Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-10-26


and the law of the Koran or some such
sacred words seems forever on his lips,
mixing most freely with all secular
matters. No action, however trivial.
may be commenced without commend
ing it TO Allah. A Mohammedan will
not even light a lamp without blessing
the name of the prophet Even the
cries OF the street hawkers bring in fire.
quent illusions to spiritual market. rs
when the poor Water-carrier offers a cup
of cool, refreshing drink to all passers-
by, CRYING aloud, 'Oh, may God re-
ward mer' Whatever be the matter in
hand. one of the company will certainly
utter some such reminderas ''Semmoo.'
and his friends will reply :. Bismillah."
meaning in the name of God. In truth,
the fatalism of which we hear so much
seems little else than a strong faith;
power of living calmly as in the pres
ence of God Gust as the strongest prac-
teal characteristic of a poor Hindu
faith seems 10 be a simple submission to
the will of the Almighty. under what
ever name he may recognize Him. SO
faith or fatalism seems well-nigh to
merge. and our own Scotch expression
of =" 1t was been to be- seems tOlcra-
bly, akin to the "kismet' of the
East l remember an old housemaid
being sorely perturbed at having
knocked over and smashed valuable
china vase; but few minutes later she
recovered her equanimity and ex-
claimed: "Weel, weel, it had been lang
i the family, and it was been to be
broker' SO laying this flattering JUNCTION
TO her soul, she went calmly on with her
busting. Lane, speaking of this con-
tinual allusion TO the providen OF
God, mentions that no Moslem will
speak of any future event or action
without adding: IF it be the will of
God" He explains the cries of the
night watchmen, whose deep-tOned
voices resound through the dark hours.
One man cries: go Lord o Everlast-
ingr' Another says: IL extol the per-
lection of the living King. who sleepeth
not. nor dieth." He tells. too. of a
mode of entertaining party of guests
in Cairo by the recital of Hidtmeh.
which means the whole of the Koran
chanted by men hired for the occasion.
just imagine inviting party in London
TO hear the whole Bible chanted a q
pastime. with an accompaniment of
pipes and coffee. Mr.. 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 impurity should attach to
the ink, the paper, or. above all, lest
the ink should be applied to the holy
name with brush made of hogs
bristles. Worse than all. the book. be-
coming thus common, is in double dam
ger of being touched by infidels. This
dread of dishonoring sacred names ex-
tends even TO the nineiynne 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 ii bears one OF the names
of the Prophet, which will thus be
made to pass through the fire. Another
man. less scrupulous, is blamed because
he has branded his name. which is also
sacr, name. on certain camels and
horses. The sin thus committed is
threeiold: First. the iron 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 poilute
the sacred name; thirdly. the camel is
certain some day, in lying down, to rest
his neck on something unclean. This
dread of casting holy things into the
fire does not, however. seem to apply
to sucn as can be consumed. A Mo
hammedan, finding a fragment of paper
covered with wr.ting. will burn it, so
that il holy words should be thereon in
scribed the flames NAV bear them up
and the angels carry them to Heaven
L.,gJn.,,a,fs