Page 277 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (2)

A Moving Picture on New Year’s Day in Maskat
Miss Fanny Lutton

O N NEW YEAR’S morning a cannon salute is given in honor of
the first day of the new year. As Maskat is surrounded by
rocks, the shots make sounds like great claps of thunder. All
the Hags are hoisted from the different towers on the forts,
from the palace and from the British Consulate. The various colored
llags floating in the breeze brighten the somber rocks, and Maskat pre-
>cnts a very festive appearance.
On this New Year's Day a great tumult and sound of many voices
was heard outside the Mission House. Investigation proved that there
were assembled the boys and girls of my Sunday School class. 'I was
availed by shouts and exclamations: “Oh, Bebe (Madam), this is your
great feast day. Are you not going to give us a present? We have
come for the gifts. . . .” Just a week before this, I had distributed
Christmas gifts to all the scholars and at first I was going to be very
severe in my answer to their demands; but the whole situation struck
me as a humorous one, so I replied: “Yes, this is our feast day, but it
is now your turn to give me a present. On the feast of the Birthday I
gave each one of you a gift and now what do you bring to me?” I then
dismissed them with cheerful salaams and thought no more of the
incident.
Alter some time lmd elapsed Dr. llusmun emno lu me nuying, “There
ii a great crowd of children outside who say they have a present fur
you/1 Such a crowd of eager, smiling faces 1 It would have taxed a
camera to produce the smiles and in the outstretched hand of each child
was a gift. As each hand was thrust towards me, the children ex­
claimed. “For you, Bebe. I have brought you a present. It is all for
you." The presents varied in kind. Some small tots had pieces of
iticky candy in the palms of their little sweaty hands. This was the
easiest way to carry it and they could lick the hands afterwards and so
have a share of the gift too. Some brought candy in baskets woven
from the date palm; some had walnuts, others brought popcorn; and
but not least, they brought eggs. Some of the latter were of
uncertain age and the warmth of the children’s hands might have hatched
mine of the occupants 1
For a while I was embarrassed to know how to receive all these gifts
of good will and how the children had managed to produce the necessary
jennies was a marvel to me. But the wit of my father, who hailed
from the Emerald Isle, came to my aid and turned my perplexity into
* plan that gave satisfaction to givers and recipient. I received each
gift graciously, even the sticky candy, and with the sweetest smile that
| ever produced before or since, I said, “Oh. many thanks, a thousand
thinks, and now you take this gift from me,’’ and I smilingly returned
uch gilt as it was given. They, in their turn, were delighted to
itceive their treasures back again.
I found out afterwards that they had stormed the citadel of their
banes,’ crying, yelling, howling, and demanding money to purchase the