Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-10-05


Joke, he entered the dark room. A strong
scent Of rose and simmer of white
led him to the sedia where Melek sat,
cold and shaking.
He took her hand and welcomed her
to his house; she replied by monosyllA-
bles, thus showing herself modest
woman, not over free with her tongue.
As the night advanced, Suleiman fell
into a sentimental mood, and rehearsed
with much self-pity his trials with his
first wife.
Il assure you, Hanum," he said, she
was quite impossible to live with, go
cross and annoying; with you will al
ways be tender, but with her l was
forced to be rough. Allah! how she
bored me!-talk, talk, talk! Truly it is
said that one word provoketh another,
and often l answered her sharply, but
I could never put her down. 1t is good
advice to a woman: Open your eyes,
but not your mouth" And so he mauD-
dered on about his past troubles.
Melek said nothing, but be felt her
sympathy so powerfully that he grew
eloquent in abuse of his poor first wife,
all the time assuring her Of his devotion
to this amiable woman at his side.
With the passing hours he grew more
expansive, and told his wife tales that
he would never have confessed in The
light. AS he had detested Melek he had
not thought it necessary to be loyal to
her; no, with cruel triumph he told his
bride how he had deceived the other
woman as often as he could. He had
made eyes at the inman's wife, and had
one day kissed the housemaid OF the
pasha who lived in the great house; he
had lifted the veil of the girl who came
to draw water at the fountain. He re-
counted his unfaithfulness with pride.
'For, Hanum Effendi, such woman
could expect nothing else from her hus-
band. She was not so bad looking" he
reflected, ''but as our proverb runs,
Without she is a doll, within devil. "
Poor Melek was as still as any doll
now, scarce daring to breathe, for fear
of pouring out sobs and grief.
At length Suleiman noticed her ST.
lence, and felt sudden strong desire to
see this quiet, plump creature to whom
he had been unbosoming himself.
"Hanum," he begged, 81 know you
are az beautiful as you are sweet, to you
will ever be true and loving husband;
but let me see your face, light but once
the candle and let me see the counte-
nance of her whom swear to cherish as
the apple Of my eye"
Melek could endure no more; she has
tily struck a match and lit 1t to the
candle, revealing to the amazed Sulei-
man the woebegone face of the wife ne
had been abusing.
Suleiman was filed with horror at
his cruelty. The pale, tear-stained face
of his wife cut him to the heart; he
thought with distress Of all he had said
to her. In the candle light she looked
pretty and loyable, and he had hurt her.
He fell upon his knees and kissed her
feet, pressing them to his breast, he
begged her in piercing tones to forgive
him, and trust him for the future. He
called himself brute, and her his angel
returned to him. In short, he made his
peace with the patient wife. who was all
too ready to listen to his pleading.
Both Suleiman Effendi and Melek
Hanum learned lessons from this ex
perience, and after it understood each
others needs and peculiarities better
than before. Remorse kept the hus-
band true to his wife, and the sharp ex-
perience curbed her somewhat FESTIVE
tongue. Thus it came about that Sulei-
man and Melek lived together until old
age in harmony.
"'Melek" is Turkish for angel
Cnrinpfeld Renuhlipqn