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If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Baptist Abroad - Travels and Adventures of Europe and all Bible Lands - -Author: Walter Andrew Whittle - -Release Date: January 9, 2016 [EBook #50879] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A BAPTIST ABROAD *** - - - - -Produced by Giovanni Fini, Richard Hulse and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - -[Illustration: W. A. Whittle] - - - - - A BAPTIST ABROAD - - OR - - TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES - - IN - - EUROPE AND ALL BIBLE LANDS - - - BY - - REV. WALTER ANDREW WHITTLE - - - WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY - - HON. J. L. M. CURRY, LL.D. - - - WITH MAPS AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - “Where rose the mountains, there to him were friends; - Where rolled the ocean, thereon was his home; - Where a blue sky, and glowing clime, extends, - He had the passion and the power to roam; - The desert, forest, cavern, breaker’s foam, - Were unto him companionship; they spake - A mutual language, clearer than the tome - Of his land’s tongue, which he would oft forsake - For Nature’s page glassed by sunbeams on the lake.” - - CHILDE HAROLD - - - NEW YORK: - - J. A. HILL & CO., - - UNION SQUARE, - - 1890. - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1890. - - BY J. A. HILL & COMPANY. - - - All rights reserved. - - - - - MOTHER - - WILL READ THIS BOOK - - THROUGH - - TWO PAIRS OF SPECTACLES. - - ONE PAIR - - WILL MAGNIFY ITS VIRTUES - - WHILE THE OTHER - - WILL DIMINISH ITS DEFECTS. - - THEREFORE IT - - IS AFFECTIONATELY AND LOVINGLY - - DEDICATED TO - - MOTHER. - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - - -Next to seeing a foreign land with one’s own eyes is seeing it through -the eyes of an intelligent, appreciative countryman. The word is -purposely chosen, because one wishes to know what is observed and -thought by a person who has tastes, sympathies and views in common -with himself. A thousand things in a strange country are interesting -and in different degrees. One studies historically, another socially, -another politically, another ecclesiastically, while unfortunately not -a few rush pell-mell bringing back the most superficial and indistinct -impressions. Some find most satisfaction in architecture, while others -have their chiefest enjoyment in sculpture, in painting, in natural -scenery, in costumes and customs. No two have precisely the same -fancies, and yet an observant, cultivated countryman is more likely -to please us by what he likes and describes than is a foreigner whose -point of view and whose mental habitudes are so different from our -own. What is most pleasing in a book of travels is wide and varied -observation, is an account of several countries inhabited by different -races and distinguished by marked peculiarities. - -This volume embraces a wide extent of travel, and includes an account -of visits to Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Greece, -Palestine, Egypt, etc. The full table of contents is a little -misleading, for the chapters pertaining to Europe are short, and -Palestine takes up a considerable portion of the work. The author, -avoiding what is dry or didactic, manages to compress into his -pages much valuable and trustworthy information. His own religious -denomination, naturally and properly, is not overlooked, and from -eminent men he has succeeded in obtaining monographs which give -interesting facts, drawn from most authentic sources. The portraitures -of men, of whom everybody wishes to know more, constitute an -interesting feature of the book. - -The journey was not a mere vacation tour, a hasty gallop to points -visited by circular tourists, but it comprised many months of patient -toil, nor were the countries seen from the windows of the car of an -express train. Lubboch, in his essay on the Pleasures of Travel, says -that some think that every one should travel on foot “like Thales, -Plato and Pythagoras.” Mr. Whittle is a pedestrian by choice, full -of enterprise, activity, courage and enthusiasm, and on foot he -deviated often from the beaten paths, and had opportunities for -careful examination of objects of interest and for much pleasant and -instructive intercourse with the “common people.” With an eye quick to -discern what was peculiar, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, -he combined a cheerful disposition, a ready appreciation of the -humorous, and has succeeded in giving the public a volume, every page -of which is interesting. - -Travel, as a means of improvement, of education, of broadening horizon, -of getting us out of narrow ruts, can hardly be overestimated. A -visit to Europe, Africa and Asia makes objective what was subjective, -and gives realism to what was before vaguely in our memories. Some -acquaintance with geography, with history, literature, art, enhances -the interest and the profit. A young student who had visited Jerusalem -was much flattered by a request from Humboldt to call and see him. -The _savant_ soon showed that from reading and inquiry he had more -knowledge of the city than the youth had acquired by his visit. With -some mortification and a little petulance the young man said: “I -understood, sir, that you had never visited the Holy City.” “True,” -replied Humboldt, “I never have; but I once got ready to go.” Mr. -Whittle, with wise forethought, had made preparation for his visit. -He knew what he wanted to see, traveled with a purpose, and has so -imparted to his readers what he learned and observed that one catches -in part the enthusiasm of the traveler. - - J. L. M. CURRY. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -“Around the World in Eighty Days” has had an extensive circulation, -especially in America. The title is striking. Our people like to do -things quickly. Many of them would be glad to girdle the globe in forty -days. They forget that “what is worth doing at all is worth doing -well.” Under the patronage of Tourist Agencies it has become quite -fashionable of late to _do Europe in three months_. These flying trips -do perhaps result in some good to the tourist, but they are valuable -chiefly to the agencies under which they are made. - -Traveling is no child’s play. Sight seeing when properly done is -hard work, but hard work is the kind of work that pays best in the -long run. To see any country aright and understand it correctly one -must not merely visit its fashionable watering places, large cities, -splendid abbeys and cathedrals, noted art galleries, museums, etc. He -must see these things to be sure, but in addition to these he must, -in order to get a correct conception, go out into the mountains, into -the rural districts, and there study the soil, climate and products of -the country. He must commune with the yeomanry the common people, and -closely scrutinize their daily life and habits. He must see, as best -he can, how climate, political surroundings, education, occupation, -and religion affect their character. He must project himself as far as -possible into the thoughts and feelings of the people among whom he is -traveling. This prepares him to sympathize with them, and to look at -things from their standpoint. The traveler is then prepared to reason -from cause to effect. He has gotten hold of that golden thread of -truth which leads to right conclusions. He is in condition to explain -upon correct and philosophical principles the Socialism of France, the -Skepticism of Germany, the Nihilism of Russia, and the Pauperism of -Turkey. - -Having under the providence of God been permitted to make an extensive -and prolonged trip through the East, I determined from the outset to -get out of the _beaten tracks of travel_. In applying the above-named -principles, I walked a thousand miles through different European -countries, and rode six hundred miles and more in the saddle through -Bible lands. This necessarily gave me a varied experience, and brought -me into close contact with every phase of nature and human nature. At -times every faculty of mind and heart was stirred to its profoundest -depths. I was forced to think. And, lest these thrilling thoughts -should slip away from me, I determined “to fasten them in words and -chain them in writing.” I agree with Gray that “a few words fixed upon -or near the spot are worth a cartload of _recollection_.” - -This accounts to some extent for the use of the present tense in the -book, and also for the colloquial style in which it is written—it was -composed _on or near the spot_. True, since then it has been carefully -revised, re-written and enlarged; but originally it was written -“on the spot.” I made these pages my trusted confidant. To them I -expressed my “every thought and floating fancy,” and my words formed -a true thermometer to my soul. But now I release these pages from all -obligations of secrecy. They may tell it in Gath, and withhold it not -in Askelon. I propose to take the public into my confidence. “In short, -never did ten shillings purchase so much friendship since confidence -went first to market, or honesty was set up to sale.” - -I have carefully excluded all _opiates_ from these pages. Brevity is -the only claim I make to wit. I have not attempted to exhaust the -subjects treated. My words are intended simply to strike the reader’s -thoughts which may interpret further. “If you would be prudent, be -brief,” says Southey, “for ‘tis with words as with sunbeams, the more -they are condensed the deeper they burn.” - -“Clarence P. Johnson” was my man “Friday,” and from some of the -jokes gotten off at his expense the reader may conclude that he is a -“man-eater,” as was that other Friday of Robinson Crusoe fame. But -not so. This was his maiden trip out of his native city. Such things -happened to him while traveling as would naturally occur with any other -youth under the same circumstances. He is a young man of fine spirit -and extraordinary business capacity. He will some day be known and felt -in the commercial world. - -It gives me peculiar pleasure to acknowledge my indebtedness to -Professor John R. Sampey, D. D., for valuable assistance rendered while -preparing this book for the press. - -I have made free use of a wide range of literature, but trust that -in each case due credit has been given to the author. Many of the -measurements given were made by myself, others have been taken from -reliable sources. - -While abroad, I made it a special point to study the history and -outlook of the Baptists in each of the several countries through -which I traveled, and I have not failed to record the result of -my observations. But, in order to have Baptist history correctly, -authentically, and impartially given, I have secured chapters from -eminent men on the Baptists of their several countries. - - W. A. W. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - OFF FOR NEW YORK. - - Preparations—A Prayer and a Benediction—An Impatient Horse and - a Run for Eternity—Strange Sceptre and Despotic Sway—Beauty in - White Robes—Approaching the Metropolis—Business Heart of the - New World—A Bright Face and a Cordial Greeting—An Hour with the - President—More for a Shilling and Less for a Pound—A Stranger - Dies in the Author’s Arms—Namesake—Prospects of Becoming a Great - Man—A Confused College Student—The Hour of Departure—Native - Land. Page, 23 - - - CHAPTER II. - - ON THE HIGH SEAS. - - A Difficulty with the Officers of the Ship—A Parting - Scene—Danger on the Atlantic—A Parallel Drawn—Liberty - Enlightening the World—Life on the Ocean Wave—Friends for the - Journey—The Ship a Little World—A Clown and his Partner—Birds - of a Feather—Whales—Brain Food—Storm at Sea—A Frightened - Preacher—Storm Rages—A Sea of Glory—Richard Himself Again—Land - in Sight—Scene Described—Historic Castle—Voyage Ended—Two - Irishmen. Page, 29 - - - CHAPTER III. - - THE LAND OF BURNS. - - English Railway Coaches—Millionaires, Crowned Heads, and Fools—A - Conductor Caught on a Cow-catcher—Last Rose of Summer—Off on - Foot to the Land of Burns—Appearance of Country and Condition of - People—Destination Reached—Doctor Whitsitt and Oliver Twist—The - Ploughman Poet—His Cottage—His Relics—His Work and Worth—His - Grave and Monument—A Broad View of Life. Page, 38 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - EDINBURGH. - - A Jolly Party of Americans—Dim-Eyed Pilgrim—Young Goslings—An - American Goose Ranch—Birthplace of Robert Pollok and Mary - Queen of Scots—The Boston of Europe—Home of Illustrious Men—A - Monument to the Author—Monument to Sir Walter Scott—Edinburgh - Castle—Murdered and Head Placed on the Wall—Cromwell’s - Siege—Stones of Power—A Dazzling Diadem—A Golden Collar—Baptized - in Blood—Meeting American Friends. Page, 47 - - - CHAPTER V. - - A TRAMP-TRIP THROUGH THE HIGHLANDS. - - His Royal Highness and a Demand for Fresh Air—A Boy in - his Father’s Clothes—Among the Common People—Nature’s - Stronghold—Treason Found in Trust—Body Quartered and Exposed - on Iron Spikes—Receiving a Royal Salute—Following no Road but - a Winding River—Sleeveless Dresses and Dyed Hands—Obelisk to a - Novelist and Poet—On the Scotch Lakes—Eyes to See but See Not—A - Night of Rest and a Morning of Surprise—A Terrestrial Heaven—A - Poetic Inspiration—A Deceptive Mountain—A Glittering Crown—Hard - to Climb—An Adventure and a Narrow Escape—Johnson Gives Out—Put - to Bed on the Mountain Side—On and Up—A Summit at Last—Niagara - Petrified—Overtaken by the Night—Johnson Lost in the Mountains—A - Fruitless Search—Bewildered—Exhausted—Sick. Page, 57 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - A GENERAL VIEW OF SCOTLAND. - - Highlands and Lowlands—Locked up for Fifteen Days—The Need of - a Good Sole—A Soft Side of a Rock—The Charm of Reading on the - Spot—A Fearful Experience—Bit and Bridle—Thunder-Riven—Volcanic - Eruption—Dangerous Pits—An Hundred-Eyed Devil—Gloomy - Dens—Meeting an Enemy—Eyes Like Balls of Fire—Voice Like Rolling - Thunder—A Speedy Departure—Leaping from Rock to Rock—Silver - Thread among the Mountains—Imperishable Tablets—The Cave of - Rob Roy and the land of the MacGregors—Lady of the Lake and - Ellen’s Isle—Lodging with Peasants and with Gentlemen—Rising - in Mutiny—Strange Fuel—Character of Scotch People—Scotch - Baptists—Sunrise at Two O’Clock in the Morning. Page, 67 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - FROM DUNDEE TO MANCHESTER. - - Scotch Presbyterians in Convention—Their Character and - Bearing—On the Footpath to Abbotsford—The Home of Scott—Five - Miles through the Fields—Melrose Abbey and the Heart of - Bruce—Hospitality of a Baptist Preacher—Adieu to Scotland—Merry - England—Manchester—Exposition and Prince of Wales—Manchester - and Cotton Manufacturers—A $25,000,000 Scheme—Dr. Alexander - Maclaren—His Appearance—The Force of his Thought—The Witchery of - his Eloquence—His Hospitality Enjoyed—A Promise Made. Page, 75 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - BAPTIST CENTENNIAL. - - Three Baptist Associations—Centennial Year and Jubilee - Year—Baptists Seen at their Best—Doctor Alexander - Maclaren—Matchless Eloquence—Hon. John Bright Delivers an - Address—Boundless Enthusiasm—English Hospitality—A Home with the - Mayor. Page, 84 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - A SOJOURN IN ENGLAND AND ON TO WALES. - - Arrested and Imprisoned—Released without a - Trial—Nottingham—Dwellers in Caves—Seven Hundred Years - Old—Forests of Ivanhoe and Robin Hood—Birthplace of Henry Kirk - White—Home of the Pilgrim Fathers—Home of Thomas Cranmer—A - Guide’s Information—Home of Lord Byron—Wild Beasts from the Dark - Continent—A Sad Epitaph—Byron’s Grave—A Wedding Scene—Marriage - Customs—Wales and Sea-Bathing—Among the Mountains—Welsh - Baptists—A Tottering Establishment. Page, 90 - - - CHAPTER X. - - LONDON. - - Entering London—The Great City Crowded—Six Million Five Hundred - Thousand People Together—Lost in London—A Human Niagara—A - Policeman and a Lockup—The Jubilee and the Golden Wedding—“God - Save the Queen.” and God Save the People—Amid England’s Shouts - and Ireland’s Groans Heard. Page, 98 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - SIGHTS OF LONDON. - - Traveling in London—London a Studio—The Hum of Folly and the - Sleep of Traffic—Five Million Heads in Nightcaps—Too Many People - Together—Survival of the Fittest—Place and Pride—Poverty and - Penury—Beneficence in London—East End—Assembly Hall—A Converted - Brewer—His Great Work—Meeting an Old Schoolmate. Page, 107 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - A TRIO OF ILLUSTRIOUS MEN. - - Joseph Parker—Canon Farrar—Charles H. Spurgeon. Page, 118 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - NOTTINGHAM, CAMBRIDGE, AND BEDFORD. - - Preaching to 2,500 People—Entertained after the Manner of - Royalty—Excursion to Cambridge—What Happened on the Way—Received - an Entertainment by the Mayor—Cambridge University—King’s - Chapel—Fitzwilliam Museum—Trinity College—Cambridge Bibles—Adieu - to Friends—Bedford—The Church where John Bunyan Preached—Bedford - Jail, where Bunyan wrote _Pilgrim’s Progress_—Bunyan’s - Statue—Elstow, Bunyan’s Birthplace—His Cottage—His Chapel—An Old - Elm Tree. Page, 123 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - THE BAPTISTS OF ENGLAND. - - Their Number and Divisions—The Regular Baptists—Their - Movements and Progress. Page, 130 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - LAST OF ENGLAND AND FIRST OF THE CONTINENT. - - Windsor Castle, the Home of England’s Queen—Queen Victoria—The - Home of Shakespeare—Across the Channel—First Impressions—Old - Time Ways—Brussels on a Parade—Waterloo Re-enacted—A Visit to - the Field of Waterloo—A Lion with Eyes Fixed on France—Interview - with a Man who Saw Napoleon—Wertz Museum—“Napoleon in - Hell”—“Hell in Revolt against Heaven”—“Triumph of Christ”—Age - Offering the Things of the Present to the Man of the Future. - Page, 143 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - FROM BELGIUM TO COLOGNE AND UP THE RHINE. - - Brussels—Its Laces and Carpets—Belgium a - Small Country—Cultivated like a Garden—Into - Germany—Aix-La-Chapelle—Birthplace of Charlemagne—Capital of - Holy Roman Empire—Cathedral Built by Charlemagne—A Strange - Legend—Shrine of the Four Relics—A Pulpit Adorned with Ivory and - Studded with Diamonds—Cologne—Its Inhabitants—Its Perfumery—Its - Cathedral—A Ponderous Bell—A Church Built of Human Bones—Sailing - up the Rhine—A River of Song—Bonn—Its University—Birthplace - of Beethoven—Feudal Lords—The Bloody Rhine—Dragon’s Rock—A - Combat with a Serpent—A Convent with a Love Story—Empress - of the Night—Intoxicated—Coblentz—A Tramp-Trip through - Germany—Sixteen Thousand Soldiers Engaged in Battle—Enchanted - Region—Loreli—Son-in-Law of Augustus Caesar—Birthplace of - Gutenberg, the Inventor of Printing. Page, 155 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - FROM FRANKFORT TO WORMS. - - Frankfort-on-the-Main—Met at Depot by a Committee—Frankfort, the - Home of Culture and Art—Birthplace of Goethe—“He Preaches like a - God”—The Home of Rothschild—A Visit to his House—Worms and its - History—Luther and a Bad Diet—Luther Monument—Theses Nailed on - the Door—Fame of Luther and his Followers more Imperishable than - their Bronze Statues. Page, 168 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - GERMAN BAPTISTS. - - A Weak Beginning—Persecutions—Firm Faith—Rapid Growth—A Trio of - Leaders—Theological Schools—Publishing House—Hopeful Outlook. - Page, 174 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - OUT OF GERMANY INTO SWITZERLAND. - - A Lesson from Nature—Tramp-Trip through the Black - Forests—Heidelberg Castle—Basle, Switzerland—Met by a - Friend—Emigrants off for America—Delivering an Address to - the Emigrants—The Grave of Erasmus—Gateway to the Heart of - the Alps—Snowy Peaks—Rendezvous of the Nations—Beautiful - Scene—Moonlight on the Lake—Sweet Music—Pretty Girls—Mountains - Shaken with Thunder and Wrapped with Fire. Page, 184 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - SWITZERLAND AS SEEN ON FOOT. - - Alpine Fever—Flags of Truce—Schiller and the Swiss Hero—Tell’s - Statue and Chapel—Ascent of the Rigi—Beautiful Scenery—Famous - Falls—Rambles in the Mountains—Glaciers—The Matterhorn—Yung - Frau—Ascent of Mount Blanc—An Eagle in the Clouds—Switzerland - and her People—The Oldest Republic in the World—“Home, - Sweet Home”—High Living—Land Owners—Alpine Folk—Night Spent - in a Swiss Chalet—Johnson in Trouble—Walk of Six Hundred - Miles—Famous Alpine Pass—A Night above the Clouds—Saint Bernard - Hospice—Overtaken in a Snow-Storm—Hunting Dead Men—The Alps as - a Monument—Geneva—Prison of Chilon—How Time was Spent—Tongue of - Praise. Page, 190 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - BAPTIST MISSION WORK IN FRANCE. - - Incipiency of the Work—Obstacles to Overcome—Progress —Hopeful - Outlook. Page, 213 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - FROM VIENNA DOWN THE DANUBE TO CONSTANTINOPLE. - - A Black Night on the Black Sea—A Doleful Dirge—Two Thousand - Miles—Vienna—Its Architecture—Its Palace—Its Art Galleries and - Museums—Through Hungary, Servia, Slavonia, and Bulgaria—Cities - and Scenery along the Danube—Products of the Countries—Entering - the Bosphorus amid a War of the Elements—Between Two - Continents—Constantinople—Difficulty with a Turkish Official—A - Babel of Tongues—The Sultan at Prayer—Twenty Thousand Soldiers - on Guard—Multiplicity of Wives—Man-Slayer. Page, 220 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO ATHENS. - - A Stormy Day on Marmora—Sunrise on Mount Olympus—Brusa, - the Ancient Capital of Turkey—Ancient Troy—Homeric - Heroes—Agamemnon’s Fleet—The Wooden Horse—Paul’s Vision - at Troas—Athens—A Lesson in Greek—The Acropolis—The - Parthenon—Modern Athens—Temple of Jupiter—The Prison of - Socrates—The Platform of Demosthenes—Mars Hill and Paul’s - Sermon—Influence of the Ancients. Page, 230 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - ASIA MINOR AND THE ISLAND OF PATMOS. - - Smyrna—Its Commerce—Its Population—Famed Women—Home of the - Apostle John—One of the Seven Asiatic Churches—Martyrdom and - Tomb of Polycarp—Emblematic Olive Tree—Out into the Interior - of Asia Minor—Struck by Lightning—Visit to Ephesus—Birthplace - of Mythology—Temple of Diana—Relics of the Past—Homer’s - Birthplace—A Baptist Preacher and a Protracted Meeting—John the - Baptist and the Virgin Mary—Timothy’s Grave—Cave of the Seven - Sleepers—Return to Smyrna—Sail to Patmos—Patmos, the Exiled Home - of the Apostle John—The Island of Rhodes and the Colossus—Death - and Disease on the Ship—Quarantined—A Watery Grave—Hope Anchored - within the Vail. Page, 240 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - FROM BEYROUT TO THE CEDARS OF LEBANON. - - Landing at Beyrout—Escape from Death—Thankful Hearts—Seed - Planted—Desire Springs up—Bud of Hope—Golden Fruit—“By - God’s Help”—Preparations—New Traveling Companions—Employing - a Dragoman—A Many-Sided Man Required to Make a Successful - Traveler—“Equestrian Pilgrims”—A Great Caravan—Ships of the - Desert—Preparations for War—A Dangerous Mishap—National - Hymn—Journey Begun—Mulberry Trees—Fig-Leaf Dresses—An Inspiring - Conversation—The Language of Balaam—City of Tents—General - Rejoicing—Tidings of Sadness—Welcome News—First Night in - Tents—Sabbath Day’s Rest—Johnson and his Grandmother—A Wedding - Procession—Johnson Delighted—Brides Bought and Sold—Increase - in Price—Inferiority of Woman—Multiplicity of Wives—Folding of - Tents—Camel Pasture—Leave Damascus Road—Noah’s Tomb, Eighty-Five - Feet Long—Perilous Ascent—Brave Woman—“If I Die, Carry Me on to - the Top”—The Cedars at Last—Emotions Stirred—“The Righteous Grow - like the Cedars of Lebanon”—Amnon. Page, 250 - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - FROM THE CEDARS OF LEBANON TO BAALBEK. - - Returning to Tents—Mountain Spurs and Passes—A Modern - Thermopylae—Two Caravans Meet—A Fight to the Death—How Johnson - Looks—Victory at Last—Into the Valley where the King Lost his - Eyes—Playing at Agriculture—Squalid Poverty—Baalbek—Its Mighty - Temples—Men, Mice and Monkeys—A Poem Writ in Marble. Page, 269 - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - DAMASCUS. - - A Beautiful Valley—Flowing Rivers—Mohammed at - Damascus—Garden of God—Paul at Damascus—Mohammedan - at Prayer—Valley More Beautiful—Damascus Exclusively - Oriental—Quaint Architecture—“Often in Wooden Houses - Golden Rooms we Find”—Narrow Streets—Industrious - People—Shoe Bazaars—Manufacturing Silk by hand—Fanatical - Merchants—“Christian Dogs”—Cabinet-Making—Furniture Inlaid - with Pearl—Camel Markets—A Progenitor of the Mule—Machinery - Unknown—Ignorance Stalks Abroad—Fanatical Arabs—A Massacre—The - Governor Gives the Signal—Christians Killed—French Army—Abraham - Our Guide—Brained before Reaching the Post-Office—Warned not - to Look at the Women—Johnson’s Regret—Vailed Women—Johnson’s - Explanation. Page, 276 - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - THE NAAMAN HOSPITAL FOR THE LEPROSY. - - Naaman, the Leper—His Visit to Elisha—The Prophet’s - Command—Naaman Cured—House Turned into a Leper Hospital—Off to - the Lepers’ Den—Origin, History and Nature of Leprosy—Arrival at - the Gloomy Prison—Abraham, “I Didn’t Promise to Go into the Tomb - with You”—“Screw your Courage to the Sticking Point”—Johnson’s - Reply—Suspicious of the Arab Gate-Keepers—A Charge to - Abraham—Life in Johnson’s Hands—Mamie and the Currant-Bush—Among - the Lepers—Judgment Come—Graves Open—Living Corpses—Walking - Skeletons—Strewing out Coins—An Indescribable Scene—An Indelible - Picture—Horrible Dreams. Page, 292 - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - FROM DAMASCUS TO THE SEA OF GALILEE. - - Sick, nigh unto Death—“Night Bringeth out the Stars”—Mount - Hermon and the Transfiguration—Beautiful Camp-Ground—Amnon, - the Reliable—“Thou Art Peter”—Fountain of the Jordan—Slaughter - of the Buffaloes—Crossing into Galilee—Dan—Abraham’s Visit—A - Fertile Valley—Wooden Plows—A Bedouin Village—Costumes of Eden—A - Gory Field—Sea of Galilee—Sacred Memories—The Evening Hour—A - Soliloquy—Bathing—Sailing—Fishing. Page, 303 - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - FROM THE SEA OF GALILEE TO NAZARETH. - - A Seven Hour’s Journey—A Rough Road and a Hot - Sun—Gazelles—Nimrods of To-day—Historic Corn-Field—Cana - of Galilee—First Miracle—Cana at Present—Greek and - Roman Convents—Conflicting Stories of Greek and Latin - Priests—Explanation—An Important Fact—Marriage Divinely - Instituted—Woman Degraded—Woman Honored—Description - of Nazareth—Childhood Home of Jesus—Jesus and the - Flower-Garden—Studying Nature—He Goes to the Mountain - Top—Without Bounds or Limits—A Fit Play-Ground and Suitable - School-Room for the Royal Child—Rock Bluff where the People - Tried to “Cast him down Headlong”—The Carpenter Shop—The - Virgin’s Fountain—Nazareth at Present—Protestant Missions—A - Short Sermon and a Sweet Song. Page, 319 - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - - A CHARACTERISTIC SCENE IN THE ORIENT. - - Shepherd Tents—Many Flocks in One Sheep-Cote for the Night—Many - Merchants from Different Countries—Ships Anchored—Arabs at - Meal—Arabs Smoking—Shepherds with their Reed-Pipes—Merchants’ - Response—Music and Dancing at Night—Bustle and Confusion in - the Morning—Fight Like Madmen—Over-Burdened Camels—Camp Broken - up—Dothan and Joseph’s Pit—Money-Loving Mohammedans—Crafty - Jews—Return to Tents—The Shepherds Awaken—Crook, Sling and - Reed-Pipe—David and Goliath—Shepherds under the Star-Lit - Sky—”Glory to God in the Highest.” Page, 337 - - - CHAPTER XXXII. - - FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO. - - A Man “Fell among Thieves”—The Way still Lined with - Thieves—Guards Necessary—Across the Mount of Olives—Bethany - and its Memories—David’s Flight from Jerusalem—”Halt! - Halt!”—Seized with Terror—Splendid Horsemanship—”A Hard Road to - Trabble”—Inn where the Good Samaritan Left the Jew—Brigands on - the Way-side—Robbers and Guards in Collusion—Topography of the - Country—Dangers and Difficulties—Perilous Places Passed—Plain - of Jericho—Writhing in Agony—The City of Palms—Trumps of - Joshua—Jericho in the Time of Herod—Iron-Fingered Fate—Jericho - at Present—A Divine Region—Pool of Moses—Antony and Cleopatra. - Page, 346 - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - - BEYOND THE JORDAN. - - Plain of Moab—Children of Israel—Moses’s Request—Moab a Rich - Country—Lawless Clans—A Traveler Brutally Murdered—A Typical - Son of Ishmael—Dens and Strongholds—Captured by a Clan of - Arabs—Shut up in Mountain Caves—Heavy Ransom Exacted—The - Moabite Stone—Confirmation of Scripture—Machaerus—John the - Baptist—Prison Chambers—Character of John—How to Gauge a - Life—Hot-Springs—Herod’s Visit—”Smell of Blood still”—Mount - Nebo—Fine View—Life of Moses—From Egypt to Nebo—An Arab - Legend—Death of Moses. Page, 362 - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - - THE JORDAN. - - Two Thoughts—From Nebo to the River—Thrilling Emotions—Historic - Ground—A Sacred Scene—An Earnest Preacher—Christ - Baptized—Awe-Stricken People—A Sacred River—Bathing of - Pilgrims—Robes Become Shrouds—The Ghor of the Jordan—The Valley - an Inclined Plane—The Three Sources of the River—The Jordan - Proper—Banks—Tributaries—Bridges—River Channel—Velocity of the - Water—Its Temperature—Its Width and Depth—Vegetation along the - Stream—Wild Beasts—Birds. Page, 380 - - - CHAPTER XXXV. - - THE DEAD SEA. - - A Wonderful Body of Water—Receives 20,000,000 Cubic Feet of - Water per Day—Has no Outlet—Never Fills Up—In the Sea—Johnson’s - Suggestion as to my Identity—Why One Cannot Sink—”Salt - Sea”—Caught in a Storm—Danger of Death—Dreary Waste—Sea of - Fire—Johnson’s Argument—New-Born Babe—Child Dies—Lot’s Wife—Her - Past History and Present Condition—The Frenchman’s Book—Why the - Sea is so Salt—Why it Never Fills Up—Sown with Diamonds—Origin - of the Dead Sea—God’s Wrath—The Sodom Apple—The Sea an Emblem of - Death. Page, 397 - - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - - TWO RUSSIAN PILGRIMS, OR A PICTURE OF LIFE. - - A Steep Mountain—Rough Base—Beautiful Summit—Russian - Pilgrims—Journey up Mountain—Life’s Hill—Courage in - Heart—Marriage Altar—Long Pilgrimage—Star of Hope. Page, 409 - - - CHAPTER XXXVII. - - FROM JERUSALEM, VIA BETHLEHEM AND POOLS OF SOLOMON, TO HEBRON. - - Rachel’s Tomb—Bethlehem—Ruth and Boas—David the Shepherd - Lad—Cave of the Nativity—Pools of Solomon—Royal Gardens—The Home - of Abraham—Abraham’s Oak—Abraham’s Mummy. Page, 414 - - - CHAPTER XXXVIII. - - FROM DAN TO BEERSHEBA. - - Palestine—Its Situation—Its Dimensions—Its Names—Its - Topography—Its Climate—Its Seasons—Its Agriculture—Its - People—The Pleasure of Traveling through Palestine. Page, 426 - - - CHAPTER XXXIX. - - JERUSALEM. - - Approaching Jerusalem—Coming Events—Dreams—Light Breaks - In—Serenade—Zion, the City of God—Prayers Answered—Gratitude—A - Vision of Peace—Blighted Fig-Tree—Still a Holy City—Prominence - of Jerusalem—Its Influence among the Nations—A Melted - Heart—Tents Pitched—Walk About Zion—Situation of the City—Its - Walls—Its Gates—Afraid of Christ—Crossing the Kedron—Tomb of - Virgin Mary—Gethsemane—What it Means, What it Is, and How it - Looks—Superstitious Monks—Jerusalem Viewed from the Mount of - Olives—Architecture of the City—Prominent Objects—Entering the - City—Its Streets—Its Population—Jewish Theologues—Remaining - Portion of Solomon’s Temple—”Wailing Place” of the Jews—Kissing - the Wall—Weeping Aloud—Fulfillment of Prophecy—Only One - Conclusion. Page, 445 - - - CHAPTER XL. - - JERUSALEM CONTINUED—MOSQUE OF OMAR. - - Haram Area—Its Past and Present—Wall—Gates—Stopped at the Point - of Daggers—Legal Papers and Special Escort—Mosque of Omar—Its - Exterior and Interior—A Great Rock Within—History and Legends - Connected with the Rock—Mohammed’s Ascent to Heaven—Place of - Departed Spirits—Their Rescue—Ark of the Covenant—Golden Key. - Page, 467 - - - CHAPTER XLI. - - IN AND AROUND JERUSALEM. - - Church of the Holy Sepulchre—Peculiar Architecture—Strange - Partnership—The Centre of the Earth—The Grave of - Adam—Unaccountable Superstitions—An Underground World—Pool of - Siloam—Kedron Valley—The Final Judgment—Tomb of the Kings—Valley - of Hinnom—Lower Pool of Gihon—Moloch—Gehenna—Upper Pool of - Gihon—Calvary—The Savior’s Tomb. Page, 479 - - - CHAPTER XLII. - - EGYPT. - - Jaffa—Its History and its Orange Orchard—On the - Mediterranean—Port Said—Suez Canal—The Red Sea—Pharaoh and his - Host Swallowed Up—From Suez to Cairo—Arabian Nights—Egyptian - Museum—Royal Mummies—A Look at Pharaoh—A Mummy 5,700 Years - Old—A Talk with the King—Christmas-Day and a Generous - Rivalry—Donkey-Boys of Cairo—Wolves around a Helpless - Lamb—Johnson on his Knees—Yankee Doodle—The Nile—The Prince of - Wales—Pyramid in the Distance—Face to Face with the Pyramid - of Cheops—Ascending the Pyramid—Going in it—Johnson Cries for - Help—The Sphinx, and what it is Thinking about. Page, 495 - - - CHAPTER XLIII. - - A BURIED CITY—POMPEII. - - Long Shut Out of Civilization—Four Days in Gehenna—Paul’s - Experience Co-Incides with Ours—Dead—Buried—A Stone Against - the Door—Raised from the Grave—Under an Italian Sky—”See - Naples and Die”—Off for the City of the Dead—Knocking for - Entrance—Earthquake—Re-Built—Location of the City—Boasted - Perfection—City Destroyed by a Volcano—Vivid Description - by an Eye-Witness—Rich Field for Excavation—What Has been - Found—Returns to Get Gold—Poetical Inspiration—Pompeii at - Present—Mistaken Dedication. Page, 515 - - - CHAPTER XLIV. - - VESUVIUS IN ACTION. - - As it Looks by Day and by Night—Leaving Naples—First Sight - of Vesuvius—Description—The Number of Volcanoes—Off to See - the Burning Mountain—A Nameless Horse—Respect for Age—Refuse - Portantina—Mountain of Shot—A Dweller in a Cave—A Slimy - Serpent for a Companion—Jets of Steam—Vulcan’s Forge—Exposed - to a Horrible Death—Upheavals of Lava—Showers of Fire—Fiery - Fiends—Winged Devils—Tongue of Fire—A Voice of Thunder. Page, 526 - - - CHAPTER XLV. - - ROME—ANCIENT AND MODERN. - - The Mother of Empires—Weeps and Will not be Comforted—Nero’s - Golden Palace—Ruined Greatness—Time, the Tomb-Builder—Papal - Rome—The Last Siege—Self-Congratulations—Better Out-Look—The - Seven-Hilled City—Vanity of Vanities—The Pantheon—Nature Slew - Him—The Shrine of All Saints. Page, 535 - - - CHAPTER XLVI. - - ROME—ITS ART AND ARCHITECTURE. - - A Question Asked—Answer Given—Nature as Teacher—Italians - as Pupils—Great Artists—The Inferno—The Cardinal in - Hell—The Pope’s Reply—A Thing of Beauty—The Beloved—The - Transfiguration—Architecture—Marble Men Struggle to - Speak—Resplendent Gems. Page, 544 - - - CHAPTER XLVII. - - BAPTIST MISSION WORK IN ITALY. - - Why Italy is a Mission-Field—Beginning of the - Work—Difficulties—Increase of Forces—Growth of Work—Sanguine - Expectations. Page, 553 - - - CHAPTER XLVIII. - - FROM ROME, VIA FLORENCE TO VENICE. - - Peasants—A Three-Fold Crop—Elba, the Exiled Home of - Napoleon—Pisa—Leaning Tower—An Odd Burial-Ground—Florence—The - Home of Savonarola, Dante, and Michael Angelo—Art Galleries—On - to Venice—A Flood—Johnson Excited—Storm Raging—Lightening the - Ship—Venice, a Water-Lily—No Streets but Water—No Carriages but - Gondolas—Shylocks. Page, 563 - - -ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - COLORED PLATES. Page. - - The River Jordan, where it is supposed Christ - was baptised, 380 - Vesuvius in Action, 526 - - - MAP. - - Palestine—Time of Christ, 250 - - - WOOD ENGRAVINGS, PHOTO-ENGRAVINGS, ETC. - - Steel Plate of the Author—Frontispiece, - Clarence P. Johnson, 40 - Burns’ Cottage, 42 - Burns’ Monument, 45 - Edinburgh, 48 - Scott’s Monument, 51 - Edinburgh Castle, 53 - Abbotsford, 76 - Melrose Abbey, 78 - Newstead Abbey, 94 - Chapel of Henry VII, Westminster Abbey, 104 - Nelson’s Monument, 106 - The House of Parliament, 109 - The Tower of London, 112 - St. Paul’s Cathedral, 115 - Chas. H. Spurgeon, 120 - Bunyan’s Cottage, 129 - Edward Parker, 132 - Queen Victoria, 144 - Windsor Castle, 146 - The Home of Shakespeare, etc., (six pictures,) 148 - Strasburg Cathedral, 158 - View on the Rhine, 164 - Giessbach Falls, 192 - A Glacier in Switzerland, 197 - Among the Peaks, 202 - Hospice in the Alps, 208 - Swiss Mountains, 211 - The Belvidere, Vienna, 221 - The Danube, 224 - Castle on the Danube, 226 - Constantinople, 228 - Modern Athens, 231 - The Acropolis, 233 - The Parthenon of the Acropolis, 234 - The Acropolis of Athens as it was, 235 - Turkish Lady, 243 - Island of Patmos, 247 - Cedars of Lebanon, 263 - Ruins of Baalbek, 274 - Damascus, 278 - Tombs of the Caliphs, 290 - Sea of Galilee, 313 - Palms in Bush Form, 321 - Priest of the Greek Church, 325 - Vale and City of Nazareth, 330 - Interior of a Caravansary, 338 - Dancing Girl, 341 - Snake Charmer, 343 - Ancient Sheep Fold, 344 - Mt. of Olives, 348 - An Arab Horseman, 350 - A Bedouin, 352 - View on the Road from Jerusalem to Jericho, 356 - Ford of the Jordan, 391 - View in the Valley of the Jordan, 395 - The Dead Sea, 399 - Lot’s Wife, 402 - Ruth, 415 - Cave of the Nativity, 418 - Bethlehem, 420 - Pools of Solomon, 423 - Mosque of Hebron, 424 - Government Guards, 438 - Jerusalem, 448 - Hills and Walls of Jerusalem, 450 - Old Olive Trees in Gethsemane, 455 - Street in Jerusalem, 459 - Wailing Place of the Jews, 461 - Mosque of Omar, 470 - Solomon’s Temple as it was, 474 - Holy Sepulchre, 483 - Pool of Siloam, 486 - Tombs of the Kings of Judah, 489 - Burial of Christ, 492 - The Castle of David and Jaffa Gate, 497 - An Egyptian, 502 - Donkey Boys of Cairo, 507 - Pyramid and Sphinx, 509 - Pompeii, Street of Cornelius Rufus, 517 - Climbing Mt. Vesuvius, 528 - Colosseum of Rome, 537 - John H. Eager, 555 - Baptist Chapel at Pellice, Italy, 559 - Leaning Tower of Pisa, 565 - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -OFF FOR NEW YORK. - - Preparations—A Prayer and a Benediction—An Impatient Horse and a - Run for Eternity—Strange Sceptre and Despotic Sway—Beauty in White - Robes—Approaching the Metropolis—Business Heart of the New World—A - Bright Face and a Cordial Greeting—An Hour with the President—More - for a Shilling and Less for a Pound—A Stranger Dies in the Author’s - Arms—Namesake—Prospects of Becoming a Great Man—A Confused College - Student—The Hour of Departure—Native Land. - - -PREPARATIONS for the trip were completed when the week ended. Sunday, -with its sweet privileges and solemn services, came and went. Mother -and I knelt and prayed together. Rising to our feet, she looked up -through her tears and smilingly said, “Son, the Lord has given me -strength to bear the separation. ‘Go, and ‘God be with you till we meet -again.’” - -Monday morning, as the hands on the dial plate point to seven, Johnson -and I seat ourselves in a carriage which is drawn by a horse whose -path is steel, whose heart is fire, and whose speed is lightning. This -impatient steed stands champing his bit, and when the word is given -he starts on his long journey. At one bound he leaps the majestic -river, and on, on he rushes as if he fears eternity will come before -he reaches his journey’s end. After traveling only a few hours, we run -into a blinding snow-storm which reminds us that Winter still wields -his icy sceptre, and rules with despotic sway. This storm continues for -hours; in truth, it lasts until apparently the whole earth is wrapped -in a mantle of white, and until the majestic mountains of Pennsylvania -seem to rise up in their virgin purity to kiss the vaulted sky. - -Washington, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, as seen in their white robes, -are more beautiful than ever. Winter’s frosty breath has not chilled -their blood. They are filled with energy and throbbing with life. From -Philadelphia to New York, there is almost one continuous string of cars -on each track. Along here our fiery steed sometimes runs sixty miles an -hour. - -Long before we reach the metropolis, the shadows of the sombre evening -have shut out the light of day. As we enter this great city, it looks -as if a thousand times ten thousand lamps are all trimmed and burning. -New York is a marvelous city. - -As much time as I have spent here, I never cease to wonder at it. Who -could walk these streets without wondering at the miles of granite -buildings, all joining each other and towering up from seven to twelve -and fourteen stories high; at the broad sidewalks crowded from six -o’clock in the morning until ten at night with one ceaseless stream of -humanity; at the people rushing along at a breakneck speed, as if they -were going to great fires in different parts of the city. - -Notwithstanding the double-tracked elevated railway and the -double-tracked horse-cars, New York can not furnish transportation -for the people. She will, I think, soon be compelled to arrange for -an underground railway—this is a necessity. New York is the business -heart of the New World. Every American loves it. It is his pride at -home, his boast abroad. - -At Temple Court I receive my mail, and meet my friend, Dr. H. L. -Morehouse, corresponding secretary of the Baptist Home Missionary -Society. As usual, his face is bright and his greeting cordial. He -is planning great things for God, and expecting great things of God. -Few men have done more to honor God and build up the Baptist cause in -America than Henry L. Morehouse. - -A pleasant hour is spent with Dr. Norvin Green, President of the -Western Union Telegraph Company. His reminiscences of European travel -are rehearsed. He says that in London one can buy more for a shilling -and less for a pound than in any other place on earth. President Green -gives me a letter to his European representative, and kindly extends -other courtesies that are duly appreciated. - -After attending to banking business and securing our ocean passage, we -decide to run over to New Haven and spend a few days with some special -friends. The double railroad track between New York and New Haven is -constantly in use. When about half way between the two cities, our -engineer spies a handsomely dressed gentleman walking on the other -track, and going in the same direction that we are going. A train is -coming facing the gentleman. Unconscious of the presence of more than -one train, he steps from one track to the other, just in front of our -engine. Seeing the danger, both engineers try to stop their trains, -but do not succeed. Both blow their whistles at the same time, but the -walker, thinking all the noise is made by one train, pays no attention. -Crash! Our engine strikes the man, and throws him twenty feet from the -track. The trains stop. The passengers gather around the unfortunate -man. The blood is oozing from his ears and nostrils. I take his head -on my shoulder and raise him up to get air. He struggles—gasps for -breath—and all is over. A letter in his pocket indicates his name and -residence. - -A carriage is waiting for us at New Haven. On reaching there, we are -driven at once to the happy home of Mr. W. G. Shepard, who forthwith -presents me to Master Walter Whittle Shepard. This important character -is only twelve months old, but is full of life and promise. If he -combines the sweet spirit and graceful manners of his mother with the -strong character and bright intellect of his father, I believe he will -make a great and useful man notwithstanding the fact that he bears the -author’s name. - -New Haven, with her one hundred thousand souls and great manufacturing -interests, with her parks and colleges, with her broad streets and -lordly elms, is one of the prettiest cities on the American continent. - -When we retired last night, the snow was falling thick and fast; but we -awoke this morning to find that God had snatched a beautiful Sabbath -day from the bosom of the storm. - -Mark Twain is in New Haven. In the course of a lecture delivered here, -he said: “A certain college student got the words theological and -zoological confused—he did not know one from the other. In talking to -a friend, this collegian said: ‘There are a great many donkeys in the -Theological Garden.’” - -My stay in New Haven has been as pleasant as a midsummer dream, and -seemingly as short as a widower’s courtship. But we must now return to -New York. In less than three hours we will leave by the State Line, on -“The State of Indiana,” for Glasgow, Scotland. And now that the time of -my departure has come, I find myself breathing a prayer to God, asking -that He will direct my course; that He will guide my footsteps; that in -all my wanderings He will keep me from danger and death; that He will -finally bring me back in health and safety to the land of my birth, to -the friends of my childhood, to those whom I love and who are dearer to -me than life itself. And so may it be. More heartily than ever before, -I can say: - - “My native country! thee, - Land of the noble free, - Thy name I love: - I love thy rocks and rills, - Thy woods and templed hills; - My heart with rapture thrills - Like that above.” - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -ON THE HIGH SEAS. - - A Difficulty with the Officers of the Ship—A Parting Scene—Danger on - the Atlantic—A Parallel Drawn—Liberty Enlightening the World—Life - on the Ocean Wave—Friends for the Journey—The Ship a Little World—A - Clown and his Partner—Birds of a Feather—Whales—Brain Food—Storm - at Sea—A Frightened Preacher—Storm Rages—A Sea of Glory—Richard - Himself Again—Land in Sight—Scene Described—Historic Castle—Voyage - Ended—Two Irishmen. - - -STEPPING on board the steamship State of Indiana, I say to the purser: -“Sir, I am from the West; I want elbow-room. Can’t you take away -these partitions and turn several of these compartments into one?” He -replies: “You are _now_ from the West, but you will soon be _from_ this -ship, unless you keep quiet.” From this remark I see at once that the -fellow is a crank, and I will either let him have his own way or give -him a whipping. I choose the former; so we shake hands over the bloody -chasm—or, I should say, over the briny deep. - -I can never forget the scene that takes place at the wharf. The hour -for departure has arrived. Hundreds of people have gathered around the -vessel. As the last bell rings, there is hurrying to and fro. Friend -leaving friend; husband kissing wife; fathers and daughters, mothers -and sons, mingling their tears together, as parents and children take -their last fond embrace of each other. Ah! There are streaming eyes and -heavy hearts. As the vessel moves off, one sees the throwing of kisses, -the waving of hats and handkerchiefs. But we are gone. Tear-bedimmed -eyes can no longer behold the forms of loved ones. I dare say that many -of these partings will be renewed no more on this earth. - -One hazards very little in committing himself to the winds and -waves of the Atlantic when he is on a goodly vessel, wisely planned -and skillfully put together; when the sea-captain is faithful and -experienced, and understands the workings of the mariner’s compass and -the position of the polar star. But my very soul is stirred within me -when I think of the thousands and tens of thousands who are sailing on -life’s dark and tempestuous ocean without a chart or compass; without -a rudder to steer or a hand to direct them; without the light from the -Star of Bethlehem to guide them over the trackless waters to the Haven -of Rest. They came from nowhere! They see nothing ahead of them save -the rock-bound coast of eternity, beset with false lights which are -luring them on to the breakers of death and the whirlpool of despair. -From the bottom of my heart do I thank God for the “Old Ship of Zion,” -planned by Divine Wisdom, freighted with immortal souls, guided by the -Star of Hope, commanded by Jesus Christ, bound for the Port of Glory! - -As we leave New York, the Bartholdi Statue on Bedloe’s Island is one -of the last things we behold. This statue has been justly called “the -wonder of the century,” and one feels a national pride in the thought -that this statue, rising three hundred feet in the air, her right hand -lifting her torch on high—that this statue, the wonder of the age, -is a fit emblem of the country to which it belongs—_it is Liberty -enlightening the world_! - -I can not pause here to speak of the deep, strange and strong impulses -that stir one’s soul as he sees his native land fade from view. I must, -instead, proceed to tell the reader something about - - “A Life on the ocean wave, - A home on the rolling deep, - Where the scattered waters rave - And the winds their revels keep.” - -The first few days, if the sea is calm and quiet, and so it is with us, -are spent in forming new acquaintances. No one wants an introduction -to any one. Everybody is supposed to know everybody else. A hearty -hand-shake, a friendly look of the eye, and you are friends for the -journey. And I dare say that many who here meet will be firm friends -for the journey of life. The company on board the ship is a little -world within itself, representing almost every phase of human life, -from the lowest to the highest. Here a statesman, there a philosopher; -here a musician, there an artist. We have one wonderful fellow on -board, who is here, there, and everywhere. He is anything, everything -and nothing. He evidently has more life in his heels than brains in -his head, and more folly on his tongue than reverence in his heart—a -pretended musician, who has decidedly a better voice for eating soup -than for singing songs. And it comes to pass that a certain small boy -follows the example of this clown, and the two together make things -lively and thoroughly uncomfortable for the rest of the party. - -Naturally enough, after these acquaintances are formed, birds of a -feather flock together. The Rev. Dr. Malcom MacVicar, Chancellor -of the MacMaster University of Toronto, and his highly cultivated -lady, are among our fellow-passengers. I first met the Doctor some -years ago, when in Canada. He is an author of considerable note. For -twenty-five years previous to his going to Canada, he was probably the -most conspicuous figure in the educational circles of New York State. -The University over which he is now called to preside is a Baptist -institution with a million dollars endowment. Although raised to high -position and crowned with honors, Doctor MacVicar is as humble and -unassuming as though he were in the lowliest walks of life. Prof. -Honey, of Yale University, places his wife under my care. Mrs. Honey is -a lady of lovely character and superior attainments. Those whom I have -mentioned, together with two physicians from Indiana, and Rev. Mr. -Smith from Canada, form a little party somewhat to ourselves, though we -try not to appear clannish. - -The passengers are occasionally attracted by whales, and are much -interested in watching them. Frequently two or three may be seen -following the vessel for miles and miles at a time, to get such food as -may be thrown overboard. Then they strike out ahead of us, or to one -side, chasing each other through the water. These monsters of the deep -remind me of a former class-mate, who was noted more for genial nature -than for strong intellect. One day, while the class in chemistry were -reciting, he said: - -“Professor, I understand that fish is good brain-food. Is it true?” - -The teacher replied: “Yes, I am disposed to think there is some truth -in the statement.” - -“I am glad to know that, Professor, I am going to try it. How much do -you think I ought to eat?” - -“Well, Sir,” responded the sarcastic professor, “I should recommend at -least half a dozen whales.” - -I am sure, however, that when I last saw the student in question he had -not begun the eating of fish. - -The fourth day is stormy and the sea rough. The women and children -are sick, very sick. The men are thoroughly prepared to sympathize -with them. They all lose their sea-legs. The vessel is turned into a -hospital. It is really amusing to hear the different expressions from -these afflicted sons of Adam. - -One fellow, amid his heaving and straining, says: “I am not ‘zac’-ly -sea-sick, but my stomach hurts me mightily.” - -Another, in like condition, says: “If they would stop the ship only -five minutes I would be all right.” - -In the midst of the severest agony, an old gentleman ejaculates -something like this: “I left my children and loved ones at home, and I -expect to return in four months; but I would stay in Europe four years, -if I knew there would be a railroad built across in that time.” - -I did not hear this myself, but it is said of one clergyman on board -that amid the fierceness of the storm he became exceedingly uneasy. -Wringing his hands, and approaching the chief officer, he exclaimed: -“O Captain, Captain, is there any danger of d-e-a-t-h?” The captain -replied: “Would that I could give you some encouragement; but, my -Reverend Sir, in five minutes we shall all be in Heaven.” At this, the -distressed preacher clasped his hands and cried aloud, “God forbid!” A -United States Minister on board said that any one who would cross the -ocean for pleasure, would go to hell for amusement. - -For five days the sea rages, and the vessel rolls and labors and -groans. Looking out over the waters, I see ten thousand hills and -mountains, each crowned with white surf, which in the distance looks -like melting snow. Between these mountains there are deep gorges and -broad valleys. A moment later the mountains and valleys exchange -places. Now on the crest of a wave, the vessel is borne high in the -air, and now she drops into a yawning gulf below, coming down first on -one side then on the other. Now and then she pitches head-foremost, -reeling and staggering like a drunken man. - -But, as usual, calm and quiet follow the storm. The sea is now as -placid as a lake. The sun is going down, apparently to bathe himself in -a sea of glory. In a few minutes the gleaming stars will look down to -see their bright faces reflected in the water. The sick are restored to -health, the staggering walk is gone, and “Richard is himself again.” - -We were in sight of land almost the whole of yesterday. About twilight -last evening, we viewed the western coast of “bonnie Scotland.” I arose -at an early hour this morning, to find our stately craft smoothly -gliding on the placid waters of the river Clyde. It is a picture worthy -of the artist’s brush—a scene well calculated to inspire every emotion -of the poet’s soul. - -On the north side of the majestic river, there is a sodded plain, -broad and unbroken, gradually rising from the water’s edge. As we view -this wooded landscape o’er, we see, here and there, farmhouses, which -are as picturesque and beautiful as they are quaint and old, with -the smoke from their ivy-covered chimneys coiling up and ascending on -high like incense from the altar of burnt offering. Turning our eyes -southward, we behold, hard by the stream, a long chain of towering -mountains, whose gently sloping sides are carpeted with green grass, -and girt around with budding trees. The heavy rain-drops on the grass -and leaves are sparkling in the light of the new-risen sun. The -mountains are echoing the merry tune which comes from the whistling -plowman on the opposite shore. Now, between these two prospects, on -the broad and unruffled bosom of this flowing river, our heavily-laden -vessel, as though she were weary because of her long journey, moves -slowly, gracefully, noiselessly, with the stars and the stripes proudly -streaming from her mast-head. Indeed so motionless and queenly is our -goodly vessel in her onward course, that she is apparently standing -still while the mountains and plains are passing in review before her. - -A little farther up the stream, we see Dumbarton Castle standing in the -river. This historic rock measures a mile in circumference, and rises -three hundred feet above the water. This castle was at one time the -prison of Sir William Wallace, and afterwards the stronghold of Robert -Bruce. From here on to Glasgow the Clyde is lined on both sides with -iron-foundries and ship-building yards. - -The voyage ends at Glasgow. The passengers are glad once more to -press _terra firma_ under their feet. I would write something about -Glasgow, but I am like the more hopeful one of two Irishmen who went to -America. Landing in New York, they started up town. They had gone only -a few paces, when one of them saw a ten dollar gold piece lying on the -sidewalk, and stooped to pick it up. The other said: “Oh, don’t bother -to get that little coin; we will foind plenty of pieces larger than -that.” - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE LAND OF BURNS. - - English Railway Coaches—Millionaires, Crowned Heads, and Fools—A - Conductor Caught on a Cow-catcher—Last Rose of Summer—Off on - Foot to the Land of Burns—Appearance of Country and Condition of - People—Destination Reached—Doctor Whitsitt and Oliver Twist—The - Ploughman Poet—His Cottage—His Relics—His Work and Worth—His Grave - and Monument—A Broad View of Life. - - -I AROSE this morning at an early hour, and, after partaking of a hearty -breakfast, I at once repair to the Grand Central Depot in Glasgow -where, a few minutes later, I seat myself in an English railway car. -These cars are, of course, made on the same general plan as ours, yet -they are in some respects quite different. The coaches are of about -the same length as those used in America, but not so wide by eighteen -inches or two feet. Each coach is divided into five compartments, each -being five and one-half or six feet long. Each of these compartments -has two doors, one on either side of the car, also two seats. Persons -occupying these different seats must face each other, so one party or -the other must ride backwards. They have no water or other conveniences -on the train, as we Americans are accustomed to; no bell-rope to -pull, in case of accident; no baggage-checks—each passenger must -look after his own baggage. As for myself, I have no baggage, save -what I can carry in the car with me. They have first, second, and -third-class compartments, the fare per mile being four, three, and two -cents respectively. I have examined closely, and can not detect one -particle of difference between the first and second-class compartments, -either one being fully as good as our first-class car. The English -first and second-class compartments are slightly superior to the -third-class. It is a saying among the Europeans that only millionaires, -soreheads (crowned heads), and fools ride first-class. Being neither a -millionaire nor a crowned head, and, as I am unwilling to be classed as -a fool, I always take third-class passage. - -I believe in talking, asking questions, and exchanging ideas with every -man I meet, be he high or low, rich or poor. So, while standing at -the depot this morning, amid a great crowd of people, looking at the -engines, I remark to a pleasant-looking conductor standing near me, -that there is quite a difference in the engines used in this country -and those used in America. He wants to know what that difference is. -I tell him that our engines have cow-catchers before them and his -has none. “A cow-catcher,” says he, “and what is that?” I explain to -him that a cow-catcher is an arrangement fastened on in front of the -engines to remove obstructions from the road, to knock cows from the -track, etc. “Ah, indeed! We never need those in this country, and can -you tell me,” he continues, “why we do not need them?” “Well, sir,” I -reply, “I can see only one reason.” “And what is that, pray?” I answer, -“It must be, sir, that you do not run fast enough to overtake a cow.” -This creates quite a laugh at the conductors expense, though none seems -to enjoy it more heartily than he. Just at this moment, the train -starts, and I am off for Ayr, some forty miles away. - -[Illustration: CLARENCE P. JOHNSON.] - -As I step from the train in Ayr, the hack-drivers gather around me like -bees around the “Last Rose of Summer.” “Carriage, carriage, sir?” they -cry. “I’ll be glad to show you through the city, and take you to Burns’ -Monument—carriage, carriage?” Tipping my hat, I reply, “No, gentlemen, -I will take a carriage some other time, when I have more leisure. I -prefer walking to-day, as I am in a great hurry.” So, each with a -cane in his hand and a portmanteau strapped on his back, Johnson, my -pleasant traveling companion, and I set out on foot for “The Land of -Burns.” - -Luckily, we meet with some intelligent farmers who cheerfully give us -much valuable information about the country. They, in turn, ask many -questions concerning far-off America. Land in this part of Scotland -is worth from two hundred to three hundred dollars per acre, and the -annual rent is twenty to twenty-five dollars per acre. Most of the land -in this country is owned by a few “lords” and “nobles,” and the “common -people” are in bondage to them. They are in poverty and rags, as might -naturally be expected from the exorbitant rents which they have to pay. - - “Man’s inhumanity to man, - Makes countless millions mourn.” - -The principal crops raised by the farmers of this country are wheat, -oats, rye, barley and Irish potatoes. They grow no Indian corn. They do -not know what corn-bread is—many of them have never heard of it. - -[Illustration: BURNS’ COTTAGE.] - -After a walk of an hour and a half through a most charming country, -we reach our destination. I am now sitting in the room where was -born Robert Burns who, Dr. Whitsitt says, was the most important -personage that the British Isles have produced since the time of Oliver -Twist—oh, excuse me, I should have said, since the time of Oliver -Cromwell. I would have had it right at first, if that “twist” had -not gotten into my mind. This important personage was born 128 years -ago. How long this cottage was standing before that time, we do not -know; but, as you may imagine, it is now a rude and antique structure. -It is built of stone, and the walls are about six feet high. It has -an old-fashioned straw or thatched roof and a stone floor. A hundred -years ago, this room had only one window. That is only eighteen inches -square, and is on the back side of the house. In the time of Burns, the -cottage had only two rooms, though some additions have since been made. -The entire place is now owned by the “Ayr Burns’ Monument Association,” -and the original rooms are used only as a museum, wherein are collected -the furniture, books, manuscripts and other relics of the illustrious -bard. - -I have, for a long time, been somewhat familiar with the history and -writings of the “Peasant Poet,” whose birthplace I now visit, and I -have often read Carlyle’s caustic essay on Burns. I have just finished -reading his life, written by James Currie. I have read, to-day, “The -Holy Fair,” “Tam O’Shanter,” “Man Was Made to Mourn,” and “To Mary, -in Heaven,” and now, as I sit in the room where this High Priest of -Nature first saw light, as I sit at the table whereon he used to write, -and view the relics which once belonged to him, I am carried back for -a hundred years and made to breathe the atmosphere of the eighteenth -century. As I sit within these silent walls, a strange feeling comes -over me. I hear, or seem to hear, the lingering vibrations of that -golden lyre, whose master indeed is dead, but whose music still finds a -responsive echo in every human heart. Robert Burns, the man, was born -of a woman but Robert Burns, the poet, was born of Nature! He stole the -thoughts of Nature and told them to man. It was believed long ago that -Burns was the High Priest, the interpreter, of Nature, and - - “Time but the impression deeper makes, - As streams their channels deeper wear.” - -The multitudes who hither come, prove by their coming that - - “Such graves as his are pilgrim shrines, - Shrines to code nor creed confined— - The Delphic vales, the Palestines— - The Meccas of the mind.” - -Some three hundred yards beyond the cottage, we come to the “Burns’ -Monument,” beautifully situated on “The braes and banks o’bonnie Doon, -Tugar’s winding stream.” A more appropriate location could not have -been selected for this monument, as near by are the “Alloway Kirk,” the -“Wallace Tower,” the “Auld Mill,” and the “Auld Hermit Ayr,” and other -localities rendered famous by the muse of the ploughman poet. I stand -on the “Brig o’ Doon” before reaching the keystone of which Meg, Tam -O’Shanter’s mare, “left behind her ain grey tail.” - -[Illustration: BURNS’ MONUMENT.] - -From the top of this towering monument, which stands in the midst of -a beautiful flower-garden, I for once take a “broad view of life.” -With one sweep of the eye, I see the Doon, the Ayr, the Clyde, the -ocean! The scene is made more grand and inspiring, more picturesque and -beautiful, by the lakes, plains, hills and mountains which lie between, -overhang, and tower above, these laughing rivers. Ah! me, how my spirit -is stirred! Like Father Ryan, I have thoughts too lofty for language -to reach. In describing what I now see and feel, silence is the most -impressive language that can be used. Thought is deeper than speech. -Feeling is deeper than thought. