New-York tribune., 1884-02-16
THE PRISONER or CETLON.

from Corfes2oadencs Of Tbs Loadon Isiig Fe,rs
Arabi Beys home of exile stands about three
mile Out OF Colombo. 1t Is very squa.id quarter
the houses being mere buts matched with palm
leaves. Many Of them are not six feet high. aDd
the elders Of the family crawl into thom like an l.
mails returning To their holes They have win
dows and have not reached the sklful cOutri-
vance of the japanese, whose sliding shutters
drawn back leave the domicile easy of access.
There j. q plain woodcl shutter that c0ntuyes
double debt opay. being window Icy day and a
doorby night. When the Cngaese retire 10 rest
this board is put up. and the arrangements arc com,
platc There are plentiful Chlnks which admit ar
and some rays of light: but neither is a matter
that seems greatly 10 concern the householder.
There Is no difficulty in approaching the prisoner
of CeylOn He has her lailer nor guard and ls
free 10 do what he pleases within the limits Of tie
island. When drove np he was sitting in the
broad veranda Wmch fronts the house heavy
stone binding with nOthng lOyable about It, 1t
stands in "a garden which seems left pretty much
10 its own devices. ArahI was dressed in a loose
light brown oyercoat of unmlstakable British
make with white duck trousers and waistcoat. and
the luseparable feZ. He was at work writing, with
his back to the garden and his face to the dead
wall which might with q little care bloom with
iesgImiue, with the breath ot winch all the
garden 4, sweet He showed Us his work
q little later displaying with chILtike pride
the ah0ri0usy made English characters by which
he had spelled ont "by-and-bye, "a time viii
come and other simple sentences, which formed
his English lesson. His exercise book had origin
ally been designed Ior accounts. and he now filed
The money column with an Arabic phrase tIansafing
ir fnro English ON tine border slip. As be- opened
the book he disclosed couple of cheap New Year
cards the remembrance of unknown admirers IN
ENGLAND. The literature was cNecrabic. bat the
pav colOrs seemed 10 please the Egyptian.
and he evidently treasured them Two or three
men in native dress were standing about the sta-
bies. which hanked one side OF the house. gen
tlemau whom subsequently knew rs the inter-
meter advanced 10 receive uS as the carriage en-
tereH th, rrouuts Arabi silently bowed d well
come but did not seem inclined for conversation
with casual strangers. ManY pdsserS Dy call IN, and
he il not quite sure that all are friendly We
had an introduction from trusted personal friend,
which stuOOthed matters, ana presently tue coio,
susuicons manner was altered, and be silent man
became unite i0QuaciOus. lie has 80 lar prot ted 10y
his studies i'm English 10 be able TO carry fOrw ard
simDle conversation. lie will soon pass BY his IL
teriret er whose command OF English is not extern
siyr. the effort on translation causing him piteousiy
10 perpire.
Arab had no objection whatever TO discuss polit-
ical affairs but he even OsteutatlOusiy persisted in
doing So from the stand point of permanent exile.
viii neye. go back to Egypt as long a. II ts en-
shaved bv lswhk,' Arab says with unwOnted eN
cess of anm2t tiou. " have no desire to see Egypt
while n is land of slaves. Once II was country
that smelt sweet 70 ne nosLlls no" IL suuAs. lis
wells are covered with earth there Is 10 refresh
meut in it Why does not England make Egypt
free ?" Talking again Of lewhs, aud contrasting
him with his father. lie said 'lsuail L. clever
man. but rogue. IewhN Is not clever enough
% be rogue he IS simply foolish.
do not think he knows the difference
between right aud wrong OF England
whose arms chased hinl from Alexandra ana
routed him al Tel-c-Kebir. Arab spr4ks with un-
teigned respect, and with an ahec clonatc regard
which ii not real. is we'll assumed. Il hope To
zoe England some day. he said. " am learning
English fast and write it too. Look here Then
he brought out his lesson book and gazrd WITH
and rainf,l feats Of cahuaphv. Hc WAS
so engros.cd with his scholastic pursuits
that he forthwith proceeded to give
au English lady who was present lessons IN Arabic
rerfng iron hi, stock Of tngli,h phrases. and put
tinr them iu Arabic. lie wrote hs name for her on
me card setting himself resolutely down at the
table mixing h- fingers good deal and spending
.av.n ~ elcbt minutes upon the task. When con-
clpded .tr.u Ahmed Arab, the Egyptian Colon
ho n with tho date lie might almost have stormed
q town with similar expenditure VI time and ply
sirai ahOr.
Whatever discomfort may have rufied the bosom
Oi Arab Oh frat taxing up his residence GA tao