Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1882 — Page 7

A FEAST OF BLOOD.

A Bar barons Festival Recently Carriel Out at Cafcro. A Horrible Procession—The Bloody v wort of the Cimetcr! ***** i s*.‘ r :■* > • Cairo, December 1, 18^1.—I haye just come from what proved to be one of themost grotesquely horriHesights it has ever Ween my fortune to visit. It is thjp lot of a traveler in, _ this, ‘•Morgen see ahd note down much that is not pleasant er attractive. On learning that to-night, Friday, the Ist of December, the /ete of ShirteSaint Saidqa el Hussen would be celebrated in the mosque bearing his name, I procured the services of'a Greek dragoman at the hotel and then bent my steps in the direction of the Egyptian quarter of Cairo. Through this runs a street known as the Mouskee, in which stands the mosque of the Persian saint named above. The Elace in front of the hotel and opera ouse and the neighborhood of the Esbeckrah Gardens were alive with turbaned followers of Mahomet, who were on their way, like us, to witness the religious zeal of their, to them, heretical Shirie co-religionists. Dike Christianity* Islam has its twd great sects. The Sumnites or Mohammedans, who stand on the Koran, and the Shirte or Persian Moslems, who base their belief and teachings on thd* Koran, but in whose system of re ; Hgiousbthlcs the traditions of Mohammed also take a prominent place. The Baint Saidna el Hussen, whose fete we saw, is cnosidered by the Shirte to be as great, if „»'ot greater, than the prophet, and it Was Owing to this that thocoming Qeremonies promised to be the most interesting.

IN THE STREETS. There was, littje light in the street save that given out by a few lamps, some of which were carried by fruit and cake venders i“n the baskets born upon their heads, These passed and repassed, shouting their wares, and always prefacing their cry with 41 Allah, il Allah," combining the religious with the mercantile spirit of daily life in a way that to a Christian' mind was almost dbmical. The strange dresses of blue, black and white made a kaleidoscope of color, that owing to the faint gas and lamplight and the white rays of, the pale moon in the Star-studdied, indigo blue heavens,"produced a scene Which was constantly varying. The hoarse shouts of the crowd and. guttural laughter, which, from time to time greeted a mishap which some one had met with, the shrill cries of eunchs, warning the crowds to make way for the carriage of some fair daughters of the harem, combined with the yells of the police, as they pummeled and hustled some too bellicose Mohammedan, united, made a panorama wondrously serious and almost weirdly picturesque in its Oriental romanticism. The crowd yas for the most part a jolly, laughing, peaceful throng, and disputes were few, though patience must in many instances have been sorely tried and forbearance taxed to its utmost. THE DAUGHTERS OF ISLAM. V., Carriages holding Christians, Mohammedans and Odalisques, these last having euauchß on the box at the side of the driver, the costumes spotlessly white of the fair Zuleikas within ,went to swell the thoroughly Eastern throng which was pushing and pulling us as with some difficulty we made our way through. The windows houses in the street are all faintly illuminated from a lamp or lamps placed within the rooms,bringing out in bold relief the heads and shoulders of Arabs iu European dress with fez upon their heads and shaking more distinct the slender figures of Christian women and children who are hanging from the windows anxiously awaiting the coming of the show. Daughters of Islam, in flowing robes of white or blue, are hanging out very gracefully over the balconies with yashma's almost hiding their faces and lustrously brilliant eyes that flash and sparkle the more, owing to» the contrast compelled by the white or black of their face covering, strickly worn by women who have Mosiems for husbands. They have pretty eyes, these lights of the harem, and they have an unconscious look at times Us they glance at you through their yashmaks, making one long to raise a covering which hides what seems to be necesarily attractive and beautiful. Like most masks, though, they probably cover much that is ordinary and plain, as the now and then reddish eyelids betoken the presence of ophthalmia, that disfiguring marplot of what in many cases here would be a most sweetly pretty face. For the most part, however, their eyes arp soft and lambent. The crowd is getting thicker and thicker and surges up against my legs and thighs, making me plant myself more firmly on the box made of cane, on which lam standing. The cries become more frequent, and the crowd seems more nervous, when suddenly we see far away at the end ot the street a yellowish, ruddy glare, which lights up the houses on either side most luridly, and spreading out Comes in yellowish bands of light to where we stand, faintly illuminating the swarthy and tawny covered faces and white teeth of the Moslems, Copts and Fellaheen, who are all around us. Sounds of barbaric music and hoarse chanting are born to our ears through the balmy air of this most lovely Egyptian night, and the lurid light fitfully flickering illuminates the painted walls of the houses, and brißga out in bold relief the many colored polyglot signs upon them. The crowd is beginning

