Iceboy

ادبیات انگلیسی.عکس.اس ام اس.مطالب علمی و ... در عرشه تایتانیک!

Iceboy

ادبیات انگلیسی.عکس.اس ام اس.مطالب علمی و ... در عرشه تایتانیک!

حدیث نماز


نماز

رسول اکرم صلی الله علیه وآله :
لا تَزالُ اُمَّتى بِخَیرٍ ما تَحابّوا وَاَقامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَکاةَ وَقَروا الضَّیفَ... ؛
امّتم همواره در خیر و خوبی اند تا وقتى که یکدیگر را دوست بدارند، نماز را برپا دارند، زکات بدهند و میهمان را گرامى بدارند... .

رسول اکرم صلی الله علیه وآله :
اَلصَّلاةُ مِفتاحُ کُلِّ خَیرٍ؛
نماز کلید همه خوبى هاست.

رسول اکرم صلی الله علیه وآله :
اَوَّلُ الوَقتِ رِضوانُ اللّهِ وَوَسَطُ الوَقتِ رَحمَةُ اللّهِ وَآخِرُ الوَقتِ عَفوُ اللّهِ؛
نماز در اول وقت خشنودى خداوند، میان وقت رحمت خداوند و پایان وقت عفو خداوند است.

رسول اکرم صلی الله علیه وآله :
اَیُّهَا النّاسُ اِنَّ المُصَلّى اِذا صَلّى فَاِنَّهُ یُناجى رَبَّهُ تَبارَک وَتَعالى فَلیَعلَم بِما یُناجیهِ؛
اى مردم همانا نمازگزار هنگام نماز با پروردگار بزرگ و بلند مرتبهاش مناجات مى کند، پس باید بداند چه مى گوید.

امام على علیهالسلام :
لَو یَعْلَمُ المُصَلّى ما یَغشاهُ مِنَ الرَّحمَةِ لَما رَفَعَ رَأسَهُ مِنَ السُّجودِ؛
اگر نمازگزار بداند تا چه حد مشمول رحمت الهى است هرگز سر خود را از سجده بر نخواهد داشت.

امام على علیهالسلام :
اُنظُر فیما تُصَلّى وَعَلى ما تُصَلّى اِن لَم یَکُن مِن وَجهِهِ وَحِلِّهِ فَلا قَبولَ؛
بنگر در چه (لباسى) و بر چه (چیزى) نماز مى گزارى، اگر از راه صحیح و حلالش نباشد، قبول نخواهد بود.

امام صادق علیهالسلام :
مَن قَبِلَ اللّهُ مِنْهُ صَلاةً واحِدَةً لَم یُعَذِّبْهُ وَمَن قَبِلَ مِنْهُ حَسَنَهً لَم یُعَذِّبْهُ؛
خداوند از هر کس یک نماز و یا یک کار نیک را قبول کند، عذابش نمى نماید.

امام صادق علیهالسلام :
تَسبیحُ فاطِمَةَ علیهاالسلام فى کُلِّ یَومٍ فى دُبُرِ کُلِّ صَلاةٍ اَحَبُّ اِلَىَّ مِن صَلاةِ اَلفِ رَکعَةٍ فى کُلِّ یَومٍ؛
تسبیحات فاطمه زهرا علیهاالسلام در هر روز پس از هر نماز نزد من محبوبتر از هزار رکعت نماز در هر روز است.

امام صادق علیهالسلام :
سَجدةُ الشُکرِ واجِبَةٌ عَلى کُلِّ مُسلِمٍ تُتِمُّ بِها صَلاتَکَ وَتُرضى بِها رَبَّکَ وَتُعجِبُ المَلائِکَةَ مِنکَ... ؛
سجده شکر بر هر مسلمانى واجب است، با آن نمازت را کامل و پروردگارت را خشنود مى سازى و فرشتگان را به شگفتى مى آورى.

