Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-11
WILLIAM GILBERT.

In i certain suburb ofBagdad, some
ten wears ago, there stood long one
storied House of Entertainment. Ihe
exact nature of the establishments IL
would be difficult to describe. It. was
not a cotfee-houSe, although coffee
was sold. Smoking also was allowed,
and further, there were amusements
OF different kinds occasionally pro-
yideG. sucn as tumbljng, g,snakc-charm-
iug. ui,d reciting of stories. The read
ar ,ai;s; not imagine that 1T at all re-
sn,ni,ied modern London Music
Hall. for humble as the building was,
mot. only in its architecture but III
lis atrointlmeuts, 1T rose Immensely
.u;vcr,or in point of morals and III
.a,Iicc!Icc to it's London rivals, and
il, nothing more so perhaps than III
me entire absence of into oXicatlng
Ecuor.. These iorm the one great
object Of attraction i'll the london
Mi,sic Halls; while in the case OF our
Pcrstan establishment, not one drop
of intuxicniing fluid ever entered It's
" ais; and, therefore,, there were
neither drunken squabbles, nor the
consequent necessity OF police force
to keep order.
rx;euding from each corner OF the
/ front ui the building was a low wall
some lwo ieet high. consisting Oh
dried clay, forming with the building
| itself square of twenty-five or thlrty
| feet Oil each side. In this enclosure
! was az opening about three or tour
fc It vide, directly opposite TO the ell
! t-a,,cc ,four, so is to allow customers
10 enter the establishment without
difficulty. Although l have called
in!s erection by the homely term OF
low clay wall, It's purposes were OF Il
! far more honorable description. LII
was i'll point of fact dlvar, Wnefe
the uslomers used ID seat themselves
wilen witnessius the performances OF
the tlmbiers and nake-charElefs, ol
listening to the stgry-tellcrs. rms
eartneu ttivan also extended along
the front. OF the house, with the eX'
ceDtion OF the opening for the door
| but uniihu the other portions OIL tht
enciosure, it had On 1T some ruue
cushions TO mark ii as the. place o.
honor for the guests .s..
4 At the time OF the opening OF thls
narrative the spac. enclosed fof the
performances was empty. Although
ine sun was fast sinking, evening
mad not sufficiently advanced for the
freuuenters OF the house TO arrive
In lact, there were but two persons
! present. one of them, standing AT tht
entrance door, being Alustapha, tht
4 proyrietOr OF the establishment. ds
/ was Il taii-made man about hlty year;
of AGE. csad in a long blue robe OF
guwu, something resembling shoct
truck, but reaching 10 his ieei, ant
had :, large white turban on his head
HIS counteuauce, which was by ht
means destitute of manly beauty
wore an anxious expression, and MI
thoughts were so completely absorb
ed that he had even allowed the ashe
OF his pipe to become eXtlhct win
oui his teing aware OF 1t.
+ The other person present was .
totally different appearances. lie wof
a ragged haii-European, hali' Easter
I:ess, and in place Of turban, n
.,ad ii small faded red sku!l-caP ol
his head. He could not have Aee'
9 less than sixty years OF age; poSsloi.
he .!si have been older, out ther'
reuiAi,.rit sLill u QUICK, Keen expires
5 sion ia his eye which tended 10 uls
pei ni;y sucn impression. Ahotae
pecuiiarity i'll his appearance also de
Sarvfs IN ne noted us it came especi
81. 7i ,,lo,. y, ~ ~ "nsaryatiou at the moneni
He Mad LOST lsy, and had OH him Il
lie time wooden substitute, which
as he WAS seated on the broad dlVa
viii his haci, ouai,st the wall, stuc
,nf tr;nra ni,u in a most obtrusiv
and ,,I,rrncett,. manner.
Mustapbr tovk no notice of thi
, man. a,u even appeared uuconsciou
NJ hi. ,.r.,,ruca Possibly tiiis wa
,,a.,,... ina sr.,umar had ordered i:
,.,,fr.sJ,rI.,t ,uh Nus.aohs. with II:
a sr,;ti, ~ lis nusinnss had bu
> ;i,,f,~ ~.t,..S.1 fo,. .,ue,ts who omitte
,i,,t- fnr,u5ljtv If. uoWeyer, he wer
,,I,nw..rc oj !be Strangers preSenc,
G ,le latter had his sharp black ey
/ t;xrd on MIN. and with so much ii
:. ,entnc3s that he appearcd absolutel
"a ha readin,, his Ihouyhls, Haviu
1,r.rnrt,v come 10 some cunciusio
/, sIntl,c ,,aturo he broke silence b
e .,ri,m
..D9you cxnect ,nauv customers t,
,;yt,.2 q,
FL a., u,orse ,uc,- ,, renlicd Must
& nh.
..NrI,v ,por,a luck ~ jnuuireu tt
q
h -, ,o van .o,. -, said Mn
l. t,,.,,;,,,r on,rnlv m him
.,,.n ,.,,,.,iS;iv >, said the stran,
"''' 'n' 'o's'
..,r ,.o,,,o NO ba,tar ovcuco III.
}, .n;d Nn.t,nh, eharn,r $50
IS '',", ,',.il drnn tha cnnverso,in,,
-.i'- 80 w 0'1 49,