to Surge past us, and wi see down the streeta/as we;lcfek.o#e?'hß head, braziebs sfwjig abq|nfe'wng to and fro, as Ipey op me ,bona# qa'She end of long stolkst'afid leaving Wains of flaming charcoal behind toe -bearers, who are poflfcenmn striking:aid driving the throng of mussulmans before them. h . A CpoggaPiQjT qg. bloop. The chanting id more distinct, and -we see Ted brffßffM' wiftfAFAtfrc characters worked in gold upon them. The crowd gets more and more feverishly excited, and shouts of “Allah” are heard resounding from /hoarse throats as the-dervishes, how in front of US, slowly pu?&sithioee-in front naked to the waist, round which is a looseiyrbound white cloth, call gutturally, though still musically, on Hussen; they pass along, keeping time to their shouts with violent heating of their breasts. Their hoarsecnea, long disheveled and matted hair flying out in asort of cruciform aureola, coupled with the metalic ring of their chests, as they give blow upon blow, is grotesque and almost devilsh in its wierdness. Behind them come men, who, in a circle, made up of sbouti|fty persons, puzzle us for a lfiomeht as to what these red devils may be/ Something bright flashes through the air, and then ihe j fervid*ciy of •Hussen! Hussen! Saidna Hussen! rises with renewed fanatical zeal in the air of the moonlit night. The flash is caused by a long curved cimeter, which, descending, divides the flesh of another dervish, making the blood spurt and trickle over his already gory body, which shines and glances in a hellishly, murderous way, as she red light of the braiders, Ailed with charcoal, strikes uoon it. . Thirty of forty of these blood-be-clotted children of Islam slowly pass«dby.. putting and slashing each other With an ardor which even the police, strive though they do, can hardly keep from being mortal in its effects. They are chanting 14 Hussen, Hussen Saidna Hussen,” and opening each others.veins, until their shoulders, arms and loins are streaming, and apdiagafu Aewlv stream with bright red blood of artery and bluer blood of veins, their long hair drips and trickles with as -violently moving heads Jbey noarsly cry to their prophet, and their white teeth and partialy shaved foreheads gleam and almost scintillatd as the blood flows from the long red cuts.

VICTIMS TO THE ZEAL IF ISLAM. . There are Nubians among this pack of mad frantios, and the red blood on their bodies, heads and necks seem daiker«as it flows over ebony skirts, making them look like demons in some blood sacrifice of ghouls or devils. The blush white skins of some perhaps more northern, Moslem, with forehead shavecLhalf way ujp to the crown of his hehd; his big black eyes that turn and blasg with almost savage seal, his white teeth and curved nose, stand out in staking opposition to the ot%er red, taWny and black fanatics in this sanguinarily pious dance. There is fervency in the. glance of those eves, and he seems or the moment I aort if Avatar cf the waning spirit and eealousness of the soldier missionary, who under the shadow of the green standard and kindling eye of the Prophet, offered “death or Mohammedanism" to his opponent. Blood streams from him as from the rest, and his loins-enclr-cling white cloth is all encarmined and besmeared with clotting and halfsoagulated blood. , Following this comes a sight at which we can hardly suppress the cry of angry pain and horror that struggles to our lips. Picture it and think of it, ye Christian mothers, who, with your little yellow-haired darlings at your knee, have no thoughts save those of love and care for the youngsters who prattled at your sides, climb into your laps and ask in their, deliciously lisping baby talk for “doodies," or say, “want to shee wheels go round." Picture it, I say again, for here is, as well as piy feeble words can describe it, in all its hide-ously-horrid unnature a horse covered with a flowing white mantle, whose.' blood-stained folds fall to the ground on either side and gain new stains from the bedraggling mud of the street, in whose Baddle is a little boy with a-half-shaved head and tender little eyes, which have been gaziDg on the world for but five years. His poor little face is hacked and cut, and blood trickles from wounds in his forehead and face down on to the white robe he wears, staining and spotting it with the blood of this poor infantile victim to the zeal for Islam. In his hand he carries a cimeter with which he strikes his forehead in a mechanical, impotent sort of way, the blow being, rarely hard enough to cause more than a red mark, This poor little chap has been well trained in the puppet part which he must play in this bloody saturnalia. His pale and chubby little cheeks are very, very white, and his eyes have not that sparkling, rich, bright and lovely black tbatyou see in the eyes of Moslem and Egyptian Children in this town of Cairo. They huve lost their light, and the brave little man, though he must sufier pain from his wounds and terror from his surroundings, shows no sign save in the pallor ol his face and trembling of his cimeter holding arm. At the end of this fete of blood there will no loving mother to take her boy into her arms, and soothe and calm his poor scattered senses, and crazed and terrified little mind —no! She is sitting at home in the harem, or perhaps is even gazing on the sanguinary pageant from the street, pluming and congratulating herself that the child, who is flesh of her flesh and blood of her blood, has thus poured out some of herself in tes-. timouy to the glory and truth ol God’s one and only true religion. ( * A .HJDKOUS COMPANY. Behind this blood-stained child come more dervishes, naked to the

