It is said that amongst the Mahomedans the following curious custom is
observed:--They never destroy any fragment of paper, however small,
which chance may place in their way. For this custom, which may appear
in its practice to be ridiculous, a remarkable reason is assigned:--“It
is the duty,” say the Mahomedan teachers, “of every true believer to
throw away no opportunity of communicating to his fellow-creatures a
knowledge of the one God and of his Prophet. The few words which express
the short and comprehensive article of our faith may be written on any
the smallest fragment of paper: let not true believers lose this
opportunity which Allah himself presents to them! neglect not, destroy
not that fragment. Let the word of the Prophet be written upon it, and
the winds of Heaven will, under the direction of Providence, convey it
into the hand of some one whose memory needs to be refreshed from the
fountain of Truth, or whose mind’s eye hath not seen the light of
Heaven.”
In the desire, and certainly in the power of enlightening their
fellow-creatures, the Christian need fear no comparison with the
Mahomedan world; but, in the mode of accomplishing this object, the
custom alluded to affords a lesson for study, and an example for
imitation.
By a Society which has undertaken the task of contributing, as far as
lies in its power, to the diffusion of useful knowledge, no means should
be neglected by which instructive amusement can be afforded. Timid
(although well-meaning) persons might perhaps be inclined to censure
such a society, should it set the example of applying the powers of the
press to the production of a Penny Periodical Magazine. They might
object that the instrument which is intended for good might be used for
evil; that publications in form so cheap as to be accessible to the
lowest class of readers, would soon fall into the hands of the lowest
class of writers. We doubt this, although we know it is the opinion of
many excellent persons; we have good and substantial reasons to assign
for our doubts, but into those reasons we shall not now enter; the time
for them is past. The evil (if it be an evil) is already in being. The
demand of the public has already called into existence penny periodical
publications, of which eight or ten have established a regular sale. It
will be cheering intelligence to those who would have dissuaded from
this undertaking, that the most noxious of them have been hitherto the
least successful. The channel, then, is open. Through its course must
flow much of the information conveyed to the minds of a large and
increasing class of readers. We are called upon to pour into it, as far
as we are able, clear waters from the pure and healthy springs of
knowledge. That duty we will not neglect: in the attempt to fulfil it we
think that we ought not to fail.
The success of our undertaking will be the measure of its utility.
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