Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-01-17
A Moorish Wedding
tOriKin1l. !

tOrigin1Ll
In the city of Tangier there Iiexd D
young man. Hamet ell Zagcl Hamet
was the son Of a wealthy father, wei!
educated anil possessed Of fair share
Of manly beauty. Tangier Is built on 4
side hill overlooking the blue Medlter-
5anean directly opposite Gibraltar.
There are rows Of guns with which to
defend the town placed behind bat.
teries on tho hillside. One morning
Hamet WAS walking along this fortifi.
cation looking out upon the sea and
the dock, at the end of which Euro
pean ship was being loaded with cat.
tie. 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 young girl came by. her face GOV.
cred, as rs 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 b. it. Indeed, 50 indig.
'nant was she that she forgot to hold
her head covering over her face, per
mitting it to fall upon her shoulders,
Hamet saw u beautiful face full OF
sympathy and Indignation, unconscious
of its loyeliueSs ald that it was OBJ
served. If Il Moor can love, and that at
first sight, Ia!Aet loved the girl before
him. At any rate, he never forgot the
picture of loveliness he was permitted
to look upon, contrary to Moorish law.
The girl turned and, seeing that her
face was exposed to the gaze Of
handsome young man looking at her
with lovers gaze, blushed, quickly
covered up her face and went on. A
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 mall re might
expect the affair to terminate in hap
py marriage. But in Morocco court
ship Is unknown, betrothed pair new
er seeing each other till after they
have been married.
Hamct was already embarked in the
preliminaries Of marriage. Negotia.
tons were in progress for a union with
the daughter Of wealthy man from
the interior who had just settled in
Tangier. OF course Hamet and the gir.
had neser met ard would not be permit
ted TO fnee< till after marriage. Hamet
had been satisfied until he had seen
the girl ca the fortress. After that bis
Dissatisfaction ~cE ..ato,,se AS for the
girl one of her sisters had committed
suicide rather than marry a man she
had hover seen, being IN love with an
Other. Hamet's hancee was carefully
watched by her parents for fear Of a
similar catastrophe but as 1t did not
appear that she bad lover 1t was as
sumed there would be no trouble. 4
contract Of marriage was signed be-
tween Hamet ell Zagel and Zoraga Nas-
san and preparations We're made for
the wedding.
Moorish brides are carried to their
husbands at night On the evening OF
Hamet's anu ZoragA's marriage. it be-
ing a marriage in high life, the streets
along which Zoraga Is to be taken are
crowded with people. Presently he-
fathers slaves come along scattering
sherbets, sweetmeats and coins. Then
comes Enthusiastically dressed negress
leading white mule. On the nu,e'5
back is fixed a 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 heayC.
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 farawuy look. a
look of regret. She reminded those
about her Of Il maiden going to the sac,
rtice. Her mother looked at her visit
fully. anxiously, and askel her to say
II there was any one she loved. Tie
loss OF one daughter admonishel the
parent that she might lose another
from the same cause. But ZoraGa
made no reply to the question. She
:lung about her mothers neck till her
father re:aindcd her that her husband
Was waiting.
On the street the old woman reap
leared. staggering under the weight Ct
he box which now contained the bride.
Box and bride were placeL-
...us.c. friends coming out Cf
houses to offer congratulations. they &C
last came 10 the house d. The groom