How People Communicated Long Time Ago

            A long time ago, people did not have a system of writing. They were uncivilized, lived in caves and used skins of animals as clothing. They hunted and fished and ate wild fruits in the forests.

            These primitive men managed to send word to each other although they did not know how to write. Sometimes they had to warn other groups about dangerous animals in the forests or some enemy tribes nearby. Let us see what these primitive men used as means of communications.

            These men used smoke signals, tom-toms and stick messages as chief means of communication. The other party to whom the smoke signals are sent read the messages coming up from the source of the signals. Short columns of smoke coming up one after another may mean danger.

            Signals made by tom-toms were done by beating drums usually made from the skins of wild animals. Different groups of men within hearing distance of each other beat these primitive drums according to certain signals known to them. They could tell each other about danger, war and even about the visit of one of their leaders or chief. They could announce marriages, deaths or births, or other interesting events.

            Stick messages were used as means of communication by people of long ago. Different kinds of sticks meant different messages and the receiver could read these “stick messages”.

            The first form of writing developed by wise men from the East was a great help to the people. People began writing letters to their relatives and friends. It lead to the organization of the first mail service. It was carried on by runner or horsemen who carried letters from place to place.

            The King of Persia, known as Darius the Great, organized the first letter post office. He had conquered many countries, and formed a great kingdom. Darius formed groups of fast horsemen to deliver his massages throughout his great kingdom which stretched from India in Asia down to Egypt in Africa.

            Darius’ system was followed by Chinese emperors and rulers of European countries like the kings of Rome.

            Some royal families made use of their slaves and servants to send their letters. These slaves delivered the letters of their masters to the persons they were meant for.  However, sending letters through travelers was not always reliable because they sometimes got killed in their journeys or lost the letters as they traveled from place to place.

            However, only kings, queens and princesses, lords and other state officials could send letters to one another. The poor people could not afford to send letters.

            Later, the government of different countries established their own postal system. Royal messengers of kings and queens of England, France and Spain were allowed to carry private letters. A postmaster in England established a postal service between different countries. This sytem of carrying mail from country to country was enlarged. European countries were included and later America.

            Different inventions resulted in faster communications for mankind. Among these were the steam engines for trains and steamships and gas engine for the airplane. These better means of transportation resulted in faster ways of sending letters to all people.

            The new age for sending letters at last came about. Today, anybody could send a properly stamped letter to anyone in any part of the world just by dropping it in the mailbox. People could communicate faster much closer to each other, and this has contributed to the progress of nations all over the world.

Learn How To keep A Secret

(By: Logue, Ferrer & Condez)


            I remember once seeing an amusing cartoon. It featured five feminine heads, all looking one way and all with their mouths open. The head was small and the mouth proportioned to the rest of the features; the next was rather larger, with a much wider mouth; the third was larger still, and so on. This picture portrayed in a capital way what often happens in small towns when some trifling incident in passing from one mouth to another is magnified by the gossips ‘till it attains the proportions of quite an important event; and thus, a “mountain is made out of a molehill”.

            How greatly a man may be wronged, what injury may be done him, if some trifling fault has committed is magnified by the tongue of scandal-mongers and spread out by evil speakers who wish him ill. And yet these people will not admit that they are much to blame. They give all kinds of excuses for their conduct.

            Some persons say, “We had not the least intention of injuring our neighbor’s reputation by what we said”. But what good does that do him? It injures him all the same; it is detrimental to his good name.

            Others seek to excuse themselves by asserting that they were not the first to discover these failings, but mentioned them only because they had heard of them from others. And yet they imagine there is no great harm in repeating what they have heard to those who were ignorant of it.

            Another would say, “These faults of my neighbor are no secrets, for the person to who I refer is notorious for his vices, and has a very bad reputation”. But even if the faults which are talked about are widely known, what is the use of repeating them? Why take pleasure in talking about it?

            Our Lord forbids us to talk about faults of others. Remember the Golden Rule: “Do not do to others what you don’t want others to do to you”.

            In conclusion, we will listen to those who say: “You are quite right. I am aware I ought not to talk about my neighbor’s faults. I will never grow weary of renewing the resolution not to utter one simple uncharitable word about my neighbor. An if sometimes I speak unkindly, I must not excuse myself by saying there is no great harm in it”.

            I must always remember these lines:

                        “The wise man will seek his own faults to amend; The fool to his neighbor’s alone will attend”.

