Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-04-18

lands. The stuIf' that deluded Englishmea
gulp down as coffee an Arab menial would
not put to his lips. The truth is that the
untraveled Briton never sees Mocha. What
passes with him as such is only the refuse
of all the plantations of Arabia and often
of plantations outside Arabia, gathered in
the interest of shippers, and greatly to the
prejudice of occidental palates and stom-
achs. The pale, favorless berries sent to
western Europe and America are to the
rich, brown, aromatic berries valued by
eastern peoples what the sour crab apple is
to the lucious nectarine, yet the swells of
London and Paris drink the muddy mix
ture served to them as coffee with symp-
toms of delight Truly, ignorance has its
enjoyments and consultations. AS for my
self, my nose never comes over cup of the
English preparation without causing me
an inward shiver of disgust
The meal was all brought in together,
heaped on one huge wooden trencher, and
what had been on the fire was eaten scald-
ing hot with the fingers, for the Arabs
scorn the frivolity of knives and forks. I
found no difficulty whatever in reverting
to the methods of Adam. The batter /
could make nothing of, since it was like
putty in my hands, and the mutton seemed
none too cleanly dressed, but on the rice
and fruit fell with the furious zeal of a
famishing man, being indeed rs empty as a
dry we'll.
The meal fnished-literally finished, for
Arab hospitality enjoins that guest shall
eat while morsel remains-we washed our
~le hat iorh "
sary, and went into the garden to smoke
the pipe of peace under the outrageous
cover of date palms.
cannot express the luxury of reclining
in that verdurous scene, watching the sun
descending to "his chambers in the west
Put mind and body at rest after racking
both; let fruits and blossoms and green
masses of foliage take the place of baked
and blasted wilderness. After raging
fever of thirst let water plash and sparkle
In fountain and stream. Instead of torrid,
noxious blasts, let
Gentle gales
Tanning their oderiferous wings dispense
Native perfumes and whisper whence they
stolo
Those balmy spoils.
and, above oil, let sense of human cordial
ity and sympathy replace the distress Of
the outcast, and you may dimly conceive
my feelings of quiet joy and deep content.
Everything was in unison with my mood,
from the mystic splendors of the encircling
mountains to the soft beauty and incense
of the radiant, mellowy groves close-at
hand We spoke not word. In delicious
silence we saw the gold waning, and the
rose flushing, and mountain, plain and tree
shining with shifting glory that was like
an effiuent flood of light and color from the
open doors of heaven. Then down dropped
the sun. darkness rushed upon the land,
and we went inside. Said Achmet lost no
time in reminding me Of the promise to
tell my story.
He listened TO it with the immovable
countenance of the sphinx, sucking quietly
at his pipe, his eyes fast on the ground.
When the recital was over, he raised his
face to mine.
Thou hast been in great peril, my son"
he said, land such as thou never couldst
have escaped except the hand of God were
with thee Of surety thou nrt reserved
for some great work"
asked him if he had any idea who and
what the men were who had plundercd and
fired the brig, and almost truculently lie
answered:
dogs and thieves and murderers and, if
it be possible, worse. know them. the evil
offspring of Cain. They have had their
polluting hands on me; they have made me
suffer. Their deeds reek with iniqu'ty.
They are men, look you, whose heads
should not be on their shoulders. That is
it. But let us not talk of such vile dogs.
It is not good 1t polluteth the mouth to
name them"
Finding him so strangely moved, / was
at loss how to proceed, but at venture
inquired the name of the town.
'The city is called Marabel," /" he rejoined.
"Thou shalt know it all. It is not SO
mighty city as Bombay; neither is it so
rich. Yet it is famous place, and we have
a great governor. 1t will please me to pre-
sent thee to him. But perchance may in
quire what thou meanest to do?"
How can the driftwood cast on the
beach know what the next wave will do
with it9" I answered.
He smoked little more thoughtfully at
this, as if he were pondering something.
1--WE are a people by ourselves" he re-
marked slowly, after the space of a minute.
For ages too many to be numbered we
have been what thou seest US. have tray
eled-I know what changes are in other
parts of the earth, but we change not, save
to 90 from youth to age, from our mothers
care to the darkness of the grave. AS the
son is, so was the father, and so the fathers
fo hn of pff
when the patriarch Abraham built the holy
house of Mecca, and Job, after manifold suf-
ferings, was enriched for keeping his souls
integrity and numbered the increase of his
flocks and herds and gathered the overflow
ing gold and silver from his thrashing floors
gold from that which was for wheat, and
silver from that which was for barley. 1.-The
Arabs believe that Abraham built the
Caaba, and that after proving the right
eousness of Job God sent two clouds which
rained gold and silver on his thrashing
floors till they ran over.l The children of
Jshmael have been the same since the be-
ginning like the sun, and the moon, and
the stars.
"Yonder hills, my son, have yielded more
to time than the seed Of Hagar, and the
sea has been farther moved from its place
than they. AS people, we abide by our
selves. Noships 60 from hence to far lands.
Wherefore if thou desirest to return to
thine own country it may be hard for thee.
And I grieve to tell thee that sojourning
has many perils, for my people are incensed
against the face stranger. Three moons
have not passed since an Egyptian spy was
slain and torn asunder in public place, and
the blood of Persian who came seeking
what was not his is yet wet on the ground.
Yet let not these things dismay thee. Iknow
an evil countenance when see it. Thine
pleads for thee; therefore thou shalt abide
with me. Morever, man of thy nation
once gave me mylife 1t would be q long
tale to tell, but will remember to his race
forever. For all these things tarry with me
for a time, and while I have store thou
shalt not want. And thine ears are open
to counsel there is one thing more would
say"
Speak" said earnestly. IF thy wis
dom equal thy goodness, it will indeed be