The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-01-19
Mahomet's Marriage. .

Mahomet had inherited the rare person
al attractions Of Abdullah and Amina (his
parents He was tall, graceful and digni-
fed, his countenanee engaging, his eyes
dark and lustrous; his thick black beard
reached down upon his breast; intelligence
and pensive melancholy marked his car
riage; he spoke seldom, yet always in Ian
guage musical and refined; sometimes he
broke into sallies of humor and loud peals
oflaughter; he was passionate but forgiv-
ing, gentle vet full of dignity. "Never
did he speak to me an unkind word, ;" said
one of his slaves of him. Yet his air was
so commanding and austere as at times to
awaken an indescribable awe. A vein in
his forehead swelled in his moments of ex-
citcment, and his eyes, blood-shot and
restless, seldom fixed upon any single OBJ
ject, but were full of the inspiration or the
poetry of seer.
Khadijah, who had been sought in mar
riage by many noble Meccans, had reject
ed every offer, and lived in retirement,
adding to her large fortune by success
full trade. Mahomet alone had won her
heart. Yet we are told she hesitated how
to make known her preference, and sis
ter or servant opportunely lent her aid
went to the young man and said, "What
is it, o, Mahomet, that keeps thee from
marrying?" II have nothing, he replied,
''in my hands wherewith to marry" "But
what il some beautiful and wealthy
lady should offer to place thee in affluence
wouldst thou have her?" "And who can
that be ?'' said the astonished Mahomet.
at is Khadiiah." "But how can l as
pire to her?'' "Let that be my care, said
the confdante. ''I am ready" he said.
And the servant went to tell all to Khadi-
iah. But one obstacle still seemed to
threaten discontinue to all their hopes, for
Khadijah's father, powerful and wealthy
Meccan, was certain to refuse to bestow
his daughter on her poor and obscure sui
tor, and lovers stratagem was employed
to deceive the unsuspicious old man
| Hanna. Mahomets uncle and friend, was
hidden to the wedding. Khad1ah prepar-
ed feast for her father, and when he was
overpowercd by wine, cast over him the per-
fume of ambergris and dressed him in q
marriage garment. He woke only to dis
cover that his daughter was married to the
obscure Mahomet, and, full of rage, de.
uounced the unequal match. Fierce word:
were spoken, weapons were drawn, but the
quarrel ended in reconciliation. And thus
Mahomet and Khadijah began their mar
ried life with a pious fraud The legend
is told, not without reluctance, by the pro
phet's most accurate biographers.
Thus raised, Aladdin-like, to sudden af
huence and distinction, Mahometlived Will
his Khadiiah in fair house at Mecca, the
site of which is still shown to the travel
ler. Faithful and devoted to his generou!
wife, they dwelt in happiness together, al
though that strange restlessness and pecu
liar temperament which had alarmed hi
Bedouin nurse in childhood seems neve
to have deserted him. His busy and po
etic intellect grew cloudy and stormy il
repose. Often he fed from his fine hous
and affiuent ease to hide in a solitary cav
on one of the hills above the city, to Civ,
himself to fasting and meditation, ant
wrestle with the evil spirits that pursued hi
path He kept the fast of the Rajab will
austere severity. His wife, touched by hi
religious fervor, or careful of his safety
sometimes went with him to his cave
Yet often he was alone, and such wild Vi
sions and fearful anticipations came upoI
him that he was nearly driven TO suicide