The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 29 June 1911, Page 1221

The Family Circle

OPENING THE DOOR Open the door; let in the air! The winds are sweet and the flowers are fair. Joy is abroad in the world to-day. it our door is wide it may come this way. Open the door! '" : . Open the door; let in the sun. He hath a smile for every one. , ! . lie hath made of the raindrops gold and gems. He may change our tears into diadems. Open the door! Open the door of the soul; let in Strong, pure thoughts which shall banish sin. They shall grow and bloom with a grace divine, And their fruit shall be sweeter than that of the vine. Open the door! Open the door of the heart; let in ' V Sympathy sweet for stranger and kin. ;.:■,.: It will make the halls of the heart so fair That angels may enter unaware. Open the door HOW A CADI BECAME CHIEF-JUSTICE OF BAGDAD One day Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid stole away from his palace in Bagdad, and started alone on a journey over his vast empire. When he was within a few miles of Bassora. he saw, in the ditch by the roadside, a cripple who was begging loudly for alms. What are you doing there?' asked the caliph. ' 1 am waiting for some kind traveller to take me to the next village.' ' 'I will carry you on my horse,' said the caliph; and, dismounting, he helped the man up on the crupper of his saddle. * When they reached the gate of Bassora, .Haroun said : ' Get down now.' 'Get down yourself!' exclaimed the beggar. 'This horse is mine.' 'What!' cried the caliph, indignantly. 'Did I not take you up from the ditch by the roadside?' . 'You did, but who can prove it?' ' 1 can, by my word.' 'My word is worth as much as yours. Let us "o to the cadi. " & Furious at this insolence, Haroun was on the point of betraying himself; but at the word ' cadi ' he became calm 'By the Holy Prophet.' he thought, here is an occasion to see how justice is administered in Bassora'' Then turning to the beggar, he said: • ' We will go before the cadi.' They found the court in session, with the cadi presiding I wo men were before him when Haroun and his companion entered the hall: a porter and an oil merchant ' Your honor,' the merchant was saying, ' this gold piece belongs to me. . I have had it for more than ten years I his man stole it from me. Now he is insolent enough to claim it for his own.' fa . ; The porter denied that he had stolen the piece, and insisted that it belonged to him. 'Are there any witnesses?' asked the cadi. ' None,' replied the porter. 'Very well,' said the cadi; 'give me the money and return to-morrow.' J Another case was now called, and two' men appeared before the cadi. * l 'Who are you?' he asked, addressing one of them ' A scribe. ' What do you want?' 'My Koran which this man stole from me while I was praying in the mosque.' ,•■ " iha L ls , no t t TUe !' retorted the other, who was a tailor. .1 he book is mine.' 'Are there any witnesses?' inquired the cadi. ' None,' was the reply. 'Very well; leave the book here and return to-morrow After several minor cases were disposed of, Haroun and the beggar appeared before the jud<'e 'Your honor,' said the caliph', 'I 'ask for justice from this man. 1 was travelling on '.horseback, when I came upon him a lew miles from the citv. He was begging for aid, and 1 took pity on him and let him ride behind me on my horse. Now he claims that the horse belongs to him. ' And it does!' exclaimed the beggar, insolently. 'Which of us has greater need of a horse—the one who* is stronV or a cripple like me?' " 'Are there any witnesses?' asked the cadi as before. 'None,' said the beggar, triumphantly. Very well; put the horse in my stable and come back to-morrow, both pi you.' , ;

. , The following morning all repaired to the court room, where the cadi was in his seat, ready to give his decisions, lointing to the porter, he said to the guards: lake that man-out, and give him twenty blows on the soles of his feet. - As fdr.you,' he continued, addressing the oil merchant, 'herenscybur; gold piece.' 3 ; ixi He next called up the tailor and the scribe. To the latter he said: ' - ~, ' • - '; ; .^:.

