The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-12-24
Dead Sea Fruit.

The ignorance displayed in using quota
tiOns from the worlds famous authors, is
something strikingly remarkable even in
this enlightened nineteenth century. This
fact is illustrated by the following clipping
from the inquiry column of one of the lead
ing weekly papers of the country:
In speaking of pleasures the poet says they are.
Like Dead Sea fruits. that tempt the eye but turn
to ashes the lips! do the fruits of the Dead Sea
region turn to ashes on being eaten7
This quotation is taken from Tom
Moore's Fire Worshippers'' in "Lalla
ROOkh." Byron also uses it as quotation
in ''Childe Harold" and it may be used by
others, but if it is it must be as a quotation,
for it is original only with Moore" and in
stead of describing pleasures as the inquirer
says 1T is curse the poet prOnOunceS upon
the traitor. who for gold. had betrayed the
faithful few who were true to Trans cause.
to the Arabian chieftain, AL Hassan. 1t is
one of the most thrilling passages occurring
in the poem, and l will give 1t in full:
"Oh for tongue to curse the slave
Whose treason, like deadly blight,
Comes O'er the councils of the brave.
And blasts them in their hour of might!
May life's unblessed cup for him
Be druggd with treach'res to the brim-
With hopes, that but allure to fly,
With joys, that vanish while he sips,
Like Dead Sea fruits that tempt the eye.
But turn to ashes on the lips!
His cOuntry's curse his children's shame,
Outcast of virtue, peace. and fame
May he. at last, with lips of flame
On the parch'd desert thirstng die
While lakes, that shore in mockery nigh,
Are fading Off untouch'd untasted
Like the glorious hopes he blasted
And. when from earth his spirit flies.
Just Prophet, let the damn'd one dwell
Full in the sight of Paradise.
BehOlding heav n and feeling hell!'
The fruit referred TO is the apples OF
SOdOm. fruit growing near the shores of
the Dead Sea which is beautiful to the eye.
but is full of small black seeds and has
very strong acrid flavor much resembling
ashes to the taste, so much so that 1t is not
only worthless as all article of food. but is
extremely nauseating to the taste. This ig-
nOrance may be eXcusable. but it is, to say
the least. unaccountable, for if person is
familiar enough with an author to make
quotations from his works, he should also
be familiar enough with the work to know
in what connection the quotation in queS-
ton is used, so as not to make himself ri.
diculous by assigning it to something that
is entirely foreign to the spirit in which it
is used by the author This is the all too
probable result of the light and desultory
course of reading which is pursued bY the
average reader at the present time In the
stampede for riches and honor, and de-
sire to know everything at once They get
little smattering of everything. but ac-
quire practical knowledge of little or
nothing. Now the only way to Obviate
this is to form determination on our part
to thoroughly master everything which we
may undertake. placing all our reliance on
the maxim. lit is better to know few
things and know them we'll, than to know
many things and not know them at all.
G. w. K.