El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-13

precipitated herself into the yard, shat
tering her skull on the pavement
Turiri left his house and soon saw
himself importuned by crowd of beg
CARS. He did not utter a harsh word
to them and was about to distribute
aims i'm his habitual kind way when.
loi all the beggars dropped dead.
Continuing +. his walk, he met fair
Mandenika, one of the most noted
courtesans of Bagdad. Eager to gain
the wise mans love, she told him the
story of her life and tried to persuade
him that she was unlike any other We
man of her profession. Turin was
moved to pity and was about to eX-
press to her his sympathy when the
woman all of sudden fell lifeless at
his feet.
Arriving in the city, he found that
the street which he had to cross was
blocked with numerous carriages Aft
er waiting few moments he began to
lose patience, when all at once drivers
and horses, as though hit by some mys
FERROUS blow. dropped dead to the
ground.
He went to the theater and there fell
quarreling with the scholar Carvilaka
about some verses which the latter as
cribed to Nisami, while Turin claimed
that they were composed by Saadi-
Suddenly the scholar uttered a Shrek
and expired. The play which was
performed had great success and WIS
much applauded by the audience.
Hardly had Turiri made up his mind
to join in the applause when the au
thor of the play breathed his last.
Turin returned home. terrified at
what he had seen. and. thinking him
self the cause of all these murders, he
killed himself in despair by plunginG
a dagger into his heart.
During the same night died alSn
Maitrega, the aScetic.
Both appeared simultaneously before
Ormuzd.
The ascetic thought in his mind:
"How 1 shall rejoice to see this man
judged according to his desert! This
man whose hypocrisy was almost as
much admired as my virtue as soon as
he had power to do what he liked
showed his true nature by committing
countless crimes
Ormuzd. however, turned smilingly
to Turiri and said:
''Welcome. virtuouS Turiri. You
were truly a good man and my faith
full servant Enter now into my eter
nal peace
That's a good joke" said the as
cetic, with a sheer.
Never have 1 been more in earnest
than at this moment" replied OrmuZd
and, addressing again Turiri, spoke:
''You wished the destruction of your
wife because of her ungentleneSS and
LONELINESS; the destruction of the beg
CARS because of their annoyance and
the repulsive sight they offered; the
destruction of the courtesan because
of her foolishness and insincerity; of
the drivers and their horses for caus
ing you an unnecessary delay: of the
scholar Carvilaka for disagreeing with
you; of the playwright for his being
more successful than you. All these
wishes were perfectly natural. The
murders with which you We're charged
by Maitrega We're, without your know
ing it, the effect of your first wish.
that wish which no one is able to COM
mand. 1t is quite natural to hate all
that is disturbing and obstructing, and
1t is just as natural to desire the de-
struction of what we hate. Nature is
egotistical, and the name of egotism
is destruction. Thus sin and crime
virtuous, and if mortals had the power
of realizing their first involuntary
wishes the earth would fast become
depopulated. This Turin, L purposed
to show by your example. But judge
men after their second impulse only.
that impulse which alone is in their
power. Without the mysterious gift
for which you did not ask and which
would have continued to lead benefi
cent existence 1t is, therefore, not
your nature that 1 have to consider,
but your will. which was good and
ever ready to curb nature and to i'm
prove any imperfect work. And for
this reason, my dear coworker, 1 open
to you the gates of paradise"
$50 far, so good,'' said Maitrega, ''but
what reward do you grant to me?''
1.-The same" replied Ormuzd, sal
though you only partly deserved it.
You were a saint, but you were not Il
human being unless SO through your
pride. You succeeded in sitting the
first impulse in your heart, but if all
men would live like you mankind
would be even faster eXterminated
than it could be through the fatal pow
er granted to my faithful servant Tu-
riri. Now, want mankind to exist, as
l find pleasure in its sight, which at
times is very beautiful. Even your eff
forts, miserable ascetic, were not en-
tirely devoid of beauty, and therefore
l pardon you your foolish error. And
thus l receive Turiri into my bosom.
because l am just, and you, Maitrega.
because l am merciful.''
But objected Maitrega.
81 have spoken."-Translated From
the French For Cleveland Plain Dealer