امام صادق علیهالسلام :
یُعرَفُ مَن یَصِفُ الحَقَّ بِثَلاثِ خِصالٍ: یُنظَرُ اِلى اَصحابِهِ مَن هُم؟ وَاِلى صَلاتِهِ کَیفَ هىَ؟ وَفى اَىِّ وَقتٍ یُصَلّیها؟ ؛
کسى که از حق دَم مى زند با سه ویژگى شناخته مى شود: ببینید دوستانش چه کسانى هستند؟ نمازش چگونه است؟ و در چه وقت آن را مى خواند؟

1. امالى طوسى 647/1340

2. الفردوس 2/404/3796

3. سنن الدار قطنى 1/201/974

4. مسند ابن حنبل 2/129

5. غررالحکم 5/116/7592

6. تحف العقول ص174

7. کافى 3/266/11

8. کافى 3/343/15

9. التهذیب 2/110/183

10. محاسن 1/396/885


مدرکی دال بر امامت حضرت علی (ع)

حدیث منزلت :


از جمله احادیثی که بر امامت حضرت علی  ( ع ) دلالت دارد ؛ حدیث منزلت است که در کتب معتبر اهل سنت از جمله صحیح بخاری نقل شده است که « ان النبی (ص ) لما خرج الی تبوک ، استخلف علیاً فی المدینة  ، و علی اهله ، فقال علی : ما کنت اوثر ان تخرج فی وجه الا و انا معک فقال :  اما ترضی ان تکون منی بمنزلة هارون منموسی ، الا انه لا نبی بعدی .


یعنی هنگامی که پیامبر خدا برای غزوه تبوک از مدینه خارج شدند علی را به جای خود در  مدینه و در بین اهل خود قرار دادند (و بنا بر نقل تاریخ ، برخی از منافقین به استهزاء آن حضرت پرداخته و گفتند پیامبر خدا ، علی را با زنان و کودکان و بیمارن در مدینه جای گذاشته و با خود او را در جهاد فرا نخوانده است. ! ) اما حضرت علی ( ع )به پیامبر حدا ( ص )  عرض کردند :  من دوست ندارم که شما برای جهاد خارج شوید مگر اینکه من هم با شما باشم . پس پیامبر اکرم فرمودند : ایا راضی نیستی که منزلت و مقام تو نزد من مانند منزلت هارون نسبت به موسی باشد مگر اینکه پس از من پیامبری نخواهد بود .این حدیث در کتب زیر نقل شده است :


صحیح مسلم ج ۴ / ص ۱۰۸ ، صحیح بخاری ج۵ / ص ۳ و ۲۴ در کتاب فضایل ، مسند احمد ج۱ / ص ۱۷۰ و ۱۷۳ و ۱۷۵ و ۱۸۵ ، مسند ابی داود ج۱ / ص ۲۹ ، صحیح ترمذی ج ۲ / ص ۳۰ ، اسد الغابة ج۴ / ص ۲۶ و ج ۵ ص ۸ ، خصایص نسائی ص ۱۵ و ۱۶ ، کنز العمال ج ۶ ص ۴۰۲ ، ذخائر العقبی ص ۱۲۰ ، مجمع الزوائد ج۹ / ص ۱۰۹ و ۱۱۰ و ۱۱۱ . وتعداد زیادی از کتب معتبر دیگر اهل سنت و شیعه این حدیث نقل شده است و همان مقام و منزلت هارون را نسبت به حضرت موسی ( علیهما السلام ) برای حضرت علی اثبات می کند مگر نبوت و پیامبری را که حضرت رسول ( ص ) آن را نفی فرموده و گفته اند که « الا انه لا نبی بعدی » واین حدیث به صورت مطلق جانشینی حضرت علی را ثابت میکند و به ایام غزوه تبوک و عدم حضور پیامبر خدا در مدینه اختصاص ندارد هر چند در خصوص این جریان صادر شده است .

