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October 23, 1852.] THE LEADER. 1023
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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" Perhaps The Most Remarkable And Charac...
A then betray herself by an affected giggle—not finding a suitable match in his an villa 0 " * he tr avelled through the neighbouring districts until he met with a ° v poor " couple who had an only daughter . He made his propositions , was ente d and , after the necessary delays , found himself possessed of a wife . A \ . jj of ' his comic t ribulations need not be given . Suffice it to say that the , . -j £ OO young to have the witness within her of the propriety of her being 1 nded over to the rough tenderness of a stranger—was as restive as a colt ignorant f the halter . During the first half of the honeymoon Haroun ' s face became so ornamen ted with scratches that no friend could recognise him . He gravely applied for redress to the parents , who promised to scold and intercede . If they did so , it was without effect ; and the bridegroom returned to his native village with a new father and mother , and a wife whom it was as dangerous to approach as a hedgehog tied in a hag . Had he been alone with her , matters might have been smoothed at " the expense of a few tears ; but in the midst of his remonstrances the old people wo uld invariably rush to the rescue , and accuse the poor bewildered man of assassina ting their daughter . Under these circumstances he consulted the Kadee of the village , who was esteemed of good counsel .
« * The matter is easy , O Haroun / said the Kadee , having heard an unvarnished statement of the case- ' Pretend thou to give up the matter as a bad job , and go out as if to work . The old people will soon grow weary of staying at home , having all their new relations to visit . Watch thy opportunity , and slip back armed with a o-oocl stick as coon as they are out . Let the stick be at least two fingers in thickness ; and when thou hast locked thyself in , fall to in the name of the Prophet , and beat thy wife well : beat her till she shrieks for mercy , beat her till thou drawest blood—zing , zong , "Wallah ! Billah ! and , by my beard , she will become as amiable as a young buffalo that f eedeth out o its master ' s hand / " The bridegroom did as he was advised , and , having nearly committed murder , was acknowledged as lord paramount ; so that when the parents came back they f ound their daughter humble as a dove just fluttering after capture , with one eye beaming love and the other bound up by a rag . " ' In this way , ' said the narrator , * was I saved from the necessity of divorce . ' "
The following is the conclusion , of a story which might have found a place in the Arabian Nights . To make it intelligible we need only say , that the hero , Abd-el-Hai , has beggared himself by profuse hospitality , and is novT returning homewards : " So he proceeded on his journey . until he reached another village , towards the hour of sunset . The people had come home , fr om the fields , and were seen sitting before their doors , whilst others were strolling by a row of acacias , breathing the freshness of evening , and waiting for the call to prayers . Sheikh Abd-el-Hai walked very slowly along , to give some one an opportunity to invite him ; but no one said tafuddal or bismillah . Had he been of more respectable appearance , he
would have gone at once to the house of the Sheikh and claimed hospitality ; but he was ashamed to do this in his ragged and dirty state ; and sneaked along the streets , looking more like a thief than an honest man . A pack of hungry dogs suddenly attacked him ; and one , catching him by his trousers , carried away a large piece thereof . Probably the } ' would have devoured him , for he was too dispirited to defend himself , had not a young girl , hearing on her head a large square tray covered with loaves of bread , appeared and called them off . This clono , she -went tripping away ; but Abd-el-Hai , deriving hope from the sound of her voice , which was sweet as that of a lamb learning to bleat , followed her as fast as he was able , and laying his hand upon her garment , cried" ' Oil maiden !'
