Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-10
HAGAR'S TEAR.


pire Of Morocco. was sleeping the sleep Of
the just.
His bed was made upon mat Of Fass,
soft and warm, and his head 1osed upon
pillow embroidered with gold. for the
jeweler of the cruel sultan was rich and
Of great renown-
''kaddour slept sleep calm and happy,
through which, as the hours wore on, ran
beautiful and blissful dream. He
dreamed il this beautiful dream that an
angel had descended TO him from the
country of Allah TO demand Of him hun
dred thousand collars of pearls, emeralcs,
topazes and rubies. with which to clasp
the graceful threats of the hours, whose
sight rejoiced the eyes Of the saints and
the elect il the Blessed Dejemaa, the
Mohamme6an paradise.
'Au at once. through the silence Of
the night. rude.y dispelling this wonder
ful vision. voice called to him:
4" 'haddourl kaddour- Ben-Aiebp
And the jeweler, still delivered over
TO his beautiful dreaming, Ieaped to his
feet, crying aloud.
Yes, Lord, yesl Is it thou who caIlest
neT
But as he opened his eyes and saw
nothing but his chamber filed with q
strange aad binding radiance, he began
- tremble convulsively and his teeth to
chatter Il his head.
- Fear nothing, cried the voice again;
fear nothing, Jeweler kaddour- Ben ieb.
! an the king of the Genii, created Of
subtle fire. as thou knowest from the
teachings of the Koran, and it was | who
sent thee the dream thou hast had to pre-
pare thee for my coming Thy renown
hath come even 10 me. l hear thou art an
Incompatible artist; that none can equal
thee in the arranging OF rare gems and
precious metals, and that the works that
come from thy hands are veritable mas
tergieces Of art and skill
1 am unworthy, o, Seigneurp cried
haddoUr. humbly prostrating himself be-
fore the spot whence the voice sounded,
and striking the earth with his brow, 1
an unworthy Of thy hattering eulogies:
an but a poor jeweler, the last of the
workers Of my profession
g Thy humility pleases me, replied the
King Of the Genii, and bat adds another TO
the virtues have heard of thee. have
come, however, 10 give an order that must
be executed Immediately for a collar Of
fine pearls of the greatest purity. Show
NE thy stock.
"Kaddour hurried to obey, going with
all diligence to open his Golfers, closed by
triple locks, and to spread before the
royal customer his stores Of gems and
metals.
- BAH and the king-for by this tine
the voice had become a handsome and
knightly personGge-made face OF dis
appointment, they are not what l wish;
have you nothing better to show me?'
- No, my lord, said haddour, the sweat
of despair Inoistening his brow; nothing
else than these which l use in my WORK
for the sultan
humphl the sultanl Ny collar must
surpass the sultan's, and be made of pearls
from human tears, Flawlessly pure at that,
and sincere; none OF those that run from
anger, envy, jealousy or malice
Alas, my lOrdH responded the jew
eler, all Disconnected, / an ready to do
thy bidding. but how shall recognize il
the tears thou hast directed NE to collect
for thee have the requisite purity, and
even when | have recognized them, how
arrange them into pearls for a collarP
Readily; take thisP handing Had
ioUr 3 tiny whitisn pebble 1t is the
tombstone OF human sorrow and tears.
Every time thou approaches . tear. if
that tear be pure, it viii change into q
perfect pearl; if impure, into a drop of
mud, black and nauseous. Get thee to
work at once, for tomorrow night | re-
turn for my collar and also to see if thou
hast the address and SILL that hast been
lscribed thee.
Saving this. the king of the Genii
faded from sight, leaving haddour- Ben
Aieb open mou1ked with astonishment
from ali that he had seen and heard
But how, he pondered. how shall
[ 90 about getting these tears 10 form
ms collarY and suddenly the idea came
20 him. He lighted his lamp, seated him
,elf II his table and began to compose a
humber Of placards, when completed run
,ing thus:
''Kaddour- Ben Aieb,
Jeweier Of the sultan.
Purchases human tears
dO1ro apiece
THE first pink rays OF the morning were
howinS themselves upon the horizo. as
lie work Of distributing the plGcards il
~ the public squares and mailing them
% the walls OF the houses was ended.
lie returned to his dwelling then as hastily
IS he had left it, TO make his additions.
say his prayers and seat himself cross
egged on the bench of his bouti9ue to
await the result OF his proclamation
'Soon-for he did not wait long, you
nay be sure-from al parts Of the city
the people began 10 come. first in twos
md threes, then IN hundreds, jostlinS
Nd c-Gw6jaS TO his dwelling; Spaniards,
Maltese, Italians, Moors. Arabs, habyleS
md Jews: merchants, mechanics, fisher
nea, slaves aud even usurers--a crowd
hat swayed and muruured Ike the sea
before that queer, enhancing announce
nent- A douro for each single tear would
make the poorest wealthy
AT last q usurer, well known for
svarice. bad faith and hardness Of heart,
sPurred by cUpidity, advanced TO the
bouique-
g Is it true, Kaddour.' said he. that
thou payest douro apiece for tears?'
- 1t is true; but know well, o Levi
Abraham, ii case thine eyes ere still
capable Of furnishing them, that the tears
purchase must be pure, otherwise taAe
them not
The usurer hesitated little. but van
quisaed By his greed OF gain, entered
finally sud seated himself beside the ne--
chant. Nevertheless his ewes were drv,
and had been dry since childhood. for q
thousand sorrows ard pains, even per.
solal ones, hai been uaable 20 move lin.
In truth. be WIS ignorant CT how 20 CT.
but TO bring the tears forwhich he longed
struggled with al his might. pincn1as
himself in the tenderest places, tearing
bis hair and making s hundred useless
grinzces. to the delight Of the crowd
always increasing on the outside. In de-
fault Of other sentiments, rage snd
despair a hast had the desired effect.
Two drops Of moisture spc-kled upon his