دعا برای گشایش کارها و رفع گرفتاری

دعا برای گشایش کارها و رفع گرفتاری
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنکَ رَحْمَةً وَهَیِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

10

 : 

کهف

 
... پروردگار ما، از جانب خود به ما رحمتی بخش و کار ما را برای ما به سامان رسان.
امام سجاد (ع) در دعای 54 صحیفة سجادیه فرموده اند که هر گاه اندوه و گرفتاری دنیا به شما روی آورد این گونه خدا را بخوانید: « یا فارِجَ الهَمِّ وَ کاشِفَ الغَمِّ، یا رَحمنَ الدُّنیا والاخِرَةِ وَ رَحیمَهُما، صَلِّ عَلی مُحَمَّدٍ و الِ مُحَمّدٍ وَ افرُج هَمّی وَاکشِف غَمّی یا واحِدُ یا اَحَدُ یا صَمَدُ یا مَن لَم یَلِد وَ لَم یوُلَد وَ لَم یَکُن لَهُ کُفُواً اَحَدٌ اِعصِمنی وَ طَهِّرنی وَ اِذهَب بِبَلِیَّتی . آن گاه آیةالکرسی (آیة 255 سورة بقره) و سورة فلق و ناس و توحید را بخوانید و بگویید: «ای خدای من، مانند کسی که نیازمندیش به نهایت رسیده و فریادرسی نمی یابد و نیرویش سست شده و نیرودهنده ای نمی شناسد و گناهانش بسیار است و آمرزنده ای سراغ ندارد... جان مرا آن دم بازستان که در ایمان استوار باشم و رشتة نیاز مرا از این جهان بگسل و میل و رغبت و نیاز مرا به آنچه در نزد توست قرار ده... خدایا میل و نیاز مرا در درخواست از خودت آن گونه قرار ده که آنچه دوستانت از تو می خواهند من نیز از تو بخواهم و از آنچه میترسند بترسم...»
امام صادق (ع) فرموده اند: «کسی که صبح و شب کند در حالی که بزرگترین اندوهش دنیا و خواسته های مادی باشد خداوند فقر و نیازمندی را بر سر راهش مینهد و کارش را پراکنده می گرداند و در دنیا به آنچه خواسته دست نمی یابد، مگر چیزی که برای او مقدر شده باشد؛ اما کسی که صبح و شب کند در حالی که بزرگترین اندوهش آخرت و دینداری و تحصیل رضایت خدا و پرهیز از قهر و عذابش باشد خداوند غنا و بی نیازی را در دل او قرار می دهد و کارش را منظم می کند.» از این رو، در تعالیم اسلامی، آمده است که به هنگام روی آوردن گرفتاریهای دنیایی به سوی خدا برویم و آنها را از نزد او بجوییم تا مصداق این روایت نگردیم.

چگونه اجابت دعا با قضای الهی و قوانین جاری آفرینش سازگاری دارد؟
سؤال دیگری هم مطرح است و آن این که آیا اساساً قوانین آفرینش استثناپذیر است؟ پاسخ در هر دو مورد منفی است: نه دعا با قضا و قدر الهی ناسازگاری دارد و نه قوانین استنثناپذیر است؛ و اگر تغییراتی در سنتهای جهان مشاهده می شود معلول تغییر شرایط است؛ و بدیهی است که هر سنّتی در شرایط خاصی جاری است و با تغییر شرایط، سنتی دیگر جریان می یابد و آن سنت نیز در شرایط خاص خود کلیّت دارد و آنچه را علوم تجربی بیان کرده است در شرایط مخصوص و به شکل محدود صادق است. بنابراین تغییر قانون و سنت نیز به حکم قانون و سنت است؛ ولی نه به این معنی که قانونی به حکم قانونی دیگر نسخ و باطل شود، بلکه به این معنی که شرایط یک قانون تغییر می کند و شرایط جدید به وجود میآید و در شرایط جدید، قانون جدید حکم فرما می شود. پس اگر مرده ای زنده شود و یا فرزندی بدون پدر متولد شود و یا بر اثر دعایی، امری خارق العاده پدیدار شود یا امری حتمی رفع گردد، خود حساب و قانونی دارد و برخلاف سنت الهی و قانون حاکم بر جهان نیست. منتهی مسئله این است که بشر همة سنتها و قانونهای آفرینش را نمی شناسد. از پیامبر اکرم (ص) پرسیدند: «با وجود این که هر حادثه ای در جهان به تقدیر الهی و قضای حتمی اوست، دعا و دوا چه اثری دارد؟» در پاسخ فرمودند: «دعا نیز از قضا و قدر الهی است.»
 
