New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-09
THE BALLID or THE KINGS JEST

From Macmlan's Magazine.
When sprngtimc Aushc~ the desert grass
our kana~ wind through the klNbcr fass'
Lean are the camels but fat the irail,,
Light are the purses but heavy The bales, ,..,
\, ia" .noWhodnd trade OF the Norlh comes uo"h
To the market square oi Fc'Ia"ui ioNH'
In a turquoise twilight crisp and chm
hafla campcd AT the foot of th" mn
THEN blue smoic haze OF the cooking rose,
And the p,clcfcd ponic, ~has and Wild.
strained at their ropes a, the feed was piled;
And the bUbbling Camcl- beside Inc loau
And the Persian pi>'} .a,-. bronEht for saic'
And The trlbc,men beloved To hasten the food;
And the campfire, twindrd by Fort JumroHd
And there fled on the wings of the gathering uuSh
4 SAVIOUR 81 camcls and carpet, and ma>h'
\ murmur of voices. rcch Of smoke
10 tell lis the trade Of the khyncr woke
The lid Of the cshpot chartered h2h'
The knives were whctjcI and-;hcn came
To Mahbub All. the mu'otccr.
Patching his bride, and counting his gear,
Crammcd with the gossip Of half a year
Rct I% is p S WI When Tl'q ro Belly is fed
50 we plunged the hand to the ma . %t1-t dcCp
And he who never hath tasted the food
by Allah ho lmowcth not bad from sooo'
We clcanScd our beard, oil the mutton grease.
We lay On the mat and were filed Win PSac SGot,
W NH the thc siding G s ppY o from ' Inc Rooah MOUTH
-Four things greater than all thing are
Ne spaEe Of item all tnt the last the most
For sought word Of Russian post,
OF a Shlity promise. ln@hc1ln'n @WoIu,
And grey coat guard the l'lhuhd loIu'
Then Mahhub All lowered his cN'~
In the fashion of one Who Is weaving hcN'
Quoth he: "Of the Russians who can say
When the night is gathering all is grey a.,
u we look that the gloom Of the night sha' ole
In the morning flush Of blood red shy.
Friend Of my heart, is 1t meet or Wise
To king ~ hi, enemies
We know what Heaven or Hell may bring'
Hut no man knowcth the mind of tho king.
That uuSoueht counsel j, cuI.ed OF tod
Aucstcth the story Of Wall Dad.
His sire was lcaly Of tongue and pen,
iii, dam wa, oluchius KhuttucN hen;
And the colt bred close 10 the vice 81 each.
For ne carried the curse Of an un~tauuchcd speech
ThcrwitL nadine that he sought
The favor Of hin-~ AT the CAhuI ''ult'
And travelled. n hope Of honor FAR TN. arc
To The line Whcr" the srcy coat -qn"dron' are
There have ioLrucycd too-hut !
saw nau-nt said uau-ht, aud-did not die. .s
lie hcirl,cd 10 rumor. and -nal'h'd AZ a breath
Of mis- one lnowc'l' and that one saith
LC~cnd> That ran from mouth To- "o nI tno south
These have also heard th"N p1-~
with ca,h new spring and the winter grass
Hot foot -outnward. f,lsoticn Of cod.
Bach TO ihc C.ty ran Wall Dad,
Even - Cabu in fan duI6ar -..., 10. va,
Into the pros of thr ,o"d hc broke.
And what he had heard Of the coming spoke.
Then Gholam Hydcr. the Red cldcf. smiled,
\, a mother might on hnbblng clild. -,
But those who would hu-u restrained their hreatN
Whom the face Of the kius showed dark a. DEATH
Evll D. i- iu fun duruar
10 cry o. a ruler of herring war
I Ii, I've ~ d ",ea rin s t ,Tye r ,,1
And he "ad TO the Loy: .Ilcy ~ian praise thy yea
- long q, the red -purt follow, tho steel
And the Rus is upou u.s. even now
Great B., tly prudrnCc-wait them. thon.
Watch from thc tree. Thou art Young and strong.
surely thy vigil i~ not or long.
The Rus j. upon u-. 81, clau"r RAM
surely an hour shall I'- lhc van.
Wait and watch when tlc host is near,
shout aloud that ny r..n may hear.
To warn a hing II DIS cncmc,i