The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-06-16

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cup Of Greek wine he used to shut himself
up in his room and gloat over Ills gold
1t was his god, and he recognized no other,
except he wished to take false oath
Then he was profuse of his "By Allahs ~
aud "the holy beard of the Prophet y
Such was the man Abdallah, and such his
mode of life, up to the morning when our
story begins. Having new scheme on
hand he rose earlier than usual that morn
ing, performed his customary ablutions,
and prepared to depart for the market
place,
Before setting forth he allotted their
days work to his servants aud slaves; then
he charged his daughter Zouleika not to
leave the house during his absence, aud
finally, after making everybody as misera,
BILE as possible, he departed and the door
was barred behind him.
1t was still early in Cairo, and but few
of the better citizens had yet risen. The
streets were filed with the poorest classes,
and they jostled Abdallah in passing. He
avoided them as much as possible, by pick
ing the least crowded thOroughfares and
keeping close to the houses. Hero saun-
tered water-carrior with jar poised upon
his head, and there marched string of
camels bound for Stout and the desert.
Artisans hurried to their work shops, rub
biug their eyes as they went; donkcys
turned the corners suddenly, and almost
knocked him down. and to crown all, a
pertinacious driver insisted upon having
his custom He must have been a wag,
or stranger in Cairo, that driver, to have
for moment imagined that Abdallah the
miser would ride. He knew the value of
money too well, however wearied he might
be, to think of spending it in that way
The idea was absurd.
AS | said before, the streets were filled
with the poorest classes, and the short turn
that Abdallah made to reach the market
place led him among their dwellings. He
had but little time for observation, so in.
teut was he in Matching his scheme, but
he could not help seeing the filth and mis-.
cry which surrounded him. The houses
were in a ruinons and tumble down condi.
tion, many of them without windows or
doors-mere hoyels-and their dwellers
were in perfect keeping, lean, sallow and
ragged.
Few Of the men were at home, for the
day being festival, promised an abund.
ant aims; but he saw the women in the
miserable rooms and troops of squalid
children. Some of the women were busy
with household matters, kindling fires for
the morning meal and mending the rents
in their garments; others sat in the ashes,
supine and detected, their long hair falling
over their eyes and over the infants on
their bosoms. These were the mothers
and the grandmothers; if there were girls
in the family they were generally at the
windows ogling the passersby and singing
ribald songs to entce them in. One among
the number arrested the sight of Abdal,
lab, she was so much like his own child
Louleika. She was just her height, al.
though her figure was Trailer; had the
same black hair adorned with sequins and
the same lustrous, large eyes and long
lashes.
Zouleika, however, lacked the mingled
mirth and melancholy of her counterfeit,
nor was she ever seen, like her, at the
balcony unveiled.
The likeness puzzled Abdallah, but he
knew that Houleka was safe at home, and
his schemes came into his head again; SO
he passed on aud forgot it.
He had now reached better portion of
the city, although he was still in the
Beggars Quarter. lie stopped in the
public square aud gazed about him. His
vision was bound on all sides by the white
wall of the city and the fringe of palms
overlooking it, An open country Law on
the north--a region of gardens aud grain
fields; on the south and west, the shining
length of the Nile fecked with sails, and
the Pyramids that loomed through the
haze Of the Libyan desert But the glory
of the dawn was in the east, in the serene
blue sky and on the crests Of the Mokat
tam hills, which were tipped with light.
The sun had not yet risen, but the domes
of the mosques were Frightening and the
minarets burned with rosy flames. The
heart Of Abdallah was glad within him, he
hardly knew why, and he went on his way
with lighter aud trmer step. To say
that he was depressed by the Beggars'
Quarter, or that he pitied its unfortunate
dwelers, would show but little knowledge
Of nature like his. Still, he felt happy
in leaving them behind him, and in com.
pairing his condition with theirs. He drew
near the market-place in which his bazaars
we're held, when he was accosted by beg
gar. II am poor, said the beggar; "it is
two days now since | have tasted food"
"What is that to me?' inquired the
merchant. "Abdallah the rich, [ am poor
aud hungry, and l demand aims from
thee !" Abdallah started back amazed.
He was. not accustomed to demands; be.
sides, he had never before been mimicked
as he was by the beggar; for the voice of
the latter was an exact echo of his own.
Nor did the imitation stop at his voice
form, features, gait, everything pertaining
to Aedallah, was reproduced with strange
fidelity. 1t was as if he saw himself in
mhioi1 VI StUuu bSSiuc Hllnsclt IN n urenml
There was difference, though, between
the beggars garments and his own. The
merchant was dressed as became his sta
tion and wealth, in flowing robe, with
rich sash around his waist, and a Jewell
hilted dagger in his belt. His turban was
a costly Cashmere shawl, and his slippers
were heavily embroidered with gold. The
beggar was clad in rags which failed to
hide bis eanness, aud he supported bis
tottering limbs with long staff. His
face was thin and ghastly, and his eyes,
burning with an unnatural lustre, were
deeply sunken in their sockets. He was
like Abdallah, and yet unlike; looking OF
so much as Abdalah did, as Abdallah
might, should he, by any chance, become
a beggar. "Abdallah the miserly," said
the beggar, "you are rolling in abundance,
while | am starving with want. Help me,
or die" "You arc mistaken in think.
ing me rich, said the covetous merchant.
"True, have the reputation of wealth,
but everybody knows the uncertainty Of a
l. =