منبع:  

www.radioquran.ir

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GTA San Andreas PC Cheat Codes

GTA San Andreas PC Cheat Codes


LXGIWYL = Weapon Set 1, Thug's Tools
PROFESSIONALSKIT = Weapon Set 2, Professional Tools
UZUMYMW = Weapon Set 3, Nutter Tools
HESOYAM = Health, Armor, $250k
TURNUPTHEHEAT = Increase Wanted Level Two Stars
TURNDOWNTHEHEAT = Clear Wanted Level
PLEASANTLYWARM = Sunny Weather
TOODAMNHOT = Very Sunny Weather
ALNSFMZO = Overcast Weather
AUIFRVQS = Rainy Weather
CFVFGMJ = Foggy Weather
YSOHNUL = Faster Clock
SPEEDITUP = Faster Gameplay
SLOWITDOWN = Slower Gameplay
AJLOJYQY = Peds Attack Each Other, Get Golf Club
BAGOWPG = Have a bounty on your head
FOOOXFT = Everyone is armed
AIWPRTON = Spawn Rhino
OLDSPEEDDEMON = Spawn Bloodring Banger
JQNTDMH = Spawn Rancher
VROCKPOKEY = Spawn Racecar
VPJTQWV = Spawn Racecar
WHERESTHEFUNERAL = Spawn Romero
CELEBRITYSTATUS = Spawn Stretch
TRUEGRIME = Spawn Trashmaster
RZHSUEW = Spawn Caddy
CPKTNWT = Blow Up All Cars
WHEELSONLYPLEASE = Invisible car
STICKLIKEGLUE = Perfect Handling
GOODBYECRUELWORLD = Suicide
ZEIIVG = All green lights
YLTEICZ = Aggressive Drivers
LLQPFBN = Pink traffic
IOWDLAC = Black traffic
FLYINGFISH = Boats fly
BTCDBCB = Fat
BUFFMEUP = Max Muscle
KVGYZQK = Skinny
BLUESUEDESHOES = Elvis is Everywhere
BGLUAWML = Peds Attack You With Weapons, Rocket Launcher
LIFESABEACH = Beach Party
ONLYHOMIESALLOWED = Gang Members Everywhere
BIFBUZZ = Gangs Control the Streets
NINJATOWN = Ninja Theme
BEKKNQV = Slut Magnet
EVERYONEISPOOR = Traffic is Cheap Cars
EVERYONEISRICH = Traffic is Fast Cars
CHITTYCHITTYBANGBANG = Cars Fly
CJPHONEHOME = Huge Bunny Hop

 

 

 

 

 

The following cheats were not implemented:
Drive On Water
Do Nothing
Hookers Pay You
Intended cheat names found by:
[KFC]Nutz: BLUESUEDESHOES, MONSTERMASH, FOURWHEELFUN, WHEELSONLYPLEASE
Speno: ROCKETMAN
Kuiosikle: BUFFMEUP, PROFESSIONALSKIT


TheHeggy: TRUEGRIME, CHITTYCHITTYBANGBANG
Mxyzptlk: FLYINGTOSTUNT
Konoko45: STATEOFEMERGENCY, ONLYHOMIESALLOWED
Garrett: SCOTTISHSUMMER, TOODAMNHOT, GOODBYECRUELWORLD
megaroll: LIFESABEACH
keyrat420: TURNUPTHEHEAT
gta-6.com: TURNDOWNTHEHEAT
fear: OLDSPEEDDEMON
mageezer: STINGLIKEABEE


