Evening journal., 1891-06-22

punishment the enraged youth drew his |
sword. rushed upon him and sliced off his |
ear. But for prompt interference on the !
part Of the servants Add .Rahman would /
have been assassnated; and again applica-
tion 10 those in authority resulted In new |
troubles for the stoiy teller, who was rep |
rimanded and fined for having insulted a |
family OF high position by dragging its /
skeletons to the light Of day, and the youth |
who had assumed cap never Intended for /
him was esteemed a her1
However, domestic felicity was now his |
Fatima sided with her husband, believed |
his tale, sorrowed for his injuries and |
prayed him to read to her every day There |
fore, during his convalescence, Adder |
Rahman prepared the most important OF
his works, setting forth the whole duty OF
wife to her husband in the form Of what
he believed TO be a light and amusing mar
ratiye, with an occasional oasis where the
laughter necessary to the weak feminine
mind might come In appropriately.
Fatima sat down TO listen TO this story,
on a cushion at her husbands feet. BE
tween them was chafng dish full Of hot
Goals, for the day was chilly. After having
glanced occasionally at Fatima TO see that
her great black eyes were wide open, Add
er-Rahman became lost In his reading.
Suddenly smell Of smoke and undue
warmth about the lower limbs aroused him
to the fact that his Fatima had fallen asleep
and that her vail had dropped among the
Goals Of the chatting dish.
While extinguishing the clothing Of his
bride, Adder Rahmnn did not observe that
the chatting dish was overset, He saved
Fatimas life, but his dwelling and all that
it contained were destroyed. However
to her husband that the interest she felt in
the erring wife, who was the heroine OF the
tale, was so excessive that she had actually
swooned away. Sleepi Not she, while he
honored her by private reading. This
delicate nattery touched Adder Rahman's
heart. He vowed she should be his sole
and only wife, which in land where "A
gentleman may legally have AS many as he
can afford was an unusual compliment;
and when a new home had been prepared
he set himself TO the completion Of tale
that should excel anything ever before
written.
When it came to the reading, Fatima ex-
pressed delight, but prudently requested
to be permitted to stand before him while
he read This she did, hoping to remain
awake; but, alas the soporifc influence Of
the new narrative was 50 great that the
poor wife, unable TO resist Il, went TO sleep
standing, fell and broke several of her
bones. However, her desire to please her
husband was intense, and while lying upon
her couch awaiting the healing of her in
jures she requested him to write and read
to her something suitable TO her condition.
To this he assented; and having concocted
an essay on the good effect Of suffering
upon women, and the evil that too much
| happiness was sure to occasion, he pro
ceeded to read it to Fatima, who had suf-
fered too much pain Of late TO sleep sound
| ly, and who was greatly exhausted, The
| tale was divided into three events, or chap
| ters.
At the end of the first Fatima was
wrapped in slumber. AS she had hidden a
| faithful slave TO declare her wide awake,
| but speechless with interest, her spouse
| read on until the conclusion, when the at
I tendant physician arrived, Alas! be found
Fatlma IN so deep a sleep that nothing
| could rouse her. And, as she slept steadily
for three days and three nights, the worthy
doctor felt il due TO himself 70 accuse Add.
err Rahman Of having bewitched his wife.
| The penalty was very severe, and the only
way in which his wife could free him from
the false accusation was 20 tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth
about his readings.
| Adder Rahman only saved his head by
the sacrifice OF all his pride and vanity.
But Fatima was very acute and very anxi-
ous to make her husband happy. Once
alone with him, she declared that the mat
ter Of the tale was wildly interesting. but
that his voice, so soft and duloet and re-
fined, and his manner 80 calm and sooth-
ing, induced repose, and she advised him
to have his admirable narratives read aloud
by some harsh voiced slave in his presence
| Adder Rahman took his wife's advice
which she contrived to twist into a compli
ment-and filed his kiosk in the garden
with guests, placed an educated slave il
their midst, reclined upon his cushions and
bade him proceed.
The first sentences were certainly fine
He congratulated himself on being thei
author. He placed his head in NOR
comfortable position, and in momen
more was sound asleep. When he awoke
the kiosk was empty OF all but himself ant
, the slave, who, with the last lines of hi
D masters narrative rolled across his finger
=, was sleeping peacefully.
e Terror, modification, rage and sorroN
now possessed the unhappy author. An
) having beaten the poor slave awake b
| rushed into his house to find his guest
, | dispersed about it, evidently quite at hom,
eating what they chose. drinking what the
! liked and generally laughing at him. Fir
| ally discovering "A certain man actually giN
1 ing an imitation Of his readings, he rushe
g upon him, and in his rage wounded him S
;, severely that he died. For this he was al
l. rested The fact that the man had intru,
n ed into his harem being brought forwar
j. by the wise Fatima, who claimed that sh
= had called upon her husband to drive hii
J. forth, saved Adder Rahman's life. Br
n as the guest was man OF high position
vengeance was necessary. All that tl
e poor fellow possessed was confscated, an
e he found himself destitute and forlorl
II wandering in the streets Of Cairo, his onl
4 companion his faithful Fatima
1t was Mt this period that a great man
IS the town, afflicted with insomnia, otfer'
y a large reward to any physician who cou
IS restore TO him the blessing OF slumbe
a Fatima, hearing Of this, sought the gre
k mans residence and implored him TO pe
s. init her husband TO read one OF his narr
y tives to him.
II The fame Of these soporific entertai
le ments had spread through Cairo and
n tima's request was granted.
ld Adder Rahman took his seat beside &
O. invalid's bedside armed with his latest pi
It, duction, entitled "What Avails Wealth
he Health Forsake a Mani" and in half
is hour had done what all the doctors In [
land had failed to accomplish. The gre
II man slumbered sweetly.
OF On awakening he appointed the nc
ed humbled Abd-er-Rahman to be his chi
ed reader, and as long as he lived the lati
re- held that position, bound TO read to