14
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,
PLACATING PROVIDENCE
THE citual of prayer and sacrifice Those Who Would
is common all known
Make Prayer An Aladdin's Lamp
By "AN OLD STAGER”
sering time of 1914-18, many
terrific
a muddled khaki warrior breathed a
prayer that he might survive the or
to
to mankind. The elemental Instinct from which it arises must date back to before the dawn of legend. Primitive
deal. It would be interesting tive man, faced by an incessant
know how many of those who did and hazardous confifet
ngainst in- timidating odds, felt the urge to seek
so, looking on life as it presents itself supernatural protection, and deemed
to them to-day, could truthfully say It prudent to reinforce his pious
that they, and not those comradios who sleep in peace admidst the war supplications with grateful tribute.
As the neena passed,
cemeteries, were the fortunate ones. and the
always coincidence, since for every
This is an extremo instance, nd- werid
grow older and more prayer answered there are thousands mittedly, but it is not an absurd one. phisticated, the tendency has been to of the unscathed crucifixes on the Fouls. Who held the line in France au unanswered. Just as the "miracle" For far too many of those gallant maintain the prayer but to curtali Westem Front was an illusion due to and Belgium, fate had little in store tho sacrifice. A fact which night the fact that nobody saw the hun to make the future worth praying be cynically interpreted to Indiente dreds that were blown to bits, that a materialistic generation, though still not quite arrogant enough to Emotional Uplift
60-
'dispense with some outside help,
mament of this implous inspira fusal
-
for.
Self-Deception
of
to
woman-who
Bul
there is another aspect was less disposed to pay for it. In human prayer which throws rather more technical modern
The same philosophy applies pariance, a different light on that argument. other instances of what we regard humanity sill tries to maintain its It is probable that the greatest ef- as abbreviated life. There are those Insurance, but cuits down its flcacy of human prayer is not in any who sincerely agree with the poet- Pinevitably
deinitely actual result so much as curiously
enough L the bright iden
has in the exercise of praying itself. The wrote, "A short life in the saddle, occurred to the sons of men that it condition of mind and spirit-If those Lord, not long life by the fire! would be a fine thing if they could two are separate entities during ab- cease to be suppliants to the unseen Ject prayer is uplift more than pro- of our personal desires may be
But even the knowledge that most powers that be, and
be, and become their portionate to the physical abasement. contrary to our true happiness, and quite masters; issue commands instead of Probably no great boon has been that, in short, we ourselves, cannot petitions. The oldest literary vouchsafed to humanity than the re- weaken the instinct inherited from
Megre- grant its prayers a matter the dim terrific shadows of our cave- tion is probably the Arabian Nights' of course. Because, story of Aladdin and his magle lamp, achieved their de
everyone man past. Mortal man will go on This was narrated around camp fires would be a far more miserable place the crack of doom,
heir desires,
this world wishing, and therefore praying, till ages before it reached the Western than it actually is now. How often world as a pretty fairy tale. It ex- does not the desire most passionately hibits mortal man's ambition to he- cherished, once realised turn out not benent, his soul and tranquillise his come absolute master not only of his only delusion but a share? The mind, he must sedulously avoid one own destiny but of supernatural golden fruit on which we fix our eyes perll. He must not, as so many good
and hopes so longingly prove when folks seem to be
been answered is 118
when no such miracle has occurred. rench
agency,
A Primeval Instinct
Did this indiente
mind
prayer?
Though the exercise of prayer will
pered to be mere Apples of Sodom, that his prayers have 10-day, Insist
no
vala
a doubt in the us really k fancy. Very few of This overwhelming emotional desire
of man s to the ellency of
And, if so, was that doubt
what
what 19
is
due to his own consciousness of un- what we reali. Feally best for us, or people to the existine conditions of
worthiness, or to inck of faith in the
ful
Kenil
even after we have to acclaim on unaccomplished miracle
called years of dis- Arc
manifest in the attitude of so
non-existent mundane Rock of Ages, Europe. They pin their faith to and Insist on its firm reality.
