The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-10-02
YUSFF AND lara.


Many veterans of the war will sympa'hze
/, with the hero of the following romance, from
} THE Morals of Abou Ben Adhem:"
Yusef was stralning her to his manly DO
som, and was figuring In his mind whether
he hadn't better swear again that they nigh
again tall into each others arms when ht
was aroused from his dreams by touch up
on the shoulder. He turned ficrcely upon
the intruder, and Immediately turned back
not so fiercely. twas an officer, shoulder
strapped hireling in military clothes, who
had paper in his hands.
art Yuset ThaberT'' ... ..
II am" proudly said the youth; at which
lara, who had come to the conclusion that
she had been fainting long enough, awoke
with sigh.
II have been searching for you, my buck,
high and low" said he. you're drafted, and
must go where glory awaits yonr'
"Wretch!" retOrted Iusef, "thoa liest!
The quota of our ward was made up week
ago"
"Ha haw sneered the hirelng, mot so
fast. In truth, you thought so, AMI faith, so
did /; but we want more men, and the caliph
revised the figures for dozen OF the wards,
this among the others. The draft was drawn
this morning, and you were hit"
why this haste, said Yusef "Canst not
wait till thou hast the evening papers? Per-
chance he will figure again and let us out"
at won't do" sand the officer; 1--WE can't
wait. We must have men. Come"
But am physically unfit. am
II know what you were going to say.
You are ruptured have cough, have vari,
cose viens, and are near.sighted, etc II
won't do. We have reduced the causes of
exemption to barely one
"And that is"
Death before draft"
as there no escape?'
mary. There isn't time to get substitutes,
and if there WAS
II haven't got the stamps, you would say,
but delicacy prevents you. True, too true!'
Herc!" shrieked cara, tearing the massive
jewelry from her ears, anu fingers, and arms
and bosom; take these glittering gauds,
and give me back my Yusef!'
The officer looked at them, and returned
them with a pcrceptible sheer on his finely
chseled features, with the significant remark,
dollar store!"
All hope was gone!
AT least said cara, "let's do the regular
thing"
"Yusefn'
CARA"
tually assuring each other that, through veal
or: woe, they would be true TO each other
forever and forever.
In the course of four minutes iusef Tina
Der was on his way to JOIN his regiment
leaving lara fainting on the sward
Did she remain true to him We shall
see.
One year elapsed A gallant soldier was
standing at the door of On humble cottage.
Twas Yusef He had returned unscathed
'by bullet, bayOnet, or she'll He had been
IN the commissary department, and had snuff.
ed the battle afar of
Mother" Kissed he; "tcll me- Zara-"
cara was married precisely II months
ago, my son, to one Of the first gentlemen of
Carlo, who made big thing out of an army
contract
married !" Missed he, through his cllnched
teeth; and smiling himself on the forehead,
"Msrriedw
certainly, my son." replied the mother,
wringing out a shirt, calmly, "about a month
after YOU were drafted"
Tell me, did her paternal parent on her
fathers side compel her thus TO sacrifice her
youth and her beauty, thus to 20 back on her
sell and me!'
No"
Did not ner father speculate in pork, and
get caught on falling markets Were not
his notes going To protest, and did not this
rich william offer her the dread alternative Of
her fathers ruin or her HANDY"
Mary. She laid for him until she gobtled
him."
"Did she never speak of mes Has she
grown pale and wan, aud so ong"
Not a wan. She's rs fresh rs peach ana
the gayest of the gay. The bulbul sings not
tlxy, g..
quently,' replied the old lady, putting more
soap on dirty wrist. band. "She tiaunts at
the opera, while 1 wash shirts at fifty cents a
dozen. Bismulah! Such is life"
obstruction" muttered Yusef 81 will
meet her. l will confront her and taunt her
with her iaithlessness, and then" And
uttering Gespairing shrek, he flung him.
self from the house.
There was sound Of revelry By nigh,r'I
There was ball In progress at the Spread
Eagle hotel, ut which were the elite and bon
ton of Cairo. That none but the eitest of So
ciety should be there, the managers had put
the tickets ut twenty shillings.
lara was there Ia the highest spirits Her
baby had been dosed with soothing syrup TO
keep it sleeping; and relieved of care on its
account. she was rushing things. She had
just finished waltz, and was waiting, pant
ing, while her cavalier was bringing her a.
goblet OF water, when manly form approach
ed He was clad in blue, but his features
were hid by slouched hat drawn low down,
and an immense military overcoat, which he
kept over hls face, as Claude Melnoite does
in Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton's justly cele
brated play of the Lady of Lyons"
"Zaral'' Kissed this singular figure.
who calls me by that nameg' she said.
drawing herself up TO her full height.
"Zara, dOst remember the garden-the or
ahge grove in which the bulbul sang and thel
fountain squirtedy'
"Ah, cir. whoever ycu arc, my papa has
such garden, but the fountain squir's no