Part 28 (1/2)

When I accosted him with the usual salutation of peace, he kept on tri up, so ers; but when I said, ?Do not you recognize me, Ali Mohamed?? he turned up his old bloodshot eye at me, and pronounced ?Friend! a caravanserai is a picture of the world; o out of it, and no account is taken of therown old, and his one by?

?But you will surely recollect Hajji Baba--little Hajji, who used to shave your head, and trim your beard and mustachios!?

?There is but one God!? exclaireat amazement

?Are you indeed Hajji?--Ah!been empty--are you come at last? Well, then, praise be to Ali, that old Kerbelai Hassan will have his eyes closed by his only child, ere he dies?

?How!? said I, ?tell me where is my father? Why is the shop shut? What do you say about death??

?Yes, Hajji, the old barber has shaved his last Lose not ato his house, and youere he leaves this world Please God, I shall soon follow hiates of this caravanserai for fifty years, and find that all pleasure is departed from me My keys retain their polish, whilst I wear out with rust?

I did not stop to hear the end of the old man?s speech, but immediately made all speed to my father?s house

As I approached the well-re near the low and narrow entrance

?Ha!? thought I, ?ye are birds of ill-o on, there ye are sure to be?

Entering, without accosting them, I walked at once into the principal roo an old man, as stretched out upon a bed spread upon the floor, and whonized to be my father

No one knew ers who have nothing to do with the dying to walk in unasked, I was not noticed On one side sat the doctor, and on the other an old nizedco to this purpose: ?Do not be downcast: please God you still have many days to spend on earth You may still live to see your son; Hajji Baba may yet be near at hand But yet it is a proper and a fortunate act to make your will, and to appoint your heir If such be your wish, appoint any one here present your heir?

?Ah,? sighed out my father, ?Hajji has abandoned us--I shall never see hie to think of his poor parents--He is not worthy that I should make him my heir? These words produced an ier restrain my desire to make myself known, and I exclai--I am your son--do not reject hi up the dying man?s hand, I kissed it, and added loud sobs and lamentations, to demonstrate my filial affection

The sensation which I produced upon all present was very great I saw looks of disappointment in some, of incredulity in others, and of astonishment in all

My father?s eyes, that were alhtened up for one short interval as he endeavoured to ether, exclaimed, ?_Il heot an heir!? Then addressing me, he said, ?Have you done well, O my son, to leave me for so many years? Why did you not coone on, but the exertion and the agitation produced by such an event were too th, and he sunk down inanimate on his pillow

?Stop,? said nized me--?stop, Hajji; say no more: let him recover himself; he has still his will to ish reat hostility, ?yes, we have also still to see whether this is Hajji Baba, or not? I afterwards found he was son to a brother of reatest part of the property; and when I inquired ere the other members of the assembly, I found that they were all relations of that sta a share of the spoil, of which I had now deprived them

They all seemed to doubt whether I was myself, and perhaps would have unanimously set me down for an impostor, if the schoolmaster had not been present: and from his testimony there was no appeal

However, all doubts as to my identity were i heard of er keep to the limits of her anderun, but rushed into the asse, ?Where, where is he? where is my son?--Hajji, my soul, where art thou??

As soon as I hadaloud, ination could devise, and looking at erness of stare, and an impetuosity of expression, that none but a mother can coy into which he had apparently fallen, the doctor proposed ad prepared, he endeavoured to pour down his throat; during the exertion of raising the body, the dying man sneezed once, which every one present kneas an oive the medicine until two full hours had expired: therefore, it re waited the expiration of the two hours, the ain attempted to be administered, when, to the horror of all present, and to the disappointment of those who expected that he should make his will, he was found to be stone dead

?In the name of Allah, arise,? said the oldyour will? He endeavoured to raise my father?s head, but to no purpose; life had entirely fled

Water steeped in cotton was then squeezed into his mouth, his feet were carefully placed towards the Kebleh, and as soon as it was ascertained that no further hope was left, the priest at his bed-head began to read the Koran in a loud and sing-song emphasis A handkerchief was then placed under his chin, fastened over his head, and his two great toes were also tied together All the company then pronounced the _Kelemeh Shehadet_ (the profession of faith), a ceremony which was supposed to send him out of this world a pure and well-authenticated Mussul this interval a cup of water was placed upon his head