waist, though, thank goodness, not blo<»dy. I don.t think I could stand that again. These are armed with bags Ailed with bits of iron, each of which may weigh from five to ten pounds. Thqv call froarsly on Hussen, keeping time to their sing-song, melodious shouts by blows with the bags on their own and each <Rhei ’* bodies. A hideously fantastic company are they, and as they .turn half round as they go slowly chanting, one wonders what it all amounts to, and marvels and is puzzled at' this display of religious zeal. These close the parent, aDd the shouting, now thoroughly wrought up. ,crowd .falls in behind and surges along, with cries to Allah and the prephet. We wait a little while for the.street to clear and then start homeward with a dazed feeling, as if we had been passing terough the incidents of some horrid nightmare. On the whole, the sight is not to be regretted: we go home more and more impressed with the fury of a fanaticism with whioh the-French are now strugling in Tunis and with which, if the English ever meet la India, we can Say fervently; “God help them!” * • - 1 - I am at the end of my story now,so light a pipe, .cock your legs above your head, and as you draw in the smoke and put it out iu long, blue clouds and rings, thank your stars that you live on the other .side of the Atlantic and Pacific, and have not about you such a mob of fanatics as are here and whom a small spark would rouse into disagreeable dangerous religious zeal. Now for a cigarette and a long gaze at the moon’s silver rays, striking the minarets and mosques, aud in the distance the citadel and red sand hills of the desert, and their good night aad peace on your head.—Philadelphia Times.

A LIFE OF ELEGANT LEISURE.

Ol* tfte Trials of & Foreign Diplomats— Swell Chap. The following interesting sketch of the ills of those swell legation fellows at Washington is given by a correspondent of the Buffalow Commercial Advertiser: To Ihe World outside of Washington, which has an insane reverence for important dignity, it may seem that the young gentlemen who come here from abroad in official capacities are overwhelmed with business in every conceivable shape. No doubt they fancy (that is, the outside world) that these foreign ducks get up early ifi the morning, by the bright, light, and are kept bury till a late hour in the evening in sending important prir vate communications to their home Governments about lbe condition of republicanism bn tbe United States and the prospects of Its doctrines eating Out the monarchies of Luro|e. So much for the theory, and now a word or so about the practice and the actual Lets pf diplomacy from a Washington standpoint: “I am sick,” said one, “of this whole diplomatic life. It is one continued round., of idleness and sloth. How do I pass my time? It makes me ashamed when I think of it. Weil my servant has standing orders to wake me at 11 o’clock. When he comes, I tell him to come again at 12 o’clofek, and then I again tell him tp comb at 1 o’clock, because it is an irksome duty to confront the sunshine and see other people busy, and 1 always put it off till the latest moment." “What then?" “Well, I order my bath; and next to breakfast, and it is aboyt 2 o’clock before I am ready to go on the street. You want to know what next? Welj from that time on till bedtime it is one constant battle to kill the hours. I drop in at the legation, and we smoke a few cigarettes and drink same wine and tell a few of the latest stories. That is our entire business. The relations between the United States and my native Spain are so friendly that we poor diplomates are going to seed. Do not make a mistake, my friends. You think it is an easy life. You are wrong. Nothing is more wearying than idleness when forced on you by the circumstances ol the case. We are invited out to receptions ? O, yes; but that soon looses its charms. Every month I receive a handsome remittance from my family, over and above my salary with the legation, but I am tired of spending it in the old ways. I have exhausted the opportunities for pleasure and sometimes I feel as if i could envy the common mechanic who has regular hours for his work."

