Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-07-06

come this way" As he spoke a youth of
pleasant countanance, riding on a camel,
| with his mouth uncovered, came slowly
toward them. ''Oh, young man." cried
Hanna, as if obeying a sudden inspiration,
| thou contest from unknown lands over
| wonderful regions. Perchance thou canst
tell me of the Whispering TreeF 1T is at
| Kama replied the youth, striking with his
| heel the neck of his camel and causing it to
/ turn out of the line and stop; land what my
| father, is the reason of thy curiosity!'. '''Tis
a long story" replied Hanna; but if thou
wilt alight and repose thyself after thy ia
| tiGue | Will relate it to thee" The young
man leaped down and called to black man
who had followed him on foot to take care of
the camel, and entered the garden with tue
| two old men.
| When he had heard the story of the mer-
chant the young stranger said: My story
is similar to thine, oh, my father Thou art
| seeking what thou hast perhaps never seen
| am seeking what has only appeared To me
| i'll vision. | come not of the Muthelameen
| OF A,daz. Ny father was a merchant of
| Egypt, who Travelled with me into the land
| of Talebs, of wise men and magicians, and
dying, left me there child Now it hap
pened n year ago that l dreamed dream
and 10! maiden of surprising beauty came
and bent over me like lily over pool of
| sleeping water; bent and bent until her lips
swept my temple and awoke tremulous as
after kiss of love. | stretched my arms in
| the darkness, but there was nothing: | called
my slave, who came with light, and there
was nothing Then l knew that | had
| dreamed, and turned upon my pillow again
| and sought 10 return to the country which
| | had quilted Soon | slept again aud the
same maiden appeared-but this time afar
| off-beckoning me to follow. / endeayored
| to rise, but my limbs had lost their vigor
| struggled, but in vain The earth drew me
| still closer to it until burst away into con-
| sciousness, and found myself trembling in the
bed. From that time | pined for love of the
maiden of my dream, and naught would CON
tent me. My friends at first laughed and
Knocked, but when became in truth sick and
pale and unable 10 rise from the bed-unable
| and unworthy for whenever | slumbered the
same form of beauty apprehension drew
lear to the gates of death they brought to
me u wise man, who inquired into my case
| and smiled when he heard what had befallen.
saying;
The remedy Is not easy; for the road is
| long and there are dangers by the way But
| if thou hast courage, thou wilt hear what thou
| wishest murmuring amidst the leaves of the
Whispering Tree" He then told me that this
tree was situated ut place called Kama, in
khorassan, beyond Persia instantly sold
all my goods and prepared 10 depart with a
caravan that was bound for Tripoli; after we
had Travelled month we came to a country
where there was war, and we were com
PEELED to traverse the regions of Thibet and
the Haronj mountains, and the Wahs, and TO
travel through many disasters To Egypt
This is the reason why we have met; and
now it will be better for us both to Journey
together in search of this wonderful tree
When Hanna heard what this young man
said, that Kama was in the country of Kho-
rassan beyond Persia he doubted not but
that he should hear there some news of the
lost Lisbet and her child. He therefore re-
solved to depart in company with the young
man, whose name was Georges. although the
prudent Malek objected 10 his great age and
the possibility of danger and death In few
/ 'hts.,NS, the worthy merchant had closed his
money and a case Of jewelsd Wit With purse of
company the love lorn GorgeS
| The narrative need not trace their timer
| airy. Many months elapsed ere the Young
and the old traveer-the toys of love and
| parental affection were wandering, dis
| guised in humble raiment, through the wilds
of khorassan, asking of the rare people they
/ met for "A place called Kama Nobody
seemed able 10 give them any intelligence
The place was a place unknown. They began
| to think they were the victims of delusion.
and when they had passed several years in
the vain search, it is said that they became. as
it were, mad. They thought and talked of
nothing but the Whispering Tree of Kama
The people in the villages and the encamp-
ment knew them the strange questioners
| and pitied their case and instead of harming
| them whenever they met them on the road
| would cry, Has there any news been heard
| by ye, q melancholy searchersi o father
| q b~otheri has the unknown place been made
| knownt Has the secret been revealed n
Thus they continued wearying the desert
| with constant going TO and fro, until Hanna
| became IA bent shadow, and the youth grew
| TO be IA bearded man
Ii happened one evening as they were
| going throu IA mountainous country which
they had not hitherto trodden, far on the
| way to Bokhara, they came to small valley
locked IN the embrace of rugged rocks. Its
| surface was like "a green emerald Grass and
| shrubs and trees and flowers spread to the
| feet of perpendicular cliffs. A silver stream
| wound here and there, as if unwilling to leave
~ pleasant IA spot, and at last gathered into a
small lake without apparent issue The two
wayfarers expected to find village where
they might pass the night But there was no
| sign OF human habitation The night began
| balmlly; the stars shone warmly; there was
| scarcely any breeze, and the little that blew
was warm and fragrant as the breath of wo-
man Hanna and Georges lay down under
the shadow of tree and slept rs the travel
| weary alone can sleep.
| They hnth dreamed N Jraon, 9 l.no,x, Z.
was The tree above their heads began to
wave and wave its boughs; murmurs seemed
to creep from every leaf; there was a hum
and a buzz, as if swarm of bees was settling
overhead; and by degrees a chorus of small
voices seemed to sing: This is Kama, Kama,
| kamal Go no farther, but tarry here Rest
| and peace will find you; for this is Kama
Kama, Kamaw
All night long the same melody refreshed
| their ears, and an evil spirit, who bent over
| them intending to do them wrong fed away:
for, on seeing their smile of happiness, he said
| to himself; THAT is the smile of the angels
| of Godr
The birds were singing when the old man
and the young awoke The name of Kama
was still ringing in their ears; and it seemed
as II the thrush that had come to perch in
| the boughs overhead was repeating it, Sud
uenly n clear, sweet voice sounded over the
| meadow, and the wayfarers beheld maiden
with jar upon her head, tripping lightly
| along pathway that passed near them and
led to the stream. She was singing, and the
burden of her song was, Fair is the valley
of kamap Hanna turned up his eyes with
gratitude toward the Whispering Tree; but
Gorges kept gazing intently at the maiden.
His dream stood before him embodied.
The maiden of Kama was alarmed at first
at the aspect of strangers; but they soon con-
trived to reassure her, and bidding them wait
until she returned from the stream, she prom
ised to conduct them to her dwelling They
waited accordingly, and following her steps,
which she made slow out of respect to the