Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-04
THE GENTLE EGYPTIAN
HATES THE CHRISTIAN WITH
TRUE MosLEM FERvoR.
Why England Needs Strong and Just
Grip on Situation In the
Mile Country.

| From the London Mall
fErendi, how could learn to make guns
| and cannonss-
The question came with staggering force.
| was sitting on the top of a mound OF
debris at Karnak. pondering over the ro-
nance OF the Pharaohs' mighty pile; trying
| to reconstruct the glories and ceremonies OF
that great past. lost in reverle living
thousands OF years ago. when the question,
addressed to me by Abdullah Azlz brought
| me back to earth and TO this unsentimentaI
| age in the rudest fashion
Gums and cannonsr' 1 gasped: what
have they to do with Karnak and the great
past? Why. Abdullah. what do you wan,
| with those things?" i asked
| We'll, / would like to know how to make
| them,' he said: and something undennable
] In his manner arrested my attention
| But why should you make them7 There
! is no war here. and you could not sell
| them
Well. I should like to know how TO do
It,, he persisted. obstinately; how could
/ learn, effendi?"
| pondered moment, and wondered what
| the Armstrong Company would say TO a
| Cairo dragoman being instructed I'm the
gentle art of making guns and cannons at
| their works.
We'll. suppose you could learn TO make
them, but not here; there is no iron ore In
| the country"
But l could buy 1t and have IL sent
| here" he said.
| Yes, that is true: but there is no coal
for smelling purposes"
| What is smelting?" ne asked
/ am not an expert. but tried TO explain
| to him. do not know IL he understood; he
| said he did
well. l would buy the coal" he said,
firmly. / regarded him with increasing in
| terest. During the several years / had
| known m ha ar.i bfr,1h Oa CT of
| his riches. devout Mahommedan i knew
! him to be, but / was quite at loss to I'M
derstand this new departure.
| Would the effendi tell me how to do
| this business he asked.
4 'Oh. certainly! You would have TO be
| taken into great works, and pass through
| all the shops from the lowest and in the
course of five or six years you might know
how TO make a small gun"
| Echoes of Dead Past.
| Abdullah was silent. turned to the
ruins again. but the charm was gone; the
stones seemed wearsome monotonous, and
| all alike; the air felt stuffy, and filed with
dead past; the future looked uneasy and
| threatening What was wrong? The
| Egyptian as I knew him after long years
| of intimate acquaintance. should be happy,
| contented, and prosperous; freed from the
kourbash oppression and tyranny, his life
| and property safe; his riches multiplied
hundredfold. What wrong? / had
| heard of little affairs from time to time
| which were too loudly declared TO be nom
political; could II be? Abdullah was mood
| lily regarding the stones at his feet.
| But Isl the Egyptian content? He Is an
| oriental! to whom the cold, unsentimentat
l justice of our rule is distasteful in the ex-
| IRENE. Gone is the glamour OF that time
| when a poor sitting by the waysids
4 might catch the eye of the effendina, and
| next day would find himself pasha, with
| all its possibilities. The glorious uncer-
| tainty of a mans chance" had gone and
| in its place cold justice-to the Asiatie
poor exchange. The Egyptian is gambler
| and though his back might smart, he
would rather have the lash than lose his
chance"
"Will the efrendi come and see the sacred
lake?' asked Abdullah.
mo; have seen enough today. want
| to think. Let us go back.
That night / sat at the door of my tent
watching the moon rise over the hill,
throwing into relief the columns of the
Temple of Luxor. Somehow the scene be
came distasteful to me. The gentle, warm
wind seemed TO whisper. Gums and can
nonsi Guns and cannonsp' What did II
all mean?
Were we such failure that after TWEEN
| ty-four years of rule the natives talked OF
weapons of war? We had given them or
| our best and was this the result, this the
| reward, of absolute devotion?
| "will the effendi give his orders for to-
morrow" said Abdullah.
There are none, answered, shortly.
"Lelt-ak saba. effendi.'
"Saidi"
seemed prophetic. Cruel treacherous and
vicious the Egyptian is well known to be;
but surely there might be some small spark
| of gratitude.
Vengeance on the Unbeliever.
Slowly the hours crept by / could hear
the talking in their tent; then Abb
dulah's voice rose alone. in soft tones
Presently, carried away by his subject, the
words became distinct.
Think not that the unbelievers have es-
capped Gods vengeance, for they shall not
weaken the power of God. Therefore pre-
pare against them what force We are able.
and troops of horse whereby We may strike
terror into the enemy of God and your
| enemy gentle wind and the bark OF
words Then Abdullah's voice rose again;
Whatsoever We shall expend in the de-
Tense of the religion OF God II shall be re-
paid unto you.
This. then, was the reason of his ques-
ton? Well God is merciful even to unbe-
levers and surely He will weigh MS Justly
The hum of voices and the signing OF the
warm night wind seemed to mix curiosly
with the Koran's promises OF eternal lifei
the moon grew brighter and brighter and
over the sanctuary of the temple shone
great star
/ felt that had left my tent and was in
the hottest of HOLES. on my knees, with my
soul uplifted.
GIVE me kfoNieuse, " Eicat AiH'poh
RAJ was my prayer, insistent and earnest
Then q glorious form whose being filled the
place. arose from the altar Far-seeing
eyes looked into mine. calm; gentle race
snailed into my own. Lovingly the voice
sounded In my ears.
my son. my people were held In leash
for many years. In that you cut the cora
TOO suddenly you have sinned against them.
Saw TO those in authority, Be just but
firm, that my people may not suffer for the
faults of those who loosed them
A long-drawn howl brought me back with
a start to find / hfd fallen asleep. As
gathered myself together l heard Abdul
labs voice.
Dead. is he, Maleshi He was a Chris
tian dog MAY his soul burn in he'll.
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