Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-01-18
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CHAPTER XIV.
Copyright. 1888, By John Alexander steaa.

/ courses that skirted the town, a very Eden
4 after the desert had passed through. The
people flocked about me as l went, some
eying me with darkening brows, some re-
garding me with simple amazement, Others
of a deeper curiosity turning in their walk
to follow me, and could hear them de
batting what kind of outlandish barbarian
this couil be who had unaccountably found
his way among them.
felt very much like amonster on exhibit
ton for the entertainment of the vulgar and
the idle. Yet, remembering the necessity OF
prudence, was at great pains to be civil
Salaaming and saluting necessarily, l in
vob ed peace and the best blessings of heav-
en- on all and sundry, but the marhabas, OF
welcomes, were disappointingly few. Had
l known the full significance of an Arabs
failure to return salutation, should
probably have made more haste to get out
of the town than was now making to get
into it. But ignorance is wondrous pre-
server of mems spirits.
Judging it best to refrain from asking
questions, l pursued my way at a venture
through squalid alleys that writhed and
twisted like endless snakes, turning upon
themselves in eternal windings and cir
clings, with the sole object as it seemed, of
bewildering and distracting. They led any
where and everywhere, but lodged Il defin-
tie conclusion, and were thus no inapt en-
blem of the tortuous Asiatic mind. The
scents were pungent and of the kinds that
make one fain to hold ones nose. If these
were the ''Sabean odors from the spicy
shores of Araby the blest," then let it be
put on record that, in spite of the mighty
authority of Milton, Sabean odors are a
great deal pleasaEter in imagination than
in reality.
Packs of lean, hungry dogs, too, kept
shifting at my heels in way that was sore
" veXing. There are VIGOROUSLY i'll con-
ditioned dogs in Turkey and Greece. Con
stantinople swarms with them. They are
worse than the brigands in the mountains
of Attica But of all the despicable de-
generate ours in existence the starving
hounds that prowl about Arabian towns
are the basest and most degraded. With
out owners, greedy partakers of all that is
vile and forbidden, the flthiest beasts
that banquet upon offal," despised and NAL
treated, Inarauders by inheritance and by
necessity, they have long lost every vestige
of canine morality.
In contemplating an assault they do not
bark at you nor show their teeth. Such
honesty might put you on your guard
They sidle up to you with the averted look
of incurable depravity, pretending to take
no notice of You, yet all the while carefully
selecting the juiciest part of your leg Even
when they have selected their point of at
tack they will not fly at it, but wait pa
tiently for their opportunity. When il
comes, presto! their fangs are in your calf
and they are off with the mouthful before
you have time TO turn. These brutes kept
me continually with one eye over my shout
der and the other down by my side for
was ever afraid of the tooth of dog. Some
times the people made a pretense of re-
monstrating with them, but think there
would have been less sorrow than gladness
had been worried to the bone.
The squat, boNlike shops and bazars
We're Uttered with a miscellany of goods
exceedingly strange to European eyes.
Nariegateu cloth, red and yellow slippers
saffron, sandal wood, glass beads, mirrors,
swords, files, raZors, ropes, bells, saddles,
butter and various namelesS kinds of oil
and grease used for amounting the head and
body, waterskins, coffeepots, brazen pans
and kettles and many other stuffs and
trumpery were strewn about in hopeless
confusion. Standing by the doors or sit
ting cross legged on palmleaf mats in the
midst of their wares, waiting with heavy
eyes and languid mien for the customers
who never appeared to come, were the mer-
chants. One and all they stared hard at
to look after me with muttered guessings
and comments. have no doubt there were
muttered curses as we'll.
To my surprise the orchards and gardens
ran almost continuously into the center of
the town, and who would was apparently
free to enter. In variety and richness they
surpassed anything had ever seen, and in
deed seemed rather, like the concentrated
luxuriance of whole country than the
natural growth of single spot. There
were clumps of feathery date trees, Indian
palms, pOmegranates, orange, apple, april
cot, peach and fig trees. Another tree there
was, too, more famous in Arabian song and
story than any of these-the balm tree.
Like so much that is good and famous, it
is not beautiful-in fact, it is ugly and
scraggy. and We're the eye the sole judge,
contemplate, but those who know its yir-
tues think little of its mean appearance
In striking contrast to the dark olive
foliage were the blazing tropical flowers,
many of them Of ineXpressible glory and
brilliancy. But what touched me beyond
anything else were some clusters of mag
uificent roses that flung their fragrance on
the air, unmindful of the general noisome-
ness-at times, indeed, making one forget
it. The sight of that common English
flower, so familiar and so lovely, stirred
orient could stir them. 1t was like the
greeting of an old friend in strange land.
In some of the gardens people weredraw-
ing water from deep wells with leathern
buckets, others scoOping it up from slen-
der stone trimmed watercOurseS At sight
of such plenty | began to get hungry and
thirsty again, and SO tempting was the
fruit that presently l found myself medi-
tatinS a robbery. But at every gate l de
cidcd to wai. till reached the next, and in
this way. a .hief at heart, an honest man
from fear, went along feasting my eyes
but grievously veXing the stomach, which
protested ever more and more vigorously.
1t is an i'll experience to be furnishing
among plenty.
On turning one of the many street cor
ners, full of the thought which most en-
cages hungry man, / entered a square IN
which was assembled a great crowd. A
glance made it plain that they were holi-
day makers. In the midst was a man wear
ing over the usual shirt q gay particolored
mantel and a scarlet vest, with wide sleeves
like bishops gown. His head was fan
tastically embodied in a flaming handker-
chief, in the voluminous twists of which
there were stuck three bobbing peacock
feathers. He was seated on camel as gor-
Geously caparisoned as himself, and was
shouting and gesticulating with many wild
grimaces, the people responding to his sal
lies of wit and distortions of countenance
with resounding bursts of merriment.
"a professional story teller" said to
myself, and it proved was right.
The fellow seemed master of his business,
for all were eager and excited, save only
the gaunt, sorrowful camel, which was
sunk in gloom no mirth could brighten.
n " g., It,,
with jests to be much cheered by them. /
had not watched the performance more
than a minute when the clown noticed me.
He stared for a second in amazement, but
quickly recovering the professional inso-
lence he pointed a leering finger at me,
calling upon the assemblage to look at the
rare curiosity that had OPPORTUNITY ap-
peared for their entertainment. Like one
man they wheeled about and fastened their
eyes upon me.
At this turned quickly on my heel to
ofF 1oncfdarsney {t tha GO fest Y,oliNv IN