little before midnight, they
were the last to loaye it; and before part
ing for the night, they agreed to meet
early by the first dawn at the public
bath close by, and afterwards to 90 to.
gether into town upon some business
which they had arranged in common.
They then separated. 4
Os1ian went home and to bed, intend
ing to be Gp before daybreak and join
his friend at the bath. But in the mid
die of his sleep he was sG9denly awak-
ened by sharp knocking at the door.
Getting up quickly and opening it to see
what was tLa matter, he beheld standing
outside what he sGpposed to be his com
papion of the evening hefors, with a
lantern in his hand The night was
still, warm and overcast with low,
misty clouds, IS pights often are here
during the winter salstice, cold and
storm rarely setting ip before mid Janu-
arv What has brought yog here so
earlv?" he asked. "It is not yet Eear
morning" How so2" replied the
other; the dawn has already broken,
only It's cloudy and dark. IT we do not
make haste we shall find the bath COW
cred with people, and have ever so long
to wait for our turn. Besides, the sooner
the better; get E0pr things on and
come" Hearing all thiS, Qsman sup
posed that he must have OVERSIGHT pm
self, and was really behind time. 30 ne
slipped quietly back into the house,
dressed bimself, and came out. His
friend was still waiting for him, lantern
III manu. NJ Tue o~slF.
No one else was up aud stirring as
they passed along the narrow isRes, now
SoRbly dark with overshadowing tTses,
taking familiarly as they went, till they
came out on the little open space close
By the cohee-house where Osman had
, >ent the evening. where stands a noble
Ia 1etree, and opposite. beyond, is the
ow lark entrance Of the bath they we're
-oing 20. But OH one side the view
mems ou.s aen0Es the Xenos ravine to the |
,sttIementsd walls Of the castle oppo-
ite; and beS'ond these again rises high |
n The air the tall stone minaret or
nosoue. once a byzantine church, and |
low the principal place Of Aohapmed-
IN worship within the limits OF the old
ortifed town.
Here they stopped to breathe the fresh
.ir a moment after the close, sitting
anes. 1t was murky hight. Osman
ooked east, but there was 10 hint Of
avn there, only the tapering Ouuine OF /
he minaret was traced family white 1
.Cainst the blackness Of the sky. How
an of il looks ia the dusk. aud how
irhr" he exclaimed Not so very far /
n. nor so very high neither" said the
tber in a strange, altered VOICE, hat /
made his companion start. Suppose I
re iust light up-shal II And without /
rafting for an answer. be stretched ouf |
be- arm. which suddenly heightened right /
cross the valley before them, the city /
rails and the houses beyond, ull III