New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-07
A MOSLEM STORY.
MARION CRAwFoRD's "KHALED."

"Khaed" has no analogy with that OF DIS hie0
story Not only Is the scene Of 10 Arabia, Dut Tue
whole tale Is Arabian and Moslem. Some Iltte
acquaintance with the religion OF the froPheN
indeed is presupposed in the reader. Jhe curtain
rises upon a prologue in Heaven, not in the least
suggestive of Goethe, however, for here we have
70 do only with one of the seven heavens through
which, according TO the Traditions, Mohammed
passed in one night, though the distance between
each of these abodes of bliss is 500 years jour
new. The necessity for this celestial introduction
is Immediately apparent for the hero Of the story IS
one of the good Jim, those non-human spirits with
whose doinCs the Thousand and One Nights
has familarized the reading world. Now, there
are good Jim and bad; the former being those
who were converted TO the faith of Islam by hear
ing the Prophet read the Koran on a certain oc-
casion But good or bad, alf the Jim are doomed
70 humiliation when Gabriel sounds the first blast
Of his trumpet on the great day Of the Resur-
rection: and as, like the Teutonic Kobolds, the
linn are without SOULS Of course that Is the
final end of them. Whether Mr.. Crawford has
found in the Tradition any warrant for the mo-
tive of Khaled," we are unable to soy, but he
has certainly In that case come upon an exact
paralel to the German legend. The Kobold, as
is well known, might earn a soul for himself by
winning the love Of Christian woman. In pre-
csely similar fashion Allah DEGREES that the Jim
Khaled shall be promoted to all the rights and
privileges Of humanity if he can win the love
of good Moslem woman.
He has first, however, to be changed into the
semblance of a man, or rather he has first to
become man, but a soulles man for the nonce !;
and pending the issue Of his enterprise, he Is IN
a parlous condition. being liable to all the dangers
that threaten mere man. and being foredoomed 10
humiliation without any day of grace IN the
event of an accident. How the man-Jinn fares
forth, after having had his name entered on the
Book Of Life by Asrael, the Angel of Death how
he enters Rad, the Arabian city, with nothing
but horse, sword and the clothes on his
back: and how from these small beginnings he
pushes his way until he is Sultan of Nejed and the
husband Of the fair Zehomah, Mr.. Craw-
ford narrates with all his graphic
skill and picturesque detail. He tells
the story. moreover, in genuine Oriental
STYLE. and never has that style been more cleverly
and thoroughly initiated, if we except the neces-
safy and happy omission of the Oriental gross
ness which is the hallmark of Barbarism. Nothing
could be better done than this, and there is posi-
tive genius in the adaptability and versatility
which the task involves No pains have been
spared in securing the true local color and at
mosphere The hand of the skilled and conscien-
tious artist is visible at every turn, and while
perhaps only such as are we'll acquainted with the
literary style and method Of the true Oriental
romance can fully appreciate the difficulties of
such an undertaking, every intelligent reader
must be capable Of recognizing the dizziness and
verisimilitude of the production.
The main interest centres in the efforts Of
Khaled to make his beautiful wife love him. She
is like that Fair vestal throned by the west, at
whose breast Cupid aimed his shafts in vain.
Adonis, wooed by Venus, could not have Knocked
at the unknown and mysterious thing or attribute
called love, more ingenerously than does Zehomah.
Poor Khaled, who loves her passionately, and who
has so tremendous a stake depending upon her
return of his affection, is of course in pitiful
case, and more than once loses heart and is
tempted to renounce the apparently impossible
task. Indeed, it does seem rather an unfair bur-
den to lay upon poor lately materialized Jim
to demand from him the solution of a problem
which man, with all his opportunities, and cons
of time, has thus failed to deal with satisfactorily
namely, the understanding of woman and Khaled
moreover Is confessedly person whose wit is in
his right hand, and not in his head. Thus
the contest is terribly unequal, but the
feminine mystery presents this advantage at least
that it is never felt to be necessary to show
sons for anything the SphynX sex may do when
Love is in question. Galatea in the marble
was not more inaccessible to tender sentiments
than the fair Zehomah up to the most critical
point In fact she is on the point of-but there,
we will not spoil the pleasure Of our readers in
the story ITSELF and it must suffice to say that
this whole experience is described with rare mas
terry of psychologist phenomena and delicate
sprightliness Of q high order
L i Il.
the episode Of Abdullah. From beginning TO end
this episode is full of the truest Orientalism The
genesis of the revolutionary plot started in the
tent of q Bedouin by the malice and revengeful
feeling of sighted woman; the propagation of
the design among the sheikhs of the desert tribes
the starting of the counter-plot and particularly
the character and details Of that design; the car
ryng Of it out by the Sheikh of the Beggars and
his followers, and the concluding scene-each AMI
all exhibit a profound knowledge of Oriental
nature, habits and points of view. Nothing
could be more fatal TO an intending usurper in
the East than ridcule. No Oriental revolution
can or ever could stand the hostile force Of laugh
ter The Sheikh of the Beggars, therefore, took
an infallible way Of neutralizing Abdullah. Such
a method would not have at all the same effect
upon Western community. 1t might there work
the other way, and through the force of sympathy
help instead OF hurting the object made ridiculous
But the Oriental considers whatever happens as
the thing which had to happen; as preordained for
all time and 50 when a person whose success de-
ponds upon exciting fear succeeds only in being
ludicrous, it is all over with him from that mo.
ment And though to the reader ignorant OF
Eastern ways it may seem that it would have been
quite as easy and less cumbersome to get rid of
Abdulah in what is generally believed to be the
Oriental practice-namely. by sword or bowstring
Mr.. Crawford's choice Of eXpedients is proof of
bis thorough understanding of the people ne was
dealing with. To kill q man without trial would
be to an orthodox Mosem most flagitiouS offence,
and the humor of the hunchbock's proposition
would be sure to appeal strongly TO such frater-
nifty as the Beggars.
We can think of but one modern book which dis
plays anything like the mastery Of Oriental char
acteristics to be found in Khalcd," and that is
George Meredith's Shaving Of Shagpat.' The