Year: 1863




|
The Shirt Of Happiness


1t is said that once upon time.
in the grand old fable days, Per-
sian king, who fell sick, consulted a
magician Of great reputation, who
lived in his dominions. The magi-
clan, worthy gentleman who flour
ished in much personal comfort upon
popular opinion, received the king
with great respect and the most flow
cry language his imagination could
invent. Having listened to his maj
esty's ailments with profound atten-
ton, the magician at length inform
the king that if he could succeed in
obtaining the shirt of a happy man,
he had only to put on the precious
garment to be cured Immediately OF
his malady and so long as he wore
it he would never know sorrow nor
disease.


The realms of the monarch were
wide. His armies were mighty upon
the land, and his fleets were supreme
upon the seas. His banners had
never known defeat. His treasury
was filled to overfowing, and his
subjects were loyal and obedient.
But whenever he ate bowl of cream
or dozen of skewers of kabobs, OF
a few water-melons, he had suffered
so much of late years from indies
ton, that he could not consider
himself happy; so it was obvious that
his majesty himself had no shirt in
his wardrobe which would answer the
purpose.


s'But,' though the king, very nat
urally, "there is my prime minister
a fellow who can put any quantity
of cream, sweet or sour, under the
robe of honor which l gave him last
Nooroos and as for kabobs, why
yesterday I thought he would never
never have done munching them
He is married to my daughter. His
horses are far better than mine. He
has no end of money!" his majesty
thought of this with peculiar look
which might mean many things
"and he has just built himself pal
ace fairer than the British Embassy
Whose dog is he that he should not be
happy ?"


| So the king sent for his prime min.
lister, and asked him once for hi.
shirt. The statesman glad to OBJ.
|lige his master on such easy term:
and slyly resolving to obtain any
number of equivalents whenever occa-
| sion should offer to identify, immedi
ately sent to the king the very best
1 shirt in his wardrobe. 1t was made
of the finest and lightest silk, thin as
a spiders web, and beautifully en-
broidered but wonderful as it ap-
Ipears to his majesty, he suffered from
the indigestion more than ever after
putting it on and, far worse, he felt
a tightness about his neck as Of 8
person apprehensive of being bow
stung, or actually undergoing that
process sensation which he never
remembered to have felt since he haG
been at war for the crown with his
three hundred and ten brothers, af-
ter his fathers death; and all those
brothers had long ago been disposed
of in various ways which his majesty
did not care to remember he could
not account for the return of the ole
sensation in his throat. and FASTENED
to take off prime ministers shirt
as soon as possible.


Feeling, however, that he hat
been imposed upon, and that tn,
Prime Minister must have sent hin
somebody else's shirt instead of hi
own, the King ordered bis ferroshe
to seize that politician and bring him
securely bound, into his pres
ence.


"To hear is to obey" said the fer
roshes.


When the Prime Minister appear
) ed, the king received him with ter
rible countenance.


"Dog - said his majesty, in an aw
full voice, why have you deceived me
and sent the shirt of some other maj
accursed Of Allah, instead of you
own?"


The Prime Minister tremblingl,
endeavored to exculpate him
self.


! "Son of an owl and spider" pur
} sued the King, "Meerza-Snooza, tn
magician, assured me that i'll coul
! obtain the shirt OF, happy man,