The Dickinson press., 1888-02-18
CRUClFIxES AT THE CROSSROADS
OF AUSTRIA AND BAVARIA.
The Murzzin on the Balcony of the Mo.
hamnrdan NIinarct- he Sanctimomious
Persian-Eanatical Af:hnns-The Hin.
doos-Chinamcn and Japanese.

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hammcdan AIinarct- he Sanctimonious
Persian-ianatical Af.hnns-The Hin.
doOs-f'hinan,cn and Japanese.
Few things We're more interesting to me
than the different modes of worship that |
saw among the various nations whose coun.
tries Travelled on my tour around the world
on bicycle. From the irreligious cowboy of
the wild west, who pridcs himself Oh caring
Tor nclthcr God, man nor devil, To the gentle
Undo" pcnltent dragging his enlaciated body
hundreds Of miles that he may die on the
banks OF the sacred Ganges, are many inter
estins forms of worship, many strange be-
lieis.
In travelling along the roads of Catholic
Europe one OF the most impressive things to
the ol'Scrvant American is the big crucitixcs
erected at the crossroads
AS ono gets farther eastward into Catholic
Bavaria and Austria these crossroad cruci-
fixes present IL very curious appearance At
tachcd tn the crosslikc frame are seen saws,
axes, plowsilarcs, hayrakes, pitchforks,
spades and nll manner of agricultural implc-
ments. Sometimes tho crucitixes are varied
by snug little brick shrines containing
images of the Virgin Mary, sundry of the
saints and various Roman Catholic paraphcr-
nalia. Candles are burnt before tho little
doll like images of these waysidc saints Oh
holy days and votive offerings are made by
the superstitiouS peasantly.
Five times day, III Mohammcdan coun-
tries, the mucZzin goes up on to the balcony
OF the tall nl:narct aud sings out in a voice
that can he heard half II mile away: "Thpre
is no God but one God, and Mohamnc,l is his
prophet. Hearing this the devout Mussul
man murmurs ".Allah-il-Allah' in response
and pauSnS in Whatever he may be doing llc
spreads hls coat OF; something on the ground
Sips his shoes oil and prostratng himself
several times toward Mecca, recites sunirv
passages of tho Koran. When the NIoham-
nedan enters the sacred precincts of the
mosqnc he leaves his shoes ut the door am,
enters in his stockingcd feet or in light Slip
lels especially provided at the door BY an
attendant. The hcadsear is never removed
by the Mussulmans for religious exercises. as
with ourselves.
One of the most sanctimonious individuals
in the world is the Persian. Belonging to tin.
Si:ah branch of the MoLammedan faith. the
Prisian, fairly outdo the rest of the world
not excepting even our noble Christian selves
in considering themselves the elect of all the
peoples of the earth. In passing Il Christian
III liie bazars tho Persian imam or scyrcd
VIII gather his flowing gown closely about
hum, los; rlrhanre i: should brush against
tn" mti'ici and cnntamilute him by the con-
tact These people, too, would as soon think
| OF committing suicide as drinking water from
| TIL" same cup as IL Christian. Tho pcrsiaus
are far more fanaticnl than the Turks.
l Lave been inside plenty of Turkish
mosques, and have stood on the minaret bal
r"ay with the muczzin and listened to him
shouting the summons to prayer; but to pen
citrate INTO II Persian mosque would mean
trouble.
Five times day the Persian llalts in what
ever he may bedding, and, prostrating him
self toward Mecca, nmlnblcs his prayers. AS
general thing he carries, slowed away in
his lanmcrblnl, /, small owl c,ke of holy
clay, from tho sacred soil of Mecca, Meshcd
or kerbellu, which he places on the ground
before him as he prayS. Every time he pros
trates himself he touches his forehead to the
bit Of sacred clay instead of the common
earth BY this process he is supposed to alb
sorb certain portion of the spiritual advan-
| tagcs appcrtaining to the worshipcr dwell
| ing OF visiting at the holy city itself
| More fanatical and dangerous, because less
| civilized and more warlike than their Persian
| nei3hbors, are the Afshans. These valiant and
| turbulent warrior, of Islam present the cx-
| trcnle wing Of Mu,s,Ilmnn funuticism and To-
ligiollS fcrvor these days. To that strange,
wild country in southern Khorassan my
mind whndcra intlitivcly whenever think
OF Tie Al"ianlncaian religion and its faithful
dev"teeS. hen ut sunset the people would
turn toward the west Mecca being west from
that country and perform their customary
| pros'iatolla and prayers they would fall to
wondering among themselves why it was
that too did not follow suit. Why was it
that l. of all the people there omitted to bow
| my forehead to the ground and sing out
",lhrr" is no God save one God, and Moham-
lnei is his prophet" ! used TO explain to
them that most Christians devote one day
out of seven TO the worship of Allah, and APP
prl'iltc the remaining six to their own use
AT this they would regard me with greater
astonishncnt than ever.
As we pursue our course through India the
people who now stare in mute wontlcrncnt
at the bicycle are hcathens who will have
non" Of tn" Christian on Islanitc God The
gods they worship are numbcrless almost us
the blades Of gras, in II meadow. The Hin
dnos have invested many things with tho
order Of ,',n"lity. The trees arc sacred riv-
crs, mountains birds and animals are objects
Of worship and vencration. Now and then
came across tree Il nccnl, beel, pecpul or
ban.'an, ,!eakcd with rcd paint. This would
lie q tree especially selected for the purpose
| oi worship as representing some particular
| god. The god the lindoo travellers or outly-
| ing villagers could not have with them al
ways, but they could always have the tree,
and SO By w"rshiping the etrec, his representa-
| tive would they gain the ear Of some hidcous
leitt 1,
| "A common sight would he that of ring of
dusky native, formed around n sacred tree
| prostrating themselves and paying their de-
vo;ions.
The native, Of Bengal seemed TO mo to fall
down and worship almost anything that con-
trib~t"d To their animal comforts. There is
soa"'i.ns grotesquely practical in paying
on"s devotion to Il bowl of rice OF a jar of
nrra,'ii, and thi., is what the bland and wor-
shipful Bengal villager does every day in the
yctr,
The worship Of John Chinaman is 50 MIXED
up with superstition and with heathonisll
| rlt"S and ceremonies for the Precipitation of
e.i! spirits that it would take n good sized
"oluine t" give any adequate idea Of it at
all. joss sticks, lighted paper firccrackers
AMI all sorts of uncanny things arc employed
to protect the Cclc,lia ial from the myriads of
evil spirits inll,bting earth, air and water,
AMI which are ever ready to pouncc out and
d. him harm. The Japs-wcll, the .Japs
s"emed to me comical, even at their devo-
tipna TIL" gentle followers Of Buddhism
and Shintoism seemed TO me like happy
children PLAYING at being religious just as
they seemed to be playing at keeping shop.
playing at being farmers, artisans, priests
and Loatmen; Thomas Stevens in New
Yo:l; Nail and Express
It may comfort some American to learn
that the queens railway coach doesn't begin
to compare in luxuriousness with our Amer
icsn palace car, in which one can ride all day
for s2. This ought to make fellow IN re
content to ride on an accommodation train.
Chicago News.
Darkey and "Dissecting Room"
Can you give ME few cents toward
gittm a SUPPER asked n negro of n couple
of detectives who were lounging about head
quarters. One Of tue officers, who is tho