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -EDINBURGH. - - A Jolly Party of Americans—Dim-Eyed Pilgrim—Young Goslings—An - American Goose Ranch—Birthplace of Robert Pollok and Mary Queen of - Scots—The Boston of Europe—Home of Illustrious Men—A Monument to - the Author—Monument to Sir Walter Scott—Edinburgh Castle—Murdered - and Head Placed on the Wall—Cromwell’s Siege—Stones of Power—A - Dazzling Diadem—A Golden Collar—Baptized in Blood—Meeting American - Friends. - - -WE ARE now in Edinburgh; we have been here some days. On our way from -Ayr, we fell in with a jolly party of American gentlemen. The eyes of -one grey-haired brother in the crowd are somewhat dimmed with age, -though he is unwilling to acknowledge it. - -As the train made a graceful curve around a mountain, we came into a -large, green pasture where many sheep were grazing. Now, the people of -this country feed their sheep on turnips—large, yellow turnips, with -the tops cut off. While in this pasture, we saw, some seventy-five -or a hundred yards from the road, a great quantity of these turnips -scattered over the grass for sheep food. The dim-eyed pilgrim spied the -yellow objects and, pointing to them, he enthusiastically exclaimed: -“Oh, what a fine lot of young goslings!” Then he added, “There are the -goslings, but where are the geese?” I explained that those objects he -saw were not “goslings” but turnips, and suggested that the goose was -on our train. Before we separated, the two parties became fast friends. -We all agreed to throw in and buy our friend a farm, to be known, not -as a turnip patch, but as “The American Goose Ranch,” and on this ranch -we are to meet the first day of May of each year, to discuss vital -questions and living issues pertaining to the life and character of -“young goslings.” - -[Illustration: EDINBURGH.] - -Leaving the pasture, we passed the Moorhouse farm, where Robert Pollok, -author of “The Course of Time,” was born, in 1798, two years after the -death of Robert Burns. We came by Linlithgow, the birthplace of Queen -Mary. The majestic ruins of its once proud palace are still standing on -a green hillside near the town, as if to impress the passer-by with the -mutability of all human greatness and all human grandeur. - -In one hour more we had reached the end of our journey. Edinburgh has -two hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, just half the number of -Glasgow, and is a magnificent city. It is the pride of every Scotchman. -It is called “The Classic City,” “The Bonnie City,” “The Capital City,” -“The Monumental City,” and “The Athens of Britain.” I expected to hear -it called “The Boston of Europe,” but the people did not seem to think -of it. This was the birthplace of Sir Walter Scott, the novelist and -poet; the home of Hume, the scholar and historian; of John Knox, the -reformer, who never feared the face of man, nor doubted the Word of -God; of Thomas Chalmers, the Astronomical preacher from whose pulpit -the stars poured forth a flood of light and glory; and it was for a -thousand years the home of the Scottish Kings and state officials. It -is now the political home of Gladstone, who is perhaps the greatest -living statesman, and the home of Drummond, author of “Natural law in -the Spiritual World.” - -The city is filled with many objects of peculiar interest, only a -few of which I will mention. About a hundred years ago, though the -people here speak of it as “recently,” the city was greatly enlarged, -and I suppose the object of the enlargement was to make room for -the monuments and statues. One sees a monument on almost every -street-corner, and there is a perfect forest of statuary. These Scotch -people are very fond of honoring great men. I am going to leave here -to-morrow, for fear they put up a monument to me. They have not said -anything about the monument yet, but I notice the police have been -following me about for two or three days, as though they thought of -something of that sort. - -[Illustration: SCOTT’S MONUMENT.] - -On Princess street, in the prettiest and most romantic part of the -city, stands a colossal monument to Sir Walter Scott which was -fashioned by one of the world’s greatest artists, and which is said to -be one of the most superb structures of the kind ever built. I am quite -prepared to believe the statement. In this monument architectural -grandeur and artistic beauty are blended in the sweetest and most -perfect manner imaginable. Like a sunset at sea, it never becomes -monotonous, but is always pleasing. A fit emblem this of Scott himself, -in whom a strong character was so gracefully blended with smooth -and polished manners. This monument may be painted, but it beggars -description. - -To me, however, the most interesting object in Edinburgh is the Castle, -located just in the centre of the city. The Castle is built on a high -rock whose base covers an area of eleven acres. This rock rises to a -height of four hundred feet, its summit being accessible only in one -place, the other portions of the rock being very precipitous, and, in -some places, absolutely perpendicular. The top of the rock presents -a level surface, has an area of five acres, and is surmounted by a -massive stone wall built close around on the edge of the cliff. On this -storm-beaten rock, and within these moss-covered walls, stands the -historical Castle, built ten centuries ago. In appearance the Castle -is “grand, gloomy, and peculiar.” In his charming poem, Marmion, Scott -refers to it thus: - - “Such dusky grandeur clothed the night, - Where the huge castle holds its state, - And all the steep slope down; - Whose ridgy back heaves to the sky, - Piled deep and massive, close and high, - Mine own romantic town!” - -According to the history of Scotland, which to me is as charming as -a story of romance, this Castle has a strange and bloody tale to -tell. Here James II was confined, likewise James III. Here “The Black -Dinner” was given, and the Douglasses were murdered. Here the Duke of -Argyle and the good Montrose were beheaded. Montrose, you remember, -is a conspicuous figure in Scottish history. He was loyal to his king -and country. He was courageous as a lion, and as true and noble as he -was brave. Yet he was tried before a false court, whose verdict was -that on the next day he should be put to death, and his head placed on -the prison wall. When permitted to reply, Montrose, in his calm and -dignified manner, stepped forward and, with his usual boldness, said to -the Parliament: “Sirs, you heap more honor upon me in having my head -placed upon the walls of this Castle, for the cause in which I die, -than if you had this day decreed to me a golden statue, or had ordered -my picture placed in the King’s bed-chamber.” - -[Illustration: EDINBURGH CASTLE.] - -In 1650, Cromwell besieged the Castle, for more than two months, -without success. This was the home of the beautiful Queen Mary at the -time she gave birth to James VI, since whose reign the whole of Great -Britain has been ruled by one sceptre. - -In what is called “The Crown Room” of the Castle, are “The Stones of -Power,” or the “Emblems of Scottish Royalty.” These regalia consist -of three articles, the Crown, the Sceptre, and the Sword of State. By -a fortunate circumstance, I obtain free access to these royal relics. -They are entirely new to me, hence I examine them closely. Thinking -perhaps the reader would like to know something of an earthly crown -before going home to wear an Heavenly one, I give the following -description of this one: The lower part is composed of two circles, the -undermost much broader than that which rises above it. Both are made of -purest gold. The under and broader circle is adorned with twenty-two -precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies, topazes, amethysts, -emeralds and sapphires. There is an Oriental pearl interposed between -each of these stones. The smaller circle, which surmounts the larger -one, is studded with small diamonds and sapphires alternately. From -this upper circle two imperial arches rise, crossing each other at -right angles, and closing at the top in a pinnacle of burnished gold. - -The Sceptre is a slender and an elegant rod of silver, three feet long, -gilded with gold and set with diamonds. The Sword of State is five feet -long. The scabbard is made of crimson velvet and is ornamented with -beautiful needlework and silver. - -In the same glass case with the above-named insignia, is a golden -collar of the “Order of the Garter,” which collar is said to be that -presented by Queen Elizabeth to King James VI when he was created -Knight of that Order. In the same case, is also a ruby ring labeled as -the coronation ring of Charles I. But enough about - - “The steep and belted rock, - Where trusted lie the monarchy’s last gems— - The Sceptre, Sword, and Crown that graced the brows, - Since Father Fungus, of an hundred kings.” - -I am having a perfect feast in re-reading the “Heart of Midlothian,” -the plot of which is laid in this city. I never had such a thirst for -knowledge, nor did I ever enjoy reading so much as now. I make daily -visits to the Haymarket, to the old Tolbooth, to Holyrood Palace, to -Arthur’s Seat, to the cottage where the Dean family lived, and to many -places which have been baptized in blood, and about which Scott’s muse -loved to sing. - -While in the Waverly Hotel, a few days ago, I chanced to meet Reverends -J. K. Pace and W. T. Hundly, Baptist preachers from South Carolina. -What a happy meeting! We were together only two days. Theirs was a -flying trip, and they had to rush on to London and the Continent -without seeing much of “Bonnie Scotland.” We agree to meet in six weeks -in London or Paris. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -A TRAMP-TRIP THROUGH THE HIGHLANDS. - - His Royal Highness and a Demand for Fresh Air—A Boy in his Father’s - Clothes—Among the Common People—Nature’s Stronghold—Treason Found - in Trust—Body Quartered and Exposed on Iron Spikes—Receiving a - Royal Salute—Following no Road but a Winding River—Sleeveless - Dresses and Dyed Hands—Obelisk to a Novelist and Poet—On the - Scotch Lakes—Eyes to See but See Not—A Night of Rest and a - Morning of Surprise—A Terrestrial Heaven—A Poetic Inspiration—A - Deceptive Mountain—A Glittering Crown—Hard to Climb—An Adventure - and a Narrow Escape—Johnson Gives Out—Put to Bed on the Mountain - Side—On and Up—A Summit at Last—Niagara Petrified—Overtaken - by the Night—Johnson Lost in the Mountains—A Fruitless - Search—Bewildered—Exhausted—Sick. - - -AFTER a sojourn of ten days, I left Edinburgh, the site of Scottish -nobility. While there I heard so much of Dukes and Earls, of Lords and -Nobles, of Her Majesty and His Royal Highness, etc., that it became -necessary for me to seek some mountain peak where I could get a full -supply of fresh air. If there is such a thing, I have a pious contempt -for high-sounding titles of honor and nobility, and especially when, -as is too often the case, the appellations themselves are of more -consequence than the men who wear them. A man may indeed have a _great -name_ “thrust upon him,” but _greatness itself_ is not thus attained. I -like to see a son inherit his father’s good qualities, and the more of -them the better, but as for honors and titles, let him win those for -himself. I saw a “Duke” the other day who reminded me of a half-grown -boy on the streets wearing his father’s worn-out pants and coat and hat. - -Well, as I started out to say, I became so nauseated with these -inherited, worn-out, loose-fitting titles of nobility that I determined -to leave the rendezvous of “honor,” and get out into the country -among the common people. Accordingly I left Edinburgh, a week ago -to-day, for an extended tramp-trip through the Highlands. I came first -by rail, via Glasgow, to Dunbarton, a ship-building town of 13,000 -inhabitants, on the river Clyde. Thence, a pleasant walk of three -miles brought me to Dunbarton Castle, which I saw from the steamer -as we were coming from America, and which was barely mentioned in a -previous chapter. “This Castle,” says the Scottish historian, “is one -of the strongest in Europe, if not in the world.” It is, as before -stated, a great moss-covered rock, standing in the river, measuring a -mile in circumference, and rising nearly three hundred feet high. In -the first century of the Christian era, the Romans gained possession -of, and fortified themselves in, this Castle. By the treachery of John -Monmouth, Sir William Wallace, while on this rock, was betrayed, in -1305, into the hands of the British, who took him to London and struck -off his head, after which his body was quartered and exposed upon -spikes of iron on London Bridge. A long two-handed sword, once used by -Wallace, and other ancient relics of warfare, are shown to the visitor. - -From the top of the Castle, one gets a commanding view of the -surrounding country. While there, looking northward, I saw Ben Lomond, -more than twenty miles away. I could not refrain from taking off my -hat to this “Mountain Monarch.” And, as if to return my salute, the -clouds just then were lifted, leaving the snow-covered head of the -mountain bare for a moment. For this act of civility, I determined -to pay His Royal Highness a visit. Hence, with felt hats pulled down -over our eyes, with canes in hand, and small leather satchels strapped -across our backs, my traveling companion and I set out on foot for the -Highlands. - -We followed no road, being guided by the river only, which flows from -Loch Lomond into the Clyde. The general scenery along this route is -nothing unusual; but the river itself is surpassingly beautiful, its -water being transparent, and flowing deep, smooth and swift, but -silent, between its level green banks. - -Just before entering a small town, on the river, called Renton, we -met hundreds of girls and young women homeward bound, all wearing -sleeveless dresses, and carrying tin buckets. Their dyed hands and -arms bespoke their occupation. They were factory girls, employed in -the paint works the largest in Scotland. In this town, is a splendid -obelisk to Tobias Smollet, the novelist and poet, who was born here in -1721. - -By eight o’clock we reached a wayside inn, where a few shillings -secured us comfortable accommodations. Next morning was dark and -cloudy. A few hours’ walk found us at the head of Loch Lomond, where -we took shipping on the neat little steamer, “Prince Consort.” We had -several tourists, artists, poets, musicians, and other persons of taste -and culture, on board, all of whom, like ourselves, had come to see and -enjoy “Bonnie Scotland.” But the clouds were so dark and low, the mist -so dense and heavy, that we could see little or nothing of the beauty -and grandeur by which we were surrounded. Before nightfall, though the -whole day seemed almost like night, “The Prince” touched at a landing -called Tarbet, where we disembarked and secured lodging. The day was -damp, cold and dark; everything around us wore a gloomy aspect. We were -tired. We could see nothing to interest the mind or delight the eye. So -Morpheus soon claimed us as his captives for the night. But, ere those -nocturnal hours passed away, God’s own hand removed the clouds and -curtains which, the day before, hid the works of Nature from our view. - -Next morning, the sound of the clock striking eight disturbed the -“spirit of my dreams.” The reader can better imagine, than I can -describe, my feelings when I arose and looked around me. I found that -it was a warm, bright, beautiful spring morning, and that I was in the -loveliest spot on earth. I was in the midst of a large flower-garden, -laid out with great care and excellent taste, containing a fine variety -of shrubbery and a rich profusion of delicate and fragrant flowers. -Behind me was a range of mountains, high and lifted up, extending also -to the right hand and to the left, leaving the flower-garden just in a -graceful curve of the mountain chain. Before me, and toward the east, -was Loch Lomond, the Queen of the Highland Lakes. Her waters were clear -as crystal, and her bosom was unruffled by a single wave, there being -just motion enough upon the mirror-like surface to cause the sunbeams -falling upon the water to glisten like a sea of sparkling diamonds. - -Across the Loch, and just one mile away, was Ben Lomond, the lordliest -mountain in all Scotland—the same that returned my salute from -Dunbarton Castle. While the foot of this majestic mountain was washed -by the waters of the lake, its brow was wrapped in the snow of winter -and bathed in the clouds of heaven. Thus the beautiful lake is -surrounded by - - “Mountains that like giants stand - To sentinel the enchanted land.” - -And each towering crag and cliff and mountain peak was seen reflected -in the silver mirror lying at their feet. - -In addition to all these attractions, that morning when I awoke it -seemed as if all the birds of the country, with their merry voices -and bright plumage, had assembled to hold their spring carnival. One -of their number was unlike any of the feathered tribe I had seen -before. It had a dove-colored breast; night and morning were delicately -interwoven in its wings, and it sang “as if every tiny bone in its body -were a golden flute.” A good old lady living there told me that when -Dr. Thomas Chalmers stood where I was standing that morning, and saw -and heard what then greeted my eyes and ears, he exclaimed: “I wonder -if there will be such scenery and music as this in heaven!” - -Ah! this is Scotland, “Bonnie Scotland,” whose picturesque scenery has -waked the harp of so many bards, and has often set the artist’s eye -“in fine frenzy rolling.” I am not surprised that the mantle of poesy -fell upon Burns while following the plow; my only wonder is that all -Scotchmen are not poets. In fact, when I awoke that morning and found -myself in that terrestrial heaven, I did not know what was the matter -with me. There was a fluttering underneath my ribs. It was a deep and -strong, yet a pleasing and delightful sensation. I thought it was a -poet’s soul in me! Rushing to the desk with hair uncombed, I arranged -my stationery, and sat with pen in hand waiting for the light to break -in upon me—but—but—the spell passed off before I could get hold of -the first rhyme. What a pity! - -After being here a short time, Johnson and I decide to take a trip -through the mountains and visit Loch Long, a few miles west. We are not -at all disappointed when we arrive at the Loch. The scenery is wild, -savage, grand! Beyond the lake, or loch, we see the Cobbler, a towering -mountain, covered with snow. The mountain is apparently not far off, -seemingly about two hours’ walk. Now this, the Cobbler, is not the -highest mountain in Scotland, but is said to be the hardest one in the -whole country to climb. - -Not knowing the difficulty of our undertaking, we determine to plant -our feet in the snow glittering upon the Cobbler’s crown. We are almost -exhausted when we reach the base, but, after resting a few minutes, -I say: “Johnson, renew your strength, and let us go.” For awhile the -ascent is comparatively easy; but we soon come to great walls of black -rock, rough and steep, some places being almost perpendicular. We try -to go around the worst places, determining, however, that when we -come to a rock which we can not go around, we will go over it. This -we manage to do by the assistance of the grass and twigs growing in -the crevices of the rock, but the climbing is exceedingly difficult -and tiresome, and often dangerous. One time in particular my escape is -narrow. I am standing on a narrow shelf of rock. Below me is a yawning -chasm, some sixty feet deep. Above is a wall almost straight up and -down, eighteen feet high. With dire apprehensions I start up. When -about two-thirds of the way up, a bush, whose fastenings in the crevice -of the rock are not as strong as I thought, gives way with me. Down I -come on the narrow rock-shelf, and almost into the chasm below. For -some minutes I am unable to move, though I am worse frightened than -injured. Johnson excitedly calls out: “Whittle, Whittle, are you hurt?” -I reply, “No, I am like a cat—always catch on foot. Besides, ‘A man’s -greatness consists not in his never falling, but in always rising after -a fall.’” - -The day before this memorable tramp, a heavy rain had fallen and the -grass, with which many parts of the mountain are covered, is very wet, -hence our feet are soon as wet as water can make them. Under these -difficulties, we have not gotten more than two-thirds of the way up -the mountain, before my companion, who, like a mountain goat, loves to -climb, gives out completely. He has neither the strength to go to the -top, nor the spirit to start down. Rest is the only hope. So, with two -overcoats for a pallet, a round stone for a pillow, and the blue sky -for a covering, I put Johnson to bed, and he is to sleep while I am to -continue my journey to the top of the mountain, and hasten back with -some snow for dinner. - -The summit is more distant, and the way more difficult and perilous, -than we had supposed. However, I have started to the top, and I am -determined to go there, “if it takes all the summer.” And I do. But -in order to accomplish my purpose I must go around and approach the -long-sought brow from the opposite side. I reach the very top! And, -although my trembling limbs are so weak and weary that I can scarcely -stand, yet I feel fully repaid for all my toil. The snow under my feet -is five feet deep. About a half mile beyond me is another mountain -towering up apparently a thousand feet above me, and covered with -snow from head to foot. It looks frightful; and almost unwittingly -I exclaim: “Niagara petrified! A mountain of snow falling from the -clouds!” The sight is grand, but I can not prolong my stay, for obvious -reasons. I am wet with perspiration, and, having left my overcoat with -Johnson, I am now suffering—the cold and cutting wind pierces to the -bone; and besides night is coming on. - -Now a new trouble begins. I can not find Johnson. I do not know on -which side of the mountain I left him. I have no idea as to where he -is! But the worst of all is that Johnson, after sleeping three hours, -wakens, and, as I have not returned, becomes uneasy about me. He -supposes that I have either gotten into the snow and can not get out, -or have fallen over some precipice and hurt or killed myself. So he, -out of the goodness of his heart, sets out in search of me. Each hunts -for the other until night without success. Fortunately, however, we -agreed in the morning on a place to spend the night. On reaching the -place agreed upon, I find that he is not there—nor has he been seen! -While I am making preparations to go back, with assistance, to hunt for -him the door flies open and in steps Johnson, completely exhausted, and -sick besides. Thus ends our first day among the mountains! - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -A GENERAL VIEW OF SCOTLAND. - - Highlands and Lowlands—Locked up for Fifteen Days—The Need of - a Good Sole—A Soft Side of a Rock—The Charm of Reading on the - Spot—A Fearful Experience—Bit and Bridle—Thunder-Riven—Volcanic - Eruption—Dangerous Pits—An Hundred-Eyed Devil—Gloomy Dens—Meeting - an Enemy—Eyes Like Balls of Fire—Voice Like Rolling Thunder—A - Speedy Departure—Leaping from Rock to Rock—Silver Thread among the - Mountains—Imperishable Tablets—The Cave of Rob Roy and the Land - of the McGregors—Lady of the Lake and Ellen’s Isle—Lodging with - Peasants and with Gentlemen—Rising in Mutiny—Strange Fuel—Character - of Scotch People—Scotch Baptists—Sunrise at Two O’Clock in the - Morning. - - -SCOTLAND, as the reader knows, is a small country. Its length from -north to south is two hundred miles, but east and west the country -is very narrow, no part of it being more than forty miles from the -sea-coast. This small area is divided into what are known as the -“Highlands” and “Lowlands,” the two sections being as unlike in the -nature of the soil, the character of the scenery, the habits and -industries of the people, as though they were a thousand miles apart. -To the historian and tourist the Highlands, occupying the northern, -or rather the northwestern, portion of Scotland, is by far the most -interesting section. The term, Highlands, however, does not, as many -people think, designate a broad, level, elevated table-land. On the -contrary, the Highlands of Scotland are a wild, savage world by -themselves, composed entirely of hills, morasses, mountains, glens, -moors, lakes and rivers. - -For the last fifteen days, I have been in the heart of this enchanted -land, locked, as it were, in this rock-ribbed region. I have spent the -time in walking through the country; rowing on the lochs, or lakes; -climbing mountains; threading glens; exploring caves; talking to the -people of high and low degree, thus gaining information of every kind -and character, both as to the past and present condition of this wild -country and its poverty-stricken people. Hard work this. A man walking -through the mountains needs a good sole (soul)—spell it as you please. -To me, however, the work (I can not call it by any other name half so -appropriate) has been as pleasant as it has been difficult, and as -profitable as both combined. When I become very tired, and that is no -infrequent occurrence, I spread myself out on the soft side of some -projecting rock, high on the mountain side, and there, while resting, I -alternately feast my eager eyes on the outstretching landscape, or read -from books which I have along for that purpose. I read the “History of -Scotland,” “Heart of Midlothian,” “Rob Roy,” “The Lady of the Lake,” -“The Lay of the Last Minstrel,” and “Marmion.” In this way I have read -much of the history, poetry, and fiction of Scotland while on the spot, -or in the immediate neighborhood about which it was written. It lends a -new charm and gives an additional zest to what one reads, when he can -lift his eyes from the book and behold the places and objects mentioned -in its glowing pages. - -I can never forget my experience of a week ago to-day. I was up at an -early hour. The sky was cloudless and the morn calm and quiet. Across -the lake stood Ben Lomond in its giant-like proportions. Its brow, grey -with eternal snow, looked so inviting that I determined to ascend and -sniff the mountain breeze. A friend, where I spent the night, and who -knew the difficulties in the way, tried to dissuade me from my purpose; -but when I take the bit between my teeth there is no bridle that can -stop me. Johnson, who by this time had thoroughly recovered from his -maiden effort at climbing mountains, and who is as fleet as a hart and -spirited as a gazelle, agreed to accompany me. So, ere the warbler -had finished his morning song, and while the dew was yet sparkling -bright on the heath, we set out for that towering peak, “where snow and -sunshine alone have dared to tread.” - -For sixpence, a farmer’s lad rowed us across the loch, landing us at -the foot of the mountain whose rocky cliffs and thunder-riven sides we -were to climb. Seven hours’ toil brought us to the objective point, -and rewarded us with one of the finest, wildest, and most romantic -views to be had anywhere this side that deep and yawning gulf which -separates time from eternity. I found myself surrounded by a thousand -peaks, crags and cliffs, whose heads were white with the accumulated -snows of fifty winters, they being of different heights, and of every -conceivable shape, size and angle—all having been caused, apparently, -by the upheaval of some mighty volcanic eruption of the under world. -These iron-belted mountain sides are honey-combed with deep and dark -dens, dangerous pits and caves, which once furnished shelter and -security to those savage and lawless clans whose sole occupation was -arms, and who, under cover of night, often swooped down upon the barns, -flocks and herds of the Lowlanders like eagles upon their prey. When -once hidden away in those dark recesses, it would take an hundred-eyed -devil to discover their whereabouts; and, if discovered, it would -require an iron-handed Hercules to rout and discomfit them. - -Many of these peaks and cliffs are separated only by narrow and -gloomy glens hundreds of feet deep. The glen may be ten, fifteen, or -twenty-five feet wide at the bottom, but the rough and irregular sides -tower up so high, and come so near closing at the top, that the rocky -chasm is dark and gloomy. I have, I think, very little superstition -about me; yet I confess that while walking through these silent halls, -where the sun has never shone, I felt half inclined to look around -me for hissing serpents, for hobgoblins and rats. While in one of -these unseemingly—I had almost said unearthly—places, a dreamy, -far-away spell came over me. I fell into an absent-minded mood. -Just as I reached a dark, horrible-looking place, I paused. I stood -still, my eyes resting upon the stone floor; I was thinking about—I -do not know what. All at once I heard a furious noise; and, turning -suddenly around, I beheld a huge wildcat rushing down the glen, with -eyes glaring like balls of fire. By this time he was within five feet -of me, and gave the most unearthly yell that I have ever heard. It -seemed as if it would rend the very rocks. Every hair on my head was -a goose-quill, and they were all on ends. For a moment I was still as -death, and pulseless as a statue, while the noise that startled me was -rolling, ringing, and reverberating down the glen like the mutterings -of distant thunder. As John Bunyan would say, “I departed, and was -seen, there no more.” - -Having gotten out of the glen, I went back upon Ben Lomond and enjoyed -the picture. I said it was a grand sight, and so it was. Turn my eyes -as I would, I could see mountain streams fed by melting snow, the water -being churned into madness as it leaped from rock to rock, until it was -lost in the abyss below. Looking beneath me, I could see several of the -Scottish lakes, which were as beautiful as the mountains were grand. I -saw Loch Lomond, on whose calm bosom many islands float, winding around -like a silver thread among the mountains for twenty miles. - -All this made a picture that I can never forget. It is indelibly -stamped on the imperishable tablets of memory; and there it will -remain, an object of interest and admiration, until the flood-gates of -life are shut in eternal rest. - -We visited Rob Roy’s cave, the land of the Macgregors, the house in -which Helen Macgregor was born, Loch Katrine where Scott wrote “The -Lady of the Lake,” and many other places known to history and to song. - -Johnson and I found no difficulty in walking twelve to twenty miles a -day. We sometimes obtained lodgings with peasants, and at others with -“gentlemen,” or landlords. The peasants call themselves “servants,” -and always speak of the landlord as “master.” This nomenclature is -suggestive of the real relationship existing between the two classes. -It is none other than that of master and slave. These peasants are -still plodding along in the same old grooves whose rough edges wore -their fathers out. Many of them, like the dumb ass in the tread-mill, -expect only their bread, and verily they are not disappointed. I almost -wonder that the very stones in the streets do not rise in mutiny, and -clamor for justice until their cry is heard by the dull ears of power. - -While walking from Loch Lomond to Loch Katrine, I saw several peasants -spading up the ground. They had dug several holes, each large enough to -swallow a good-sized house. The dirt was taken out in square blocks, -much the size of three bricks put side by side, or about the shape of -a Mexican adobe. In appearance, these blocks resembled soft, sticky, -black prairie mud. Seeing them spread out to dry, I thought they were -to be used as building material. Upon making inquiry, I found that it -(the dirt) was preparing for fuel. The peasants call it moss. They dry -it and stack it, as we stack fodder or oats. They say it burns well. - -The Scotch people, as a whole, have impressed me very favorably. They -have a straightforward way of doing business. Almost every face wears -on it the stamp of genuine honesty. The better classes of people are -social, kind and accommodating in their nature, though somewhat stiff -and dignified in their bearing. - -Religiously, most Scotchmen are Presbyterians in belief and devout -in spirit. They are no people for innovations or change, even though -the new be superior to the old. I would as soon undertake to turn the -Amazon from its wonted channel as to swerve these Scotch people from -their fixed modes of thought and habits of life. As the boy said of his -father’s horse that would go no farther, they are “established.” - -Just twenty years ago, the main body of our Baptist people of this -country formed what is known as the “Baptist Union of Scotland.” They -now have eighty-five churches and ten thousand members. Though few in -number, they expect, like Gideon’s band of old, to come off conquerors -at last. All the Baptist ministers whom I have chanced to meet have -received me into their confidence, into their homes and families. They -have extended to me every act of kindness and of courtesy that I could -ask or wish. - -In a month from now, the people of Scotland will have very little -night. In the latter part of June they have twilight until eleven -o’clock, and the sun rises about two o’clock in the morning. It is now -almost ten o’clock at night, and I can see to write without artificial -light, and the moon is not shining. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -FROM DUNDEE TO MANCHESTER. - - Scotch Presbyterians in Convention—Their Character and Bearing—On - the Footpath to Abbotsford—The Home of Scott—Five Miles through the - Fields—Melrose Abbey and the Heart of Bruce—Hospitality of a Baptist - Preacher—Adieu to Scotland—Merry England—Manchester—Exposition and - Prince of Wales—Manchester and Cotton Manufacturers—A $25,000,000 - Scheme—Dr. Alexander Maclaren—His Appearance—The Force of his - Thought—The Witchery of his Eloquence—His Hospitality Enjoyed—A - Promise Made. - - -LEAVING Dundee I run down to Edinburgh to attend the annual meeting of -the established church of Scotland. I am anxious to see this venerable -body of men, whose deep-toned piety has pervaded the nation, and who -wield such a powerful influence over the political and religious -thought of the century. Whether around the family fireside, or on the -public platform, most of these men are dignified, stiff and formal in -their bearing. I can but think that if they were put under the water, -the starch would be taken out of them, and they would be more useful to -the world. I say to a friend that if I had only a little Baptist water -and Methodist fire, I could get up enough steam in half an hour to set -the whole convention in motion. - -We set out on Friday for the home of Sir Walter Scott, some thirty -miles distant. One hour brings us to Gallashields. Here we leave our -baggage and take the foot-path leading along the banks of the river -Tweed and terminating at Abbotsford. The day is fine. The scenery is -not grand, but varied and beautiful. The pedestrians are so engaged in -contemplating the beauties of nature, that the walk of five miles seems -rather to rest than to tire them. - -[Illustration: ABBOTSFORD.] - -Abbotsford is situated upon a hillside about two hundred yards from the -river. Between the house and the stream there are two high terraces, -making two distinct flower-gardens, one being some twenty feet higher -than the other. The house is large and quaint and old. It is always -open to visitors, and daily many enter its portals. One feels as if he -would like to remain here a week, examining the clothes, furniture, -books, manuscripts and curiosities once belonging to the lord of -letters and of language. Here one sees locks of hair from the heads of -the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson. Here one sees the bones of many -Christian martyrs; also guns, pistols, swords, shot, shells, canteens, -and other relics of interest, gathered from the field of Waterloo by -Scott himself. - -But we must not linger here. I want the reader to go with me to -Melrose. It is only five or six miles, and I am sure we shall enjoy the -walk, as our winding path leads through fields, sheep-pastures, and -grassy meadows. It will be sport for us to jump the fences, jump the -ditches and babbling brooks. We will take dinner as we sit beside the -second stream, whose limpid water will fill our glasses. - -Now that we have reached Melrose, let us go at once to the old Abbey, -and view that ruined pile in which repose the body of Douglass and -the heart of Bruce, and around which the bard of Abbotsford loved to -linger. This old church, or abbey, which for hundreds and hundreds -of years resounded with the songs and prayers of monks and Catholic -priests, was demolished by the Protestants in the time of the -Reformation, and now serves only as the dwelling-place of blind bats -and hooting owls. After spending three hours in and around the Abbey, -and regretting that we cannot linger three days, we leave, feeling that -we can fully appreciate, and heartily adopt the sentiment expressed in -the second canto of “The Lay of the Last Minstrel:” - - “If thou wouldst view fair Melrose aright. - Go visit it by the pale moonlight; - And, home returning, soothly swear, - Was never seen so sad and fair.” - -[Illustration: MELROSE ABBEY.] - -We now retrace our steps toward Gallashields; and, on reaching there, -are met by the Rev. Mr. Thompson, a Baptist preacher, who takes us to -his house, and treats us so kindly that I really regret my inability to -accept his kind invitation to remain until Sunday and preach for him. - -I sincerely regret that my stay in Scotland has ended. I am loath to -leave. I have walked two hundred and fifty or three hundred miles -through the Highlands. I have viewed the whole country through a veil -of poesy which the hands of Scott and Burns have thrown over it. To me, -it is indeed “Bonnie Scotland;” and in leaving it I can but say: - - “Farewell to the land where the clouds love to rest, - Like the shroud of the dead on the mountains’ cold breast; - To the cataracts’ roar, where the eagles reply, - And the lakes their broad bosoms expand to the sky.” - -The night passes; morning comes. The day is bright and beautiful. -I now bid adieu to bonnie Scotland, and set my face, for the first -time, toward merry England. It is Saturday. Hence, I go direct to -Manchester, so as to be there on Sunday. Manchester has almost a -million inhabitants. It is the greatest cotton-manufacturing city in -the world. The great English Exposition was opened in Manchester by the -Prince and Princess of Wales, a few days ago, and will not close for -some weeks yet. I have attended exhibitions in New Orleans, Atlanta, -Louisville, Washington City, Philadelphia and Boston, and the main -difference between an American exposition and an English one is that -in America we make a specialty of fruits, seeds, agricultural products -and implements, fine wood, valuable timbers, gold and silver ore, etc., -while in England the specialties are emblems of royalty, relics of -antiquity, and products of the loom and spindle. - -The manufacturers of Manchester know much more about cotton than do -Southern planters in the United States. They know each spring how -much cotton is planted. They study carefully the crop prospects. They -have approximately correct ideas as to what the yield will be. They -then estimate the demand, and calculate the price. Most of these men -manufacture goods to order. When one buys a thousand bales of cotton, -he knows exactly how much money it will cost to work it up, how much -goods it will turn out, how much waste there will be, and how much -profit he is to reap. The people here say that the speculators of New -York frequently buy up great quantities of cotton and hold it for -better prices. To counteract this, a paper is addressed to the cotton -manufacturers of England, and circulated through the country. Those -signing this petition agree thereby to run their factories only half -the time until the next cotton crop is put on the market. - -The enterprising people of Manchester have inaugurated a scheme by -which they will be enabled to greatly reduce the price of their goods, -and at the same time realize greater profits for themselves. It now -costs them as much to send their goods by rail to Liverpool, a distance -of thirty-six miles, as it does to get them from Liverpool to New -York. The new scheme is to cut a canal from Liverpool to Manchester, -through which the great sea-going vessels can come up to Manchester and -be loaded from the factories. For this purpose, $25,000,000 have been -raised. Work on the canal was begun some time ago, and will be pushed -most vigorously. It will be the broadest and deepest canal in the world. - -To me, however, the object of greatest interest in the city is Dr. -Alexander Maclaren, who is regarded by many competent judges as the -greatest living preacher. Six volumes of his sermons grace the shelves -of my library. My knowledge of his personal history, and my familiarity -with his style of thought, make me all the more anxious to see and hear -the man whose eloquence sways the multitude as the wind turns the grass -of the field. - -Little before eleven o’clock on Sunday morning, I enter the elegant -Union Chapel, wherein are seated some 2,500 to 3,000 persons. The -preacher soon enters the pulpit. He is somewhat under medium size, -measuring perhaps five feet and seven inches in height, and weighing, -I imagine, about one hundred and twenty-eight pounds. His iron-grey -hair is somewhat long, is combed straight back, and parted in the -middle. His forehead is high and broad, and projects far over the large -blue eyes which are set deep back in his head. His mouth is small; his -features are hard and dry. He reminds me much of the late Jefferson -Davis and Dr. Henson. - -His prayer is but the overflowing of a large heart filled with -love. The text is Matthew 3:16. For fifty minutes the multitude is -spellbound. Dr. Maclaren’s speaking corresponds with Dr. Henson’s -definition of eloquence—it is _logic set on fire_. The most striking -peculiarity of his style is the force with which he projects his words. -As was said of Henry Clay, each word has positive weight. As I hear the -man speaking, and feel the force of his utterances, I am impelled to -say: “This is naught else than the artillery of heaven besieging the -citadel of the soul!” The thoughts are projected with such dynamitic -force that resistance is impossible—every barrier is soon broken down, -then every projectile burns its way into the soul. His words have in -them scorpion-stings—they arouse an accusing conscience. Then a change -comes over the spell of his preaching. He says: “You now see how poor a -thing is man; how corrupt his heart; how wicked his thoughts; how vile -his deeds! So turn away from self, and look to that Christ upon whom -the Spirit descended, and of whom God said, ‘This is my Son.’” - -I accept the Doctor’s invitation to call on him in the afternoon. He -is desirous that the Baptists on the two sides of the Atlantic should -know each other better—that there should be a closer bond of union and -sympathy between them. He is as pleasant at home as he is forcible in -the pulpit. I promise to go with him to a Baptist Association, about -which we shall speak in the next chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -BAPTIST CENTENNIAL. - - Three Baptist Associations—Centennial Year and Jubilee Year—Baptists - Seen at their Best—Doctor Alexander Maclaren—Matchless - Eloquence—Hon. John Bright Delivers an Address—Boundless - Enthusiasm—English Hospitality—A Home with the Mayor. - - -THE Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire Baptist Associations are now -holding a joint meeting in this city of Rochdale. The Yorkshire -Association was organized in 1787, and covered at that time all the -territory that is now embraced within the three Associations above -named, the division having occurred by common consent in 1837. -This is therefore the centennial year for the Yorkshire, and the -semi-centennial year for the Lancashire and Cheshire Associations. - -This is also the English Jubilee year, being the fiftieth year of the -reign of Queen Victoria. Hence this meeting is called “The Baptist -Centennial and Jubilee Celebration.” It is said to be the grandest -Baptist meeting ever held in England. It represents the brains and -culture of our denomination in this country. - -They are more formal in their methods of conducting the business of the -body than is customary among American Baptists. The program is made -out and printed beforehand. The speeches are all “cut and dried.” The -moderator asks a particular man to make a certain motion, and then -specifies another one and asks him to second the motion. The present -meeting is mainly taken up with historical and biographical discussions. - -As a rule, the delegates are men of fine natural powers and scholarly -attainments. Most of them are fluent speakers, though very few of their -number can be called eloquent or even forcible. It is natural that on -this occasion the speakers should indulge freely in self gratulations. -They are proud of their history, and especially of their ancestors who -made their history. And well they may be. Their ancestors were men of -backbone, of nerve and stamina! Unlike many men of the present day, -they _believe something_! Their convictions were deep, strong, pungent! -Their convictions were strong enough to lead them to the stake. And -then they had the courage of their convictions. They were not ashamed -to let the world know what they believed. - -In some respects, I regard the present Baptists of England as unworthy -sons of their distinguished ancestors. They boast of their progress, -of their broad sympathies, and liberal views; that they have gotten -away from the bones of theology to the gospel of Christ; that they no -longer preach of God’s avenging wrath, but rather of His forgiving -mercy. These English Baptists are good men, and they preach the gospel -as far as they go; but they do not go far enough. Jehovah is a God of -justice as well as of mercy. A body of theology without bones is as -useless as a human body without bones. They seem to be sadly lacking in -that deep, heart-felt conviction, and in that sturdy, lion-like courage -which immortalized their forefathers. They have well-nigh ceased to -preach our distinctive doctrines as Baptists, and God, I believe, as -a consequence, is withholding His blessings from them. Within the -bounds of these three Associations, live more than one-fourth of the -population of England, and yet the Associations report only 34,000 -members. A church may believe and practice whatever she pleases as to -communion (and other things too, I suppose), and still secure or retain -membership in any of these Associations. - -The leading features of the meeting are as follows: An address on -“Reminiscences of Associational Teachers in 1837,” by Rev. John Aldis; -the Centennial Sermon, by Dr. Alexander Maclaren, and an address on -“Sunday Schools,” by the Right Hon. John Bright, Member of Parliament. - -Mr. Aldis is a remarkable man. He has been in the ministry sixty -years, and still retains much of the strength and enthusiasm of youth. -Possessing such splendid gifts, and having been so long connected with -the Associations, there is no man living better able to perform the -task assigned to him than the venerable John Aldis. The address is a -model of condensation. The speaker was almost as laconic as the tramp -who called, late one evening, at a country residence, and said to the -lady of the house: “Madam, will you please give me a drink of water? -I am so hungry I don’t know where I am going to sleep to-night.” I -wonder that one can say so much in so short a time. There is scarcely -a superfluous word from beginning to end. It is marked, too, by great -literary excellence, and contains some delightful bits of character -sketches. - -Doctor Maclaren is at his best. I doubt whether he ever preached a -better sermon than the one he delivers at this meeting. He warns his -brethren that there is danger ahead, that false theories are creeping -into their creeds, that it will never do to cut loose from the “old -moorings.” He says in substance: “Brethren, the cold winds from the -icy caves of Socinianism are chilling our blood and benumbing our -limbs. We boast of becoming liberal-minded and broad. We should not -forget, however, that broad streams are shallow, and that narrow ones -are deep. Their currents are apt to be swift enough to cut up the mud -and wash out the riff-raff from the channel, leaving a smooth, solid -rock bed. God’s Word may lead us into deep water, but it will never -leave us without a solid foundation. There is such a thing as being -broader than wise, and wiser than good.” For more than an hour his -audience of three thousand persons is under his magic power. At times -they are breathless. The Doctor plays upon the fibres of men’s hearts -like a skillful musician upon the strings of his harp. He strikes -any chord—every chord—he pleases. The audience can neither resist -laughter nor suppress tears. Every heart is pierced by the orator’s -fiery glance, and thrilled by his matchless eloquence. As Goethe said -of Herder, “He preaches like a God.” - -The enthusiasm of the meeting reaches its zenith Wednesday -afternoon, when the Right Hon. John Bright delivers an address on -“Sunday-schools.” The excitement is simply intense. One round of -applause follows another until the very walls of the building are made -to ring with glad huzzas. Then those who can not gain entrance to the -immense hall take up the cry, and send it ringing through the streets -of the city. The excitement really becomes painful. Mr. Bright is quite -old and feeble—his head is white as cotton, still he is a perfect -master of assemblies. As an orator, he is much after the style of the -late Brooklyn divine. - -One touching incident must be related. Mr. Bright stands before the -audience motionless, until silence is restored. He then calls Mr. -Aldis to him. As the two venerable men stand side by side facing the -audience, with their hands on each other’s shoulders, Mr. Bright -relates the following incident: “I first met Mr. Aldis fifty-four years -ago. We were then just entering upon the duties of life. On the day of -our meeting, each of us delivered an address to a large assembly. Mr. -Aldis was my senior. He spoke first, and I second. After the speaking -was over, he took me to one side. He said that he saw in me powers that -should be developed. He told me how to develop those powers. In a word, -he lectured me on public speaking. This, ladies and gentlemen, was my -first and last lesson in elocution.” Then, turning to his old teacher, -he continued: “Mr. Aldis, if I have accomplished anything in life, and -especially as a public speaker, it is due, at least in part, to your -kindly counsels. We met first fifty-four years ago; this is our second -meeting; our third will be in Heaven.” - -The meeting has just closed. It was an unequivocal success. The -arrangements were simply perfect. No weak plank was put in the -platform. Every speaker was true and tried, and everything passed -off with an eclat that is pleasing to contemplate. A daily paper, in -speaking of the meeting, says: “The Baptists were seen at their best, -and they are justly proud that it was a very good best.” - -These English Baptists have been exceedingly kind and courteous to me. -I was entertained by Hon. John S. Hudson, Mayor of the city. It seemed -that Mr. Hudson and family could not do enough for their American -guest. Their kindness will never be forgotten. