Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-23
both of them and washes his honor clean.
That Is the proper way"
Cannon to Keep Out Civilization.

That is the proper way"
Cannon to Keep Out Civilization.
When the Shahzada Nasrullan Khan. the
late ameer's second son. visited England
some years ago. King Edward-then Prince
of Wales-took immense pains to impress
him with the wonders of English civiliza-
ton. Naturally he wanted Nasrullah to
go back to his father and tell him what a
marvellous country England was and how
necessary it was for Afghanistan to remain
friendly with her.
The prince failed utterly. Nasrullah was
disguised with the way things are man
aged in England. According to an English
man, who was In Kabul when he returned,
he told the ameer in open durbar:
Behold. it is country of fools We can
learn little from England save what to
avoid. The queen and the prince have less
power than the eunuchs of your harem. They
do not govern the empire. Scoring the de-
chosen by hordeS of the low born-the peas
ants, the pariahs the weavers and the
smiths-as II a horse should say I will
have this rider and no other
But said the ameer, they have won
derful Notwithstanding. telegraphs.
railways. guns"
Aye" said Nasrullah. but they only
make life more troublesome to live. These
people make toys of their inventions and
enslave themselves to them until they think
there is nothing greater In earth or heaven
than the work or their hands.
I'VE need nothing of theirs" he concluded
grimly. save their marvellous cannon
that we may be able to keep out the rest
of their civilization" ~
"a Land Without Manners"
Ras Makonnen. the right-hand man of
King Menelik of Abyssinia. gathered poor
opinion of civilization when he visited Eu-
rope to attend King Edwards coronation.
He was indiscreet enough to wear his Abys-
sinian costume In the streets of London.
and the small boys shouted rude remarks
when he passed by.
TT is a land without manners or de-
cency," he said. Indignantly. I'VE in Abys-
snia courteousiy receive European trav-
elers In their strange garb. and anybody
who Knocked them would be severely pun
ished by the Negus. But when 1 told an
English prince that his own soldiers had
laughed at me. his guest. he only said:
oh, you must not mind that: 1t is way
they have 1t seems that the princes have
no power in this land. The common people
sons of dogs with the habits of pigs-are
The courtiers told Off by King Edward
to look after the Ras tried to efface the
memory of his humiliation by giving him
q good time. They showed him arsenals,
dockyards, theaters cathedrals and every
thing they thought would impress him 1t
was of no use. He asked the question
make you happier or better menr'
The theaters and music halls shocked
him terribly.
How can you go to these places to see
women dance shameleSsly half clothed? ?"
he exclaimed "And not only go. but take
your wives and childreni You make pup
pet show of vice. and then you call us I'M
civilized If this Is civilization. If the
drunken men who swarm riotously In your
streets at night are produced by civiiiza-
ton. we Abyssinians had better remain
barbarians-"
Denunciation Of the Waltz.
Ras Makonnen's disapproval OF the
soubrette is shared by most barbarians.
especially If they are good Mahommedans-
A Moorish visitor in Marseille was even
more shocked than the worthy Abyssinian.
TT seems horrible to me-" he said. that
your European women walk with uncovered
faces in the streets. and talk to me openly
and shamelessly as they choose. even con-
tradicting their own husbands. But the
women on the stages Of your theaters-
well. I cannot think Of them without
shame"
Paris by a French friend In silent horror
he watched men and women dancing to-
gether, and at last confided to his friend
that in truly civilized country like Nor
Deco such women would be deservedly
strangled. His hostess. taking pity on his
loneliness, asked whether he would care to
dance with her: but he sternly refused to
have anything to do with proceedings which
he considered utterly depraved.
In an Indian hamlet in Venezuela lives q
well-edrca ted sGuaraguanes Indian who had
paid visit to New York. Asked by a trav-
eler what he thought OF that city, he re-
piled:
TT Is a wonderful place. truly; and full
of marvellous things of which had not even
dreamed. But the men who live there must
verify be aceirsed of God and the saints.
How can there be any happiness In their
lives? n They are always rushing to and fro
madly, as If jaguar pursued them. Better
the trees of the forest than those tall build
frlgs which shut -out the sun.
.'Why do men-weaIthy men. am told
irnprison themselves in those buildings all
day long? Is that the way they were
meant to 1--we? Are they not wasting their
lives in a vain pursuit of gold which will do
them no real goodg"