Taj Mahal: Immortal Monument To An Emperor's Love

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          In Agra, india stands an immortal monument to an emperor's love. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his third wife, the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal. It is called the Taj Mahal.

          Mumtaz, the Queen, was born in 1593. She was married to the prince, Shah Jahan, who later became an emperor. He was a good emperor and he ruled wisely. During his reign, magnificent buildings and palaces were built. He had a goldsmith build an elaborate throne of rare gems. It was a long, low couch with golden legs. A canopy which rested on twelve emerald pillars was over the throne. A tree of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls stood beside it.

          Then in 1631, Queen Mumtaz Mahal died in childbirth. The emperor was grief-stricken. He forbade music in his court. He gave up wearing the colored, imperial robes and wore only white for mourning.

          A sepulchre was built for her. Twenty thousand workers labored twenty years to complete it. The best artisans, sculptors, designers and carvers in India and nearby countries were employed under the most renowned architect of those days, Usted Ahmad.

          The monument was made of precious stones and valuable materials. The glorious white marble used came from India; garnets and lapiz lazuli came from Ceylon. All in all, more than forty varieties of precious stones were used, including turquoise mined in Tibet. On the north side of the great highway leading to the  sepulchre, a tall gateway, 80 feet high, guarded the entrance. The gateway doors were of silver studded with semi- precious  stones.

          No less beautiful are the surroundings of the sepulchre. In the waters of the famous reflecting pool, the image of the tall dome floats eternally in blue. Everything around the place is made to draw the eyes to the central figure of the immortal monument to an emperor's love, the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal: Walang Kamatayang Bantayog sa Pag-big ng Emperador

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          Doon sa Agra, India nakatayo ang walang kamatayang bantayog sa pag-ibig ng isang emperador. Ipinatayo ito ni Emperador Shah Jahan para sa kanyang ikatlong asawa, ang magandang si Mumtaz Mahal. Iyon ay tinawag na Taj Mahal.
          Ang Reynang si Mumtaz ay ipinanganak noong 1593. Siya ay ikinasal sa prinsipe na si Shah Jahan., na kalaunan ay naging isang emperador.  Siya ay naging mabuting emperador at mautak siyang namuno. Sa panahon ng kanyang paghahari, naipatayo ang mga napakagandang gusali at mga palasyo. Isang panday ng ginto ang pinagawa niya ng isang detalyado at komplikadong trono ng pambihirang mahahalagang bato. Ito ay mahaba na mababang sopa na may ginintuang mga binti. Isang palyo na nakahimlay sa labindalawang mga esmeraldang poste ang nasa itaas ng trono. Isang puno ng mga dyamante, mga ruby, esmeralda at perlas ang nakatayo sa gilid nito.
          Noong 1631, ang Reynang si Mumtaz mahal ay namatay sa panganganak. Ang emperador ay labis na napighati. Ipinagbawal niya ang anumang awit sa kanyang hukuman. Isinuko niya ang pagsuot ng makulay na imperial na balabal at nagsuot na lamang ng puti para sa pagluluksa.
          Isang puntod ang ipinatayo para sa reyna. Dalawampung libong trabahador ang gumawa nito sa loob ng dalawampung taon. Mga mainam na dalubhasa, iskultor, ilustrador at mang-uukit ng India at iba pang karatig bansa ang kinuhang empleyado ng kilalang arkitekto ng mga panahong iyon, na si Usted Ahmad.
          Ang bantayog ay yari sa mahahalaga at mamahaling materiales. Ang maluwalhating puting marmol na ginamit ay nagmula sa India; ang mga garnet at lapiz lazuli ay nagmula sa Seylon.  Lahat-lahat, mahigit apatnapung uri ng mamahaling bato ang ginamit, kabilang ang turkesa na minina sa Tibet. Sa hilagang bahagi ng malaking daanan papuntang puntod, isang napakalaking takangkahan ang nagbabantay sa pasukan. Ang tarangkahan ng pinto ay yari sa pilak na nababalutan ng  medyo mahahalagang mga bato.
          Walang mas maganda kaysa paligid ng puntod. Sa tubig ng bantog na palatubigan, isang mataas na simboryo ang nakalutang sa bughaw. Ang lahat sa paligid ng palasyo ay ginawa upang tumawag-pansin tungo sa gitnang pigura ng walang kamatayang bantayog sa pag-ibig ng emperador, ang Taj Mahal.