Show LIFE IX THE DESERT D > meiic life is not without its drawbacks even in the desert I was on one occasion invited to the tent of a minor chief who was my guide and most humble servant He concocted con-cocted for my benefit and that of several guests from neighboring tents a brew of very thin coffee with an immense qu ntity of sugar I a sort of syrup which had hardly I any taste eave of sugar and having a small piece of the sugarloaf sugar-loaf left he gave it to me on our parting as the only present hew he-w s able to offer We sat in this tent for more than an hour admiring the masterly inactivity of the Arabs who can apparently sit silent and quite unemployed for whole days and who thus appear to await with endless patience the day when civilized races ° hall have worn themselves out by their struggles for existence and the Arab survivor be left mastsr of the field Thh inactivity in-activity is however delusive fcr let it be thought that the guest is dczng in the evening and he may perhaps eee these gravelistless men creeping like cats or hopping nimbly round his person like birds feeling his pockets with a delicate touch or endeavoring to abstract his saddlebags from beneath hie head The Arab is indeed in-deed a continued actor His haughty frowning air his gravity and laziness his courage and courtesy court-esy are all assumed as a mask hiding I hid-ing a soul which is often mean graspingcowardly and treacherous His appearance in the eyes of the European is nothing better than sham and it is only his brother Arab who knows how to estimate It i at its proper value As I sac reflecting reflect-ing on tbese matters a noise as of women quarreling arose on the covered side of the tent My host assumed an injured air and went to pacify the contending parties His brother sitting by him manifested on his countenance a disgust and irritation such as I have rarely seen an Arab betray The shiekh returned quarreling continued con-tinued and I endeavored to console him by the reflection that women always quarreled in all countries In the same way but at length the brothers patience was worn out and he arose with a large stone in his hand and looked over the partition par-tition dividing the harem from the open pare of the tent in which we sat Without a word he burle J the stone into the unseen and a sound of wailing took the place of the angry an-gry chatter which preceded tnis as Bertion of the rights of a cust to peace and quiet during Li visit The head wife had already appeared with tbe first cup of coffee nd it may have been on a question of a second chance of peeping at the strange Fraujis that the dispute aroe Son after a spoiled baby of eigheen months appeared in a dirty shirt and a gorgeous green jacket It was affectionately kfesbd by all the men present and then carried off with lump or su ar y two handsome some boys of nine or ten each Hi h his shun of hair in his hand with which the young Beaawi is able to perform wOlders Blackwoods Magazine I |