Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-11-24
DAILY SHORT STORY
A MOORISH WEDDING.
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W DIS Tic sun VI wealthy NNi-
educated and possessed of a fair share
OF manly beauty. Tangier is built on
side hill overlooking the blue Mediter-
ranean directly opposite Gibraltar.
There are rows of guns with which TO
defend the town placed behind bat
teries on the hillside. One morning
Hamet was walking along this fortifi-
cation looking out upon the sea and
the dock, at the end of which a Euro
pean ship was being loaded with cat
tie. A rope was fastened around the
horns OF each and the poor beast
drawn up the ships side kicking and
struggling. While Hamet was looking
on d young girl came by, her face COW
cred, as is the universal custom in
Morocco and also stood watching the
raising of the cattle. The process
seemed 50 cruel that the girl was Wis
IDLY affected by 1t. Indeed. So indig-
nant was she that she forgot TO hold
her head covering over her face. per-
hitting it TO fall upon her shoulders.
Hamet saw Il beautiful face full of
sympathy and indignation. unconscious
of its loneliness and that it was OBJ
served. If Il Moor can love, and that at
first sight. Hainet loved the girl before
him. At any rate. he never forgot the
picture of loneliness he was permitted
10 look upon. contrary to Moorish law.
The girl turned and. seeing that her
face was exposed To the gaze of a
handsome young man looking at her
with Il lovers gaze. biushed. quickly
covered up her face and went on. y
moment later she was joined by an at
tendant and the two disappeared be-
hind the hillside.
When we consider that the girl was
affected similarly to the man we might
expect the affair 10 terminate in a hap
Ply marriage. But i'll Morocco court
ship is unknown, a betrothed pair new
er seeing each other till after they
have been married.
Hamet was already embarked in the
preliminaries of marriage. Negotia
tons were in progress for union with
the daughter of Il wealthy man from
the interior who had just settled in
Tangier. OF course Hamet and the girl
had never met and would not be permit
ted to meet till after marriage Hamet
had been satisfied until he had seen
the girl on the fortress After that his
dissatisfaction was intense. AS for the
girl, one of her sisters had committed
suicide rather than marry a man she
had never seen. being in love with an
other. Hamet'S fiancee was carefully
watched by her parents for fear of 4
similar catastrophe. but as it did not
appear that she had a lover it was as
sumed there would be no trouble. \
contract of marriage was signed be-
tween Hamet 81 Zagel and Ioraga Has
san and preparations We're made for
the wedding.
Moorish brides are carried to their
husbands at night On the evening of
Hamet's and Zoraga's marriage. ii be-
ing a marriage in high life, the streets
along which Zoraga is to he taken are
crowded with people. Presently her
fathers slaves come along scattering
sherbets, sweetmeats and coins. Then
comes a Enthusiastically dressed negress
leading a white mule. On the mules
back is fixed sort of cage. When the
wedding procession reaches the house
of the brides father the negress takes
the cage and carries it into the house.
From within lamentations are heard.
indicating that the bride is taking leave
of those she has loved from infancy to
go into the possession OF a man she has
never seen.
If Zoraga's costume indicated that
she was bride. her countenance did
not. In her eye was faraway look.
look of regret. She reminded those
about her of a maiden going TO the sac
rifice. Her mother looked at her wiSt-
fully. anXiously. and asked her to say
If there was any one she loved. The
loss of one daughter admonished the
parent that she might lose another
from the same cause. But Zoraga
made no reply to the question. She
chung about her mothers neck till her
father reminded her that her husband
was waiting.
On the street the old woman reap
peared, staggering under the weight OF
the box which now contained the bride
Box and bride We're placed on the
mule, and the negress led them. Her
aided by music. friends coming out of
houses to offer congra tulations. they at
last came to the house of the groom.
Here the woman took the bride from
the box. smOothed her dress and led
her into the house. Bidding her good
by, the nurse left the room to the
mother-in-law. who approached TO have
a look at her sons wife.
Considering that Zoraga's sister had
taken her life rather than be the wife
of man she did not love. this bride >
parents were remiss in not searching
her before she left her home Her
nurse had scarcely left her when she
drew a little curved knife. miniature
sctmiter, from her bosom and was
about to plunge it into her breast when
her mother-in-law caught her arm and
took the knife away from her.
There was nothing now to do but
meet the groom. AS the mother left
the room he entered. Zoraga, accord
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