er
for God's mercy in his behalf." "My prayers", said the Syaad, "I can
promise shall be made duly and truly, but not my acceptance of his gifts.
Take back these hateful, useless things! Tell Nadir Shaah, Syaad Harshim
will not even touch them." The messenger tried persuasions without avail;
he was constrained to return to his royal master, with his loaded trays.

'No sooner were the King's servants out of sight, than the wife of Syaad
Harshim vented her disappointment in no measured strain of anger towards
her husband. "Here am I," said the old lady, "a very slave in consequence
of our poverty, a very beggar in appearance, and my scanty meal of coarse
bread is scarce sufficient to keep me in bodily strength; surely you ought
to have remembered me, when the King's offering was before you--even if
you liked not to accept it for yourself."--"I might indeed", he replied,
"have done as you say, wife, had I known your sentiments sooner; but I
believed you were as contented as myself with homely fare and honest
labour; but be comforted, you shall have a share of the next offering made
by the King to Syaad Harshim, provided your present inclination remains
unchanged by time." This promise quieted the wife's angry humour, and
peace was again restored between them.

'"Wife," said the Syaad, "this al-kaulock[19] (Arab's coat of calico) of
mine requires a little of thy labour: as I have now no other garment to
change with, I trust you may please to wash it whilst I take my
sleep;--one caution you must observe,--I have occasion for the water in
which this dress is to be washed; preserve it carefully for me, my good
wife;" and he laid him down on his mat to sleep. The wife, obedient to her
husband's wishes, washed his dress, and took care to preserve the dirty
water; when he awoke, she brought him the clean garment, and received his
warm commendations for her diligence. She then produced the pan of dirty
water, in which she had cleansed the garment, saying, "There, Syaad
Harshim, I have done as you desired."--"Very good," replied her husband,
"now you must farther oblige me by drinking it--you know there is nothing
in this water but the sweat of my body produced by my daily labour." The
wife, disgusted at the strange request of her husband, looked with
amazement, and fancied he must have lost his senses. "What is this you
require of me? would you poison your wife, O Syaad Harshim, with the filth
from your skin, the accumulation of m