The Portland daily press., 1879-03-01
Simpson of BussOra.
BY JAMES PAWN.

hSAAA shO AAOoo AZ OWA Luiuu vi OuC GA
periences that they do not tell me. When
they get away FROM the regions of civilization
and out of the influence of public opinion,
think to myself, what is it these people do
not do? For the very fact of mans being a
traveller is, between ourselves, by no means
good sign. Why does he not stop at home in
the bosom OF his family, or, if he has no
family acquire one? 1t is his duty as citi-
zen. When boy runs away from school, it.
is, OF course. the correct thing to call him Sin
trepld," gallant" "high.spirited," and Sin
ity not-generaly speaking good boy. 1t
may be very true that nation owes its nat
ural supremacy to this description of youth
but he doesn't run away to sea from that dis
tant and patriotic motive; he goes to sea be-
cause he doesn't like what is good for him
on land; and almost Immediately, though
that is beside the question, finds that he has
made great mistake. Similarly, man does
not 90 to Tartary or Kamtschatka toimprove
his mind II he ventured TO tell me that,
tsupposing he was not very tall man,
aud had no reason to suppose he had a
yataghan or any other outlandish weapon
concealed about his person. should laugh
in bis face. No; he flies to such regions be-
cause the restraints of civilization are abhor-
ent to his undisciplined mind, and he has
some morbid taste; say, for human fesh-un-
cooked. The mildest spoken man ever met in
my life, and the greatest traveller, once con-
fided to me. after most excellent dinner at
our club. that "after ALL" there was nothing
like uncooked food. He did not sag human
flesh, but l knew well enough what he
meant. He has repented since of having let
out so much, and endeavors to reassure nae
by his conventional behavior and converse
ton.
"The world Is too small, ;" he says, The has
been round 1t two or three times), "and give
him England; for, when all is said, that is
the best place to live in" but this does not
deceive me for a moment. That man Is a
cannibal at heart. I have seen him look at
plump and tender people In very peculiar
way, and would not trust him alone with my
baby for small fortune. That sweet child
would take rank among the mysterious dis
Appearances" He would say, Chow should
know?" like the frog that swallowed the
ducks egg but should know better than the
duck. If you think these apprehensions ex-
treme, you are, OF course, welcome to your
own opinions; some people are more SAN
guine than others and more simple.
My mind is, think, tolerably fair one,
and 1 have never entertained suspicious
against those who were compelled to visit dis-
tant ATTITUDES against their wills. Queens
messengers, convicts, sailors, &c., may be
very respectable persons in theic way, not
withstanding where they may have been to.
Such was my charitable belief until within
the last few days; since which I have seen
some reason to change it. One of the quiet
est and best fellows ever knew and l have
known him all my life-was Simpson of Bus.
sora. was at school with him fiveand forty
years ago, and though his house of business
is at the distant spot just mentioned. have
met him from time to time during bis period
zeal visits to this country, and ALWAYS found
MIN unchauged-gentle,u nassuming, modest
and othodox in his opinions. Our house does
alittie business with him in shawls and car
pets, but our acquaintance is mainly social.
My wife and daughters are very partial to
him, and delight in his Persian tales, which
are picturesque and full of local color, He
brings them little bottles of scent which per-
fnme the whole neighborhood, and now and
then scarf that is the envy of their friends.
| never, however, entertained any idea of
Simpson as a son-in-law until my wife put it
into my head. He lived too far away for me
to picture him in such a relation, and though
knew he had made money did not think
he had made enough to return home and
settle. His income was a very handsome
one; but living at Bussora, he had given me
to understand, was dear, and did not admit
of much saving. Above all, Simpson struck
meas by no means marrying man. When
he always smiled in that dry, cynical way
which proclaims the confirmed bachel or.
Household matters did not interest him; he
did not take much to children; he would
smoke until the small hours of the morning,
and raise his eyebrows when one said it was
late, and perhaps ones wife might be sitting
up. He would say, "ReallyV as though
such an idea as ones wife sitting up for one
was preposterous, but could never concern
him.
need not 60 into the causes which led to
my conversing with Simpson on the subject
of matrimony. Suffice 1t to say that | did
not do so of my own free will. I had re-
ceived instructions from my wife to "sound'
Simpson on the matter, with relation to some
'ideas' that she had got into her head with
respect TO our second daughter, Jane, and
"to hear was to obey" as they say at Busso-
"a.
"My dear Simpson," said 1 as we were
cracking our walnuts together after a little
dinner undor my own roof, 81 often wonder
why man like you, with large income and
a fine house, as you described your home to
be at Bussora, has never married. 1t must
be wretched living out there all alone"
well, it would be no doubt" said Simp-
son In his quiet way. "But, Lord bless you !!
I've been married these twenty years! p
You might have knocked me down with a
feather. married these twenty years? Y on
astound me! Why, how was it you never
spoke about it ?"
''Oh, don't know; thought it wouldn't
interest you. She was Persian, you know.
II she had been European, then I should
have told you"
ga Persian wifel Dear me-" said I, show
funny it seemsp I said Sunny" but at the
same time all the suspicious that I enter
tanned land now entertain more than ever
respecting travellers and persons who ALLURE
civilization, crowded into my mind, snow,
what color, my dear Simpson, if may put
the question without impertinence, are your
children ?"
swell, we've got no children" said Simp-
son, in his usual imperturbabie tone. "We
never had any,
other thought this creditable to Simpson.
1t was very wrong in him to have married
Persian, perhaps fire-worshiper or at brst a
Mohammedan, but 1t was comfort to think
that the evil had, SO to speak, stopped there.
To think Of Simpson with heap of parti-
colored children, protesting, perhaps, their
mothers outlandish faith as they grew up,
would have been painful to me in connection
with the fact that Simpson was at that mo-
ment under my roof, the same roof with nv
wife and daughters, and that 1 was the
church warden of our distant church. I for
sock at once the particular subject of Simp
sons wife to discuss the general one of pol
ygamy.
"The Persians have more wives than one,
have they not ?' inquired I.
"Those who can afford it have" said he /;
"but tits not so usual as you may imagine"
II need not ask how so profigate system
must needs work." said 1. SIT is a domestic
failure, of course?"
'sYou need not ask the question, as you
say" replied Simpson cracking walnut.
"But if you do ask, am bound to say it is so
far like marriage in this country-it is some.
times domestic failure and sometimes not.
Perhaps it requires more judgment in selec-
ton; you have not only TO please yourself
you know, but to please your other wives"
Gooduess gracousp' said /, show coolly
you TAX about 1t! 1 hope no European who
happens to be resident in this strange COM
munty ever gives in to the custom p"
Some do and some don't,o was the reply
OF Simpson. ST lived in Persia with one wife
for fifteen years before gave in,
"What you married second wife. vour
first wife being aliver"
"Just so," was the unabashed reioinder.
Simpson swept the walnut shells into a cor
ner of his plate and helped himself to sherry.
81 have now four WiyeS,0