The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-29
THE WHITE JASMINE.
BY AMALIA sOLANO


BY AMALIA SOLANO.
The Imperial Bagdad," the city of
the powerful Caliphs of the east, was
in mourning, for the pride and
flower of Bagdad, the morning star,
Leila adyah. the beautiful, the
daughter of the Caliph, was dying.
All the men skilled in the medical
science in Bagdad, Magi from Persia.
Sages from Egypt, who had acquired
in a wonderful way the secrets of
medicine possessed by the ancient
Egyptian priests. learned physicians
from the Greek empire-all had tried
their knowledge and skill on the prin-
cess.
One day when the sun was sinking
in the fer west a traveller entered Bag
dad through one of the gates which
looked toward the side of the rising
sun. His dress. travel-worn and
stained. and made in a different fash
ion from the prevailing way in Bag
dad indicated that he came from a
distance. The man approached an
Arab standing on a street corner and
said with quiet dignity:
Take me to the place of thy master.
the Caliph.''
The Arab answered simply:
Come with me-" and the stranger
followed on his footsteps
When at the door of the palace the
traveller dismissed his guide and said
to the guard:
Il wish to see the great Caliph Tell
n hot 20
India has come to cure the princess. -
The soldier took him to the king, for
he had orders to Immediately intro
duce into the royal presence anyone
coming on such an errand as this.
What dost thou want?" asked the
king.
Mirror of the faithful! Defender
Of the true faith. the fame of thy
might and power has even reached
to the banks of our sacred river-the
purifying Gauges: also, of how thy
daughter. the flower of Moslem, was
i'll and dying, and earthly science was
the dreaded bridge; but l. o king, can
save her.
"How can that be?" asked the CaIiph
IN wonder Thou hast not even seen
her.
Thou hast said it. but the stars
have revealed to me their secret. Take
me to her,
On a couch surrounded by her fe-
male slaves, amid cushions and silks
O.. damask, lay Leila-Rudyah, pale as
moonlight: the two midnight stars
which in health lighted her face were
heavily yelled by her eye lids. She
was supremely beautiful, even at her
dying hour.
The Hindoo approached her couch
and with his hand lightly touched her
forehead She opened her eyes and
closed them again. sinking Immediate
ly into the usual stupor.
Then the wise Man" walked to-
ward the exit of the room and the
Caliph went with him. The Hindoo
walked bv the side of the monarch,
silent and thoughtful, and when they
entered the throne room asked from
the sovereign a secret audience.
Hastily dismissing everyone, the
Caliph prepared himself to hear what
the stranger had to say.
The Hindoo began to speak in a
low, impressive voice. carrying convfc-
ton and hope to the heart of the poor
father.
1T is decreed by fate that the prin-
cess, thy daughter. leave this world
for the one promised to the faithful,
when four times the moon shall have
shone full in the midnight sky; but
Allah has left thee one hope. Only
one thing can save her. and the rem
edy is as difficult to obtain as her i'll
ness is mysterious. Art thou ready to
make every sacrifice for herr"
YES: if thou canst do aught for her,
speak and if she lives I will give thee
gold. and land. and slaves; I will
make thee wealthy; more, even her
hand in marriage thou shalt have"
mo. king. / ask nothing, and only
wish to return to my country when
the princess is cured. Gold has no
charms for me, nor woman any allure
ment Her hand must be the reward
of her savior: for 1 will only indicate
what will cure her. and a young, Wig
orous man must go in search of it.
Listen to me, o great Caliph.
Far away in the west, in the region
of the setting sun, is a land-the fair
est land in this mortal world. It's
name is Hispania. In this country the
sky is always blue and pure. In this
paradise of earth. cultivated by the
hands of an houri. grows a beautiful
white flower. eXhaling a fragrance like
unto that of the breezes of heaven.
If anyone can go to that far-off land
and bring this heavenly flower to Bag
dad before thy daughter dies, then she
will live: for it's perfume means life
and health to her. Have this fact pro-
claimed through all thy kingdom, and
let those who wish to undertake the
perilous journey go, and may Allah
grant that they return in time
Through ali the kingdom the criers
proclaimed the news that if any man,
however humble or poor he might be,
could obtain and bring the wonderful
flower from the Occident he would
have as a reward the hand of the beau
tiful Leila Radyah.
Three powerful princes who loved
Leila-Radyah started on the long
journey in quest of the 1ife-giving
blossom.
The first. young and handsome
Prince Ali. persisted in the burning
sands when crossing the Ara bian des-
ert
The second. nephew of the Caliph,
Hassan. decided to make the voyage
by water: So on reaching the Medit-
erranean shore. embarked and a few
days after fell captive into the hands
of pirates. He was set at liberty,
after paying a heavy ransom, and,
tired of suffering misfortunes, re-
turned to his native land.
The third. Ab-de-Rhaman. was a
prince of the royal house of the Omny-
AIDES. a dynasty which had been over
thrown by the grandfather of the
present Caliph. Ab-de-Rhaman- was