Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-21
THE MAN WHO READ.

When the wealthy merchant who was
the father of Adder Rahman Al-Iskan-
derani died, the son, feeling great grief at
his loss, retired from the world. He neither
mad any dealings with other merchants nor
held social intercourse with his friends
He bemoaned himself when he arose and
when he went to rest, and found his only
solace in study.
After a while he forgot even his great
grief in the accumulation of knowledge,
and finally became convinced that he was
more thoroughly read WISER better in
formed and more highly accomplished than
any other man alive, and that it was at
least SIN OF omission to keep all this wis
dom shut up within his own brain. Hav-
ing communed with himself for space, he
resolved 20 write a series of instructive
narratives and read them aloud to persons
whose opportunities had been less than his
And having carefully prepared con-
densed history of Arabia, couched in sim
pie language, he called together all his
slaves, servants and attendants, poor Great
ures who had never before had any in
struction whatever, and having advised
them that he was about to improve their
minds, began to read aloud.
So deeply interested in his own perform
ance was he that only the fading light of
the lamps, in which the oil had burned
low, aroused him. He looked about him
The slaves whom he had permitted to seat
themselves were most of them lying fat,
resting upon each others knees curled up
| in corners. Every eye was tightly shut
| and those who haG the habit were snoring.
| His first reading had but one auditor
| himself.
| As Adder Rahman arose il his wrath, a
| sound of tumult fell upon his ears The
| slaves had left the gates unfastened when
| they came to partake of tais their first
| intellectual feast, which had had all the
| effect of opium upon their senses Rob
| bers had entered and plHndered the house
the police had just discovered the fact. and
according to the law of Cairo, the house
| holder who had placed such a temptation
| before the weak and sinful was arrested
| and heavily fined
Adder ahman had lost a great deal of
| money by this his first venture as an in
structor of mankind, and had suffered not
| few pangs of wounded vanity besides
| However, these were poor, ignorant slaves,
| weary with toll Perhaps he had been
| foolish to choose such an audience The
| next reading should be a very different one
In pursuance of this resolution he made
| preparations for great entertainment in
I TIC lliOSl leSllOudblC udulGG, invited MS
most elegant and wealthy friends and
wrote what he believed to be a most
| charming story, in which he proved, BY
means of the most thrilling incidents, the
| truth that the most powerful men on earth
| must of necessity repose all their trust in
Almighty God; and which he proposed to
| read to his guests after they had done JUS
| tice to his feast, as the speeches and other
| intellectual good things come in after a
| modern dinner
Meanwhile four distinguished looking
rs-foreigners-had called upon
him, requesting invitations to his enter
tainment not for the sake of its meat and
drink and good company, but because of
| their great desire to hear that wonderful
reading which was to follow The delight
ed Abd-er-Rahman extended them every
courtesy and introduced them, under the
fine names and titles that they gave, to all
his friends Moreover, he placed them on
| his right hand and directed most of his
conversation to them.
Finally the feast was over. The manu-
script, wrapped in an embroidered napkin,
was brought to the host, and he began to
read what he had written. To his horror,
as at intervals he cast his eyes over the
company to note what effect he had pro-
duced, he saw one after the other pass
gently into the Land of Nod They did
not sprawl and snore as the slaves had
done, but such dignified repose as the pas
tor of many a church has the opportunity
of observing every Sunday fell upon them
All were listening intently with folded
arms and bent heads and closed lids, save
the four strangers, who sat bolt upright
all their eight eyes fixed upon the coun
tenance of the reader, This fact was balm
to the afflicted soul of Adder Rahman
And having concluded his tale and re
ceived the usual tokens of oriental ap
plause, he complimented these gentlemen
on the superiority Of their intellect.
1T was the thrilling interest of the tall
which held us" said the eldest. May W,
be permitted to linger in your company fol
awhile in order to enjoy your converse
tion?"
Adder Rahman expressed himself a.
highly honored, and proceeded, assisted by
his servants, to arouse his sleeping guest:
and dismiss them; in fact, he civilly turned
them out of his house and returned to seel
the four wise men. Alas they were miss
ing, and with them had vanished servic
of gold set with gems, which had adorned
the table, and all the silver used, save on
flat salver, on which the robber chief A
Harran, had written thanks for his goot
dinner and the trouble the learned gentle
|
Adder Rahman had had for his guest tn
arch chief of the orient and three of hi
gang.
In haste he rushed to the chief of the JAM
zaries to make a complaint, but only go
himself into trouble for having harbore
such a criminal under his roof, was fine
and bastinadoed and much reviled. More
over, he had offended every friend he ha
by his abrupt dismissal of his guests. n
one would speak to him, and he was yer
wretched. However, he so greatly desire
to give his readings that it occurred to hiI
that he would no longer remain bachelor
he would marry a wife.
Naturally children would arrive. In tim
he would have an audience all his own, d.
. lighted that he, the head of the house, S
condescended to them. As he wished h
wife TO be a woman of mind and exper
enee he chose the widow of a very learne