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -A SOJOURN IN ENGLAND AND ON TO WALES. - - Arrested and Imprisoned—Released without a - Trial—Nottingham—Dwellers in Caves—Seven Hundred Years Old—Forests - of Ivanhoe and Robin Hood—Birthplace of Henry Kirk White—Home of the - Pilgrim Fathers—Home of Thomas Cranmer—A Guide’s Information—Home - of Lord Byron—Wild Beasts from the Dark Continent—A Sad - Epitaph—Byron’s Grave—A Wedding Scene—Marriage Customs—Wales - and Sea-Bathing—Among the Mountains—Welsh Baptists—A Tottering - Establishment. - - -AFTER attending the Baptist Centennial at Rochdale, I turn my face -toward the east, Nottingham being the objective point. Four hours bring -me to my journey’s end, and the reader can scarcely imagine my feelings -when, as I step off the train at Nottingham, I am arrested by a sturdy -Scotchman. I say to him: “Sir, what does this mean? If you seek for -some criminal, some culprit who has violated the laws of the land, you -have caught the wrong bird. I am a loyal citizen of the United States -of America. I have the necessary papers from government officials to -prove what I say. I was never accused of an ungentlemanly or illegal -act in America, and since coming to England I have behaved myself; I -have kept good company; I have respected your Queen and obeyed the laws -of your country.” - -Although I am as composed as a judge, and notwithstanding the fact that -my words ring out like the notes of a silver bell, my speech falls -flat. The Scotchman declares that it is entirely unnecessary for me to -say another word; that I am his prisoner; that I shall be locked up, -but shall not be maltreated; that I shall be dealt with fairly, and, if -innocent, released in due time. Strange feelings come over me as I am -led captive through the crowded streets of this busy city to be locked -within the gloomy prison-walls of a foreign country. Fortunately, -however, the darkest hour is just before day. We have not gone far, -when the Scotchman throws off the mask and reveals himself as my bosom -friend, and fellow-countryman, George Robert Cairns, who is well-known -and much beloved from Ohio to California, and who has sung and preached -his way into the hearts of thousands of the Scotch and English people. -The prison to which he is conducting me proves to be one of the most -pleasant and elegant homes in the city. Hence, I feel that I can say -with David, “Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing; thou hast put -off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.” - -Nottingham is one of the oldest and most historic cities in all -England. It is splendidly situated on the banks of the river Trent in -the midst of one of the prettiest and most romantic regions of country -anywhere to be found in Her Majesty’s Kingdom. The word “Nottingham” -signifies “dwellers in caves,” a name given to the town on account of -its early inhabitants dwelling in caves and subterranean passages cut -in the yielding rock on which the present city is built. These caves -and caverns are still open, and it affords me curious pleasure, with -lantern in hand, to wander through their dark recesses. - -In one of the noted forests by which the town is surrounded, stands a -large and venerable oak-tree, more than seven hundred years old, with -a wagon road cut through it. These are the lordly forests described in -Ivanhoe—the same, also, where Robin Hood held high carnival. - -This is the birthplace of Henry Kirk White, whose poetical talents -brought him into prominence long before he reached man’s estate. The -bud was plucked before the flower was full-blown. Brief, bright and -glorious was his young career. An ardent admirer from the Western world -has placed a beautiful marble tablet to his memory in one of the halls -of Cambridge University. Many of the Pilgrim Fathers left for America -from this town and shire. - -I was at the birthplace and home of Thomas Cranmer, who, in 1656, -perished at the stake for the cause of Christ. The enthusiastic guide -who is but temporarily of the Archbishop’s palace pointed to Cranmer’s -portrait and said: “This is a picture of Mr. Cranberry, a Scottish -king, who, in 1009, was condemned for heresy and shot by order of -Pharaoh.” The traveler who believes all that the guides tell him will -soon be thoroughly convinced that Moses was the grandson of Julius -Caesar. - -I know not when I have enjoyed anything more than a day spent at -Newstead Abbey, the home of Lord Byron, whose faults we cannot forget, -but whose genius we must acknowledge, and whose poetry we cannot fail -to admire. The Abbey is now the property of Capt. F. W. Webb, who spent -many years with Livingstone and Stanley in their African explorations. -In turn, Livingstone and Stanley used to spend much time with Captain -Webb in his elegant home. Many of the spacious rooms and long winding -halls of the Abbey are filled with stuffed lions, tigers, bears, -wolves, panthers, serpents, and fowls brought by these men from the -Dark Continent. The Abbey itself is about eight hundred years old. It -stands in the midst of a great forest, nine miles north of Nottingham, -and is surrounded by lovely flower-gardens, sparkling fountains, and -artificial lakes. Here the poet wrote “Hours of Idleness.” I was sad -when I saw the splendid marble monument which the fond master had -erected to his faithful dog. The epitaph closes with these melancholy -words: - - “Ye, who perchance behold this simple urn, - Pass on—it honors none you wish to mourn: - To mark a friend’s remains, these stones arise; - I never knew but one—and here he lies.” - -[Illustration: NEWSTEAD ABBEY.] - -From the Abbey I went to Hucknall, three miles away, to see the grave -of the poet, who lies buried in a church just in front of the pulpit. -The marble slab covering the grave forms a part of the floor, and on it -are these words: - - “BENEATH THIS STONE RESTS THE REMAINS OF LORD BYRON.” - -On either side of the pulpit, also, there is a marble slab imbedded in -the wall, filled with inscriptions pertaining to the life and character -of him who, while living, struck chords in the human heart which will -continue to vibrate until the sands of time shall have been removed -into the ocean of eternity. I must now quit the dead, and say something -about the living. I must leave the grave, and take my stand beside the -altar. - -At eleven o’clock to-day, Mr. George Robert Cairns, of the United -States, and Miss Annie Mellors, of Nottingham, England, were united in -the holy bonds of matrimony. On three successive Sundays previous to -the wedding, according to the requirements of law, the engagement was -publicly announced at churches, and the question, “Does any one present -object to the proposed marriage?” was asked. It is the custom of the -country for engagements to be made public as soon as marriage contracts -have been entered into. The young people thus engaged are at once -recognized as members of each other’s family. Mr. Cairns’ evangelistic -labors have been greatly blest. Through his instumentality many, both -in Europe and America, have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets -did write. And now that the Lord has blest him with one of the most -lovely and accomplished Christian women in England, I feel sure his -usefulness will be greatly increased, if not doubled. - -From Nottingham we came to Wales. We have been here several days, -bathing in the sea, walking along the white pebbled beach, strolling -through grassy meadows, gathering wild flowers, climbing wooded -hills, and scaling rugged mountains. When weariness overtakes the -pedestrians, they seat themselves on the shady side of some towering -crag or cliff, whose shadow falls long and deep across the hill. Here -they hold close communion with Nature and sweet converse with God. The -pilgrims discover God’s power in the lofty mountains, see His beauty -in the blushing rose, behold His glory and splendor in the setting sun -“vast mirrored on the sea.” These rocky coasts, mountain peaks, and -waterfalls have inspired many a poet’s muse. Here Tennyson loves to -linger. Here Mrs. Hemans sang her sweetest songs. Here Johnson and I -roam and read. - - “And this our life, exempt from public haunt, - Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks, - Sermons in stones and good in everything.” - -The Baptists are numerically strong and wield a powerful influence in -Wales. They are close communionists. They are loyal to their principles -and to their God; consequently, they are being wonderfully blest—they -are flourishing like the green bay-tree. - -The Episcopal Church is fast losing ground in this country. The -people are crying out against the tithe system, and are calling for -dis-establishment. This once proud structure is tottering. Many predict -a speedy fall; and, if it falls at all, I believe the crash will be -heavy enough to jar and injure the foundation of the established church -throughout the empire. I say it kindly and in the right spirit: I hope -that the Episcopal Church will be disestablished. If it be of man, it -ought to fall. If it be of God, it needs no human government to support -it. If a church be of God, its devotees need to look to Him, and not -to the State, for strength. The lack of governmental support never yet -stopped the work of saving souls. Against Christ’s Church, neither the -powers of earth nor the gates of hell can prevail! - - “Truth crushed to earth shall rise again: - The eternal years of God are hers; - But Error, wounded, writhes with pain, - And dies among his worshippers.” - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -LONDON. - - Entering London—The Great City Crowded—Six Million Five Hundred - Thousand People Together—Lost in London—A Human Niagara—A Policeman - and a Lockup—The Jubilee and the Golden Wedding—”God Save the - Queen.” and God Save the People—Amid England’s Shouts and Ireland’s - Groans Heard. - - -I ENTER London for the first time on Saturday at 8 P.M. It is with -the greatest difficulty that I obtain lodging. I am turned away from -several hotels, boarding-houses, and private homes. I can not get even -a cot, or blankets, to make a pallet on the floor. I continue to press -my suit, however, and finally secure good accommodations with a private -family. - -Why all this difficulty? It arises from the fact that this is the week -set apart for London and the surrounding country to celebrate the -Queen’s Jubilee, this being the fiftieth year of her reign. For some -days the streets have been absolutely crowded with visitors. It is said -that there are more people here now than ever before. It is a difficult -matter, I am sure, for one who has never been here to realize what this -means. - -London occupies a good part of four counties, covering an area of one -hundred and twenty-five square miles. This area is traversed by 7,400 -streets which, if laid end to end, would form a great thoroughfare, -eighty feet wide, reaching from London to New York. And yet these -streets are far too few, too narrow, and too short, to accommodate the -six and a half millions of people who are now crowded into the city -to attend the Jubilee. There are, in London, more Scotchmen than in -Edinburgh; more Irish than in Dublin; more Jews than in Palestine; -more Catholics than in Rome. There are more people in London to-day -than live in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Cincinnati, -Louisville, New Orleans, St. Louis, Kansas City and San Francisco all -combined. There are more than half as many people here as live in -Mexico, and more than one-tenth as many as inhabit the whole of the -United States of America. - -Monday morning, at ten o’clock, I started out, like Bayard Taylor, -with the determination to lose myself in this great city, and I hope -that it will not be considered egotistic in me to say that I was -eminently successful. Indeed, I have never been more successful in -any of my undertakings than in the effort to lose myself in London. I -wandered through the streets for hours and hours, going up and down, -to the right and left, across, zigzag, and every other way, paying no -attention whatever to the direction in which I was going, or to the -distance that I had traveled. Johnson and I were soon separated from -each other. I was alone, all alone! Who can describe that lonely and -woe-begone feeling which comes over one as he, for the first time, -winds his way through the great crowd that constantly throngs the -streets of the world’s metropolis! A lonely, desolate, miserable, and -depressing feeling takes hold of your spirit. You cannot shake it off. -After walking until your weary limbs can scarcely support you, you -sit down upon some curb-stone, or door-step, to rest, to meditate, to -dream. Your head turns dizzy as you sit there and watch that human -Niagara dashing by you! In vain, you scan the care-worn faces of the -passers-by for a familiar countenance. You can only comfort yourself -with this consoling thought: “I know as many of them as they do of me.” -Ah! who knows—who can know—that mixed multitude? Who can tell whether -courage or cowardice, whether hope or fear, whether virtue or vice, -whether joy or sorrow, whether peace or strife, most rules the heart? -One man in the crowd continually thinks of the low, the mean, the vile, -and is himself corrupt and vicious. Another has pure thoughts and lofty -aspirations; he has an eye for the beautiful; he loves the true, and -longs to be good. - -Here is a demon of darkness, whose heart is black with the crimes -of last night—yea, with the accumulated crimes of a life-time. His -conscience is dead. He would now like to stifle the courage, to -throttle the hope, and stab the virtue of others. There is a good -Samaritan whose acts are acts of kindness, and whose deeds are deeds of -charity. He is in the world, but not of the world. He is a stranger. -He is a pilgrim. His citizenship is in Heaven! - -For several hours I watched the passing throng, and read their -thoughts as best I could. At length I came to myself. I felt as if I -had been dreaming. I found that it was seven o’clock in the evening. -I discovered that I was lost! I did not know where I was. I scarcely -knew who I was, or whence I came. I had forgotten the name and place -of my room. I walked on, going I knew not where. The sun set in the -east. Water ran up stream. I found that I had not been wise, but -otherwise. My pockets had been searched. My money-purse was gone; -fortunately, however, it was almost empty. I had very little small -change, and nothing to make it out of. Eight o’clock came, then eight -thirty—things were getting desperate! I sought a policeman, and asked -him to help me find myself. Without any reluctance whatever, he took -charge of me. He told me to follow him. I did so; and, just as the -clock struck ten, the key turned, I heard the bolt slam, and found -myself locked for the night within—my own room. This ended my first -day on the streets of London. - -Tuesday is the Jubilee Day, the day of the Golden Wedding, the day when -Queen Victoria and her people are to be married a second time, after -having lived together for fifty years as sovereign and subjects. God -favors us with what the people here call “Queen’s weather,” a perfect -day. The morning is bright, the sky cloudless; the air is pure, and the -breeze refreshing. Johnson and I leave home early, and reach Trafalgar -square before seven o’clock in order to secure a good position from -which to see what promises to be one of the greatest royal processions -ever witnessed. Although we are on the scene early, thousands and tens -of thousands of people have preceded us. Some came at two o’clock in -the morning that they might secure favorable positions. Many paid from -ten to one hundred dollars for seats. Fortune smiles on Johnson and me. -We obtain good vantage-ground, the only charge being “long standing.” - -By nine o’clock, the route along which the procession is to pass is -the most thickly populated part of the globe that I have yet seen. -The broad sidewalks and streets are a solid mass of humanity. The -large parks, sometimes covering acres, are filled with men, women and -children, packed to suffocation. The streets, steps, verandas, windows, -and housetops are all filled. At 9:30, all are driven out of the -streets proper, crowded back on the sidewalks, into the lanes, by-ways, -open squares, and public parks along the route. Persons on the opposite -sidewalks face each other. Just in front of the crowd, close back to -the curb-stone on either side, stands a line of large, able-bodied -policemen, shoulder to shoulder, elbow to elbow, the two lines facing -each other. - -In front of the police force, is a line of armed infantry, standing at -“attention,” with fixed bayonets. Still in front of these, is stationed -a line of cavalrymen, all splendidly dressed and well mounted. Each has -a gun and a pistol buckled to his saddle, and a glittering sabre in his -hand. Thus the whole route, extending for miles and miles, is flanked -on either side by three columns of armed men. Buntings of every color, -and the flags of all nations, are fluttering in the breeze. The richest -floral designs that art can fashion, or that money can purchase, adorn -the way. The route is lined from end to end with wealth, beauty, and -chivalry of the English Isles. See! Far in the distance the royal -trumpeters are coming, on black chargers, flourishing their golden -trumpets, and shouting to the expectant multitude, “The Queen is -coming!” The shout is taken up and repeated by a thousand times a -thousand voices: “The Queen is coming! The Queen is coming!” The -enthusiastic cries come rolling down the avenue like waves on the -ocean. It strikes the fibres of every heart. The electric current -flashes along the whole line—every man feels the shock. The welkin -rings with deafening cheers. - -[Illustration: CHAPEL OF HENRY VII, WESTMINSTER ABBEY.] - -The procession itself defies description. It consists of some fifty or -sixty regal carriages all filled with royal personages—kings, queens, -and crown princes. Each carriage is drawn by four—some of them by -eight—large horses wearing silver-mounted harness. Each carriage is -attended by thirty life-guards, well mounted, and armed to the teeth. -The Queen’s escort consists of thirty royal princes. The procession -passes on to Westminster Abbey, and there, in the presence of the -congregated royalty of earth, Victoria is crowned Queen of England and -of India, after having been fifty years a sovereign. - -Every civilized nation under heaven has contributed to the pageantry -of this occasion. For the last half century, Victoria has been weaving -for herself a crown which the nations of the earth do this day rejoice -to place upon her brow. She has magnified her office. Is she jealous? -it is of her honor. Is she ambitious? it is for the glory of her -country. Is she proud? it is of what her people have accomplished. Is -she mighty? it is to succor the oppressed. She is exalted, yet humble; -dignified, yet courteous; a sovereign, yet a willing subject of the -lowly Nazarene. Elizabeth is called England’s greatest queen; but -Victoria is, unquestionably, her best. And, - - “Howe’er it be, it seems to me - ’Tis only noble to be good. - Kind hearts are more than coronets, - And simple faith than Norman blood.” - -The Victorian era will be known to posterity as “the golden period -of English history.” Victoria has been a mother to her children and -a benefactor to her people. She has developed her country, advanced -the arts and sciences, and founded hospitals and asylums. May the good -Queen live long to rule righteously, to glorify motherhood, and adorn -her palace with Christian virtues. And may the angel of peace long -guard her realms! - -[Illustration: NELSON’S MONUMENT.] - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -SIGHTS OF LONDON. - - Traveling in London—London a Studio—The Hum of Folly and the - Sleep of Traffic—Five Million Heads in Nightcaps—Too Many People - Together—Survival of the Fittest—Place and Pride—Poverty and - Penury—Beneficence in London—East End—Assembly Hall—A Converted - Brewer—His Great Work—Meeting an Old Schoolmate. - - -THE man who comes to London and is driven around in a hansom, or a -carriage, as most tourists are, and sees only the museums and art -galleries, the botanical and zoological gardens, the monuments and -statues, the costly cathedrals and splendid temples, the lordly -mansions and the superb palaces, of the city, leaves with a false, -imperfect, distorted, and one-sided idea of the place. I would advise -no man to come here, and leave, without visiting Westminister Abbey -and the Houses of Parliament, without going to St. Paul’s Cathedral, -to the Tower, and a dozen other places of general interest, “where -travelers do most congregate.” These things one should see, as a matter -of course, but other things should not be left unseen. - -I love to study architecture, art and literature; I love to study -poetry and science; but, above all, I love to study _man_. - -Some years ago, I saw a gentleman in Queen’s College, Toronto, Canada, -who received a good salary from the government to study cat-fish. Men -spend many years and much money in studying birds. And is not one fish -sold for a penny, and two sparrows for a farthing? Man is of more value -than many fishes and sparrows. Then, why not study man? Nor is it -enough to study men individually; but we must study them collectively -as well. And, for this collective study of mankind, there is no better -place to be found anywhere beneath the shining stars than the city of -London. - -As I sit alone in my room to-night, my conscience hurting me for -disobeying the counsels of a devoted mother in keeping this late hour, -and look down upon the “life circulation” of the city, I realize that -it is true sublimity to dwell here. “I am listening to the stifled hum -of midnight, when traffic has lain down to rest. I hear the chariot -wheels of vanity rolling here and there, bearing her on to distant -streets, to halls roofed in, and lighted to the true pitch for folly. -Vice and misery are roaming, prowling, mourning in the streets, like -night-birds turned loose in the forest. - -“The high and the low are here, the joyful and the sorrowful are here; -men are dying here; men are being born; men are praying—on the other -side of the brick partition, men are cursing; around them is all the -vast void of night. The proud grandee still lingers in his perfumed -saloons or reposes within damask curtains. Wretchedness cowers into -truckle-beds, or shivers, hungerstricken, into its lair of straw. In -obscure cellars, squalid poverty languidly emits its voice of destiny -to haggard, hungry villains, while landlords sit as counsellors of -state, plotting and playing their high chess game, whereof the pawns -are _men_.” - -[Illustration: THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.] - -“The blushing maiden, listening to whisperings of love, is urged to -trust him who, in all probability, seeks to rob her of that crown of -glory without which woman is indeed a ‘poor thing.’ A thousand gin -palaces are open, and are at this moment crowded with drinking and -drunken men and women—perhaps far less of males than of females. Gay -mansions with supper rooms and dancing halls are full of light and -music and high-swelling hearts. But, in yonder condemned cells, the -pulse of life beats tremulous and faint. The sleepless and blood-shot -eyes look through the darkness that is around and within for the last -stern morning. Full three millions of two-legged animals lie around us -in horizontal positions, their heads in night-caps and their hearts -full of foolish dreams. Riot cries aloud and staggers and swaggers in -his rank dens of shame.” - -“The mother, with streaming hair and bleeding heart, kneels over her -pallid, dying infant, whose beastly father is drunk and cursing; all -these heaped and huddled together with nothing but a little carpentry -and masonry between them; all crammed in like salted fish in their -barrel, or weltering, shall I say, like an Egyptian pitcher of tamed -vipers, each struggling to get his head above the others.” This is as -true now as it was in Carlyle’s day. Such work goes on every night of -the year. Having seen these things myself, I speak what I do know. I am -truly glad that London is in England, and not in our beloved country. -I hope we may never have a city as large as this, for I am thoroughly -convinced that it is not good for so many men and women to dwell -together. - -If it were possible for five millions of men to come together to live -and do business in the same city, each having the same amount of money -in the struggle of the survival of the fittest which would follow, -a few men would soon have great wealth, and others would be reduced -to poverty and want. The successful ones would then become proud and -haughty, overbearing and dictatorial. Some of the others would, like -the ass in the tread-mill and ox under the yoke, be doomed to a life -of toil and servitude. Another class of the unfortunate ones would -become despondent, wretched, reckless, indolent and selfish. The -hard-hearted would set dead-falls and snares to catch their weak-minded -and strong-passioned brother. This would go on and on until thousands -would lose their manhood and womanhood. They would abandon all hope and -courage and virtue. They would resort to treachery, lying, stealing, -gambling, and murdering. They would thus degenerate into the lowest, -vilest, meanest specimens of humanity. - -[Illustration: THE TOWER OF LONDON.] - -This is London. I have seen more wealth, more of the trappings of place -and pride, more worldly pomp and regal splendor, than I have ever seen -anywhere else. I have also seen more poverty, suffering, vice, and -ignorance than I ever expected to find in a country so highly favored -as is England. - -Having spoken somewhat at length of the lower strata of London life, -let us now look at the praiseworthy efforts that are being made to -elevate, humanize, moralize, and Christianize these hope-abandoned -wretches. What is known as the “East End” is the worst part of the -city. It is inhabited by a million and a half of people, most of them -being the off-scouring of creation—not “the bravest of the brave,” -but the vilest of the vile. Just in the midst of this den of shame and -corruption stands the “Great Assembly Hall” which, for the last eleven -years, has been open day and night for gospel work. - -Mr. Fred. M. Charrington, the Superintendent of this Mission, has a -strange and interesting history. His father was a strange man of great -wealth, and one of the largest brewers in London. He had only two sons, -who were the sole heirs of his immense fortune and lucrative business. -The sons had all the advantages of a thorough education and extensive -travel. Fred served twelve months as brewer to the Queen. But, some -sixteen years ago, as Fred. Charrington (then twenty-one years old) -was returning from a continental tour, he chanced to fall in with a -gospel minister. When the preacher spoke of man’s duty to serve God, -Charrington protested. He said they had had a pleasant time together, -and he did not care to have their peace disturbed, or friendship -broken, by the introduction of such subjects as man’s sin, Christ’s -righteousness, death, hell, and the judgment. This conversation led -to Charrington’s conversion. After that, he worked in the brewery all -day, taught the Bible to classes at night, and preached the gospel -on the streets every Sunday. He soon saw, however, that he could not -successfully teach the Bible, and preach the gospel on Sunday, to -people who were drunk on the beer and whiskey that he had sold them -during the week. This so troubled his conscience that he gave up a -business that was bringing him an annual income of more than $25,000. -He then established this Mission in East London, which has grown to -be the largest and most successful work of the kind in the world. -The Assembly Hall, with the property belonging to it, is valued at -$250,000, Charrington having given about one-third of the money out -of his own pocket. He has more than 2,500 members in his church. He -is strictly an immersionist. Before one can possibly become a member -of Charrington’s church, he must sign a pledge neither to drink, nor -buy, nor sell whiskey, beer, or any other strong drink. His Sunday -audiences range from 4,000 to 5,000. - -[Illustration: ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL.] - -In connection with the Mission, there are a coffee saloon, a bookstore, -Young Men’s Christian Association, Young Women’s Christian Association, -a news-boy and boot-black mission, a penny savings-bank, an emigration -bureau, a house of correction for bad boys, and a reformatory for -young women. All departments of this wonderful Mission move on with -the regularity of clock-work. I have preached and lectured for Mr. -Charrington a few times, and have half-way promised to spend a month -with him next year. I love to be with him. He is full of hope. The -spirit of God is upon him. Verily old things have passed away, and all -things have become new to him. The things he once loved he now hates, -and the things he once hated he now loves. A new song has been put into -his mouth—even the song of Zion. Oh, the power, the wonderful power, -of the gospel! - -The Christian people of London have expended, and are still expending, -vast sums of money in establishing and maintaining large and successful -Missions in different parts of the city especially in the East End, -for the elevation of degraded humanity. And nothing but the power of -God can make these people fit to live on earth, much less to dwell -in Heaven. Millions and millions of dollars have, also, been, and -are still being, expended in establishing and maintaining hospitals -and asylums, workhouses, reformatories, and schools. Most of these -institutions are comparatively new, but they are now splendidly fitted -up and well cared for. They will, under God, be powerful agencies for -good. - -I was quite delighted, a few days ago, to meet my old friend and fellow -student, S. A. Smith, of Kansas. After graduating from two of our best -American institutions of learning, Mr. Smith came to Europe to continue -his studies. He has spent three years in Germany, France, and England, -studying the ancient languages, especially the Semitic languages. I -have never known a man with a greater capacity for work than S. A. -Smith. He is the author of two very valuable books, one of which is -just out, and is dedicated to Professor J. R. Sampey. Such an honor was -never more worthily bestowed. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -A TRIO OF ILLUSTRIOUS MEN. - - Joseph Parker—Canon Farrar—Charles H. Spurgeon. - - -THERE seem to be a few men in every age and country in whom there is -centred all that is purest, noblest, and best in the moral, religious, -and intellectual life of their people. And, if it be true, as Pope -says, that “The proper study of mankind is man,” then it is a desirable -thing to be thrown with these men who are religiously pure, morally -good, and intellectually great. “As iron sharpeneth iron, so a man -sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” What can be more inspiring -than to come in contact with men “on whom God has set his seal,” and of -each of whom it may be said, as of Brutus, - - “His life is gentle, and the elements - So mixed in him that Nature might stand up - And say to all the world: ‘_This is a man_.’” - -I shall not now speak of England’s law-makers and political magnates, -neither of her authors and literary lights; of these I shall have -something to say hereafter. But in this chapter I shall confine myself -to three religious leaders, who are well worthy of our careful study. - -Joseph Parker, Canon Farrar, and Charles Spurgeon are three preachers -in whom, I think, are centred all the “gifts and graces” of the English -pulpit. I listen to these men with great interest, and, I hope, not -without some profit. I study them closely. I try, as best I can, to -discover the secret of their power and marvellous success. No one can -reasonably question their power, or deny their success. For eighteen or -twenty years, Doctor Parker has been preaching three times a week in -the great City Temple of London. The house holds 2,500 or 3,000 people. -It is always crowded on Sunday, at morning and night. On Thursday at -noon he has 1,200 to 1,800 persons to listen to him. Hundreds of the -best business men in the city leave their places of employment, and go -to hear him one hour each week. - -Frederick W. Farrar is Canon of Westminster Abbey, and Chaplain to -the Queen. The Abbey is one of the most splendid temples on earth. As -the preacher stands in the pulpit, he is surrounded by the busts and -statues, by the tombs and monuments, of historians and statesmen, of -poets and artists. His audience is composed chiefly of the aristocracy -of England. Here is where the dukes and earls and lords, the kings and -queens and princes, of the nation most do congregate. To minister in -holy things, from year to year, to an audience like this, one must, of -necessity, be possessed of splendid powers. - -[Illustration: REV. CHARLES H. SPURGEON.] - -Of Mr. Spurgeon, what shall I say? When we remember that there is an -utter absence of what is known as sensationalism about Mr. Spurgeon, -and yet that his audience has for the last thirty years averaged more -than five thousand people; when we remember that his Tabernacle holds -about 6,500 hearers, and yet that hundreds and hundreds are frequently -turned away from the doors; when we remember that his name has become a -household word throughout Europe and America, and many of the remotest -Isles of the seas; when we remember that he is one and the same -to-day, yesterday, and thirty years ago, a living embodiment of faith -in God and His blessed Word, a perfect personification of buoyant hope -and simple, childlike trust,—I say, when we remember all these things, -we are lost in wonder and astonishment. In writing of such a man, words -lose their power. - -I try as nearly as possible to view Parker, Farrar, and Spurgeon -through the same glasses. I endeavor to listen to them without fear -or favor, without preference or prejudice. All of them say striking -things, and I give here a characteristic expression of each of the -three preachers. - -Parker: “Do children grow up as they should grow, without the proper -care and nurture? Thistles do, flowers do not; goats do, horses do -not—and there is more of man in a horse than horse in a man.” - -Farrar, in speaking to the young men before him: “I earnestly conjure -you now, at the beginning of your life’s career, to hang about your -necks the jeweled amulet of self-respect.” - -Spurgeon: “The Lord loves all of His people, but somehow methinks the -meek are His Josephs; upon them He puts His coat of many colors—of joy -and peace, of long-suffering and patience.” - -These gems of thought are, I think, illustrative of the real difference -between Joseph Parker, Canon Farrar, and Charles Spurgeon. The first -impresses me as a moral philosopher, the second as a Christian -rhetorician, the third as a gospel minister. The first studies -philosophy, the second aesthetics, the third the Bible. The first is -a lecturer, the second a writer, and the third a preacher. The first -shows himself, the second his culture, the third his Lord. All three -of them are great men, and it is possible that I would change my mind -as to their respective merits, if I could hear them oftener; but I am -honestly of the opinion that, as a _gospel preacher_, Mr. Spurgeon -possesses the virtues of the other two, without the faults of either. -Like Saul, he towers head and shoulders above his brethren. Like the -stars, the other two shine when the sun is behind the hills, but when -he arises their glory is eclipsed. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -NOTTINGHAM, CAMBRIDGE, AND BEDFORD. - - Preaching to 2,500 People—Entertained after the Manner of - Royalty—Excursion to Cambridge—What Happened on the Way—Received - an Entertainment by the Mayor—Cambridge University—King’s - Chapel—Fitzwilliam Museum—Trinity College—Cambridge Bibles—Adieu - to Friends—Bedford—The Church where John Bunyan Preached—Bedford - Jail, where Bunyan wrote _Pilgrim’s Progress_—Bunyan’s - Statue—Elstow, Bunyan’s Birthplace—His Cottage—His Chapel—An Old - Elm Tree. - - -I AM now in Bedford; but before writing about this historic place, -I must go back a little and tell you something about my wayward -wanderings for the last ten days. While in Nottingham, some weeks ago, -I preached one Sunday night in the Albert Hall to twenty-five hundred -or three thousand people. The good Lord graciously blessed the meeting. -Several persons were converted—they found that peace which passeth all -understanding. The people insisted that I remain and preach again, but -I could not do so. - -After visiting Wales, and spending a week or two in London, the -minister accepted an invitation to go back to Nottingham and preach. -He remained over two Sundays, preaching both days to the Albert -Hall people. The happiest moments of a minister’s life are when he -is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a large and sympathetic -audience, It is then that his delight reaches the highest point on the -thermometer of the soul. - -During my stay in Nottingham, I was the guest of a model Christian -family who treated me after the manner of royalty. Nottingham is a -railroad centre, and each day I was taken in a carriage or by rail to -see a beautiful river, placid lake, or a towering mountain; or to see -some noted forest ancient hall, or historic castle. The members of the -family who accompanied me on these delightful excursions were familiar -with the legends, literature, and history of the country. - -Yesterday I went on an excursion with this family, and sixty other -Nottingham people, to Cambridge. We were up in time to hear the lark’s -morning song. The sky was clear; scarcely a cloud floated above us. And -ere yet the bright sun had kissed the dewdrop from off the grass, we -had turned our faces toward those classic halls where learning lives. -We dashed through many meadows where the wild flowers were beautifully -interwoven with the green grass. We leaped many laughing rivers, -winding streams, and babbling brooks. We wound around among many hills, -and tunneled many mountains. These tunnels were numerous, long and -dark. Now, in our party there happened to be a newly-married couple -in the same compartment with myself, and these tunnels were to them -always a source of joy and rejoicing. They loved darkness rather than -light—why, it is not necessary for me to state. Johnson says it was -always thus. - -At the depot, we were met by the aldermen and deputy mayor of the city -of Cambridge, who, in a most graceful manner, informed us that we were -their guests, that they had plenty of carriages present to accommodate -the party, and would first show us the sights of the city, and then -return to the hotel where a public dinner would be served. We proceeded -at once to the University which comprises seventeen different colleges, -all having different names, having been founded at different times by -different persons. Each college owns its own grounds, buildings, and -endowment fund, and has its separate faculty. Some of the buildings -are six or seven hundred years old. They are, however, quite well -preserved, and are splendid specimens of the style of architecture -of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. King’s Chapel, the Chapel of -King’s College, was built in the twelfth century, and it is nothing -less than an architectural wonder. It is said to be one of the most -remarkable structures in christendom. The Chapel is quite narrow, but -is well-nigh four hundred feet long, and one hundred and twenty-five -feet high. Reader, I shall not attempt to describe this building, for, -unless the massive structure could rise before you in its colossal -proportions; unless you could go on the inside, and actually stand -upon thrilling history as it is written in the Mosaic marble floor; -unless you could lift your eyes from the historic floor, and see Bible -stories standing out in life-like reality as they are pictured before -you in the stained-glass windows; unless you could look up and behold -for yourself the exquisite carving on the vaulted Gothic roof a hundred -feet above you; unless that holy calm, which these scenes inspire and -which forever inhabits these sacred walls, could settle down upon your -own spirit,—I say, that unless you could see, realize, and experience -all these things in, and of, and for, yourself, then it were impossible -for you to appreciate the beauty, the grandeur, the sublimity of this -splendid structure. - -The Fitzwilliam Museum is the most handsome modern building in -Cambridge, if not in Great Britain. It looks as if it should be placed -in a glass case and kept for the angels to inhabit. - -In Trinity College Library, I saw the original manuscript of Milton’s -“Paradise Lost,” the manuscript of Lord Macaulay’s “History of -England,” also the first letter that Lord Byron ever penned; he wrote, -in his mother’s name, thanking a neighbor lady for some potatoes which -she had been kind enough to send Lady Byron. I saw the telescope used -by Newton in studying the heavenly bodies, and by the assistance of -which he discovered new planets. - -I was much interested in going through the University printing -establishment, and in seeing the Cambridge Bibles manufactured. When -I got back to Nottingham, I felt that I could truly say: “I have -been through Cambridge University, and still I may write, ‘Plus -ultra’—there is more beyond, more to learn.” - -I bade adieu to my Nottingham friends this morning while the -dewdrops and the rays of the sun were yet playing hide-and-seek and -seek-and-hide. Two hours later found me in Bedford. I go at once to -the church where John Bunyan was pastor two hundred years ago. The -church I find surrounded by a huge iron fence. After hunting for half -an hour, I succeed in finding the sexton who kindly shows me through. -The front door of the church cost six thousand dollars. It is molded of -heavy bronze. The door is divided into twelve large panels, each panel -representing a scene taken from _Pilgrim’s Progress_. The first panel -on the bottom of the lefthand side represents Christian with the burden -of sin on his back, parting with his wife and children, leaving the -city of Destruction and starting out for that city whose builder and -maker is God. In the other panels we see Christian as he passes through -the wicket gate; as he approaches the cross and loses his burden; as -he falls into the hands of Giant Despair and is thrust into Doubting -Castle; as he passes the lions in his way; as he sleeps and loses -his scroll; as he enters Vanity Fair; as he stands on the Delectable -Mountains from which he views the city of the blessed and hears the -music of the redeemed; and finally we see him as he crosses the River -of Death, and is welcomed by the angels as he reaches the golden shore. - -In the back end of the church, is a small room containing some relics -of Bunyan. Among other things, is the chair which Bunyan occupied -while in Bedford jail, and in which he sat while writing _Pilgrim’s -Progress_. The iron-barred door of this little room is the same door -that locked Bunyan in his prison cell. My blood runs cold in my veins -as I look upon the iron bolts and bars behind which Bunyan stood and -preached the gospel to the listening multitudes as they gathered around -the jail. - -Near by the church is the place where the old prison stood. The prison -was torn down in 1801, the old site now being used as a market-place -during the week, and as a place for street-preaching on Sunday. - -At the head of High Street, near where the old jail stood, there is -a splendid bronze statue of the immortal dreamer. The statue is more -than life size. It stands upon a tall granite pedestal, on which is the -following inscription; - - “He had his eyes lifted to heaven; - The best of books in his hand, - The law of truth was written upon his lips; - He stood as if he pleaded with men.” - -One hour’s walk from Bedford brings me to Elstow. This is the -birthplace of the man who wrote the greatest book this world ever saw, -excepting only the Bible. The old dormer-windowed cottage where Bunyan -first saw light still survives the wrecks of time. On the village -green, near by the cottage, is an old church where in early life he was -sexton. Close by this church stands Bunyan’s chapel, where he first -began to publish the glad tidings of salvation. - -[Illustration: BUNYAN’S COTTAGE.] - -At the forks of the road, about two hundred yards from the cottage, is -a lordly elm-tree, beneath whose sheltering branches Bunyan used to -stand and preach the gospel to listening thousands. I climb this tree, -and cut several branches of which to make pen-stocks. - -Well, reader, I am tempted to go on and give you the thoughts that are -passing through my mind; but I must not. Like Bunyan’s _Pilgrim_, I am -tired. I feel weak and faint. I must have quiet and rest, so let us -close this chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -BRITISH BAPTISTS—THEIR DIVERSITIES—THE REGULAR BAPTISTS OF ENGLAND. - -BY EDWARD PARKER, D. D., MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. - - Their Number and Divisions—The Regular Baptists—Their Movements and - Progress. - - -BRITISH Baptists are not one body in the sense, or to the same extent, -that American Baptists are. If a man in America says he is a Baptist, -it is known exactly what he means. But if a man in England says he -is a Baptist, you need further to know what sort of a Baptist he is -before you can form a definite opinion of his belief or practice. -All British Baptists are alike in three things. They are, of course, -all Immersionists; they believe that the immersion of believers on a -profession of their faith is the only baptism of Scripture. They are -all Congregationalists; they believe that every separate congregation -of believers is a church in itself, apart from any other congregation, -and competent to manage its own affairs. They are all Voluntaries; -that is, they are opposed to all connection between Church and State, -and all endowments for the support of the clergy secured or allotted -to them by the law of the land. They neither accept the patronage, -nor allow of the interference, of the civil magistrate in matters of -religion and conscience. But, while agreed on these things, there are -others on which they differ. - -The first principal difference between them is indicated by the terms -Particular and General Baptists. These terms express a difference, not -of practice in regard to communion, but of creed. Particular Baptists -are professedly Calvinistic in their creed; General Baptists are -professedly Arminian. Particular Baptists have existed in England for -a much longer period than General Baptists. The first General Baptist -church in England was founded in about the year 1612, and had its -location in Newgate, London. After a time, an Association of General -Baptist churches was formed; and still later, in 1770, the Association -was re-organized under the title of the General Baptist Association -of the New Connection. The occasion for this new departure was the -doctrinal degeneracy of the churches of the old association. “From -general redemption,” says Dr. Ryland, “they had gone to no redemption; -from Arminianism to Arianism and Socinianism.” This re-organized -Association still exists, and it still bears the same name. The -churches belonging to it are all Arminian in doctrine. On the question -of Communion, they are divided. Some of them practice Close Communion, -and some Open. Formerly, the churches were nearly all Close, but Open -Communionism has made considerable advances amongst them during recent -years. They have a College at Nottingham for the education of young men -for the ministry. They have, also, their own Missionary Societies. - -[Illustration: EDWARD PARKER, D. D.] - -The Particular, or Calvinistic, Baptists of England differ in some -respects from each other. Professedly, they are all alike, Calvinists, -but they are not all Calvinists alike. Some of them are hyper, and some -of them moderate, Calvinists. At the beginning of this century, nearly -all the Particular Baptists in the country were Hyper-Calvinists. This -resulted from the teaching of such men as John Brine and Doctor John -Gill. The teaching of and influence of Andrew Fuller inaugurated a -change: and the change thus inaugurated has continued and developed -ever since, so that to-day the vast majority of Particular Baptists in -Great Britain are moderate Calvinists. The Hyper-Calvinists, however, -are by no means extinct. In some parts of England they are rather -numerous, while in almost all parts a few of them may be found. There -are amongst them some very excellent people. They adhere firmly to -their principles. They maintain a separateness from the world that -other Christians might profitably emulate. But, speaking generally, -they are not very aggressive in their spirit; at any rate in the -direction of efforts to spread the truth. There is not much of the -missionary spirit amongst them. They have, however, one Missionary -Society called, with an emphasis, the _Strict_ Baptist Mission. This -Mission has two centres of evangelical work—in India and Ceylon. In -India, there are sixteen stations, and twenty-eight workers; in Ceylon, -there are six stations and seven workers. The income last year was -nearly £700, and the expenditure about £590. - -The Particular Baptists of Britain that are in doctrine Moderate -Calvinists are divided into Close and Open Communionists. All the -Hyper-Calvinistic Baptists are Close Communionists. The object of -their Missionary Society, to which reference has just been made, -is stated to be “the diffusion of the Gospel in heathen lands, -and the formation of churches in accordance with the principles -of Strict Communion Baptists.” And the churches at home are, in -respect to communion, of the same type as those which they aim to -form abroad. Vast numbers of the Moderate Calvinistic Baptists are -Open Communionists. But this is not universally the case. There are -British Baptists that are neither extreme in doctrine, nor loose in -practice. In regard alike to doctrine and practice, they may justly be -designated, as their American brethren are designated Regular Baptists. - -The question may naturally be asked: “What is the relative numerical -strength of these different descriptions of British Baptists?” That -question it is difficult, if not impossible, to answer exactly to its -full extent. It is not difficult to determine the relative numerical -strength of the General and the Particular Baptists. Baptists of all -sorts in Britain, according to the Baptist Hand Book of 1890, number, -churches 2,786; members 329,126. Of these, the “General Baptist -Association” contains, churches 206; members 26,782. These figures -indicate pretty accurately the numerical strength of the General and -Particular Baptists, respectively. But, when we come to the different -sections of the Particular Baptists, accurate information is not -so easily obtainable. There are no means of ascertaining how many -Hyper-Calvinists there are amongst the Particular Baptists. They have -an Association in London with fifty-six churches, and another in -Suffolk and Norfolk with twenty-seven churches; but outside the limits -of these Associations the churches are, for the most part, isolated -from each other, and from their brethren generally. Then again, of the -Moderate Calvinists it is not easy to determine how many are Close, -and how many are Open, Communionists. For, while maintaining their -distinctive principles, the two often co-exist in the same Association, -and to a large extent cooperate in general denominational work. It -must be admitted that the majority, and a considerable majority, of -the Baptists in Britain who are Moderate Calvinists are also Open -Communionists. And this considerable majority includes most of the -largest, and nearly all of the wealthiest, churches, together with a -large proportion of the ablest and best known ministers. Still there -are Regular Baptists in existence; nor are they, though sometimes -ignored and often reproached, insignificant in respect to either -numbers or influence. If the whole of the United Kingdom be taken into -account, the Regular Baptists compose a somewhat large army. They -include in their ranks most of the Baptists in Scotland. The Scotch -Baptists are strong Calvinists but not Hyper-Calvinists, and they are -Close Communionists. They include all the Welsh Baptists. There are in -Wales 625 churches, with a total of 77,126 members; not one of these -is Hyper and they are all Close Communion. There are a few English -Baptists in Wales that are Open Communion, but all the Welsh Baptists -are Close, whether in Wales or out of it. There are some districts -in England where Regular Baptists are decidedly strong. In not a few -districts, to meet with a Regular Baptist church is an exception; while -in other districts it is an exception to meet with anything else. The -Rossendale district, in the County of Lancaster, is about ten miles in -length, and five or six in breadth. It contains sixteen Regular Baptist -churches. In the Huddersfield district, Yorkshire, which covers an area -of only a few miles, there are thirteen Baptist churches, and eleven of -them are Regular Baptist. - -The Regular Baptists of England proper, though not obtrusive in their -character, are sturdy and robust. They know what they believe, and why -they believe it; and they are prepared in all circumstances, and at -all hazards, to stand by their faith. They are not a people that the -bewitchings of flattery can delude, or the terrors of opposition daunt. -Though often condemned because of their narrowness, they are respected -by those who condemn them, because of their firmness and consistency. -They are men that can be relied upon. In important crises, both -religious and political, they have proved themselves the very backbone -of the Baptist denomination. To those around them, their ability has -been strength and their courage inspiration. - -The denominational work of the Regular Baptists is done, to a very -large extent, through the existing denominational Societies. Their work -in foreign missions is done through the Baptist Foreign Missionary -Society. The first secretary of that Society was a sturdy Regular -Baptist—Andrew Fuller. And Regular Baptists still love the Society, -and are generous and hearty in their support of it. Their Home -Missionary work is done partly through the Baptist Union, but to a -greater extent through the county Associations. In most of the counties -of England, there is an Association of Baptist churches, distinct from -the Baptist Union, though often affiliated with it; and in connection -with these Associations there is generally a Home Missionary Society; -and, through these different Home Missionary Societies, Regular -Baptists work with others to plant Baptist churches and spread Baptist -principles through the land. Years ago, the Regular Baptists sustained -a separate Missionary Society for the Continent of Europe; but the -growth and development of the missionary work in Germany, under the -late Mr. Oncken, led them to transfer their operations to the German -Baptist Mission, which mission they continue to support. A prominent -Regular Baptist layman, Martin H. Wilkin, Esq., of London, is the -English treasurer of it. - -In addition to the work they do through the agencies that have been -named, the Regular Baptists of England have two Societies that are -distinctively their own—”The Baptist Tract and Book Society,” and -“The Manchester Baptist College.” _The Baptist Tract and Book Society_ -came into existence nearly fifty years ago. Previously to that time, -there had existed in England no Society, or agency, for the printing -and disseminating of Baptist literature. This was much regretted by -some good men, who met together and formed a Society whose object -should be “to make known” the glorious gospel of the blessed God, -“by the publication of small treatises and tracts; and especially -to disseminate the views of Baptists relative to the doctrines and -ordinances of the New Testament.” The Society in its very beginning, -was condemned and opposed by some, by some Baptists even; and, strange -to say, because it was Baptist. With the Religious Tract Society in -existence, they contended, a denominational organization was, to say -the least, uncalled for. There are some amongst Baptists still who, if -they do not oppose the Society, look askance at it, and stand aloof -from it, not ostensibly because it is Baptist, but because as Baptist, -it is not sufficiently “broad.” Nevertheless, the Society has held on -its way. Originated by Regular Baptists, and formed on Regular Baptist -principles, it is still under the control of Regular Baptists, and -worked on Regular Baptist lines. It is the same Society to-day that -it was at first, except that it is larger and stronger, and fills a -more extended sphere of usefulness. Its tracts have been circulated, -not only in Britain, but also in almost every part of the world. And -the committee report that “encouraging communications are constantly -being received, containing testimonials to the value of the Society’s -publications, and the signal blessings attending their circulation.” - -_The Manchester Baptist College_ grew out of an old society, first -called the Strict Baptist Society, and afterwards the Baptist -Evangelical Society. This Society was formed in the year 1844. One -of its principal objects was the education of young men for the -ministry. All the denominational colleges in England at that time were -practically Open Communion. Professedly, they were neutral on the -Communion question; but, as a matter of fact, all their neutrality -was on one side. All the professors and tutors were Open Communion, -and so, with few exceptions, were the ministers sent out from them. -If the young were Close Communion when they entered college, they, -in most cases, became Open before they left. The Regular Baptists -were therefore made to feel it incumbent upon them to establish an -educational institution of their own: first, that they might protect -their young men who devoted themselves to the work of the ministry from -influences unfriendly to their stability in the faith in which they had -been taught; and, secondly, that their churches might be relieved from -the necessity of choosing either an uneducated man for their pastor, or -a man whose views were not in harmony with their own. Hence the action -they took in the formation of the Society just referred to. The plan -adopted by this Society was that of placing students who had given -satisfactory evidence that they possessed grace and gifts suitable -for the ministry of the gospel, and for pastoral work, separately, -or in twos or threes, for a period of two or three years, under the -tuitional care and guidance of some able and experienced pastor. Joseph -Harbottle, of Accrington, uncle of Dr. Joseph Angus, of Regent’s Park -College, London; John Shearer, of Glasgow; Dr. John Stock, of Salendine -Nook, Huddersfield; and, pre-eminently, Thomas Dawson, of Liverpool, -were amongst the pastors chosen for this purpose. By their personal -influence, and by their devoted labors, all these good men laid the -students of the Baptist Evangelical Society, and the Society itself, -and the Regular Baptist cause in England generally, under deep and -lasting obligation. - -But, excellently as this plan worked for a while, a new departure was -eventually found to be necessary, and steps were taken to establish a -college. After much thought and prayer, Chamber Hall, Bury, Lancashire -(the birthplace of the _great_ Sir Robert Peel) was secured as the -home of the college, and it was opened in October, 1866, with the Rev. -Henry Dawson, who had been for more than thirty years the devoted and -successful pastor of the Regular Baptist church, Westgate, Bradford, -Yorkshire, as its president and theological tutor. Soon afterwards, the -Rev. Dr. Evans was engaged as lecturer in Ecclesiastical History, and -the Rev. James Webb as classical tutor. In Chamber Hall, the college -was conducted successfully, though with some disadvantages, for more -than seven years, when it was removed to handsome premises, which had -in the meantime been erected in Brighton Grove, Rusholme, Manchester. -The building in Brighton Grove, where the college has had its home -for the last seventeen years, is the property of the college. It cost -more than 11,000 pounds. Previously to the removal of the college from -Bury, Dr. Evans died; and, about four years after the removal, in the -year 1877, Mr. Dawson and Mr. Webb both resigned their respective -posts, owing to the infirmities of age. Dr. Edward Parker was appointed -president and theological tutor in place of Mr. Dawson, and the Rev. -John Turner Marshall, M. A. (London) was appointed classical tutor in -succession to Mr. Webb, positions which they both still hold. - -This college is the only one in England on Close Communion lines. -It has had to struggle for its existence. Regular Baptists are -comparatively poor, and Open Communionist friends have not looked -kindly upon it. They have hindered it in more instances than they have -helped it. Still all its needs have been supplied. It has gained for -itself a respectable position among other colleges for the thoroughness -of its educational training and the scholarship of its students. -In the competitive examinations, last May, of the Non-conformist -colleges of England and Wales a student of Manchester Baptist College -came off first with honors, and another student stood fifth in the -first division. What is more important, the College has fulfilled -the expectations of its founders in conserving and advancing Regular -Baptist principles. It has arrested the progress of Open Communionism -in Regular Baptist churches. It has filled the pulpits of more than -seventy churches, a large proportion of which were formerly filled -by ministers of Open Communion sentiments. The College is, in a very -eminent sense, the hope of the Regular Baptist cause in England. It has -done a great work for that cause already. If it is still encouraged, as -there is every reason to believe that it will be, by the same devoted -generosity that its friends have extended to it hitherto, it will yet -do still greater things. