Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

pigmies are not easily Inconvenience BY
weather or accident They are less sensible
to pain than white skins. They are natural
ly thus although Isidorus and Serapion
would no doubt hold it due TO bathing in
narcotic mandragora and thereby diminish
ed sensibility to pain. What blessing il
musc be TO the pigmy families not TO have
the thousand ills that civilized flesh Is heir
to! Because they are jolly these mann.-
kins are not mad for gain and, therefore,
nave more shouts for joy than mScrs.
Truly, II is said: 20 delved gold the
walters heap" The pgmies do not under
stand coin and boarded wealth. which
often saddens as rejoices the possessor.
Eui of fun are these odd little den Zers Il
the forest. They dance and romp and play
to their hearts content. / am pleased TO
write that they invite their wives to par
tic.pate in their pleasures and diversions.
Indeed, In wife treatment they are superior
to their bigger ne.Ehbors. They may at
times roam Idly in the forest. but what
have seen OF them makes me think they
are too full of Jolly mischief to be very
lazy.
1 noticed during my sojourn among the
pigmies that mim!cry employs some OF
their time while at play. \ droll humor,
which IS exceedingly funny, results. They
can initiate their larger neiehbors. or the
white man, and take them off to perfection.
To see them strut about In the dance with
stiff legs and solemn faces fills one
with roars of laughter. Mimics have great
powers of observation. and this is charac-
teristic Of the pigmy. His whole life tends
to the development of that faculty.
Could write the entire dwarf history,
the chapters given to the real MambUtti
pigmy of the dark heart of Africa would
bring from the reader tear of sympathy
and the voice of helpfulness. In all tho
mighty forest there are no schools churches
or improvement societies. If the pigmy can.
with his present opportunities, win the
secret of weeds plain heart" with the
help of missionary and teacher he may
reach the high altitude of a daily newspa-
per! Were the pigmy TO print paper now
methinks 1t would contain an ink-cry for
help. While 1t is the task of anatomical sci
ence to prove that these small varieties OF
the human race have been the predecessors
of full-sized humanity. yet we may safely.
think infer that the pigmies were the first
inhabitant of central Africa, and hence
among the greatest landowners on the
earth. Why should they who chronologically
are the first be the last to receive the
healthful results of Christian philanthropy?
While the pigmy has his forest, his food
and his fun yet he is poor in opportunities
to know his destiny. He has never heard
the name of our Lord. l am reminded OF
the cute, caustic but Christian words OF
Thomas Carlyle, Tho cause of the poor IN
Gods name and the DEVILS"
Help the poor pigmy He may even now
be longing for better idea. / am inclined
Believe. that in all ages
Every human heart is human.
That In even savage bosoms
There are longngs. yearnngs. strving5
For the good they comprehend not"
Moffat had hope for the man who could
laugh; the pgmy is included in that i like
the pgmies. Room for improvement, to DO
sure can the Ethiopian change his
skim" A white skin is a great bother in
tropical Africa 1t is fortunate for the
pigmy that he cannot change his skin. IL
he could he might not get a good fit, and
reckon there is nothing more uncomfortable
than a skin that does not fit.
Lend the pigmy n hand. His ancestors
have sunk down into the mold Of the for
est; let not the present-day pgmies go
into the past in like circumstances. Let the
old Gospel story be told in the compact area
Of black forest The grace of God can re-
make the pigmy. Through his dense forests
passed unframed and unharmlng. Are
there no preachers to go to the pigmes?