That is not plety, nor the faith that It is just emo- self-deception-a weak hys-
want. If we all had an Aladdin's lamp. omnipotence of the unseen powers to and could summon the all-power whom
som hin petitions were addressed? These are
to execute our bidding, it is delicate and diffcult long odds most of us would end up questions, and they conflict din by being thoroughly miserable. Our moves mountains. metrically with the general theory rough-hewn endeavours do not shape tlonal that perfect faith must be the con- our ends so admirably, as a rule, as terical attempt to dodge unpleasantly dition of successful prayer. Conflict, they are fashioned for us by that un- grim reality. that la, not in any challenging sense, but in
the
sense of disfranchisement. Man wanted to imagine for himself Q fool-proof Providence, which would not even
his desires,
HUMOUR FROM THE DOCK "PRISONER at the bar," said the be hanged, for Hog is not Bacon
Jabez
the
and would function, like a hotel walter, on the pressing of a
Clerk of the Court. "do you unt! It be woll hung." bell. There is a fairly general impres
object to any member of the jury
Judge "Have you a lawyer?" sion, at any rate in this country, that selected to try you?"
Prisoner-"No, sir." even the ritual of prayer is declin- "Object!" cried the prisoner, sur- "Judge "Well,
prised by this unexpected considera- you had better have ofic?" times. But there are tion for his feelings.
don't you think ing in these still immense multitudes in the ag- whole blinkin' lot of them and he going to tell the truth."
"I object to the Prisoner"I don't need one; I'm gregate who regularly offer up
up their and who shall prayers,
how Judge too." say how
What is all this fuss about?" ask- ing his trial saw a reporter sitting Balfour. swindler, dur- many people, if and when some over-
hemed a burly Cockney of his solleitor close to the dock reading whelming calamity threatens them, are not privately impelled to pray? as they consulted over the rail of the He tapped him on the shoulder and There have been moments, strange old
Bailey dock. ones often enough, when most of have known even the most cynical and frivolous spirits suddenly beaten to their knees by the primeval instinct of
"Serious charge!" exclaimed the cause I am not out," was the reply.
The failer did not know. "Be- prayer. It is amazing what the sudden impingement of tremendous astounded prisoner. "But, uv'nor, hazard or grief will do even in the she's
my wife." case of the most hard-bitten infidels. "Coincidence
Us
asked,
a paper.
"How many did Grace make?" "106, not out, was the reply. Turning to his faller, Jabez asked,
"You are charged with attempting to murder Jane Briggs," the solicitor answered, "and it is a very serious "Why am I like Dr. Grace?" charge."
•
•
Judge at the Old Bailey re-
"Have you anything to say before cogulsed in the prisoner in the dock I pass sentence?" asked a Judge of one of the acquaintances who had a prisoner who had been convleted Equally amazing is the light-helped him to paint the town red on the clearest evidence. hearted facility with which, if by more than a generation before. chance their prayers are "answered," "What has become of all your old plead
"Yes, my Lord," he
he replied, "I these casual emotionalists attribute acquaintances?" his Lordship in-
lead youth and
"Youth' the miracle to coincidence. So
exclaimed his Lordship, for quired, thinking the fellow had not "why, you must be do at least." from thankfully acknowledging the recognised him. miracle that has been worked for Back came the
The prisoner smiled. "I did not pert reply, "Oh, mean my own youth, my Lord," fic them, they
It accept as what would they are all bung except your Lord said, "I meant the have happened In an
youth of my any case, and are ship and myself." secretly ashamed of their own weak-
counsel."
It was Rufus Isaacs,
was esk- "Have you committed all these
Counsel successfully defended a An
evidence convinced nearly everyone in Court of his guilt.
old
in giving way to "superstition" crimes?" asked the Judge of a hoary man for horse-stealing, although the
which admirably il-old story,
sinner. mind, of
and Is
"Yes, my Lord, and worse." sense irreverent, is real
"Worse? I should have thought
justrates this attitude
not
in any
When the trial was over the Judge
that of the two Highland gillies who that impossible," replied his Lord- said, "Prisoner, you may as well tell were caught in a terrible Imminent ahip. What have you done then?" us the truth as a confession cannat danger of being
one Highlander den and
gested that they should offer caught."
