The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-10-09

| As won't in those bloody wars, the poor
/ prisoner was Immediately carried by an esA
| cort into the presence Of the caliph, who
| put the alternative in his power, of either,
on the instant, renouncing his religion, or
| submitting to the axe of the headsman.
| Demetrus told his tale with noble simplic-
Ity; and his youth, his open countenance.
ana stately bearing. 50 far gained on the
| heart OF Abdbcker, that, on his refusal to
embrace Mahome;mii~nl. he begged of him
| seriously to consider of his situation, and
ordered deIiy of the sentence. which he
must otherwise pronounce until the NOR
row.
| Iieart-bruken and miserable. Demetrius
| waS loaded with chains, and carried to a
| gloomy place of confinement In the soli-
tnde OF the night-hours he cursed the hour
| of his birth-bewailed his miserable situa-
| tion--and feeling that all his schemes of
Happiness were thwarted, almost rejoiced
that he had only IA few hours TO live.
The heavy hours Jagged on toward day
break, and quite exhausted by the intense
agony of his feelings, he sank down upon
the ground in profound sleep, from which
band, with crescented turbans and crooked
sword blades, awoke him. Still perSisting
to reject the prophets faith, he was led
forth to die; bat in passing through the
camp, the Soubachis of the caliph stopped
the band, as he had been commanded, and
Dsmetrius was ushered into the tent. where
Abubeker, not yet arisen, lay stretched on
his sofa
For while the captive remained resolute,
preferring death to the disgrace of turning
a renegade; but the willy caliph, who had
taken deep and sudden interest in the for
tunes of the youth, knew well the spring by
the touch of which his heart was most likely
TO be affected. lie pointed out to Demetrius
prospects of prelerment and grandeur,
while he assured him that, in a few days,
Damascus must TO a certain surrender, in
which case his mistress must fall into the
power of fierce soldiery, and be left to
fate full of dishonor, and worse than death
. itself, but, if he assumed the turban, he
pledged his royal word, that especial care
should be taken that no harm should alght
on her he loved.
Demetrius paused, and Abnbeker saw
that the heart of his captive was touched
| He drew pictures of power, and afiluence.
and domestic love that dazzled the imagina-
! ton of his hearer and while the prisoner
thought of his Isabelle, instead of rejecting
the impious proposal, as at first he had done,
| with disdain and horror, his soul bent like
iron in the breath of the furnace fame
and he wavered and became irre-olute
The keen eye of the caliph saw the working
of his spirit within him, and allowed him
yet another day to form his resolution
When the second day was expired, Deme-
trius craved third; and on the fourth
morning. miserable man, he abnred the
Iath of his fathers, and became Mussul-
man.
Ababeker loved the youth, assigning him
post of dignity, and all the mighty host
honored him whom the caliph delighted to
honor. He was clad in rich attire, and
magnifcently attended; and, to all eyes,
Demetrius seemed IA person worthy of envy;
yet, in the calm of thought, his conscience
upbraided him, and be was far less happy
than he seemed to be.
Ere yet the glow of novelty had entirely
renegade, preparations were made for the
assault and, after a fierce but Intellectual
resistance, under their gallant leaders
Thomas and Herbs. the Damascenes were
obliged to submit to their imperious con-
queror, on condition of being allowed,
within three days, to leave the city unmo-
lested
When the gates were opened, Demetrius,
with a heart overfowing with love and de-
light. was among the first to enter. He in
ouired of every one he met of the fate of Isa-
belle; bat all turned from him with dis
gust. At length he found her out. but
what was his grief and surprise-in a nun
nervl Firm to the troth she had so solemn
lv plighted, she had rejected the proposition
of her merccnary parent; and, having no
idea bat that her lover had shared the fate
of all Christian captve>, she had shut her
self up from the world, and vowed to live
the life of a yestal.
The surprise, the anguish, the horror of
Isabelle, when she beheld Demetrius in his
Moslem habiliments. cannot be described.
Her first impulse, on finding him yet alive,
was to have fallen into his arms but. in
SANITY collecting herself, she shrunk back
from him with loathing, as mean and
paltry bastard.
sNo. no." she cried, ''yOu are no longer
the man loved our vows OF fidelity were
pledged over the Bible; that book you have
renounced as a fable; and he who has
proved himself false to Heaven, can never
be true to mel''
Demetr Is was conscience struck; too
late he felt his crime, and foresaw its conse-
quences. The very object for whom he had
dared to make the tremendous sacrifice, had
deserted him, and his own soul told him
with how much justice; so, without utter
ing syllable. he turned away, heart-broken,
from the holy and beautiful being whose
affections he had forfeited forever.
When the patriots left Damascus, Isabelle
accompanied them. Retiring TO Antioch,
Il