Slander rebuked: “They say a woman can’t keep a secret," remarked Mrs. Finsbury, with a toss of the head. *‘l say it’s a slander. Mrs. Smith told me to-day that the Fendersons had had an awful time. John came home last night in a terrible state,and Sarah declared she wouldn’t live with him another day; but they are all made up.again, and this morning they were both as good as pie. Mrs. Smith thought ’twas best not to say anything about it, seeing as they’d made up. She told me about it more’n an hour ago, and I haven’t mentioned it to a soul. I guess a woman can keep a secret as well as a man." Every woman in the room cried out most loyally, “Ofcourse she can." It was only the men folks who relaxed their features.—Boston Transcript. The Methodist conference at Nashville has elected Bev. Johu 8. Martin, of the Baltimore conference, secretary, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Dr. Summers. President Arthur’s summer cottage at Long Branch, has larger accommodations than the executive mansion.

FASHION NOTES.

Cuffs are small. Small mantles prevail. Shot silks are stylish. Ruches rival pleatings. Terra-cotta stockings are new. Spanish lace continues popular. Panier. polonaises are popular. Brocades are fast disappearing. Watteau overdresses are revived, Jet remains in favor with worth. Satin straws are popular. Rampant ruches are stylish. Garden flowers are fashionable. Tournures are large. Cloth jackets are severely plain. Roses border evening dress skirts. little girls wear wide white neckties. -i * .' t . v Neir hats are laden with feathers., Gainsborough hats are out of favor. Sicilienne is used for elegant costumes. Apron overskirts are always in vogue. Redingotes are new' for summer dresses. White barege is used for evening dresses. Block balayeuses appear in black dresses. The Cabriolet hat will be worn in midsummer. - New gimps are Of eCtu lace over white satin. , London beauties color their hair Titian red. Flowers are supersceding feathere on spring bonoets. White wool dresses afe made in aesthe’ic styles. Kate Greenaway dresses for girls are very quaint. ' Brocaded crepe de chine is new and fashionable. Suede gloves are worn in terracotta shades. Japanese crinkled crapes are imported in all colors. ■■ i . . • * ' r* ? ' English ladies have adopted the masculine pea-jacket. Panier draperies modernize last year’s dresses. Derby felt hats are worn by e equestriennes. i .•» Fans have kittens’ heads painted on them. ■ tr • J * Hn - ■ ' . • Corded silk rivals satin for bride's dresses. *•' Dresden china brooches are used on black slippers. - c Black stockings are now more stylish than colored ones. Gentlemenle folded scarfs are worn by ladies. * Long DirectoifVcoats are fashionable in Paris.

Sheperd’s check is liked for mountain dresses. Sewing silk grenadine is the fashionable choice. Pink and brown together are stylish for bonnets. Pelerines are worn smaller than they were last year. Flemish lace of creamy lint trims dark satin dresses. * « Dresden china handles are attached to dark parasols. Ostrich feather pompons are worn in the hair. Lace open work is newer than clocks on stockings. Th{s is the season for displacing tailor-made dresses. New mantles hold the arms closely to the body. Cadet blue jackets are worn with black dresses. Two pairs of inch wide strings appear on new bonnets. Yellow flowers trim dark-green and straw bonnets. , White net embroidered is used for neckties and chemisettes. Visites made of cashmere shawls are favorite wraps. White suits for summer are of wool in preference te lawn, Velvet strings and a velvet bow trim new bonnets. The new Spanish hat is all black and is called the Dolores. “Bond dresses,” as they are called are worn at evening parties. A large bow of many loops trims the crown of the Langtry hat. Soft toques .of wool like the dress are with traveling dresses. Natural flowers have entirely supeisceded artificial ones for trimming dresses. The newest clolh goods have round spots as large as a lady’s hand. Mother Hubbard styles are now confined to morning wrappers and night diesses. Very small or very large hats are stylish; those of medium size are old fashioned.

