Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-08

THH 0PAL.

THE 0PAL.
Something About Gems or Evil Omen-Csle'
brated Stones.
fHarper's Baur.I
Only few opals have sbt,ined great CO.
| lebrity, OF these the most famous Is ont
new supposed 10 be among the Russian
erswn.jewels. the history OF which teens
with romantic interest, beginning aboui
the year 1904, when IL was discovered by q
poor Arab near the ruins OF Acboris. The
man was engaged in laboring IN the fields,
and during the burning weather he passed
| hi. nights in the shadow Of the cliffs,
which overlooked an empty cistern, de
used for two thousand years. In this
position, about daybreak one morn
ing, he observed something far be-
low him glttering brilliantly. Making ms
way down the cholky elf, he moved aside
some pieces Of stone, TO discover a rare
gem which lay bathed in the first faint
.plendor Of the morning, to whose awaken
| ing beams ii responded with hundred
shifting, varying lights. The Arab, like
| others Of his race. had a superstitious awe
| OF rare stones, but he knew that II sold IN
Cairo the gem might bring him fortune.
| Cenecaling the stone in the bosom Of his
gown, he made his way to the great city.
not without grave fears, however, as 10 his
own safety. But the desires for money
oyercame all other considerations. On
reaching Cairo, Sibbi, the Arab,
presented himself at the jewellers
and cautiously producing the stone. IN
quircd its value. The badesman's first
glance betrayed his suspicious, and Sbbi
snstched the stone from the jewellers
hand and rushed unanimously from the
shop. A ery Of "Stop thief" was SET up !;
crowd followed the uDiucky man; but
in The midst Of the cOnmotion an old der
wish made his way close TO the Arab, and
whispered to him 10 pass the stone Sc
erelly into his keeping. Sibbi acted
promptly upon this suggestion; the der
wish quickly disappeared, sibhi was ar
rested and flung into prison, his clptors
refusing 10 believe that he could not in
fern them what had become OF the gem.
Meanwhile the dervish had made his
way through side streets TO bis own home,
where, locking himself up in bis private
apartment, he studied the opal long and
admiringly. lie was Oriental enough to
know something Of ils value, and 10 be
capti,ated by ITS rare beauty. Red and
blue, green and amber lights shone In the
heart OF the exquisite stone. and moving IL
back and forth, the dervish for hours con
templated II with delight. When night
fell he carried it 10 the house OF friend.
himself careful and scientific lOpidary.
The latter at once pronounced the stone an
opal OF exceeding value. but added
that he knew Of no individual in
Cairo rich enough TO purchase II. An In
dian merchant whom they both knew was
about 10 start for home The next day. In
bis own country opals were. and are. val
ued highly, and the merchant knew that.
as q speculation. even the gem was worth
purchasing. He readily gave the deryish
large sum for IL. and by daybrelk the
next morning SIbbI was released from pri-
son, and with his share Of the money eSiab-
lishod himself so well in trade that he died
leaving fine fund for charitable purposes
10 his native city. The opal, however,
was destined to still further adventures.
The merchant who purchased il was
killed on his journey, and the gem lost, 10
be discovered years later, and purchased
by the French ambassador at Cairo.
Later IT passed into the hands OF the IA
nous Due de Nivern0is. who. during ms
residence in London, at the beginning Of
this century. was wont TO show it 10 his
guests. relating its singular history with all
the yivacI,y and piquancy Of French rd-
CORiCaT. Later than this il was purchased
10y the Russian Gar, and added, As we have
intimatcd, TO the crown jewels, where it
may bc seen at 4 distance on rare occl-
sious--a gem OF extraordinary purity and
prismalic brilliancy. its fire and cash al
most dinming the lustrc Of the diamonds
near which it is placed. Where il origl-
nallv came from Is not, OF course,
known. Could it have been TIE n
nous opal lost amid the ruins Of
Alexandria two thousand years ago: The
reservoir where the Arab found If was in
use at the time, and it seems strange That 50
superb gem, unless il had lain buried all
that time. would not have been known 70
lapidaTics in the East. lis career certainly
seems to have begun with its discovery by
the peasant. but some previous history it
uuquestiOnably hal. II has been coniec.
iured that il might nave been the cele-
bratod opal Of the Roman Senator Nonnius,
who was offered by Mare Antony his free
dom in return for the gem. NonniuS, who
chose an exile into Egypt, there lost the
jewel, so there L: some foundation for this
idea. Other famous opals are to be seen
in French. German, aud English col
lections, while among the crown
jewels in Persia and in lndIa,
are some whose histories border upon the
improbable. so full OF incident, variety,
and the marvellous are they. However,
some are clearly authenticated There is
the opal which belonged to the Emperor
Leopold H., and also that OF the Prince Po-
temkin, in Russia. Both Of these gems
have had vyOrfh rapnFHinor Tho
latter for generations blazed in the ewes OF
n Hindoo idol. Naoir Shah, the great Afghan
conqueror, after the siormng OF Delhi. SciZ-
cd this gem. and some Of his blographers
relate that on his return 10 Persia.
after ordering innumerable executions,
or perhaps slaughtering hall an en-.
tire city, he would calmly seating
himself outside of his tent. range his col.
lection OF unset gems before him. aud gaze
upon their splendid charms with all the de-
light OF coRnoiSSeaF. and with the pas
.iQuate enthusiasm OF genuine lover OF
the rare and beautiful. being moved 10 POI
otic feeling by the mystery. the weird sug-
sestiyeuess in the stones. so that he could
let hours pass by UNDECIDED while under the
spell OF their cnchantmeni. But Nldir lost
many OF bis iewel-caske,s, and among them
the one containing this opal. which pissed
into the hands Of the Russian prince we
have mentioned. Henrietta MJrla puc.
chased one Of the most famous oplls in eX.
lstence, and parted with IL for p0 Hder aud
guns enough to carry on her husbands war
fare month. And toe prospective bride OF
the East Indian merchant about TO be saeri.
iced 10y brute was rescued by an English
ofBcer from her cruel fate in exchange !Or
gem which he hsd Inherited from his
mother and which was supposed 10 have
originally been captured in tn, Indian war.
Asa curious kind Of poetic justice seem,
TO follow Oriental stones thus obtained. the
jewel returned to lis original position In
The head OF an idol in the East, and the
bride lived and died In England. where
her descendants are now resident, the pos
SCISSORS of a fine estate.
-
An Illinois Town on Fire.
ST. LouIs, November IA special from