TheHeggy: TRUEGRIME, CHITTYCHITTYBANGBANG
Mxyzptlk: FLYINGTOSTUNT
Konoko45: STATEOFEMERGENCY, ONLYHOMIESALLOWED
Garrett: SCOTTISHSUMMER, TOODAMNHOT, GOODBYECRUELWORLD
megaroll: LIFESABEACH
keyrat420: TURNUPTHEHEAT
gta-6.com: TURNDOWNTHEHEAT
fear: OLDSPEEDDEMON
mageezer: STINGLIKEABEE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUMPJET = Spawn Hydra
KGGGDKP = Spawn Vortex Hovercraft
JCNRUAD = Smash n' Boom
SPEEDFREAK = All Cars Have Nitro
BUBBLECARS = Cars Float Away When Hit
NIGHTPROWLER = Always Midnight
OFVIAC = Orange Sky 21:00
SCOTTISHSUMMER = Thunderstorm
CWJXUOC = Sandstorm
KANGAROO = Mega Jump
BAGUVIX = Semi-Infinite Health
CVWKXAM = Infinite Oxygen
AIYPWZQP = Have Parachute
ROCKETMAN = Have Jetpack
AEZAKMI = Never Wanted
BRINGITON = Six Star Wanted Level
STINGLIKEABEE = Mega Punch
AEDUWNV = Never Get Hungry
STATEOFEMERGENCY = Riot Mode
CRAZYTOWN = Funhouse Theme
ANOSEONGLASS = Adrenaline Mode
FULLCLIP = Infinite Ammo, No Reload
OUIQDMW = Free Aim While Driving
GHOSTTOWN = Reduced Traffic
FVTMNBZ = Traffic is Country Vehicles
SJMAHPE = Recruit Anyone (9mm)
BMTPWHR = Country Vehicles and Peds, Get Born 2 Truck Outfit
ROCKETMAYHEM = Recruit Anyone (Rockets)
WORSHIPME = Max Respect
HELLOLADIES = Max Sex Appeal
VKYPQCF = Max Stamina
PROFESSIONALKILLER = Hitman In All Weapon Stats
NATURALTALENT = Max All Vehicle Skill Stats
OHDUDE = Spawn Hunter
FOURWHEELFUN = Spawn Quad
AMOMHRER = Spawn Tanker Truck
ITSALLBULL = Spawn Dozer
FLYINGTOSTUNT = Spawn Stunt Plane
MONSTERMASH = Spawn Monster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dame the Seventh

Anna, Lady Baxby

Dame the Seventh

By the Colonel

It was in the time of the great Civil War—if I should not rather, as a loyal subject, call it, with Clarendon, the Great Rebellion. It was, I say, at that unhappy period of our history that, towards the autumn of a particular year, the Parliament forces sat down before Sherton Castle with over seven thousand foot and four pieces of cannon. The Castle, as we all know, was in that century owned and occupied by one of the Earls of Severn, and garrisoned for his assistance by a certain noble Marquis who commanded the King's troops in these parts. The said Earl, as well as the young Lord Baxby, his eldest son, were away from home just now, raising forces for the King elsewhere. But there were present in the Castle, when the besiegers arrived before it, the son's fair wife Lady Baxby, and her servants, together with some friends and near relatives of her husband; and the defence was so good and well considered that they anticipated no great danger.

The Parliamentary forces were also commanded by a noble lord—for the nobility were by no means, at this stage of the war, all on the King's side—and it had been observed during his approach in the nighttime, and in the morning when the reconnoitring took place, that he appeared sad and much depressed. The truth was that, by a strange freak of destiny, it had come to pass that the stronghold he was set to reduce was the home of his own sister, whom he had tenderly loved during her maidenhood, and whom he loved now, in spite of the estrangement which had resulted from hostilities with her husband's family. He believed, too, that, notwithstanding this cruel division, she still was sincerely attached to him.

His hesitation to point his ordnance at the walls was inexplicable to those who were strangers to his family history. He remained in the field on the north side of the Castle (called by his name to this day because of his encampment there) till it occurred to him to send a messenger to his sister Anna with a letter, in which he earnestly requested her, as she valued her life, to steal out of the place by the little gate to the south, and make away in that direction to the residence of some friends.