,""":.' return to you your Koran.. : The man who stole "it shall receive fifty lashes on his back.' ; :i,vs ; .,';.''./- > , It was now the turn of Haroun and the cripple. ','\^; lake your horse, 'the cadi sand to Haroun. <This cripple shall have J a' year in prisoner; having claimed The caliph J listened iin astonishment to these ■ decisions. After the crowd h»d-dispersed, he went up to the cadiand %t U °?> di ' I dmirV; your wisdom. ; ; Doubtless the spirit of the Prophet inspired you, ; else how would you have keen able to render such wise decisions?' - . "" „, * 'lt was all easy " enough,' replied the cadi." - '-Did you not hear the oil merchant say that he had had the gold ESS for *« n . years?. I placed it in a glass of water last on the I'f morn I n S. a dr °P,, of a greasy substance floated on the top of the liquid. That -proved that "the money belonged to one who deals in oil.' ' •? - y ;| That was a i lever scheme/ but how about the Koran ?' „t fi lfl £ i WaS still more simple.' I turned over the leaves of the book, and I saw that the pages most read were those a sciX"' g learni »g- It could therefore belong only to 'Well, how did you know the horse belongs to me?' <T W + i l 1 could ave judged that case,' said the cadi. I had the horse put in a stable near the road which you and the cripple would take in coming here. The beggar came first and the horse took no notice; but as soon as the. animal heard your, step, he began to neigh loudly I decided that that was convincing testimony ' 'Your wisdom is that of Solomon,' said Haroun. ■He then made himself known, and took the cadi bark with him to be Chief-Justice of Bagdad. Ck A MELANCHOLY MAN • Lord Hannen was badly hoaxed on one occasion by a juryman who pleaded to be excused because he was 'deeply interested m a funeral at which it was his desire toTe 'Oh, certainly,' was the courteous reply of the judge and the sad melancholic-looking man left the court - ' My lord, quietly interposed the clerk, as soon'as the 5"u V, e;"mp?ed ff '° ne> fe*S / k "™ rho f that ma is that .'No.'. * ""'•" '" '"' "" """" He is an undertaker.' --.•; IMPUDENCE SUBLIME ;.; Andrew Carnegie, at a dinner that was recently given in his honor in New York, told an amusing story at his own expense. to * •" ;:: ' I was travelling on a railway London ward last year ' he said, and had chosen a seat in a non-smoking carriage At a wayside station a man boarded the train, sat down in my compartment and lighted a vile clay pipe! ' "This - ls , not a smoking carriage,"' 1 said & this pipe heft'' gOVernor said the ma "I'" just finish ; "See here," I said; "I told you this wasn't a smoking carriage. If you persist with that pipe I shall report you" at the next station to the guard." F J W i XiWi? hi ™ my card li. ¥ e ; looked at it, pocketed it. but lighted his pipe, nevertheless. At the next station however ho changed to another compartment 'Calling a guard I told him what had occurred,, and demanded that the smoker's name and address be taken. Tf + i Yes sir, said the guard, and hurried away. In a httle while he returned. He seemed rather awed. He bent over me and said aplogetically: „,+ ' "Do you know, sir, if I were you I would not prosecute that gent. He has just given me his card. Here it is. He is Mr. Andrew CarnegieV ' WINNING HIS CLAIM ' I sent you an account of £5 lor collection ' said a man, coming into the office of the lawyer. 'Yes, you did.' * - /.,,' ' What success have you had ?' ' Sued him last week and got it.' ■■. ' That's good. Give me the monev, and tell me the amount of. your fees, and 1 will pay you ' e~ 'My + fees are £lO. J, have given you credit for the £o collected; pay me another £5 and we'll be square.' What? gasped the man. ' 1 don't see where I make anything by collecting the debt.' 'Nothing, my dear sir, from the money point of viewbut you have the satisfaction of knowing that a dish6hest man has been brought to justice.' b oisnonesu