any rate the Carmathians were very brave warriors. When Abu Tahir,
their first leader, attacked Bagdad with only 500 horsemen he was met by a
messenger from the city saying that 30,000 soldiers were guarding the
gates. "Yes," said Abu Tahir, "but among them all there are not three such
as these." At the same instant he turned to three of his companions
commanding one to plunge a dagger into his own breast, another to leap
into the rushing Tigris river and the third to cast himself down a
precipice. They obeyed without a murmur. "Relate," continued the general,
"what you have just seen; before evening your leader shall be chained
among my dogs." No wonder that with such absolute obedience, the
Carmathians terrified all Arabia with their army.

As I handle their old coins and think of the past, I sometimes wonder how
much Our Great Captain, Christ Jesus would accomplish had He soldiers
equally obedient and brave as did the Carmathian general, in redeeming
Arabia from its long darkness and bloodshed. It is nineteen hundred years
ago that He commanded us: "Go ye into all the world and preach the
gospel."

But even now there is no one preaching the gospel in Hassa nor in all the
interior of Arabia. Why?

XIII

ARAB BABIES AND THEIR MOTHERS

An Arab baby is such a funny little creature! In Christian lands babies,
as soon as possible, are given a warm bath and dressed with comfortable
clothing. But in Arabia the babies are not washed for many days, only
rubbed over with a brown powder and their tiny eyelids painted round with
collyrium. They are wound up in a piece of calico and tied up with a
string, just like a package of sugar. Their arms are fastened by the
bandage so that they cannot possibly move them. The Arab mothers say that
if the arms and legs of babies were left hanging loose the poor things
would never sleep. A small, tight bonnet for the head completes the baby's
wardrobe. A few blue beads or buttons are sewn on the front of this cap to
keep off the evil-eye, for Moslem women all believe that if a stranger
looks at a baby it may turn sick and die.

On the day when the baby is named a sacrifice is slain and eaten and
silver offerings are given to the poor, equal to the weight of hair on the
infant's head. The poor baby's hair is all shaved off to be weighed in the
balance. Poor people who cannot afford this offering omit the custom.
Charms are placed on the arms or around the neck of the child. A fe