Shortly after he saw, to his great surprise, coming from the front of the Castle walls a lady on horseback, with a single attendant. She rode straight forward into the field, and up the slope to where his army and tents were spread. It was not till she got quite near that he discerned her to be his sister Anna; and much was he alarmed that she should have run such risk as to sally out in the face of his forces without knowledge of their proceedings, when at any moment their first discharge might have burst forth, to her own destruction in such exposure. She dismounted before she was quite close to him, and he saw that her familiar face, though pale, was not at all tearful, as it would have been in their younger days. Indeed, if the particulars as handed down are to be believed, he was in a more tearful state than she, in his anxiety about her. He called her into his tent, out of the gaze of those around; for though many of the soldiers were honest and serious-minded men, he could not bear that she who had been his dear companion in childhood should be exposed to curious observation in this her great grief.

When they were alone in the tent he clasped her in his arms, for he had not seen her since those happier days when, at the commencement of the war, her husband and himself had been of the same mind about the arbitrary conduct of the King, and had little dreamt that they would not go to extremes together. She was the calmer of the two, it is said, and was the first to speak connectedly.

'William, I have come to you,' said she, 'but not to save myself as you suppose. Why, O, why do you persist in supporting this disloyal cause, and grieving us so?'

'Say not that,' he replied hastily. 'If truth hides at the bottom of a well, why should you suppose justice to be in high places? I am for the right at any price. Anna, leave the Castle; you are my sister; come away, my dear, and save thy life!'

'Never!' says she. 'Do you plan to carry out this attack, and level the Castle indeed?'

'Most certainly I do,' says he. 'What meaneth this army around us if not so?'

'Then you will find the bones of your sister buried in the ruins you cause!' said she. And without another word she turned and left him.

'Anna—abide with me!' he entreated. 'Blood is thicker than water, and what is there in common between you and your husband now?'

But she shook her head and would not hear him; and hastening out, mounted her horse, and returned towards the Castle as she had come. Ay, many's the time when I have been riding to hounds across that field that I have thought of that scene!

When she had quite gone down the field, and over the intervening ground, and round the bastion, so that he could no longer even see the tip of her mare's white tail, he was much more deeply moved by emotions concerning her and her welfare than he had been while she was before him. He wildly reproached himself that he had not detained her by force for her own good, so that, come what might, she would be under his protection and not under that of her husband, whose impulsive nature rendered him too open to instantaneous impressions and sudden changes of plan; he was now acting in this cause and now in that, and lacked the cool judgment necessary for the protection of a woman in these troubled times. Her brother thought of her words again and again, and sighed, and even considered if a sister were not of more value than a principle, and if he would not have acted more naturally in throwing in his lot with hers.

The delay of the besiegers in attacking the Castle was said to be entirely owing to this distraction on the part of their leader, who remained on the spot attempting some indecisive operations, and parlaying with the Marquis then in command, with far inferior forces, within the Castle. It never occurred to him that in the meantime the young Lady Baxby, his sister, was in much the same mood as himself. Her brother's familiar voice and eyes, much worn and fatigued by keeping the field, and by family distractions on account of this unhappy feud, rose upon her vision all the afternoon, and as day waned she grew more and more Parliamentarian in her principles, though the only arguments which had addressed themselves to her were those of family ties.

Her husband, General Lord Baxby, had been expected to return all the day from his excursion into the east of the county, a message having been sent to him informing him of what had happened at home; and in the evening he arrived with reinforcements in unexpected numbers. Her brother retreated before these to a hill near Ivell, four or five miles off, to afford the men and himself some repose. Lord Baxby duly placed his forces, and there was no longer any immediate danger. By this time Lady Baxby's feelings were more Parliamentarian than ever, and in her fancy the fagged countenance of her brother, beaten back by her husband, seemed to reproach her for heartlessness. When her husband entered her apartment, ruddy and boisterous, and full of hope, she received him but sadly; and upon his casually uttering some slighting words about her brother's withdrawal, which seemed to convey an imputation upon his courage, she resented them, and retorted that he, Lord Baxby himself, had been against the Court-party at first, where it would be much more to his credit if he were at present, and showing her brother's consistency of opinion, instead of supporting the lying policy of the King (as she called it) for the sake of a barren principle of loyalty, which was but an empty expression when a King was not at one with his people. The dissension grew bitter between them, reaching to little less than a hot quarrel, both being quick-tempered souls.

