The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-09-05
Farmer Dennis's Story.
OR, THE pAsnA's MORAL SIEVE.

And, for the want of other topic, being
young
And overfull of bounding blood, they told.
Each to the othcrs, just 'vhat sort of maid
Would suit their fnncies for wife.
One would not wed unlcs the girl had wealth.
Another would have Beauty fill his arms
With ever ready dilliancc. The third aud
last,
Beardless and junior Of the other twan,-
Who seemed to carry, in each full, frank
eye,
A beating heart, -said Love was all he crav
cd;
For was not love both sewing maid and
queen
Of happy homes, content with serving whom
1t loves, and yet inspiring service from the
same.
The farmer Dennis owner of the fields.
And master Of the day, had heard it all;
And now arose among the three,
In oil the grizzly glory of patriarch.
He was walking book of tales to fit
All times and seasons, and hint would
touch
The copious tnp-spring Of his nppostcncss.
'Thc dial gives us yet ten minutes, boys"
lie said, "lf NIL agreed. III tell tale"
Were nll agreed they answered in a
And straight the tongue of Dennis started
of.
Wise Ozmun Eli, Pasha of Bagdad
Upon the hill sides had long herds of sheep:
And mnny camels trod the torrid san,is,
To bring him wealth of gold, and spice; and
slaves,
From far off coasts and all the midland
marts.
But these to him were common things of
life.
Not holding in their dusty claims his heart.
He had n daughter fairer than flower
The gift of Allah to his fayoritc house,
Who moved above these yapors like n star,
And hid his being with a ray of love.
As bulbuls come to oscourt the moon kissed
rose,
So came the Princes of adjacent lands
To. woo the rnsha's daughter. She, disturb
by SO much wooing, could not TX her
Is thoughts
IIpon choice; for lillo the passive rose
Whose petals are kept trembling ali the
while
By constant watt of wing succeeding wing,
So f1uttcred her Joung heart bcsct with
loves,
Yet homeless mid tho pleading multitude
Not much the wonder, then, that she should
droop,
And have recourse, quite oft, to sccrc,
tears:
Nor that old Ozmun Ali should look stern,
To sec SO many horses haltered at his gate,
And oil his ground Il court of sercnadcs
l'y night, and nothing coming of ii all.
4'Light of mine eycs!'' he ccicd "Why, day
by day,
Come all these Princes hither! In;cndcst
thou,
Q honey of my soul 10 wed them all?
And wherefore on thy checks, that shame
the rose,
So oft are seen the tell-tale marks of tears."
She answered, with rising gush of sobs:
20 sire, beloved Of my utmost soul
cannot make n choice among the crowd
OF soft eyed princes all protesting love
With equal tongues, and all 80 grand and
fair
:.By Allah then IN help thee, o my soul ~
Said Ozmun Ali. while n frown of snge,
Parental wisdom overcamc his face--
"Within my hall, tc>night, let all be met:
And let thy maid proclaim, so all may hear,
Thou shalt not wed that if thou disobcy,
Thou goest naked to thy husbands house,
Without robe, n jewel, or n sheep
Save only thou shalt.takc bcating lamb
10 be thy portion, to the law be filed =
Next morning, soon as Ger the risen sun
Had chased the early vopors from the hills,
The Pasha met his daughter walking our.
among the howcrs: yet wet and cool with
dew
.Hnil, spouse of the morning come 10 NEE
my Lord; the Sun! How fare the moon
struck youth?"
He asked, "How took they my decree %
''Father,
I And wise protector of my simple soul ~
She spake, and blushed, GAS thou comman-
ded me
II hath been done. While yet my maiden
spnke.
There was mutter, as Of distant winds,
Among my lovers; when looked again,
Behold one more than half the whole had
gonc;'
"Allah is great, my daughter" !" Ali said.
"Yct still there is q host, what sshall do,
My father, to decide among ithc rest 2"
This night, bind all thy locks in cloth of
~ tow"
Said Ozmun Ali. $50 that nil he hid.
And er it draw .he closc-clpped wig
got
In traffic with the shaven Frankish in!idel,
And Ger thine eyes, like evening stars an
range
One OF thine arms in bandago to thy neck
Tic deftly also limp upon crutch
into the court where ali thy lovers are;
Then let thy maid proclaim, so all may hear,
behold our mistress, SCARED with luckless
fire,
To-day, while triling with n Chinese tow
Then, stumbling in blind fright, full hath