Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-12
Ar Arab Cafe.

The Hadji lad planned to take me I
70 an Arab cafe-not the cafe Ill the /
tnn.re usually visited by strangers. but |
to an unauthorized Arab place of en-
tertaiument, seldom profencd by the
preseuee OF Eiaours. The Antwerp |
artist AID the ElQlishman were to ac-
comnany US. Just as the edge OF new |
moon had begun to cut the dark, the
Hsi il appeared with lantern fastened
10 tie end of staff, and we sailed
forth.
save for this lantern and that moon
which did not seem half so good moon
as We have at home-we should have
been III Stygian darkness as We
Stumbled along the unlighted streets.
Oi either hand stretched high wall,
pi. reed at intervals with door shaped
like Il clover-leaf. or With barred
cas-, ment, divided in he center by
sIeu.ier ,.illar, like the windows in the
A!caz4r ut Seville. There were few
persons stirring. Now and then q
saeeted figure fitted past US and
vanished through an inky archway-
possibly some belated slave bearing d
scented missiva to Fatima or Noureddin.
Now and then fugitive perfume told
us wa were near garden. and still
pala.-tree shot up from behind a wall,
and nickel the blue blacBness of the
skv. On we pressed through the
shadows, ourselves shajoWy and
spectral AMI silent. The HatiI',
naughty and grave, with his scabbArd
clrking along the stones, seemed like
the caliph in the old story book. and
We his attendants, on some nocturnal
ramble through the streets of Bagdad.
Suddenly our guide halted at low
mean door. Above it WAS dimly-
lighted lattice, from which came u
murmuring, melancholy sound OF
voices, accented by the twanging OF
guitar s!ri, gs The flame of the lantern
showed us black hand painted on the
mas my ut the left Of the entrance.
Tina, hard appears at this donr-side OF
many of the houses in TangIer. and II
IA charm to keep II the evil spirits.
Passing up flight of well-worn stone
steps, We entered tho cafe-a long mar
row chamber, separated IL the center
by the ever-recurring horseshoe arch
The whitewashed walls were bare OF
ornament, save u scarlet vine running
round the room Just above ne mop
board. In the first compartment ne
gro vas making coffee at IA shelf SUI
pended from the ceiling. In the other
section were the guests. Sb:rp-faced
Arab youths and full-bearded, vicious
looking old men tquattrd on the mat
ting. There WAS lot piece Of furnl
ture any wwere, not even one Of thus,
dwarf tables frequently to be seen Ill
Moorish houses.
We took our places on the floor like
the others, and after few words from
the Hadj, the negro served us with
coffee. Each cup was prepared sep.
ra'ely, ami you were opposed to drink
the grounds, which constituted third
of the allowance. Nevertheless, it Was
u delicious beverage. Then four small
metal pipes, charged with Turkish to-
bacco and grain or two of mild opium.
were brought to us. Meanwhile the
musicians. seated at the upper end OF
the hall, never ceased their monot0
nous, whining strains. Nobody spike.
The younger fellows lolled back against
the wall motionless. with half-shut eyes !;
The blue smoke slowly tluated up from
the plpe bowls, and ourled itself Into
arab que patterns over the solemn,
turh.ncd heads of the Old Mussul-
nuns
"viziers nodding together in some Arabian
nights
After while man of fabulous lean
ness arose, AM began kin / of dance.
Ii danced only from the hips upward,
swaying his arm, in the air as he con-
tlrtsi his body. and accompanying
himself with u grooming chant. By
aud 10y his eyes clio ed ecstnticaiiy. his
head leaned far back, an epieptic foam
came to his lips. From time to time
one o! the spectators jerkei out sharp
"Jaleol' to encourage him; others OF
thn audience beat the measure ON the
palms OF their hands. and the iambour-
ines kept up dull thui. 1t WAS in
every respect the same dance which the
qtants execute less passionately III
Granada The man ended his perform
ance abruptly. and sat down. aud all
Was silent again. except that the dole
| FIJI. strident music went on and on.
with pitiless reiterstion Of the same
notes.
Looking at it on the surface, it struck
ma that Moorish enj ,yment was com
posed Of very simple ingredients; but
looking closer, sn-pected there were
depths and Qualities in this profound
and nearly austere repose, IN this
smoulderiDg passion, with its capri
cious fiery CLEANS. which l had not
penetrated. Perhaps it was the drug
III the tobacco. or perhaps it was pun
gen. property in the coffee. that sharp
ened my sense. but PREF entity began to
detect in the music, which had rather
/ irritated me ut first, an under-current
OF meaning. vague and perplexing.
The slow dragging andante and the
sudden wailing falsetto seemed half to
assist and half to bsffl, some inarticu
late spirit that strove to distill it's secret
into the ear Something that was no.
the music itself was struggling to find
expression through 1.-THE pride. The
rage, the inertia. the unutterabla de-
| spair, Of an ancient and ouce might,
people passing away I. Is. Aldrlch.
III U.rp.rs.
The Wounded Horse.
| Pity and kindness have wider range
o; sntjects than the sufferers Of oar
own lace and kind. Touching PFC
lures like the following will meet aud
appeal to every observer more THAI