Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-12
ARZIE AND Gambler.

At one time there lived in Medina
q grand ard mighty Mollah who was the
father of q daughter by the name Of Arzie.
The Sacred Book tells US that she was
blessed with all the charms and allure
ments of Houri escaped from the para
disc OF Mohammed, with q figure rs 1.-the
and undulating as a young cypress rocked
by the zephyrs, body OF slbaster exhaling
all the perfumes of Araby, and cleeks SO
clear, SO transparent that You could al
most see through them the pesrly teeth
and crimson tongue.
The women OF Arabia generally have
the thinnest, the most pinched Of features,
with shaggy eyebrows and monstrous
eyes, so large and cavernous that the
passers- by are in the habit of crying to
them: shut them up lest our bodies be
drawn into the sockets!'
Arzie, however, like the rest of the
Houris, had beautiful eyebrows, fine and
narrow and arched as the blade Of
Damascens saber. Her eyes were velvety
and Of the shape Of cloven almonds and
her glance recalled the flashing course OF
a falling star Her hair was softer thar
the finest six and the color of ray OF
sunshine filtering through the clouds.
Inc SdCTtu DOOk dIsO US Vic
voice OF Arzie had a sweetness and timbre
unknown TO the women Of the earth, and
which caused you TO dream Of celestial
things: that her tapering fingers embel-
lished all she touched, bringing freshness
to faded flowers and life TO the dying
birds; and that her feet were as wings
upon which she skinned over the ground.
With it all she was as tender and as sensi-
BILE as she was good and beautiful; the
graces and virtues Of Islam were gathered
in her heart
Gambler was a prince Of Beyzade, as
young and charming as Arzie was adora-
bic. And indeed, he was very hand
some fellow, as rich In good looks as he
was rich in ducsts, with proud and stately
carriage, yet gentle as lamb and wise
and temperate as a saint.
Where Gambler had seen Arzie history
does not tell us but the law which forbids
the Mohammedan woman to show her
face 70 the gaze OF man is not inviolable;
though the ugly ones observe 1t religi-
ously, the others find thousands OF ways
of evading it Gambler was lover and
ArZie a woman, and how 1t had come
about l can not tell you, but Gambler had
seen her somewhere, and to see her once
was sufficient to love her, and to see her
twice, for her to love him.
The old Molah of Medina, a widower Of
many wives, lived in an ancient Canac,
fianked by a high, square tower, and 1t
was there, in the topmost tower Of that
carefully guarded prison, that he had
lodged this incompar able creature under
the care of a vigilsnt duenna, mature OF
age, free of words, preverse Of counsels
and expert in more than one kind Of
wickedness which the sacred book fails to
designate, but gives you to understand
that while faithful to an ugliness-pro-
tected body, she sighted at least ten
times day for pleasures which she could
not taste The great judge had prohibited
them
Arzie at first regarded her with warm
affection, for, indulgent to her childish
faults, the duenna had finally gone to the
length of offering her services in her love
affairs But 'le diable sen melant," as
the moslems have it, and truly they are
right, for nothing so resembles a meddle-
soLIe devil as the heart OF woman whom
nobody wants, who has languished in
waiting and grown old under numer ous
miscalculations.
Ostensibly serving as a messenger for
the princess, she had secretly become in
famed with frenzy of passion for the
handsome Gambler and looked upon her
prisoner with a jealous hatred as implac-
able as 1t was wstchful Wicked propo-
sitions, false reports, calumnies and i'm
postures all seemed good to this unprin-
cipled vixen, II only they would help to
separate ArZie from the man whom she
herself adored and in times past had been
able to e1tol enough for his charms and
virtues.
~We were deceived about Gambler she
would say to the princess ALIAS, alas.
that should have helped to deceive thee!
He is nothing but gad- about, a practiced
libertine, not at all particular in the
choice of his pleasures; q confirmed I'M
believer, ii wine-bibber, a pork-eater and
a regular fool
Not content wit h these yenomous lies,
she bribed the sorceress, whom she sec
rely introduced to Arzie's tower, to con-
if IN her inventions, and a wretched beg
gar whom she had picked up on the
sareets and clothed like Gambler, to play
ais part beneath the windows of the pris-
oner's chamber. But Arzie, faithful,
loving Arzie, condemned to look upon the
fsit as he fiirted with the girls of the
neighborhood, refused to believe either
her eyes or her ears
Nothing, in fact, had any effect upon
her; she loved him, and loved him passion
ately with all the obstinacy as well as
weakness of an enamored heart.
Then the duenna attacked the mighty
Mollah, and what she to Id him he would
a.. l. L. IL
the state Of his digestion, the caprices Of
his humor, the wind. the moon or his last
nights dream. He had thoroughly
studied the ways of the world
and the incorrigible inconsistencies
of the human heart, and New
that the Beyzades, no matter
whether saints or sinners, were bound to
amuse themselves always; he would
certa inly never make it an affair Of state.
But thy daughter, Sidi, thy daughter.
Arzie, will die Of chayrin," the duenna
would urge upon him craftily, unless
she marries the man she loves"
What my daughter die! Never; l
won't allow it. She shall do as she pleases
first"
But thou hast forgotten, Sidi, that he
is an unbeliever, a man of wickedness
and without religion. What will the peo-
pie Think"
True, too true, thou worthy, faithful
servant! Gambler shall never be my SON
In law"
And thus five years rolled by. The
world knew not what TO think OF this long
affair and the lovers themselves were al
most crazy. But at last the day came
when the Mollah had been ordered on
his pilgrimage TO Mecca and the duenna
took advantage of it.
Wrapped in a flowing burnous and
amazingly gotten up in costume, she
went TO visit Gambler and to reason him
out of his infatuation.
Thou lowest doll baby" she said per-
in tone half fig, half raisin,
"and believe that she returns it. Know
then, on, gracious Gambler, that Arzie
thinks as little OF thee as she does of the
high priest Of Ouroms, whom the Giaours
call the pope; besides, her father has affi-
snced her TO the son of the Cheik -Ulislam
Of Mecca, a noble hey whom she loves as
the apple of her eye. l led thee to think that
she returned thy love to punish thee for