PIOUS SMALL TALK.

There -is a. marked increase in the numhar of the theological students in Germany. In 1870 there were 1,636; last year, 2,384. * hi v • *.. • • ’ The rumor that the archbishop of Canterbury will resign his qee Ull i e g ß his health improves, has not been contradlctedi * V-t.f K ‘ , A man has invented a ohair that can be adjusted to 800 different positions. It is designed for a boy to>sltta when he goes to church. . ‘ Open air religious services are now held every eyening in Calcutta without interruption from the police, on which occasions short addresses are delivered in English and Hindustanee. A sect called the “New Israel” has arisen among the Russian Jevys. It abandons circumcision, changes the Sabbath to the first day of the week, and abolishes the law against usury. Bishop Green, of Mississippi though upward of 80, makes an annual visitation to every parish in his extensive diocese. He has asked f>r an assistant, and certainly deserves to have one. The (Methodist,) whioh, during the past winter, haq taken considerable Ealns to gather as acurately as possile the results of the past year’s revivals in Methodist ohurohes, gives as the result 160,000 coaversions. The-Pope is about to purchase for the Vatican the largest topaz In the world. It weighs seven pounds. Lapidaries have been at work upon itsince 1882, carving thereon a representation of Jesus at the last supper. A 2,000 pound bell was recently "smugarled” into the tower of Plymouth church, Lansing. Mich., by a few persons, and the people were delightfully surprised to be called to church by its ringing the following Sunday.

The vicar of Copenhall, England, in a reoent sermon spoke of the bishops as “flunkeys" of the privy council. A meeting of the parishioners was subsequently held at which resolutions were passed calling' upon the bishop of the diocese to prooeed against the vicar for illeghl practices. A visitor to the Rev. S. F. Green, the “martyr ritualist" of England, says that time hangs heavy on the prisoner’s hands. Upon his application for something wnerein to pass his time he was graciously allowed to house all the coal that comes to the jail, that is to carry it from the carts to the bins. “Please, sir, I want a Bible," said a bright youth. The Bible was handed to the boy. who had been sept for it and was about to carry it away, But he stopped a moment and inquired: “Isit tills year's?" That boy had heard something about the revision of the New Testament, but couldn’t tell exactly what It was. The annual summary o's British contributions to missionary societies has just been completed by Canon Scott Robertson. It is as follows:. . Church of England Foreign Missions; $2,329,080: Churchmen and Nonconformist societies, $885,370: English and Welsh Nonconformist, $1,621,565; Scotch and Trish Presbyterians, $654,875. Total. $6,310,950. W.hile the school laws of Utah expressly forbid the use of public school funds for the support of sectarian or denominational^schools, the Book of Mormon and the Mormon catechism are used as text books, and the child ren have been expelled for refusal to study from them. No teachers can obtain employment in these schools except members of the Mormon church paying tithes regularly.

The Rev. Brooke Hereford resigns the pastorate of the church of the Messiah in Chicago, and accepts a call from the Arlington Unitarian church of Boston. The change will take place on the 31st of July. Mr. Hereford has been in the Chicago church for six years, and has won the high esteem of the people of that city, not only among those of his own persuasion, but without regard to denomination. The church of England is devoting much attention to waifs and strays in London streets. It has been determined, at a meeting held in the Mansion house, to establish homes in connection with the church of England for boys and girls. It was stated that a beginning had already been made, and that about SIOO,OOO would be required for its full developement. On motion of the earl of Aberdeen resolutions were unanimously passed in favor of the plan. At the formal admission, a few days since, of seven lay readers to their office at Lambrath, the archbishop of Canterbury, said: “Once it used to be thought that the clerical profession had the monopoly of spiritual instruction, and that none but an ordained man had a right to point out to his neighbors the way of life. We have outlived that prejudice, along with many others. We have learned to go back in this, as in other matters, to primitive times." After spending a season of meditative reading of the papers and magazines, these children of the forest will march to church, but It is not to be supposed that they will give very cloSe attention to the discourse of the Rev. Mr. Bwift. Their thoughts will be so much on their finery that Mr. Swift can wander off into whatever false doctrine may strike his fancy, without the least fear that his hearers wilt know anything about it.