The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-03-16
A HOLY-LAND ROMANCE.
How the Son of an American Became
an Arab sheik-Love i'm the Desert and
its Result.
[From the San Francisco Chronicle

How the Son of an American Became
an Arab sheik-Love i'm the Desert and
its Result. tt
IFrom the San Francisco Chronicle.
About twenty-five years ago COM
pany of young men started out from
Damascus, and headed for Jerusalem.
They had not gone far before band OF
armed horsemen surrounded them and
ordered halt. The leader said the
caravan might move on, unhurt and I'M
armed, if they would deliver up one of
their number, young man named Ran
dali, who should not suffer if he would
come along with them peacefully. The
terms, though hard, were acceded to,
and the last look his companions had of
him was to see him mounted on fine
horse, attended by the gay horsemen of
the Bedouin Sheik of the lie Avish
tribe.
The young man was taken to the
Sheik's tent, and to his surprise found
a magnificent entertainment awaiting
him. What does it all mean? Arzalia,
the Sheik's daughter, had seen the
young man and fallen passionately in
love with him, and this is the wedding
feast. The young man and Arzalia are
married. There was no escape for him
His tent was guarded by night, and his
person watched by day, lest he should
escape, and this guard was kept over
him for years. He and Arzalia, how
ever, seemed happy; children were
born to them, and their domestic life
was marked by kindness, courtesy, and
true affection. Randall rapidly acquir-
ed the Arabic language; his wife as
rapidly mastered the English. Their
children were taught in both.
Now who was this Randall? In
Oneida County, New York, lives his
father, who has never seen the face of
his son. This father is now man of
some seventy years, who was brought
up among the Indians, and has travelled
again and again with the hunters of his
tribe over the entire Mississippi Valley
in search of fish and game. At the age
of twenty-one the chief of his tribe said
to him: /" You had betterreturn to the
white people, for among them you can
be more of man than among the In
dams" He returned, secured Welsh
lady for his wife, and while she was on
a visit to her relations in Wales this son
was born. The mother dying soon af-
ter his birth, he remained until man
hood with his kindred in Wales, and
was taking trip through Syria, previ-
Gus to his return to America, when he
was captured by the Sheik, and com
PEELED to marry his daughter. His
mother was a Baptist, and he, before
he left Wales for the Orient, was bap-
tized. When he was admitted to the
Sheik's family they had to receive his
religion as well as His person. Through
him his wife became Christian; his
father-in-law became a patron of his
sOn-in-law's faith; his children were
brought up Gin the fear of the Lord; )"
his son had become a Sheik of the tribe
the father-in-law having died. All
the surrounding tribes have become ia
vOrable to the new religion, and have
pledged their swords in its defense.
But a Dervish, a zealOt for the Mo-
hammedan faith, has for long time
been endeavoring to stir up opposition
and persecution; he strove to have Ran
dall's sons thrown out of the employ of
the Turkish Government, and, failing
in this, turned his assault upon the
daughter of the foreigner, charging her
with witchcraft and apostasy from the
true faith. She was brought before the
Meglis, composed of III venerable
SAeiks and Offendis, to answer charges
which involved her life. She, although
but fourteen years of age, and dressed
in the neatest manner, with a placid
face and calm heart and unfaltering
trust, responded: "Most venerable ia
theirs, 1 will reply in person" and then
with fervOr, and faith, and power, hold
ing her Bible in ker hand, and frequent
ly reading passages from it, she made
a defense worthy of an apostle; and
when she finished, the unanimous ver-
diet was in her favor, and the chiefs of
tribes pledged each other their swords
anew to defend all Christians who
thought and felt as Rosa did. But the
old Dervish breathed revenge, and de-
termined to take that young life.
The trial was in October, 1872. In
June, 1873, while Rosa was teaching
class of forty-two little girls, in a grove,
the Dervish stealthily approached, and
before any one was aware he had muir
dered the maid and fled. In the last let
ter from Lady Arzalia LIE Avish Ran
dali, giving all the particulars of her
child's trial and tragic death, occurs
this beautiful sentence and earnest re-
quest: "Pray for me, that my piety
may be as humble as the violet, as en-
during as the olive, and as fragrant as
the Orient"