The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-03
A BARD OF THE DESERT.
An English Artist Writes of n Beaor,r
Poet

An English Artist Writes of a Bedouip
= Poet.
He was an old man, gray bearded and
sun dried; and the look of importance
upon MS brow was repeated in the ex.
preston OF reflected glory which ami
mated the countenance of his son. Each
carried an instrument called al
kemengeh, a kind Of two-strinoed al.
die. :" i'u'
Shutting his eyes, and comfortable
r"oolng his hands together, the old
man began, in harsh, strident voice
70 deiiVer panegyric upon the song he
was going to sing, calling forth re- j
peatediy CALCULATIONS of "Aiwa.
feuss,' and other approving signs.
from the assembled crowd. After ten
minutes OF this became impatient. and
exclaimed; II drub ell kemengeb Va
usta C'Play your fiddle, 0 nv mas.
yer }, whereupon, with sympathetic
grunts from all, he began the overture
u weird, wailing melody to which the
son Played kind of second in minor
Key which it is impossible TO transcr;be
correctly In our annOtation
Beginning like the signing Of tbs
WIND among the palm trees, it graduate
ea'hered power and volume in
erescendo, then died away again n
breath playing infinite changes upon w
.ne opening theme. The effect was dis. ri
''hc'iy artistic and quaint, and 7 was II
i"uuaily drifting into state ~
lreamy lmaginings when suddenly tho d,
'ard broke silence, and in n voice - d
'hazing power and incisiyeness becan
o intone the "Song of the Nenboat. "
uoing back for generations, the 10.
enu described the growing of the IT,
aren't tribe into power in Mesonot-
'nia' ana how, In course of time wbor ~,
zen and camels and horses were -
lenty' the head shsik decided unon tba Gil,
inquest OF Tunis. Admirably accom-. LAi
'nied on their instruments ona FL
emed to hear the hurried rid;ro -
essengers dispatched to summon dis
Il. ia,n''ies; their horses hoof strokes i
dying in the distance unt,I B B1,6
"snU was heard but the sigbino 30
hlght wind across the desert Pc But
ny from lar away was caught the dis APP
!, numbering Of the catherine POT.
rues' gradually approaching neara.
nearer until the volume % 60, FLol
minated In general salutation n N
'neih VINO summoned them. Then S SUKS
.e 'ne sheik's exhortation, and the porn
'riPlon OF their desert iourney LARI
cn was to occupy many months
Iciuen's by the way-heat. tbjrst WIZ VIZ
'e ana dust by day, and the eternal CORN
nee OF the desert by nipbt thn Rye.
!, OF the stars, the waxing and PORK
ing OF the moon, the bardships ex. LARD
"eh's' plenty and poverty of condi. rr o,,,
were each in turn, graphicaIlv GRAIN
r'oed' TO the same weird accou, Sou
ment. "'eoni- Cor
Oat
ur AFTER hour this went on. tbs Rye
: eye cleaning and his vo;oo H H0oGsL
ing stronger and stror ger mil
almost stunned by its tbundsr- GRAIN
monotone. Meanwhile the tribes Corn Corn
.nling excitedly in their seats
,''e'ihg quick CALCULATIONS of an FLOUR
:. s,, uvns'l,uted scene which kept GRAN AIN.
Eventually, in the nar' 0 0ofn
; !unis was reached, and tbs PORK
vi Arabs encamped beneath ne 1AND-'
'as now midnight, and for four
ours had listened to this won
ePic' but realizing that was too
ghly exhausted for furtber
..s l decided to turn in"
ting up, left the ASSEMBLE, ~,
TN OF their u excitement and graf
III talbot Kelly, in Century
Not Exactly.
belong to what they call tbss
class do you?" asked the nartr IT Is
e large voice. p"''y friend
sir," responded the marty ,,,., health as ns
BILE chin. v WIN carried
Won bava n Lingar
large number of Deo. out her
our employ, l suppose?" s ENDS d, h B,
. woman
OF them minors 49, happy,
wv, OF let her
''Thir
with m,
what thought. I'll bst s there W
dollars You run a sweat shopIa relief.
hardly. Irun an icebousspp living a