Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-11

| ct has declared, lon beds the Things where ! of are brocade and the fruit of the two gar dens within reach to cull." There also were 1 the "maids of modest glances,'' previously indifferent to the wooing of 'mRn or ginn. 1" 'tBright and large-syed maids kept in their tents, reclining on green cushions and beauti- full carpets. About the golden couchss went eternal youths with goblets and ewers, and cup of flowing wine f.No headache shall they
 feel thersfrom, D says the passionate Prophet,
 ''nor shall their wits be dimmed." And all
 that land is misty and fragrant with the per-
 fume of the softest Lasakia, and the gardens
 are musical with the bubbling of countless
 narghil0s and must say that to the Chris
 tian soul which enters that paradise the whole
 place has, certainly, a rather curious air. as
 of highly transcendental Cremorne. There could be no doubt, however, that the faithful
 were enjoying themselves amazingly-f'right lucky fellows" as we read in the pew trans lation of the Cur An, for so the learned call the Koran of our is norance. Yet even here all was not peace and pleasantness, for I heard my name called by small voice, in 8 tone of patient, subdued querulousness. Looking hastily round, with some difficulty recognized, in greRn turban and silk gown to match, my old college tutor and professor of Arabic. Poor old Jones had been the best and most shy of university men. As there was never any undergraduate in his time Cit is different new) who wished to learn Arabic, his place had been 8 sinecure, and he had chiefly devoted h1s leisure to drawing"
 pupils who were too late for college chapel
 The sight of lady of his acquaintance in
 the streets had at all times been alarming
 enough to drive him into shop or up lane,
 and he had not survived the creation of the
 first batch of married fellows. How he had
 got into this thoroughly wrong paradise was mystery which he made no attempt to ex- plain. "A nice place this, eh ?" he said to me; 'tnice gardens remind me of Mazda lens good deal" 'It seems, however, to be decidedly rather gay just now, don't gyou think SO? Commemoration week, perhaps, great many young ladies up, certainly; a good deal of cups drank in the gardens, too.
 always did prefer to go down in Commemo- ration week myself; never was a dancing man. There is great deal of dancing here, but the young ladies dance alone, rather like what is called the ballet, I believe, at the opera I must say the young persons are 8 little forward little embarrassing it is to be alone here especially as have forgotten good deal of nay Arabic. Don't you think,
 my dear fellow, you and I could manage to give them the slip? Run away from them, eh?" He uttered timid little chuckle, and at that moment an innumerable host of houris began ballet d'action Illustrative of a series of events in the career of the Proph- ct. It was obvious that my poor uncomplain- ing old friend was really very miserable. \ The ''thornless lotos trees" were all horny to
 
 the outspread shade, and water outpoured' could not comfort him in his really very natural shyneSs. A happy thought occurred to me. In early and credulus youth had studied the works of Cornelius Agrippa and Petrus de Abano. Their lessons. which had not been of much practical service, recurred to my mind. Stopping down drew circle round myself and my old friend in the fra grant white blossoms which were strewn so thick that they quite hid the grass. This circle I fortified by the usual signs, employed, as Benvenuto Cellini tells us, in the conjuga- tion of evil spirits. then proceeded to ut ter one of the common forms of exorcisn. Instantly the myriad houris assumed the forms of irritated demands; the smoke from the uncountsd nsrghiles burned thick and black; the cries of the frustrated ginns who were no better than they should be rang wildly in our ears; the palm tree shook beneath a mighty wind; the distant summits of the minarets rocked and wavered and, with tremendous crash, the paradise of the Faith ful disappeared.