Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-29


him. | did him an Injustice. and There
fore is my siumber in the tomb dis
turbed When the lander OF the
faithful or one OF mis- children has an
earnest longing or desire or sone
other who Eas wronged the prophet is
called from his tomb in answer to
their prayers
Prince Ali. Son OF Abulfeda. what
is thy desire?'
The prince thereupon began at the
birth OF his hope for the possession OF
an architectural wonder and related
all until its completion.
Il understand. | understand" CRIED
the old man. slowly beckouing the
prince to silence You have exhausted
your worldly knowledssa in attempting
to succeed TO happiness. in gratifying
your desire. and have failed. Is II
not as say?'
lit is" answered the prince. land
now yearn for something beyond the
power of man TO accomplish or under
stand"
BE II then as you desire" answered
the aged father. Behold this STAFF.
Ask not from whence IL came nor dis
cover the mystery TO any living man
until I return for its possession"
The prince took the stan and looked
1t curiously over. but nothing extraor-
binary occurred. Seeing his expec-
fancy. the aged man continued:
THE followers Of the good man
Jesus. whom the Christians believe
and the worshipers Of the stars and
moon and the elements and other
NJ LII - h.. ,Ix-
Cod-for there IL but one God. and
Mohammed is his prophet-have i'm
ages beautiful to behold. yet far from
the handwork of the Creator. To US
is forbidden such images. Would You
fill the structure you have built with
more sonderful images. beyond the
construction or understanding Of man
kind:"
Il would. wouldr' exclaimed the
prince. delighted with the expectation.
The power is in your hand an
swered the strange visitor and var
ished.
For several minutes the prince stood
as If awakened from n dream, but not
long. for just at that moment a young
girl. a favorite with the prince. came
on tiptoe behind him. Noiselessly as
the soft breeze that scarce moved the
dark hair that fell uncontrolled over
her white shoulders she crept up and
was about to clasp her small hands
over his eyes when the prince, seeing
the shadow and excited by the strange
visitor who had just left him. wheeled
suddenly around and in doing so touch
ed the laughing girl with his staff.
As statue of the whitest marble she
stood before him.
AS the prince stood wondering at the
magic power of the apparently COM
monplace staff courier approached in
all haste with a message from a dis
tant province governed by a very dear
friend of Prince Ali.
The breathless messenger fell on his
face before the prince, and after sa-
flaming after the manner of the day
and recovering breath enough to speak
he begged the pardon of the prince for
first exacting a promise of secrecy in
regard to the matter upon which he
had been sent. it being his masters
special order.
In his anxiety the prince raised the
hand that held the staff and placed it
on the shoulder of the exhausted mes
senger. and he, too, was marble.
AS the days went by the palace filed
with strange images. and the possessor
of the wonderful staff began to long
for the supernatural donor. The pos
session of his gift began to be weight.
and each image added to the palace
was a weight added to the burden of
its ruler. Still the longed for visitor
came not.
At last. when the prince was almost
driven TO madness. his strange visitor
again appeared. Before he could ask a
question of the descendant of the great
Mahmoud the staff was thrust into his
hands. and he was prayed by the mem
DRY of the great leader TO restore to
life the silent images that. instead of
adjoining. cast gloom over the palace.
rs that not beautiful?" asked the
strange visitor. pointing to the figure
of the mischievous girl favorite. Look
at the grace. the smile almost bursting
into laughter"
1T is beautiful. most beautiful" an
swered the prince, but her laugh
would be to me more beautiful than
ALL
Anu tIsit- eASfdthleo inc aSeu iuaH-
Look how natural that courier is
about to relate his MESSAGE
Most natural. most natural" sighed
the prince. but the unspoken message
is locked in that marble breast"
To several others the stcange visitor
drew the shrinking prince and COM
mented on the peculiar beauty of each.
But the prince could not be diverted
from the melancholy that possessed
him.
Take them away. Take them awayw
exclaimed the prince. Leave my pal
ace as it was. and will be happy. per
fectly happy"
BE. il as you say" answered the
aged man. and profit by the lesson"
There was a slight Nsstle II the
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