The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-05-27

In the last number of the Q1taferty
Rcviesc there h an article on I" Islam, -
which contains description of Mo-
hammetl, so graphic, striking, and new,
that the reader will be glad to see it re-
produced here. The portrait is derived
from the Traditions, the Midrash of Is
lam, as the writer terms them: -,
He was OF middle height, rather
thin, but broad of shoulders, wide of
chest, strong of bone and muscle. His
head was massive, strongly developed.
Dark hair-slightly curled- flowed in q
ssense mass down almost to his shoul-
ders. Even. in advanced age It was
sprinkled by only nsoiit twenty gray
hairs by the agOni.s of his
Revelation His face was Oval-shapeo,
slightly tawny of color. Fine long,
arched. d.eyebrows were divided by q vein
which throbbed visibly in moments of
shOne out from under long heavy eye
lashes. His nose was large, slightly
aquiline. His teeth, upon which he
bestowed great care, were well set, daz-
zling white. A full beard framed his
manly face. His skin was clear and
soft, his complexion red and white,'
his hands were as silk and satin,,-
even as those of woman. His step
was quick and elastic, yet firm, and as
that of one who steps from a high to
low place. In turning his face he
would also turn his whole body. His
whole gait and presence were dignified
and imposing. His countenance was
mild and pensive. His laugh was rare
ly more than a smile. %, my little
son = reads one tradition, shadst thou
seen him thou wouldst have said thou
hadst seen sun-rising.t T. says an
other witness, saw him in q moon
light night, and sometimes I locked at
his beauty and sometimes looked at the
moon, and his dress was striped with
red, and he was brighter and more
beautiful to me than the moon.n
"In his habits he was extremely
simple, though he bestowed great care
on his person. His eating and drink
ing, his dress and his furniture, re-
tanned, even when he had reached the
fulness of power, their almost primi-
tive nature. He made point of Civ
ing away all 'superfiuities.' The only
luxuries he INDUCED in were, besides
arms, which he highly priced, certain
yellow boots, a present from the NeSus
of Abyssinia. Perfumes, however, he
loved passionately, being most sensi-
tive of smell. Strong drinks he alb
hOrred. -s-.. s..-...s,.,i4
"His constitution wasextremely deli
cate. He was nervously afraid of bOdi-
ly pain; he would sob and roar under
it. Eminently impractical in all COM
mon things of life, he was gifted with
mighty powers of imagination, eleva-
ton of mind, delicacy and refinement
of feeling. He is more modest than
virgin behind her curtain,' it was said
of him. He was most indulgent to his
interiors, and would never allow bis
awkward little page to be scolded,
whatever he did. Ten years. said
Anas, his servant, 'was 1 about the
prophet, and he never said as much as
TIFF to me- He was very affectiOnate
toward his family. One of his boys
died on his breast in the smoky house
of the nurse, blacksmith's wife. He
was very fond of children. He would
stop them in the streets, and pat their
little cheeks. Henever struck any one
i'm his life. The worst expression he
ever made use of in conversation was,
'Wbat had came TO him ?-may his fore
head be darkened.with mud? When
asked to curse some one, he replied, Il
have not been sent to curse, but to be a
mercy to mankind He visited the
sick, followed any bier he met, accept
ed the invitation of a slave to dinner,
mended his own clothes, milked his
goats, and waited upon himself, relates
summarily another tradition. He nev-
er first Withdrew his hand out of an
other mans palm, and turned not be-
fore the other had turned. His hand,
We read elsewhere-and traditions like
these give a GOOD idea of what the
Arabs expected their prophet to be-
was the most generous, his breast the
most courageous, his tOnge the most
truthful; he was the most faithful | rO-
tector of those he protected, the sweet
est and most agreeable in conversation:
those who saw him were suddenly
filled with reverence, those who came
near him loved him, they who describ-
ed him would say, have never seen
his like either before or AFTER He was
of great taciturnity, and when he spoke
with emphasis and deliberatiOn, no enc
could ever forget what he said. He
was, however, very nervous and rest
less withal, often lOw-spirited, down.
cast as to heart and eyes. Yet he
would at times suddenly break through
those broodings, gay, talkative, jocu- !
lar, chiefly among his own. He would
delight i'm telling amusing little stories,
fairy tales, and the like. He would
romp with the children, and play with
their toys-a., after his first wife's
death, he was wont to play with the
dolls his new baby wife had brought
into his house."