The National tribune., 1881-10-01
ALEXANDRIAN SKETCHES,

ALExANDRIAN SKETCHES
Any one who may be staying at Abbat's Hotel
and be waiting for his bath about half an hour
before sunrise of a hot summer morning will be
amused by lounging out of the window and
watching the beginning of daily street life in
Alexandria.
The ice merchant is generally the first to arrive
on the scene He comes down small side street
over the way, and he comes very early IN order
to catch the very early vegetables which come IN
by donkey loads. He is tall, thin, lantern
iawed man, melancholy, and fortunately not
easily excited. He does not go through the
worry and fever of bargaining for his bundle OF
onions and half dozen tomatoes but has made
deep-laid arrangements with one donkey boy
possibly relation), who throws him his daily
portion as he passes without word. Soon after
ward the bowab of a neghboring house comes
and sits down, and the two commence a game at
cards almost without word. Over this they
gradually thaw, and presently, the sun coming
out, and the streets beginning to fill, the ice
merchant plucks up energy to lounge over to his
big blue ice-b box, which has been standing under
the wall of the hotel all night. He opens this
mournfully and takes out two spring scales, one
to weigh the large blocks bought by the suf-
fragees, and a smaller one for little boys who
peddle fish, and who bring baskets of shavings
to put small Jumps in. These little boys by the
way, do not pay, but give checks, and there will
be trouble in the evening when the ice merchant
tries to collect on them
The ice merchant makes three or four cigarettes
and puts them ON the top of the frame of sign
board, two or three feet above his head; this
having been done, he lies down ON his ice-box
and sleeps.
Next bowab, six feet long, comes out with
bench, four feet long, which he essays to sleep
at full length. He is not man of much resource
for when his legs get brushed off one end he
merely reverses himself and sleeps again until
his legs are brushed off the other end His bed
ding, which is merely piece of sacking is to
all appearance exactly the same at one end as at
the other, but he always changes it, and there
may be something special about the end where
he lays his head.
Presently a cobbler comes along with wooden
tray and very small stool and lays out his tools
The cobbler is an unscrupulous man. His eye
shortly catches the cigarettes and his fingers
deftly remove them to his pocket. Presently the
ask the ice merchant to let him keep his gullah
in the ice-box After asserting, the merchant
reaches up for a cigarette finds none, and makes
three more, this time, with dog-like sagacity
placing a stone on them to keep the wind from
blowing them away.
Soon his little daughter brings him some
cheese and native bread, and they share an
humble breakfast. The little girl has already
large basket of that useful stuff
all Egyptian girls commence life by collecting.
This, with great want of forethought, she places
behind her. A cock and three hens, evidently
surprised at this unsolicited attention, imme-
diately and gratefully take possession and send
it flying into the air. They are driven away with
shriu screams and retreat in discounted man
ner, evidently clucking to themselves, why
didn't you tell us 500"
Presently the ice merchants troubles COM
mence People will not leave his ice scales alone
Some give them spin around in one direction,
others in another. People make hurried feints
of weighing parcels they are carrying. Ice mer-
chant still unmoved. At last an ingenious youth |
endeavOrs to insert hoe and" Baths ready |
sir and there's another khowaia Just going !
lown."-Egypt Gazette.