The San Francisco call., 1895-12-01

perplexity, but when the sun arose he
descended the mountain and beheld a city
with high walls, lofty pavilions and deco
rated buildings, a delight to the behoiders
He entered the gate and the people gath
cred about him, diverting themselves with
said to him, 80 man, art thou a
stranger?" He answered, Yes He
said to him, "From what country2" He
answered, From the unfortunate city OF
Cairo" The man said to him, Hast
thou Quilted it long2" He answered
him, yesterday, in the evening. =,
and thereupon he laughed at him and
man, who asserteth that he came forth
Yesterday from Cairo" And they laughed
at him and said, Between our city and
Cairo is the space OF a whole years jour
nev." But be replied, II am veracious
in my saving, and this is bread Of Cairo
that hath not ceased to remain with me
moist" And he showed them the bread
and they diverted themselves with Loo LOOKING
at it. and said one to another: "Ihls Is
bread of Cairo. Divert yourself with the
sight of it.
And while they were in this state, 10, a
merchant advanced to them, riding on
a mule, and behind him were two black
slaves, and he rallied at the people for their
conduct in thus treating stranger, and
said to Maaroof: "Come, hither, o my
brother. No harm shall befall thee from
these. Verify, they have no shame"
Then he conducted Maaroof to his own
home, and clad him in dress fit for
merchant possessing thousand purses,
and Maaroof was comely person.
so that he became as though he
were Shah -Baudar (chieD of the merchants.
After that the merchant asked him his
name, and when Maaroof had told h!m
and that he was from Cairo, he sad,
stFrom what quarter?" Maaroof said to
him "Dost thou know Cairo?" and the
merchant said, Il am of its sons" And
he further said, "Dost thou know the
Sheykh Ahmad, the druggist" and he
said. HHe is my neighbor." And the mer-
chant said, "What hath Goo done with his
chiIdren?'' and he answered: ut is thus
and SO with the two elder; and as 10
Alec. he was my companion, and we used
to enter the church of the Christians
and steal the books and sell them. But
it happened once that the Chris
tians laid hold of US and complained
to our families and his father gave him
beating. and Tor this reason he fled, and he
hath been absent twenty years and no one
hath given any tidings of him.
Upon this the merchant said, "He is
myself and thou art my companion, Maa-
roof.
They saluted each other and after the
salutation Maaroof acquainted him with
the history of his wife, Fatimeh El-Orrah,
and the manner of his coming out OF
Cairo, and the merchant Alec SAID:
'In the country where no one knoweth thee
do whatsoever thou wilt. l will teach thee
how to act" And on the morrow he gave
him a thousand pieces of gold and put him
upon mule, and slave walked before
him to the market. And when the mer-
chant also saw him he arose and threw
himself upon him, saying to him, "a
blessed day, Merchant Maaroof, 0 man
of good works and of kindpess!' Then
he kissed his hand before the merchant
and said: 80 cur brothers. the merchant
Maaroof hath delighted you by his arrival" )"
They therefore saluted him, and the mer-
chant Alec proceeded to go apart with
them, one after another and praise
Maaroof, saying: "Yes, indeed, he is the
greatest of merchants and there existeth
not any one more wealthy than he, for
his wealth and the wealth OF his fathers
and his forefathers are notorious among
the merchants of Cairo" Then they
came together to him and presented
him with food for breakfast and
sherbet. Even the Shah Baudar of
the merchants came to him, and
saluted him, and the merchant Alec said
to him, 20 my master, probably thou