The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-07-20
CRUEL KINDNESS.
How mn EncisH Grnticnan Was Tortured
by a InrkIsh Iiand.


by "a Turkish Itand.
The Srrvians sire st,d to be the most
unmusirul paople In Europe. One
English traveller. NJ least. can give
emphatic testimony To that effect, from
an experience Of his own while visiting
the British Diplomatic Agent AT Bel
grade. 1t was some twenty years ago,
and the great garrison was In the
hands of the Turks commanded by u
worthy old P.,sha. Ali Ria. This per-
sonage, unfortunately, took fancy to
the Englisiman, and, after entertain
ing him ut the banquet. early next
morning sent - band. composed ~ mt
least forty musicians, 10 delight his
ears with some uf the National airs of
Turkey. The English Eifendi was
sleeping pcare nly when the hidenus
din of The ''Marrh cf Sultan Achmet"
burst upn1 his ears. He says:
"fhr first thnn ght that flashed across
my hrwihlcrtrl hr;, II. aa I started NJ
iu bed. was that | had been shot out of
gun of lar@e ciliber, the next. that
the end of all things was at hand
Collecting my scattered wits. Mt the
expiration of few hidcous seconds. |
got upon my feet, and staggered TO
the window. There they were. form
ing hollow douole circle. in the cen
ter of which stood the gorgeous band
master. lcading-with his hand in lieu
of a bdtoa-two score of swarthv, wiry,
deep-chested fellows. blowing. beating
and jingling at high pressure. and
looking rs IL they could go ON doing
MI these unnumbcred things for un-
counted hours. ! may say with truth
that had never entirely realized
what cymbals were capable of i'm
the way of poisoning human happiness
until heard that hand play; nor had
been aware that any tune could he
harmonized in such sort that its accom-
paniment should consist exclusively 81
discopls. Presently the band master.
looking upward in spasm of inspira-
tion brnnght ON l'y more than usually
deadly diSsOnance at that particular
moment the brasses were PLAYING sim
ultaneunsly in at least six different
keys caught sight OF my face ut the
window. Instantly lurid smile illum-
ined his tawny countenance; he waved
his hand more franticaily than before,
and spoke some words of power To his
bandsmen. the immediate result Of
which was an explosion of noise to
which their previous achievement in
that line had borne the relation of a
whisper To an eruption of Nesuvius. y
The Englishman was at that moment
visited by his host. who explained TO
1. H. 4. L..
that this fearful din would last for AT
least AN hour aud half; that etiquette
demanded that the recipient of the
compliment should remain in sight
during the entire period, and that he
should offer the band sum of money
equivalent to about twenty-five dollars
as bakSitsh
The next day the martyr-gue was
compelled 10 visit the Pasha, To thank
him for the in Isle, 'such." be en-
phatically and truthfully observed. las
he had never before heard nor dreamed
of in his life. y
You can not know how It rejoices
me that YOU should appreciate our
stirring melodies. y said the old Turk
his countenance beaming with delight.
You shall hear one or two of them
again now, and every morning they
shall greet your waking ears
So. to the visitors horror. the band
was again assembled. and his previous
torture repeated. The latter part OF
the Turks proposal, however, was not
carried out. for the Englishmnn left
Belgrade the next morning, literally
driven away. - HoU.i's Companion.