HERE AND THERE

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1931, Page 8

HERE AND THERE

(By “Maloja.”)

1 A little lad made his first appearance at the Whangarei Primary School 1 a few weeks ago. On returning home, e his mother asked him what he Had 8 done at school. “We sang,” said the young scholar. “And what did you sing?” “God said good gracious to ouf King,” was the reply. i 8 m $ & e g “Percy is going crazy over his new j motor ear.” “That’s strange. Every time I’ve • f seen him he’s been going crazy under it.” ,! is b b 0 I believe sofbe good stories were exchanged by two well-known citizens when they discovered, one night this e week, that they had been hoys in tho e same little town in the South Island, “Do you remember Dr ?” queried 0 one. “Indeed I do,” said the other, who added: “Did you hear about tho e monkey and the parrot incident?” It r was remembered quite well, but, for r . the benefit of others in the room, the e story was retold. It seems that the doctor had a monkey and a parrot. 1 One evening he left homo believing , animal and bird to be locked np safely r in their cages. When he returned he e was horrified to find the parrot’s cage % empty, and the floor covered with A feathers, while the monkey, wearing- a j. guilty look, sat in a corner. “Where are you, Joe?” cried the doctor, who looked vainly for his favourite bird. ir At last a very woe-begone parrot J crawled out from beneath a sofa.' Ho j. was in a terrifiable state, and had only y three tail feathers remaining. Aghast, [ the doctor once more inquired: “What happened to you, Joe?” and the par* rot, making use of a sentence with which he had been wont to amuse audiences (including his teacher, the doctor), said very wearily: “I’ve had a ( f devil of a time!” He certainly looked as if he had. B B B B a ;e A young man who resides not many >r miles from the bus route should be able [ r to surmount the difficulties -which the te depression is bringing to the great • e majority of the community. He ob[r J tained an old motor car the other day, with the right to purchase it for £lO il j after a mouth’s trial. He had other ;o plans, however, for he drove the. maJ chine to a motor dealer, and traded it A in for £25 in part payment of a-new ie car! ;s j B BI SS B Last Sunday was the anniversary of n j the death of Mahommed. The Sate of I M his birth, in the city of Mecca is obJ seme, .but it is definitely known that e J he died on June 7, 632 A.D. MahomI med claimed direct descent from AbraT ' J ham through Ishmael the son of Hag* ar, and many of the religious cere* J monies which arc observed by tho I faithful centre round this particular M branch of his family tree. At an early J age he was left an orphan, and wa4 r I then brought up by his grandfather, of e J the tribe of Koreish, who was tho 5 ‘ j spiritual and temporal head of Mecca. 8 At the age of 25 he married a wealthy widow named Khadija. His spouse y j had soon some 40 summers, but sho 8 J made him a faithful and devoted wifo 8 1 and was the mother of a numerous ** family. Epileptic tendencies induced a j ecstasies and visions, until one day, about his 40th year, he conceived tho I idea of interpreting these paroxysms I as revelations from God and announc- ■* j ing himself the prophet or mouthpiece 8 of the Deity. It was about this time 6 j that from t£ cave at Hira there burst J forth the awakening cry: “La ilaha M ilia lahu, Mahommed Rasul .ilahi.” “There is no other God but God, and 1 Mahommed is the messenger of God.” 3 On September 20, 622, took place the ’ Hejira, or Flight to Medina, which ’I was reached on tho Jewish Day Of J Atonement, and which marks not only l J the year from which the Mahompiedan J world compiles its era,, but the turning J point in the prophet’s career, which j from then on was one of unbrokensuccess. In his eighth year at Medina Mahommed conducted his farewell ,pilII grimage, and some time after this, possibly due to fatigue from the pilgrimage or to poison placed in his food-by a Jewess, ho was taken ill, and on June 7, 632, the prophet Mahommed, “The Desire of All Nations,” died in the arms of his favourite wife, Ayesha, and Abu Bekr, his friend, reigned in his stead. B Ei s a MY KITCHEN WINDOW. My kitchen window, where I stand, Has come to be enchanted land: Past smoking chimneys, towering high, I see a bit of God’s blue sky, Where small white cloudlets, shimmering things, I Have taken on the shape of wings, |To show me I am never far From the great Father’s loving care. Sometimes, when faith is very low, I watch a tree or flower grow, And then I fool it to be true He Who clothes grass will clothe me too. Sometimes, when nerves are all on edge, A bird hops on my window-ledge, And while I listen to his cheer I fool the God of sparrows near.

Sometimes at eve, work nearly done, > I watch the setting of the sun, And turning round, lo! I behold My pots and pans are touched with gold. So, taking courage by the hand, I thank God for enchanted land: All life seems on a higher plane With visions through my windowpane. — -A.W.