The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-02-01


surrounded a stIi winter face, and as he
came near his wife he held out his
hand dt0ward her with an uncertain gesture
appeared to him but dimly. "Selima,"
said he, "the Oliver hath taken. We.
too, must go in our turn. Weep, nv
love; but weep with my moderation, for
those little ones have gone to sing in the
golden cages CT paradise. There is q
heavier sorrow III my heart. Since my
6rst-born, Hail, departed for Bassora,
have only written once to learn intelli-
gence OF him. He was then well, and
mad been received with favor by his
uncle. We have never done our duty
by that boy" His wife replied, "Do
not reproach me; for reproach myself
more bitterly than thou canst do
Write, then, to thy brother to obtain
tldings OF the beloved one. will make
OF this chamber n weeping chamber. It
has resounded with merriment enough,
All my children learned to laugh and to
talk here. [ will hang it with black,
and erect tomb in tho midst, and every
day VIII come and spend @ hours,
and weep for those who aro gone and
for him who is absent" Fsdlallah ap-
proved hor design, and they made
| "SnpApB SliahhDcl, uEu NmentcQ To-
| gether every day therein, But their
letters to Bassora remained unanswered,
| and they began to believe that fate had
chosen solitary tomb for Hail.
One day woman, dressed i'll the garb
| Of the poor, came to the house of Fad
| lallah with q boy about twelvey years old.
| Whom tho merchant saw them he was
| struck with amazemont. for ho beheld in
the boy tho likeness Of his son Hail
and he called aloud to Selma, who
| when she came, shrieked with amaze
.ment. The woman told her story, and
it appeared that it was Miriam. Having
| spent some months in prison she had es-
capped and taken refuge in forest in the
| house of her nurse. Here she had given
birth to n son, whom she called by his
fathers name. When her strength re-
| turned sho set out as q beg8ar to travel
over the world in gcarch of her lost hus-
| band. Marvellous were the adventures
| she underwent, God protecting her
| throughout, until she came to the land
of Persia, where she found Hail work
ing rs slave i'll tho garden of the Gov.
views, she had again resumed her wan
dcrings to seek for Fndlallnh, that he
might redeem his son with wealth but
/ y
Fortune, however now smiled upon
this unhappy family, and, in spite of his
| age, Fadlallah set out for Ears. Heaven
made the desert easy and the road short
| for him. On fine calm evening he
entered the gardens of tho Governor.
and iound his son gayly singing rs he
| trimmed an orange tree. After a vain
| attempt to preserve an incognitC, the
| good old man lifted up his hands, and
| shouting, "HalD, my lirst-bom !" fell
| upon the breast of the astonishcd slave,
| Sweet was tho interview in the orange
| grove, sweet tho murmured conversation
between the strong young man and the
| trembling PATRIARCH, until the perfumcd
dow of evening fell upon their heads.
| fiaIlPS liberty was easily obtained and
| father and son returned in safety to
Beyrout. Then the weeping chamber
was closed, and the door walled up; and
fndln!!uh and Selma lived happily yuntil
ago gently did its work at their appoint
ed times; and Halil and Miriam mher-
ted the house and tho wealth that had
| been gathered for them.
| The supernatural part of the story re-
malns to be told. Tho weeping cham
ber WAS nCvor AGAIN opened: but every
| ''''tO ' AS'tlll "uS uDOut 10 occur III
the family, n shower and heavy tear
drops was heard to fall upon its marble
hoor and low waiIings came through the
walled doorway. Years, centuries, passed
away, and the mystery repeated itseIf
WITH unvarying uniformity. The family
Tell INTO poverty, and only occupied a
| portion OF the house, but invariably be-
tore one of it1 members sickencd unto
| uelth shower OF heavy drops, rs from
II thunder cloud, pattered on the pavo-
mont of the weeping chamber, and was
hcNd distinctly ut night through the
whole house. At length tho family
| quilted tho country in search of better
| fortune elsewhere, and the house re-
manned for 81 long time uninhabited.
| Inc lady who narrated the story went
to 1.-Two in the house and passed some
| years without being disturbed but one
night she was lying awake, and distinct
| ~ heard the warming shower dripping
heavily in the weeping chamber. Next
| day the news came of her mothers
| death, and sho hastcned to remove TO
another dwelling The house has since
been utterly abandoned to rats mice,
beetles and an occasional ghost seen
sometimes streaming along the rain
pierced terraces. No one has ever at
tempted to violate the solitude of thu
sanctuary where Selma Wept for the
seven littlo ones taken to the grave, and
for the absent one whom she had treated
with unmOth nrlv nOninct