Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-10-02
THE WIFE OF ILYAS.
Wherein Prosperity Ia q Bane and
Adversely q Blessing.

In the province Of Uflm there lived q
Bashkirian named llyas He came from
poor parents, and his fEther died when
Ilyas had been married scarce a year. The
possessions of Ilyas then con sisted Of seven
horses, two cows and twenty sheep. But
like good husbandman lie knew how TO
increase his stock. He and his wife worked
from morning till night; they rose earlier
and went to rest later than the others, and
grew richer every year. For FIVE and thirty
years they were very diligent and so gained
great riches.
At length Ilyas possessed 200 horses, $50
head OF cattle and |, 200 sheep. He had men
TO care for his herds, and maidservants to
milk the animals and make butter, cheese
and koumiss. Ilyas had abundance Of every
thing, and he was envied In all the country
round about. "a happy man, this HyaS,"
people said "he has an abundance Of every
thing; he has no need to long for death"
Men Of rank sought his acquaintance, and
esteemed 1t an honor 70 have intercourse
with nyas.
From great distances guests came to him,
and he received them ali Hospitality and
entertained them freely with meat and
drink. Whoever came found koumiss and
tea, and sherbet and mutton on Ilyas' table.
As soon as guests arrived a sheepwas made
ready, or perhaps two-and IL great num-
bers Of guests came many animals were
killed.
Ilyas had two sons and a daughter, who
were all married. While Hyas was poor
his children worked with him and tended
the focks but when he had grown rich the
sons became frivolous and gave themselves
10 strong drink. The elder was killed in
brawl, and the younger, who had taken o
naughty wife, would not obey his father, so
that uyas was compelled TO establish u
separate household for him. He gave him
house, cattle and all that he required, and
thereby diminished his own wealth con-
Siderably.
Soon thereafter the fiocks Of Ilyas were
afflicted with plague, which carried of
many of them. Then came a year Of famine,
the grass came to naught, no hay was gath
cred, and many cattle persisted in the win
ter And then the Kirghis stole Ilyas' best
horses from the plains, so that his property
was again much diminished. Affairs went
ever worse with Ilyas, and his strength
was growing less year by year. And as he
neared his three score and ten he had TO sell
his skins and rugs, his horses ana saddles;
then it came to his last COW, and one day he
possessed nothing more. Almost before he
knew it every thing was gone, and in his
old age he and his wife must seek service
among strangers. Nothing was left to him
but the clothing on his body, a skin, q cap,
shoes, and his wife, Sham-Shemaghi, who
was likewise old, His son that he had fur
nished had gone away into far land, his
daughter was dead, and there remained no
one TO help the old people.
But one neighbor, named Mukhameds hakh,
had compassion on them both. Neither poor
nor rich, Mukhamedshakh lived simply
4 Ha Aa-
how formerly Ilyas had been good neigh.
Dor, and he said to him;
Come, thou and thy wife can live with
me. AS far as thy strength will allow thou
mayest labor in the Geld, and In the winter
oanst feed the flocks. And Sham-ShemRghi
can milk and make koumise. ] will feed and
clothe you, and when you shall need any
thing else only tell me and will provide
for you"
Ilyas thanked his neighboF and lived with
his wife among Mukhamedshakh's servants
At first it seemed hard TO them, but after
little they became accustomed to the new
life, lived contentedly, and worked accord
Ing 70 their strength. The host found II
profitable to have such laborers, for the old
people had been masters themselves and
understood all kinds Of work But when
Mukhamedshakh saw them thus Rt work be
had pity in his heart that they who had
Soared so high should have fallen so low.
It happened that there came one time te
MukhamedS hakh's house guests from afar,
the chief of whom sought the daughter in
marriage. And the mollah had come
with the others. Northumberland told
Ilyas TO kill a sheep; llyaa obeyed the com
mand, prepared the meat and brought IT TO
the guestA The guests ate of the hesh,
drank tea Herewith, and then commenced
on tho koumlss. Hosts aud guests sat on
mats and down cushions, drank koumiss
from bowls and conversed, while Ilyas
worked diligently about the house and yard.
As he passed by the door Mukhamedshakh
perceived him and said to his visitor:
''Sawest thou the old man who went by
the door just nowP'
81 saw him." replied the guest; ''what IL
there strange about himn
IsThere is this which is peculiar. The old
man was once the richest In all the country
about here; Ilyas is his name; mayhap thou
hast heard Of himn
"AsSuredly," replied the guest; "hiS
fame has come even to US"
"Yeal and now there remains nothing OF
h,s wealth. He dwells with me as q Serv-
ant, and his wife also with him-she miiks
the animals"
The guest was astonished, smacked Win
us lOnHuC, AhN ooAO'
zone can see by that how fortune turns.
Like the arms Of a wheel, one rises up and
another is thrown down. Does he bemoan
his ill-fate, the old manr
"Who can tellf He lives peacefully and
uucomplainingly, and labors diligently" re
piled Nukhamedshakh.
MAY one speak with hint" asked tht
guest. II would inquire Of him about hii
life"
"Ask him, If thou be so minded" said tho
host Then he called out londly:
"Babaii (Which in Bashkirian means lit
tie father) come in here and drink koumiSs
with US, and call thou the woman, also"
nyas came with his wife. saluted master
and guests, said a prayer, and sat down
upon q stone near the door. But Shan
Shemaghi went behind the curtain and
seated herself by the hostess.
They handed Ilyas q bowl Of koumiss; he
bowed himself before the guests and host,
drank a little OF the koumiss and set the
bowl aside
snow, Babai, tell us, pray (the guest ad.
dressed him(. ia thy heart thou must be sad
TO see us here thus, and to think on thy
former life-how thou then vast happy but
livest now in povertyp
nyas smiled and said;
'Were to tell thee my thoughts concern.
ing prosperity and adversely, thou
would'st not believe me, Ask, therefore
rather my old wife; she Is q woman; what
che has in her heart the same has che also