The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-02-28
MUH1MMID DIN.


The polo ball was an old ono,
scared Clipped and diniod II stood
on the mantie-piece among The pipe
stems which Imam Din, lShitmatgar,
was cleaning for me.
Does the Heaven-born want this
ball ~ said Imam Din defeientially.
The HeaVen-bon set no particular
storeaby its but of what use was a
polo ball to llhitmatgar
BY your honor's favor / have n
little son. He has q seen this hall
and desires to play with it. do not
want it for myself"
No one would for an instant accuse
pOrtly old Imam DIN of wanting to
play with polo balls. lie carried out
the battered thing into the verandah
and there followed a hurricane of joy
full squeaks, a patter of small feet,
and tho -thud-thud of the ball
rolling along the ground. Evidently
the little son had been waiting outside
the door to secure lis treasure. But
how had he managed 10 see that polo
ball
Next day, coming back from Office
half an hour earlier than usual ] was
aware Of a small figure in the dining
rOom-a tiny, plump figure in a 1idic-
ulously inadequate shirt which came
perhaps, half way down the tubby
stomach. lt wandered round the
room, thumb in mouth, grooming TO
itself as it took stock of the pictures.
Undoubtedly this was tho little sonp
He had no business in my room, Of
course; but was 50 deeply absorbed in
his discoveries that he never noticed
me in the doorway. l stepped into
the room and startled him nearly into
a fit He sat down on the ground with
q gasp. His eyes opened, and his
mouth followed suit. knew what
was coming ard fed, followed by a
long. dry howl which reached the
servantS quarters far more quickly
than any command of mine had ever
done. In ten seconds Imam Din was
in the dining-room. Then despairing
sobs arose, ard | returned to lind
Imam Din admonishing the small sim
ner, who was using most Of his shirt
as handkerchief.
"This boy" said Imam Din judi
cially, " is a budmash, big budmash.
He will, without doubt, 90 to tho
jailkhana for his behavior" Re-
newed yells from the penitent, and an
elaborate apology to myself from Imam
Din.
"Tell the baby" said l, that the
Sahib is not angry, and take him
away.n Imam Din conveyed my for
giveness to the offender, who had now
gathered all his shirt round his neck,
stingwise, and the yell subsided into.
a sob. The two set off for the door
" His name," said Imam Din, rs
Al nj
crime, "is Muhammad Din. and he is
a budmash" Freed from present dan
ger, Muhammad Din turned round his
fathers arms and said gravely IT Is
true that my name is Muhammad Din,
Tahib, but | am not budmash.
am man V
From that day dated my acquaint-
ance with, Muhammad Din. Never
again did he come into my dining
room. but on the neutral ground of the
comuound, we greeted each other with
much state, though our conversation
was confined to "Talaam TahibD from
lis side. and Salam, Muhammad Din"
from mine. Daily on my return from
Office, the little white shirt and the fat
little body used to Iise from the shade
# the creerer-covered trellis where
they had been hid; and daily
,hecked my horse here, that my salu-
atien might not be slurred over or
Given unseemly.
Nfuhammad Din never had any COM
panions. He used to trot about the
compound, in and out Of the CASTOR
oil bushes, on mysterious errands Of
his own. One day l stumbled upon
some of his handiworl1 far down the
ground. He had half buried the polo
hall in dust, and stuck six shrivelled
old marigold flowers and in a circle
round it. Outside that circle again,
was a rude square, traced out in bits
of red brick alternating with frag-
nents ofa broken china; the whole
bounded by little bank Of dust.
The, bhistie from the well curb put in
A Blea for the small architect, saying
that it was only the play of baby
md did not much dis6gure my garden.
Heaven knows that had no in
.ention Of touching the child's work
then or later; but, that evening,
stroll through the garden brought me
unawares full on it; so that e. lampled,
before / knew, mmigold heads, dust
bank, and fragments Of broken soap
dish into confusion, past all hope OF
mending. Next morning | came upon
Muhammad Din cry ing softly to him
self over the ruin | had wrought.
Some one had cruelty told him that
The Sahib was very angry. with him
for spelling the garden, and had scat
tered his rubbish, using bad language
the while. Muhammld Din labored
for an hour defacing every trace OF
the dnst-bank and pottery fragments,
and it was a fearful and apologize
fnce that he said "Talaam Tahib,"
when I came home from the Office.
A hasty INQUIRY resulted in Imam Din
informing Muhammad Din that by my
singular favor he was permitted to
dIsport himself as he pleased. Whereat
the child took heart and fell to tracing
the ground-plan Of an edilice which
was to eclipse the marigold polo-ball
erection.
For some months the chubby little
,ccontricity revolYed in his humble
,rbit among the castor-oii bushes and
n the dust; always fashioning mag
ifcent palaces from stale flowers
brown away by the bearer, smooth
water worn pebbles, bits of broken
ylass, and feathers pulled, ! fancy
from my fOwls-always alone aud
always grooming to himself.
A gayly-spotted sea-shell was drop-
rcd ore day close to the last of his
little buildings and / looked that
NTuhammad Din should build some
thing more than ordinarily on the
-trength of it, Ner H1sl disappointed:
qe mcditated for the better part Of an
hour and his crooninG rose to a iulji-
'qnt song. Then he hogan tracing in
Inst. II would cert iniY be awondrous
ong'aud a ward broad in erofnd plan.
But the palace was never completed.
Next day there was no Muhammad