The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-08-18
AN EGYPTIAN REBEL
a Romance In the Land Of the
Sphinx.

oJAuAs
The tents of the Egyptian arm
arose, white as snow, against a sky O
characterization spread the whit
sand. Heat more intense could not b.
imagined. The all Fairly quivere.
with it. and it had upon the eyes tn
blinding effect of the flashing of tn.
mirror in the sun. 1t was not tim,
of battle.
The little army composed the mill
tar;y Gordon with which Ismail Pash.
protected the recently esta blishet
| agricultural districts on the border.
| of Abyssinin and the roads for traffic
which in 1906 had not long been
opened.
The dearth of cotton. caused nv the
civil war of the United States, had
given Isnail the idea of making EEyp,
a~great cottcn.growing country, and
since then, railways, telegraphs and
all manner of improvements have been
introduced.
At the date Of the Story, great
caravans of caine1s bore the products
of the fields to the various markets,
and no roaring, red-eyed steam mon
mystery, silence and the sphinx.
Everyone was 1anguid. The officers
resting in their tents, the common
soldiers squatting about at ease. A
caravan on it's way south had paused
to cat and rest until night fell, and
that great, golden thing, the moon of
Egypt, should rise to light them on
their way. Each man had said his
prayers, and before praying, since
water was not plentiful, had rubbed
his hands with dust-which was
counted to his credit just the same, by
the recording angel of his paradise,
who always makes allowances for
circumstances Now peace had fallen
upon the hot world, where almost
every body slumbered.
In his tent, Capt. bin El-Warrakah
was dreaming. His dreams carried
him away from the tents, the soldiers
and all his present surroundings. He
was once more in the home of his
Uncle Rizk-entertained as q beloved
guest. lie had seen his aunt, who was
his mothers sister, even without the
face veil. But she, having sent kind
messages to his mother, and given
him n present, had retired to the pri-
vsate rooms of the women, from which,
no" and then, came silvery ripple of
la ughter, and words spoken in a voice
that was the sweetest he had ever
heard.
He knew it was that of his Cousin
Fat-Meh. Fat-Meh had been a beau
tiful little girl. He had always re-
membered Fat-Mch atfectionately
But now he could not ask to see her
any more than if she had been the
daughter of some stranger. lie might
not look upon a wolnan's face, even if
she were his cousin. He bowed to
custom, as the young man of this coun-
try does. But it came into his mind,
aow that little Fat-Meh, who had
oeen as dear as a sister to him in those |
oab by years, was yelled and hitld en- from |
him as from stranger, that even old |
-<<>,~
.arrled too far.
He sat and ate the various dishes |
which the black slave offered to the
.ucsts. But all the while he thought
# little Fat-Meh, and laid a plan by
which at least to see her.
In Egypt, one is not obliged to sit at
able until all the company have fin
shed their meal Zach may rise when
&c is satisfied. say: praise be to God"
wash his hands in the ever which the
ervant holds for him before and after
meals, dry them on the embroidered
Dwell and retire from the company.
And SO, soon as he dared. Ibin did
his, and saying that he wished once
norc to see the garden and pome-
trees under which he had
layed i'll childhood, left the room.
Out into the garden he went and,
tn nding where he could see the lat
iced windows above, began to sing Il
title rhyme that children sing when
hey play together, beating time with
nc palms. What more natural. when
Memories of youth returned with the
ght of the garden where, before Fat
[eh had been able to walk alone. he |
al led her by her tiny hand-what |
lorc natural than that he should re- |
ember the rhyme and sing it again?
And while he sang. another voice, 7
1T and low, took up the strain. Some
lie was singing behind the lattice of
.e window. He knew it was Fat-Meh
little later he saw that the la ttice ,
as pushed softly open. A yelled face
.epcd forth, hand was extended for :,
nj and a rose dropped Above
&c veil he saw great eyes, like stars, ,
ordered with kohl. Then. as if by
cidcnt, the vail dropped, and he saw
S cousin Eat-Meh's face-the baby
&c become a woman's, and beautiful (
ceedingly. j..
It van ished. The window was closed. | ;
, picked up the rose and hid it in his
SON and returned to the house.
Before he left his uncle's abode, how =
err, he had asked some questions and =,
lrncd that Fat-N1eh was already :.
omised in marriage and that the -
eeting of relatives to settle the ques- :,
N of 6lowry would occur very soon. .,
It is not often that a young E9yp- a
II sees a girls face, and this one \
mpse of his cousins face remained
Ibin's heart as a kiss might in that
an EnRlishman. He was dreaming
her as a man entered the tent in CT
ste and a voice called: 'sCaptain- SC
g. \ L II. = |