Up a
*
*
"My Lord, I allowed myself to be harm you now seeing you cannot be tried a second time. Now, did you steal the horse?" prayer, They had just started to do Sir Nicholas Bacon was about to this, when one of them exclaimed, paas sentence on a thief, when the
"I always thought I did," replied the "Whist,
until man; the boat's agroundi prisoner asked for mercy on account of my counsel, but now I begin to
man,
T heard the speech We need not be oblecged to any-of kindred. body!"
think I didn't "How is that?" asked the Judge. A Judge had severely admonished "Why.
if it please you, your nunie a prisoner for bigamy, and finished
is Bacon and mine is Hog, and in all up his lecture by asking, "Why did ages Hog und Bacon have been you marry so many women?" near kindred that they are not to be "Because I was looking for a good;
ane, your Lordship," the convict
The miracle, when it happens, seems so impossible us a miracle, and so natural as a coincidence, that poor human faith is seldom equal to its acceptance. These pure materialists, separated." whose minds extrude the superna- "Yes, but," said the Judge, "you smilingly replied. tural, may argue that miracles are and I cannot be kindred except you
ALLEY OOP
THE INTERIOR OF OUR
NEW COUNTRY IS
PRETTY ROUGHIT, YEH! DANG MAKES GITTIN' IT-IF WE ONLY
AROUND IT
PLENTY "TOUGH!
·HAD DINNY,
WE'D HAVE NO
TROUBLE!
THERE'S SURE LOTS OF WILD LIFE TGIVE ONE A THRILL! LOOK, IN THAT SLOUGH, A BIG DUCKBILL!
HARMLESS LOOKIN' OL
CRITTER, AIN'T HE?.
ML. Jackson
By Vincent Hamlin
SATURDAY, JULY
1938.
By Paul &
HOW IT BEGAN Berdanter
MOCK TURTLE SOUP
THIS SOUR MADE OF CALF'S HEAD, WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN ENGLAND BY ELIZABETA LIS- TER, COOK TO DR.WILLIAM KITCH-| ENER, 19TH CENTURY ENGLISH PHYSICIAN AND WRITER. BECAUSE IT RESEMBLED GREEN-TURTLE SOUP, IT WAS NICK-NAMED "MOCK- TURTLE "MOCK" MEANING
“IMITATIVE.”
CEMENT
THE ROMANS DISCOVERED VOL- CANIC ASHES AND SLAKED LIME. MIXED WITH POTSHERDS WOULD BUILD, MORE PURABLE HOUSES. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF "CEMENTNAMED FROM LATIN "CAEMENTUM, "ITSELF A DERI- VATION OF CAEDO" (CUT) IN REFERENCE TO THE CRUSHED
POTSHERDS).
THIS CURIOUS WORLD By Willum
Ferguson
THERE ARE
MORE THAN
3 MILLION MILES
OF ROADS
AND
HIGHWAYS
IN THE
UNITED STATES..
TORNADOES LAST ONLY ABOUT
ONE MINUTE IN ONE PLACE, WHILE CYCLONES AFFECT THE WEATHER FÖR THREE DAYS... YET, TORNADO
USUALLY CAUSE THE MOST
DESTRUCTION.
DURING THE- ICE AGE
SOME ELEPHANTS MOVED SOUTH TO "WARMER CLIMES; SOME REFUSED TO MOVE AND GREW WOOLLY COATS.
COCK, JE BY MEA SERVICE, INC.
A TORNADO Is a local, restricted example of a cyclone. It seldom travels the breadth of one state, and is of short duration. A cyclone travels over continents, lasting for days, but after it has roared on its way, the damage may not be worth mentioning, while the little tornado, in its few minutes of existence, has left death and destruction.
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