" Hut sho , mistaking his action , replied" ' Lewd fellow ! is it not . enough that I have saved thee from the dogs ? Wouldst thou now molest me ?' " So lie withdrew his hand , and was silent for shame ; whilst the maiden , hastening away , entered a house , and presently came out again without the bread , and turned down a bye-lane , looked fearfully about , lest the impudent and ungrateful stranger should follow her . "Then the Sheikh begun to reflect , that if he remained wandering about in this wise , he should meet again with the dogs ; and lie . said , ' It is better to cat than io ' « ' eaten . ' So , observing that the bread-niiiiden had left the door of her house il-j : ir , he slipped in , and finding all dark , began to stretch out his hands as he
walked , lifting up his toes very high , and holding in his breath . Suddenly , however , " nu ; people entered behind him , and lie hud only just time to say , ' % your leave , <> blessed ones ! ' and creep into the oven , or rather stove , which usually occupies "'• ' further end of the principal chamber in a fellah house , and serves for a l ) ed-« tead as well us a wanning-pan . J laving quite , hid himself , he listened attentively , Sl"d heard u man and woman speaking tenderly one to the other . To his surprise , he recognised in the voice of the man that of one of the rogues who had stolen his < llttle . At first he thought he had got into a robber ' s den , but soon discovered < liat hi ; was in the house of Sheikh Noor-c . d-Deen , who was engaged in entertaining Jl 's friends in the reception-mom , whilst his wife received her lover . After some co nversation , the woman said
" 'The supper is ready cooked , and Katmeli has brought the bread . Sit < lion < m the funi ( oven ) , and 1 will give thee the dishes , naming them as I give ; for I lli » e not light , It lamp , U .-st the neighbours liiiglifpeep in through a chink and see tliee . ' " ' < lood , ' said the man , grullly ; ' but , niitke haste , for F am hungry . ' " ' Here is a , dish of wliorba , my love , quoth the woman , in a mincing tone ; ' "" d I put a spoon into thy hands mid a loaf of bread by thy side . ' " ' VVonian , ' was the reply , ' I have a spoon ; but I can find no bread , and feel » ' <> soup . '
" I lie woman laughed , thinking he was joking ; but the Sheikh had slily put out '" « '' a nd and taken in the dish and the bread : but he was afraid to eat , lest lie " " tf hl , Ita h ,. | . According to the narrative , which here beeomeM too complete ! to ' " ' . the whole supper vvits brought , dish by dish , and disposed of in the sumo W | | . V . until the guilty couple began Io suspect that the devil was concerned in l , he ""inr , and (<> )> ,, V ( .,. " ltuu . ] 1 nfVaid . At this juncture there was a . knocking at the tl () " >\ and 1 , 1 ,,, V () i ,. . ' of Noor-ed-l ) een demanded admittance . "[ ' Keady , () Lord ! ' : u '< l the woman , who feared her husband more than the ( ( ' - ' My love , hid ,, i ,, ( , | u , furn . ' she added , in a low voice .
" The man accordingly , without even saying ' ihsUnir , ' tried to get in ; but our W ( " ' ' ! ; S 1 "'ll ; ll » with forked fingers poked Inn eyes , nml newly blinded him . " ' The devil ' s iu the furn ! ' growled he , nfurling buck . * JUculour , ilcslow , i / u 1 " 0 ( jarafcvcn J >
" ' Get in , fool ; my husband ' s at the door / muttered she , thrusting hirr ^ from behind ; but every time he advanced with chattering teeth , the Sheikh , unmindful of his apologetical destour , tapped him on the nose or squeezed his throat , and sent him squeaking away . At length , however , the woman mustered up all her strength , and fairl y bundled her lover into the oven on the top of the Sheikh , who began pummelling his enemy to his heart ' s content , quite certain that he would dare neither to resist nor complain . " The husband was now admitted . Probably he had entertained suspicions before ; they were pretty nearly changed into certainty by the delay that had taken place . However , he made no observation thereon , but sitting down on the furn , asked for supper . " ¦ ' - Hath not my lord supped ? ' said the wife , in a coaxing tone . " ' No ; do as I bid thee / was the brief reply .
" Then the woman related that the devil had appeared and carried away every dish ; at which Noor-ed-Deen expressed incredulity . Whilst he was speaking , the shorba appeared by his side ; and , says the narrative , every dish in succession : until at last the Sheikh himse lf carae forth , and took his place on the other side of the furn , opposite the master of the house . The latter , who at once saw that he had an honest face , invited him to sup ; which he did . Afterwards , having begged permission , Abd-el-Hai related his whole story in presence of the faithless wife , and having concluded , dragged forth the culprit , exclaiming , ' This is the man that stole my cattle , and this is the man that hath taken thy w r ife !' " The behaviour of the husband under these circumstances was what I have often heard recommended by Arabs , although they rarely have the discretion to practise it .
