American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Sunday schools -- United States -- Periodicals
They passed on through the gate. Charles the Fifth and Isabella were
forgotten. The transition was magical; they felt at once transported
into other times, and were treading the scenes of the Arabian Nights.
They were in the Court of Myrtles, a long, open patio, of which the
floor is taken up by an immense basin, more than a hundred feet long,
bordered by myrtle-trees and roses. It is surrounded by a light arcade
of Moorish columns, and at the upper end rises the great Tower of
Comares. The pillars here and elsewhere are of extreme lightness,
and the ornamentation of the capital varies in each; slender arches
spring from the capitals, and bend gracefully till they meet. A dado
of azulejos, or colored tiles, runs along the wall, from the floor of
brightest colors, with great variety of patterns. The eye is never
tired of following these designs, nor those of the arabesque work
above, into which are woven Arabic sentences, in the graceful lettering
of that language. Across the water is seen the vista made by the
entrance to the Hall of Ambassadors, the chief room of the Tower of
Comares. The tower and its colonnades are reflected in the clear still
water of the pool.
“Oh, how lovely!” exclaimed Miss Lejeune. “This surpasses all my dreams
of it.”
“Let us stay here, and not go any further to-day!” said Bessie.
Tommy was well content to study the goldfish in the clear water, rather
startled, as he leaned over, to catch the perfect reflection of his
own face on the surface of the pool, with behind it an intensely blue
sky studded with woolly white clouds. He looked up instinctively, and
saw above the graceful fretwork of the court, the real bright sky and
clouds, just like the mirrored ones.
“Our guide apparently expects us to move on,” remarked Mr. Horner. “We
can let him gallop us through once, and then come at our leisure as
often as we like.”
“Not gallop us, papa,” said Bessie, taking hold of his hand; “a quiet
little trot will satisfy him.”
They were led into the Court of Lions, where Bessie was at once in love
with the somewhat clumsy animals of Arab origin, that form the group of
the fountain in the centre.
“I must embrace this one!” she cried, and did so, to Tommy’s disgust
and mortification. He looked round to see if there were any observers.
These lions must not be looked upon as efforts of sculpture to
represent accurately the king of beasts, but as emblems of strength
and courage. They are of white marble, with manes like the scales of a
griffin, and water comes from their mouths.
THREE NUMBERS FREE!
EVERY PERSON SENDING US
$3.00
BEFORE AUGUST 15
FOR ONE YEAR’S SUBSCRIPTION TO
WIDE AWAKE
Beginning with the SEPTEMBER number, will
receive the first three numbers of the present volume,
JUNE, JULY and AUGUST,
=FREE!!=
The remittance must be forwarded direct to the
Publishers before August 15, 1886.
D. LOTHROP & CO., PUBLISHERS, BOSTON.
=FREE!=
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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