FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100  
101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   >>   >|  
t suffer even if he lose his eyesight entirely. Be so just, O khan! as to order one of his eyes to be put out and spare mine." To this the khan also agreed, and sent for the musician. The fifer admitted that he shut both eyes when he played his fife; whereupon the khan ordered one of them to be put out, and declared that he only left him the other as a proof of the great mercy, justice and forbearance of khans. This little bit of burlesque, short as it is, is full of delicate satirical touches. The prompt attention given to the complaint of the robber, who of course has no rights whatever in the premises; the readiness of the khan to infer malice on the part of the plundered Lesghian; his unique conception of the _lex talionis_ as a law which may be satisfied with anybody's eye; the cool assumption that because the unfortunate fifer occasionally _shuts_ both eyes he ought in strict justice to _lose_ both eyes, and should be duly grateful to the merciful khan for permitting him to keep one of them,--are all the fine and skilful touches of a bright wit and a humorous fancy. GEORGE KENNAN. OF BARBARA HICKS. I. When I looked under her bonnet I perceived a face that was more to my mind than any face I had ever before seen. Perhaps it was wrong for me to think so much about a face; but it was borne in upon me that such a well-favored countenance must of necessity come from a still more well-favored manner of life; for a face, to me, is only the reflex of the inner workings of Life, and to this day I doubt if I could sit down and describe fully the shape or moulding of any one particular feature of that face, for it was not the _face_, but the expression that formed it, that inclined me toward it. I was a stranger in the place, and but newly come, and my name had forerun me in kindly writings from many friends, so that I may often have been mentioned in households where I had never been seen. But I went to Barbara Hicks's father, and informed him how considerably my mind inclined me toward his daughter, and that I would, if he permitted me, ask to be better known unto her. "Thee is over young to think of marriage, friend Biddle," said he. I felt a burning sensation mounting to my face, and I could only say in reply, "Verily. But the heart of youth is lonely--more so than the heart of age, and it looks upon all Nature for companionship." "Thy mingling with the world's people has made thee glib of tongue,"
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100  
101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
justice
 
inclined
 
touches
 

favored

 
stranger
 

moulding

 
formed
 
feature
 

expression

 

manner


necessity

 
reflex
 

countenance

 

workings

 

describe

 
Barbara
 

mounting

 

sensation

 

Verily

 

burning


marriage

 

friend

 

Biddle

 

lonely

 

people

 

tongue

 

mingling

 

Nature

 
companionship
 
mentioned

households

 
friends
 

forerun

 

kindly

 

writings

 

permitted

 

daughter

 

father

 

informed

 

considerably


burlesque

 
forbearance
 

delicate

 

rights

 

robber

 
complaint
 
satirical
 

prompt

 

attention

 
declared