Arab Americans -- Fiction; Immigrants -- New York (State) -- New York -- Fiction
"What a difference, I thought, between Khalid of yesterday and Khalid
of to-day. What a transformation! Even I who know the turn and temper
of his nature had much this time to fear. Surely, an alienist would
have made a case of him. But I began to get an inkling into his cue of
passion, when he told me that he was going to start a little business
again, if I lend him the necessary capital. But I reminded him that we
shall soon be returning home. 'No, not I,' he swore; 'not until I can
pay my own passage, at least. I told you yesterday I'll accept no more
money from you, except, of course, the sum I need to start the little
business I am contemplating.' 'And suppose you lose this money,' I
asked.--'Why, then _you_ lose _me_. But no, you shall not. For I know,
I believe, I am sure, I swear that my scheme this time will not be a
failure in any sense of the word. I have heavenly testimony on
that.'--'And what was the matter with you yesterday? Why were you so
queer?' 'O, I had nightmares and visions the night before, and you
came too early in the morning. See this.' And he holds down his head
to show me the back of his neck. 'Is there no swelling here? I feel
it. Oh, it pains me yet. But I shall tell you about it and about the
vision when I am out.'--And at this, the gaoler comes to inform us
that Khalid's minutes are spent and he must return to his cell."
All of which from our Interpreter is as clear as God Save the King.
And from which we hope our Reader will infer that those outbursts and
tears and rhapsodies of Khalid did mean somewhat. They did mean, even
when we first approached his cell, that something was going on in
him--a revolution, a _coup d'état_, so to speak, of the spirit. For a
Prince in Rags, but not in Debts and Dishonour, will throttle the
Harpy which has hitherto ruled and degraded his soul.
But the dwelling, too, of that soul is sorely undermined. And so, his
leal and loving friend Shakib takes him later to the best physician in
the City, who after the tapping and auscultation, shakes his head,
writes his prescriptions, and advises Khalid to keep in the open air
as much as possible, or better still, to return to his native
country. The last portion of the advice, however, Khalid can not
follow at present. For he will either return home on his own account
or die in New York. "If I can not in time save enough money for the
Steamship Company," he said to Shakib, "I can at least leave enough to
settle the undertaker's bill. And in either case, I shall have paid my
own passage out of this New World. And I shall stand before my Maker
in a shroud, at least, which I can call my own."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account