The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-03-11
fFrofn The Briiish Quarterly Review.1
THE PROPHET ssOITAMMED.
y
How he LOOKED, ACTED, LIVED Ayb
HAD A BEING

HAD BEING.
lie was Of middle height, rather thih
but broad Of shoulders, wide of chest,
strong Of bone and muscle. His head
was massive; strongly developed. Dark
hair. slightly curled, flowed In dense
mass down almost to his shoulders. Even
in advanced age it was sprinkled by only
about twenty gray hairs-produced by
the agonies of revelations" His face
was oval shaped, slightly tawny of color.
Fine, long, arched eyebrows were divided
by vein, which throbcd visibly 10 mo-
ments Of passion. Great black restless
eyes shon out from under long heavy eye1
lashcs. His nose wss large, slightly aqui-
line. His teeth, upon which he bcstow&
ed great care. were well set dazzling
whie. A full beard framed his manly
face. Ills skin was clear and soft, his
complcxion fred and white" His
hands were as "silk and satin" Ills step
was quick and elastic, yet firm. In turn
ing his face he would turn his whole body.
His whole gait and presence was dignifed
and imposing. His counienance was
mild aud pcnsiye His langh was rarely
more than smile. "Oh, my little sonp
reads one tradition, ''thou souldst have
said thou hadst seen sun rising" 81"
says another witness, "saw him on moon
| light night, and sometimes looked at his
beauty, and sometimes at the moon, and
his dress was striped with red, and was
brighter and more beautiful TO me than
the moon"
In his>habits he was extremely simple,
though he bestowed great care on his
person. His eating and drinking, his
dress and his furniture, retained, even
when he had reached the fuliness Of his
power, their almost primitive nature.
lie made point of giving away all 'su-
pcrfuitics. The only luxuries he in
dulgcd in were, besides arms, which he
highly priced, certain yellow boots, pres
ent from the Ncsus of Abyssinia. Per-
fumes, however, be loved passionately,
being most scrr.tivc of smell. Strong
drinks he abhorred.
His constitution was extremely delicate.
He was nervously afraid of bodily pain |;
would sob and Ioar under it. Emincutly
IN npracticale in all common things of
life, he was gifted with mighty powers of
imagination, elevation of mind, delicacy
and refinement of feeling. "1e is more
modest than a virgin behind her curtain"
it was said of him. He was almost in
dulgcnt TO his interiors, and would never
allow his awkward little page to be scold-
ed, whatever he did Ten years" said
Anas, his servant, twas about the proph-
ct, and he never said as much an sUf to
me- He was very afectiOnate to his
family. One of his boys died on his
breast in the smoke house tf the nurse,
blacksmith's wife. He was yery fond
of children He would stop them in the
streets, and pat their checks. The worst
expression he ever made use of in conver-
sation was, "W hat has become of him
may his forehead be darkened with mud!'
When asked to curse some one he replieds
l''I have not been seut to cnrse, but to be
IA mercy to mankind" He never first
drew his hand out of another's palm, and
turned not before the other had turned.
His hand, we read else where-andtradi-
tions like these give good index of what
the Arabs expected their prophet to be
was the most generous, his breast the
most courageous, his tongue the most
Truthful; he was the mest faithful pro-
ltector of those he protected, the sweetest
and most agreeable in conversation: those
who came near him loved him !; they who
described him would say, II have never
seen his like, either before or after" He
was of great taciturnity, and when he
Ispoke he spoke with emphasis and delib-
leration, no one could ever forget what he
said. He was however, very nervous and
restless withal, often low spirited. down.
cast as to heart and eyes. Yet he would
at times suddenly break through these
broodings, become gay, talkative. jooular,
cliefy among his own. He then delight
ed in telling amusing stories, fairy tales
and the like. lie romped with the chill
dren and played with their toys-and after
his first wife's death, he played with the
dolls his baby wife had brought into his
house.