The morning call., 1892-06-05

rative, for the space Of four months, and
neither on the island of the roc, or in the
country Of the apes, or in the valley Of the
serpents, or in the land Of the fierce, who
eat the sons of Adam. saw I sights to equal
in wonder those Of this land. On the nrst
morning Of my sOjourn in that city, which is
called the City of the SleeperS, 1 arose
early, l and my meml0Ok, and the Shey kh
with us, and having performed the ablu-
lions and rected the morning prayers, We
repaired to the market-place to view the
people. And it was yet early morning and
they were not arisen, and l saw only
crowd Of little children. whose garments
wers the garments Of the poor, and
whose faces were wan and pinched and
whose COuutenanCes were not joyous, and
who fastened forward anXiOuSly. car
rying baskets ana pals, and l said
to tie Sheykh: Il imagine that probably
these children 20 to divert themselves for
day in the open country" but he said,
Not so; these 90 to their daily work IN the
places fer the manufacture Of Stutfs." Then
| looked closely at the children and saw that
their hands were stained with dyes and the
marks Ct toll, and that the backs OF many
of them we're bent and their eyes heavy,
and also that many Of them were Of tender
age. and ] said: IF these children are the
children of slaves and slaves themselves II
were better thai their owners put them not
too young 10 heavy toll, lest when they are
offered in the market their strength Will be
impaired and their features unc0mely, and
their education and accom- piIshments being
neglected their value is therefore lesSened.
We do not so in our country, but rear care
fully until they be of marketable age and
then offer them in the market for a goodly
price"
And the Sheykh was again wroth and
cried out, ''Gh, thou Of little good sense, TO
pIate Of slaves. Have l not told You that
I'D this country there are no slaves? Know
that in years gone by there were IN the
land black slaves, male and female, against
the meaning aud desire of this free people,
and our Government expended 10 obtaining
their release over SIX thousand million pieces
Of silver besides the lives Of many thou
sands who fought 70 free these slaves, aud
think you this free people will ever let a
slave exist again IN this landP These be
the children of free men and women, and
they 20 to their toll in freedom that they
NAV earn their daily bread and become
good, self-suppOrting citizens when they
are old enough" l was abashed and ven
JuTed to say no more TO the Sheykh, lest l
expose my little knowledge Of that country
10 Tidicule. but il seems to me passing
strange that in that great country, where
the common people were sovereign, as the
SheyRh told me, so great sovereign could
not care for The little children.
There appeared before Us IN the street a
boy of tender years, weeping bitterly, and
accompanied by q man of stern Ylsage and
Of cruel cOuntenance, who held him by the
collar aud beat him with heavy rod as he
proceeded; and the boy ceased not TO weep
aud lament DOT the man TO beat him until
they reached the place where we stood 80
il-Omened old maa," / said, what is the
reason Of your beating this child and Of his
proceeding along the street weeping and
lamentng?" And be said: II beat him
not severe because he gOeth not 10 his
work but desreth rather to frequent
the school where children % whom
Allah cOmpelIeth not TO toll. Verify, l
am a poor man, and stricken in years. and
can find no work 10 do, and what this boy
earneth scrveth but 70 keep death from the
door, and l am obliged to beat him that be
run not from his work, but remain ST 1t all
day"
Hearing this, l took from my purse a
piece Of gold and would have given it TO the
old man, but he spUrned it. saying: 80
dog! thiukest thou that / am of the people
who are mendicants and take aims of
strangers Know that | am free citizen,
and beg not" and be proceeded on his way
beating the boy and shaking his head in
wrath. And / was sore perplexeG, and hung
down my head toward the ground. meditat-
ing upon the extraordinary freedom Of this
people.
And there approached the Sheykh, one
walking, having 10 bis hands many papers
and in he pockets Of his dress papers, and
he took the SheyKh aside and they con-
YeTsed, and presently the Sheykh beck0ned
us to approach and stated our case TO the
man and when this stranger had welcomed