" ' Woman / said Noor-ed-Deen , addressing his wife , ' it appeareth that thy mind and thy eyes have wandered from me ; and such being the will of God , I submit without exercising my right of punishment . Perchance , because I am a grave man , not much loving boisterous merriment and the tinkling of musical instruments , thy heart hath yearned in preference for this youth ; but if thou wert weary of preparing my food and bearing children for me , in return for my tenderness and care , why not tell me thy thoughts freely ? I would have cheerfully released thee from thy duty . As it is , even , depart in peace . I inflict upon thee the triple sentence of divorce . And now , Ahmed / he added , addressing the robber and seducer , ' I learn that the cattle which thou and thy brothers brought back from the fair , were not bought , but stolen . Return all to the owner , with whatever he may exact in compensation for the trouble thou hast given him . If , further , thou wilt take this woman as thy wife , when her time is completed , it will be well . ' "
The farcical position of Abd-el-Hai in the oven , eating the dishes which the woman fondly supposes she is bestowing on her paramour , and the dignified sadness of the outraged husband , are both highly dramatic . Apropos of husbands , here is a , grim dramatic story , which might have been written by Dumas : — " Some years ago , the Zabit Bey , or head of the police—then a more important character than at present—was making his rounds on horseback , accompanied by Abu Halim , the executioner , a sais , and a torch-bearer . He had passed from the Eab-en-Nasr to the Kara Meydan , and found all quiet ; not a soul abroad ; not a single suspicious sound in the air . He was about to retire to his palace , when the
fancy struck him to explore a mass of ruined houses near the southern end ot the square—famous as a resort of robbers . Being u bold man , danger did not appal him ; and leaving his horse and sais under the shadow of a wall , he penetrated , followed only by his constant attendant , Abu Halim , into the gloomy alley a that intersect the suspicious quarter . He wandered about for some time without seeing anything to reward his industry ; but at length a light , twinkling in a distant ruin , attracted his attention . Loosening his pistols , and feeling that his sword worked easily in the scabbard , Abu Halim keeping still at his heels , the Zabit began to ' climb cautiously over a heap of rubbish , and following a low wall , broken down here and there , at length reached the neighbourhood of the light .
"It burned in a small room , the roof of which yet remained , whilst out ; side was half ruined . Three men—two fellahs , the other a black—sat there , talking unreservedly , as if quite secure from being overheard . At first it was difficult to understand the subject ; but the practised ear of the Zabit at length made out , from Aery disjointed materials , a most terrible story . It appeared that the black was the slave of a very distinguished person in Cairo , an NlTendi , whose ; name I forget , but whose ; character for benevolenco and kindness of disposition was wide-spread . lie had not long before married a young wife , and had become so enamoured of her that he had dismissed all his concubine skives , and had determined to devote ; himself entirely to the beautiful Kadwguh . As he was a very wealthy , besides being an excellent man , every one eelcbrated t . he good fortune of the bride ; and it was repeated even in fhe baths among the women , generally . so clear-sigh led , that she was the happiest bride in (' niro .
" I'Yom the conversation of the three ; miscreants in the ; ruin , t . he ZiuVit , first ; learned the falsity of this opinion . Ne > t enily eliel the' young woman detest he ; r husband , in spite ; of his fine qualities ; but . she ; was enamoured of a worthless young rake , named Scliin Aga , who gave ; more ( . rouble ! to the police , by his pranks than lialf-n-do / . e'ii thieves . She ; had already contrived to have ; several interviews with him , and he'r passion increasing , had devised a plan for assassinating her hushiinel , and iinifing herself in due time willi her paramour . If was to plan the ; consummation of this crime that the black , no other than the ; lady's cemtidnnt , hael summoned two villains of his ae'e | iiuinfanci ; fe > a midnight conference . After some' < It - bating of the price , it was agive ; d find , ne-xt , evening the ; assassins should l > c aelmifte'd into fhe garden , where- t . he husband used le > sit , and enjoy his ke'yf with the treacherous Kaelugah .
" Under other circumstances fhe Zabit woulel have at , once prcsenfeel liinise-lf , and , trusting to the uwt ; inspired liy his position , have arrested the' plotters ; hut he ; though ! , to himself t hut , the l' ] fleneli , known te > be ; iufnfiiufcel with his wile , might disbelieve in he'r purUcipiifioii , anel might ( bun , ( hough once saveel , fall a victim at , a future ; period . licsides , if must , be ; confessed that be ; was not e | uilei sure of the ; complicity of Selini Aga , anel hoped that that young" scamp might , commit himself no far as to render himself liable ; Io punishine'iif , anel thun relievo fhe pe > lie'e ; from erne ; of their chief annoyances . He ; resolved , therefore , to lie prudent , and ullowcd fhe conclave to break up in peace . Then he ; returned to whero his horse ; waited , anel roc It ) home quite , elaleel at . being engaged in se > exciting an adventure ; . "To complicate ) the . ufliiir , if is Kiiiel that Abu Halim , the headsman , recognised in onu of the hired nssuBiriiiH hid own brother , from whom hu hud boon Mctuuuted
October 23, 1852.] The Leader. 1023
October 23 , 1852 . ] THE LEADER . 1023
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 23, 1852, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_23101852/page/19/
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