Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-03-18

for me, placlnS them near tnt slONt, winch
IS fireplace Of honor. Then bringing water,
he took OF my shoes and washed my feet,
piece Of attention that was strange, but
exceedingly refreshing.
After awhile came the food, This con.
sisted Of large piece of boiled mutton, a
kind Of batter made Of ground wheat aud
melted butter, boiled rice, fresh dates, flgs,
sour came's milk aud cotfee-r real Mocha,
that never By any chance comes TO western
lands. The stuff that deuded Englishmen
gulp down az coffee an Arab mental would
not put 10 his lips. The truth is that the
untraveled Briton nevessces Mocha. What
passes with him as such Is only the refuse
Of all the plantations of Arabiu, 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, A,vorless berries sent to
western Europe anil America are to tho
rich, brown, aromatic berries valued by
eastern peoples what the sour crab apple Is
to the lucous 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 SILVER 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 friyolity Of knives and forks. !
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
furnishing man, being indeed as empty as
dry well.
The meal finished-literally finished, for
Arab hospitality eniuins that a guest shall
eat while morsel rcmains-we washed our
hands, an operation that was highly neces-
sary, and wenS into the garden TO smoke
the pipe Of peace under the outrageous
cover Of dAte palms.
cannot express the luxury Of reclining
in that veTdurous scene, watching the sun
descending to "his chambers" in the west.
Put mind and body Mt rest after racking
both; let fruits aud 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
Csntlo gales
Tanning their oderifcrOua wings dispense
Native perfumes and whisper whence they
stole
Those balmy apoils.
and, above all, let asense Of human cordial
ity and sympathy replace the distress Of
the outcast, and you may dimly conceive
my feelings OF quiet JOY aud deep content,
Everything was in unison with my mood,
from the mystic splendors of the encircing
mountains to the soft benuty and incense
OF the radiant, mellowy groves close at
hand We spoke not n 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 etlluent food OF light and color from the
open doors of heaven. Then down dropped
tho 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
counteuance 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.
"rhou hast been in great peril, my son, -
he said, "and such as thou never couldst
have escaped except the hand of God We're
with thee. OF a surety thou art reserved
for some great work.
asked him II he had any idea who and
what the men were who had plundered and
fired tho brig, and almost truculently he
/ answered:
Dogs and thieves and murderers and, IL
1t 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 rcck with iniquitv
I 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 80 strangely moved, ] was
| at u loss how TO proceed, but at a venture |
inquired the namo Of the town.
THE city is called Mnrahel, "hc reioined
Thou shalt know 1t all. 1t is not so
mightya city rs Bombay; neither is it so
rich. Yet 1t is famous place, and We have
great governor 1t will please me to pre-
sent thee to him. But perchance l may in
I quire what thou meanest to dow
How can the driftwood cast on the
beach know whit the next wave will do
with itP' answered.
He smoked little more thoughtfully at
this, as II be were ponderlng something.
We are 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-l know what changes are in other
parts of the earth, but we change not, save
TO go from youth to age, from our mothers
care TO the darkness OF tho grave. AS the
son lie, 50 was the father, and so the father,s
father, even to the generations afar OF.
when the patriarch Abraham built tho holy
house OF Mecca, and job, after manifold sui
tetings, was enriched for keeping his souls
integrity and numbered the Increase of lila
Hooks and herds and gathered the overflow
lnggold and silver from his thrashing floors
gold FROM that which was for wheat. md
silver from that which was for barley. rThe
Arabs believe that Abraham built the
CAaba' and that after proving the right
eousness OF Job God sent two cloudswhinh
rained gold and silver on his thrashinr
nooFs I'll they ran over. The children Of
lshmael have been the same since the he
the stars. '''u
loader hills, my son, have Yielded moro
TO time than tho seed of Hagar. and the
sea has been farther moved from It's place
thhh they. AS people, we abide by our
selves No ships so from hence to far lands
wherefore II thou dcsirest TO return tn
thihe own country it may be hard for thee.
ana grieve 20 tell thee that soiourping
has many perils, for my people areinoonsl.3
hN fHla