Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-01-10

piled Mukhamedshakh.
''May one speak with himl" asked the
guest ~ would inquire Of him about his
lifeY & Z
~ aAsk him, IL thou be 50 minded, ~ said the
host. Then he called out loudly:
"Babail (which in Bashkirian means lit
tie father) come in here and drink koumiss
with us, and call thou the woman, also"
uyas came with his wife, saluted master
and guests, said a prayer, and sat down
upon stone near the door. But Sham
Shemaghi went behind the curtain and
seated herself by the hostess.
They handed nYas a bowl of koumiss he
bowed himself before the guests and host,
drank little of the koumiss and set the
bowl aside.
Snow, Babai, tell us, pray (the guest ad-
dressed him), In 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 povertyW S54
Ilyas smiled and said:
"Were 1 to tell thee my thoughts concern
ing prosperity and adversely, thou
wouldst not believe me. Ask, therefore,
rather my old wife; she is woman; what
she has in her heart the same has she also
on her lips. She will answer thee truly
and according to her best knowledge"
Then the guest said, as he turned toward
the curtain
SNOW then, little grandmother, tell me
what thou thinkest concerning thine earlier
fortune and thy present misfortune"
And Sham-Shemaghi behind the curtain
began:
Hear what think respecting the same.
lived with the old man fifty wears; we
sought for happiness and found it not. But
now, within year, and since nothing is
left to us at all, and as we have to serve
strangers-now we have found true happi-
ness and want no other"
Then were all the guests astonished, and
also the host with them. The latter arose
and withdrew the curtaif that-they might
see the old woman. But Sham-Shemaghi
stood there with folded hands and looked at
her old man and the latter smiled. And she
proceeded: ,-. ~
II speak seriously, and not lightly. For
half hundred years we sought for happi-
ness, but found it nowhere as long as we
were rich. Nothing is now left to us, we
live with the servants, and have found so
much joy that we need no othef at alL', 4.
t'And wherein may be found your pres
ent happiness!"
"1hat l will tell thee. When we were
rich we had not an hour Of rest, could not
speak with each other, could not think of
our souls nor pray to God, we had so many
cares. When guests came to visit us we
took much pains to entertain them sump-
tuously, and to give them goodly presents
that after they were gone they should not
speak i'll of us. After the guests had de-
parted we had the servants to see after
who lived too slothfully and neglected their
work; we had to keep our eyes ever open
that our property be not wasted and de-
had to scold and sin. Then we !
were in dread lest the wolves should devour
the calves, and lest thieves should get
among the focks andherds and drive them
away. If we laid down to sleep, we feared
that the sheep might crush the young lambs,
and so arose and went to the barns to care for
them. Scarce was the tending of the young
finished when the new care began-how we
were to provide hay for the winter. And
withal there were disputes between me and
the old man. He said 1T must be so' l |
said: 'So,' and harsh words were there, and |
no peace-but always sins. And so we
lived from care to care. from sin to sin, and
never saw quiet and happiness"
Nv ell, and now9"
Snow we stand clear with the Old One |
God, live together in harmony and love, |
nave nothing to dispute about, and no care
only to serve the host WELL We labor as
)ur SLrenRbl Will dLOW- WOl ht-"AS'A - VI
,hat the master may suffer no loss, but re- /
,eive gain. When we come IN dinner is
ready, supper is ready ,and koumiss is there,
loo. If we are cold, we gather dry chips
and twigs and make fire and skin (robe |
Or cloak is at hand We have time to speak
together, time to think of our souls, and
time to pray. Fifty long years we sought
for happiness, and have only found 1t now.
The guests began to laugh, and Ilyas
said:
Laugh not, my brothers, for this is no
lest, but the life of man. l was once so
foolish as to weep with the Old One over
the lost riches, but now God has revealed
the truth to us-and not for our own pleas
ure do we proclaim it to you, but for your
profit" Z 81
''Tnat. is very well spoken" said the
mollah. "Ilyas has spoken words OF truth
and in the word it is written So"
Then the guests ceased laughing, and be-
came thoughtful Count TolStol.