Morning journal and courier., 1882-10-13


 The life of a good Moslem seems all in- terwoven with forms and ceremonies, and
 the law of the Koran or some such sacred
 words seems forever on his lips mixing m ost
 freely with all secular matters. No action, however trivial, may be commenced without commenting it to Allah. A Mohammedan will not even light @ lamp without blessing the name of the prophet Even the cries of the street hawkers bring in frequent allu-
 sons to spiritual market, as when the poor
 water carrier offers cup of cool, refreshing
 drink to all passers-by, crying aloud, "Oh may God reward me !" Whatever be the matter in hand, one of the company will cer- tainly utter some such reminder as 'Sem-
 moo, " and his friends will reply ''Bismillah,"
 meaning in the name of God. In truth, the
 fatalsm of which we hear so much seems lit
 tie else than strong faith a power of liv-
 ing calmly as in the presence of God Gust as
 the strongest practical characteristic of poor Hindus faith seems to be simple sub
 mission to the will of the Almighty, under
 whatever name he may recognize him. So
 faith fatalism seems well nigh to merge,
 and our own Scotch expression of "It was
 been to be- seems tolerably akin to the 'Kismet" of the East. I remember an old
 housemaid being sorely. perturbed at having
 knocked over and smashed 8 valuable china
 vase; but few minutes later she recovered
 her equaninity and exclaimed, ''Weel, weel it had been lang I the family and it was been to be broke!" so laying this hattering unc- tion to her soul she went calmly on with her dusting. Lane, speaking of this continual alluslon to the providence of God, mentions that no Moslem will speak of any future event or action without adding, eff 1t be the will of God" He explains the cries of the night watchman, whose deep toned voices resound through the dark hours, One man cries, 70 Lord ! O Everlasting!" Another says, 'I extol the perfection of the living King. who sleepeth not, nor dieth." He tells too of mode of entertaining party Of guests in Cairo by the recital of a hhdtmeeh, which means the whole of the Koran chanted 1 by men hired for the occasion. Just imagine ! inviting q party in London to hear the whole Bible chanted as a pastime, with an accompaniment of pipes and coffee. Mir. Lane also speaks of the reverence with which | the Holy Book is treated-always placed on | some high, clean place, where no other book
 or anything else may be laid above it. He attributes the Mohammedans' dislike to printing their sacred books to the dread lest 1 inpurity should attach to the Ink, the paper, l or, above all, lest the ink should be applied | to the holy name with a brush made of hog s
 bristles Worse than all, the book, besom- 1 ing thus common, is in double danger of
 being touched by inidels. This dread of
 dishonoring sacred names extends even to l the 99 titles of the prophet and the names | of those near of kin to him. Thus one man will refuse to stamp his name upon his pipe bowls because it bears one of the names of tskoo through the fire. Another man, less scru- pu Ious. Is blamed because he has branded his name, which is also sacred name, on certain eanlels and horses. The sin thus committed is threefold: First, the iron I brand is put in the fire, which Is horrible
 sacrilege; secondly, it is applied to the neck ! of the camel, causing blood to flow and pol | lute the sacred name; thirdly, the camel is cer tain some day, in lying down, to rest his l neck on something unelesn. This dread oi
 castin g holy things into the fire does not howev.r, seem to apply to such as can be consume d A Mohammedan, finding frag
 ment of the paper covered with writing, will
 burn it, so that if holy words should bt 1 thereon insc rt,oed, the flames may bear then
 up and the an gels carry them to heaven.
 | The Connecticut Progressive Union in | dorses all the D emocratic State ticket excep
 Thomas Sanford fer Controller, who voted
 once for no liceuse. The union therefor
 supports the Republican candidate, Gen | Frank D. Sloat.
 The Hartford city surveyor estimates tha
 the proposed extension of the sewer from tn
 Come ctiout to Gully brook, with the connec
 tion and other extensions necessary, woul
 cost Sl 5O,S28. The sewer from Gully brool | +o porl street ag Droposed in 1880, woul