Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-09-29
couerlso ARTISTIC osArs.


I look~i With mingled pity anl amaze
ment at the lmpassiyr face of the man
Who made so startling confession.
"Do you mean % ssy this terrible drug
has become a neccssltyr
ellie would be- intolcrablc without the
stimulus"
"lIut the dangcr--"
"And the delieht-oue mus, die some
time"
| was silent. since chance had thrown
"a. together Ia Cairo h. had often puzzled
me. An Engli.hm,n aud gentleman
unml.taksbly. Quiet, courteous, an In.
ter-sting aud instructiy. companion
when hc chose "a lay aside the artnor of
Briiish reserve. An ordinary type sure
Ia. Vet hc puzzled me. There we're
moments, like the present. when the
m,n seemed transformed. when hls voice
lost u. apAthcllC ton.., when hls salioN
cheek. took hectic iu.h. aud sirangr
light came Into hi. dcep-se, gray eyes.
They wcr. curiou. eyes, handsome but
cxprrssionlc.s, With CLASSY, vacant
stare iu them aud marked under by deep
ring..
a slave a. ha.hec.h'
"In TIL. cut..,i country" he went on.
"a s,lmuiant l. q neccs.lty. The terri.
bl., Oppressive heat depriye- body ani
mind ~ all energy. One become. ln
time absolutely aptthc;lc ani lndiffcr-
ent. The wines la which European. In
dulg- would b. dangerously heating la
thi. climate. Vet your whole nstur.
crave. some stimulating Influence
VIII You take the glfis the god. give
youf swallow little h,shcc.h ani Tor
q time Al least YOU are transported Ia
Olympus. You feel as mighty a a
gol, AZ strong az Titan"
"llut the reaction, the certainty Of the
cndi~
"who mcil,aie. upon III. penalty ~
an rnIoymentf Doc. the gambler con-
slider hls ultimate ruin when De wins, ~
IN. lover forc.h,dow the day hls mis-
trr.. will deceive him. Come With me
az proposed; YOU shall Jadgc for your
self"
Too true an American NO; to love all
venture, l asssulej readily.
some hours later the close ~ the after
noon found "a. vending our Nay through
the motley throug. ~ promenader.' 'end-
.r. of every description sni complex
lon, priests, donkey drivers, sedan car
rIer., etc., la the Eybcklc place. soon
the scene changed aud Ne .ough, one oi
those dlngy, dc..rtci.looking, arch-coS-
cred streets, abouniing In horrible den.,
wh.r. th. worst form. of Oriental Vice
hold grim rryelry. In Que Of the mar
rowe.t aud glOOmlc.t of thee. alleys Ne
.,opp.i b.forra towering structurc of
gray stone, stained aud undiscovered
With age. NJ companion raised the
heavy wrought-lron knocker. and the
! next moment IL awokc e,hOc. Ia III. di.-
nal street.
4 small panel .lil noi.clcs.ly back
and III. .warthy fac. % an Aruaut ai-
i-arri At the opening. Recognizing my
| friend, d. shot back th. heavy bolts.
The door. olenc,l aud closed behind u..
Nv thlr.t Tor novelty was to bc gratl-
del. was IN hsshoc.h den.
Pride forbade mc Ia reveal that
would gladly have been elsewhere at
this moment.
We gropcd our way through stone
passage up steep Digit of stairs.
IN. gloom was .epulchrsl. suddenly q
heavy curtain was drawn back, aud W.
entered large, dlsm,l, scantily furnish
81 room, into which the ssttlng sun sent
broken bars 81 ruddy light through the
grating. of the narrow Windows.
Never Ia NV dying day shall ! forget
the horror of the scene before me- IN"
room was filled with men, all 81 them
under middle age. aud a, till. moment
far undei the influence of the deadly
drug. some were sitting In contorte,i
position. at q large table, on which were
basket. containing hasheesh. On the
centre ~ the table a man va. standing
g..ticulating Wildly. other- were wan
dering aImle.sly about the room, eSecut-
In, all sort. of strange manTuNrc..
About dos.n were dancing, II their un-
couth autIc. may be dlgnlhed by that
word. Every m,n Va. murInuring Ia him
| .-lf In a .eml.loud tone, and all, whether
.ittIng or standing or walking, werc
.xaying their bodlr. to aud fro, nov In
elIniny them forward, now backward,
With the stif, automatic movement. of a
pendulum.
The hand. aud feet ~ most % them
were In constant motion, but their ges-
ture. were vague, irresponsible aud
monotous. The dancers, too, moved
With q SLOW, puppet-like revolution.
Nobody appeared Ia see or be consciol.
of the pre.encc of hl. companions. Yet
YOU could remark by closer observation
that the Ince..ant soft labial utierance.-
word. could not b. dlstinguishei-verc
directed Ia some Imaginary presence, To.
ward which the staring, CLASSY eye gated
With an appalling lack of expression.
To the sober onlooker the sight OF
these men, with their ghastly, distorted
faces, gibb.ring, dancing aud gc.tlculat-
ing like manlac., was loathsome aud
a,ypalllng. Aud among these men were
many Europeans, most of them belong
ing Ia the higher classes of society.
Resolved % see the adventure To the
end, I rr.olutely conquered my feeling
of disgust aud prepared Ia taste the
effect Of the deadly narcotic.
| The Arnaut attendant motloned us Ia
he seated, aud placed before each a bss-
krt containing some almond-shapcd con-
frctions Of a light grcenish hue. The
pa.tillc. were aromatic aud slightly bit
Ter. di.solying quickly on the tongue and
leaving slight barning sensation, which
however, passed away aftera few puns
from a cigarette. \ strange numbness
oyer,ame my senses. The cigsrette urop
ped from my lips. l felt thrilled with
sudden cxhilaration aud irre.isiib'y
impelled to tslk-to reveal myself to my
nei,hbor--to tell him I was no longer a
common human being chained Ia this
.ordId earth, but that could soar like
the eagle. .see-this IL the way DO IT,
remember circulating.
I felt myself liberated Of all earthly
trammel., free Ia range inhnity's vast
fields. Ny whole being seemed ether
i,ed. I was being borne on buoyant
plnions through lmmeasurable space.
There was neither beginning nor end to
my aerial flight. IL was boundles, AZ
eternity. Before me was Eiyslum.
Around me q flood of rcseaie light.
remember impsrting all these sensations
to nv friend at the time. wished him
TO share my ethereal enjoyment.
The dream was nearing its end. Con
sciousness gradually returned To me
I experienced q rushing sensation In nv
ears. Ny mouth was dry and parched
Before the rose big dark, blotches. Ths
roseate light faded softly, changing 10
gray mist, through which ] dimly Ter
ceived some Of the people In the room
Then I awakened aud found myself ly lnl
far back In an srmchairand my Engiis
friend standing near me grsticuiatinS
vaguely.
.wIIl We not 90 soonf' I asked.
His eyes, CLASSY and expressionless
were turned toward me. lIis lips babbles
vaguely, but saw he was unconsciou
, Of my presence. A glance at hi. baske