San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-19
A0 Absorbing StoEq
Of
american Life and Love,

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10 do but 70 stand still and be put in
order A broad hall led through pair
of semi-transparent curtains to the re-
ception rooms. When all were assem-
bled, twenty-five beautiful boys about
twelve years old and as many girls
dressed in eastern fashion appeared and
passed among the company, carrying
trays on which were little cups of pure
crystal, containing an aromatic bever-
| age. 1t was too exquisite and ethereal
| to be cocktail, and besides the ladies
drank it, but its effect was marvel
| GUS. 1t worked a change of heart in
every one, and change for the better.
Following up this success the boys pre-
scented bouquets to each of the ladies in
a holder of wrought gold filigree, with
her initials worked in it, while the young
girls gave a "buttonhole" of similar
design in miniature to the gentlemen.
Hereupon a sound like a peal of silver
bells rang softly close at hand, and on
| all sides, yet invisible, was heard; the
| great doors leading to the dining hall
were withdrawn, and the fragrant SPLEEN
dor of that freshly created apartment
dawned upon the company. AS they
passed the threshold music was heard,
delicate and remote, as if the flowers
were singing together. Such a feast
should begin with nothing less delicate
than nightingales' tongues, and wind up
with apples of the Hesperides.
When the cloth had been withdrawn
after the last course it was revealed that
the great table was composed of upward
of sixty small square tables, like the
| joints of a serpent-each accommodate
| ing four persons. Now the fifty Nubians,
| who, in the costume of their country lat
least as designed by color loving artists,
had been attending during the dinner,
| wheeled these tables into great semi
circle at the lower half of the hall, and
then the guests, reseating themselves,
| were served with coffee. Few of them
noticed the entrance of a small man,
| with dark Indian complexion and curly
| black beard, who took up position in
the center of the open space in the upper
end of the room. He wore white tur-
ban, close fitting jacket, with sleeves
to the elbows, showing a lean, brown
gathered at the knees, and pair of
Turkish slippers, turned up at the toes.
| a sash of fine silk of a peculiar red
| color and many feet in length was
bound round his waist. A gold bracelet
| in the shape of a serpent was worn ON
his left wrist. He looked like Hindoo,
and it soon became evident that the
counts friends were to be treated to an
exhibition of oriental jugglery.
After making a low salaam to the
company, the man, holding his bare arms
| extended before him, began to rub the
palms of his hands slowly together and
in few moments fine gold cord APP
peared dangling between them, and
gradually frightening till it reached the
floor. 1t increased rapidly, coiling itself
as it did so, until as much of it as could
be contained in hat lay at the mans
feet. He now grasped the end of it in
his right hand and shook it out in the
air, until the whole length of the cord
was undulating before him in a thou
sand flying curves. Suddenly the move
ment changed from vertical to horizon
tai, until it seemed as if the cord were
weaving itself into fabric before their
eyes; and, in fact, in a wonderfully brief
time mat yard in diameter had been
thus manufactured, which the man spread
out on the floor and seated himself upon.
He lifted his eyes and gazed upward,
and the audience, following his gaze,
perceived a scrap of white tissue paper
floating downward toward him. He
held out his finger and the paper rested
upon it, it fluttered there for moment;
he breathed upon it and it grew rapidly
larger; it was now a white hen, which
tapped its wings and clucked. The man
placed it on the floor; it ran about, but
finally settled down and Immediately
laid an egg. No sooner had it done this
than the man seized it by the neck,
whirled it around and it was once more
a scrap of white tissue paper, which
aoated up and disappeared in the vault
ed ceiling.
The man took the egg between his J
forefnger and thumb. looked attentively
at it and put it on the floor again, bal
ancing it on its end. Then, lifting his
hand a little, he pointed downward at
the apex of the egg. Presently steam |
or smoke began to issue from the apex,
arising like a vaporOus pillar and aug
menting in volume until it was several
feet in height and girth. 1t now took |