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -LAST OF ENGLAND AND FIRST OF THE CONTINENT. - - Windsor Castle, the Home of England’s Queen—Queen Victoria—The - Home of Shakespeare—Across the Channel—First Impressions—Old Time - Ways—Brussels on a Parade—Waterloo Re-enacted—A Visit to the Field - of Waterloo—A Lion with Eyes Fixed on France—Interview with a Man - who Saw Napoleon—Wertz Museum—”Napoleon in Hell”—”Hell in Revolt - against Heaven”—”Triumph of Christ”—Age Offering the Things of the - Present to the Man of the Future. - - -WINDSOR Castle, the winter residence of England’s Queen, is situated -on the Thames about twenty miles from London, and possesses many -interesting features. The property of the Castle comprises a number of -towers, gates, mansions, barracks, chapels, and other structures. The -principal portion occupies two courts of spacious dimensions, an upper -and a lower, there being a large round tower (or keep) between, in -which the Governor resides. This tower rises 220 feet above the Thames, -and it is said that on a clear day twelve counties can be seen from its -summit. - -St. George’s Chapel is an elegant Gothic edifice where the royal family -occasionally attend divine services. The Albert Memorial Chapel is -another place of worship, which was fitted up by Queen Victoria in -memory of her late husband. Here is his tomb, although his bones are -buried three or four miles away in the royal park. The Chapel is inlaid -with costly marbles of various kinds, and it is said that the Queen -spent an enormous sum in beautifying the place. - -[Illustration: QUEEN VICTORIA.] - -The greatest interest of the Castle centres itself in what is called -the State Apartments. These are a series of large rooms richly -decorated, some of them with gildings, paintings and tapestry, others -with a collection of warlike armor and weapons of former centuries. -It must be borne in mind that these premises have been occupied by -the royal family for many centuries. These walls have several times -surrendered their royal inmates to the executioner, who came in the -name of law to avenge political wrongs. - -The large park adjoining the Palace grounds is almost a fairy garden. -It contains many artificial lakes and flowing fountains, a great -variety of shrubbery, and a rich profusion of flowers. Statuary -abounds. Deer, elks, antelopes, and other wild animals, are numerous. - -Standing in front of the Palace, one looks down the “royal avenue” -stretching out in a straight line for five miles before him. This -splendid boulevard is flanked on either side by lordly elms whose -swaying boughs are so interwoven as to form a graceful and almost -unbroken arch above the drive from one end to the other. On a hot -summer day, the thick green foliage of the trees, flings a grateful -shade upon the drive. - -[Illustration: WINDSOR CASTLE.] - -This is a gala day at Windsor. The Castle is decorated, and filled with -royal guests. Twenty thousand people are assembled in the park. At two -o’clock the Queen and her visitors form a procession at the Palace, and -pass slowly down the avenue between the two rows of elm-trees. Reaching -the far end of the boulevard, they turn to the left and, after driving -one mile more, they arrive at the place that is to be the scene of -action. - -The two thousand persons who preceded the royal procession have formed -a circle about a hundred feet in diameter. The size of the circle is -determined by a rope stretched around. The open space is spread with -a rich carpet. The Queen, attended by her family and royal friends, -enters the charmed circle and proceeds to its centre. After a speech, -which it takes her fifteen minutes to deliver, she proceeds to lay -the cornerstone of an equestrian monument to the late Prince Albert -Consort. This impressive ceremony being over, the Queen approaches the -crowd, shakes hands with and speaks kindly to those persons standing -next to the rope on the outside. - -I could shake hands with Her Majesty, and would do so, but my American -spirit is too proud to bend the suppliant knee to any earthly monarch. -I honor Victoria for her useful life and deep piety, for her wifely -devotion and maternal instincts; and I would take off my hat to her as -I would have her son take off his hat to my mother. But as for bowing -the knee to her, I never can. My knees are too stiff for that kind of -exercise. - -[Illustration: - Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. - Charlecote Church. Charlecote Park Palings. - Shakespeare’s House Interior. Shakespeare’s House Exterior. - Stratford Church. - Entrance to Stratford Church. Porch Charlecote. -] - -Two hours after leaving Windsor, I find myself in Stratford-on-Avon, -the home of our own “priceless Shakespeare.” I spend the night here. -“A sweet English village is this Stratford, seated on the edge of a -silvery river green with turfy banks and woody slopes, picturesque -with cottage houses and cottage gardens; crowned with a village -church, ivy-clad, surrounded by moss-grown graves, approached by a -lime-tree avenue, and its slender spire tapering towards Heaven.” Here -Shakespeare first saw light. Here his boyhood was spent, his education -received, his youth passed, his marriage consummated. Here his children -were born and brought up. Here, too, he yielded to that “bribeless -harvester”—Death. So this humble village has given to the world “the -greatest name in our literature, in all literature.” Hence, Henry Bell -said: - - “His birthplace came to be famous, - And the grave where his bones were laid; - And to Stratford, the ancient borough, - Nations their pilgrimage made.” - -Strange thoughts pass through my mind, and deep emotions stir my -heart, as I wander through the house wherein was born the man who -wrote not for an age, but for all time; as I stand in the church of -the Holy Trinity, and look upon the grave, the tomb, and bust of him -who analyzed character as chemists analyze material substances. He -probed to the heart, and by the light of his own genius read unuttered -thoughts and discovered the secret motives of men. Human faces were to -him so many books wherein he could “read strange matters.” About a mile -from Stratford is the cottage of Anne Hathaway, who first initiated -Shakespeare into that sweetest and most delightful of all human -mysteries—love. - - “That man that hath a tongue, I say, is no man, - If with his tongue he can not win a woman.” - -Yes, he won her, and afterwards he could say: - - “She is mine own, - And I as rich in having such a jewel - As twenty seas, if all their sands were pearl, - The water nectar, and the rocks pure gold.” - -It is a matter of congratulation that our people appreciate Shakespeare -as much or more than Englishmen. The register at the poet’s house shows -that at least one-half of the number who visit his grave are Americans. -Nor are our people slow to give material proof of their love for the -myriad-minded bard. Mr. G. W. Childs, of Philadelphia, whom to mention -is but to praise, has, within the last twelve months, erected in -Stratford a costly and beautifully designed fountain to the memory of -Shakespeare. - -We might write many other things about our mother country, but we -must away to the Continent. So, adieu, adieu; but I hope not a final -farewell to merry England. The English Channel is only twenty-five -miles wide, but it is usually rough and boisterous, and is an object of -terror to travelers. As we start across, Johnson says: - - “Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea - For an acre of barren ground.” - -But the Lord tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. The Channel for once -is all that could be desired. The weather is pleasant, the sea placid -as a lake. - -As I land on the Continent at Ostend, the thing that most impresses -me is the fact that I can not impress any one. The custom-house -officers surround me. I tell them who I am, where I am from, and what -my business is; yet this does not satisfy them. I repeat my statement -once, twice, three times, and still they do not seem to comprehend. I -say: “Gentlemen, I have told my story as plainly as I can speak. Do you -now understand?” And when I come to find out, they do not understand -what “understand” means. - -Buildings on this side of the Channel wear a century-old, time-touched -appearance. The people have strange, odd, and old-time ways of doing -things. For instance, they work one horse to a two-horse wagon—not in -shafts, but on one side of the tongue. Frequently they work one ox and -one horse together. This is what Johnson calls being unequally yoked. - -From Ostend I go direct to Brussels, the capital of Belgium. I happen -to arrive in the city on the day of a national celebration. Everything -is decorated for the occasion. At night the city is beautifully -illuminated, and great crowds of enthusiastic people throng the -streets. The fireworks display is especially fine, representing, among -other things, the eruption of Vesuvius, the Falls of Niagara, and the -Battle of Waterloo. As the standing army of Belgium is present, the -officers giving commands, and the soldiers going through the manual -of arms; as the royal bands are filling the air with martial music; -and, as in the midst of the brilliant scene, are the bronze statues -of Wellington and others who fought by his side on the field of -Waterloo,—it really seems as if the memorable battle of 1815 is being -re-enacted before my eyes! I can but think of Byron’s thrilling lines -descriptive of the original battle. - -Next morning I am up early, and am soon on my way to the scene of -action, nine miles from Brussels, where the powers of earth came -together to wrestle for the thrones of Europe. Napoleon was at a very -great disadvantage, as Wellington had by far the best position. On the -hill where Wellington’s army was stationed, there is now an artificial -mountain, about six hundred yards in circumference and two hundred and -fifty feet high. This mountain is crowned with a granite pedestal, -about twenty-five feet high, on which stands a huge bronze lion, his -right foot resting on a great iron ball representing the earth. This -king of beasts has his eyes turned toward France and has a proud, -triumphant look on his face. There are several small monuments on the -field, marking the places where different officers and heroes fell. The -large one of which I speak was built seven years after the battle, or -one year after the death of Napoleon on St. Helena. There are several -trees, also one small brick house surrounded by a wall of the same -material standing on the field, just as they were on the day of the -battle. Of course, they are much riddled and shattered by shot and -shell. - -I am much interested in a conversation with an old man who lives -where he was born, about four miles from the battle field. He is now -ninety-one years old, hence he was nineteen years of age when the -memorable battle was fought. He saw Napoleon on the day of the fight, -and the day afterwards was on the field and helped to bury the dead. He -saw Wellington several times, and remembers distinctly how he looked -after his greatest victory. The old man is approaching the end of his -journey, and I am truly glad to have met him before he crosses the -river. - -Let us now return to Brussels and enter the Wertz Museum. We find here -a picture which is truly illustrative of Belgium hatred of Napoleon. -It is a most wonderful picture. It represents Napoleon in hell. He is -in the bottomless pit, clad in his uniform. A great number of worn -and haggard widows and childless mothers, of ragged, weeping orphans, -of old men crippled, maimed and halt, are crowding around Napoleon, -scoffing, jeering, and grinning at him, holding up before his eyes and -under his nose shattered hands and arms and feet and legs, and broken -heads and bleeding hearts. The sulphurous flames are coiling up around -the unfortunate victim, while on his face there is a double expression -of agony and remorse. When asked if I believe this picture really -represents Napoleon’s present condition, I reply: “Judge not, that ye -be not judged.” - -One could write a volume about this splendid collection of pictures, -but I will mention only two or three more. I am especially impressed -with two companion pictures, twenty by thirty feet each. The first -represents hell in revolt against Heaven. All the fiends of hell and -all the powers of darkness are arrayed against Christ and His holy -angels. Christ dismisses His angels; they fly away, leaving Him all -alone. This emboldens the enemy, who rush on to the conflict. The -second picture is “The Triumph of Christ.” He has hurled the fiends -back headlong to their native hell. And yet in this moment of victory -stands pitying His enemy rather than glorying in His own achievements. -I can but think: “Surely, His ways are not our ways; neither are His -thoughts our thoughts.” - -Another picture that impresses me very much is “Age Offering the Things -of the Present to the Man of the Future.” An old man is holding out to -a young lad flags and sceptres representing Power and Dominion; also -glittering diamonds, a golden harp, a name and a book, emblematic, -respectively, of wealth, pleasure, fame and knowledge. He can take -any one, but only one. I am so afraid that the inexperienced youth -will make a wrong choice, that I want to whisper in his ear: “Take -wisdom; take understanding; forget it not. Forsake her not, and she -shall preserve thee; love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the -principal thing, therefore get wisdom. Exalt her, and she will promote -thee, she will bring thee to honor.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -FROM BELGIUM TO COLOGNE AND UP THE RHINE. - - Brussels—Its Laces and Carpets—Belgium a Small Country—Cultivated - like a Garden—Into Germany—Aix-La-Chapelle—Birthplace of - Charlemagne—Capital of Holy Roman Empire—Cathedral Built by - Charlemagne—A Strange Legend—Shrine of the Four Relics—A - Pulpit Adorned with Ivory and Studded with Diamonds—Cologne—Its - Inhabitants—Its Perfumery—Its Cathedral—A Ponderous Bell—A - Church Built of Human Bones—Sailing up the Rhine—A River of - Song—Bonn—Its University—Birthplace of Beethoven—Feudal Lords—The - Bloody Rhine—Dragon’s Rock—A Combat with a Serpent—A Convent - with a Love Story—Empress of the Night—Intoxicated—Coblentz—A - Tramp-Trip through Germany—Sixteen Thousand Soldiers Engaged - in Battle—Enchanted Region—Loreli—Son-in-Law of Augustus - Caesar—Birthplace of Gutenberg, the Inventor of Printing. - - -BRUSSELS is noted the world over for its fine laces and superior -carpets. The Kingdom of Belgium is very little larger than the state of -Connecticut, and yet it maintains a standing army of 50,000 men, while -the whole of the United States has a standing army of only 36,000. The -large army, together with the maintenance of the royal family, impose -upon the people a very burdensome taxation. The people here know very -little about improved implements of any kind, their work being done -mostly by main strength and native awkwardness. Belgium is cultivated -like a garden, and is as pretty as a picture. - -We now leave Belgium. As the train dashes across an imaginary line, “a -change comes o’er the scene.” The soldiers wear a different uniform, -the people speak a different language, pay homage to a different king, -and handle a different money. Money, however, is a scarce article in -this portion of the moral vineyard. - -I have always associated the name of Charlemagne with Aix-la-Chapelle. -It is, therefore, with no little interest that I visit this ancient and -historical city. I find this place of 80,000 inhabitants beautifully -situated in the midst of a fertile valley surrounded by gently sloping -hills. This was the birthplace and favorite residence of Charlemagne, -the Julius Caesar of the eighth century. This venerable place was the -second city of importance in the holy Roman Empire, its being the -capital of Charlemagne’s dominions north of the Alps. Here thirty-seven -emperors were crowned; here ecclesiastical convocations assembled, and -from here imperial edicts went forth. - -The Cathedral, or Muenster, built (796-804) by Charlemagne still -stands, and is one of the most interesting objects in the city. On the -right of the principal entrance to the Cathedral is a brazen wolf. -According to the legend connected with this quadruped, the funds for -the erection of the church having run short, the devil offered to -supply the deficiency on condition that the first living being that -entered the house should be sacrificed to himself. The magistrate -entered into the compact, but defrauded the devil of his expected -reward by admitting a wolf into the sacred edifice immediately on its -completion. - -I seat myself in the Imperial Throne of Charlemagne, in which also his -remains reposed for more than 350 years, having been found by Otho III, -who opened the tomb in the eleventh century. In the Cathedral Treasury -is the famous “Shrine of the Four Relics.” It is composed of the purest -gold, and is studded with fifteen hundred precious stones. This shrine -is said to contain the robes of the Virgin Mary, the swaddling clothes -of the infant Christ, the bloody cloth in which the body of John the -Baptist was wrapped, and the linen cloth with which the Savior was -girded on the Cross. The relics are shown only once in seven years, on -which occasion thousands of people flock to see them notwithstanding -the exorbitant charges made. It has now been six years since the last -exhibition took place. The next time for robbing the superstitious -people is close at hand. - -The pulpit, presented by Henry II, of Germany, is a gem of beauty, -being richly adorned with gold, carved ivory, diamonds, and other -precious stones. I dare say, however, that this Romish pulpit, as -splendid as it is, has seldom been adorned with the precious truths of -God’s blessed Word. - -In three hours after leaving Aix-la-Chapelle, Cologne is in sight. -Coleridge sarcastically says: - -[Illustration: STRASBURG CATHEDRAL.] - - “Cologne has nine separate and distinct stinks; - It is washed by the river Rhine, - But what power divine - Shall henceforth wash the river Rhine?” - -It is not at all inappropriate therefore that Cologne should lead -the world in the manufacture of perfumery. The city boasts 140,000 -inhabitants, the most of whom are Roman Catholics. A bridge of boats -connects Cologne with a large city on the opposite side of the river. - -To the visitor, the object of the greatest interest in the city is the -Cathedral, which is said to be the most magnificent Gothic edifice in -the world. It certainly takes the palm over anything I have seen. It is -wholly unnecessary for me to describe this wonderful building to those -who have seen it, and it is impossible to describe it to those who have -not seen it. I hardly know whether one is most filled with admiration, -or struck with awe, as he beholds this great temple whose foundation -stone was laid six hundred years ago. To go around it, one must walk -an eighth of a mile; and yet he forgets the distance as he looks upon -the massive walls rising one hundred and fifty feet above him; as he -views the arched roof more than two hundred feet high; as he eyes the -tapering spires which seem to pierce the bended sky. And yet there -is hardly a square foot, even of the exterior of this architectural -wonder, that is not carved and chiseled in the most exquisite manner -imaginable. The principal entrance to the Cathedral is a doorway, -thirty-one by ninety-three feet. On the inside, one sees a forest -of pillars, fifty-six in number, apparently thirty or forty feet in -circumference, and rising, some one hundred and others two hundred -feet high. The aisles are twenty, thirty, and sixty feet wide. Some of -the windows are twenty by fifty feet. These stained-glass windows and -marble pillars have been presented by the kings and queens and emperors -of different countries. The inside is profusely adorned and decorated -with statues, carvings, paintings and sculpture work of every kind and -character. - -The Cathedral bell is seventeen feet across, and weighs twenty-three -tons. To ring it requires fifteen men. As I stand upon the tower, five -hundred and thirty-seven feet above the earth, men in the streets look -like little children, and the business houses resemble play-things. -This elevation affords a fine view of the surrounding country. I can -trace the Rhine and its tributaries for more than twenty miles. Winding -around among the hills and grain fields, these streams, gleaming in the -sunlight, look like silver threads. I say to my friend: “Ah! behold the -‘silver threads among the gold.’” Although I have climbed this spire -to the enormous height of 537 feet, yet above me is a delicate golden -ladder; and, as it was placed here to enable the angels to ascend and -descend, I quietly descend. - -The church of St. Ursula is one of the curiosities of the city. St. -Ursula was an English princess who, according to the tradition, when -on her return from a pilgrimage to Rome, in the second century after -Christ, was barbarously murdered at Cologne with eleven thousand other -Christians, most of whom were young women. They were all buried in the -same grave. Some time in the eleventh century the grave was opened, the -bones taken out, and, on the spot of the grave, the present church was -built to the memory of these martyred virgins. These bones form part -of the walls of the church; some of them, also, are preserved in glass -cases, and placed around in the audience-room. Johnson supposes this is -done to inspire in the worshipper a devotional spirit, or, perchance, -to remind him of Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones. Near the pulpit is a -beautiful monument to Princess Ursula. The statue is of alabaster, with -a laurel wreath about her brow and a white dove at her feet. - -The Rhine is, indeed, a majestic river. Its broad bosom floats hundreds -of vessels, laden with the produce of its fertile valley, and thousands -of tourists from all parts of Europe and America. At Cologne, we -embark on the “Victoria,” and start up the “legendary stream.” As our -graceful bark glides off over the smooth waters, we turn our eyes back -toward Cologne for a last, long look. And what a pleasing picture it -is to behold the city with its “girdle of fortifications,” to see the -splendid cathedrals and numerous towers outlined against the sky! -Cologne has scarcely vanished from our sight when Bonn appears. Here we -disembark. A few hours suffice to go through the University, to inspect -the Cathedral, to see the bronze statue, and visit the birthplace of -the great musical genius, Beethoven, born in 1770 and died in 1827. - -After leaving Bonn, the scenery is more picturesque and beautiful. -On either side of the swiftly-flowing stream, the overhanging cliffs -rise high, one above another, each being crowned with a ruined castle, -whose long, winding corridors and pictured walls once resounded with -mirth and music. High perched upon these basaltic rocks, and surrounded -by almost impregnable walls, feudal lords once held despotic sway. -It really seems that the once thirsty swords have been beaten into -plowshares, and the spears into pruning hooks, for the fruitful vine -now flourishes along the “bloody Rhine,” from its water’s edge to the -height of the castled crags. Even the crevices in the high cliffs are -planted with the vine. This scene inspired Lord Byron to sing the -following beautiful song: - - “The castled crag of Drachenfels - Frowns o’er the wide and winding Rhine - Whose breast of waters broadly smiles - Between the banks which bear the vine; - And hills all rich with blossom’d trees, - And fields which produce corn and wine, - And scatter’d cities crowning these, - Whose far white walls along them shine, - Have strew’d a scene which I should see - With double joy wert thou with me.” - -We land at Konigswinter (King’s Winter), and ascend the bluff, nine -hundred and eighty feet above the Rhine, to the Castle of Drachenfels, -or dragon’s rock. This Castle commands the most extensive view of any -on the Rhine. In descending, we visit the curious cave which, according -to a mythical story, was once the dwelling-place of a huge serpent who -jealously guarded the pass and allowed no one to ascend the cliff. A -brave knight slew the dragon, and after bathing himself in its blood, -became invulnerable and mighty in strength. He then built the Castle on -the uplifted rock, and made himself lord of the surrounding country. - -[Illustration: A VIEW ON THE RHINE.] - -Just as the sun sets, we approach the beautiful island of Nonenwerth -where, half hidden beneath the rich foliage, we see an old convent. -Just above this floating island, rises a huge rock whose summit was -once crowned with a splendid castle, of which only one crumbling arch -now remains. The legendary history connecting the castle and convent -is as beautiful as it is touching. Just after the time of Charlemagne, -a brave and gallant knight, by the name of Roland, paid court to the -beautiful and accomplished Princess Hildegude. The affection was -reciprocated, and the two soon became affianced lovers. At this time, -Roland was summoned by his king to the Crusade. Time sped on, and -anxiously did the devoted Hildegude look for his return. But, alas! she -received tidings of his death. Straightway for her all beauty faded -from every earthly object. She therefore gave her heart to God, and -her body to the convent on the adjacent island. The sad news, however, -proved untrue. Roland had been wounded but not fatally. All during his -absence the fires of love burned brightly upon the altars of devotion. -With joyous anticipation, he returned to receive the hand of her whose -radiant smile was the light of his life. But, alas! poor Roland! He -found that his lady-love was in that living tomb from which death -alone could set her free. Broken-hearted, he built the castle, one -moldering arch of which still stands, and there lived in solitude and -wretchedness, catching an occasional glimpse of his imprisoned love. -After her death, he spoke no more until he passed beyond the stars to -meet her who anxiously awaited his coming. - -The last rays of the setting sun light the lamps of night, and it seems -as if each star tries to outshine every other one. The moon, with these -brightly-beaming stars as her attendants, comes forth as “Empress of -the Night.” Standing on deck and looking out over the scene, I find -that moon and stars are pouring a perfect flood of glory over tower, -and castle, and crag, and cliff, and wooded hill. - -By this time we are so completely intoxicated with pleasure that we -think it best not to indulge any longer. So, as the clerk of the boat -calls out, “Coblentz,” we step ashore, and one hour later we are -dreaming about what we had seen during the day. Next morning, as the -sun first peeps over the eastern hills, he finds the pedestrians on -their way to Ems, a beautiful little city nestling among the wooded -hills of Germany. The walk proves a delightful exercise; and before -the dew is off the grass, we are seated in Ems on the bank of the -river which flows through the city. This was a favorite resort of the -late Emperor William during the summer. On the way to Ems, we have the -pleasure of witnessing a sham battle between several thousand German -soldiers. No one is killed. One officer is badly hurt by his horse -falling on him. - -Before eleven o’clock, we are again gliding up the river. We seem now -to have entered an enchanted region. No description we have ever read -of the Rhine could equal the sight itself. Here - - “The noble river foams and flows, - The charm of the enchanted ground, - And all its thousand turns disclose - Some fresh beauty varying round.” - -The channel now becomes narrow, the stream swift and deep. As we pass -castle after castle and behold the wrecks and ruins, we feel that we -are “passing back down the stream of time.” Here on the left is the -Loreli, a great rock rising up more than four hundred feet. According -to the legend, a nymph had her dwelling in a cavern of this rock, and, -with the music which issued forth from her golden harp, she enticed -sailors and fishermen to their destruction in the terrific whirlpools -and rapids at the foot of the precipice. - -Passing the national monument erected in honor of Germany’s victory -over France, in 1870, and Bingen, “fair Bingen on the Rhine,” we come -at length to Mayence, a frontier town of fifty thousand inhabitants, -strongly fortified with a garrison of thirty thousand soldiers. Mayence -was founded B. C. 14, by Drusus, the son-in-law of Julius Caesar. Here -the grandsons of Charlemagne met to divide his mighty empire into -Germany, France, and Italy. This is the birthplace of Gutenberg who, -in 1440, invented the art of printing. Mayence has shown her high -appreciation of that gifted son of genius by erecting the handsome -“Gutenberg Statue.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -FROM FRANKFORT TO WORMS. - - Frankfort-on-the-Main—Met at Depot by a Committee—Frankfort, the - Home of Culture and Art—Birthplace of Goethe—”He Preaches like a - God “—The Home of Rothschild—A Visit to his House—Worms and its - History—Luther and a Bad Diet—Luther Monument—Theses Nailed on the - Door—Fame of Luther and his Followers more Imperishable than their - Bronze Statues. - - -FROM Mayence, I run up to pay my respects to Frankfort (ford of the -Franks)-on-the-Main; and right royal is the reception extended me. -The good people of this classic city seem really glad to see me, -_especially the hotel keepers_. Reader, you can scarcely imagine what -a pleasure it is to a way-worn pilgrim, as he enters a great city in a -foreign country, to be met by a committee consisting of a full score -of hotel clerks and porters, and half a hundred hack drivers! As the -traveler steps off the train, he is approached by the different members -of the committee, each of whom tries to be more kind and obliging than -any of the others. Indeed, the honored visitor is well-nigh overcome -with gratitude, as he sees these committeemen crowding round him on -all sides, each with an expectant look, a face wreathed with smiles, -and a palm itching to get hold of his purse strings. Such was the -welcome given me at Frankfort-on-the-Main, which city, though it dates -back from the time of Charlemagne, 775, is now as fresh and fair as a -sixteen year old maiden with blue eyes and golden hair. - -Frankfort is about the size of Rochester, New York, is a place of great -commercial importance, and, according to population, is by far the -wealthiest city in Germany. It claims two hundred millionaires. - -The museum and art galleries here are of the highest type. I can not -use the brush, palette, and easel myself, but some pictures throw a -spell over me that I can not shake off. Murillo’s “Madonna Enthroned,” -Overbeck’s “Triumph of Religion in the Arts,” Rembrandt’s “Parable -of the Laborers in the Vineyard,” are indelibly stamped on the -imperishable tablets of memory; their gilded frames I have entwined -with a garland of forget-me-nots, and with golden cord of appreciation -I have hung them up in the art gallery of the soul. And, if as Keats -says, and as I believe, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever,” then will -my visit to Frankfort-on-the-Main be a blessing to me until the silver -cord be loosed, and the golden bowl of life broken. - -This is the birthplace of Goethe, the Shakespeare of Germany. His -splendid monument stands in the centre of one of the public squares of -the city. The pedestal on which the bronze statue rests is relieved -by raised figures, those on one side being taken from “Faust,” and -the other from “Hermann and Dorothea.” The first is one of the most -masterly productions that ever emanated from the human brain, and -the second one of the sweetest love stories ever embalmed in verse. -Carlyle says of Goethe: “There was none like him; he knew everything.” -If Germany ever produced Goethe’s equal, it was his bosom friend -Schiller, whose life-like statue adorns another of the public squares -of Frankfort. Seeing these two statues, I involuntarily look around for -that of Herder. I always think of Goethe, Schiller and Herder as the -inseparable trio. - -The well-known millionaire, M. A. Rothschild who, I believe was at one -time the richest man on earth, was born in Frankfort. The family still -lives, and do a large business here. Through the influence of a friend, -I gain an entrance to Rothschild’s house and private museum, which one -may well imagine contains an elegant collection of curiosities from all -parts of the world. One gold vase alone, set with diamonds and other -precious stones, is said to have cost 800,000 marks or $200,000. - -The next place the traveler hangs his hat on the wall is here in Worms. -Ah, what a history has this quaint old German town! How many thrilling -incidents have taken place on its narrow streets during the last -fifteen hundred years! But Worms is of more than a general interest -to the world, since it was the scene of Luther’s fiercest struggle -with Rome. In March, 1521, Luther was summoned to appear before the -Diet, or Supreme Court, of half the World, assembled at Worms, under -the presidency of Charles V. With Napoleonic courage, Luther answered -the call in person. As the bold reformer on his way to trial passed -through Eisenach, where he had sung carols on the street for bread, -his friends met him with the warning; “They will burn you as they did -John Huss;” to which he replied; “Though they should build a fire from -Worms to Wittenberg and reaching to the sky, I would pass through it -in the name of the Lord.” As he was approaching the city, Spalatin -sent a messenger with another warning. This time the monk responded: -“Go tell your master that if there were as many devils in Worms as -there are tiles upon the housetops, I would enter.” He did enter, and -the next day became a turning point in the world’s history. It was -then that this “Christian Hercules, this heroic cleanser of the Augean -stable of apostacy,” went forth in the arena of debate to shiver lances -with kings and popes and princes. Being severely in earnest, grandly -right, and divinely appointed to his office, he hurled his arguments -like withering blighting thunder-bolts. And, if the enemy now and then -put in hard licks, Luther, being possessed of a cool head, quick wit, -and boundless resources, revived like the vigor of vegetation after -the stunning blow had fallen. He stood until there was not a man to -meet him. The haughty hierarchy which he assailed had “bound kings in -chains, and nobles in fetters of iron; but before the fire of his -quenchless zeal those fetters fell, fused as by the lightning touch of -Heaven.” - -It is only in accordance with the “eternal fitness of things,” -therefore, that we find in Worms a monument memorializing this severe -conflict and brilliant victory of the intrepid reformer. - -As we enter the town from the railway station, we pass through the -Luther-Platz (place or square), in the center of which stands the -Luther Monument, which was erected in 1868 at a cost of $85,000. The -monument is on this wise. There is a massive platform of granite, -forty-eight feet square and nine and one-half feet high, bearing in its -centre a large pedestal, also of granite. This pedestal is surmounted -by another in bronze, adorned with reliefs representing four scenes in -Luther’s life. In the first, we see him administering the communion as -a Catholic priest; second, he is nailing his theses on the church door -in Wittenberg; next, we see him defending himself at Worms; and, last, -he is translating the Bible into his native language. - -Now, upon this pedestal, whose sides are thus adorned, stands the -bronze statue of Luther, eleven feet in height, a commanding figure. -In his left hand he holds a Bible, on which his right hand is placed -emphatically, while his face, on which faith is admirably portrayed, is -turned upwards. John Huss, Savonarola, John Wycliffe, and Peter Waldus -are sitting at the four corners of the large pedestal on which Luther -stands. - -From the four corners of the large platform, rise four granite -pedestals, not so large as the central one. On these four pedestals -stand bronze statues of Luther’s fellow champions, Malanchthon, -Reuchlin, on one side, and Philip of Hesse and Frederick the Wise of -Saxony, his princely protectors, on the other. The four last-named -statues are each nine feet high. Taken all in all, this is one of the -finest and most impressive monuments I have seen. And why should it -not be so? These men have justly been called the thunderers, the cloud -compellers, the world uplifters, the hammers of the Lord, the pioneers -of progress, the liberators of mankind, - - “Whose names are ever on the world’s broad tongue, - Like sound upon the falling of a force; - Who play upon our hearts as upon a harp, - And make our eyes bright as we speak of them.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -GERMAN BAPTISTS. - -BY WALTER RAUSCHENBUSCH. - - A Weak Beginning—Persecutions—Firm Faith—Rapid Growth—A Trio of - Leaders—Theological Schools—Publishing House—Hopeful Outlook. - - -THE American traveler in Germany has to seek for the Baptist churches, -if he is to find them. His Baedeker has no star to point them out, and -their commanding spires will not arrest his eye as he strolls through -the streets. The church at Hamburg is the only one that is notable as -a piece of architecture; and its arches, though the delight of lovers -of the Gothic, are the despair of preachers. Many of the churches still -worship in halls, and some of these halls are none too prominent. The -writer of this sketch remembers looking for the Baptist church in a -large city of Southern Germany. He followed his clew into a narrow -street, then through an overhanging archway into a still narrower -court, up two flights of stairs to a door from which his knock drew no -voice nor sound of an answer. The Baptist church at Leipzig has its -place of worship in one of the suburbs, about three miles from the -centre of the city, and away from the bulk of the membership. How many -of those who have studied there know that there is a Baptist church in -Leipzig? Of course our Baptist Brethren do not choose obscurity and -inconvenience from any predilection for them, but from due deference to -the ever-present question of rent. Ground is high, and Baptist money -scarce. - -However, many of the churches have gradually worked their way to the -possession of chapels of their own. But even these present no very -churchly appearance. The ground has to be utilized carefully. Dwelling -apartments have to be built over, or under, or in front of, or back -of, the auditorium of the church, sufficient at least to house the -pastor, and often sufficient to bring an income that will carry the -interest on the debt. But the work is growing. Better accommodations -are being secured. Even now there are chapels seating over a thousand -people. Several churches in the large cities, for instance, at Berlin -and Königsberg, have two church buildings, without, however, on that -account dividing the church organization. - -The “statistics” for 1889 reports 106 churches with 20,416 members in -Germany proper, and 123 churches with 23,976 members in the entire -“Bund,” which includes the churches in Austria, Switzerland, Holland, -Roumania and South Africa, all of which are organically connected with -the German Baptist Mission and off-shoots from it. Fortysix churches -in Russia with 12,448 members, and 21 churches in Denmark with 2,711 -members, which formerly belonged to the German “Bund,” have recently -formed organizations of their own. It is wonderful to think that such -a growth has been attained within so short a time. It was only in 1834 -that the first seven believers were baptised in the Elbe by Professor -Barnas Sears. Twenty-five years later, they had grown to a thousand -times seven. - -The first twenty-five years were full of privations and persecutions. -The reader will understand that in Germany the maintenance and -regulation of religion is considered one of the duties of the State, -and a disturbance of religious order was punishable by law, just as -a disturbance of social order would be with us. It seemed outrageous -and detrimental to the interests of society that artisans and -laborers should assume to teach and preach, and even to administer -the ordinances. Existing laws were applied to them, or new laws were -framed to meet their case. As late as 1852, a law was enacted in the -principality of Bückeburg, a small state in northern Germany, providing -that any emissary of the Baptists found within the boundaries of -the principality should be imprisoned for four weeks, and that the -punishment should be doubled on a repetition of the offense. Any one -attending the meetings was to be imprisoned for four weeks; any one -conducting them, for eight weeks; any one baptising, or administering -the Lord’s Supper, for six months. One of the old veterans of those -days has counted up that he was imprisoned thirty-three times, and in -nineteen different jails. Nor were the jails very pleasant places to -be in. But sometimes they turned even the prisons into places of joy -and prayer. There is just a smack of holy malice in the story of one -brother who tells how six of them were imprisoned together for holding -a Baptist meeting. As soon as they were lodged in jail, they used the -government’s own house and the government’s chairs to hold a glorious -Baptist protracted meeting that lasted for four weeks. - -Still these imprisonments are pleasanter to tell about than to go -through. They told on the health of the brethren. Their property was -seized to pay fines. Their wives and little ones were left unprotected. -Their earnings ceased during the imprisonment, and when they came -out of prison they often found their occupation gone. But the men -bred by those times were strong in the Lord, nothing daunted by the -adversary, conscious that they were the soldiers of God, called, -like Gideon, to do battle with a handful, but with the Lord on their -side. Three men stand out as a kind of trio of leaders during those -early years, Oncken, Lehmann, and Köbner. Mr. Oncken was thirty-four -years of age when he shared in that baptism by night in the Elbe. God -had taken him out of the rationalistic religion of his own country -when he was nineteen years old, and had sent him to England. He was -converted there, and returned a few years later as a missionary of the -British Continental Society. He labored most faithfully for some years -before he became a Baptist. He understood the Scriptural doctrine of -baptism several years before he had the opportunity to follow Christ -in baptism. After that time, he pushed the work with great executive -ability and intense earnestness. He was a leader of men. He did great -service to his brethren by his knowledge of English, which enabled -him to represent the cause in Great Britain and also in the United -States, and to gain for it the financial and moral support of England -and America which has been so helpful to the work. In 1879 he was -paralyzed, and spent the last years of his life in forced retirement -in Zürich. The active brain had become feeble. The only thing which -rekindled the old fire in the dying embers was prayer and the words -of the Bible. He entertained his visitors by reciting, with evident -spiritual enjoyment, a verse from some familiar hymn, and a few moments -afterward he would repeat it over again, forgetting what he had just -said. He died at the age of eighty-four, and was buried with all honors -at Hamburg, on the eighth of January, 1884. His name will remain the -great name in the early history of the Baptists of Germany. - -Another of the men just mentioned was G. W. Lehmann, born in 1799, an -engraver and etcher by trade, and a missionary by divine vocation. He -was one of the first six baptised by Oncken, in Berlin, in 1837. He -believed in a special manner in the power of the union of believers. -He organized; he drew the churches together in associations; he -constituted himself a link between them by ceaseless itinerant -missionary labor. He died at Berlin in 1882. The writer met him there -shortly before his death. His powers, also, had been broken by age. But -his face was of rare sweetness, and his prayers, though broken and full -of repetitions, still had the unction of former days. - -The third of this noble triumvirate was Julius Köbner, born in 1807 in -Denmark. He was a Jew by birth. His father was a Chief Rabbi, and saw -to it that his son was instructed in all the learning of the law. But -the young man heard the message of the crucified Messiah and believed. -He was baptised in 1830, and rendered valuable service to the cause, -both in Denmark and Germany. He was not a man of action so much as -of thought and feeling. There was a mystic glow of love and devotion -in all he said. His poetic talent was of a very high order. He has -greatly enriched Baptist hymnology. His chief work is a volume entitled -“Das Lied von Gott,” describing God’s creative and redemptive work. -It contains passages of great power, and has been highly commended by -such literary authorities as Karl Gerok. His last years were spent at -Elberfeld and Berlin. He had a little daughter born to him in old age. -It was very touching to see the old man with the sweet oriental face -looking down at the little maid by his side as they took their walks -together, each anxious to lead and care for the other. He, too, has -now passed away. So has Claus Peters, who was a kind of bishop in all -the region of Schleswig; so have Bues and Cramme. Others of the first -generation are now old. A new generation is growing up to solve new -problems. There are many strong men among them, so many that it might -be invidious to single out any for special mention. Those American -travelers who have sought out the German pastors in the places where -they stayed, have felt that they were amply rewarded by the contact -with these faithful men of God. - -The men of the older generation were called directly from their trade -to the ministry of the Word. They were taught in the school of life, -and instructed by adversity. Attempts were made years ago to train the -preachers. They were gathered by Oncken, or Köbner, or Berneike, for -a few months of teaching. In 1880, a permanent school was established -with seven pupils, and the late Reverend Moritz Geissler as professor. -The school now has twenty-six students, two instructors in the secular -branches, and two professors, J. G. Lehmann, a son of the older -Lehmann, and J. G. Fetzer, of Rochester Seminary. The school has a four -years’ course, and an occasional partial course of one year for older -men. The students were for a long time housed in very insufficient -quarters near the Hamburg church; but, in 1888, a handsome building -was erected in Horn, a suburb of Hamburg, and the school is now well -equipped and sure to influence the future of the German Baptists. - -The other great institution for the furtherance of the work is the -publishing house. The dissemination of Christian literature has, from -the first, been one of the chief aims of our brethren. At first, Mr. -Oncken obtained grants of Bibles and books from other societies; but -the need of having a publishing house under his own control soon became -apparent, and the first tract was published in 1834. Through its -connection with American and British tract and Bible societies, the -society has been able to do an extensive work. The number of Bibles and -Testaments sold during 1887 was 35,586 copies. Over three million pages -of tracts were issued during the same year. A number of periodicals -also issued from the press of the society. Sunday-school lesson papers -are published. There is a paper called “Wort und Werk” for the young -men, and another called “Tabea” for the young women. The most important -paper is the “Wahrheitszeuge,” the regular organ of the denomination, -which has recently become a weekly, and has a circulation of over five -thousand copies. Since 1878, the business has been managed by Reverend -Philip Bickel, D. D., formerly editor of the “Sendbote” at Cleveland, -Ohio. He has, by the most painstaking work, diminished the indebtedness -of the business, and steadily increased the scope of its work. The -colporteurs and volunteer workers of the German Baptist churches -constitute an agency for the dissemination of Christian literature -which, for cheapness and effectiveness, is scarcely equalled anywhere. - -The work is bound to grow. It is opposed by the conservatism and -prejudice of the people, of the strength of which no one can have a -conception who has not put his shoulder against it and tried to budge -it. The government, at least in the larger states, has taken a far -more tolerant attitude; but complete religious liberty does not exist -in Germany, nor will it exist until the State Churches have been -disestablished, and the German nation has stripped from its limbs -the last shackles of political absolutism and caste prerogative. Our -churches are increasing in number in spite of the constant drain of -emigration which takes from them their most prosperous and wide-awake -members. But, aside from the actual gain of converts, our churches -are doing the work of leavening thought by their literature, by their -demonstration of the power of Christian fellowship as presented in -a church of believers, and by the very general and extensive system -of lay evangelization. In 1889, 190 churches reported 1409 stations -where the Word is preached at regular intervals. Our churches are the -conductors of the evangelical thought and church methods of England and -America. They have been pioneers of Sunday-school work in Germany, and -they are bound to influence its entire religious future. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -OUT OF GERMANY INTO SWITZERLAND. - - A Lesson from Nature—Tramp-Trip through the Black Forests—Heidelberg - Castle—Basle, Switzerland—Met by a Friend—Emigrants off for - America—Delivering an Address to the Emigrants—The Grave of - Erasmus—Gateway to the Heart of the Alps—Snowy Peaks—Rendezvous - of the Nations—Beautiful Scene—Moonlight on the Lake—Sweet - Music—Pretty Girls—Mountains Shaken with Thunder and Wrapped with - Fire. - - -I BELIEVE it was Zeno who said, “We have only one mouth, but two ears; -whereby Nature teaches us that we should speak little, but hear much.” -So, having two eyes and only one pen, I must see much and write little. -I shall not therefore pause, as I should like, to speak of a few -charming days spent in walking through the “Black Forests” of Germany, -nor of a visit to Heidelberg, beautiful for situation and famous for -its university, - - “Half hidden in a gallery of pines, - Nestling on the sunny slope.” - -There is no more impressive sight in Germany than the ruins of the -Heidelberg Castle. The remains of its frowning battlements, ivy-covered -walls, and hanging gardens speak most eloquently of its former -greatness and grandeur. I can never forget the moonlight nights that -Johnson and I spent in Heidelberg, wandering up and down the banks of -the Neckar, listening to the music of her waters as they flow on to -join the legendary Rhine, a few hundred yards below. - -Leaving Heidelberg at four o’clock in the morning, we travel all -day through a comparatively uninteresting country, reaching Basle, -Switzerland, in time to break bread with a friend (?) who kindly sent a -committee to the depot to meet us. The committee insisted on carrying -us up from the station in a carriage, but we told them that as we had -no exercise during the day, we preferred to walk and carry our own -satchels. - -The day after arriving in Basle, we see a hundred and twenty-five -German and Swiss emigrants starting for America. At the request of -the emigration agent, who was possessed of much intelligence and good -information, I make a speech to the emigrants the hour before their -departure. I tell them not to stop around New York and Boston, but -to go West. After speaking briefly of the advantages of the country, -I tell them that America is not an Eden, but a wilderness; not a -wilderness, either, where people are miraculously fed with manna, as -were the Israelites of old, but one where the horny-handed sons of -toil have to dig their bread out of the ground; yet it is a wilderness -which, when watered by the sweat of the brow, is transformed into a -waving harvest field. I tell them that we invite immigration, not -that we want foreigners to fill easy places and control political -affairs; that a few years ago there were some men in Chicago, who -went there with this false idea in their brains, and, in trying to run -the government, they made a mistake and ran their heads into a halter. -I insist that earnest, honest, persistent, and intelligent laborers -are the kind of men we want; that such men are protected by law, and -rewarded with a comfortable living. After expressing the wish that they -might be freed from sea-sickness while crossing the ocean, and from -home-sickness after landing on the other side, I bid them adieu. - -A few days suffice to show us the parks, monuments, and public -buildings of the city. Among the latter, is the time-honored cathedral -in which rest the bones of Erasmus, the scholar of the Reformation. - -It was two hours after leaving Basle, before we could realize that we -were in Switzerland. Now, however, a great mountain rose up before -us. It was too long to surround, and too high to surmount; hence, we -had either to stand still, retreat, go under, or else go through the -mountain. After boring our way through the solid rock for two miles, we -come into the light on the opposite side. We find that this tunnel is -only a gateway admitting us into the land of wonders, and to the heart -of the Alps, a description of which will occupy the next chapter. - -We are now wild with delight, running first to one side of the car, -and then to the other, to catch a momentary glimpse of the mountains -as they dash by us. The snowy peaks now burst upon our vision, and, -just as Johnson is getting ready to stand on his head, the brakesman -shouts, “Lucerne! All out for Lucerne!” This announcement, of course, -interrupts the proceedings of my traveling companion; hence, leather -does not “go up,” as I expected. - -We find Lucerne to be the general rendezvous of thousands of tourists -who, in the search of health or pleasure, have come hither from Russia, -Turkey, Greece, Hungary, and Asia Minor, from Germany, France, Italy, -England and America. Sometimes, at the evening hour the different -nationalities are represented in one room, and there follows a Babel of -confusion. - -How beautiful and varied is the scene before me at this hour! It is -a lovely moonlight night, and the lake shines bright and tranquil as -a polished mirror. The laughing stars lie buried in the blue depths -below. On the bosom of this fairy lake are scores of lover-laden row -boats, shooting, turning, gliding, in every possible direction. As the -oars strike the water, they gleam in the moonlight like paddles of -silver. There are two, four, or six persons in each boat. Several boats -have now grouped together, and all have joined in singing “Moonlight -on the Lake,” and the soft music floats over the still waters until -it dies away in the distance. There is a momentary pause. And now, -just in front of the long line of four-story hotels, which are set -back about one hundred feet from the lake, the Hungarian Band breaks -forth and its wild melodies are echoed from the surrounding hills. -Next the Neapolitan Quartette causes a perfect uproar of laughter as -it discourses the latest Italian comic songs with banjo accompaniment. -As the clock from the cathedral tower announces the hour of eleven, a -change comes over the scene. The street lamps are extinguished, and -the good-humored multitude pour forth their extravagant praises of the -brilliant display of fireworks which are now filling the air with noise -and showers of falling stars. Thus do tourists and visitors spend their -summer evenings in this little town of Lucerne, this “Swiss Lady of the -Lake.” - -All through the month of August, thunder-storms of unusual grandeur -have been prevalent in Switzerland. Twenty-four hours ago, I witnessed -a thunder-storm that made a lasting impression. It was twelve o’clock -at night. The evening before all nature was in confusion. The angry -clouds were like seething volcanoes, shooting up their thunderheads as -if they would strike heaven in the face. Behind these cloud-battalions, -which were constantly forming and reforming in ranks of war, the sun -was skirmishing. Now and then his fiery darts would pierce the serrate -columns, but immediately they would close up the gap and shut out the -sun. As if given up in despair, he retired behind the western hills. -The world was then locked in the embrace of night, and given over to -the remorseless storm-god. The angry clouds began to gather from the -east and west and north and south, growing denser and darker as they -came. Muttering thunder could be heard in the distance. At last the -crisis came. One blinding flash of lightning followed another. The -lakes roared. The earth moved. The mountains reeled! Thunder answered -thunder! Deep called unto deep! The peaks, like mountain monarchs, -seemed to be quarreling with each other; each peak had a voice and -each glen an echo! One moment all was painfully dark, and the next a -mighty sheet of flame could be seen falling from the clouds upon the -mountain tops. There it lingered for a moment, and then, rolling itself -into billows, it came dashing down the rocky steeps like cataracts of -fire, turning night into day and revealing a hundred snow-capped peaks -around. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -SWITZERLAND AS SEEN ON FOOT. - - Alpine Fever—Flags of Truce—Schiller and the Swiss Hero—Tell’s - Statue and Chapel—Ascent of the Rigi—Beautiful Scenery—Famous - Falls—Rambles in the Mountains—Glaciers—The Matterhorn—Yung - Frau—Ascent of Mount Blanc—An Eagle in the Clouds—Switzerland - and her People—The Oldest Republic in the World—”Home, Sweet - Home”—High Living—Land Owners—Alpine Folk—Night Spent in a Swiss - Chalet—Johnson in Trouble—Walk of Six Hundred Miles—Famous Alpine - Pass—A Night above the Clouds—Saint Bernard Hospice—Overtaken in a - Snow-Storm—Hunting Dead Men—The Alps as a Monument—Geneva—Prison - of Chilon—How Time was Spent—Tongue of Praise. - - -I HAVE been in Switzerland only a few days before I take what the -people here call the Alpine fever. It affects my blood; it gets into -my very bones. I can feel it in every limb at every breath. I consult -no physician—I need none. I know full well that the only cure for my -disease is to get out among the mountains and there commune with Nature -and Nature’s God. I did not come to Switzerland to hear fine music, or -to be initiated into the mysteries of fashionable hotel life. I came -to enjoy the wild and rugged scenery of the Alps. It seems, too, that -it takes more to satisfy me than it does most people. They tell me -they came here for the same purpose that I did, and yet they are quite -content to remain in the cities and behold the mountains afar off. Not -so with me. The moment I behold the gleaming snow on the uplifted -mountains, I see that it is not a scarlet ensign indicative of wrath, -war, and bloodshed. No, the signal is white, the flag of truce, the -emblem of peace, of innocence and purity. Hence, I am not repelled but -wonderfully drawn by the mountains. I can but repeat the language that -Schiller put into the mouth of his Swiss hero, William Tell: - - “There is a charm about them, that is certain— - Seest thou yon mountains with their snowy peaks - Melting into and mingling with the sky?” - -I think, too, of the wifely warning that Hedwige gave Tell: - - “Thou never leav’st me but my heart grows cold - And shrinks, as though each farewell were the last— - I see thee midst the frozen wilderness, - Missing, perchance, thy leap o’er some dark gulf, - Or whirl’d down headlong with the struggling chamois; - - “I see the avalanche close o’er thy head, - The treacherous ice give way beneath thy feet— - And thee—the victim of a living grave! - Death, in a thousand varying shapes, waylays - The Alpine traveler. ‘Tis a hazardous and fearful trade!” - -The husband’s reply was: - - “He who trusts in God, and to those powers which God hath given him, - May guard himself from almost every danger. - These mountains have no terrors for their children.” - -[Illustration: GIESSBACH FALLS.] - -And I am for the time being a child of the Alps. I have a mountaineer’s -spirit in me, and I say: “I will go!” The next thing is to secure an -Alpine outfit, which consists of spiked shoes, an Alpenstock, an ice -ax and a rope. These things in our hands and neatly strapped on our -backs, Johnson and I leave the social haunts of men, and start out to -“do the Alps.” On the “Rainbow,” we sail over Lake Lucerne from end to -end. We then walk to Fluelen and Altdorf, where is laid the scene of -Schiller’s immortal play, “William Tell.” We see Tell’s statue, erected -on the spot where with crossbow he shot the apple off his son Walter’s -head. We visit the place where during a raging storm, Tell sprang -from the boat upon a projecting rock, thereby saving himself from the -dungeon, and rescuing Switzerland from the hands of tyranny. We climb -the Rigi, the mountain that gave Mark Twain so much trouble. Standing -upon its elevated summit, we look down upon eleven silvery lakes spread -out in the valleys 5,000 feet below. We now strike out over Brüning -Pass for Brienz and Interlaken. The most interesting object during -this delightful sail was the famous Griessbach Falls. As the steamer -approaches, all eyes are fixed upon the rushing torrent whose foaming -waters, eager to escape from their mountain prison, burst forth from -the mountain side, and leap from rock to rock until they mingle with -the placid lake 1,200 feet below! - -Interlaken, as its name indicates, is between the lakes, Brienz and -Thun. This is not a city, but a small, characteristic Swiss village, -hemmed in by two lakes, and two mountains, whose precipitous sides -are feathered over with fir trees. Indeed, the surroundings are so -picturesque and beautiful that we make Hotel de Nord headquarters for -several days, during which time we make several delightful excursions -on and around the lakes. Our stay is made more pleasant because of the -company of L. Woodhull and J. A. Worthman, of Dayton, Ohio; but theirs -is a flying trip, hence we are soon separated. - -We now penetrate the very heart of the Alps. We spend a month, and -walk more than five hundred miles, creeping through the windings of -the mountains; in following up streams to their sources; in crossing -narrow chasms whose yawning depths even now make me dizzy when I think -of them; in climbing rugged peaks where one false step would have -dashed us against the jagged rocks, two, three, and sometimes four, -thousand feet below; in letting ourselves down by ropes into deep -gorges on whose rocky floor ray of sun or moonbeam has never fallen; in -traversing seas of ice or glacier fields, two of which, the Rhone and -the Aletsch glaciers, are the most extensive in the Alps, being fifteen -miles long and from one to three miles wide. - -Reader, stand with me for a moment upon the banks of this Swiss river, -and we shall find it worthy of the world of savage grandeur through -which it passes. The river is quite narrow. Its rocky bed is full -three hundred feet below the banks on which we stand. The water dashes -by us with such force and velocity that, as it strikes the rocks and -bowlders in the stream, the spray rises up for a hundred feet or more. -The light of the sun shining through the rising mist flings a radiant -rainbow on the opposite wall of rock. - -Mountains rise up abruptly on either side of the river. On the opposite -side of the stream from where we stand, a mountain rises up steeply -for six, eight, nine, thousand feet. Away up there 9,000 feet above -the world, on the broad top of the mountain, there is an everlasting -lake filled from Heaven’s founts, baring its blue bosom to the blue -sky. Around this “lake of the gods,” and also from its centre, Alpine -peaks lift their grey and ghastly heads up against the sky, as if to -support the blue dome of Heaven, lest the moon and the stars extinguish -themselves in the crystal sea. And that is not all. The water, as if -tired of its home in the skies, breaks over its rocky prison walls; -and, in a perpetual stream eighteen inches deep and thirty feet -wide, it comes, churned into madness and foam—comes madly dashing -and splashing down the mountain side for 9,000 feet at an angle of -seventy-five degrees. Finally with the swiftness of an arrow the -maddened stream leaps into the river, and we stand on the banks and -look down on the “hoarse torrent’s foaming breath below.” - - “We gaze and turn away and know not where, - Dazzled and drunk with beauty, till the heart - Reels with its fullness, there—forever there— - Chain’d to the chariot of Nature’s triumphal Art - We stand as captives, and would not depart.” - -Baedeker truly says: “The glacier—the most striking feature of the -Alpine world—is a stupendous mass of purest azure ice.” No scene in -Switzerland is so strikingly and so strangely beautiful as when, in -some fertile and wooded valley, the glittering pinnacles of a glacier -are suddenly presented to our gaze, in the immediate proximity of -wheat fields, fruit trees, smiling meadows and human habitations. -These extensive glaciers are long arms of solid ice, resembling a -thousand frozen cataracts, occupying entire valleys, and attaining -a thickness estimated at 1,500 feet. The surface of these glaciers -is by no means smooth and regular. Here one frowning terrace rises -above another; there the glacier swells and rises into huge pinnacles -and towering pyramids of purest ice. Again the surface is torn into -every conceivable shape by great crevasses which sometimes sink to -an enormous depth. In crossing these glaciers, guides, spiked shoes, -Alpenstocks, strong ropes, and ice axes are indispensable. - -[Illustration: A GLACIER IN SWITZERLAND.] - -The rope is tied around the waist of each one of us, guides and all, -leaving eight or ten feet of rope between each two persons, one guide -at each end of the rope. Thus we, “with cautious step and slow,” start -across a sea of ice, all following the foremost guide and stepping -in his tracks. Sometimes every foothold has to be cut with an ax. -Now we come to a deep crevasse into which we are let down by a rope. -Once safely down the guide cuts our way in the ice until we gain two -ladders, one above the other, that have been placed there for that -purpose. Notwithstanding one’s double suit of underclothing and heavy -wraps, he becomes so chilled and benumbed that he gradually loses -his native activity. Hence the greatest caution is necessary to get -back without broken limbs. As one sees these pinnacles and pyramids -of purest azure ice bathed in the golden splendor of the setting sun, -their shining steps look like a crystal stairway reaching from earth to -heaven. A glacier reflecting the sun’s evening glories could perhaps -not be better described than by saying, it looks like heaven hung out -to air. - - “There are things whose strong reality - Outshines our fairy-land; in shape and hues - More beautiful than our fantastic sky.” - -We must now quit the glacier field, and go up on the Aeggischhorn. -Reader, you must know that the way is long and rough and steep and -hard. But what man has done, man can do. The object is worth the labor. -What were a month’s climbing, even though it be doubly difficult, when -it is to be rewarded with the prospect from yonder imperial height? We -cross chasm after chasm, struggle from cliff to cliff, go from height -to height, until we stand 14,000 feet above the world! Around us are a -thousand snow-capped peaks rising up until they “melt into and mingle -with the skies.” - - “The sun seems pausing above the mountain’s brow - As if he left reluctantly a scene so lovely now.” - -The rays of light like arrows pierce the ice-covered rocks, and set -the Alpine world on fire. The bended heavens not far above us blush -to behold the sight. Gods, isn’t it glorious! Slow wanes the day -from these sequestered valleys. As the tourists watch the sun gather -up his spent shafts and put them back into his golden quiver, they -involuntarily take off their hats and contemplate the “afterglow” in -silence. - -I might as well rest my pen, for I might write until my hand would -become palsied from use, and you might read my writing until your -eyes would grow dim with age, and yet I could convey to you no just -conception of the Matterhorn whose brow really seems ambitious of the -skies! nor yet of the majestic Jungfrau whose head goes careering ten, -twelve, fourteen, sixteen, thousand feet towards heaven. It is noonday -when I first stand at the foot of the Jungfrau, the young wife. The -clouds have come down and settled upon and around the mountain until at -least half of it is obscured from view. But my eyes are something like -daggers piercing the clouds through, for I want to get a glimpse of the -mountain as near to heaven as possible. All at once the clouds begin -to rise. They lift themselves clear above the mountain’s brow. Ah, -me! I have to shut the door close on my fluttering, my rising, soul, -lest it pass outward and upward in astonishment. This is the Jungfrau, -vailed in her dazzling shroud of eternal snow, and I am sure Ruskin -was correct when he said: “The seen walls of lost Eden could not have -been more beautiful, or more awful round Heaven the gates of sacred -death.” Now, as if the mountain’s brow was too sacred to be bared long -at a time, the clouds, like a mighty sheet, begin to unfold and come -down. The mountain is soon wrapt again in thick clouds, but she lifts -her ambitious head aloft. Above and beyond the clouds her icy crown -glistens in the light of the sun. - -The people here say this is the best place in Switzerland to see an -avalanche. I am determined to see one, if I have to remain here all -summer. I see none the first day. As night approaches, I cross a -frightfully deep and yawning chasm, and come over on the Wengernalp, -3,000 feet high, which leaves me still 13,000 feet below the top of the -Jungfrau. Next morning, about half-past seven o’clock, I hear a strange -noise, apparently in Heaven, as though the angels had revolted. The -noise is in the direction of the Jungfrau, whose head is still hidden -in the clouds. The noise is heard, but the cause is unseen. It seems -that a thousand cyclones and thunder-storms have combined into one. -It comes “nearer, clearer, deadlier” than before. All eyes are turned -in one direction, and now we see a world of white snow bursting forth -like a thunderbolt from the bosom of the clouds. It comes leaping down -the mountain side from crag to crag, from peak to peak, across crack -and glen and crevasse. Gathering momentum with each successive leap, it -sweeps down the mountain side with such deafening noise and terrific -force that nothing on earth could stay its onward progress. The earth -trembles and the mountains reel as it leaps into the yawning chasm -below. - - “These are the Alps, - The palaces of Nature, whose vast walls - Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps, - And throned Eternity in icy halls - Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls - The avalanche—the thunderbolt of snow! - All that expands the spirit, yet appals, - Gather around these summits, as to show - How Earth may pierce to Heaven, yet leave vain man below.” - -[Illustration: AMONG THE PEAKS.] - -After ascending Mount Blanc, I can but say, I have scaled thy heights, -I have sniffed thy breeze, I have planted my feet upon thy glittering -crown, but who, oh who, can comprehend thy glory! Oh thou monarch -of mountains! I see thee in all thy majesty. Thy proportions are so -vast and gigantic, thy form so regal and grand, that the eye in vain -attempts to estimate them. Distance is annihilated by thy vastness, -for thou art towering above us as if thou wouldst bear thy burden of -virgin snow back to its native heaven. Yet above thy regal brow I see -an eagle. For a moment he pauses with outstretched wings, as if to -contemplate thy glory, and then screaming with delight and whirling -himself in the air, he continues his onward, upward flight, as if he -would clutch his talons in the fiery sun itself. - - “Wave, eagle, thy pinion - Supreme in the air!” - -But leave, ah leave, me alone on the mountain top amidst the frozen -wilderness. I love to roam among the mountains. I love their pure air, -their jagged heights, their snowy peaks, and their foaming cataracts -tumbling down. Yea, - - “For the lifting up of mountains, - In brightness and in dread; - For the peaks where snow and sunshine - Alone have dared to tread; - For the dark of silent gorges, - Whence mighty cedars nod: - For the majesty of mountains, - I thank thee, O my God.” - -This little country of Switzerland, locked in by the Alps, and -surrounded by Germany, France, Italy, and Austria, boasts the oldest -republic in the world, its present form of government having existed -half a thousand years. It is inhabited by 2,700,000 people, speaking -three different languages. One million and a half speak German, one -million French, and the remainder Italian. Unlike the people of other -European nations, four-fifths of these Switzers are land owners. They -love to sing - - “Home, sweet home, - Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home!” - -And, verily, their homes are humble, especially in the wilder parts of -the country. Their rude, structures are, for the most part, built of -fir poles and rough stones, and are often perched on the steep mountain -side, thousands of feet above the valley. Sometimes nearly the whole -house is hidden away in a blasted rock, only the end facing the valley -being visible. These mountaineers live high—I can not say _well_. They -have elevated thoughts, that is if they have any thoughts at all; they -look down upon kings and ordinary mortals, and only look up to eagles -and to God. Despite the extraordinary precaution taken to have their -houses shielded by the rock, many of them are annually swept away by -avalanches. It is difficult to trace out the dim and winding paths by -which these people reach their mountain huts. - -I said most Switzers are land-owners, and so they are, on a small -scale. It is only a little here and less there; an acre in one place, a -half acre in another, and so on. They have few or no horses, but nearly -every family has two or three cows and a half dozen goats. They milk -both goats and cows; both are as gentle as cats, and each one appears -to know its name. Switzerland is a great country for honey, cheese, -vegetables and fruit. Pears and grapes of the finest quality everywhere -abound. Wine is plentiful and almost as cheap as water, though I do not -take advantage of the “reduced rates.” - -There is something about the plain, simple, and unpretentious ways -of these Alpine folk that challenges admiration. They are earnest, -honest, pious, truthful, and industrious. Indeed, they can not be -otherwise than industrious. Necessity is their stern master. He treads -upon their heels, and cracks his whip over their heads. They have no -machinery—they want none. They know nothing, and care less, about what -progress the world is making. To them, “the world” means Switzerland, -and that is about the same from age to age. “Contentment is the price -of happiness;” they have paid the price, and enjoy the prize. The -iron-belted and thunder-riven mountains have lent strength of character -and force of will to the men. They are hardy mountaineers. They love -their country next to their God. - - “True as yon Alp to its own native flowers - True as the torrent to its rocky bed, - Or clouds and winds to their appointed track; - The Switzer cleaves to his accustom’d freedom, - Holds fast the rights and laws his fathers left him, - And spurns the tyrant’s innovating sway.” - -The crystal streams, silvery lakes, and smiling valleys, have -reflected their beauty in many a maiden’s face. True, these daughters -of the forest wear no high-heeled boots nor Paris bonnets, but they are -beautiful, nevertheless. I think Johnson will not soon forget a girl -whom we met in a Swiss chalet where we stayed a few nights ago. And -who can blame him? She was eighteen years of age, of medium height, -and had a faultless figure. She had a Grecian face, smooth features, -fair complexion, large brown eyes, and flowing auburn hair. A radiant -smile wreathed her innocent face. She looked at Johnson. He looked at -her. Neither one spoke. Neither one could speak so the other could -understand. But what is the use of words - - “When each warm wish springs mutual from the heart, - And thought meets thought ere from the lips it part, - When love is liberty, and nature law?” - -That night Johnson came to our room claiming that he was ill. When -I inquired as to the nature of his trouble, he said he did not know -what it was. He did not know whether he had the rash, whooping-cough, -measles, small-pox, or cholera; but he had something, and had it bad. -Whereupon I applied a flaxseed poultice to the back of his neck. Next -morning found him convalescent, though not entirely relieved. I see -from history that such occurrences were common in the middle ages. - -We have now been in Switzerland forty days. It has been forty days of -hard work, and yet forty days of intense delight. We have walked nearly -six hundred miles, and the last mile was stepped off with as much -ease as the first mile. The last step had in it the same elasticity -and firmness as the first. My youth was renewed like the eagle’s. I -constantly felt like mounting on the wings of rejoicing, and gliding -over the country as a disembodied spirit. - -In some places, the angles we made in ascending and descending were -not less than sixty to seventy-five degrees! One time, when nightfall -came, I was thoroughly tired—completely exhausted. Pain trembled in -every limb. My knees denied their office. Hearty supper, warm footbath, -bed, oblivion! Strange as it may appear, the next day was spent, not in -walking but in reading history. - -In our Alpine experiences, we walked from Switzerland into France and -back again; over Napoleon’s famous Alpine pass from Switzerland into -Italy and back. One time, while crossing the Alps without a guide, -we lost our way. For several hours we wandered around—we knew not -whither. All at once the clouds dropped down upon us, and with the -clouds there came a blinding snow-storm. It seemed as if we would -freeze. I knew we could not survive the cold till morning. I thought, -“Is it possible that this white snow is to be my winding-sheet, and -some rocky chasm my lonely grave?” Just before dark, our hearts were -gladdened by the sight of six men not far away. We called to them. -Across the fields of snow, the cold wind brought their cheering reply. -The men, clad in fur and wrapped in black gowns, proved to be Augustine -monks, who keep the St. Bernard Hospice. They took us with them to the -Hospice which was only two miles away. On reaching there, Johnson and -I were almost frozen. We were soon seated by a glowing fire, and were -comfortably shielded from the cutting wind and falling snow during that -memorable night above the clouds. - -[Illustration: HOSPICE IN THE ALPS.] - -We spent some time with the monks of the Hospice. This noble -institution has been standing nearly a thousand years. It is in the -heart of the mountains—the highest winter habitation in the Alps. -Snow falls here nine months in the year. The Hospice is kept by -eighteen or twenty Augustine monks, whose sole business is to search -for, assist and rescue, Alpine travelers who have lost their way in the -snow. We saw here about a dozen of the famous St. Bernard dogs. They -are, by all odds, the largest and finest dogs I have seen. They are -thoroughly trained to assist the monks in their work. In the morning, -when they are let out of the house where they have been locked during -the night, the dogs seem wild with delight. They go bounding through -the snow in every direction. With fore feet on some huge bowlder, -and heads high in the air, they sniff the cold mountain breeze, and -off they go again. For miles around, they search the mountains for -travelers who, on account of cold and snow, have fallen by the wayside. -In this way these philanthropic monks and their noble dogs have saved -many lives. - -It is impossible at the Hospice to dig graves in the rock and snow and -ice, so they have a “dead house” where the bodies which are found in -the snow are placed and kept. The atmosphere is so pure and intensely -cold that decomposition takes place very slowly. There are about fifty -bodies in the dead house now, the last two having been placed there -about eighteen months ago. I went into this house, and I really believe -that if I had ever known the two persons last placed there, I could -have recognized them then. Any traveler is kindly received by the -monks and entertained for the night without any charge. Each visitor -is expected, however, to “drop something in the box.” Napoleon once -stopped here, and hundreds of his soldiers, as they passed over the -mountains with the cannon, partook of the hospitality of the monks. -Afterwards, the great Frenchman sent one of his generals here to be -buried, that he might have the Alps as a monument. - -I visited the prison of Chillon. It is a gloomy old castle with five -great towers, built upon a rock projecting some two hundred yards into -Lake Geneva. Byron says of it: - - “Chillon! thy prison is a holy place, - And thy sad floor an altar; for ’twas trod - Until his very steps have left a trace, - Worn, as if thy cold pavement were a sod, - By Bonnivard! May none those marks efface, - “For they appeal from tyranny to God. - There are seven pillars of Gothic mould - In Chillon’s dungeon deep and old, - And in each pillar there is a ring, - And in each ring there is a chain.” - -The description is perfect. The whole thing is there as of old. - -I must stay my weary hand. I have already perhaps, written too much -about Switzerland. But I have no apology to offer. I am in love with -the country, that’s all. Love Switzerland? - - “Who could help it that has a heart to love, - And in that heart courage to make its love known?” - -[Illustration: SWISS MOUNTAINS.] - -To get up regularly at 5 A.M., and see the first grey streaks of -morning, to watch the grey turn to pearl, the pearl to copper, to -amber, to gold, and then to see the whole heaven flecked with blushes -and gattled with fire; to watch the rising sun slowly climb the eastern -hills and see the first gleam of light glistening on the snowy peaks -around you; to start on your day’s tramp while the air is fresh and -bracing, and while all Nature is smiling as though earth held no tomb; -to walk for hours and hours, climbing peaks and crossing glens; to sit -down at noon on the flower-fringed bank of a limpid stream, and listen -to the music of its rippling waters while you eat your cold lunch; and, -after dinner is over, to lie in the sun for an hour or two and read -the legends, poetry and history inseparably linked with the mountains, -lakes and valleys that you have been admiring all the morning; to walk -on until night, and then eat with an appetite that reminds you of your -schoolboy days of old, when you ate all that was cooked and then called -for more; to go out after supper and reflect on God’s handiwork, with -floods, snows, rocks, mountains, glens, forests round and heaven’s -bright stars above you,—to enjoy all this, and more, as I have done, -were enough to put the tongue of praise in the mouth of the dumb, to -wake well-springs of joy in the desert places of the heart, and send -never-failing streams of rejoicing through the garden of life. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -BAPTISTS IN FRANCE. - - -IN the early part of this century two English Baptists began to preach -the Gospel in Switzerland and France. The burden of their preaching -was free salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and to their joy -something of a religious revival began to manifest itself. It seems -however, that these brethren did not give Believer’s Baptism its proper -place, and hence many of their disciples, looking upon it as a matter -of no special importance, for the sake of peace kept it constantly -in the background. The result was, that though many were converted -and gathered into churches through the labors of these good Baptist -brethren and their disciples, in 1830 only two little churches in the -northern part of France were willing to be known as Baptists. - -About this time Prof. Rostan of Marseilles, left his home for the -United States, where he became a Baptist. In 1832 he returned to France -under the auspices of the Missionary Union, intending to spend his life -in preaching the Gospel to his own people. He opened a hall in Paris, -and a goodly number of attentive and serious hearers gathered about -him, some of whom often accompanied him to his home to receive further -instruction. Mr. Rostan also sought interviews with prominent and -influential men, to explain to them the object of his mission. He was -generally well received, and was invited to give a series of lectures -on Christianity before the “Society for Promoting Civilization.” Being -pious, cultivated and zealous, there was every reason to hope that he -would accomplish a great work, but his lamented death in December 1833 -put an end to his earthly labors. - -The Missionary Union at once sent out an appeal to young ministers, and -Mr. Isaac Willmarth, then of the Newton Theological Seminary, who loved -France, and especially Paris, because there, while a medical student -he was led to Christ, presented himself, and was at once appointed to -carry on the work. He reached Paris in June 1834. The following year a -small church was organized and soon after two theological students were -received into the church, and placed themselves under Mr. Willmarth’s -instructions. Through a Colporteur whom he knew in Paris, Mr. Willmarth -was brought into relation with the few Baptists of Northern France, who -were much gratified at receiving a visit from the American Missionary, -and who were not a little surprised to hear from him of the large -number of Christians in America, who not only held to Believers’ -Baptism, but, as a result of this, to restricted Communion also. - -In the latter part of 1835 the mission was reinforced by two other -American Missionaries, Rev. E. Willard, and Rev. D. N. Sheldon, both -of Newton Theological Seminary. The chief object of this reinforcement -was the establishment of a mission school, with special reference to -the training of candidates for the ministry. Mr. Sheldon remained in -Paris and in June 1836, Mr. Willmarth and Mr. Willard, wishing to be -near the few Baptists of Northern France, removed to Douai, a town near -the borders of Belgium, having a population of twenty thousand, and -containing a small Baptist church. The following year Mr. Willmarth, on -account of failing health, found it necessary to return to the United -States, and two years later Mr. Sheldon returned also. Mr. Willard, -left alone in France, continued his labors, giving special attention -to training of young men for the ministry, in which work he was very -successful. - -In 1840 the mission numbered seven churches, five out-stations, six -ordained ministers, five assistants and about two hundred members. - -The period between 1840 and 1848 was one of trial and persecution, the -chief difficulties resulting from the opposition of the government, -which made it unlawful for more than twenty persons to meet together -for any purpose, without the written permission of the magistrates. -Brethren began holding private meetings in their own houses, but very -soon a law was enacted subjecting any person who opened his house for -public worship to a fine of from sixteen to three hundred francs. The -execution of these laws was committed to the mayors of the communes, -who were generally Roman Catholics, and thoroughly under the influence -of the priests, who, as ever, were not slow to avail themselves of -this opportunity to persecute these Baptist brethren, with the hope of -preventing further progress, and of destroying what had already been -accomplished. In several places chapels were closed, one remaining -unopened for thirteen years, and consequently brethren were forced to -meet together secretly in private houses, or in the quiet woods. But -it was not without danger that they thus assembled, for Preachers and -Colporteurs were often arrested and fined, and but for the liberality -of some good Baptists of New York, who willingly paid these fines in -order that these faithful and courageous disciples might go forth -from prison to preach the Gospel, their work would have been greatly -hindered. - -In 1847 a famous trial took place. The pastors of Chauny and La fere -(Aisne) together with a Colporteur, were sentenced each to pay a fine -of three hundred francs, having been found guilty of the crime of -preaching the Gospel. Many of their hearers were also subjected to -fines. The case was carried to a higher court, and the sentence was -somewhat modified. But feeling the injustice and illegality of the -sentence, even in its modified form, it being a direct violation of the -French Code, adopted in 1830, which contained a definite provision for -freedom of worship for all religious denominations, an appeal was made -to the highest court in the Empire. However, before the final trial, -the Revolution of February 1848, overthrew the throne, and religious -liberty was proclaimed throughout the whole of France. - -One of the chief obstacles being removed, the work was prosecuted -with lively hope and fresh zeal, and the following year, 1849, -proved a season of special blessing, forty-five baptisms having been -reported. In 1850, the Baptist church in Paris was re-organized with -four members, the first pastor being Mr. Dez. For thirteen years the -church worshipped in a small inconvenient room, during which time the -number of members increased from four to eighty-four. A better room -was then obtained, where the brethren continued to meet till 1873, -when the present marble-front chapel was provided. Work was carried on -successfully in several of the large towns of northern France, and in -the villages and the country immediately adjoining them. The members of -the churches are generally poor, and often much scattered, but they are -most faithful and regular in their attendance on the Sunday services, -some of them walking even ten miles. From all accounts French Baptists -are noted for their piety and self-sacrificing efforts in spreading a -knowledge of the Truth. - -Since 1857, when Mr. Willard returned to the United States, the work -has been under the direction of a committee of French ministers, -the means being largely furnished by the Missionary Union. The cause -has made constant and substantial progress, and gives good promise -for the future. A Theological School has been established in Paris. -Besides the chapel in Paris, several others have been provided. The -services are generally well attended, and the people seem to manifest -a growing tendency and desire to hear the Truth. In Chauny, where -persecution was once so rife, the chapel has been enlarged, in order to -accommodate the growing numbers who wish to hear the Gospel. Baptisms -are of frequent occurrence. The little periodical called “_L’Echo de -la Verite_” has met with unexpected favor and success, the number of -its subscribers being nearly twice that of the Baptists themselves. A -small but valuable Baptist literature has been provided. If we include -those not connected with the Missionary Union, the Baptist force of -France numbers at present about twenty pastors and evangelists, about -twenty organized churches, some forty or fifty sub-stations, and about -one thousand members. During these sixty years of effort and suffering -much precious fruit has been gathered for the heavenly garner, and a -good foundation has been laid. Religiously, France and Italy are very -much alike, and the difficulties of the one, are, in the main, the -difficulties of the other. In each case Romanism, with its attendant -and inevitable evils, is the chief obstacle. But the darkness of -Romanism is sure to recede before the light of God’s Word, and we may -confidently hope that the land so often crimsoned by the blood of -martyrs, the land of the Huguenots will yet throw off the shackles of -the “Man of Sin” and bow to the sway of Immanuel. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -FROM VIENNA DOWN THE DANUBE TO CONSTANTINOPLE. - - A Black Night on the Black Sea—A Doleful Dirge—Two Thousand - Miles—Vienna—Its Architecture—Its Palace—Its Art Galleries and - Museums—Through Hungary, Servia, Slavonia, and Bulgaria—Cities - and Scenery along the Danube—Products of the Countries—Entering - the Bosphorus amid a War of the Elements—Between Two - Continents—Constantinople—Difficulty with a Turkish Official—A - Babel of Tongues—The Sultan at Prayer—Twenty Thousand Soldiers on - Guard—Multiplicity of Wives—Man-Slayer. - - -I AM now far out on the Black Sea. Night has settled down on the face -of the deep, and darkness broods over the wide, wide world. This is, -however, far from being a “still and pulseless world” at present. We -are not having a storm, but the wind is blowing a perfect gale. I have -just been pacing the deck and watching the heaving bosom of the ocean. -I love the ocean; I love its vastness; I love its doleful music; I love -its foam-crested waves and white-capped billows. But I had to leave -the deck to-night; it is too cold and rough and dark to remain out any -longer. Hence I came to the saloon; and, as there are a few thoughts -floating through my mind, I take up my pen. I am tired, and would wait -until morning; but memory is a treacherous creature, and the only way -I can secure these thoughts is to fasten them in words, and chain them -in writing. The thoughts I propose to manacle pertain to places I have -visited and objects I have seen since leaving Geneva, Switzerland. -During this time, I have traveled more than two thousand miles, -sometimes on foot, sometimes on trains, and sometimes on the Danube -river. - -[Illustration: THE BELVIDERE, VIENNA.] - -Vienna, the proud capital of haughty Austria, has more than a million -inhabitants, is splendidly situated, and is one of the prettiest cities -in Europe. The city abounds in monuments and statues, in large parks, -lovely flower gardens, and playing fountains. But Vienna’s crowning -glory is her superb architecture. The Emperor’s Mansion, the Palace -of Justice, and the Houses of Parliament, are especially fine. They -are immense structures, and are elaborately sculptured not only from -the ground to the roof, but the roof itself is covered with sculptured -work. For instance, there are standing on the House of Parliament -alone, eighty life-size marble statues. In addition to these, there -are, on the same roof eight large gilded chariots, each drawn by four -flying horses, and driven by a winged goddess. As one approaches these -buildings, they present a most striking appearance. - -I went through the Palace, and saw the Emperor and the crown jewels of -Austria; through the royal riding-school, where the imperial family are -daily instructed in the art of horsemanship; through the art galleries -and Museum, which contain too many fine pictures and objects of -interest to be mentioned here. - -Since leaving Vienna, I have traveled through Hungary, Servia, -Slavonia, and Bulgaria, stopping at Buda-Pesth, Belgrade, Rustchuk, and -Varna. For two days and nights I was on the majestic Danube. Most of -the time the river was broad, and the country level and uninteresting. -But this was by no means uniform; occasionally the river would burst -through a rocky mountain ridge, and I remember I opened my umbrella and -stood on deck in the cold wind and rain for three hours, rather than go -down to the saloon, where I could only half see the rugged cliffs and -peaks overhanging the river. Do you say, “That was expensive pleasure?” -Well, be it so. But I love nature. Besides, it has been said, and -truly, I believe, that we enjoy everything in proportion to what it -costs us. I am going to make a strong statement, and yet one that is as -true as strong. I know that it will sound like blasphemy to some, but I -believe in the old proverb, “Honor to whom honor is due;” hence I now -declare that the scenery along some parts of the Danube is finer than -anything on the Rhine. - -The principal productions of Servia, Slavonia, Roumelia, and Bulgaria, -seem to me to be ignorance, turnips, soldiers, poodle dogs, and an -annual crop of semi-royal, throne-seeking dudes. I would rather own a -thousand acres of black land in Texas, or be a well-to-do farmer in -Blue Grass, Kentucky, than to have ten such thrones as all these petty -kingdoms combined could offer. I settled the Bulgarian trouble, and -left the country. (I close for the night). - -[Illustration: THE DANUBE.] - -I fell asleep last night little dreaming what the morning held in -store for me. About 7 o’clock, A.M., though I was up long before that -time, we entered the Bosphorus. We were sailing directly towards the -rising sun. Along the eastern horizon great banks of purple clouds lay -piled one upon another like Pelion upon Ossa. The clouds rise higher -and higher, as now and then the sun climbs up to peep over, like an -imprisoned giant from behind the frowning battlements. - -We were apparently between the two arms of a great horseshoe, and were -gliding slowly on into its curve, with the land on all sides sloping up -gently from the water’s edge. We were between two continents—Europe on -the right, and Asia on the left. Our narrow passage was lined on either -side with great torpedo boats, and ironclad men-of-war, trembling for -service. These, in turn, were flanked by two lines of impregnable -forts, planted with grim and frowning cannon. As we pass the batteries -and enter the bay, we behold the great city of Constantinople, crowning -the heights that sweep around the curve of the horseshoe. We see its -palaces, mosques, towers, and spires, all outlined against a dark -background of cloud. Just at this moment, the sun rifts the purple -clouds, and pours a flood of golden glory over the whole scene. - -[Illustration: CASTLE ON THE DANUBE.] - -By this time the “Urano” casts anchor, and we are soon surrounded by -two or three hundred row-boats that have come to take the passengers -ashore. Just as I am about to step on shore an armed soldier cries -out: “Halt, stand!” I do not know what the reader would have done, but -I—well, I obey the gruff voice. I am informed that no man is allowed -to set foot on Ottoman soil without legal papers from his native -country. Whereupon, I draw from my pocket a passport. The officer -admires the American eagle, but has some difficulty in reading the -document. When he comes to “_E pluribus Unum_” he stalls; and, turning -to me, he asks: “What does this mean?” I reply: “That simply indicates -my high rank and official position at home. It says I am _one among -many_.” The Turk now uncovers his head, shows his teeth, and bows. - -I can say to-day, more truly than ever before, “I am a stranger in -a strange land.” I have just been out in the city. The streets are -crowded. I saw Turks, Greeks, Jews, Americans, Russians, Bulgarians, -and Slavonians, all speaking strange languages, all wearing different, -strange, and grotesque costumes, all looking and staring at me as -though I was some wild animal in Barnum’s show. Nothing can be -more strangely hideous than a tall, stoop-shouldered, long-haired, -black-eyed, copper-colored Ottoman in his native dress, if dress it may -be called. The women go with their faces veiled, their eyes being “too -pure” to look upon “Christian dogs,” as they call us. - -[Illustration: CONSTANTINOPLE.] - -It is Friday, the Mohammedan Sabbath, so I went at noon to-day to the -“Imperial Mosque” to see the Sultan as he entered to say his prayers. -And I saw the Sultan, the man who is the husband of 500 wives, the -political ruler of the Turkish Empire, and the spiritual head of the -Mohammedan world. The ceremonies attending the Sultan’s parade to -the Mosque were conducted with an Oriental splendor that was simply -dazzling to human sight. Twenty thousand armed soldiers—horse and -foot—lined the way and surrounded the Mosque. The soldiers all wore -red caps, and they looked like a veritable sea of blood, on which -were floating thousands of gleaming bayonets and glistening sabres. -The Sultan’s approach was announced by blowing bugles, playing bands, -beating drums, and booming cannons. As the Sultan—I had almost said -as the Satan—passed, the heathen people shouted: “Kalif, Humkiar,” -“Zil-Ulla,” “Alem Penah,” which being interpreted means, “The successor -of the Prophet,” “Vicar of God, shadow of God,” “Refuge of the -world.” When I saw and heard these things, I said to myself: “I would -rather be an ass—crazy, crippled, blind, and dumb—doomed to serve -in a tread-mill for a thousand years, than to be a two-legged mass -of putrefaction, and yet adored as a god by an ignorant and corrupt -heathen people.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO ATHENS. - - A Stormy Day on Marmora—Sunrise on Mount Olympus—Brusa, the - Ancient Capital of Turkey—Ancient Troy—Homeric Heroes—Agamemnon’s - Fleet—The Wooden Horse—Paul’s Vision at Troas—Athens—A Lesson - in Greek—The Acropolis—The Parthenon—Modern Athens—Temple of - Jupiter—The Prison of Socrates—The Platform of Demosthenes—Mars - Hill and Paul’s Sermon—Influence of the Ancients. - - -THE clouds are low thick and heavy, and the rain is falling fast; but -the time of our departure has arrived, we must start. In one hour -after we set foot on deck, our gallant ship is gracefully gliding over -the smooth waters of the Sea of Marmora. Constantinople, the city of -Constantine the Great, soon fades from our view, and we are again -“rocked in the cradle of the deep.” - -The night brings welcome rest. I am up with the morning. About sunrise -we pass Mount Olympus, in Asia Minor, at the foot of which is the city -of Brusa, the ancient capital of Turkey. We now enter the Hellespont, -and pass close to ancient Troy, the city of Priam. Here, too, are the -tombs of Ajax, Hector and Achilles. On our left, is the bay where -Agamemnon’s fleet once lay at anchor. There, also, is the island of -Tenedos, where the treacherous Greeks concealed themselves when they -pretended to abandon the siege of Troy. The ghost of Virgil’s wooden -horse now rises up before me, and I quote to a Greek naval officer, -standing by my side, this sentence from the Latin poet: “Timeo Danaos -et dona ferentes.” - -[Illustration: MODERN ATHENS.] - -It was here that a vision appeared unto Paul by night. “There stood a -man of Macedonia and prayed him, saying, ‘Come over into Macedonia and -help us.’ Therefore loosing from Troas (Troy), we came with a straight -course to Samothracia, and next day to Neapolis, and from there to -Philippi.” Then followed the imprisonment, earthquake, etc. (Acts XVI). -We are sailing close along the coast of Macedonia, but Philippi is not -visible. We have a delightful day on the Archipelago, and about eight -o’clock on the second morning we land at Piraeus. Here we take train, -and twenty minutes later we are in Athens. Here the newsboys crowd -around with Greek papers to sell. The bootblacks speak Greek, hotel -porters speak Greek, the streets are named in Greek—everything is -Greek. I am in a new world, and the trouble is that the Greek of to-day -is so very different from that used by the classic writers, that my -knowledge of the language helps me but little. - -[Illustration: THE ACROPOLIS.] - -Breakfast being over, I start out to “do the city.” Where do I go? I -care little for the present museums and art galleries, and still less -for King George, his Palace and the Royal Park. I came here not to see -modern Athens, but that city - - “On the Aegean shore, - Built nobly; pure the air and light the soil, - Athens, the eye of Greece, the mother of arts - And eloquence.” - -[Illustration: THE PARTHENON OF THE ACROPOLIS.] - -Hence I go at once to the famous Acropolis. The Acropolis is a hill, -or a great rock three hundred feet high, jutting out of the valley -in which Athens is situated. This rock is oblong in shape, measuring -1,100 feet north and south, and about 500 feet east and west. Its sides -are everywhere steep, and on the north perpendicular. This Athenian -rock, the Acropolis, was once crowned by five marble temples, the most -splendid of which was the Parthenon. - -[Illustration: THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS AS IT WAS.] - -The Parthenon has justly been called “the finest edifice on the finest -site in the world, hallowed by the noblest recollections that can -stimulate the human heart.” This wonderful temple was 100 by 250 feet, -built of the purest Pentelic marble, and surrounded by eighty huge -columns. The Parthenon, like most of the other Grecian temples, is now -partly in ruins. It has been standing twenty-five hundred years, and -yet, despite the combined onslaught and united ravages of the Persian, -the Turk, time, war, earthquake, flood and fire, these stately walls -and lofty columns still stand to attest the energy, taste, skill and -culture of the ancient Greeks. They were - - “First in the race that led to glory’s goal, - The Parthenon, the Parthenon! - Look on its broken Arch, its ruined wall, - Its chambers desolate and portals foul. - Yes; this was once ambition’s airy hall; - The dome of thought, the palace of the soul.” - -Standing on the Acropolis and looking toward the north, I see modern -Athens, with its seventy-five thousand inhabitants. To the east, are -the remains of the “Temple of Jupiter.” This immense structure was once -surrounded by one hundred and fifty Corinthian columns, seven feet -in diameter and sixty feet high. Sixteen of these columns, and one -triumphal arch, still stand in a perfect state of preservation. They -are wonderful to behold. - -Looking in the same direction, but beyond the temple of Jupiter, I see -the Stadium, which consists of a natural amphitheatre, formed by three -hills, united and modified artificially. This is where the gymnastic -contests and Olympic games took place. - -Southwest of the Acropolis, is the rock-hewn prison of Socrates where -the grand old philosopher drank the fatal hemlock. Directly west, is -the platform with a stone pulpit from which the destinies of Athens -were swayed by the matchless eloquence of Demosthenes. Between this -pulpit and the Acropolis is the Areopagus, or Mar’s Hill. When Paul was -in Athens, “they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, -‘May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?’ Then -Paul stood in the midst of Mar’s Hill and said, ‘Ye men of Athens, I -perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For, as I passed -by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: -‘To the Unknown God.’ Whom, therefore, ye ignorantly worship, Him -declare I unto you.’” (Acts xvii: 15-32.) I stood “in the midst of -Mar’s Hill,” and read Paul’s speech in Greek to some “men of Athens,” -who, in all probability, had never heard it before. - -I have now been in this classic land many days, during which I have -lost no time. I have seen much of the people. On Tuesday and Saturday -afternoons of each week, the royal band discourses music from a grand -stand occupying the centre of one of the public squares. During these -concert hours, from five to ten thousand Greeks assemble in this open -square. Here they meet and mix and commingle and commune in the freest -and easiest manner imaginable. They sit, stand, promenade, or dance, -as they like, but all of them are all the time laughing and talking. I -never saw a better-natured crowd. I miss no opportunity like this to -study Greek life and character. One cannot be thrown among this crowd -for an hour without observing among the women the same traits of female -beauty that we have been studying all our lives in models of art and -sculpture. The men, I take it, have degenerated more than the women. A -modern Diogenes might walk the streets of Athens for a week, _without -finding a man_ like those of olden times. I am glad to add, however, -that the present king is doing much to elevate his subjects. - -I have wandered through and around these majestic ruins all day, and -then gone back at night and viewed them by the pale moonlight. As I sit -in the quiet stillness of this midnight hour and think of the past, - - “Memory approaches, - Holding up her magic glass, - Pointing to familiar pictures, - Which across the surface pass.” - -In the stately procession which sweeps across the stage of my -imagination, I see Socrates, Zeno, Plato, and Xenophon; I see -Aristotle, Solon, Pericles, Sophocles, and Demosthenes. These are the -men that gave Greece her glory; these are the men who, with the fulcrum -of thought planted their feet upon the Acropolis and moved the world. -Borrowing the thought from Canon Farrar, though not using his exact -language, I may say, “Under Greek influence human freedom put forth its -most splendid power; human intellect displayed its utmost sublimity and -grace; art reached its most consummate perfection; poetry uttered alike -its sweetest and sublimest strains and philosophy attuned to the most -perfect music of human expression, its loftiest and deepest thought. -Had it been possible for the world, by its own wisdom, to know God; -had it been in the power of man to turn into bread the stones of the -wilderness; had perfect happiness lain within the grasp of sense, or -been among the rewards of culture; had it been granted to man’s unaided -power to win salvation by the gifts and graces of his own nature, and -make for himself a new Paradise in lieu of that lost Eden before whose -gates still wars the fiery sword of the Cherubim,—then such ends would -have been achieved by these old Athenians. Nor did their influence die -with their bodies; it is alive to-day, and it will be transmitted from -generation to generation, until the stars grow dim and moons shall wax -and wane no more.