294 
A CEUSADE IN THE EAST. 
Yusef. —“ That’s the beauty of it—the very principle of 
existence ! A Turk takes his ease in smoke; a Frenchman 
in dancing ; a German in beer, talk, and pipes ; an English¬ 
man in beefsteak; an American—pardon me, 0 General, I 
mean no disrespect in referring to your own words—an 
American in being uneasy. When he is uneasy he is easy, 
and when he is easy he is uneasy.” 
General (puzzled).—“ Really, Yusef, I hardly know which 
side of the question you have placed me upon now. We 
seem to agree, and yet we don’t agree—no—we differ and— 
I don’t know ! that’s not right. One of us must be wrong 
—there’s a mistake somewhere.” 
Yusef.—“ Your Excellency is wrong.” 
General. —“ Upon my word, it seems so; though I’m 
certain I started right. The fact is, Yusef, we must come to 
a compromise, and allow that there’s right and wrong on 
both sides. All nations have their merits and their faults ; 
there is good every where, if mankind would only profit by 
it. Extremes of laziness, or of restless ambition, are alike 
inimical to happiness. The whole universe is founded upon 
compiomise ; the harmonies of nature are compromises. 
Every tree and flower that springs from the earth yields its 
verdure or its fragrance by compromise with the elements. 
Life is a compromise; society, government, nations—all are 
compromises ; and they who base their conduct upon an ad¬ 
herence to the lessons taught by the harmonies of nature, are 
most apt to enjoy what we call happiness in this world.” 
Yusef (enthusiastically).—“ Most sublime and beloved 
General! Verily, that last touch of eloquence hath aroused 
my inmost soul! I am intensely enlightened and inspired by 
this discourse ! By all the compromises ! by all the harmo¬ 
nies of existence, I swear that this moment I could slay 
Hassin the Dragon-killer. I could devour the seven-headed 
Dragon, and wallow in the blood of Rabadab, the four-handed 
Giant! Nay, by all the ghosts of the gory dead—” 
General (alarmed).—“ Be calm, Yusef! be calm. Com¬ 
pose yourself! It was not my intention, in speaking thus, 
to arouse you in that frightful manner. Suppress those 
