The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-13

AOlkJ hC lbik huJ de W bhS WoAShAP
of idols. The sacred month OF Ramadhan he OBJ
served with punctllious devotion, and he would
often retire to the caverns 81 Mount Hlra for so-
tarv meditation and prayer. lie was meancnolic
in temperament and was also subject to eplleptic
fits, upon which Sprenger has laid great stress
ana described most minutely and which, whether
under the name OF the sacred diseasep among
the Greeks, or possession by the oevirp among
the Jews. has In most ages and countries been
looked upon as something specially mysterious
or supernatural In Que OF THESE fits or frances
he saw an angel in human form, but flooded with
celestial light, displaying silver roll. "ReadW
SAID the angel. ~ cannot read,n SAID Mohammed.
The injunction ana the answer were twice
repeated. "Read.n at last said the angel, sin the
name OF the Lord; who created man ont Of a cot
OF blood read, in the name OF the Most IliGh who
taught man the use OF the pen, who sheds on his
soul the ray OF knowledge aud teaches him what
be ore he knew not.o Upon this Mohammed felt
the heavenly inspiration and read the DEGREES or
God, which he aterward promulgated IN the
Koran. Then came the announcement, 30 No
hammed OF a truth tnou art the Prophet Of Coo
and am his angel Gabriel"
This was the crisis OF Monammed'S llre. 1t was
his call to renounce idolatry and TO take the Office
OF Prophet Overwhelmed by sense Of tue great
ness OF the mission he sought counsel OF his good
A long period OF hest alton, doubt and prepare
tion followed. His teachings made slow pro-
gress. Three years saw only fourteen
proseytes attach themselves to him. During
the next ten years his doctrine gained
but most OF them had been
obliged to take refuge In Abyssinia; Kadijah aud
Abu Taleb his uncle and protector, died. and at
last Mohammed himself was compelled TO ny for
his life with one companion. his early convert Aou
Bakr. For three days he lay concealed in a cavern
a league from Mecca. The Koreishite pursuers
secured the country thlrstlng for his blood. They
approached the cavern. ave are only two" said
his trembling companion. ''There Is
third" said Monammed; lit is God him
SELF" The Koreishites reached the cave; a
spider. we are told, had woven Its web across
the mouth. and pigeon was sitting on it's nest IN
seemingly undisturDed repose. The Koreisbites
retreated, for it was evident the solitude OF the
place was unvolated, and, by SOUND instinct one
OF the subimest stories In. all history has been
made the era OF Mohammedan chronology.
1t Is unnecessary to follow the well known
story OF the Prophets subsequent career; but our
readers VIII be interested In Mr.. Smiths striking
portrait or the man who mas stamped his impress
SO deeply on the Oriental world aud in lew
extracts which set forth the character of the
Koran.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MoHAAxED.
Mohammed was OF middle height and of a
strong built frame; his head large, ana across
his ample forehead and ABOVE finely arching eye
brows ran a strongly marked veln which, when
he was angry would turn black and throb vislby.
His eyes were coal black ana piercing In their
brightness; his hair cured slightly: and long
beard which, like other 0rentals. he would stroke
when In deep thought, added to the general i'm
pressivenes OF his appearance His step was
quick and firm, 'like that of one descending q
hill.n Between his shoulders was the famous
mark. the sizo OF pigeons egg, which his disc-
pies persisted In believing 70 be the sign or his
pr ophetic ofice while the light which kindled in
his eye, like that which Mashed from the precious
stones in the breastplate OF the High Priest, they
called the light OF prophecy.
In his Intercourse with others he would sit silent
among his companions for a long time together,
out truly his silence more eloquent than other
mems speech, for the moment speech was called
for it was forthcoming In the shape Of some
weighty apothegm or proverb such as the Arabs
love TO hear When he laughed ne laughed heart
lily. shaking his sides and showing his teeth,
which 'qooKed as II they were haistones.n He
was easy OF approach to all who wished to see
him. even as "the river bank to him that draweth
wafer tnereirom.n He was fond OF animals and
they. as is often the case, were fond OF him. lie
bGiuVu puSScu group vi
together without few kind words TO them;
and ne was never the first to withdraw his
hand from the grasp OF one who offered him his.
II the warmth OF his attachment may be measured,
as In fact II may. by the depth OF his friends de-
votion to him, no truer friend than Monammed
ever lived. Around him, IN quite early days,
gathered what was best and mob est IN Mecca;
and in no single instance, through all the vicls-
STUDIES OF his checkered life, was the friendship
then formed ever broken. He wept like a child
over the death OF his faithful servant Zeid.
he visited his mothers tomb some fifty
years alter her DEATH and he wept there be-
cause he believed that God had forbidden
him TO pray for her, He was naturally shy and
bashiul.r said Ayesha (hs favorlte
wife), cas- yelled virgIn.n lie was kind and for
giving to all II served him from the time was
eight years old,n said his servant Anas, "and he
never scoldeu me for anything, though spoiled
much.n The most noteworthy or his external
was a sweet gravity and quiet
dignity, which drew involuntary respect, and
" hch was the best and often the only protection
he enjoyed from insult.
HIS ordinary dress was plain. even TO coarse
ness yet he was fastidious In arranging 1t TO the
best advantage lie was fonc OF ADDITIONS and
fonder stu OF perfumes; aud he prided himself
on the neatness OF his hair and the peariy white
ness of his teeth. His life was simple In all It's
details. lie lived with MS wives in row OF hum
bic cottages, separated from one another BY palm
branches. cemented together with mud. He would
slndle the Ore, sweep the noor and milk the
goats himself Ayesha tells us that he slept upon
leathern mat, and that he mended his clothes and
even clouted his shoes with his own hand. For
months together Ayesba Is also our authority
for saying that he did not get a sufficient
meal. The little food that he had was always
shared with those VINO dropped in 90 partaKe OF
IT, Indeed, outside the PROPHETS house was a
bench or gallery. on which were always to be
found number or the poor VINO lived entirely on
the Prophets generosity, aud were hence called
the "people OF the bench.n His ordinary lood
was dates and water, or barley bread; mix and
honey were luxurles OF which he was len ant
wnlcn nc rarely allowed himself The isre 81 tIs
desert seemed most congena TO him even wnen
he was sovereign OF Arabia. one day some people