The Circassian Slave | Page 5

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with each other, mingling in pleasant games, the rich though scanty
dress of these favorites of the Sultan, all were confusing and dazzling to
her untutored eye, and when, after a few moments' minutes, a dozen of
these lovely girls crowded about her with curious eyes to know who
was the new comer that was to be their companion, the poor girl shrunk
back half abashed, for she could not speak to them.
They too were puzzled that she made no reply to them, and stood there
in wonder.
It was only for a moment, however, when the beautiful stranger pointed
to her mouth and ears significantly, and gently shook her head with a
sadness of expression that was electrical, for each one instantly
understood her meaning, and pitied her. Some little feeling of envy
might have been ready to burst forth in the breasts of those about her,
but gentle pity loves to linger by beauty's side, and so they all loved
and condoled with the fair stranger. One took her hand and led her to a
cushion in the centre of the little circle that had just been formed,
another unloosed the wealth of beautiful hair that astonished them by
its dark richness and profusion as it fell about her fair neck. She who
had unloosed the new comer's hair, now fell to braiding it in solid
masses and plaiting it about her head.
A second one taking a rare bracelet of pearls off her own fair arms,
placed it upon the Circassian's, and sealed it there with a kiss!--Another
removed the leather shoes she wore, and replaced them with satin ones
of curious workmanship and richly wrought with thread of gold, and
still another loosened the coarse mantle that enshrouded her shoulders,
and covered her with a shawl that had come across the desert from the
far east, rich in texture and beautiful as costly. And as another tossed a
handful of fresh flowers into her lap, the poor girl's cheeks became wet
with tears, for their unselfish kindness and generous tenderness had
touched heart.
But these tokens were quickly brushed away and kisses took their place,
while fair and delicate hands were busy upon her, until the poor slave
who had so lately stood exposed in the open bazaar of the capital, now
saw among this family of the Turkish monarch, literally as a star of the

harem. In beauty, she did indeed outshine them all, but they forgot this
in the memory of her misfortune, and envied not the dumb slave. They
touched her fingers with henna dye, and anointed her with rare and
costly perfumes, seeming to vie with each other in their interesting
efforts to deck and beautify one who had only the voluptuous softness
of her dark eyes to thank them with, for those lovely lips, of such
tempting freshness in their coral hue, could utter no sound.
They brought to her all their jewels and rich ornaments to amuse her,
and each one contributed to give her from out their store some
becoming ornament, now a diamond broach, and now a ruby ring, next
a necklace of emeralds, interspersed with glowing opals, a fourth added
a girdle of golden chain braced at every link by close and richly cut
garnets, and other rings of sapphire and amethysts, until the lovely
stranger was dazzling with the combined brilliancy and reflection of so
many rare and beautiful jewels about her person.
It was not the jewels that so gratified the young Circassian, but the
good will they represented. She cared little for them intrinsically,
beautiful and rich as they were, but she grew very fast to love the
donors.
Days passed on in this manner, and the Sultan was no less surprised
than delighted to witness this voluntary kindness and affection that was
so freely rendered to the lovely girl. Her affliction seemed to render her
sacred in his eyes, and there was no kindness on his part that was
forgotten. Her manners and intelligent bearing showed her to belong to
the better class of her own nation, and her gentle dignity commanded
respect as well as love. She had already come to a degree of
understanding with those about her that was sufficient as it regarded her
ordinary wishes and wants, but of the past or future she had not means
to communicate, her tongue was sealed, and for this reason her history
must remain a hidden mystery to those about her whom she loved, and
would gladly have confided in.
One occupation seemed to delight her above all else, it was so simple
and beautiful, besides which it enabled her to convey her feelings by
means of an agency that, as far as it went, supplied to her the loss of her

speech.