The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-02-02
THE END OF RAMADAN
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE CLOSE
OF THE FORTY DAYS. FAST.

Legend Upon Which the Uncomfortable
Custom Is Based.
Wesat in the tents shadow, with our
faces turned toward Cairo. There were
three of us, the sheik of the neighEor-
ing village, Ahmed and l. The clear
outline of the Molhattan hills was hid
den in the thick mist generated by the
heat; the city was Il gray blur against
the black sides of the uplands Below
us, amid the sugar cane, the fellahin
worked with an affectation of energy.
Sometimes voice came to us mellowed
by distance; sometimes the sail of
vessel glided phantomwise over the blue
ribbon of water that twined along the
valley toward Alexandria and the delta.
A month before l had seen the mes
Bengers leave the city and strike into
the desert. Twenty-four hours later,
dusty and hot, they returned, bearing
news. The new moon had appeared,
and the fast was proclaimed Al mid
night gun doomed from the citadel,
and suddenly the merry noises of the
streets were stilled.
Next day Wandered through the ba-
zaars, but received no invitation to
drink coffee with my friends. Pipes and
cigarettes were not offered to me. a
kind of half sleep had fallen OH every
body, and l hardly dared speak to any
one. In the intervals between their
bargainings the merchants read tho Ko-
ran or prayed, counting their beads with
nimble fingers, head bent downward.
The bargainings too, were poor shatl-
ow of tho exciting scenes loved. The
purchaser was always languid and the
vender inert, uninterested
AS the afternoon wore on IL look of
fatigue, often of real pain gloomed on
the usually genial faces. 1t was hot,
SO hot. The sun beat furiously OH the
white walls and roads; tho cruel KEN
pIon whirlcd tho dust through the
streets and dried tho skin and lips.
But tho cry of tho water carrier was
not raised; no boys offered punches of
juicy fruit to tho sufferers Ramadgn
had como with all its terrors, and for
the love of God and his apostle must
they be borne, if not cheerfully, at any
rate sternly and manfully.
Ono hour before sunset life seemed
to stir again in tho veins. The bakeries
were crowded; the fires blazed under
the ovens; smell of cooking stole over
the city. Women squatted at intervals
along the streets with cakes and fruit
and bottles of water spread before them.
Little groups gathered round them, i'm
patient, expectant. The smokers took
out their pipes or cigarettes and stood
waiting for the signal, match in hand.
Suddenly the sun fell, and the gun
Numbered from the citadel. The city
awoke; the population began to eat; the
women were busy disposing of their
goods.
For 40 days these things were, and
now was come the closing day of the
fast, and l sat with my friends on the
sand, gazing toward the citadel till the
gun showed fire for tho last time.
All the afternoon envious chances
had been cast at mo as | cheerfully dis
obeyed the prophet orders. Ahmed, l
think, had the sheik not been with me,
would have smoked a cigarette, but as
it was he lay beside me and sulled
Tho sheik was too old to behave thus
He was quiet and spoke slowly, but he
tried bravely to conceal all signs of dis
comfort. Ahned's annoyance may 10
accounted for in this way. He declared
to me that Mohammed tasted one day in
the month Ramadan, but on which day
was uncertain, and therefore tho the
ologians decreed Il 40 days fast that
they might be sure of fasting the same
day as tho prophet. | do not think All
med believes this legend, though he
vouches vehcmently for its truth
10 while away the time l asked tho
sheik to tell me about tho visit of the
czarowitz. But the long abstinence
made him unable to talk at any length,
and even this his favorite story he
told mo briefly in couple of bald sen
fences, though no responded gently: II
met him as ono prince meets another.
He told mo he owned many villages;
that he was sheik over half tho world
1t may be as they have said"
And what did he say to your"
queried. =" He greeted me courteously
and took me by the hand. This ring
that l wear is his gift"
AS he spoke he showed me, without
pride, sapphire Of great size and
beauty. Then he relapsed into silence,
and | amused myself by picturing the
event in my mind. l would that l had
seen that meeting between the heir of
the holy Russian empire and the simple
Arab chief. Looking into his grave
gray eyes and at his tall, slight figure,
the broad shoulders not yet bent, though
the white beard he was stroklng told of
many years of life, and in spite of his
tattered blue robe, | easily conceived
how he had been treated
as became Il prince.
Before the setting sun touched tho