The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-04-11
GODS OF THE HEATHEN.
IF. E. Huddle, in New York Mercury

IF. E. Huddle, in New York Mercuryl
 About six months since a ministerial friend of mine called my attention to God. thought for a time the name sounded familiar, and when he asked me is had not heard of the God ot Abra- ham. Isaac and Jacob, remembered that had My brother Isaac had often given me considerable information about him at times when he was sitting around the house with corn on his toe and had nothing else to do. From the manner in which Ike connected his name with damns and such things had been led to suppose Isaac's God was a miller. ! never heard Abraham and Jacob say very much about their gods, as they be- longed to church and never had much to do with ihem except on Sunday. l thought about the subject until began to feel friendly interest in it, and last week read up on gods to an extent that seems to me to qualify me for learned thesis or something on this subject.
 ind that gods were quite common as far back as the days of Adam, from which am led to infer that the Yankees are not entitled to the honor of inventing z them. The Chinese have gods three or four thousand years old, and there is not a gray hair or wrinkle in their heads. One would naturally think that god three thousand years old would be pretty we'll worn and little bit out of style, but the Chinese claim that warmed lover gods, originally made of fire clay. and freshly vanished are just as good as new. peo- pie who have always had god of their own-a sort of private god laid away where it will always be handy in case of an emergency-say they would not be without one for four dollars. They main tain that private god is much more at tentive and punctual in attending to bus than public god, which is very much overworked in the busy seasons, partic- ulsfiy during political campaigns and the cEiibiain season.
 There is considerable difference Of opinion as to the merits of the various kinds of gods. The Chinese are pecu- liarly fond of little two by seven wooden god that can be carried around in the overcoat pocket, where 1t can be reached in an instant Tn case anything serious should happen. In case of flood or earthquake, the owner of such a god whips him out of his pocket like a self cooking revolver, and sets it between him. self and all danger. It is said that fel- low can find gods enough to start Chi nese heaven with along some o! the river banks in China. TheT 5:=e seea washed ashore after their proprietors were drowned in freshet. It must be very hnmiIiating to a man to see his god float ing around him and leaving him to drown, in spite of all his supplicAtions It must look as if a man had got hold of an ungrateful and selfish one horse god that is careless and sloyeniy in looking after his business.
 The Az.ecs' or mound builders gods were plain clay. By making their heads hollow and attaching stems to their stom- achs, they could be readily utilized as to- bacco pipes, and those who have smoked them say they are just as good as any other plain, barn yard style of pipe. An Aztec god was never an ordinary kind of a fellow. He was not considered 6rst- class unless he had seven fingers or toes, or pretty good-sized tail, and he would not stand the climate unless he was well baked There are ruins of several god bakeries in various parts of Mexico and Central America
 The Persians, Greeks and Romans os, the olden time would not fool with com mon gods. They made their deities in brass foundry, and claimed that no god was genuine unless he would tusn green under an acid test and bore the govern ment stamp. have 2 god myself He was given me by Japanese lecturer who eams sSs;s =sT .::: Sa; s=. ke :. e-:Ae.sl. a very poor god. An II have ever been able to get him to do is to hold down papers on my desk.