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -ASIA MINOR AND THE ISLAND OF PATMOS. - - Smyrna—Its Commerce—Its Population—Famed Women—Home of the - Apostle John—One of the Seven Asiatic Churches—Martyrdom and - Tomb of Polycarp—Emblematic Olive Tree—Out into the Interior of - Asia Minor—Struck by Lightning—Visit to Ephesus—Birthplace of - Mythology—Temple of Diana—Relics of the Past—Homer’s Birthplace—A - Baptist Preacher and a Protracted Meeting—John the Baptist and the - Virgin Mary—Timothy’s Grave—Cave of the Seven Sleepers—Return - to Smyrna—Sail to Patmos—Patmos, the Exiled Home of the Apostle - John—The Island of Rhodes and the Colossus—Death and Disease on the - Ship—Quarantined—A Watery Grave—Hope Anchored within the Vail. - - -SMYRNA is the most important city in Asia Minor, and one of the -principal commercial points of the Ottoman Empire. I am told that -the annual exports and imports amount to more than $15,000,000. The -population of the city is estimated at 200,000, representing seven -different nationalities and speaking, therefore, seven separate and -distinct languages. From appearances, one would judge that the city was -built soon after the flood, and that it had seldom been repaired. The -houses are old and dilapidated, the streets are narrow, crooked and -filthy. The people generally are ignorant, superstitious and fanatical, -and wear various strange and grotesque costumes. - -I have often heard that Smyrna was noted for her pretty women, but -I protest. I have seen nothing in this city that even approximates -female beauty; and, if I see a pretty woman at all, her face is so -completely covered and wrapped up in muslins and shawls that I can -hardly tell whether she is a Greek or an Ethiopian. - -One of the seven Asiatic churches was located in this place. An -old, old rock church still stands, and is pointed out as the one in -which the Apostles used to preach. Near by the church is the tomb of -Polycarp, who was a pupil of the Apostle John, and who was martyred A. -D. 160, because he preached “the Gospel of Christ.” I have often read -the touching account of Polycarp’s martyrdom. When asked to recant, he -replied: “For eighty and six years have I served my God, and He has -never forsaken me; and I can not now forsake Him.” The green boughs of -a lone olive tree wave above his tomb, and I say to my friend: “Verily -that tree is emblematic; its leaves are green, so is the memory of -Polycarp still fresh in the mind of the Christian world. Above his tomb -waves the olive branch of peace; and his sainted spirit, I believe, has -gone on and up, and has long been in the full enjoyment of ‘that peace -which the world knows not of.’” - -From Smyrna I go out into the interior of the country, which generally -is neglected and barren. I believe, however, that if the Turkish -government was struck by lightning, and some other power could come in, -that would encourage and protect honest labor, these fertile valleys -would again yield abundant harvests, and that peace and plenty would -reign where discord and pinching poverty now hold sway. In my opinion, -the Turkish government is a reproach to the civilization of the -nineteenth century; and I think the Lord lets it stand simply to show -the powers of earth how deep down into degradation and despair, into -vice and vagrancy, a nation can sink, when it wanders away from and -forgets God. “Sin is a reproach to any people.” - -On the way to Ephesus we meet several caravans, or trains of camels. -These “ships of the desert” are all heavily laden, some with fruit, -dried figs, dates, pomegranates, others with hand-made silks, Turkish -rugs, Russian carpets, and other fancy goods. These caravans go back -and forth between Smyrna and the far interior of the country. Camels -are very obedient, and it is really amusing to see the humble creatures -kneel down to receive their burdens. - -Ephesus is chiefly interesting because of its historical associations. -Next to Athens, it was once the most magnificent city in the world. -Ephesus is as old as the hills. It is the birthplace of mythology. -Apollo and Diana were born here. Bacchus and Hercules once struggled -with the Amazon in the streets of Ephesus. These hills were once -covered with twenty-five marble temples dedicated to heathen gods, that -of Diana being one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus -is one of the nine cities which claim to have given birth to Homer. - -[Illustration: TURKISH LADY.] - -Some of the greatest names in history are connected with Ephesus. -Alexander the Great visited here; so did Hannibal and Antiochus Scipio, -Scylla, Brutus, Cassius, Pompey, Cicero, and Augustus. Antony was -once judge of the court of Ephesus. It was from here that Antony and -Cleopatra sailed for Samos in gilded galleys with perfumed silken sails -and silver oars, drawn by beautiful girls whose gleaming paddles kept -time to soft strains of music. - -Some time ago, a very strange and serious difficulty occurred in this -city of Ephesus. The trouble arose in this fashion: A stranger came -into the city. The new-comer was possessed of a strong character and a -superior education. He was by birth a Jew, by nature a gentleman, by -education a scholar, by faith a Christian, and by profession a Baptist -preacher. According to his custom, this strange Baptist preacher -entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. From what I can -find out, this man made a favorable impression in Ephesus, for the Jews -“desired him to tarry longer with them,” but “he consented not.” He -promised, however, to “return to them, if it be God’s will.” The Lord -kindly permitted this man to return to Ephesus; and when he got there -he found “certain disciples.” He asked them if they had received the -Holy Ghost. They replied: “We have not so much as heard whether there -be any Holy Spirit.” Strange to say, I have heard professing Christians -in America say the self-same thing. These Ephesians, be it said to -their credit, acted wisely and were re-baptised. The preacher then -went into the church and spoke boldly for the space of three months. -Now there arose a disturbance in the church, or synagogue, as it was -called, so that it became necessary for the preacher to change the -place of meeting to the school-house, or college chapel. Here, in this -school-room, he held one of the most wonderful protracted meetings I -have ever heard of; it lasted two years and three months, “so mightily -grew the word of God and prevailed.” The town was stirred to its very -depths. Among the converts were many infidels, diviners, soothsayers, -fortune-tellers, etc. These people who “used curious arts brought their -books together and burned them before all their fellow-townsmen; and -they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of -silver,” equal in American money to $15,000. This was the grandest day -in the long history of Ephesus. - -At this juncture, the silversmiths, who made shrines for the Temple -of Diana, and the other heathen temples of Ephesus, came together -and decided that something had to be done to break up the protracted -meeting. They said that if Christ continued to be preached, and -Christianity to spread, men would cease to bow down to shrines, to -stocks and stones, and then their craft would be gone and the temple of -“Diana despised.” Then the excitement became intense, “The whole city -was filled with confusion.” Some, therefore, cried one thing, and some -another. For two hours all with one voice shouted: “Great is Diana of -the Ephesians.” - -For the benefit of those who have so much business to attend to, or who -have so many newspapers to read, that they habitually neglect the the -Bible, I will add in conclusion that the Baptist preacher who conducted -this revival was Paul, the Apostle (Acts xviii and xix). According to -tradition, the same Apostle was imprisoned here, and the cell in which -he is said to have been confined is still pointed out. - -The church at Ephesus is the first one mentioned in Revelation (ii: -1-8). John is believed to have retired to Ephesus after his release -from banishment to Patmos, and thither the Virgin Mary came to reside -with the beloved disciple. Here, says tradition, both of them died and -were buried. Their tombs are still shown to the traveler; so, also, is -the tomb of Timothy. Near by these graves is the celebrated Cave of the -Seven Sleepers. - -This once fair and populous city is now nothing more than a lonely, -desolate, bleak, and barren heap of ruins. By the remaining aqueducts, -foundation stones, archways, broken pillars, and marble columns, the -tourist can recognize the location of some of the temples, theatres and -public buildings. These have recently been excavated by Captain Wood, -of England. - -Returning to Smyrna, I immediately come aboard the good ship “Mars.” -She at once lifts her anchors, and spreads her sails to the breezes; -and soon Smyrna, like Ephesus, Constantinople, and Athens, is among the -places that “I have left behind.” The first landing is Chios (Acts xx: -15;) then passing by Samos we come next morning, about eight o’clock, -to the island of Patmos, known throughout Christendom as the exiled -home of the Beloved Disciple. The island is a solid and irregular mass -of rock, bleak and barren. It is ten miles long, and five miles in -breadth. The cave, or grotto, in which John is said to have written -the Apocalypse is used as a chapel. In this chapel, numerous lights -are kept burning, and on its walls are rudely depicted various scenes -taken from the Apocalypse. Patmos is now inhabited by 4,000 Greeks, who -have two sources of income. One is fishing, while their second main -occupation is stealing. - -[Illustration: ISLAND OF PATMOS.] - -On the island of Rhodes (Rev. xxi; 1), we visit the place where once -stood the celebrated “Colossus of Rhodes,” known as one of the wonders -of the ancient world. The Colossus was a bronze statue 105 feet high. -It stood across the narrow harbor, so that ships entering the port -would pass between its legs. The statue is said to have cost a half -million dollars. - -We are now anchored at Larnaca, the principal town on the island of -Cyprus. Cyprus was the home of Barnabas, and the scene of some of -Paul’s missionary work. We have anticipated much pleasure in traveling -over this historic island. But alas, alas! thoughts of pleasure -have fled, and dread suspicions are now entertained. Some fearfully -contagious disease has broken out on our vessel. The doctor says it is -small-pox, but some of us fear it is cholera. Small-pox is prevalent in -Constantinople, and people have been dying from it in Smyrna, whence -we came, at the rate of one hundred and fifty per day. Malta, which is -only some few hours away, is suffering most fearfully from cholera. -We have been here now twenty-four hours. We are quarantined, and are -not allowed to land or even to discharge the sick. The passengers are -panic-stricken. The most intense excitement prevails. The flags of -disease and death are floating at our mast-head. It does not make one -feel at all pleasant to see these flags, especially when one remembers -that he is many thousand miles from home and loved ones. I should -not like to be buried in the sea, nor yet in a foreign land among -strangers. When I have finished life’s work, and the watchers shall -fold my pale hands upon my breast and softly whisper, “He is dead,” -I want to be carried back to my own native land, and there buried in -some quiet church-yard, where those whom I have known and loved in life -can occasionally come and plant evergreens and forget-me-nots over my -grave. The only consolation I have at present is that God, who doeth -all things well, knoweth best. I therefore cheerfully commit my body, -soul and spirit, to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, now -and forever. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -FROM BEYROUT TO THE CEDARS OF LEBANON. - - Landing at Beyrout—Escape from Death—Thankful Hearts—Seed - Planted—Desire Springs up—Bud of Hope—Golden Fruit—”By God’s - Help”—Preparations—New Traveling Companions—Employing a Dragoman—A - Many-Sided Man Required to Make a Successful Traveler—”Equestrian - Pilgrims” A Great Caravan—Ships of the Desert—Preparations for - War—A Dangerous Mishap—National Hymn—Journey Begun—Mulberry - Trees—Fig-Leaf Dresses—An Inspiring Conversation—The Language of - Balaam—City of Tents—General Rejoicing—Tidings of Sadness—Welcome - News—First Night in Tents—Sabbath Day’s Rest—Johnson and his - Grandmother—A Wedding Procession—Johnson Delighted—Brides Bought - and Sold—Increase in Price—Inferiority of Woman—Multiplicity of - Wives—Folding of Tents—Camel Pasture—Leave Damascus Road—Noah’s - Tomb, Eighty-Five Feet Long—Perilous Ascent—Brave Woman—”If I Die, - Carry Me on to the Top”—The Cedars at Last—Emotions Stirred—”The - Righteous Grow like the Cedars of Lebanon”—Amnon. - - -WE have reached Beyrout at last. It is a gracious relief to escape from -that disease-stricken ship. I feel like kneeling down and kissing the -earth. I think every passenger lifts his heart in grateful praise to -God for deliverance. I can but say: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all -that is within me bless His holy name.” I praise Him because He has -brought me through many countries and over many seas; I praise Him for -deliverance from danger and death; I praise Him because in landing I am -permitted to step on sacred soil; I praise Him for the prospect I now -have of traveling through this Holy Land. - -[Illustration: MAP OF PALESTINE] - -I can not tell—I do not know—when the seed was planted, but some -ten years ago the plant of desire sprang up in my heart. I did not -pluck it up. Gradually its rootlets intertwined themselves with the -fibres of my very being, and finally they took deep root in my soul. -Five years later the buds of hope appeared. I was happy. The plant -was nurtured with patience and with care. The buds grew into flowers, -and now the fruit appears. First, the desire, then the hope, and now -the realization. Yes, for years I have thought of traveling through -Palestine. This trip became my thought by day and my dream by night. I -have often made nocturnal visits to Bethlehem and Calvary. While asleep -I have wandered through the streets of Jerusalem; in my dreams I have -seen Nazareth nestling on the hillside, and Damascus reposing in the -valley. That desire grew stronger and stronger. It became the ruling -passion of my life, and I said: “By God’s help I will go.” I set my -face like a flint towards the Holy Land, and hither I have come. I feel -profoundly thankful that that which was my youth’s fondest hope is now -my manhood’s first glory to realize. - -I have already begun the journey “through Palestine in the saddle,” and -if the reader will exercise some of that “patience” which “beareth all -things,” I will tell him who my companions are, and what the mode of -traveling is in this country. Afterwards I may say something concerning -the appearance and condition of the country; also something about the -customs and habits of the people. - -I have become quite a pedestrian, and I had hoped to go through -Palestine and Syria, as I went through several European countries—on -foot. But since arriving here I find that a “tramp trip” is quite -impracticable, if not altogether impossible. I never undertake -impossibilities, hence I give up my scheme of walking. - -While Johnson and I were traveling in Bulgaria, we met Mr. Wm. Y. -Hamlin and two ladies from Detroit, Michigan. The two ladies were -sisters. One of them was unmarried; the other was Mr. Hamlin’s deceased -wife’s mother. We met them again in Constantinople and some time -afterward in Smyrna. We spent several days together around the islands -and on the waters of the Mediterranean. The two parties proved mutually -agreeable. So we have now resolved ourselves into one party for a trip -through Syria and Palestine. We employ the same Dragoman who furnishes -everything, and pays all expenses of the journey from one end to the -other. We are to ride on horses and camels, and sleep in tents. Four -days are required to make preparation, nor are four days any too many. -Camels, and horses, and donkeys, and mules, and bridles, and saddles, -and whips, and spurs, and tents, and beds, and provisions, and cooking -utensils, are to be made ready. Packing is to be done, letters are to -be written, and costumes purchased. The American Consul is to be seen -officially, Turkish passports are to be gotten, and a number of other -things to be looked after. What I have to do during these four days -reminds me of the man who was, at one and the same time, a lawyer, a -merchant, a druggist, a dentist, a physician, a shoemaker, a miller, -pastor of four churches and general missionary besides! - -At two o’clock on Saturday every thing is pronounced ready, and from -that good hour we are to be known as the “Equestrian Pilgrims.” What -a formidable turnout is ours! A veritable caravan! To accommodate -and serve _five pilgrims_ we have seven tents—I have to sleep in -two tents—fifteen body-guards, or muleteers, and thirty head of -camels, mules and donkeys! Nor is this all. Chairs and tables, tents -and trunks, beds and blankets, and a hundred other things, are tied -together and strapped on the backs of the animals. Thus laden, each -little donkey, as he goes jogging along, looks like a veritable Jumbo; -and the camels, with these great packs on their backs, look almost like -walking mountains! These are all strung out one after another—one -after another, the front end of the rear camel being tied to the hind -end of the one before him, and that one to the next, and so on. I have -been reading about caravans all my life and now I have one of my own. -I am told to choose any one of the animals I want to ride, whereupon -I select a small donkey, mouse-colored, except for the numerous -stripes that wind around him—these give him something of a zebra-like -appearance. I want to show the natives how supple I am, and, going up -to the donkey and putting my arms on his back, I try to leap up. But, -unfortunately, I leap over, and come down on the other end of my neck. -Amid the loud acclamations of the natives, the stately procession moves -off. The stars and stripes flutter in the breezes, while the music of -the national hymn is borne away over the sea on the wings of the wind. - -The narrow streets of Beyrout are soon quitted, and we at once begin -the ascent of Lebanon. The first thing that attracts our attention is a -wide world of mulberry trees—it looks about seventeen thousand acres -on either side of the road. The trees appear to be about eighteen feet -high. Half naked boys and girls, men and women have climbed up the -trees and are plucking off the leaves here and there. I don’t know what -to make of it. The first thought that suggests itself is that “fig-leaf -dresses” have come in fashion again. But Tolhammy my dragoman, says: -“This is a great country for silk culture, and mulberry trees are -cultivated, and the leaves gathered for the silk worms.” In Damascus he -says we shall see plenty of silk manufactured by hand. - -We meet a great many Arabs going into the city that we have just left. -Several miles back I stopped one of these sons of the desert for a -conversation. I think we talked about an hour and thirteen minutes, -more or less, and would, no doubt, have talked longer, but neither one -of us understood a word the other said. Occasionally there was a lag -in the conversation. While I was gathering this valuable information -from the stranger, the other part of the caravan slacked never a pace. -And now, looking aloft, I see high on the mountain-side a white city—a -city of tents. This reminds me of Balaam who was traveling in this -same country not far from here, and, seeing a sight just like this, he -exclaimed: “How goodly are thy tabernacles, O Jacob and thy tents, O -Israel!” - -The road, gleaming in the sunshine, looks at one time like a -clothes-line hanging on the mountain-side; again it resembles a winding -serpent crawling zigzag up the mountain as though it wants to swallow -the tents. Climbing the hill, we pass a number of dilapidated villages -on the right and left of the road. Just as the sun goes down to cool -his hot face in the Mediterranean, we reach the tents pitched on Mt. -Lebanon! At last the city is before us. Dismounting, and going into our -new apartments, we can hardly believe we are in tents. The walls and -ceiling look like white marble newly painted and beautifully frescoed. -The rock floor is spread with rich Persian carpets and mats. Here are -rocking-chairs, tables, bedsteads, washstands—every thing! “What -style!” I say to the party. - -While we are rejoicing, in steps an Arab and says: “Solimat -neharicsiade emborak.” Joy departs at these words. With a look of -surprise and a feeling of regret I say, “Sir?” He responds, “Solimat -neharicsiade emborak.” Rising to my feet I say, “Repeat that remark, -please.” Gesticulating wildly, the Arab repeats with great emphasis, -“_Solimat neharicsiade emborak!_” I thought he said my horse was -loose. But after a while, however, the Arab, by means of signs, gives -me to understand that nothing serious has occurred; that he came in -only to let me know supper is ready. I feel relieved and delighted. -After a long ride over a rough country, we all have good appetites, -and the announcement of supper is therefore joyful news. The evening -meal being over, the pilgrims draw their chairs close together and -sit for an hour or more talking about friends at home, about the past -history and present condition of this country, and about Him whose -footsteps have hallowed its soil. The prospect of traveling through -this country thrills us all. Substituting the word Hill, for Grail, I -can appropriate the language of Tennyson: - - “Never yet has the sky appeared so blue, nor earth so green, - For all my blood dances in me, and I know - That I shall light upon the Holy Grail.” - -Night brings sweet rest to our tired bodies. Early in the morning, -bright rays of cheerful sunshine steal into our tents and drive sleep -away. We awake to find a bright, beautiful Sabbath day; and while with -our bodies it is to be a day of rest, we pray that with our souls it -may be a Sabbath day’s journey towards the New Jerusalem. Stillness -pervades the air. The solemn silence is broken only by the mournful -music of yonder restless sea. All the pilgrims except Johnson spend the -day reading and meditating. He occupies the time in writing to his—to -his—grandmother. - -Late in the afternoon our attention is attracted by an unheard of -medley of sound. The noise that falls upon our ears is not more strange -than the sight that greets our eyes is curious. The dragoman tells us -not to be alarmed, and says it is only a wedding procession. Johnson is -glad of that. I stand it for his sake. The procession consists of about -a hundred persons, ninety-eight on foot and two riding grey horses, -all singing and dancing as they come. Ten or twelve of the footmen are -in front of the horses, while the others are behind. The leader of the -van is an Arab of unusual length and gracefulness, clad in the most -fantastic robes imaginable. In his two hands he holds a stick about -six feet long, wrapped around with gay and fancy colors. The leader is -coming backward, facing the advancing throng and keeps about ten paces -in front of them. He is first on one side of the road and then on the -other. He leaps; he bobs up and down: he bows and bends. At one moment -his face is almost on the ground, and the next his head is tossed -high in the air. The stick is waved like a magician’s wand. The man is -active as a cat and every movement is graceful. As he leads, the others -follow his example. They all hop and skip and bow and bend and rise and -fall together. Some sing while others blow or knock discordant sounds -out of their rude instruments of music. - -Never before did Johnson behold a sight like this, nor until now did -such a babbling confusion ever strike his ears. The procession draws -close. The two persons on horseback are riding side by side. One is the -bride, decked in colors gay and wreathed with flowers many. There are -two tall men walking, one on either side of the horse, with their arms -locked around the bride; I suppose to keep her from falling. Johnson -touches me in the side and says: “Whittle, if that were my bride, I -wouldn’t let those fellows do that.” The bride’s face, according to the -custom of the country, is covered by a long, flowing veil. The man by -her side is not the groom. A man in this country will not condescend -to go after a woman—not even after his bride! Woman is an inferior -creature—she must humble herself and go to the man. The groom sends -his friend or his servant for her, and I understand she is always -willing to come. Johnson says it is very different in America. He says -one refused to go with him when he went after her in person. - -Brides are bought and sold here now as they were in olden times, -though there has been a great increase in price. Hebrews are good -traders and always have been. In Bible times they bought wives for -twenty-five dollars, but now brides in this country sell for from -seventy-five to one hundred dollars. I believe the men would buy them -even if the price should be still higher. Of course they would buy -them. Women are slaves. They are man’s burden-bearers and nothing more! -The Mohammedans have two, four or a half dozen wives. The Sultan has -five hundred, and the people follow his example as far as possible. - -The wedding festivities, consisting of music, songs and dancing, last -for a week, and then the bride is converted into a slave for her -husband. In a few months she will probably be a slave for his next wife! - -Monday morning bright and early, we fold our tents and renew our -pilgrimage. Lebanon continues steep, rocky, rough and bare. Not -a bush, not a blade of green grass, nothing but a long mountain -range covered with loose stones, is to be seen. The hills are very -productive—of rocks. Now and then we come to large camel pastures. -As these long-legged, high-headed, two-storied animals are fat and -flourishing, I conclude that they live on wind and stones. In the -road we meet hundreds and hundreds of big camels and little camels, -dun-colored, mouse-colored, white and black camels, laden with all -kinds of oriental merchandise. Late in the afternoon, we for the first -time catch a glimpse of snow-capped Hermon, some fifty miles away to -the southwest. We take off our hats to this mountain monarch, promising -him a visit later on. We now descend into the green valley, sixteen and -a half miles wide and some sixty miles long, lying between Lebanon and -anti-Lebanon. We want to see the Cedars of Lebanon; and in order to do -this we are compelled just here to quit the Damascus road, and travel -for three days up this beautiful valley, keeping close to the Lebanon -side. - -On the second day, traveling up this valley, we come to what tradition -says is Noah’s tomb. Strange to say this tomb is _eighty-five feet -long_. It is built of stone and is eight feet wide, seven feet high -and eighty-five feet long! Seeing this, I am at once reminded of an -incident that is said to have occurred with an American preacher. -At the close of the Saturday service, the clergyman announced that -he would preach again on Sunday, after reading a certain portion -of scripture. Before the hour for Sunday service, some mischievous -boys slipped into the church with a bottle of glue and pasted two -leaves of the Bible together, so that in reading the minister would -miss connection. Eleven o’clock came, and with it came also a large -concourse of people. Ascending the pulpit, the reverend gentleman -opened the sacred book and began to read. On the bottom of one page -he read: “And Noah, when he was an hundred and twenty years old, -took unto himself a wife who was”—and then turning over the leaf and -missing connection, he continued, “who was an hundred and eighty-six -cubits long, forty-seven cubits wide, built of gopher wood, stuck with -pitch inside and out.” With trembling knees and confused head, the -minister, with stammering tongue said: “Brethren, I have been preaching -twenty years and yet I confess that I have never seen this in the Bible -before. But it is here and I accept it. Yes, brethren, I accept it as -an undying evidence of the fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully -made.” So, since I find that Noah’s tomb is eighty-five feet long, -I am not much surprised to learn that Mrs. Noah was one hundred and -eighty-six cubits long. - -Day has succeeded night again. This is the third day since we left the -Damascus road. We are now camped in the valley at the base of Lebanon, -which is at this point 10,000 feet high and almost as steep as the roof -of a house. Many loose rocks and bowlders of all shapes and sizes are -scattered promiscuously over the mountain side. There is no road to be -seen—nothing more than a cow trail or hog path. And yet in order to -see a single Cedar we are compelled to climb to yonder giddy heights. -Well, we all start—three gentlemen and two ladies. One woman soon -gives out, but the other is the kind of a woman who, when she says, “I -will,” means with a twist on it, “_I will!_” She says that she started -and she is going. She reminds me of the French woman who started to -the top of Mont Blanc. Twelve hundred feet before reaching the summit -she gave out, and, being dragged by guides, she kept crying: “If I die -carry me to the top.” - -To climb Lebanon at this place is barely within the limits of -possibility. The way is steep, high and rough, and at times perilous. -To be sure, on foot one could climb it without danger, but not without -great physical exertion. On horseback, however, it is a hazardous -undertaking. No four-footed animal, save a mountain goat or an Arabian -steed, dare undertake the ascent. If I live to get down, I shall -christen my Arabian pony “Amnon, the reliable, the sure-footed.” The -mountain is scaled, the summit is reached, and no Cedars yet. I am -now standing on the heights of Lebanon, looking down upon the blue -Mediterranean 10,000 feet below me and only three miles away towards -the setting sun. The gray clouds, lying along the western horizon, look -like white-winged ships floating on the bosom of the sea. For aught I -know, they are ships freighted with whirlwinds and thunder-storms; or -perchance they may be—I hope they are—freighted with rain to refresh -this parched earth. - -[Illustration: CEDARS OF LEBANON.] - -Leaving the summit and coming down three thousand feet on the western -side, I find myself resting under the venerable Cedars of Lebanon, -seven thousand feet above the sea. It is a perfect day. The sky is -of a rich, deep, azure blue and seems only a few feet above me. The -atmosphere is pure and crisp. It is a glorious thing to be here. Look -where you will, you find something to admire. The air is delightful; -the earth, sea and sky are beautiful; but the waving Cedars are -the one central object of interest and admiration—their age, their -history, their beauty! Then come the sacred associations that cluster -about the Cedars of Lebanon. All my life I have been reading of these -trees. Before I could read, my mother used to sing me a sweet song -about the Cedars of Lebanon. All of mother’s songs were sweet, but -especially sweet, I thought, was this one about the Cedars. And now I -am here looking at them with my own eyes. Of all trees on earth those -are by far the most renowned. Of all the vegetable kingdom they are the -crowning glory. - -From this mountain Solomon got the timber to build his temple on Mount -Moriah. In all probability some of these trees that I am now looking at -were here in Solomon’s day. I feel that I am in the presence of Age. -These venerable Cedars are not ringed round by years or decades, but by -centuries! And yet their wrinkles may be counted by the score. These -trees are mentioned more than twenty-five times in the pages of Sacred -Writ. They are called “goodly Cedars.” - -As I see these historic trees bowing and bending in the cold and -cutting breeze, I am naturally reminded of a thought beautifully -expressed by the “sweet singer of Israel” where he says: “There shall -be an handful of corn in the earth on the tops of the mountain; the -fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon, and they of that city shall -flourish like grass.” We are told also that “the righteous shall -flourish like the palm tree and grow like a Cedar of Lebanon.” I wonder -why and how it is that the righteous can grow like a Cedar in Lebanon. -Upon examination I find that these Cedars grow on a mountain top; that -they grow out of a rock; that they are rooted in barrenness. I find -that every crack and crevice in the rock is filled with their roots -and fibres. The roots of the trees shoot themselves deep down through -the rended rocks and take a firm hold upon the eternal hills. And when -earthquakes come and the mountains reel and totter on their bases; when -cyclones come with death and destruction locked up in their wings; when -the storms howl and the sea is lashed into rage and fury,—the Cedars -of Lebanon do then bow and bend gracefully in the breezes; but they are -uprooted never. They say, - - “Let the winds be shrill, - Let the waves roll high, - We fear not wind or wave.” - -And when the earthquakes have ceased and the mountains no longer reel; -when the cyclones have passed; when the sea is lulled to sleep and the -winds are only a whisper, then the Cedars of Lebanon lift themselves -up in their pillared majesty, spread wide their broad arms and look -up smilingly in the face of God as if to say: “We thank thee, O Lord -God Almighty, for the firm footing that thou hast given us in the -eternal rocks—in the everlasting hills.” I thank thee, O God, that -the righteous grow like the Cedars of Lebanon. I bless thee that the -righteous grow on a mountain top—on mount Calvary; that they grow out -of a rock—Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages. - -Wherever the nails have torn His hands and His feet, where the cruel -spear has pierced His side, these are the cracks and crevices where the -roots and fibres of my heart can so fix and fasten themselves that when -earthquakes social and cyclones moral shall come, I will be uprooted -never. I may bow and bend with the breezes, but when the earthquakes -have passed and the storms are no more; when the waves of infidelity -have passed, as always passed they have and always pass they must, then -I will look up smilingly in the face of Jehovah and say: “I thank thee, -O God, that none of these things move me; that I can say with Paul of -old, ‘I am rooted and grounded in Christ;’ that I stand now and forever -unmoved and immovable, like the Cedars!” - -Reader, I have just stated that Solomon secured timber from this -mountain to build the great temple in Jerusalem. It is quite possible -that some of the trees before me were here in Solomon’s day, and -that because of their knots and roughness they were rejected by his -workmen. We are told that God is building another temple in that -other Jerusalem, and that our characters are to furnish the sticks of -timber out of which it is to be built. We should see to it that our -characters will not be rejected, but that they will be smoothed and -polished ready to be wrought into that spiritual temple which shall -stand throughout the endless cycles of eternity! - -The Cedars of Lebanon have almost become sacred, holy trees. I am -therefore grieved to find so few of them left. This long mountain range -that was once covered with them is now as bare as if it had never -known any vegetation. Seeing that only a few hundred of the old Cedars -remain, I am reminded of the language of Zechariah: “Open thy doors, -O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy Cedars. Howl, fir-tree, for -the Cedar is fallen. Howl, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the forest of the -vintage has come down.” Most of the Cedars have indeed “come down,” but -some of the remaining ones are splendid enough to make up for those -that are gone. One of these patriarchs of the forest is forty-eight -feet in circumference. Some of them rise up in their pillared majesty -for eighty, one hundred or one hundred and twenty-five feet high, I -suppose. Some of the largest ones are probably one hundred and fifty -feet across, from bough to bough. The limbs usually grow out from the -trunk at right angles. Other limbs grow out from those at right angles -and so on, until even the smallest branches and twigs are horizontal -like arbor vitæ, except that arbor vitæ stands up and the Cedar lies -down flat like a shingle. One limb of the Cedar is very much like a -square of shingles on a flat-roofed house, and when limb is placed -above limb they form a roof that turns water very well, and shuts out -much of the sunlight. Another peculiarity of the Lebanon Cedar is that -it bears a cone something like our pine burrs, except that it never -opens. - -Again, I say it is a grand, a glorious, a sweet privilege to sit -beneath the wide-spreading branches of these time-honored trees and -read what holy men of old wrote concerning them. But the day is far -spent. Amnon is saddled. I must mount and see if he proves worthy of -his new name. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -FROM THE CEDARS OF LEBANON TO BAALBEK. - - Returning to Tents—Mountain Spurs and Passes—A Modern - Thermopylae—Two Caravans Meet—A Fight to the Death—How Johnson - Looks—Victory at Last—Into the Valley where the King Lost his - Eyes—Playing at Agriculture—Squalid Poverty—Baalbek—Its Mighty - Temples—Men, Mice and Monkeys—A Poem Writ in Marble. - - -LEAVING the Cedars, and descending to the base of the mountain where -the tents were left, we start across the beautiful valley lying between -the long mountain of Lebanon and anti-Lebanon. Before reaching the -valley proper we are compelled to cross some rough mountain spurs and -to go through some narrow mountain passes. It so happens that we meet -a train of heavily laden camels. The fanatical and blood-thirsty Arabs -managing the camels stop their caravan and obstinately refuse to give -any part of the pass. Our body-guards come up. A quarrel ensues. A war -of words leads to blows, and we have, enacted before our own eyes, a -second “Battle of the Giants.” It looks to Johnson like the first one. -The two parties, consisting of about forty Arabs, curse, threaten, -close on each other, clinch, fight like fiends, grapple like giants. -They fall to the earth in each other’s embrace, roll over, first one -on top and then the other. They bite, kick and scratch each other. -Together they fall and together they rise again—one bites the dust and -then another. Javelins are used. Stones fly, sabres flash—gods! how -they fight! Heads are mashed and limbs are broken. Hair flies and blood -flows. The horses scare, the women scream and Johnson looks as if he -wants to say: - - “Lay on, MacDuff, - And damned be he who first cries, ‘Hold, enough!’” - -At last the enemy is repulsed and victory perches upon our banner. The -dust and din of battle are no more. We are relieved; for danger was -imminent and suspense correspondingly great. It is the greatest wonder, -and also the greatest blessing imaginable, that no one was killed. -If one of the natives had been killed, I am sure the whole community -would have been aroused, and would have poured out their indignation -and wrath upon our Christian heads—”Christian dogs,” they call us. -I see from the _London Times_ that only a few weeks ago twenty-four -Christians were killed in a fray with the Arabs, not far from this -place. We would not willingly harm a hair of their heads. All we wanted -was room to pass, and having secured that we continue our journey. - -The mountain gap lets us once more into the valley which is, as before -stated, fifteen to eighteen miles wide and some sixty miles long. In -this valley, and not far from here, is Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar -had his headquarters during the campaign against Jerusalem. When the -holy city fell, Zedekiah, King of Judea, fled to Jericho where he was -captured, thence he was brought to Riblah. Here, after witnessing the -murder of his sons, poor Zedekiah was subjected to the painful ordeal -of having his eyes put out. To this place, also, Pharaoh Necho, after -his brilliant victory over the Babylonians, summoned Jehoahaz from -Jerusalem. - -The valley is now used as pastures and farming lands; wheat, oats -and grapes being the principal productions. The river Leontes flows -through the plain, and the fields are watered mostly by irrigation. Yet -these people are only playing with agriculture. The valley is rich and -fertile, and would abundantly reward honest labor. But honest labor is -unknown in Syria. These trifling people anger the soil with their rude -implements of agriculture, and the soil answers with a crop of thorns -and thistles. She thrusts out her claws and thus frights off the lean, -lazy, leisure-loving Bedouin. The people sow the seeds of idleness -and reap the legitimate fruits—hunger, want and starvation. I never -before knew what squalid poverty meant. But if it is to go half naked, -and almost the other half, too; if it is for human beings to live in -the same rock-pens with cows, goats and asses, and that, too, without -a fireplace, without chairs, tables or bedsteads; if it is to live on -half rations of “husks and hominy,”—if this is squalid poverty, I have -seen it and know what it means. Each family seems to be blest with a -dozen or fifteen heirs—heirs of filth and poverty! I am reminded of -the old adage, “poor people for children and negroes for dogs.” These -people and their ancestry have inhabited this country only 4,000 years, -and yet within that short time they have managed to accumulate a mass -of filth and ignorance that is truly astonishing. - -We are now encamped in the citadel of Baalbek. This place has much -interest for the traveler and the historian, because of its once mighty -temples. The temples were three in number. They were all built on the -same stupendous substructions. The rock foundations go deep into the -ground, and are traversed by great subterranean passages which look -like railroad tunnels through mountains of granite. The Temple of the -Sun was three hundred feet long, one hundred and sixty feet wide, and -was surrounded by fifty-four columns, six of which are standing at -present. These six are enough for twelve months’ study. They are solid -marble, eight feet in diameter, and together with the entablature which -joins them at the top, ninety feet high! How shapely, how graceful, how -towering and sublime! The carving on the entablature is exquisite. It -looks like stucco work. The other columns are fallen and broken, but -these six look as if they were put up only yesterday. - -The Great Temple is better preserved; its potent walls, and -twenty-three of its Corinthian columns, still stand. There is no wood -about the building. Even its vaulted roof, one hundred feet above -you, is marble. The under side of this marble roof is beautifully -chiseled. As one views it with the natural eye, it look like delicate -lace work; but by the aid of field glasses one can trace the designs -of the artist, and see that “there is method in his madness.” One can -see men, animals, leaves, flowers and fruits delicately carved in the -high lifted stone. One sees, or fancies he sees, oaks and acorns, moons -and mares, men, mice and monkeys, doves, dogs and donkeys, bulls, boars -and bears, pigs, ‘possums and puppies, boys and bonnets, ladies and -lizards, all beautifully carved and sweetly blended one with the other. -“‘Tis a vision, ‘tis an anthem sung in stone, a poem writ in marble.” - -[Illustration: RUINS OF BAALBEK.] - -But probably the thing that most impresses one about the ruins of -Baalbek is the enormous size of the stones used in its buildings. I -have never seen or read of such stones as were used in building these -temples. Many of them are as large as one of our ordinary freight cars. -Three of these stones, lying end to end in the walls of the temple, -measure two hundred and ten feet. I go to the quarry, half a mile away, -from which these colossal stones were taken. There I find a companion -stone to those in the buildings. It is fourteen feet high, seventeen -feet broad and seventy-one feet long. Who ever heard of such stones -being handled! Two six mule teams might be driven side by side on the -stone, and there would be room for a foot path on either side the -wagons. No pigmies they—those builders of Baalbek. A race of giants or -of gods must have handled these stones! No one knows when, how, or by -whom these temples were built. We know this, however, they were built, -not for an age, but for all time. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -DAMASCUS. - - A Beautiful Valley—Flowing Rivers—Mohammed at Damascus—Garden - of God—Paul at Damascus—Mohammedan at Prayer—Valley More - Beautiful—Damascus Exclusively Oriental—Quaint Architecture—”Often - in Wooden Houses Golden Rooms we Find”—Narrow Streets—Industrious - People—Shoe Bazaars—Manufacturing Silk by hand—Fanatical - Merchants—“Christian Dogs”—Cabinet-Making—Furniture Inlaid - with Pearl—Camel Markets—A Progenitor of the Mule—Machinery - Unknown—Ignorance Stalks Abroad—Fanatical Arabs—A Massacre—The - Governor Gives the Signal—Christians Killed—French Army—Abraham Our - Guide—Brained before Reaching the Post-Office—Warned not to Look at - the Women—Johnson’s Regret—Vailed Women—Johnson’s Explanation. - - -AT four o’clock, on the second day after leaving Baalbek, I spy -one of the prettiest objects that ever greeted human vision. It is -Damascus, the oldest city in the world—Damascus, laid out by Uz, the -great-grandson of Noah. For days I have been riding over a ruined and -desolate country, and now my eyes fall and feast on a broad, rich -valley, through which flow Abana and Pharpar, two rivers of pure water. -The whole valley is one great garden, or orchard, in which flourishes -almost every tropical plant. Here are the orange, olive and oleander, -the peach, pear, palm and pome-granate, the banana, the apple, apricot -and myrtle. Amid the rich green foliage of these trees, their golden -fruit is seen. Autumn, which is only summer meeting death with a -smile, has seared the leaves of some of the more delicate plants of -the valley. Red leaves are beautifully interwoven with the green, and -they gleam in the rays of the setting sun like sheets of purest gold. -Here and there tall and slender silver poplars rise high, and are -gracefully swaying to and fro in the evening breezes. - -Damascus is situated in the midst of this luxuriant garden. Looking -down from the hilltop I see the taller houses, the mosques and -minarets, rising from amidst the luxuriant foliage of the trees. Ah, -what a picture! According to tradition, when Mohammed reached this -point and looked down upon Damascus for the first time, he said: “Man -can enter only one paradise, and I prefer to enter the one above.” So -he sat down here and feasted his eyes upon the earthly paradise of -Damascus and went away without entering its gates, that hereafter he -might be permitted to enter the portals of the paradise of God. A stone -tower marks the spot where the prophet stood. From that early period -Damascus has been regarded by all Arabs as an earthly reflection of -paradise, where a foretaste of all the joys of heaven are obtainable. -In accordance with the description given in the Koran, the Mohammedan -Bible, Arabs picture to themselves paradise as a limitless orchard, -traversed by streams of water, where the most delicious fruits are ever -ready to drop into the mouth. - -[Illustration: DAMASCUS.] - -When we remember that Damascus is situated on the edge of the great -Syrian desert, that it is surrounded on three sides by hills, high -and lifted up, and that the whole country for miles and scores of -miles around is bleak, parched and desolate, we can not for a moment -be surprised at the pleasing effect the sight of this smiling garden -produces in the heart of the Arab. Probably these swarthy sons of the -desert have been traveling for ten days or a fortnight, coming from -Palmyra or Bagdad, coming from central Arabia or Persia, coming across -the arid plain where naught but broad oceans of sand stretch out -before them, with not a blade of green grass to enliven the scene or to -“rest the dazzled sight.” Finally the fortnight has past; the journey -has ended; and the Arabs stand at last upon this hilltop and look down -upon yonder green garden of God. In contemplating such a scene, after -such a journey, these sons of Ishmael are moved by emotions strong and -deep. They have found trees in the wilderness, springs in the desert; -and they can but say: “Though old as history itself, thou art fresh as -the breath of spring, blooming as thine own rosebud, and fragrant as -thine own orange-blossom, O Damascus, pearl of the East.” - -This is the scene that Paul was looking upon when suddenly a great -light shone round about him from heaven, and he fell to the earth as -dead. Only a few feet from where I stand, tradition points out the -place where he fell. Paul, you remember, was taken up and carried -into the city. Desiring to follow him, I leave the mountain top and -approach the valley. Damascus is surrounded now, as in Paul’s day, -by a stone wall twenty-five or thirty feet high. Entering the city -through the Jerusalem gate, I am at once attracted by a man prostrate -on the river bank. Placing his palms on the ground, and lifting himself -the length of his long arms, he looks down upon the glassy surface -of the river as though he were gazing at his image reflected in the -water. Then, bending his elbows, he once more lets his breast to the -earth. This is repeated over and over again. While going through this -strange performance, the man is constantly mumbling and muttering in -some unknown Eastern tongue. Rising to his feet, and lifting his face -to the sky, the Arab repeatedly smites himself upon the brow, breast -and mouth. Then waving his hand towards Heaven, he cries aloud: “Suah -baha, yalla Mohammed, Mohammed, Mohammed!” I ask, “Tolhammy, what means -this?” “Why, sir, that is a sacred river. The man was worshipping the -river, and then, rising, he called upon Mahomet, his god, to accept -his worship. He says ‘O Mahomet, accept my worship, and (placing his -hand on his brow) I will think of thee with this mind; (on his breast) -I will love thee with this heart; (with hand upon his mouth) and with -these lips I will speak thy praises abroad. Hear me, O Mohammed, -Mohammed, Mohammed!’” Who could see a sight like this without thinking -of Him who said: “Pray not upon the street corners, to be seen of men; -but pray secretly, and your Father who seeth in secret, will reward you -openly.” - -The valley was charming, even when viewed from the hilltop; but the -laughing water, the green foliage and the golden fruit have grown more -and more beautiful as we have approached nearer to them. “Abana and -Pharpar, rivers of Damascus,” are each divided into eight artificial -channels, so there are sixteen small rivers flowing through the city, -bringing fresh and sparkling water into almost every yard. The -luxuriant vegetation of this well-watered valley is never scorched by -summer’s fierce heat, nor chilled by winter’s frosty breath. It is a -perpetual growth. Flowers and fruits are always on the trees, fragrance -and music always in the air. - -Damascus is the capital of Syria. It has one hundred and eighty -thousand inhabitants, and a large manufacturing interest. As a -commercial and distributing centre, it has no equal in the Orient. -Great camel caravans are constantly arriving from, and departing for, -Palmyra and Bagdad, and all the other more important cities of Persia -and central Arabia. Being an inland city, hence unaffected by European -thought and civilization, Damascus is exclusively Eastern; and is, -therefore, the best place on earth to get correct conceptions of -Oriental life and ideas. - -Coming into the midst of the city, we find the houses are quaint and -characteristically Eastern. From their appearance, one would suppose -that they were built 1,500 or 2,000 years ago. Most of them are one -story high, and are built of stone, and large sun-dried brick made -half and half of straw and white clay. Sometimes a dozen or twenty -houses are covered by the same roof. On going into some of these -miserable-looking huts, we are reminded that “often in wooden houses -golden rooms we find.” Some of these wealthy Damascene merchants live -in style—not in American or European style, but in style after the -Eastern idea. Their houses, though small, and rough of exterior are -richly furnished. Frequently they are lined with marble. The walls and -ceilings are beautifully frescoed, while the floor is laid with rich -Persian carpets. And yet in these houses we find no chairs, tables or -bedsteads. The merchants, though dressed in silks, sit flat on the -carpet or on small mats. Their beds consist, usually, of pallets made -of soft and beautiful Persian rugs. “A strange way for wealthy people -to live,” you say. Well, yes, it is decidedly strange to you; but you -must remember that your way of living would be just as strange to these -Damascene folk. - -The streets are exceedingly narrow, being not more than from nine to -twelve feet wide. The stores or shops on either side of the street -are little more than holes in the wall, usually about six feet wide -and eight feet deep. The floor of this stall is twelve to eighteen -inches above the ground. The end facing the street is open, while on -the two sides and the back end, shelf rises above shelf. Goods are -arranged on these, and also suspended from the ceiling. The customer, -should one chance to come along, stands in the street and bargains with -the merchant, who sits flat on the floor in the centre of the stall. -With a hook in his hand, he, without rising, reaches to one shelf or -another, and drags down such goods as may please the purchaser’s fancy. -These people eat no idle bread. As soon as the customer is gone, the -merchant continues to manufacture saddles, shoes, silks, or such goods -as he may deal in. - -I was never before so impressed with industry. Damascus is a great -manufacturing centre. The people have no machinery—all work is done -by hand, and nothing is done within walls or behind curtains. Caps -and carpets, saddles and sabres, shoes and shawls, silks and safes, -beds and baskets, and a hundred other things, are manufactured on the -streets in the open air before our eyes. One entire street is given -up to a single industry. For instance the street here to my right is -called the shoe bazaar. It is probably a quarter of a mile long; and on -either side of the street, from one end to the other, are men, women -and children, seated on mats or flat down on the ground with their -limbs folded under them. All are as busy as bees, sewing and stitching -leather, making shoes. If one wants to buy a pair of shoes, he trades -with the man who makes them. The merchant does not stop work, but talks -without looking up. - -Most of the manufacturers are eager to trade with Europeans and -Americans, but some of them are so fanatical that they will not receive -money from “Christian dogs.” Numerous poles are thrown across the -streets, twelve or fourteen feet from the ground, from which strings -are hanging. When the shoes are finished, they are tied to these -strings and left suspended. Looking down the street, one sees hundreds -and hundreds of shoes dangling in the air, about four feet from the -ground. - -Silk bazaars are numerous. Looking down these several streets, one -sees many weavers seated on the ground, plying their shuttles. Above -their uncombed heads is silk of every grade and color, suspended in the -air and trembling in the wind. As with shoes and silks, so also with -carpets, saddles, and other departments of industry. - -The leading industry of Damascus is cabinet-making. The furniture made -here is of the finest woods, and is inlaid with mother-of-pearl; hence -it is perfectly exquisite and quite costly. Skilled artisans are to be -found in these different departments of work. The best of them receive -only from sixty to eighty cents per day, while craftsmen of equal -skill, in our country, command four to five dollars per day. - -Thursday of each week presents a busy scene at the donkey and camel -markets. Hundreds of half-dressed and hard-looking camel raisers from -the desert drive their patient beasts, old and young, into an open -square in the midst of the city. Sellers, buyers and traders, wearing -different costumes, representing different tribes and countries, -meet. Going in among the camels, they catch, ride and drive them. The -animals are priced, and trouble begins. The purchaser offers the seller -one-third, or one-fourth of his price. This is taken as an insult. They -quarrel, curse each other, and sometimes fight, the friends on either -side taking part. Finally the difficulty is settled by an agreement -to “split the difference;” so the camel is sold at half of the first -price—frequently for less. Late in the evening they adjourn in much -disorder. Turbaned Arabs now lead long trains of camels down different -streets to the several gates of the city. To-morrow morning, at an -early hour, these much abused “ships of the desert” will be loaded and -started out on a long voyage across an ocean of sand. - -The donkey-markets create less confusion. Donkeys, however, have -no unimportant part to play in the daily life of Damascus. They -are indispensable. They take the place of our drays, carts and -market-wagons. One may look up the street at almost any moment, and -see a pair of ears coming. This is regarded as a sure sign that a -progenitor of the mule will be along after a while. - -I repeat that all goods manufactured in Damascus are made by hand, -machinery being unknown. Probably three-fourths of the people here -never saw or heard of a daily newspaper. They know nothing of the -outside world. They never learn anything, never invent anything. They -repudiate and scorn anything that is new. They regard an invention -as an offspring of the devil. A Christian they hate as they do a -serpent. Ignorance is the most prevalent thing in Damascus. It walks -the streets; it sits in the shops; it drives camels; it stares the -traveler in the face, go where he will. Here, too, as elsewhere, -ignorance has borne her legitimate fruit—superstition and fanaticism. -The people are, I believe, as fanatical as the devil wants them to -be. Only a few years ago, their fanaticism arose to such a pitch that -they, without the slightest provocation, pounced upon, and killed, five -thousand Christians in the streets of Damascus! Men, women and children -were butchered indiscriminately like sheep. Their mangled bodies were -piled up in the streets, and scattered through the city, for days and -days. The Mohammedans would not defile their pure (?) hands by putting -them on “Christian dogs”—they had killed them—that was enough. From -Damascus the thirst for blood spread throughout all Syria, and no less -than 14,000 Christians perished. - -One would naturally suppose that the government would protect life -better than that. But the Pasha, or governor, of Syria was the man who -gave the signal for the massacre to begin. And it continued until the -French government interfered. Napoleon III, whom the world is so fond -of condemning, dispatched a body of ten thousand well-armed troops -here to stop that human butchery. The Pasha and other officials were -arrested and beheaded in the city. The French soldiers, following the -custom of the old Romans, constructed a military road from Beyrout -to Damascus. This road, which is still in good repair, is the only -guarantee of safety Christians now have among these heathen people. - -My guide in Damascus is named Abraham. I have not met Isaac and Jacob, -but have become somewhat intimate with Abraham. He tells me that his -father and mother were victims of that horrible massacre; that when -killed, their blood and brains spattered upon him; that his escape -was little less than miraculous; that he, with a number of other -Christians, was shut up in the citadel for three days; that for three -days and nights the Mohammedans stood there with their battering rams, -thundering against the walls and gates of the citadel, which were just -ready to totter and fall when the French army came up and put a stop to -the whole inhuman business. - -Several persons who were eye-witnesses to the whole scene have given -me a full and detailed account of the massacre. Mohammedans from their -beginning may be tracked through history by a trail of blood. They -seem to have a thirst that nothing but human gore will satiate. This -massacre of Damascus is their last and crowning act. It is worthy of -their bloody history. They destroyed “even till destruction sickened.” -I have just read a history of this fearful slaughter which closes with -this sentence: “Unfortunately, since the massacre matters have improved -but little.” I dare not walk the streets of Damascus to-day with a -Bible in hand, and let the people know what book it is. I would be in -danger of being brained before reaching the post-office. - -The guide-book warns us not to look at the women. This goes hard with -Johnson. I regret it on his account. There is a custom in this country, -which practically amounts to a law, that the women shall keep their -faces vailed. Yesterday, while walking up a narrow and gloomy-looking -alley, we saw a woman coming towards us. Touching me in the side with -his elbow, Johnson said: “Whittle, I am going to look at her a little, -anyhow.” When we met the woman, she piteously cried: “Howazhu, howazhu, -bachsheesh, bachsheesh,” which being interpreted means, “O, gentlemen, -gentlemen, money, money.” Johnson responded: “Lift your vail, then.” -When the ill-favored female drew her vail aside, Johnson gave her three -piasters (about nine cents) and immediately said: “Put down your vail -quickly, and I will give you three more.” I was sorry for my traveling -companion. He looked disappointed. He said that the reason the women -had to keep their faces covered was, that they were so ugly that to -expose them would subject men to sore eyes—if not to blindness. - -The early religious history of Damascus is of peculiar interest to -all Christians. A great persecution arose against the Christians in -Jerusalem. Saul of Tarsus made havoc of the church; entering into every -house, and, haling men and women, committed them to prison, breathing -out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. He -obtained letters from the Jewish authorities, authorizing him to arrest -and carry to Jerusalem all Christians whom he might find in Damascus. - -As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined -round about him a light from Heaven, and he fell to the earth. When -Saul asked of the Lord, “What wilt thou have me to do?” the Lord said -unto him, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what -thou must do.” Saul rose from the earth and they brought him into -Damascus, and he stopped with Judas, who lived on the street that is -called Straight. The Lord directed Ananias to go to Saul, and instruct -him what to do. The scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he arose and was -baptized; and straightway he preached Christ, that he was the Son of -God. This created a great disturbance in Damascus, and the Jews held -a mass meeting and decided to kill Saul. For this purpose the Jews -watched the gates of the city day and night. In order to save his life, -the disciples took Saul by night and let him down by the wall in a -basket. - -[Illustration: TOMBS OF THE CALIPHS, DAMASCUS.] - -Damascus is now pretty much as it was eighteen hundred years ago. The -places mentioned in connection with Paul are still pointed out—with -what degree of certainty, I can not say. Of course I visited the places -where “he fell to the earth,” and where “he was let down over the wall -in a basket.” At this point the wall is some thirty feet high, and is -surmounted by a house which is occupied by a Christian family. The -reputed houses of Ananias and Judas are partly underground, and are -built of huge stones. These strongly built houses are certainly very -old; and it has been suggested that if Ananias and Judas did not live -in them at the time of Paul, some other people did. - -If I should to-day begin to proclaim the gospel of Christ with the same -zeal and earnestness that characterized the ministry of Paul, I would -have to be let down over the walls in a basket, or else be butchered on -the street. