The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-11-19


Arise, young Nazarene, arise and eat,
for tomorrow thou shalt die Eat, drink
and le5 thy soul be strengthened to bear
thy doom; for as surely As there is a God
and one prophet, which is Mohamet, 50
surely is the black wing Of Azrael out
stretched above thee
1T is WE'LL" was the unmoved reply +;
~ ara a consecrated Knight, and should
a Templar tremble? 4 Christian. and
he follower of Jesus, fear to die?"
My brother has spoken wisely, yet
i his wisdom but folly Truly hast thou
said-il Is well to die; for IS it not written
tha1 the faithful and the faithless must
alike 90 hence? But is it the same thing
for a warrior to fall amidst the futter of
banners, and the flourish Of trumpets-
which are to the strong man as the breath
Of his nostrils, or as the mild showers in
seed time to the thirsty plant-and to
perish by inches afar from his comrades,
surrounded by tribes TO whom the very
name Of his race is a bv-word and a
scorn ?"
"Now, by the blessed light Of Heaven!"
cried the indignant soldier, rather
shouldst thou say a terror, and a ruin;
for when have the dogs endured the way
ing Of our penons OF the clash Of our ar
NOR? But it skills not talking-leave me
priest; I abhor the creed, as | despise thy
loathsome impostor,"
''4Uoh Ac5ar," said the priest at length
''to God all things are possible. Would
the Christian live:'
"A man would live, and l am but a
man" returned the knight, yet praise
be to him where all praise is due, | have
never shrunk from death in the field, nor
can he fright, me on the scatfold; if my
Master has need Of His servant, He who
had power t0deliyer Israel out Of bondage
and Daniel from the jaws Of the lion,
surely He shall deliver my soul from the
power Of Il dog And if he has appointed
for me Il crown of martyrdom, it shall
never be said that Albert Of Nermandois
was deaf to the will Oft the God Of Battles,
and the lord Of hosts"
The wise man hath said, replied the
priest, in his slow musical notes in strange
contrast to the fiery zeal Of the prisoner,
'Ethe wise man hath said-better is the
cottage that standeth firm, than the tower
which tottereth to It's fall VIII, then,
my brother hear reason?-east away the
cross from thy breast-bind the turban
upon thy brow-and behold! thou shalt
be as a prince among our people.
peace. blasphemer Il spit at thee
I despise-I defy thee II, a worshiper
of the living Jehovah, shall | debase my
selfto thecamel driver of Mecca? Peace!
begonew lie turned bis face to the wall,
folded his arms upon his chest, and was
silent No entreaties, no threats Of tor
ment, no promises Of mercy could induce
him again to open his lips. After a
while the Imaum arose, quilted the cell
and the warrior was again alone. But
harder trial was before him; the prison
opened, and form entered-a flower en-
tered bowling its graceful head to the
breath of evening" gaZelle bounding
over tie mistaken herbage-a dove gil
ding on the wings OF the morningl In
truth she was lovely. Her ietty hair
braided above her transparent brow, and
floating in a veil of curls over her shoul-
ders-her large eyes swimming in liquid
languor, and, above all that charm,
"The mind, the music breathing
from her face
her form more sylph-like than the maids
Europe can boast yet, combined to make
up creature resembling rather an houri
Of Mahomet's paradise, than
'nno Of Farth's least lovely daughters"
For a moment the Templar gazed, as
if he doubted whether he was not looking
upon one Of those spirits which are said
to have assailed, and almost shaken, the
sanctity of many holy achori;e His
heart, for the first time in many years,
throbbed wildly-he bowed his head and
prayed fervently nor did he again raise
his eyes, till voice, as harmonious as the
breathing Of a Lutte, addressed him in the
lingua Franco. ''If the sight of his hand
maiden is offensive TO the eyes of the
she will depart as she came, in
sorrow.
The soldier lifted up his eyes and saw
her bending over him with so sad an ex-
preston Of tenderness, his heart melted
within him, and his answer was courteous
and even kind 81 thank thee, dear lady,
[ thank thee for thy good will, though it
can avail me nothing; but wherefore does
one so fair-it may well be so happy-as
thou art, visit the cell of "A condemned
captive
Saw not condemned Oh, say not
Thy servant is the belrer
of life, and freedom, and honor. She
saw thy manly form, she looked upon thy
undauntcd demeanor, and she loved thee
loved thee to distr3ction-would follow
thee to the end OF the earth-would die
to save thee-has already saved thee, if
thou wilt be saved ! Rank, honor, life
and love
Lady, listen For ten long years
have not lent my ear to the witchery of
voice Ten years ago [ was the
hetrothed lover Of a maid and had well
nigh said, as fair Is thou art She
died, and left me desoIate | have fled
from my native land | have deY oted to
my God the feelings which | once cher
ished tondiy for your fair sex. ] could
not give the love in return for thy love-
nor could | stoop to feign that which I
felt not. although it were to win, not tenn
poral, but eternal life :"
ooh dismiss me not" she sobbed, as
she threw her white arms around his neck
and painted on his bosom. Oh, dismiss
me not thus! | ask no vows; | ask no
love. But be mine; let my country be
your country, my God your God, and
you are safe and free. !" Slowly she turn
ed away, wailing as if her heart would
burst-the last being who would show
sign of pity for his woes, or Of admiration
for his merits went forth never again to
return. All night the heartfelt prayer
Of the Crusader assembled to the throne of
his Master, and often petition for his
lovely deIuded visitor Morning came
at last, and the rude tribes of the reno
test regions, Arab and Turkoman,
ON steeds Of matchless symetry,
their dark baracans with the
brilliant arms and gorgeous garb af the
Soldan's Court, were marshalled across
the valley ia front of the Crusaders dun