Lord Baxby was weary with his long day's march and other excitements, and soon retired to bed. His lady followed some time after. Her husband slept profoundly, but not so she; she sat brooding by the window-slit, and lifting the curtain looked forth upon the hills without.

In the silence between the footfalls of the sentinels she could hear faint sounds of her brother's camp on the distant hills, where the soldiery had hardly settled yet into their bivouac since their evening's retreat. The first frosts of autumn had touched the grass, and shrivelled the more delicate leaves of the creepers; and she thought of William sleeping on the chilly ground, under the strain of these hardships. Tears flooded her eyes as she returned to her husband's imputations upon his courage, as if there could be any doubt of Lord William's courage after what he had done in the past days.

Lord Baxby's long and reposeful breathings in his comfortable bed vexed her now, and she came to a determination on an impulse. Hastily lighting a taper she wrote on a scrap of paper:

'Blood is thicker than water, dear William—I will come'; and with this in her hand, she went to the door of the room, and out upon the stairs; on second thoughts turning back for a moment, to put on her husband's hat and cloak—not the one he was daily wearing—that if seen in the twilight she might at a casual glance appear as some lad or hanger-on of one of the household women; thus accoutred she descended a flight of circular stairs, at the bottom of which was a door opening upon the terrace towards the west, in the direction of her brother's position. Her object was to slip out without the sentry seeing her, get to the stables, arouse one of the varlets, and send him ahead of her along the highway with the note to warn her brother of her approach to throw in her lot with his.

She was still in the shadow of the wall on the west terrace, waiting for the sentinel to be quite out of the way, when her ears were greeted by a voice, saying, from the adjoining shade —

'Here I be!'

The tones were the tones of a woman. Lady Baxby made no reply, and stood close to the wall.

'My Lord Baxby,' the voice continued; and she could recognize in it the local accent of some girl from the little town of Sherton, close at hand. 'I be tired of waiting, my dear Lord Baxby! I was afeard you would never come!'

Lady Baxby flushed hot to her toes.

'How the wench loves him!' she said to herself, reasoning from the tones of the voice, which were plaintive and sweet and tender as a bird's. She changed from the home-hating truant to the strategic wife in one moment.

'Hist!' she said.

'My lord, you told me ten o'clock, and 'tis near twelve now,' continues the other. 'How could ye keep me waiting so if you love me as you said? I should have stuck to my lover in the Parliament troops if it had not been for thee, my dear lord!'

There was not the least doubt that Lady Baxby had been mistaken for her husband by this intriguing damsel. Here was a pretty underhand business! Here were sly maneuverings! Here was faithlessness! Here was a precious assignation surprised in the midst! Her wicked husband, whom till this very moment she had ever deemed the soul of good faith—how could he!

Lady Baxby precipitately retreated to the door in the turret, closed it, locked it, and ascended one round of the staircase, where there was a loophole. 'I am not coming! I, Lord Baxby, despise 'ee and all your wanton tribe!' she hissed through the opening; and then crept upstairs, as firmly rooted in Royalist principles as any man in the Castle.

Her husband still slept the sleep of the weary, well fed, and well drunken, if not of the virtuous; and Lady Baxby quickly disrobed herself without assistance—being, indeed, supposed by her woman to have retired to rest long ago. Before lying down she noiselessly locked the door and placed the key under her pillow. More than that, she got a staylace, and, creeping up to her lord, in great stealth tied the lace in a tight knot to one of his long locks of hair, attaching the other end of the lace to the bedpost; for, being tired herself now, she feared she might sleep heavily; and, if her husband should wake, this would be a delicate hint that she had discovered all.

