The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-04

top of their voices
 Tho earliest and only textbook Is the Koran or portions oc It cheapy Autographed on second-class paper or course there are no pictures in the Moslem primers, for tradition states that Mohammed cursed all who would paint or draw men and animals, Con sequently their work is held to be un- lawful, There is neither prayer nor singing when school opens; all ortho- doX praying is at daybreak, when boys are fast asleep, and as for sing ing, Mohammed sad singing or hear ing songs causeth hypocrisy to grow in tho heart even as rain causeth corn to grow in tho field" (Mishkat xxi: 9. SD
 To the American schoolboy, a Mos. lem school and Mohammed school book would appear the dullest thing on earth. Yet tho Arab boys seem to enjoy school for there Is continual dis traction, and, especially, if tho school. master ia d shoplleeper, plenty of time for !dllng. While customer bar gains or the water-carrier passes or tho ee-shopkeeper pours out the teachers daily beverage, naturally all eyes turn away from their books The mixed procession of oriental street life passes before tho school-room (which is nearly always open to the streeD, like a continuous panorama-horses camels, drivers, donkeys, yelled wom- en, pastry-sellers, pashas, soldiers, beggars and Bedoulns It is no won der that all learning becomes Q matter of rote and that the best memory re- celves the prize.
 Right here we stumble upon the supreme fault in their theory of edu- cation. The memory is trained to the utmost, while the reasoning powers are left entirely undcveloped A Mosem lad is not supposed to know what the words and sentences mean which ho must reclte every day; to ask a ques- ton regarding the thought of the Koran would only result in rebuke or something more painful Even grammar logic history and theology are taught by rote in the higher Mo- 1 hammedan schools Since orthodoxy can not allow a place for private judgment ln the professors chair | there remains no reason why pupils should think for themselves. Thous- i ands of Moslem lads who know the whole Koran nearly by heart, can not explain the meaning of the first chap ter In every day language. Tens of thousands can read the Koran at | random. in the Moslem sense of read Ing, who cannot read an Arabic news paper intelllgently. The alpha and omega of knowledge Is the IA chap Is there for other teXt-bookS?
 Writing is taught on a wooden slate or in copy books made by the teach CTS, States and slate pencils arc practically unknowlf and the youngest child begins with q reed pen and ink. CalIgraphy is not only science, but the chief art In that part of the world which abhors painting, statuary and music. TO write beautiful Arabic hand is the height of youthful scholarly ambition.
 IL Is difficult even to cut the reed nib aright. although some school boys become adopts in ths use of the pen knife. The ink is generally made by the teacher, 1t is rich, black and thick, and Is made from lamp-black, vinegar, -ochre, yellow arsenic and cam phor in mysterious proportions. A famous recipe for ink is family treasure,
 When a boy has finished the read ing of tho whole of the Koran for the first time and has learned the rudl- men;s of writing. he graduates from the primary school On this occasion he has rare holiday Dressed in nnt clothes, perhaps mounted on horse. back. he visits the neighbors, re. ceives gifts and sweetmeats and brings a handsome present to his tutor If he does not intend to become a doctor oi divinity or of herbs, this Is the end of his school days, and the lad Is put to learning e trade or helping his parents.
 As to moral training, tradition co T. lildlli1 PibhS hVNAtllls Ab lNhail Ail' l'hll of seven to say his five daily prayers at the age of ten. if he omits then they are to admonish him by blows Boys arc taught early the proprletie of conversatlonsand behavior accord ing to oriental etiquet. They are als, taught the ceremonial washlngs anC the correct pastures for devotlons Bu purity of conversation and truth arr seldom taught by precept and neve by example
 For q liberal education the boy i sent to one of the higher schools il } the centers of Mosem learning, sucl as Cairo, Bagdad or Damascus Stud : of the natural science and then reat Hypocrates and Ayicena under thei
 teachers There is no dissecting n, no practical experiments are 'arrlct , on. Of course. none of the textbook have illustrations. Students of di vInity pursue the following brancne of study. Grammatical infection syntax, logic, arithmetic, algebra rhetoric, jurisprudence, scholastic the
 ology, commentaries on the Koran
 eXegesis, and finally tradition With rh
 commentaries thereon! Next to tn
 Koran itself, the Arabic language l
 the most important center of tn
 group of sciences; lexicology, accid
 ence, derivation syntax, meaning, e,o
 quence, prosody. rhyme, caligraDhl
 versihcatlon, and prose- composition
 all these require separate study fror special treatises the result In this cas-
 is proud master grammarian wh
 has no doubt that Arabic Is the Ian
 guage of the angels and the on,
 speech of God.
 The profession of law exists only [
 a religious sense, but many pursue for its rich emoluments A singl
 i1luetra tio, yyili g,ow how pocuietr,,