The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-12-15
LETTER FROM An EGYPTrlN.

LETTER FROM An EGYPTIAN
Friend Mehennt ~ ,a--. .-.. -u.i ..1 -'8
My head has beenrso befuddled this
last three weeks that could scarcely
think of anything to write about, but
it has become again clear, and will.
continue to enlighten you on the pecu.
liarities of this strange people. '' +
The different sects Of Christianity
that / mentioned in my second. or third
epistle to. you,- have all different ideas
of morality and the right way of en-
joying life. While some cry aloud and
turn up their eyeballs at what they
are pleased to term ''the vanities Of this
life" others tolerate them, and yet
again others actually allow them. But
the first mentioned class predominates
in the part of the country, where / So
journ at present. Every little innocent
amusement is cried down with holy
horror by the fanatical priests Of those,
sects, and now the whole country APP
pears more like a house Of mourning,
than the home Of a brave, free, light
hearted people. 1t has become sin,
in the eyes of those parasites of virtue,
to even play asimple air on a musical
instrument. Every amusement that
was once allowable and which the peo-
pie took pride in, is denounced as an
adherence in the sight of God, and
the poor deluded dupes are told by
those longfaced masters of theirs, that
everything which pleases the passions
emanates directly from the old Devil
himself Such ideas as these, while
they may please a few old togies, are
sure in the end to become disgusting to
the masses, and such, in my belief,
they have become at the present time.
/ believe, friend Mehemit, when the
priests and teachers of a people 90 be-
yond their sphere, in debating what is
right and what is wrong, in such trivial
matters as innocent amusements, they
are taking upon themselves more than
even their sacred calling enjoins upon
them, and in the end they must work
1
a greater evil than the one they aim to
abolish, by such narrow-minded, big
oted fanaticism.u q-s o. -i' iEHa $50. /
If 1 was capable of giving advise,
/ would advise them to keep within
the sphere of their religious duties, and
let the people have their own way in
the matter of amusements, so long rs
those amusements do not conflict with
the social morality If society at large
If they would do this thing, this would
be a happier: country and her sons
would be braverI men, for we see lin
different nationalities that mirth and
bravery go hand in hand together. p
| Another thing that strikes me, friend
Mehemit, is the inconsistency, dis
played in preaching one thing and be,
lieving another; for those people are
taught in their holy book that mirth
lis the life of both body and soul, but
their preachers declare, such passages
have a different meaning, and say that
the common people must not take upon
themselves the task of incorporating
such obscure passages, which they say
are only ineligible to themselves
But the fOodgates of popular opinion
have at length broken loose, and the
masses have determined to have their
own way in such matters, at the ex-
pense of even the religion the cherish
most. like Christianity, friend Me-
hemit, for it has great many redeem
ing qualities that elevates it far above
the religion OF our native Egypt; but
the intolerance of some and the fanati-
cism of others Of the different sects are
great drawbacks to my ultimate con-
version to its tenets.
1 will try and do better in my next;
meanwhile my heartfelt wish il, that
your shadow may never grow less.
..r ".'t ALI Ben HASrAD.