It is added that, to make assurance trebly sure, her gentle ladyship, when she had lain down to rest, held her lord's hand in her own during the whole of the night. But this is old-wives' gossip, and not corroborated. What Lord Baxby thought and said when he awoke the next morning, and found himself so strangely tethered, is likewise only matter of conjecture; though there is no reason to suppose that his rage was great. The extent of his culpability as regards the intrigue was this much; that, while halting at a cross-road near Sherton that day, he had flirted with a pretty young woman, who seemed nothing loth, and had invited her to the Castle terrace after dark—an invitation which he quite forgot on his arrival home.

The subsequent relations of Lord and Lady Baxby I were not again greatly embittered by quarrels, so far as is known; though the husband's conduct in later life was occasionally eccentric, and the vicissitudes of his public career culminated in long exile. The siege of the Castle was not regularly undertaken till two or three years later than the time I have been describing, when Lady Baxby and all the women therein, except the wife of the then Governor, had been removed to safe distance. That memorable siege of fifteen days by Fairfax, and the surrender of the old place on an August evening, is matter of history, and need not be told by me.

The Man of Family spoke approvingly across to the Colonel when the Club had done smiling, declaring that the story was an absolutely faithful page of history, as he had good reason to know, his own people having been engaged in that well-known scrimmage. He asked if the Colonel had ever heard the equally well authenticated, though less martial tale of a certain Lady Penelope, who lived in the same century, and not a score of miles from the same place?

The Colonel had not heard it, nor had anybody except the local historian; and the inquirer was induced to proceed forthwith.

A Boy Named Sue

A Boy Named Sue                      by Shel Silverstein
Well, my daddy left home when I was three,
and he didn't leave much to Ma and me,
just this old guitar and a bottle of booze.
Now I don't blame him because he run and hid,
but the meanest thing that he ever did was
before he left he went and named me Sue.

Well, he must have thought it was quite a joke,
and it got lots of laughs from a lot of folks,
it seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
and some guy would laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell you, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue.

Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean.
My fist got hard and my wits got keen.
Roamed from town to town to hide my shame,
but I made me a vow to the moon and the stars,
I'd search the honky tonks and bars and kill
that man that gave me that awful name.

But it was Gatlinburg in mid July and I had
just hit town and my throat was dry.
I'd thought i'd stop and have myself a brew.
At an old saloon in a street of mud
and at a table dealing stud sat the dirty,
mangy dog that named me Sue.

Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
from a worn-out picture that my mother had
and I knew the scar on his cheek and his evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray and old
and I looked at him and my blood ran cold,
and I said, "My name is Sue. How do you do?
Now you're gonna die." Yeah, that's what I told him.

Well, I hit him right between the eyes and he went down
but to my surprise he came up with a knife
and cut off a piece of my ear. But I busted a chair
right across his teeth. And we crashed through
the wall and into the street kicking and a-gouging
in the mud and the blood and the beer.

I tell you I've fought tougher men but I really can't remember when.
He kicked like a mule and bit like a crocodile.
I heard him laughin' and then I heard him cussin',
he went for his gun and I pulled mine first.
He stood there looking at me and I saw him smile.

And he said, "Son, this world is rough and if
a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
and I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along.
So I gave you that name and I said 'Goodbye'.
I knew you'd have to get tough or die. And it's
that name that helped to make you strong."

Yeah, he said, "Now you have just fought one
helluva fight, and I know you hate me and you've
got the right to kill me now and I wouldn't blame you
if you do. But you ought to thank me
before I die for the gravel in your guts and the spit
in your eye because I'm the nut that named you Sue."
Yeah, what could I do? What could I do?

I got all choked up and I threw down my gun,
called him pa and he called me a son,
and I came away with a different point of view
and I think about him now and then.
Every time I tried, every time I win and if I
ever have a son I think I am gonna name him
Bill or George - anything but Sue.