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -THE NAAMAN HOSPITAL FOR THE LEPROSY. - - Naaman, the Leper—His Visit to Elisha—The Prophet’s Command—Naaman - Cured—House Turned into a Leper Hospital—Off to the Lepers’ - Den—Origin, History and Nature of Leprosy—Arrival at the - Gloomy Prison—Abraham, “I Didn’t Promise to Go into the Tomb - with You”—“Screw your Courage to the Sticking Point”—Johnson’s - Reply—Suspicious of the Arab Gate-Keepers—A Charge to - Abraham—Life in Johnson’s Hands—Mamie and the Currant-Bush—Among - the Lepers—Judgment Come—Graves Open—Living Corpses—Walking - Skeletons—Strewing out Coins—An Indescribable Scene—An Indelible - Picture—Horrible Dreams. - - -NAAMAN lived in Damascus. “Now Naaman, captain of the host of Syria, -was a great man” with his Master, and “honorable, because by him the -Lord had given deliverance unto Syria; he was also a mighty man of -valor, but he was a leper.” So Naaman left Damascus, and went down to -Samaria to see Elisha, that the prophet might heal him of the leprosy. -Elisha told Naaman to go and dip himself seven times in the Jordan. The -haughty Syrian became indignant at the idea, and it was natural that -he should. The people of Damascus are now, and have always been, proud -of their rivers. They sing about Abana and Pharpar, as also about the -shades, fruits and flowers of the valley. - -Old Naaman was a true Damascene. So, when told to bathe in the Jordan, -he said: “Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, are they not better -than all the waters of Israel?” He wanted to go back to his own native -city, and there bathe in the fountain of the gods, whose pearly waters -had rolled themselves through his heart and cut their channels there. -Finally Naaman was persuaded to follow Elisha’s directions, and was -healed of his leprosy. But, strangely enough, his house in Damascus was -turned into a leper hospital, and remains one to this day. - -Having heard so much of this loathsome disease, I am anxious to see it. -So I call out, “Abraham, Abraham.” - -“Sir?” - -“Bring out the horses, and let’s go to the hospital.” - -“Yes, sir.” - -He brings out three horses—ears about fifteen inches long—and -Johnson, Abraham and I are off for the “lepers’ den.” On the way, -Johnson says: “Whittle, how long has the leprosy existed?” My reply is, -“History traces the disease back to twelve or fifteen hundred years -before the Christian era.” - -Johnson. “Where did it originate?” - -I explain that the origin of the leprosy is, to some extent, shrouded -in mystery; that I was reading the other day from Strabo, a Greek -author, who says that leprosy was generated in Egypt among the Jews, -while they were in bondage under the Pharaohs. He says the Jews were -banished to rock-quarries, where they had been getting stone to build -pyramids and walled cities; that, having double burdens to perform, -and half rations to live upon, they killed and ate diseased hogs which -gave rise to a disease among the people known as the leprosy. For this -reason the Jews passed a law that all Hebrews should ever after abstain -from eating flesh of swine. That law, we know, is still observed, but -Strabo’s account of the origin of the leprosy is probably a myth. - -Johnson asks: “Does the Bible throw no light upon this subject?” - -“None at all. The Good Book has much to say about the disease, and -the ceremonial law concerning the treatment of lepers is strict and -explicit. As to its origin, however, not a word is said.” - -Leprosy is the most fearful disease that was ever visited upon the -human family. Never yet has a case of it been cured without the direct -intervention of God. Man’s skill is powerless to stay its ravages -on the human frame and system. If there were no leprosy on earth -to-day, probably there never would be any. It is not now, so far as -can be ascertained, generated anew and afresh. It is inherited from -one’s parents, and in this way it is handed down from generation to -generation. It is absolutely impossible for leprous parents to give -birth to a child who will not die of leprosy, unless, perchance, the -babe die before the disease breaks out. The child may possibly remain -sound and healthy until he is six or even sixteen years old; but the -fearful disease is in his bones and blood and system, and it is coming -to the surface—it is coming to stay, to eat up the body and “steal -away the life o’ the building.” - -Leprosy warns its victim of its approach by a cold and chilly -sensation, which alternates with fever. Then a purple fleck or blotch, -with a hard lump under it, comes on the face. The blotches now come -thick and fast. Blotch meets blotch, until the bloated face is covered, -and the cheeks look like purple clusters of grapes. The blotches -finally swell, itch, fester, burst and pour forth an immense amount of -pus and corruption. Then they heal up for a while, only, however, to -itch, swell and burst again. - -About a mile and a half from the centre of the city, we see a great -rock wall, enclosing twenty or more acres of land, rising up like the -walls of a penitentiary, twenty-five or thirty feet high. Pointing to -this wall, Abraham says: “There is the hospital.” - -I respond, “Yes, there it is, but I want to go in it.” - -“Want to go in it?” said he. - -“Yes, Abraham, and I want you to go with me.” - -With a strange look in his face, and a tremor in his voice, he answers, -“You don’t mean that, do you?” - -“Most emphatically, I do. I want you to go in with me.” - -“Well, sir,” he continues, “I can’t do it.” - -“But,” said I, “look here, Abraham, I have paid you my money. You are -my guide. You have promised to show me through the city.” - -“Yes, sir, but I didn’t promise to go into the tomb with you,” was his -response. - -Turning to Johnson, I request him to accompany me. I show him a -book which says that it is questionable whether leprosy is at all -contagious; that it is possible for one to shake hands with a leper -without any ill effects. Besides, I tell him that we will arm ourselves -so as to keep them away from us—that we will fill our pockets with -coins, and, if the lepers come close to us, will strew them like seed -corn on the ground, and while they stop to gather them up, we will get -a good look at them. I explain further to my companion that even if the -lepers were disposed to come up to us, we could fight them off with our -heavy canes. - -After placing these arguments before him, I make a final appeal; -“Johnson, don’t desert me. Nerve yourself and go in with me.” Seeing -that he is wavering and hesitating, I say: “Johnson, screw your courage -to the sticking point, and let’s go in.” - -He responds: “It won’t stick.” - -“Try it again!” - -He repeats, “_It won’t stick!_” - -By this time we are at the heavy, iron gate which is locked, and -guarded by two strong and stalwart Arabs. I say to one of them: “Will -you let me in?” - -“Yes,” was the reply. - -“Will you let me out?” - -After a long pause, he responds in a deep, husky voice, “Y-e-s.” - -I repeat the question, and receive the same significant frown and -gutteral sound as an answer. I hardly know what is meant. I do not know -but that the idea is to get me in, and then lock the gate and exact so -much money before letting me out. I have not “so much money” to give. - -Turning to my guide, I say, “Abraham, Abraham, I charge you by the -money I have paid you, by your sense of honor and manhood; I charge you -by him whose name you bear, let not this gate close until I come out.” - -With an honest emphasis, he responds, “I will guard the gate.” - -Laying my hand upon my companion’s shoulder, I address him thus: -“Johnson, I, to some extent, commit my life into your keeping. I charge -you by the sacred memory of mother, home and Heaven, by the golden ties -of friendship, I charge you, Johnson, let not this gate close until I -come out.” - -With tears in his eyes, and his great heart welling without him, he -replies: “Whittle, if necessary, I will block this gate open with my -dead body until you come out.” - -My mind is now made up. I am determined to enter. You naturally ask, -“Why go into such a place?” I can hardly tell you why, unless forsooth, -I am something like Mamie. Mamie wanted to go into the garden and see -the flowers. Her mother said, “Well, my child, you may go into the -garden to see the flowers, but you must not eat any of those berries on -the currant-bush.” - -“No, ma’am, I won’t.” - -Twenty minutes later Mamie emerges from the garden, licking out her -tongue and smacking her lips, while her face is stained with the -berries. - -“Did you eat any of those berries, Mamie?” - -“No, ma’am.” - -“Come, my child, don’t tell me a story.” - -Crying and trembling with fear, Mamie says, “Well, mamma, I did eat a -few of ‘em.” - -“Why did you disobey mother?” - -“Because I couldn’t help it,” was Mamie’s response. - -“Why could you not help it?” said the mother. - -“‘Cause the devil tempted me.” - -Mother. “Why did you not say, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan’?” - -Mamie. “I did say, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan,’ and he got behind me -and pushed me right into the bush.” - -So I am tempted, not like Mamie, by one, but by a half dozen devils. -I say: “Get thee behind me, satans.” At this, some get behind, while -others get before me. The spirit of adventure, or something else, -catches hold of the lapels of my coat. Now they push and pull and shove -and drag me in, until finally I wake up on the inside of a living tomb. - -Going in some distance from the gate and around one or two houses, I -see a great number of lepers, lying on the ground, sunning themselves. -A few of the miserable creatures are sitting up. Seeing me, they make a -strange and hideous noise. This arouses the others. - -They rise—three here, four there, a half dozen, yea, a dozen, -yonder—still they rise. It looks almost as if judgment had come; -as if the tombs are opening and the graves are giving up their dead -skeletons. They form a semi-circle about me. Ah, what a ghastly sight! -Men, women and children in all stages of the leprosy. Some of them look -more like fiends than human beings. Skin and flesh gone from their -hands and arms, from their brows and cheeks! The working of their -jaw-bones can be seen, as they vainly attempt to talk. - -Here they are—gums swollen, teeth gone, palates fallen, one eye, or -one ear missing. One finger—two fingers—may be all the fingers gone -from one hand, or, perchance, the hand itself is off at the wrist, -or the arm at the elbow. What arms and limbs and fingers they have, -are frequently gnarled and twisted like grape-vines. They are close -enough. Rushing my right hand into my pocket, I strew the coin far and -wide like seed wheat. The poor diseased creatures, with pewter plates -in hand, hobble around here and there as best they can, pushing and -shoving each other right and left, each trying to get all the coins and -to keep his neighbor from getting any. - -Stepping forward, I strew out more coin and then recede. On come -the victims of this loathsome disease. Oh, what a ghastly sight! -Flesh gone, bones exposed and all twisted out of shape, great knots -protruding from the face and body, joints decaying and dropping -away,—human beings coming unjointed and falling to pieces! On they -come, until I find myself half surrounded by hideous, dreamlike -spectres! horrible hobgoblins! living corpses! walking skeletons! -green-eyed monsters! fiery-eyed fiends! coming up, crowding up around -me, thrusting out their long arms and bony fingers, apparently eager -and anxious to hug me, like a phantom, to their loathsome and rotting -bosoms! - -For the first time in life, I am rooted to the earth. My blood, -like Hamlet’s, is curdled in my veins. My knees, like the knees of -Belshazzar, smite one against the other. My hair, like the quills -of the fretted porcupine, stands on end. My mind wanders, my heart -sickens, my body reels, and I stand “like a ruin among ruins, -meditating on decay.” In gesture, as well as in words, I say: “Avaunt! -avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth hide you! Your bones are -marrowless; your blood is cold; and ye have no eyes in those sightless -sockets with which ye do glare at me!” - -I feel that I would give all that I have, or hope to have, if I could, -once for all, blot this awful scene from my mind. But no; it is there. -It is indelibly stamped upon the landscape of memory. And often, -instead of sleeping soundly, I will dream about it. I will dream that I -am still in here; that the gate is locked and barred, and that I am a -doomed man; that these decaying folk have entirely surrounded me, and -are intertwining their arms and limbs with mine, almost like hissing -serpents in the hair! - -O, my dying fellow mortal, do you know that leprosy is typical of sin? -How, oh! how, would a man feel, if, while sitting in his parlor, a half -dozen lepers should come in, reeling and staggering—falling to pieces? -He would shrink back and call upon the earth to swallow him, or the -mountains to fall upon and hide him from the face of nature. - -How, then, I ask, would God and the angels feel, if one unconverted -soul should enter into Heaven, into the presence of that God who can -not look upon sin? One sinner, walking the golden streets, falling to -pieces with moral putrefaction, would cause the redeemed to shudder, -the angels to flee away; at his approach, darkness would surround the -throne and Heaven would be turned into hell. - -But, O friend, my heart thrills with joy akin to that which the angels -feel in Heaven, when I say: - - “There is a fountain filled with blood - Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins, - And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, - Lose all their guilty stains.” - -So, when the gospel is proclaimed in your hearing, go not to the -Jordan, as Naaman did; but go fling yourself into that stream opened -up in the house of David for the cleansing of the human family. After -Naaman had dipped in the river, his skin and flesh grew back as the -skin and flesh of a little child. So you, when you have bathed yourself -in the stream of God’s forgiving mercy, will be clad in the spotless -robes of Christ’s righteousness. You will be sinless as a little child. -And I am sure the angels will strike their golden harps, and the music -will go ringing and reverberating adown the aisles of eternity, as they -shout, “Halleluiah, halleluiah, one more sinner redeemed—washed in the -blood of the Lamb.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -FROM DAMASCUS TO THE SEA OF GALILEE. - - Sick, nigh unto Death—“Night Bringeth out the Stars”—Mount - Hermon and the Transfiguration—Beautiful Camp-Ground—Amnon, the - Reliable—“Thou Art Peter”—Fountain of the Jordan—Slaughter of - the Buffaloes—Crossing into Galilee—Dan—Abraham’s Visit—A - Fertile Valley—Wooden Plows—A Bedouin Village—Costumes of Eden—A - Gory Field—Sea of Galilee—Sacred Memories—The Evening Hour—A - Soliloquy—Bathing—Sailing—Fishing. - - -I HAD not been feeling well for some days and while at Damascus I was -taken ill with varioloid fever. This was just twelve days after I was -directly exposed to the small-pox and the cholera. The varioloid, with -which I was suffering, was so severe that my friends really feared -it would develop into small-pox proper. It was a dark hour for the -sufferer. The shadows of twilight—the twilight of life, as well as of -day, seemed to be gathering around me. Even then I could say: “I have -lived, and have not lived in vain: my mind may lose its force, my blood -its fire, and my frame perish even in conquering pain, but there is -that within me which shall tire Torture and Time, and breathe when I -expire.” - -One night when I was suffering most intensely, when my brow was all -scorched with fever and my body racked with pain, Mr. Hamlin, whom I -have already mentioned, and whose income is more than a dollar an hour, -came into my room and lay down on the side of the bed. With his hand -on my brow he said: “Whittle, we are fellow travelers for this journey -through the Holy Land; we are friends for the journey of life, and -now that you are ill, I want to say that you shall have my sympathy, -my presence and my purse. I am your friend and helper. You may have -cholera, small-pox, or what not, yet I will stand by you to the last. I -shall not leave your bedside until you are well, or as long as you need -a friend.” I said to myself: “Truly, night bringeth out the stars,” and -“every cloud has a silver lining.” I fell asleep; the fever cooled off, -and in a few days “Richard was himself again.” Now that it is over, I -am glad that I was ill. It revealed to me the character of the man with -whom I am traveling. It is not an unpleasant thing, when one is ten or -twelve thousand miles from home, to have a friend talk to him in that -way. Hamlin is a whole-souled fellow. - -The second night after leaving Damascus the “Equestrian Pilgrims” -camped at the foot of Mount Hermon, whose regal brow was crowned -with purest snow. It was a glorious sight to see that lonely, lordly -mountain, bathed in the golden splendor of the setting sun. One almost -ceases to wonder that it has become an object of vigorous adoration. -The word Hermon itself means “the holy,” “the unapproachable.” The Arab -word for Hermon means “the old,” “the grey-bearded,” “the venerable.” -The inspired writers of old often refer to Hermon. It appears to have -formed the northern boundaries of the children of Israel. Solomon -speaks of Hermon as the haunt of wild beasts, and strangely enough -my guide-book says, and the natives here confirm the statement, that -bears, wolves and foxes still abound here. The Psalmist says brotherly -love is as pleasant as the “dew of Hermon;” as the “dew that falleth on -Mount Zion.” I have been much impressed with heavy dews since coming -into this Eastern country. I have seen the dew falling before the sun -goes down in the evening, and for an hour after the sun rises in the -morning. In this country it rains six months, and is dry six months. -During the dry season vegetation withers and all nature suffers for -moisture. Every night the falling dew is like a gentle shower of rain, -refreshing the parched grass and “reviving the vigor of vegetation.” -But for these heavy dews nothing would grow, and the people could -scarcely exist. How impressive it must have been to these people, -therefore, when David said: “Brotherly love is as pleasant as the dew -of Hermon, as the dew that falleth on Mount Zion.” God hasten the day -when “brotherly love shall abound:” when men shall say: “Behold how -good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” - -Hermon is, in round numbers, ten thousand feet high and twenty-nine -miles long. Its base is rich, and, for this country, well cultivated. -Higher up it supports several large almond groves, the fruit of which -is most excellent. It is generally conceded by scholars that one of -the slopes of Hermon was the scene of the Transfiguration. By some -this honor was once claimed for Mount Tabor, but this idea has been -exploded. It is impossible that Christ should have been Transfigured -on Mount Tabor, for Josephus tells us that Tabor was at that time -crowned with a city, and we know that the Transfiguration occurred, not -in the midst of human habitations, but out in the solitude of nature. -The last time we see our blessed Lord before the Transfiguration was -at Caesarea Philippi, near the base of Hermon. “And after six days -Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John, his brother, and bringeth them up -into a high mountain apart and was there transfigured before them; His -face did shine as the sun and His garment was white as the light. And, -behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias, talking with Him. -Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus: ‘Lord, it is good for us to be -here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles—one for Thee, -one for Moses, and one for Elias.’” - -We were high on the slopes of Hermon. It was to me a sacred place. -When the evening hour came, I stole away from my companions. I went -out all alone “where nought but the gleaming stars looked down upon me -in silence,” where I could commune with my own heart, with nature and -“nature’s God.” I gave myself up to meditation and prayer. I said: -“Can it be possible that I am now standing on, or near, the spot where -the divinity of my Lord revealed itself; where He wrapped Himself with -celestial glory as with a garment; where the veil was drawn aside, and -Peter, James and John caught a glimpse of that other world and the -splendor thereof?” and an unearthly feeling possessed me—I verily felt -that I was standing on the Mount of spiritual Transfiguration. For me -the scene was re-enacted before my eyes. To me the Master’s face did -shine as the sun, and His garment was white as light. I could almost -hear the Father’s voice as He said: “This is my beloved Son in whom -I am pleased; hear ye Him.” I felt like Peter that I could say, “It -is good to be here;” I felt like Paul that I was caught up into the -third heaven; I felt like Bunyan that I was standing on the top of the -Delectable Mountains, viewing the City of God and listening to the -music of angels. I felt like - - “Some tall cliff that lifts its awful form, - Swells from the vale and midway leaves the storm, - Around whose base, while rolling clouds are spread, - Eternal sunshine settles on its head.” - -We folded our tents in the morning, to pitch them at night twenty miles -away, by the side of a flowing fountain, in the midst of an olive grove -and amongst blooming oleanders. There was beauty, there was poetry, -in this place. It was so sweetly calm and serenely beautiful, that -we were strongly tempted to “lengthen the cords and strengthen the -stakes” of our tents and remain here a few days. But we were blessed -with perfect weather, and therefore thought best to press towards “that -summer land of the vine and fig tree.” - -Next morning “Amnon,” the reliable, the sure-footed, was pronounced -“ready.” I vaulted into the saddle and rode away. Evening brought -us to Caesarea Philippi, now called Banias. Little—practically -nothing—remains of the stupendous temple that Herod the Great built -here. The guide-book says, and the pilgrims believe, that this was the -precise place where Christ said: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I -will build my church.” But turning to Matt. 16:13, I read, “When Jesus -came unto the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His Disciples,” etc. - -Again, Mark 8:27, “And Jesus went out, and His disciples, into the -towns of Caesarea Philippi, and by the way He asked His disciples -saying: ‘Whom do men say that I am?’” From this we see that Caesarea -Philippi was a district containing more towns than one. True, this was -the principal city of the district, but no man has the moral right to -select a certain town and say, “_This is the place_.” Nor do I care to -know the precise spot. It is enough for me to know that Peter said: -“Thou art the Christ.” Jesus replied: “Thou art Petra (a rock), and -upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall -not prevail against it.” There is no passage in all the Bible that is -so much discussed as this one, for this scripture is claimed as the -foundation of the Romish Church. True, the “gates of hell” have not -prevailed against “papal power,” but the _power of God_ will prevail -against it, and the world shall yet know that Christ, and not Peter, is -the chief “corner stone;” that Christ, and not Mary, is the sinner’s -Savior. - -One hour from Banias brings us to the fountain of the Jordan—the -birth place of the sacred river. The spring is large, the water deep -and beautifully clear. We could not resist the temptation; we had to -bathe in the “fountain of the gods.” We could count the pebbles in the -bottom of the swiftly flowing stream. With our eyes we could follow its -windings through the fertile valley, by noticing the flowers and green -bushes fringing its banks. Near this fountain we rode close upon a herd -of buffaloes before they saw us. There were twelve in the bunch and a -dozen of them got away—we killed the others. - -We now cross into Galilee. High on the hill, and before us, as we face -the west, is the city of Dan. O Dan, what a history thou hast had! What -memories gather around thy ancient, thy venerable head! As thy name -indicates, thou wast once a judge. Thy sons were born to positions -of honor. But Ichabod!—“thy glory has departed!” Thou art no longer -a sightly city, but a ruined and disheveled village. Thou no longer -rulest, but art now thyself ruled with a rod of iron. - - “There is the moral of all human tales; - ’Tis but the same rehearsed of the past, - First Freedom, and then glory—when that fails, - Wealth, vice, corruption—barbarism at last!” - -In olden times Dan was an important place—the most important city in -north Galilee. We often see the expression, “from Dan to Beersheba,” -which means from the extreme north to the extreme south of Palestine, a -distance of one hundred and sixty-five miles. “From Dan to Beersheba” -meant to Jews of old just what “from Maine to Mexico” and “from New -York to San Francisco” means to Americans—the uttermost limits of the -country. - -I give in the following lines an account of a nocturnal visit that -Abraham, the father of the faithful, made to this city of Dan. “And -when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his -trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, -and he pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he -and his servants by night, and smote them, and pursued into Hobah, -which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the -goods, and also his brother Lot and his goods, and the women also and -the people.” - -Coming into Galilee, we find ourselves at once in a beautiful valley -lying between two mountain ridges running north and south. The valley -is apparently ten miles wide and fifteen to eighteen miles long. The -soil is as black as a crow and fertile as the alluvial deposits of the -Nile. It is so rich that it looks as if it would sprout a shadow—I -am afraid to stand still long in a place. Only small patches of this -fertile valley are cultivated and these in the most primitive and -imperfect manner. The land is scratched over with wooden plows, drawn, -as I have sometimes seen, by a donkey and a skeleton of a milk cow -yoked together, or by a camel and an ox harnessed side by side. Thus -they tickle the soil which in turn smiles with a sickly, sentimental -harvest, and the people live in filth, penury, and poverty; whereas, -if they had western vim and push and shove and energy, if they had -improved implements of agriculture and would send them deep into the -ground and turn up the soil, “the desert would blossom as the rose,” -and these trifling sons of want would soon have to “pull down their old -barns and build greater ones.” Peace and plenty would usurp the place -now held by pinching poverty, and Jerusalem once more would stand - - “Girt by her theatre of hills, and would reap - Her corn, and wine, and oil; and plenty would leap - To laughing life, with her redundant horn.” - -Here and there, scattered over the plain, we see a Bedouin village. -Village did I say? Yes, a village; though there is not a log or a -plank, or a board, or a shingle, or a stone to be seen. One of these -villages consists of 300 to 500 Bedouins, living in 75 to 100 tents -huddled together without law or order. The Bedouins take the bark -of the papyrus plant and plait or weave it (by hand of course) into -a coarse, rough matting with which they make their houses. The same -material serves as roof, walls and floor. These sons of the desert hide -their nakedness with robes made of camel’s hair, and their children -dress as did Adam or Eve before fig-leaf dresses came into fashion. - -In the southern part of the valley is Lake Huleh, or the waters of -Merom. Some years ago the plain surrounding this lake was a bloody -battle field. Six or eight kings “went out, they and all their hosts -with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in -multitude, with horses and chariots very many. And when all these kings -were met together, they came and pitched their tents at the waters of -Merom to fight against Israel. And the Lord said unto Joshua, be not -afraid because of them; for to-morrow I will deliver them up all slain -before Israel; thou shalt hough their horses and burn their chariots -with fire. So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against -them by the waters of Merom suddenly and they fell upon them. And the -Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel.” Lest some people should -suppose that I witnessed that battle, I will state that Joshua lived -some 1400 years before Christ. - -[Illustration: SEA OF GALILEE.] - -Long before night our tents were stretched on the shore of the Sea of -Galilee. This is the most hallowed spot to which we have yet come. No -place we have visited is so fraught with holy memories. Arriving here, -I dismounted, went into my tent, and there for the first time knelt -down and kissed the earth. I knew it was a sacred place. Around this -lake our Blessed Lord spent most of His public life. Every thing here -wears a holy aspect; every thing is suggestive of the Savior. When I -see the men in their row boats, toiling at their nets, I am naturally -reminded of the miraculous draught of fishes, of the worldly occupation -of those whom Jesus, walking on these very shores, called to follow -Him, saying: “I will make you fishers of men.” Probably the ancestors -of these half-clad people before me were among the “multitude whom -Jesus fed with a few loaves and fishes” on the opposite bank of the -lake, or among that other multitude who thronged the beach where I now -stand, and, pressing the water’s edge, listened with bated breath to -Christ as He spake from Simon’s boat, built, no doubt, like these on -the lake. - -Before me are the sites of three ancient cities whose very names have -become a reproach; and who can wonder! They rest under the direct -curse of Him who said: “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, -Bethsaida! for I say unto you that in the day of judgment it shall -be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you, Chorazin and -Bethsaida!—and thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto Heaven, shalt -be brought down to hell.” Yea, truly; Capernaum, the home of Christ, -has been cast down to hell. The city rejected Christ and ever since -that time the curse of God has rested upon it. A word to the wise is -sufficient. I will therefore only add; reader, be sure you do not -reject Him of whom Moses and the prophets did write. - -Standing on the western edge of the lake, near the northern end, and -looking in a north-westerly direction, I see, about 300 yards away, a -man plowing with a wooden plow, drawn by a milk cow and a donkey. In -the same field, and close by the plowman, is another man with a basket -on his arm full of seed corn (wheat) which he is strewing broadcast -over the ground. This reminds me that once upon a time our Lord was -standing on these shores, near where I now am. A great multitude of -people had assembled to listen to His gracious words. The press was -so great that our Lord stepped into a little boat and pushed it out a -little way on the water. As the people stood on the shore Christ sat -in the boat and preached to them. He began His sermon, “The sower went -forth to sow. Some seed fell by the wayside, some among thorns and some -in the rocks.” This scene was being re-enacted before my own eyes. How -delightful are such experiences! How it carries one back to ancient -days! This lake furnished the subject for the parable of the net. And -on the left are the hills and fields whence was drawn the comparison -to the leaven, the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price. Around -this lake the lilies grew and the ravens fed, which the Lord bade us -remember. - -Galilee is a beautiful lake. It is ten to twelve miles long and six to -eight miles wide. The rocky walls surrounding the lake rise, in some -places, several hundred feet above its surface. Most of the country -around is rough and barren. A few fig and other fruit and shade trees -grow near the water’s edge. - -But if you would see the beauty—the poetry of Galilee, wait until -the glare of day has mellowed into twilight; wait until a holy calm -broods over the lake and its surface has been transformed into a silver -mirror. Then the great stars above you gleam like nuggets of gold in -the blue depths below. Now go “silently and alone” and walk on the -beach. You find that distance is annihilated. The lake may be six, -sixty, or six hundred miles wide—you can not tell—you do not care. -You are not thinking of time or distance, either. The beauty of the -scene rivets your attention. Sacred memories crowd upon the mind, and -you can but say: “Oh! Galilee! Galilee! For thousands of years have thy -pure waters been surging against these historic shores—these sacred -shores. Upon thy watery surface Jesus did walk, as though it had been -marble pavement. When the storm did come and thou wert lashed into rage -and fury, when thy waves were tossed like mountains to the sky; when -the frail bark was threatened, and human life endangered; the Son of -God whispered: ‘Peace, be still.’ The winds obeyed Him and thy waves, -O Galilee, crouched at His feet. For these reasons thou hast become a -holy—a sacred sea. - -“And now I, even I, a humble disciple of that same Jesus, am permitted -to walk on thy shores and sail on thy waters.” - -Being unable to break the chain of fascination which binds us to this -place, we have remained here several days. Swimming in Galilee is truly -delightful. We have had several messes of fish from the lake, but as -yet we have caught no fish with a “silver coin in his mouth.” - -Tiberias, the only place of importance on the lake, we find to be a -walled city of some 5,000 souls, the most of whom are Jews. We find -much in the city to attract our attention, but nothing to excite -admiration. The Jews living here are a reproach to their race. They are -as sorry looking specimens of humanity as one can reasonably expect -to find this side of the grave. They are as filthy as monkeys, ugly -as gorillas and as poor as Job’s turkey. Extravagant expressions are -usually out of place, but I am honestly of the opinion that these -people are as poor as a church mouse or a Baptist preacher. - -Most of our time here has been spent, not in Tiberias, but in visiting -the mouth of Jordan and some ruined cities around the lake, in -sailing, swimming and fishing, in reading the Bible and talking of -Christ, its central figure. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -FROM THE SEA OF GALILEE TO NAZARETH. - - A Seven Hour’s Journey—A Rough Road and a Hot Sun—Gazelles—Nimrods - of To-day—Historic Corn-Field—Cana of Galilee—First Miracle—Cana - at Present—Greek and Roman Convents—Conflicting Stories of - Greek and Latin Priests—Explanation—An Important Fact—Marriage - Divinely Instituted—Woman Degraded—Woman Honored—Description - of Nazareth—Childhood Home of Jesus—Jesus and the - Flower-Garden—Studying Nature—He Goes to the Mountain Top—Without - Bounds or Limits—A Fit Play-Ground and Suitable School-Room for the - Royal Child—Rock Bluff where the People Tried to “Cast him down - Headlong”—The Carpenter Shop—The Virgin’s Fountain—Nazareth at - Present—Protestant Missions—A Short Sermon and a Sweet Song. - - -FROM Tiberias to Nazareth is a seven hours’ journey. Our way lies -across a rocky, hilly country. The sun is hot. The heat seems to have -positive weight. Icarus would not have had to soar very high beneath -this fierce sun, before his “waxen wings” would have “melted” and let -him down with a crash. The reflection from the rocks is almost like the -hot breath of a furnace. - -Look! yonder to the right, and not far away, are eight or ten gazelles -dashing down the steep hillside. Their tongues are lolling out; they -have been up on the elevated table-lands, and now, dry, hot, and -thirsty, they are making their way to the Sea of Galilee. How swift -they go! And yet Asahel, we are told, was “as light of foot as a wild -gazelle.” The men of Gad, who swam the swollen river to join King -David, had the “faces of lions” and the “feet of gazelles.” Isaiah, -when speaking of the beauty of Babylon, could bestow no higher praise -than to say: “She is as the gazelle of kingdoms.” Solomon says: “My -beloved is as beautiful as a gazelle leaping up the mountains, skipping -upon the hills.” To see this swift-footed animal, going with parched -lips to the sea, reminds one of the Psalmist’s earnest words: “As the -hart (the gazelle) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul -after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.” - -The Arab word “gazelle” is not used in the Bible, yet it is generally -understood that the “roebuck” of Scripture is the same animal. They -are plentiful here, and may be found in all sparsely settled sections -of the country. South of Hebron they are sometimes seen in droves of -from fifty to a hundred. They are not so large, but are otherwise very -much like our American deer. Their flesh, like the antelope and venison -of America, is considered delicious, and the Nimrods of to-day are -constantly on their track. The gazelle, however, having a swift foot -and a keen eye, is seldom hung up before an Arab’s fire. - -We are now upon what is thought to be the corn-field referred to in -Matthew 12:1. “And at that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through -the corn, and His disciples, who were an hungered, began to pluck the -ears of corn and to eat.” The field is still worked and it will soon -be seed-time again. The corn referred to was of course wheat, as our -Indian corn was not then, and is not now, known to Eastern people. - -[Illustration: PALMS IN BUSH FORM.] - -After five hours and a half in this scorching sun, we are thoroughly -prepared to appreciate the grateful shade of the great olive and palm -trees under which we are now resting. We are in Cana, of Galilee, whose -history is sacred and whose name is familiar to all Bible readers. -Yes, here on this rough, rocky hillside, is Kefr Kenna—the village -of Cana—where Jesus made wine of water. Few passages of Scripture -impress me more than the account of this wedding feast. I read, “And -the third day there was a marriage in Cana, of Galilee, and the mother -of Jesus was there, and both Jesus and His disciples were called to the -marriage.” It was during this wedding feast that Christ turned water -into wine. “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana, of Galilee, -and manifested forth His glory, and His disciples believed on Him.” -Christ’s first miracle, wrought at the beginning of His public career, -was, we see, turning water into _wine_. And the night before His -crucifixion, He took _wine_ and said: “This is my blood,” and “without -the shedding of blood there is no remission.” I see a significance, -therefore, in the fact that the first miracle was making wine. That -miracle was prophetic. It pointed to something yet to come. That -miracle was, in Christ’s thought, closely connected with the Cross and -Man’s Redemption. - -Having finished the account of the wedding-feast, the evangelist -continues: “After this He went down to Capernaum (about five hours’ -walk); He, and His mother and His brethren and His disciples.” Jesus -had already taken up His abode in Capernaum. Probably Mary had never -been there. It is quite probable, also, that Christ had not seen her -for some time. It may be that the hope of meeting her son was the main -thing that induced her to attend the wedding. Her hope was realized. -What a joyful meeting that must have been! Somehow I love my Savior -more, because He loved His Mother so well. How beautiful this is: after -the wedding is over Jesus goes back to Capernaum, _taking His Mother -with Him_. She wanted to see how her “preacher-boy” was situated in His -new home by the sea. No doubt when they reached Capernaum, at the north -end of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus took His Mother up on the flat-roofed -house and pointed out different places of interest. - -At present, Cana is of little importance and is not at all inviting. -Large beds of tall, thorny cactus plants are everywhere to be seen. -The houses of the village are few in number, and rude of structure. -Here, as elsewhere in this country, the people are filthy, ignorant -and half naked. The two best houses in the place are convents; one -belonging to the Roman and the other to the Greek Catholics. We now -visit these convents in the order named. Clad in a black gown, with a -rosary fastened around his waist and hanging from his side, the Latin -Priest approaches us, invites us in, and kindly shows us through his -convent. He rehearses the history of Cana, and speaks of the wedding -that Jesus attended as though it had taken place only yesterday. We -come now to the sacred chamber; the Priest pauses; he is deeply moved -(?). With tears in his eyes and pathos in his words he says: “In this -room the marriage occurred. Just there, ‘pointing to the side of the -room opposite him,’ just there the wedding couple stood. Christ, Mary, -and John stood here on my right, while the other guests occupied the -portion of the room to my left. Just here, where I am, stood the -Catholic priest who pronounced the wedding ceremony. Here, gentlemen,” -the good priest continued, “here are some of the identical water pots -that our Lord used in making wine. Yes, sirs, these are the veritable -water-pots that Jesus used. Come up here and handle them and see -for yourselves.” We express no doubt and I suppose we really appear -somewhat credulous. The superstitious priest now becomes enthusiastic. -“There were,” he says, “originally six of these jars or pots; but one -was broken, one we sent to Jerusalem, one to Rome, and here are the -other three. Come, come, and handle them yourselves that you may tell -your friends when you get home.” - -[Illustration: PRIEST OF THE GREEK CHURCH.] - -As soon as we get out of the door, Johnson, with his characteristic -sense of humor, touched me in the side and said: “Chestnuts! -Chestnuts!!” At this moment a short, heavy-built, broad-shouldered, -bushy-headed Greek monk, wearing a hat whose broad, board-like brim -was at the top of the crown instead of the bottom, comes up to us. He -introduces himself, and after a few words says: “Now, gentlemen, please -come with me. I have something of very great interest to show you.” He -leads us into, and conducts us through, the Greek convent, reciting -and explaining the history of the village as we go along. He shows -us into a large room whose walls are lined with pictures. The Greek -pauses, uncovers his head, strikes an attitude; sorrow seizes his soul, -a heavenly look settles on his troubled face. With noiseless step and -slow, he approaches us and whispers: “The wedding that we read about in -the Bible occurred in this very room. Yes, gentlemen, this is a sacred -place—this is where the marriage was solemnized. Christ, with His -Mother and disciples, stood on the left, the other guests on the right. -The wedding couple stood there in the centre, and the Greek priest who -married them stood here.” Johnson is dumb as an oyster. But I have to -speak—I can hold in no longer. I say: “Did Jesus attend two weddings -in this place?” “No, sir; only one, sir, only one!” “Well,” I continue, -“I was a few minutes ago in the Latin convent and the Romish priest -told me that the wedding took place there, and now you tell me that it -occurred here. How about that, sir; how can you explain this?” “The -explanation, the explanation, sir, is very easy. It is simply this: the -other priest lied! Yes, sir, he lied—only one wedding here, and that -one took place in this room. And here are the identical water-pots that -He used—these are the very jars that held the water which was turned -into wine.” - -I speak of this at length to bring out an important fact. On almost -every sacred spot in Palestine, wherever Jesus lived or spent the -night, wherever He preached a sermon, or wrought a miracle, there we -find two convents—one Roman and one Greek. Each claims to stand upon -the exact spot where such and such a thing occurred. Occasionally -the two convents are some distance apart; again they stand hard by -each other. As one might naturally suppose, this engenders strife, -and provokes jealousy among the priests, and greatly perplexes most -travelers. But all this confusion among the priests does not trouble -me for a moment. What do I care whether the marriage occurred here or -there? I know full well that I am in Cana. I know it is a sacred place. -I know that Christ, with His presence, sanctioned in Cana what God, in -His wisdom, instituted in Eden—the marriage relation, which has come -along down the ages, elevating man, purifying society, strengthening -the State and honoring God. The wisdom of this law strongly argues -its divine origin. I have traveled in many countries, among many -nations, kindreds, tribes and peoples; and I have never yet traveled -in a country where the Bible was a sealed book, where God’s law of -marriage was unknown or disregarded, but that the women of that country -were in a low, vile, degraded and servile condition! In such places -woman is regarded as man’s inferior; she is neglected, imposed upon -and down-trodden; hers is a life of shame and drudgery; she is man’s -burden-bearer and nothing more! In Palestine, and some other countries -where I have traveled, it is considered a disgrace for a mother to -give birth to a female child! and for this cause men frequently -ill-treat and forsake their wives! - -And on the other hand, I have never been in any land where the Bible -was known and read, where God was worshipped, and His law obeyed, but -that woman was loved and honored and elevated to her true position in -the family and in society. The Bible teaches that woman was taken, not -from man’s heel that he might trample upon her, not from his head that -she might rule him with a rod of iron, but from his side that she might -walk beside him—that she might be his companion; perchance from his -right side, that his strong right arm might lift her burdens and fight -her battles; or, forsooth, from his left side, near his heart, that he -might love and sympathize with her. Blessed Bible! thou hast shattered -woman’s shackles; thou hast brought the aureole of glory, and placed it -upon woman’s matronly brow! - -One hour from Cana brings us to a scene of greater interest. The day is -far spent when my eyes fall for the first time upon Nazareth, nestling -on the sunny slope of a high hill which gracefully swings itself -around and forms something of a horseshoe. The city, situated near the -centre of this curvature, is built partly in the valley and partly on -the hillside. The lower part of the city is half hidden amid a rich -profusion of pomegranates, orange trees, olive groves and vineyards. -“Jack Frost” has brought no tidings of autumn; consequently the leaves -are still green and the luscious fruits are still hanging upon the -boughs of the trees. - -Leaving the hilltop we come down into the valley, and pitch our tents -under some large orange trees on the edge of the city. Oh, what a -privilege it is to be here! Nazareth is a holy city. It was the -childhood home of the Savior. Here is where Luke says “He was brought -up.” Again, “And when they had performed all things according to -the law of the Lord, they returned unto Galilee, to their own city, -Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with -wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. And He went down with them -and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; but His mother kept -all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and -stature and in favor with God and man.” Dutiful child! Model son! A -mother would naturally keep such a boy, as well as his “sayings, in -her heart.” No doubt He, in childish glee often played with other -children, only He never lost His temper. He never got angry and called -His playmates hard and ugly names. He was always kind and gentle; -consequently all His acquaintances and fellow playmates liked Him, and -the more they saw of Him the more they loved Him; for we are told “He -_grew_ in favor with God and man.” We are only human; and yet, with -God’s help, it is possible for us so to conduct ourselves that we, like -Jesus, may grow in wisdom and in favor with God and man. - -[Illustration: VALE AND CITY OF NAZARETH.] - -Yes, Nazareth was the home of Christ. Here He played, here He worked, -here He studied Nature in all its loveliness and manifold beauty. One -who visits Nazareth can well imagine that in spring-time Jesus would -pluck the rose-buds and orange blossoms, and weave them into bouquets -for His mother. We know He loved flowers. He was so fond of them that -the betrayer knew where to find Him at the evening hour. It was he who -said: “Consider the lilies of the field; they toil not, neither do they -spin: and yet I say unto you that Solomon, in all his glory, was not -arrayed like one of these.” - -Knowing as we do His fondness for solitude, nothing is more natural -than to suppose that the youthful Christ would often forsake the -busy scenes of street-life and climb to the top of the hill back -of the city. In the valley He had studied nature and human nature; -on the mountain He could study God and revelation. From here His -view of the country was something like the catechism definition of -infinitude—“without bounds or limits.” Here, seated on a rock, leaning -against an olive tree, with the old Hebrew Bible unrolled on His lap, -He could read and think and plan to His heart’s content. Here He could -read about almost any event, whatsoever, and at once lift His eyes from -the parchment and let them fall upon the spot where the scene took -place. Did He read of the fish swallowing Jonah, He could look out -upon the heaving bosom of the Mediterranean, flecked with white-winged -ships, some of them no doubt bound for Tarshish. Did He read about -Elijah praying for rain, there was Mt. Carmel projecting into the sea -and standing out in such bold relief that one could almost see a man -standing on its summit. Did He read from the parchment of Elijah’s -contest with the priests of Baal, He could look there at the base of -Carmel where the altars were built. Looking to the north, He could see -Mt. Hermon where a few years later He was to be transfigured, and was -to meet Moses and Elias from the other world. In the same direction -was the hill where He was to preach a sermon to a great multitude; -there, also, and not far away, was Cana where His first miracle was -to be wrought. Eastward, He could see around the Sea of Galilee, -where He was to make His future home, and where He was to do “most of -His mighty works.” With His face still to the east, He could see Mt. -Tabor, six miles distant, rising up like a sugar-loaf to the height of -two thousand two hundred feet. Seeing this, He would naturally read -of Deborah and Barak with an army of ten thousand men on Tabor while -Sisera, with an armed host including nine hundred chariots of war, -stood at the base of the mountain. Just south of Nazareth is the broad -and fertile plain of Esdraelon, which has been the “battle-ground of -the nations.” From the hilltop behind Nazareth, Christ could see, -flowing through the midst of this plain, the river Kishon, whose swift -and swollen current swept so many of Sisera’s men on to the “Great Sea” -and to death. Beyond this plain He could see Nain where He, in after -life, was to raise the widow’s son. Near Nain is Endor, where Saul -called up the witch by night. There, also, are the heights of Gilboa, -where the same King breathed his last. There, too, is Shunem, where -Elisha often spent the night; and Jezreel, where Jezebel, the wicked -Queen, was flung from the upper window of the palace, and dashed to -death upon the stone pavement below. - -I am standing upon this same hilltop with an open Bible in my hand. As -I read of these different incidents, and then look from place to place -where the different scenes occurred, I am deeply moved. These several -passages seem to sink into my heart. I am not surprised that Jesus knew -the Scriptures so perfectly. This was the best place in all the world -for Him to have been brought up. Surely these valleys were spread out, -and these hills lifted up to form a fit play-ground and a suitable -school-room for the Royal Child. - -It was from a high bluff, on this mountain also, that the heartless -populace, who rejected Christ’s teaching, tried to “cast Him down -headlong. But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way.” -To be thrown from this cliff, one would fall a hundred and twenty or -thirty feet before striking the jagged rocks below. - -Tradition still points out the place where Joseph and Mary lived. It -is a plain, simple grotto, hewn in the side of the hill near the city. -Joseph’s carpenter-shop is also shown, and some work is still done in -that shop. Of course one is to use his own judgment as to how much or -how little of these traditions he will believe. The spring, the only -water supply of the town, is called “Mary’s Fountain,” “The Virgin’s -Fountain” and “The Fountain of the Queen.” During all hours of the -day, and far into the night, one sees scores and scores of women and -children, with their jugs and goat-skins, crowding around the spring -for water. - -It is a great privilege to be here and see these things that were once -so familiar to the Savior; to mingle and talk with these people who -live and dress and think now, just as their ancestors did in the time -of Christ. Of course they crowded around this fountain then just as -they do to-day, and no doubt He often came with His mother to this same -spring for water. Being here and seeing these things is almost like -being introduced into the family circle, and becoming acquainted with -the home life of Jesus. - -At present Nazareth has 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants. The houses, with -a few exceptions, are small, ancient and forbidding in appearance. -The narrow streets are crooked, and filthy in the extreme. The people -have little or nothing to recommend them to the traveler. When one -views this aspect of the city, one is naturally reminded of Nathaniel’s -question: “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” - -The English and Presbyterian churches have missions here. The former is -in a flourishing condition, but the latter is at a stand-still because -of some trouble with the Turkish government. The English have an -Orphans’ Home here in which they feed, clothe, and educate one hundred -orphan girls—as some go out others come in. Some of these girls are -almost grown, and many of them are bright and beautiful. I have just -had the sweet privilege of preaching to them. Oh, how it stirs one’s -heart to stand here in Nazareth and preach! to stand here where _Jesus -was brought up_, and preach _His gospel_ to _His people_—the Jews! -After preaching I sang several songs for the people. In turn, the -orphan girls in a sweet tone of voice sang for me a beautiful song -which touched me deeply, and which I have translated, that the reader -may also enjoy it. - - “We are little Nazareth children, - And our Father placed our home - ’Mid the olive trees and vineyards - Of His earthly childhood home. - - “For the Lord who loves the children, - And was glad to hear their praise, - Cares that Nazareth children know Him, - Do His will and choose His ways. - - “Cares that they should keep in memory - All that sacred life spent here; - Try in heart to walk beside Him, - Safe and happy in His fear. - - “And we know that He is coming— - Every knee to Him shall bow— - And the joyous shouts to meet Him - Shall begin in Nazareth now. - - “Jesus, Savior, dwell within us, - Make a temple of each heart, - Pure and loving, true and holy, - For thy service set apart.