God's Name in Forty-Eight Languages.
THE name of God is above every other name. To this day the pious Jew picks up and examines every slip of paper he finds in his path, lest perchance his sacred name might be thereon, and be irreverently trodden under foot of man. The first petition, in the solemnest of all prayers, is the hallowing of God's name. The following incident, culled from a German book, shows how the name of God relieved the wants of an unfortunate man. As Louis Burger, the well-known author and philologist, was walking in the Avenue de Champs Elysees, one day, he heard a familiar voice exclaiming,
"Buy some nuts of a poor man, sir? Twenty for a penny!" He looked up, and recognized his old barber. "What! are you selling nuts?" said he. "Ah, sir, I have been unfortunate." "But this is no business for a man like you." "Oh, sir, if you could only tell me of something better to do," returned the barber with a sigh. Burger was touched. He reflected a moment; then tearing a leaf from his memorandum book, he wrote for a few moments and handed it to the man, saying:—
"Take this to a printing office and have a hundred copies struck off; here is the money to pay for it. Get a license from the Prefecture of Police, and sell these copies at two cents each, and you will have bread on the spot. The strangers who visit Paris cannot refuse this tribute to the name of God printed in so many different ways." The barber did as he was bid, and was always seen in the entrance to the Exposition, selling the following circular:—
The Name of God in Forty-eight Languages.—
[In these words the vowel u has nearly the sound of oo, never of our short u.]
Hebrew, Elohim; Olala tongue, Deu; Chaldaic, Elah; Assyrian, Ellah; Syriac and Turkish, Alah; Malay, Alla; Arabic, Allah; Language of the Magi, Orsi; Old Egyptian, Teut; Armorican, Teutis; Modern Egyptian, Teun; Greek, Theos; Cretan, Thios; Æolian and Doric, Ilos; Latin Deus; Low Latin, Diex; Celtic and Old Gallic, Diu; French, Dieu; Spanish, Dios; Portuguese, Deos; Old German, Diet; Provencal, Diou; Low Breton, Doue; Italian, Dio; Irish, Die; German and Swiss, Gott; Flemish, Goed; Dutch, Godt; English and old Saxon, God; Teutonic, Goth; Danish and Swedish, Gut; Norwegian, Gud; Salvic, Buch; Polish, Bog; Pollaca, Bung; Lapp, Iubinal; Finnish, Iumala; Runic, As; Pannonian, Tstu; Zemblain, Fetizo; Hindostanee, Rain; Coromandel, Brama; Tartar, Magatal; Persian, Sire; Chinese, Prussa; Japanese, Goesur; Madagascar, Zannar; Pervnian, Puchocammae. A few days after Burger met the barber. "Well," said he, "has the holy name of God brought you good luck?" "Yes, indeed, sir. I sell on an average a hundred copies a day, at two cents each, or two dollars; but the strangers are generous; some give me ten cents, and others twenty. I have even received half a dollar for a copy, so that, all told, I am making five dollars a day." "Yes, sir, thanks to your kindness." "Ah!" thought Burger, as he walked away, "if I were not a literary man, I would turn peddler or publisher; there is nothing so profitable as selling the learning or wit of others!"