The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-08-10
AN EGYPTIAN REBEL.
A Romance in the Land of the
Sphinx.

The tents of the Egyptian army
| arose, white as snow, against sky of
ultramarine-be below spread the white
| sand. Heat more intense could not be
| imagined. The air fairly quivered
| with it, and it had upon the eyes the
| binding effect of the flashing of the
| mirror in the sun. 1t was not a time
| of battle.
The little army composed the mill
| tary Gordon with which Ismail Pasha
protected the recently established
agricultural districts the borders
| IF Abyssinia and the roads for traffic,
which in 1o66 had not long been
opened.
The dearth of cotton, caused by the
civil war of the United States, had
given ISmail the idea of making Egypt
Il great cotton-growing country, and
since then, railways, telegraphs and
all manner of improvements have been
| introduced.
At the date of the story, great
caravans of camels bore the products
| of the fields to the various markets.
and no roaring, red-eyed steam mon
ster had yet invaded the land of
mystery, silence and the sphinx.
Everyone was languid. The officers
resting III IntiI tents, the common
soldiers squatting about at ease. 4
caravan on its way south had paused
to eat and rest until night fell, and
| that great, golden thing. the moon of
Egypt, should rise to light them on
their way. EacI. 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. Ibin El-WarralIah
was dreaming. His dreams carried
him away from the tents. the soldiers
and all his present surroundings. lie
was once more in the home of his
Uncle eRizk-entertaiued as a 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 present, had retired To the pri-
vatc rooms of the women. from which.
now and then, came sllvery ripple OF
laughter, and words spoken in voice
that the sweetest he had ever
heard.
He knew it was that of his Cousin
Eat-Meh. Fat-Meh had been a beau
tiful little girl. lie had always re
membered Fat-Meh affectionately.
Hut 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 woman's face. even if
she were his cousin. lie bowed To
custom, as the young man OF this coun-
try does. But it came into his mind,
now that little Fat-Meh, who had
been as dear as a sister to him in those
baby wears. was veiled ard hidden frca
him as from a stranger, that even old
established Egyptian customs might be
carried too far.
He sat and ate the various dishes
which the black slave offered to the
guests But all the while he thought
of little Fat-Meh. and laid a plan by
which at least to see her.
In Egypt one is not obliged to sit at
table until all the company have i'm
ished their meal Each may rise when
he is satisfied. say: Praise be to Cod
wash his hands in the ever which the
servant holds for him before and after
meals, dry them on the embroidered
towel and retire from the company
And SO. as soon as he dared, Ibin did
this, and saying that he wished once
more to see the garden and pome-
..ranate trees under which he had
PLAYED in childhood, left the room-
out into the garden he went and,
standing where he could see the tat
1Iced windows above, began to sing
little rhyme that children sing when
they play together, beating time with
I h..
memories of youth returned with the
sight of the garden where, before Fat
Meh had been able to walk alone, he
had led her by her tiny hand-what
more natural than that he should re-
member the rhyme and sing II again?
| And while he sang, another voice,
soft and low, took up the strain. Some
! one was singing behind the lattice of
! the window. lie knew it was Fat-Meh.
| \ little later he saw that the lattice
was pushed softly open. veIled face
! peeped forth, hand was extended Tor
Il moment and d rose dropped Above
the veil he saw great eyes, like stars,
bore. I'D with kohl. Then, if by
| :iccidenu he vail dropped, and he saw
| his cousin FatMeh's face-the baby
| face become u woman's, and beautiful
! exceedingly.
| 1t vanished. The window was closed.
| lie picked up the rose and hid it in his
| bosom and returned to the house.
| Before he left his uncle's abode, how
| ever. he had asked soI... questions ana
! learned that Fat-Meh -~S -'ready
| promised in marriage and ina 'he
! meeting of relatives to settle the qu. y
| tion of dowry would occur very soon
1t is not often that a young Egyp-
| tian sees a girls face, and tins one
| glimpse of his cousins face remained
| in Ibin's heart as d kiss might in that
! of an Englishman. He was dreaming
| of her a. Il man entered the tent in
haste and voice called: captain
my captain and he looked up and saw
| =, soldier beside him.
Captain" this man said, saluting
him, IA boy. who appears to be dying
asked to be brought To you VIII You
see him?i
bin sprang to his fee: and followed
The man INTO the open air There, sup
! ported by two other men. stood a Deiiu-
uiful, bcardless boy, who lifted his
ewes and looked into Ibin's face i'm
| PIoringly.
Captain" he said, Il have some
thing To tell you-something which no
one must hear. Take me to your tent
take me quickly"
| Without a word the captain opened
his arms To receive the fainting form,
and, lifting it, bore it into his tent
| The soldiers did not dare To follow
and. seeing they were not wanted, re
4 tired