Arizona republican., 1891-06-04

nary occurred. Seeing his expectancy the aged man continued:
 "The followers of the good man Jesus, whom the Christians believe, and the worshipers of the stars and moon, and the clements, and other works and do- ings of the one and only God--for there is but one God, and Moharnmed is his prophet--have images beautiful to be- hold, yet far from the handiwork of the creator. To us is forbidden such im- ages. Would you fill the structure you have built with more wonderful images, beyond the construction or understand ing of mankindY'
 ''I would! I wouldr' exclaimed the prince, delighted with the expectation.
 "Tho power is in your hand," an- swered the strange visitor, and vanished.
 For several minutes the prince stood as if awakened from dream. But not long, for just at that moment Q young girl, a favorite with the prince, came on tiptoe behind him. Noiselessly, us the soft breeze that scarce moved the dark hair that fell uncontrolled over her white shoulders, she crept up, and was about to clasp her small hands over his eyes, when the prince, seeing the shadow, and excited by the strange visitor who had just left him, wheeled suddenly around, and in doing so touched the laughing girl with his staff.
 As Q statue of the whitest marble, she stood before him.
 As the prince stood wondering at the magic power of the apparently common place staff, courier approached in all haste with message from a distant province governed by very dear friend of Prince Ali.
 The bPeathless messenger fell on his face before the prince, and after salam- ing after the manner of the day and re, covering breath enough to speak, he begged the pardon of the prince for first exacting promise of secrecy in regard to the matter upon which ho had been sent, it being his masters special order.
 In his anxiety the prince raised the hand that held the staff and placed it on the shoulder of the exhausted messenger, and he, too, was marble.
 AS the days went by the palace filled with strange images, and the possessol of the wonderful staff began to long fol the supernatural donor. The possession of his gift began to be weight, and each image added to the palace was a weight added to the burden of its ruler Still the longed for visitor came not.
 At last, when the prince was almost driven to madness, his strange visitor again appeared. Before he could ask q question of the descendant of the great Mahmoud the staff was thrust into hi; hands and he was prayed by the memory of the great leader to restore to life tht silent images that, instead of adorning cast gloom over the palace.
 "Is that not beautifulg' asked tn, strange visitor, pointing to the figure O the mischievous girl favorite. "Lool at the grace, the smile almost bursting into laughter"
 "It is beautiful, most beautiful" an swered the prince, "but her laugh would be to me more beautiful than all."
 "And thatw exclaimed the aged man "Look how natural that courier is abou to relate his message"
 "Most natural, most natural" sigheC the prince, but the unspoken message is locked in that marble breast"
 To several others the strange visitoI drew the shrinking prince, and com nented on the peculiar beauty of each But the prince could not be diverted from the melancholy that possessed him
 "Take them away! Take them away!' exclaimed the prince. "Leaye my pal ace as it was and will be happy. per fectly happy"
 "Be it as you say" answered the aget man, "and profit by the lesson"
 There was a slight rustic in the court of the palace, and when it passed al was as it had been; even the strange wis itor himself was gone.
 The palace of Prince Ali of Bagda' stood for ages as it was erected, excep this inscription over the main entrance ALI, SON OF ABULFEDA, TO THE PRINCES OF THE WORLD.
 There is no pleasure where the happiness o a fellow creature Is endangered; nor is ther loveliness in anything where there Is eithe | adding to or taking from the handiwork of tn Most High God.
 Donald R. MacGregor in New Yorl Newa