The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-11
MUHAMMAD DIN.

Din, khitmatgar, was cleaning for me.
docs the heaven born want this ballf'
said Imam Din deferentially. by your
honor's favor, have "a little son. He has |
seen this ball aud desires Il To play with. |
do not want 10 for myself
He carried out the battered thing into
cane Of joyful squeaks, a patter OF small |
feet and the thud, thud, thud OF the ball
rolling along the ground.
Next day, coming back from ofiioo half
an hour earlier than usual, / was aware OF
a small figure In the dining room--e tiny,
plump figure In ridiculously inadequate
shirt which came perhaps half way down
the tubby stomach. 1t wandered round
the room, thumb In mouth, grooming TO
itself as IL took stock Of the pictures. I'm
doubtedly this was the "little son.
He had no business In my room, of
course, but was 80 deeply absorbed In his
discoveries that he never noticed mo In tho
doorway. stepped into the room and
startled him nearly into a ft. He sat
down on the ground with = gasp. His
eyes opened and his mouth followed suit.
Iknew what was coming and fled, followed
by 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, and
returned to find Imam Din admonishing
the small sinner, who was using most OF
his shirt as handkerchief.
"This boy" said Imam Din judioiaily,
lis budmash-a big budmash. He will,
without doubt, 60 to the jailkhana for his
eli mi
tent and an elaborate apology TO myself
from Imam Din.
"Tell the baby" said I, that the sshib
is not angry and take him away" Imam
Din conveyed my forgiveness to the Of
fender, who had now gathered all his shirt
round his neck, stringwise. and the yell
subsidized into sob. The two set of for
| the door. "His name" said Imam DIN as
| though tho name were part OF the crime,
"is Muhammad Din, and he Is bud
mash" Freed from present danger, Mu-
| hammad Din turned round In his fathers
arms and said gravely: 1T Is true that my
name Is Muhainmad Din, tahib, but am
| not a budmash. / am MANI
From that day dated my acquaintance
| with Muhammad Din. Never again did
| he come into my dining room, but on the
| neutral ground of the compound we greeted
| each other with much state, though our
| conversation was confined to "Talaam,
tahib" from his side and "Salaam, Mu-
hammad Din" from mine. Daily on my
return from Office the little white shirt and
the fat little body used to rise from the
shade Of the creeper covered treliis where
they had been hid, and daily checked my
horse here, that my salutation might not
be slurred over or given unseemly.
Muhammad Din never had any compan-
ions. He used to trot about the oom-
pound, In and out Of the castor oil bushes,
on mysterious errands of his own. One
day I stumbled upon some Of his handi-
work far down the ground He had half
buried the polo ball In dust and stuck six
shriveled old marigold flowers In circle
round 1t. Outside that circle again was a
rude square, traced out In bits OF red brick
alternating with fragments of broken
china, the whole bounded by little bank
of dust. The bhistie from the we'll curb
put In plea for the small architect, say
ing that 1t was only the play Of baby and
did not much dishgure my garden.
Heaven knows that had no Intention
of touching the childs work then or later,
but that evening a stroll through the gar
den brought me unawares full on 1t, &C
that trampled before knew marigold
heads, dust bank and fragments Of broker
soap dish into confusion past all hope o
mendipg. Next morning I came upor
Muhammad Din crying softly to himsel
| over the ruin had wrought. Some ont
had cruelty told him that the sahib wa
very angry with him for spelling the gar
den and had scattered his rubbish, using
bad language the while. Muhammad- Dir
lahored for an hour at effacing every trac'
of the dust bank and pottery fragments
and Il was with a fearful and apologize
face that he said, "Talaan, tahibl' wher
came home from the Office A hasty in
auiry resulted in Imam Din Informing
Muhammad Din that by my singular favo
he was permitted to disport himself as h
pleased. whereat the child took heart ant
fell to tracing the ground plan Of an ediflc
which was to eclipse the marigold poll
ball creation.
For some months the chubby little &c
centricity revolved in bis humble orbi
among the castor oil bushes and In tn
dust, always fashioning magnificent pal
| aces from stale flowers thrown away b.
the bearer, smooth water worn pebbles
bits Of broken glass and feathers pulled,
fancy, from my fowls-always alone ant
always grooming to himself.
A-gayly Spotteu seasnelt was uroppe
one day close TO tho last Of his little build
, | ings, and looked that Muhammad Di
| should build something more than ordi
narily splendid on the strength of It, No
was 1 disappointed. He meditated 70
nearly an hour, and his grooming rose
jubiant song. Then he began tracin
In dust It would certainly be wondrou
, palace, this one, for IL was two yards lon
and yard broad In ground plan. Blu
, the palace was never completed.
Next day there was no Muhammad Di
, at the head Of the carriage drive, and q
! "Talaam, tahibl'' to welcome my return
had grown accustomed to the greeting
and its omission troubled me. Next da
Imam Din told me thas the child was sui
fering slightly from fever and needle
, quinine. He got the medicine and .
English doctor.
, ''They have no stamina these brats
said the doctor as he left Imam Din
quarters.
A week later, though would have give
much to have avoided It, met on tho roa
to the Mussulman burying ground Imal
: Din, accompanied by one other friend, ca
iying In his arms, wrapped In whit
cloth, oil that wasleft oflittle Muhamms
Din.-Rudyard Kipling.
y THESE eEtIEvE o., :sy.,..MorsY.