Milford chronicle., 1888-05-11

During the conversation which followed
we fwere able to examine more closely the
personal appearance Of the man who had con-
centrated upon himself for a brief space the
attention Of the whole world. His complex
ion especially where the cap had covered his
forehead was surprisingly fair for an Egyp-
tian, the color Of the skin being not whit
darker than that Of many an Englishman
after year or two in this burning climate.
His high stature and powerful frame inn
parted a certain dignity to his appearance at
first sight which was Darred on a closer in
spection by the nerveless limpness Of all his
movements The slight sternness given to
his eyes by the large, overhanging eyebrows
was utterly belied by the heavy placidity Of
the lower face, broadening toward the jaw,
and framed in a short, thick, iron gray
beard. To all outward appearance he might
have been an English trader a German
savant, a rich half caste-anything, in short,
except what he really was. Neither in his
face, bearing, nor voice was there anything
to remind US that we were standing in the
presence OF man who had once been the
hero of a war, at whose bidding had been
layished thousands Of lives and millions Of
treasure, and whose hand had clutched at
and well nigh seized the scepter Of the
Pharaohs.
His appearance certainly gained nothing
by his adoption Of that uncomely European
dress to which so many Orientals unaccount-
ably sacrificed their own picturesque and
graceful garh, always losing incidentally by
the exchange. The pasha's costume consisted
of loose morning coat Of light gray, white
vest and shirt, fawn colored trousers, white
stockings and black leather shoes with
rosettes His cuffs were fastened with cats
eyen sleeve buttons, and on his right hand he
wore a large gold ring set with a fine moon
stone. But although no fault could be found
with the clothes themselves, they were mani-
testify out Of keeping with the man who wore
them. "Tm very glad to see your garden
looking so fresh and green" said I, as we
seated ourselves, ''for it must be very hot
here Just now.n "Plenty hot answered
Arab, "but much rain, too. This last week
we have rain every day-plenty RAIN 80
had we in the Indian ocean, and very tired
Of it we were. However, it keeps the trees
and shrubs fresh if it does nothing else
Those are very pretty leaves that you've got
growing there along the front Of the YER
anda.n "Yes, very niee,n assented the
pasha "Wait, pick you some.n And in
trice he had filed Mrs. Ker's hands with
splendidly marked croton leaves, one OF
which had twisted itself so closely and
strongly into a spiral coil that it was no easy
matter to straighten it out "Strange leaf
that said Arabi pointing 20 it with the
nearest approach to a laugh Of which an
Egyptian is capable. "He look just like
hair See how he twist roundn
Just at that moment we caught sight Of
the dusky faces and sparkling eyes Of two
tiny girls (probably the pasha's children by
Cingalese wives who were poeping at US
from behind the screen Of mating that
masked the doorway leading from the YER
anda into the house Both seemed rather
shy Of us Just at first, but after a little recon-
the elder of the two for the
younger could not be persuaded to approach)
came forward and made friends with US
readily enough twined one Of the croton
leaves around her black hair in a kind Of
fillet, and the little woman seemed consider
ably amused at her new decoration. ''They
rather frightened of stranger observed the
pasha with a smile, land yet they see plenty
Of them.n "Yes; l suppose you have a good
MANY visitors here.n "Yes; whenever ship
come in, great many people come to sec me.
This morning plenty come; plenty lady
come too.n
Not a single allusion did Arab make to
the events which have connected his name
so inseparably with the history of Egypt,
and we naturally shrank from touching upon
a subject which must necessarily be a sore
one to him On other points he was more
expressing freely enough his
iiscontent with the climate Of Colombo,
which had proved far too damp for his
health after the proverbial dryness of East
Africa, and had already inflicted upon him
d chronic rheumatism, as was abundantly
evident from hisstif and painful movements.
He also told US that one Of his sons-whom
We afterward met in the course Of an after
loon drive-was living not far from him,
lut that the rest Of his children were in Egypt.
We all rose to take our leave, but our de- |
)arture was delayed for a few moments by |
he sudden appearance of a native servant |
)earing a small silver tray, on which stood |
our tall tumblers filed to the brim with |
emon sherbet sweetened with Egyptian |
ugar. The ladies contented themselves with |
tipping the mixture, which did not seem |
much to their taste; but the doctor and |
Trained our tumblers to the last drop, greatly |
o the satisfaction of Arab himself, who ap- |
,eared pleased when l reminded him that the /
ugar of Egypt has the name of being the .
weetest in the world.-David Ker's Ceylon |
letter in New York Times.