The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-23

tlcldu ana nelQ many lucfHllNo pihiCSs, for he founded his political line of conduct upon the line of the poet Sadi which says: Should the Prince at noodav say it is night declare that you behold the moon and stars The politician who adheres strictly to this maxim is bound to receive advancement. Fadladeen professed a tre- mendous zeal for religion, of which Aurungzbee was Inuaificent protector and his zeal for religion was ebout as who fell in love with the diamond eyes of Juggernaut. He thought himself scarcely inferior in importance in the procession to Lalla Rookh herself and fancied tl,a4 he was going to carry the light of elegance and refinement into Bucharia as well as gather up new offices and fresh emolu- ments at the court of King Aliris.
 Lalla Rookh had passed all her life in the seclusion of the royal gardens Of Delhi; this was her first glimpse of the l, outside world and so for the first few days of the journey she found enough to interest her mind and delight her imaSi- nation. At evening, or in the heat of | noontide, they turned off the way to some picturesque and romantic place which had been selected for their re- pose. Sometimes it was on the banks of a small rivulet whose waters, clear as | those of the Lake of Pearls. murmured a soothing sound in the ears of the trav- elers Sometimes the place selected was under some great, spreading banyan tree from which the view opened upon q Azfa nA Af tar1 in one of these hidden, embowered spots the princess felt such delight in the scene so lovely and so new to her that she was indifferent to any other amuse- nnent, and was content to lie and watch the wild peacocks and the turtle doves.
 But Lalla was young. and the young like variety. At last even the converse ton of the gifted Fadladeen and of her ladies-the only persons. of course. ad- nlitted to her presence-failed to enliven sufficiently the many vacant hours which were devoted neither to the pillow nor the palankeen. There was a little Persian slave who used to sing to her of the loves of Wamak and the prowess of Russian. and at other times she had in dancing girls of Delhi, who had been permitted by the Bramins of the great pagoda to ac- company her train, much to the horror of Fadladeen, who was strictly orthodox and could see nothing either graceful or agreeable in idolators-the very tinkling of their golden anlSlets was an abomina- tion. Then somebody remembered that there was among the attendants which King Aliris had sent to Delhi to escort his bride a poet who had a great repu- ! tation in Cashmere as reciter and singer of those charming tales of the east 1 which mingle war and love in such exact and harmonious proportions. It was sug- | gested that this poet be brought in to while away the heavy hours of the prin- cess--he had received from Aliris him. self permission to enter the presence of Lalla Iloolkh.
 | At the mention of a poet Fadladeen ele- vated his eyebrows and, taking a little of that delicious opium which Is distilled from the black poppy of the Thebias, gave orders that this literary person be pro- duced. He saw chance for the higher criticism ln which his analytical powers would find such opportunity for display that he could not fail to add to the laurels which he had already won as dissector of those foolish people who write instead of criticisins what is written. Like his modern successors in the craft. Fadladeen had the grammarians to back him and knew that the damnable heresy of a split infnitive should be summarily dealt with. even though the sentence was ruined thereby. As he was well versed in the writings of the most stupid and unim- ! aginative writers on grammar and lit- erature, it cannot be denied that the eunuch was well qualified to be a literary censor. The system of Fadladeen was very simple and very effective, and has been scrupulously followed by the intel lectual eunuchs who continue the bust- ness in these days. Lalla Roolh, wflo had
 once In her life seen a poet from behind
 the screens of gauge in her fathers hall,
 had conceived no very favorable idea of the caste and expected little from the in
 young mans Aame.
 But upon his coming to the pavilion.
 however, she felt inclined to alter her opinion. He was about the sans age as the princess and as graceful as that Idol of women. the god Chrisner-such as he appears to their young ilnasinations, he- | roic. brave. beautiful. breathing music from his very eyes and exaiting the re- | ligion of his worsfrippers into love. His dress was simple. yet not without some marks of oostiiness. In fact, the ladies' ] of the princess were enthusiastic ovsr his lowered girdle Of Kashan, his ex- | quisisely embroidered sandals, the strineu of fine pearls which he wore and his high Tartarfan cap, encircied with the most delicate shawl cloth. made from the hatr of the goats of Tibet They might give way to Tadladeen in the minor matters of religion. politics and literature, but when 1t came to a question of dress they had the spirit o1 martyrs. For the pur- | pose of relieving tho interiudes of his recitations by music the young Cash- merian poet held in bis hand . kitar.
 such as the Arab maids of the west used | to listen to in the moonlit gardens of | Spain, and having, with great humility. | promised that his story had to do with
 the adventures of the Yelled Prophet of
 Khorrassan. who. in the year of the He gira 163, created such alarm throughout | the eastern empire, he made an obeis-
 ance to the princess and began that we'll
 known poem. beginning.