The Days of Mohammed

an a proud philosopher who, neglecting himself, is occupie

f never-varying occupation. Yet in those few weeks he lived more than in all his life before. Life is not made up of either years or actions-the developme

fortune, which he had conveyed to Mecca in the form of jewels sewn into his belt and into the seams of his garments, hence he was abunda

ding this period a precious feast full of comforting assurances, and hope-inspiring promises. He never forgot to pray for Amzi

emed marvelous that a man of Amzi's wisdom and learning should be so carried away by such a flimsy doctrine as that which Mohammed now began to proclaim. Amzi appeared to have fallen under th

n earnest handful of Jews, who were nevertheless firm believers in the divinity of Christ, met, often in secret, alway

the night. A short time before dawn he had heard a noise and risen to see what it was. He had gone outside just in time to see a figure passing hurriedly across a small field near his house. Even then he had not thought of the cup. But in th

at his wife and children had been verging on starvation, and the public, ever ready

f at once. For hours he would wander about, hoping to find some trace of the robber, who, he firmly believed, had fancied himsel

lose, poorly-ventilated cell, with little hope of deliverance. Yusuf knew the rancor of t

an and Yusuf are praying too, and we know that whatever

e than anyone at the long

mething like that, does it not? Why did you cal

waving hair. "It must have been because of your curls, black as a raven's wing. Sorro

ean in heave

with hands. 'There shall be no night there,' and 'sorrow and sighing

to wait, mother," sa

wherever God is. And have we not him with us always? 'In all thy ways ackn

ld tell him about her happy home in Palestine, where she and her little sister, Lois, had watched their sheep on the green hillsides, and wo

binding him so closely to this godly family. His many occupations, and the feeling which impelled him at every spare moment to seek for some clue w

ch were now beginning to be noised abroad. From holding meetings in caves and private houses, the "prophet" h

red, the Koreish, of the line of Haschem and of the rival line of Abd Schems. The head of the latter tribe, Abu Sofian, Mohammed's uncle, was especially

he number of his followers steadily increased; his first converts, Ali, his

aw of Moses had given way to the Gospel, and that the Gospel was now to give way to the Koran; that the Savior wa

nd urged the giving of alms, and the living of a pure and humble life, there were those who, like Amzi, felt that there was something worthy of admiration in the ne

having any intercourse whatever with Mohammed. This decree was written on parchment, and hung up in the Caaba, and Mohammed was ultimately forced to flee from the city. He and his disciples we

orary retreat, he came boldly into the city, preached again from the hill Safa, and proclaimed his new revelations

ns and the earth, and all that they contain. Who shall intercede with him unless by his permission? His sway ext

and fourth psalm, which has been said to be remarkable in that it embraces the whole cosmos. And, in fact, the whole trend of the Koran may b

n which he lived. Had he never gone further, succeeding ages might have been tempted to pardon his hallucinations. At the time, doctrines which savored of so much magnanimity, and which were immeasurably in advance of the mockery of religion that had so long held sway among the majority of the Arabs, at once c

at last, when the decree was removed, Mohammed

med vales, wandering by cooling streams, meditating beneath the waving fronds of the palm-trees, or resting in cool garde

on foot for Mecca. He sat down to rest in an orchard. There he dreamed t

hem he unfolded his revelations. They listened spell-bound as he preached from Al Akaba, and besought him that he would come or would send disciples wit

ty arose with a subdued hum-"the city's stilly sound"; a parchment containing a part of the Scriptures was on the priest's knee, but he stopped reading and gave himse

sed his ears to the Gospel tidings which were

imself, attired in traveling garb, and w

ng still?" he said. "Will you n

journey? Pray, where goes

vials of his wrath be poured on my defenceless and submissive head. To

Amzi, has it come to th

f the North. Besides, the heat of Mecca in this season oppresses me, and I long for the cool breezes of Medina. Yusuf

him, Amzi!" said Yusuf in

e precepts. His proclamations are moving the to

of Christ when he was on earth!" cried Yusuf.

for long enough. Why have they not drawn the attention of, and, i

which Mohammed proclaims? He seizes upon them, he gives them as his own, because he knows they are good, yet he commits the sacrilege of posing as a divine ag

ve I cannot seem to feel, often as you have explained it to me. Mohammed's revelations appear plausible. Yet, loo

el ere you will believe. God grant that the

the flesh to you is Amzi the benevolent," he said, kindly. "Notwithstanding, give me your ble

uld ever follow Amzi!" returned the other, warmly. "M

ims, who had not yet donned their traveling-robes, Yusuf to lift his heart to Heaven, as he now did in ever

ad learned that there are no trifles in life; that no event is so insignificant that God may not make use of