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -A CHARACTERISTIC SCENE IN THE ORIENT. - - Shepherd Tents—Many Flocks in One Sheep-Cote for the Night—Many - Merchants from Different Countries—Ships Anchored—Arabs at - Meal—Arabs Smoking—Shepherds with their Reed-Pipes—Merchants’ - Response—Music and Dancing at Night—Bustle and Confusion in the - Morning—Fight Like Madmen—Over-Burdened Camels—Camp Broken - up—Dothan and Joseph’s Pit—Money-Loving Mohammedans—Crafty - Jews—Return to Tents—The Shepherds Awaken—Crook, Sling and - Reed-Pipe—David and Goliath—Shepherds under the Star-Lit Sky—“Glory - to God in the Highest.” - - -NOTHING could present a scene more characteristic of Oriental life than -a half dozen shepherd tents, black and dingy, pitched, not like Jacob’s -tent on the mountain top, but like Isaac’s tent in the valley, in the -midst of an olive grove, by the side of a flowing fountain. Here by the -tents is a corral, or sheep-cote, enclosed by a rock wall, on top of -which is a rough hedge of dry, thorny bushes, placed there to keep the -robbers, as well as the jackals and wolves and other wild beasts, from -molesting the sheep. - -Many flocks, both of sheep and goats, are brought to this one cote for -protection during the night, and the swarthy shepherds, each with a -loose garment of coarse camel’s hair carelessly thrown around him to -hide his nakedness, occupy the tents in common. - -Just across the ravine, on the opposite hillside, is a rough stone -house eight or ten feet high with a low, flat roof. This is a “Kahn,” -or an inn—a kind of lodging house to accommodate caravans which are -always passing between Egypt, Jerusalem, Damascus, Palmyra and Bagdad. - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF A CARAVANSARY.] - -From an hour before the sun goes down, until eight o’clock at night, -one can see caravan after caravan of camels—sometimes a string of -them a half mile long—coming across the hills, laden with wines, -carpets, dried fruits, hand-made silks, Persian carpets, and all manner -of Oriental merchandise. Slowly, but patiently, these “ships of the -desert” move on beneath their immense cargo of freight. One caravan -after another comes in, until from 100 to 200 camels may be seen around -one Kahn. The burdens are removed, the several merchants putting their -goods in separate piles. The ships are anchored. The tired brutes lie -down and are fed. The merchants and camel-drivers gather round the -fire, seating themselves on the ground, folding their limbs up under -them as though they had no bones in them. - -Beans, peas, dates, olives, mutton or kid—and sometimes both—are put -into one pot and all boiled together. When it is done, as many of these -hard-featured, grim-visaged, wrinkled-browed, shaggy-haired Arabs as -can, huddle around one bowl. They have no knives or forks. Sometimes -you see a wooden spoon, but usually they thrust their horny hands into -the bowl, and then cram their fists into their countenances—they -are the most open-countenanced people I ever saw. They are the most -ravenous eaters I ever saw. My dragoman offered to bet ten dollars that -one Arab could drink a quart of coffee, eat a roast turkey, two loaves -of bread, and three pounds of rice at one meal! And I am quite sure -that one who is acquainted with an Arab’s capacity for stuffing will -never make a wager like that. - -The meal being over, a certain weed, used as tobacco, is brought out -and smoking is indulged in. Now the shepherds across the branch, with -their reed pipes strike up a plaintive tune which floats over the -valley and echoes from the distant hills. It strikes also a responsive -chord in the hearts of the merchants and camel-drivers. They now -bring out their rude instruments of music, and play and sing, chant -and dance, for hours, much after the order of wild Indians. In their -ideas of dress and propriety, in their customs and habits of life -generally, these children of the desert are as primitive, as rude and -uncultivated, as were their fathers 4000 years ago. - -When they wake in the morning there is great stir, bustle and -confusion. As the merchants curse the camel-drivers, they in turn curse -and fight each other, and beat the camels. From the noise made one -would think that two great armies had met in deadly combat. They slap -and beat and kick each other around like madmen—I had almost said -“like fiends!” They sometimes put as much on one camel as two or three -ought to carry. The poor, faithful brutes can not speak audibly, but as -these double burdens are placed upon them, they lie on the ground and -bellow in a most pathetic manner. The pitiable cries of the dumb brutes -are almost enough to move the surrounding stones to tears, and yet -the heartless Arab is untouched. The more the camels bellow, the more -their masters beat them with sticks, and prick them with sharp spears. -Finally the ships are loaded, and soon you see them strung out across -the hills, some going south to Egypt, others going north to Damascus -and Beyrout, or east to Palmyra and Bagdad. - -[Illustration: DANCING GIRL.] - -As often as one sees a night like this, and especially when one sees it -near Dothan (the city of two wells), he thinks of the time when Jacob’s -sons stripped Joseph of his coat of many colors, and cast him into the -dry pit. And while yet on the plain of Dothan “they lifted up their -eyes and beheld a company of Ishmaelites, with camels, going down to -Egypt.” - -[Illustration: THE SNAKE CHARMER.] - -“Then there passed by Midianites, merchant-men, and they drew and -lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for -twenty pieces of silver, and they brought Joseph into Egypt.” Around me -now are many money-loving Mohammedans, many cunning and crafty Jews, -who, I think, would willingly sell their younger brothers for twenty -pieces of silver, or ten pieces either. Yea, I have seen men in this -country, and in my own country, too, who would gladly sell their souls -for money. As in Joseph’s day, so in ours, “the love of money is the -root of all evil.” - -[Illustration: AN ANCIENT SHEEP FOLD.] - -Let us now return to the camp where the merchant-men spent the night. -I spoke of the shepherds, of their tents and flocks. The herds, both -sheep and goats, of different shepherds have been housed during the -night in the same fold. At dawn of day the shepherds awake, and, unlike -the thief and robber who climb up over the wall, they enter in by the -door. Each shepherd putteth forth his own flock, counting them as -they pass slowly out under his rod through the one doorway. As they -pass out, the sheep and the goats are separated—the one being turned -to the right hand, the other to the left. “Each shepherd calleth his -sheep by name and leadeth them out. He goeth before them and his sheep -follow him, for they know his voice.” The sheep string one behind -another, and as the shepherd, with his sling and leathern pouch filled -with stones strapped about his shoulders, with a crook in one hand -and a reed pipe in the other, leads his trusting flock out into the -“green pastures and beside the still waters,” he makes the welkin -ring with his simple, artless melodies. Who could behold a scene like -this without thinking of that robust shepherd lad who killed Goliath -with his sling, and charmed Saul with his music? Yes, it was among -the sheep, here on these purple hills of Judea, that David, the sweet -singer of Israel, first learned those Hebrew melodies that have been -sung around the world! - -I have several times, on beautiful moonlight nights, seen shepherds out -in the fields with their flocks under the star-lit sky. It must have -been at a time like this that with upturned face David said: “When I -consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars, -which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him? and -the son of man that thou visitest him?” - -How forcibly does this remind one of the time when the angelic host -undulated above the plains of Bethlehem crying: “Glory to God in -the highest; on earth, peace and good will to men.” This has been a -different world ever since that song fell upon the drowsy ear of night. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO. - - A Man “Fell among Thieves”—The Way still Lined with Thieves—Guards - Necessary—Across the Mount of Olives—Bethany and its - Memories—David’s Flight from Jerusalem—“Halt! Halt!”—Seized with - Terror—Splendid Horsemanship—“A Hard Road to Trabble”—Inn where - the Good Samaritan Left the Jew—Brigands on the Way-side—Robbers - and Guards in Collusion—Topography of the Country—Dangers and - Difficulties—Perilous Places Passed—Plain of Jericho—Writhing in - Agony—The City of Palms—Trumps of Joshua—Jericho in the Time of - Herod—Iron-Fingered Fate—Jericho at Present—A Divine Region—Pool - of Moses—Antony and Cleopatra. - - -I READ in my Bible that a certain man went down from Jerusalem to -Jericho, and fell among thieves. When this announcement was made, I -am sure that every ear was all attention, for the people naturally -expected some startling revelation to follow. And why? Because the way -was then, and is now, lined with thieves, insomuch that it would be -impossible, to-day for any Frank (Arabs call white men Franks) to go -unprotected from Jerusalem to Jericho without falling among thieves. -This danger is recognized to such an extent that the government (the -Turkish government of course) keeps a garrison of Turkish soldiers -in Jerusalem, whose sole business is to conduct tourists to Jericho, -to the Jordan, and over into Arabia. And the tourist is compelled to -employ these government guards. Oh well, you are not legally bound, -but if you go on this trip without these extra guards, and are killed -on the way, you are not allowed to sue the government. But if you -take the guards, and are killed, after you are buried you may sue the -government twice, if you like. I am not easily frightened, myself, but -I took the guards on Johnson’s account, for I saw plainly he did not -want to die here. I honestly believe that it would almost kill Johnson -to die anywhere! So with four government guards, all well-equipped with -broad-swords, bowie-knives, and javelins, and all splendidly mounted, -we start off for an Eastern trip. - -As we cross the Mount of Olives, a sacred feeling comes over us, for we -know that every foot of this road was once familiar to our Divine Lord. -It was here He prayed in the garden. It was here He was betrayed with a -kiss. It was on this Mountain He cursed the fruitless fig-tree. It was -from here, also, that He beheld and wept over the sinful city. Passing -over the brow of Olivet, we come, on its eastern slope, to that sweet -little village where Jesus often spent the night. Here He wept with -the sisters who wept, and raised the brother who was dead. Ah! blessed -household was that where Mary and Martha and Lazarus lived. Blessed -household is that to-day, whose spiritual atmosphere is attractive -to the Son of God. Oh, what a joyous time there must have been with -those two sisters and their brother—“when the Lord to Bethany came!” -Darkness fled at His approach. The shadows lifted when He came. O -gentle reader, make your home a Bethany, and Jesus, who forsook the -city for a quiet, country village, will take up His abode with you! He -will weep with you when you weep. He will revive your hopes when they -are buried. - -[Illustration: MOUNT OF OLIVES.] - -Continuing our journey eastward, we soon find ourselves in a deep and -narrow ravine. The floor of this wady, or ravine, is twelve or fifteen -feet wide, while its rocky sides lift themselves up very steeply for -three or four hundred feet, getting wider and yet wider towards the -top. I now turn to my Bible, and find that once upon a time David ruled -and reigned in Jerusalem. But Absalom rebelled against his father and -drove the King from the city. Fleeing towards Jericho, David passed -through this ravine. Then Shimei, one of Absalom’s servants, who -was also one of the household of Saul, ran along on the edge of the -precipice and cursed David, and rolled great stones down the steep -bluff, trying to kill him, saying to him: “Come out, come out, thou -bloody man, and thou man of Belial!” - -[Illustration: AN ARAB HORSEMAN.] - -Passing on through this historic wady, we come now to where it opens -wide its broad arms and forms a splendid valley of a hundred acres or -more. “Halt! Halt!” cries one of the guards. “Halt!” Every horse is -motionless. Every man is seized with terror. We expect the robbers to -attack us at any moment. But we soon dismiss all hope on that line, -for we see we are to be deprived of that privilege. Our guards simply -want to exhibit to us their splendid feats of horsemanship. And ah -me! how graceful they are. Each rider seems a part of his Arab horse. -The guards rush at, and fight each other, to show us how skilled they -are in this method of warfare, and how impossible it would be for us -to resist, or escape from an attacking party of Bedouins. Each horse -feels his keeping. He moves like a bundle of steel springs. It seems -that he will leave the earth and fly through the air. These superb -horses remind us of the beautiful story we have all read in the Arabian -Nights, about those splendid Arabian mares that used to prance through -the streets of Damascus, until break of day, and “then fly away towards -Bagdad on enchanted carpets.” - -Leaving here, the way is so rough that I can but say to my companions: -“Pull off your coats, boys, pull off your coats, and roll up your -sleeves, ‘for Jordan am a hard road to trabble.’” No saying was ever -more true: _Jordan am a hard road to travel_! - -We are now stopped for luncheon at a Kahn, or inn, half way from -Jerusalem to Jericho, about eleven miles from either place. Once -more I read in my Bible that a certain man went down from Jerusalem -to Jericho and fell among thieves. The thieves beat the man, dragged -him out to one side of the road, and left him for dead. But the Good -Samaritan came along, took the poor Jew who had been beaten, put him -on his donkey and carried him to an inn, and paid the inn-keeper to -take care of him. Now, reader, what will you think when I tell you -that I suppose I am stopping at the same inn where the Good Samaritan -left the unfortunate Jew? Let me take you into my confidence and tell -you why I think so. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is the same now -that it was 2,000 years ago. We know this from the remains of the old -Roman aqueduct along the roadside. There is only one fountain on this -road, and that one is close by this Kahn. I take it that every Kahn, or -hotel, must, of necessity, be built near some fountain. Now if the road -was the same in our Lord’s time as it is to-day, and if then, as now, -there was only one fountain on the way, and if the inn, or Kahn, spoken -of in the Bible was built by a fountain, then we are forced to the -conclusion that it was near the spring from which we have just drunk. - -[Illustration: A BEDOUIN.] - -Be this as it may, we can not tarry here; we must continue our eastward -journey. About an hour after leaving the inn of Good Samaritan fame, we -see several half-naked, ill-favored, hard-featured, cadaverous-looking -Bedouins on the hillsides near the road. They are Brigands, highwaymen, -and their very appearance is enough to make a civilized man shudder. -They are wearing sandals. Their legs are wrapped with straw and bark of -trees, which is tied on with rawhide strings. They have coarse, filthy -clothes loosely drawn around the lower part of their bodies. Their arms -and breasts and chins and cheeks are tattooed in figures of eagles and -serpents and wild beasts. They are tall, lean, swarthy, snuff-colored, -grim-visaged, wrinkled-browed, shaggy-haired, and fiery-eyed. Around -each one is a leathern girdle, looped here and there with gay colored -ribbons or rags. Each belt holds a bowie-knife and two horse-pistols, -and supports a broad-sword suspended from it. In one hand the Brigand -holds a javelin, while the other grasps a long, single-barreled, -flint-and-steel shot-gun. They live in the clefts of the rocks—in the -dens and caves of the earth, and the cave-scent clings to them still. - -These are the robbers against whom we have to be protected. They are -numerous along this route, and I repeat that without the government -guards it would be impossible to escape them. And yet our guards are -a part and parcel of the same clan, who would have robbed us if we -had not employed them. We pay the guards so much, and it is a fact -that they divide spoils with the Brigands! It is a kind of division -of labor. The robbers infest the road, making the way dangerous, -so that travelers will be compelled to employ protectors, and then -the protectors and robbers share and share alike in the profits of -the business. It is strange, and yet as true as strange, that the -government itself is in league with highwaymen! A certain sheik, here, -pays the Turkish government so much money each year for the privilege -of robbing travelers! If Peter the Hermit could come forth from his -tomb, he would speak these words in Europe: “where hearing would hatch -them.” I am sure that his words against the Turkish government would -“murder as they fell.” This is enough to arouse another “Crusade for -Freedom in Freedom’s Holy Land.” “How long, O Cataline, wilt thou thus -continue to abuse our patience!” - -The country has been dreary and the road rough from the beginning of -the journey, but it grows worse as we continue. We now see nothing but -a succession of deep gorges, stony ridges, and rocky peaks. Imagine -a thousand tea-cups turned bottom upwards, separated by a thousand -deep wadys and narrow ravines, the cups, some of them, rising to the -height of several hundred feet, and the yawning chasms sinking to an -enormous depth, and you have a picture of what now greets my eyes. I -suppose that this mountain side once supported a luxuriant forest, and -that afterwards it rewarded the yeoman’s toil with abundant harvests. -But ages ago the hillside ditches were neglected; hence gutters were -formed, the soil was washed off, fertility gave way to barrenness, -beauty to deformity. Of course the ravines have from age to age washed -deeper and deeper, until now nothing is left but deep, winding chasms, -bare and desolate hills. The road winds around here and there like a -serpent. Now it hangs high on the bluff upon a narrow shelf of rock, -which projects over the valley. Johnson and Hamlin dismount. They know -that one false step would dash them to death. With more of daring than -wisdom I shout to them: - - “I wish your horses swift and sure of foot. - And so I do commend you to their backs.” - -[Illustration: VIEW ON ROAD FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO.] - -We now descend into the valley, only to rise again, and skirt along the -bluff where the narrow road is cut into the rock. - -But, praise the Lord, perilous places are past, and the scene changes. -We pass out of the Wady Kelt, and lo, the broad valley, the sacred -river, and the Salt Sea burst upon our vision! These things within -themselves are not so attractive to the eye, but, compared with the -hill-country behind us, they are as beautiful as “apples of gold in -baskets of silver.” For ten miles above the Dead Sea the Jordan valley -is fourteen miles wide, and is divided by the river which flows through -its centre. This part of the valley west of the river is called the -Plain of Jericho, while that portion beyond the river is known as the -Plain of Moab. So the valley, practically level, stretches out for -seven miles on either side of the river. Then on either side of the -river, seven miles from it, and parallel with it, there rises up a -frowning wall of rock whose savage grandeur might well typify ruin and -desolation. For ages the winter torrents have been coursing down their -sides, until now they are seamed and furrowed, cut and scarred in every -possible manner, and the mountains seem to writhe in pain and agony! - -But we have left the hills. We are now in the valley, and here before -us, seven miles from the river, at the edge of the plain and at the -base of the mountain, stands Jericho, old hoary-headed Jericho—“The -City of Palm Trees.” She is venerable, indeed! It was Jericho that -Moses looked down upon from the heights of Nebo. It was Jericho that -furnished shelter to the “young men” who came from Israel’s camp to -“spy out the country.” It was Jericho that Joshua first attacked “after -crossing over the Jordan.” Her fortifications then were strong, her -walls high. Her people thought “Our castle’s strength will laugh a -siege to scorn.” But the bold spirit of Joshua was undaunted. It was -God’s to command and his to obey. He surrounded the city. He sounded -the tocsin. The walls fell! Now, reader, let us realize that when -God commands you or me to do anything, we should move forward though -confronted by walls of adamant! What is opposition to us? We move in -obedience to the behest of Him who could besiege a city with “trumps of -Joshua,” and route a host with the “lamps of Gideon!” - -After Joshua’s day, Herod the Great rebuilt the city on a grander scale -than ever. Stately castles were erected, marble palaces arose on every -hand. Great wealth was lavished upon the city. She was robed in rich -apparel and decked with “rubies rare.” Here Herod held high carnival. -Here he ruled and reveled, and - - “All went merry as a marriage Bell.” - -But Time has dealt harshly with Jericho. Fickle Fortune has played -her false. She has passed through all the vicissitudes of fortune. -Iron-fingered Fate has torn off her royal robes, and she sits to-day -clad in sackcloth and ashes. “Gray lizards, those heirs of ruin, of -sepulchres, and desolation, glide in and out among the rocks, or lie -still and sun themselves. Where prosperity has reigned and fallen; -where glory has flamed and gone out; where beauty has dwelt and passed -away; where gladness was, and sorrow is; where the pomp of life has -been, and silence and death brood in high places,—there this reptile -makes his home and mocks at human vanity. His coat is the color of -ashes, and ashes are the symbol of hopes that have perished; of -aspirations that have come to naught; of loves that are buried. If -he could speak he would say, ‘Build temples: I will lord it in their -ruins; build palaces: I will inhabit them; erect empires: I will -inherit them; bury your beautiful: I will watch the worms at their -work; and you who stand here and moralize over me: I will crawl over -your corpse at last.’” - -The locations of ancient and of modern Jericho are not exactly the -same, though not far apart. The present village is inhabited by about -600 Arabs who are huddled together in less than seventy-five houses. -Houses, did I say? They are unworthy of the name. They are wretched -huts, constructed, for the most part, of rough, unhewn, undressed -stone. As these stones are put together without the use of mortar, the -walls are broad at the bottom, and get narrower and a little narrower -towards the top, which is about six feet from the ground. In each of -the four corners of this rock pen, is driven a stake which is usually -about eight feet high, or some two feet higher than the top of the -wall. Long, straight poles reach from one stake to another, then other -poles are placed like lattice work all across the top of the pen. A -thick layer of grass and weeds and cane tops having been placed on -these cross poles, dirt, or earth, is then piled up to a depth of from -eighteen to twenty-four inches. Thus the roof is formed. The floor -is more simple in its construction, as it is composed of the native -earth or bare rock. Doors are simply gaps in the wall. Windows and -chimneys are unknown, and indeed unnecessary—air-holes are abundant, -and the smoke can escape anywhere. The rude houses are separated from -each other, and the whole village is surrounded, by a low, rough hedge -of dry, thorny bushes. This is a fair representation of the present -architecture of Jericho. And the inhabitants are as lazy and trifling, -as filthy and ignorant, as the huts they live in would naturally -suggest. The children dress in sunshine, while the parents hide their -nakedness with rags and loose wraps of cloth. - -The Plain of Jericho, seven by ten miles in extent, was at one time, -according to Josephus, “a divine region, covered with beautiful -gardens, and groves of palms of all kinds, the whole splendidly -watered.” The water supply, no doubt, came then, as it comes now, from -the Sultan’s Spring, or, as it is sometimes called, the Spring of -Elisha. This bold and beautiful fountain bursts forth from the foot of -the Judean hills some two miles from Jericho, and, flowing across the -plain in a southwesterly direction, empties into the Jordan. From the -main channel, a large number of small streams flow out in different -directions into the valley, and thus fructify a considerable portion -of the plain. The half cultivated patches we find here now, though -only partially irrigated, are exceedingly rich and productive. The -climate in this valley is suitable to the growth of almost any tropical -or warm-natured plant. But the meagre crops are confined to wheat, -millet, tobacco, cucumbers, and beans. On this plain, near the Wady -Kelt, through which we entered the valley, is a large stone reservoir, -471 feet by 564 feet, called the Pool of Moses. Going across the plain -to this mammoth pool, is an old aqueduct which evidently supplied it, -at one time, with water. Then smaller aqueducts carried the water to -all parts of the valley. This pool, and these aqueducts, were probably -built by Mark Antony just before he gave this region of country to -Cleopatra, or by Herod the Great, whose base life was ended at Jericho -in a fit of agony. By this means of irrigation the valley became what -it might be made again—“the glory of the Jordan.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -BEYOND THE JORDAN. - - Plain of Moab—Children of Israel—Moses’s Request—Moab a Rich - Country—Lawless Clans—A Traveler Brutally Murdered—A Typical Son of - Ishmael—Dens and Strongholds—Captured by a Clan of Arabs—Shut up in - Mountain Caves—Heavy Ransom Exacted—The Moabite Stone—Confirmation - of Scripture—Machaerus—John the Baptist—Prison Chambers—Character - of John—How to Gauge a Life—Hot-Springs—Herod’s Visit—“Smell of - Blood still”—Mount Nebo—Fine View—Life of Moses—From Egypt to - Nebo—An Arab Legend—Death of Moses. - - -THE Plain of Moab, east of the Jordan, is, in character of soil and -state of cultivation, very much like the Jericho plain described in -the last chapter. The Plain of Moab is bounded on the east, as before -stated, by a wall of rock which lifts itself up at some places almost -perpendicularly, several hundred feet above the valley. From the top of -this mountain ridge there stretches far away toward the east, a broad, -elevated table-land, sloping gently as it recedes. This table-land is -traversed here and there by deep wadys and narrow ravines, most of -which have a general westwardly, direction, and empty their waters into -the Jordan and Dead Sea. This goodly land of Moab is about fifty miles -long by twenty broad, and this rolling plateau, though 3,200 feet above -the sea level, is remarkably rich and well watered. The country only -needs a wise head and an energetic hand to make these plains once more -blossom as the rose. - -In order to enter the promised land, it was necessary for the -Israelites to pass through this delightful region of country. -Accordingly Moses “sent messengers unto Sihon, King of the Amorites, -saying, Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, -or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but -we will go along by the king’s highway, until we be past thy borders.” -A reasonable request this; but instead of granting it, “Sihon gathered -all his people together” and went out to fight against Israel; went -out to meet Moses and—death! Having routed the foe and possessed the -land, Israel marched into Heshbon, the imperial city. Heshbon, now -called Hasban, is situated among the hills of Moab, a little to the -north, and about eight miles to the east, of the Dead Sea. The ancient -city, as the present ruins clearly show, was situated on two high hills -some distance apart, east and west from each other, and on the saddle -connecting the two. - -The inhabitants of this fair land ought to be gentlemen living like -kings and princes. But instead of that they are separate, independent, -and lawless clans or tribes of Arabs who live now, as in ancient times, -not altogether, but chiefly, on plunder and the spoils of war. These -clans east of the Jordan are now, and have always been, a curse to -Palestine. Frequently at night they swoop down like eagles upon the -inhabitants west of the river, rob them of their grain, and drive away -their camels, their flocks and herds. This practice frequently becomes -so common that the government is forced to protect the people by -keeping an armed body of soldiers along the river. - -Lest the reader should think me unduly prejudiced against these sons -of the desert, I here introduce a quotation from the “Desert of the -Exodus.” Be it remembered that this splendid work was written by Prof. -E. H. Palmer, a member of the faculty of Cambridge University, England. -Perhaps no man has lived during the present generation who knew more -than he about Arab life and character. The fact that Prof. Palmer was -afterwards brutally murdered by these people shows that his estimate of -their character was correct and just. He says: “Robbery is not regarded -by the Bedawin as in the least a disgraceful thing, but ‘a man taketh -his sword, and goeth his way to rob and steal’ (Esdras IV., 23), with -a profound feeling of conscious rectitude and respectability. Several -plans have been tried, from time to time, to make him a respectable -member of society, but have signally failed; missionaries have gone to -him, and, so long as they could supply him with tobacco and keep open -tent for all comers, have found him sufficiently tractable. But they -have made absolutely no impression upon him, after all. Indeed, the -state of desert society has but little changed since the messenger -came in to the tent of Job, and said: ‘The Chaldeans made out three -bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and -slain the servants with the edge of the sword’” (Job I., 17). - -“Agriculture might be made a means of improving the condition of the -Arabs; indeed, the only other method of attaining this end would be -to civilize them off the face of the earth altogether. By Arab I mean -the Bedawi, the typical son of Ishmael, ‘whose hand is against every -man,’ and who is as much hated and feared in the towns and villages -of Central Arabia as in Palestine. Wherever he goes, he brings with -him ruin, violence, and neglect. To call him a ‘son of the desert’ -is a misnomer; half the desert owes its existence to him, and many -a fertile plain from which he has driven its useful and industrious -inhabitants becomes in his hands, like the ‘South Country,’ a parched -and barren wilderness. He has a constitutional dislike to work, and -is entirely unscrupulous as to the means he employs to live without -it; these qualities (which also adorn and make the thief and burglar -of civilization) he mistakes for evidences of thorough breeding, and -prides himself accordingly upon being one of Nature’s gentlemen.” (pp. -240, 241, 243). - -There are so many dens and caves and strongholds in the mountains of -Moab that it would be next to impossible for the government to rid -herself of these Arab clans. I am told that now, and for many years -past, the most powerful of all these lawless tribes is the one called -Beni Sukrh, whose head quarters are the famous city and fortress of -Kerak. This stronghold is situated on the banks and near the mouth of -the river Arnon, which empties into the Dead Sea on the west side, -and about fifteen miles from its north end. This clan some years ago -captured Canon Tristram and party, and exacted from them a large sum -of money as a ransom. In his “Land of Moab” Tristram has given a -peculiarly striking description of the fortress Kerak, in which he, -himself, was prisoner. It is built on an isolated rock which rises -high in the air, and whose level summit is surrounded on all sides but -the eastern by chasms from 800 to 1,000 feet deep, and 100 feet wide, -with perpendicular sides. A well-built wall surrounds the brow of the -precipice on all sides, and the only two places of entrance are through -arches tunneled in the solid rock from the side of the precipice to the -level within. These narrow and well-guarded entrances are approached -by rock-hewn paths, barely wide enough for men or asses to walk on in -single file. This is one of the most impregnable strongholds on earth. -Gibraltar is not to be compared with it. In this citadel one could -safely say: - - “I will not be afraid of death and bane - Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane.” - -This is the Kir-Hareseth of Scripture, and here it was that Mesha, -King of Moab, took refuge after his army was destroyed by the combined -forces of Israel, Judah, and Edom. These three kings cut Mesha’s army -to pieces, but they knew it was folly to besiege his castle. Coming to -this, they gave up in despair and went home. After their departure, -Mesha, filled with gratitude for the safety that this fortress afforded -him, “took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead, and -offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall.” - -Probably it would be well in this connection to mention a celebrated -stone that I saw in a museum in Paris. Do you ask, “Why introduce that -stone here?” Because this is the proper place to introduce it. It is -the famous Moabite Stone that was found among the ruins of Dhiban not -many miles from this place. Dhiban (the Dibon of Scripture), situated -on two hills, is now only a ruined village, although the numerous -traces of buildings existing in the community indicate that it was -once a flourishing town. In 1868 Rev. F. A. Klein, a missionary of the -English church, while digging amid the rubbish of Dhiban, made the -fortunate discovery. This basaltic rock, two by three feet in size, -with one side covered by a Moabite inscription, has a strange history -and tells a wonderful tale. - -When the stone was discovered a great ado was made over it. The -Prussian government sought and obtained permission to remove it. The -Bedouin tribe in whose territory it was found was offered an enormous -sum of money to part with it. Indeed, the amount offered was so great -that the Arabs thought the stone must be of untold value. The news -spread. Another tribe near by, hearing of the new-found stone and -the great price offered for it, marched over and claimed it as their -own. As about the “Slave Stone,” a quarrel and a war ensued between -the tribes, during which many men were slaughtered on both sides. The -Stone was broken, but afterwards the pieces were put together, and the -inscription was translated. - -“The inscription,” says Prof. Palmer, “commemorates the reign of a -certain Mesha, King of Moab, and records the triumphs obtained by -him over Israel in the course of a long and sanguinary struggle. It -begins by setting forth his name and titles, and briefly recounts -his successful effort to throw off the yoke of the King of Israel; -then follows a list of bloody battles fought, of towns wrested from -the enemy, and of spoil and captives fallen into his hands. For -these conquests he returns solemn thanks to Chemosh, his god—‘the -abomination of Moab’—and glories with a religious fervor, that sounds -strangely to our ears, in having despoiled the sanctuary of Jehovah.” - -The inscription concludes by setting forth the names of towns rebuilt -or fortified by the Moabite king, of altars raised to Chemosh, of -wells and cisterns dug, and other peaceful work accomplished. This -portion of the record is a most valuable addition to our knowledge -of sacred geography; for the names, as given on the Moabite Stone, -engraved by one who knew them in his daily life, are, in nearly every -case, absolutely identical with those found in the Bible itself and -testify to the wonderful integrity with which the Scriptures have been -preserved. So far we have the history of King Mesha’s rebellion from -his own Moabite point of view, and so far we read of nothing but his -success; but, if we turn to 2 Kings III: 5-27, we may look upon the -other side of the picture. In that passage we have a concise but vivid -account of the rebellion and temporary successes against Israel of this -same monarch. There we learn how the allied kings of Israel, Judah -and Edom, went against the rebellious prince; how they marched by way -of Edom, that is, round by the southern end of the Dead Sea; how they -devastated the land of Moab, and drove their foeman to take refuge in -his fortress of Kir-Haraseth, in Wady Kerak. The passage referred to -above speaks of the author of the Dhiban inscription in the following -terms: - -“And Mesha, King of Moab, was a sheep-master, and rendered unto the -King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and an hundred thousand -rams with wool.” (2 Kings III: 4). Here, again, the Bible receives -fresh confirmation from geographical facts; Moab, with its extensive -grass-covered uplands, is even now an essentially sheepbreeding -country, although the “fenced cities and folds for sheep,” of which -mention is made in the Book of Numbers (XXXII: 36), are all in ruins. -But in its palmier days, when those rich pastures were covered with -flocks, no more appropriate title could have been given to the king of -such a country than that he “was a sheep-master.” - -In this same mountainous region, about six miles north of Kerak, near -the head of a deep wady which empties into the Dead Sea, is situated -Machaerus, where the head-man’s ax ended the earthly life of John -the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. Machaerus, like Kerak, is a -natural fortress—one of Nature’s strongholds. Josephus describes it -as follows: “The nature of the place was very capable of affording the -surest hopes of safety to those that possessed it, as well as delay and -fear to those that should attack it; for what was walled in was itself -a very rocky hill, elevated to a very great height, which circumstance -alone made it very hard to be subdued. It was also so contrived by -nature that it could not be easily ascended; for it is, as it were, -ditched about with such valleys on all sides, and to such a depth, -that the eye can not reach their bottoms, and such as are not easily -to be passed over, and even such as it is impossible to fill up with -earth. For that valley which cuts it on the west extends to three score -furlongs; on the same side it was also that Machaerus had the tallest -top of its hill elevated above the rest. But then for the valleys -that lay on the north and south sides, although they be not so large -as that already described, yet it is in like manner an impracticable -thing to think of getting over them; and for the valley that lies on -the east side, its depth is found to be no less than a hundred cubits. -It extends as far as a mountain that lies over against Machaerus, with -which it is bounded. Herod built a wall round on top of the hill, and -erected towers at the corners a hundred and sixty cubits high; in the -middle of which place he built a palace, after a magnificent manner, -wherein were large and beautiful edifices. He also made a great many -reservoirs for the reception of water, that there might be plenty of it -ready for all uses” (Wars VI: 1-2). - -Inside of this impregnable fortress, the traveler of to-day finds two -prison chambers cut in the solid rock. These rock-hewn dungeons once -echoed the tread, and resounded with the songs and prayers, of that -strong-charactered and iron-willed man of God who came to prepare the -way of the Lord—to make His paths straight! It makes one shudder to -stand here amidst the solemn grandeur of these storm-beaten rocks, -and contemplate the tragic history of this great man. A great man? -Yes. It was John the Baptist who first had the courage to stand before -his fellow-countrymen, and, looking them squarely in the face, say: -“Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” With stentorian -voice he cried: “O, generation of vipers;” “the ax is laid at the root -of the tree;” “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto -Abraham.” “He that cometh after me shall baptize you with fire, He will -thoroughly purge His floor and will burn up the chaff with unquenchable -fire.” It was John the Baptist who buried Christ the Lord in yonder -rolling river. It was John the Baptist who pointed to Him and said: -“Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” - -I thank God for the life and character of John the Baptist who, -after all the honors heaped upon him, could say, I am nobody—I am -simply the _voice_ of One crying in the wilderness. He that cometh -after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He -must _increase_ but I must _decrease_. Yes, John said that he was -nobody—that he was only a _voice_, and yet Jesus says: “Among those -born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist.” -Oh, to be _nobody_! Oh, to be only the _voice of Jesus_, calling -men unto righteousness, and warning them to flee the wrath to come! -Oh, that the writer and the reader of this chapter may “rise upon -the stepping-stones of their dead selves to higher things!” O, God, -graciously grant, I pray thee, that both writer and reader may realize -that the _magnitude of any life is to be determined by the distance of -self from the centre_! - -In the same chasm with Machaerus, and not far away, there is a group of -ten hot springs bursting forth from the side of the wady one hundred -feet or more from its rocky bed. Although in close proximity to each -other these springs vary in temperature from 130 to 142 degrees. -According to Josephus, some of these fountains are bitter and others -sweet. The waters are said to possess great medicinal properties and -healing virtues. The maimed, the halt, and the blind resort hither in -search of health. While living at Jericho, just before his death, Herod -the Great, according to Josephus, came to these springs hoping to drown -his disease. But the wicked, adulterous, murderous Herod was not so -sick, I trow, - - “As he was troubled with thick-coming fancies - That kept him from his rest.” - -Herod was a murderer; and wash his guilt away he never could. He might -wash, and wash and wash, and cry: “Out, out damned spot!” But there was -the “smell of blood still.” He might have said as Macbeth afterwards -did: - - “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood - Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather - The multitudinous seas incarnadine, - Making the green one red.” - -North of Machaerus, and not far from Heshbon, is Mt. Nebo from which -Moses viewed the land of promise, and upon which, also, he breathed -his last. This peak, as one would naturally suppose, commands a fine -view of the surrounding country. For twenty miles to the south and -southeast, one’s eyes sweep over an elevated table-land of unusual -richness and beauty. The range of vision toward the rising sun extends -to where the blue sky and the sandy desert meet. Looking westward one -sees the valley of the Jordan, and traces the wanderings of the river -from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. Beyond the Jordan is the land -of “milk and honey” that Moses was never allowed to enter. Moses came -up hither from the plain of Moab, and the Lord showed him the country -and said unto him, “This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto -Isaac, and unto Jacob saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have -caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over -thither. So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of -Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley -in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his -sepulchre unto this day. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old -when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.” - -As the reader sits in his swinging hammock beneath the wide-spreading -branches of some great oak and pronounces these words to a listening -friend, they may sound light and trifling. But if he could stand here -where I am, and lift his eyes from the sacred page and let them fall -at once upon the surrounding hills and valleys, methinks these words -would then each _weigh a pound_. I have never studied the life of any -mortal man with the same degree of interest that I now study the life -and character of Moses. Probably it is all the more enjoyable because -I have been down in Egypt where Moses was born. I have been sailing up -and down the Nile where Moses once floated in the ark of bulrushes. As -I sat in a boat on the broad bosom of that majestic river, and looked -out upon its banks, I half-way imagined that I could see Moses’s mother -weaving the ark. Reader, would you know how that ark was made? Well, -it was on this wise. Moses’s mother took a bulrush, and a prayer, and -faith, and a tear, and plaited them together. Then more faith, and -tears, and bulrushes, and prayers, and plaited them together. When a -mother has thus woven an ark, she can trustingly launch her babe upon -any waters! And I am persuaded that if we, in our Christian work, would -use more faith and tears and prayers and less bulrushes, it would be -far better for our Redeemer’s Kingdom. - -I repeat that I have been in Egypt where Moses was born; on the Nile -where he floated; to Pharaoh’s court where he was educated; I have been -out on the desert where Moses killed an Egyptian because he imposed -upon a Hebrew. I then climbed to the top of the regal pyramid, and -looked out over the land of Goshen where Israel served four hundred -years in bondage. I followed Moses down to the Red Sea where he led -Israel across. I looked up to the frowning brow of Sinai where Moses -met God face to face, and talked with him as man to man; where he -reached up and received from the hand of God the tables of stone on -which were written the Ten Commandments. - -After following Moses around in the wilderness to some extent, I have -come now to where his eyes were closed in death. The inhabitants of -this country have no written history, but they know a great deal -traditionally about the life and character of Moses. Many weird stories -and beautiful legends concerning him have been handed down from -generation to generation, and are as fresh in the minds of the people -to-day as if he had died within the recollection of some now living. -Frequently in these stories Scripture history and legendary lore are -beautifully interwoven. For instance, the people here say that Moses -with three million Jews had camped on the plain of Moab. And God said -unto him, “Moses, get thee up into yonder mountain, and I will show -thee from thence the land of promise.” When God spake Moses obeyed—he -started at once. Standing high upon the mountain side he looked back -upon the tabernacle and the tents of Israel. The people followed -him with their prayers and blessings. He paused, looked back at his -brethren, and waved them a last adieu, as if to say, - - “Fare thee well, and if forever, - Still forever fare thee well.” - -Then with his face turned toward the mountain top, and his heart -lifted to heaven, he continued his onward, upward journey, climbing -higher and higher, until after a while there was nothing at all above -him save eagles, and stars, and God. Away up here above the earth -Moses saw two men—two angels in the form of men, and said unto them, -“Brethren, what are you doing?” “We are digging a grave, sir.” “For -whom are you digging the grave?” “We know not for whom it is. God told -us to dig it, and we are simply doing His bidding. And, Moses,” they -continue, “the man for whom we are digging this grave is the best -creature in all the earth—God loves him well. He is just about your -size, and, Moses, we do not know whether this grave is long enough and -deep enough. Will you please lie down here and measure it for us?” -Moses responded, “Yea, brethren, if you request it.” “We do request -it.” So Moses lay down to measure the grave for them, and they stooped -over and kissed him to sleep, and Moses was dead. - -These people have other legends about Moses as pathetic and beautiful -as the one just given. But we have seen enough to know that - - “By Nebo’s lonely mountain, - On this side Jordan’s wave, - In a vale in the land of Moab, - There lies a lonely grave. - And no man dug that sepulchre, - And no man saw it e’er; - For the Angels of God upturned the sod, - And laid the dead man there. - - “That was the grandest funeral - That ever passed on earth; - But no man heard the trampling, - Or saw the train go forth. - Noiselessly as the daylight - Comes when the night is done, - And the crimson streak on ocean’s cheek - Grows into the great sun— - - “Noiselessly as the spring-time - Her crown of verdure weaves, - And all the trees on all the hills - Open their thousand leaves— - So, without sound of music, - Or voice of them that wept, - Silently down from the mountain crown - The great procession swept. - - “This was the bravest warrior - That ever buckled sword; - This the most gifted poet - That ever breathed a word; - And never earth’s philosopher - Traced, with his golden pen, - On the deathless page, truths half so sage, - As he wrote down for men. - - “And had he not high honor? - The hillside for his pall; - To lie in state while angels wait - With stars for tapers tall; - And the dark rock pines, like tossing plumes, - Over his bier to wave; - And God’s own hand, in that lonely land, - To lay him in the grave. - - “In that deep grave, without a name, - Whence uncoffined clay - Shall break again—most wondrous thought— - Before the Judgment-day, - And stand with glory wrapped around - On the hills he never trod, - And speak of the strife that won our life - With the Incarnate Son of God. - - “Oh, lonely tomb in Moab’s land, - Oh, dark Beth-peor’s hill, - Speak to these curious hearts of ours, - And teach them to be still. - God hath his mysteries of grace— - Ways we can not tell; - He hides them deep, like the secret sleep - Of him he loved so well.” - -If we would learn a lesson from the life and character of this -great man, let it be this: In all things we are to obey God, both -in the spirit and the letter of the law, remembering that for _one -disobedience Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land_. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -THE JORDAN. - - Two Thoughts—From Nebo to the River—Thrilling Emotions—Historic - Ground—A Sacred Scene—An Earnest Preacher—Christ - Baptized—Awe-Stricken People—A Sacred River—Bathing of - Pilgrims—Robes Become Shrouds—The Ghor of the Jordan—The Valley - an Inclined Plane—The Three Sources of the River—The Jordan - Proper—Banks—Tributaries—Bridges—River Channel—Velocity of the - Water—Its Temperature—Its Width and Depth—Vegetation along the - Stream—Wild Beasts—Birds. - - -I AM now, as never before, impressed with this thought; that God’s -plans and purposes never depend upon any one man. When Moses was no -more, Joshua took up, and carried on to completion, his unfinished -work. We also have here a beautiful example of how the labors of God’s -servants are interlinked with each other. Moses liberated Israel from -Egyptian bondage, but it was left for Joshua to lead them into the -promised land. Forty years they had wandered in the wilderness, warring -with the different tribes through whose territory they had passed; -forty years they had been miraculously fed with manna; forty years -they were guided by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by -night,—but at last the gladsome day came when they were to exchange -the stony wilderness for the land that flowed with milk and honey. -There was joy in the camp. With happy hearts and strong hands, three -million Hebrews folded their tents and marched side by side, shoulder -to shoulder, to the river’s brink. And I am sure that while there they -sang in spirit, if not in letter: - - “On Jordan’s stormy banks we stand, - And cast a wishful eye - To Canaan’s fair and happy land, - Where our possessions lie.” - -[Illustration: THE RIVER JORDAN WHERE IT IS SUPPOSED CHRIST WAS -BAPTISED.] - -It is well to walk in the footsteps of great men; so having followed -Moses out of Egypt, let us now follow Joshua into Canaan. Leaving -Nebo’s summit, and coming down on the north side of the mountain, -we find at its base a bold spring which bears the name of the great -law-giver. Around this spring of Moses the hosts of Israel, it is -supposed, pitched their tents. Still following Joshua, we soon find -ourselves standing on the banks of the Jordan. Ah, sacred river! How -it thrills me to be here! “Thy banks, winding in a thousand graceful -mazes, are fringed with perpetual verdure; thy pathway is cheered with -the sight and song of birds, and by thy own clear voice of gushing -minstrelsy. There is a pleasure in the green-wooded banks, seen far -along the sloping valley; a tracery of life, amid the death and dust -that hem thee in, so like some trace of gentleness in a corrupt and -wicked heart.” - -I have crossed many important streams. I have been on the Rio Grande; I -have sailed up and down the Mississippi and the Ohio, the Hudson and -the St. Lawrence; I have sailed on the Thames through London; on the -Seine through Paris; on the Tiber through Rome; on the Rhine through -Germany; on the Danube through all western Europe; and the Nile through -Egypt,—and yet I freely acknowledge that I was never so moved by any -stream as by the sight of this historic river. It was the Jordan that -divided and let the children of Israel pass over on dry ground. It was -the Jordan whose waters cleansed Naaman of his leprosy. It was the -Jordan whose stream floated an ax at the prophet’s command. It was -the Jordan, also, on whose banks another prophet stood and preached -repentance, and in whose waters he buried Christ in baptism. John the -Baptist was a man after my own heart. He came on the stage of action -filled and fired with a purpose. He was conscious of a commission from -God. He believed, therefore he spoke; and, as he spoke, the people left -their homes and hovels in Jerusalem, Judea, and all the region round -about Jordan, and flocked to hear him. - -Reader, we are on historic ground. Stand here with me on the banks of -the stream, and let us behold a sacred scene together. The river here -makes a graceful curve towards the east, and is at this point about -fifty yards or one hundred and fifty feet wide. The western bank, on -which we stand, is low and level, not more than eighteen inches or two -feet above the surface of the river, and gently slopes down to the -water. The opposite bank is a wall of rock, rising up perpendicularly -for eighteen or twenty feet, then receding beautifully in a terrace, -another terrace, and another one still. Terraces rise above and beyond -each other like seats in an opera-house. These terraces gracefully -stretch themselves along the rocky bluff of this river for two hundred -yards or more, until at least a hundred and fifty or two hundred -thousand people could be so seated along the terraced bluff as to look -down upon its watery surface. Let us in our imagination re-people -all these terraces with the Jews of old, with their quaint, Eastern -costumes, with their hard faces and beaming eyes. There they sit, -rising tier above tier. - -Now on this low bank, not far from us, stands the preacher in the midst -of a great concourse of people. Every ear is all attention, every eye -is on the preacher. See! his bosom heaves, his face glows, his eyes -sparkle, his words burn. His sentences strike, swift and glittering, -like lightning flashes midst the roll of judgment-day thunders. Terrors -of the day of wrath roll over his hearers as the foremost thought; -sounds of hope break in, like soft music, to keep the contrite from -despair. The moral world seems to shake. The people realize as never -before their sin, their guilt, their need of a Savior. In their hearts -they want, they yearn for, the promised Messiah. - -Now, lifting his eyes above the motley multitude, John beholds a -strange personage coming towards him. Rough and rugged, bold and -heroic, John is not a man to shrink from his fellows. He is no reed -to be shaken by the wind. But, see! he trembles as the stranger -approaches. Spiritual greatness wears a kingly crown which compels -instant reverence. John, a moment ago as bold as a lion, is now as meek -as a lamb. Shrinking from the new-comer he says, “I have need to be -baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” Jesus, answering, said unto -him, “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all -righteousness.” - -Then leading Jesus down into the river he baptizes Him; and immediately -the heavens are opened, the Spirit of God, like a dove, descends and -lights upon Him. There is the Son with the Spirit resting upon His -head, and, lo! a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son in -whom I am well pleased.” The vast multitude who witness this strange -sight are deeply moved. They are profoundly impressed. What means -this strange baptism, this descent of the Spirit, this voice of God? -What means it all? Who is this new-comer? John answers by pointing to -Jesus and saying, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of -the world.” As if to say, “This is He of whom Moses and the prophets -did write—of whom I have told you, and before whom every earthly -monarch shall bow.” This day have the people witnessed one of the most -wonderful events in the history of the world—a direct manifestation of -the Triune God. There has this day begun an agitation and stir among -the people that shall end in a tragedy on Calvary. - -These scenes have made the Jordan a sacred river. From the days of -Constantine, to bathe or to be baptized in this river has been regarded -a great privilege. We are told that “in the sixth century, marble steps -led down into the water on both sides, at the spot where it is believed -our Lord was baptized, while a wooden cross rose in the middle of the -stream.” Nor has reverence for this river diminished. On the contrary, -it seems to have increased. Each year, during the week preceding Easter -Sunday, thousands and thousands of people, from all parts of the world, -assemble in Jerusalem and pitch their tents on the surrounding hills. -They continue to come until the hills round about Jerusalem look like -one far-reaching city of many-colored tents. - -Easter Sunday, with its strange ceremonies and joyous songs, is over. -Monday morning, bright and early, there is great bustle and confusion -in the camp. Every tent is folded. Camels, mules, and donkeys are -packed ready for travel. The people mount—sometimes whole families of -five or six on one camel. Some of the number stride the animal, while -others are suspended in baskets which are tied together and hang on -either side. Leaving Jerusalem, the pilgrims, in one great caravan, -under the protection of the Turkish government, start out for the -“Sacred River.” The Kedron valley and the side of the Mount of Olives -are filled with inhabitants of Jerusalem and the surrounding villages, -who have come out to see the annual procession pass. On they go, an -escort of Turkish soldiers with a white flag and sweet music leading -the way. Then come camels and asses laden with pilgrims of every age -and condition, of every clime and country, clad in costumes of every -variety of cut and color, while a second group of soldiers, with the -green standard of the prophet, closes the long procession. - -As the shadows of evening begin to fall, the pilgrims pitch their tents -by Elisha’s Fountain in the plain of Jericho. At night the whole plain -is dotted with cheerful camp-fires. Gathering here, in groups of two or -three hundred, the people engage with great enthusiasm in a weird kind -of ceremony which is to prepare them for the next day. At a late hour -they fall asleep. - -The scene that follows their waking is vividly described by Lieut. -Lynch of the U. S. Navy. He says: “At 3 A.M., we were aroused by the -intelligence that the pilgrims were coming. Rising in haste, we beheld -thousands of torchlights, with a dark mass beneath, moving rapidly over -the hills. Striking our tents with precipation, we hurriedly removed -them and all our effects a short distance to the left. We had scarce -finished, when they were upon us:—men, women, and children, mounted on -camels, horses, mules, and donkeys, rushed impetuously by toward the -bank. They presented the appearance of fugitives from a routed army. - -“Our Bedawin friends here stood us in good stead;—sticking their -tufted spears before our tents, they mounted their steeds and formed a -military cordon around us. But for them we should have been run down, -and most of our effects trampled upon, scattered and lost. In all the -wild haste of a disorderly rout, Copts and Russians, Poles, Armenians, -Greeks and Syrians, from all parts of Asia, from Europe, from Africa, -and from far-distant America, on they came; men, women and children, of -every age and hue, and in every variety of costume; talking, screaming, -shouting, in almost every known language under the sun. - -“Mounted as variously as those who had preceded them, many of the women -and children were suspended in baskets or confined in cages; and, with -their eyes strained toward the river, heedless of all intervening -obstacles, they hurried eagerly forward, and dismounting in haste -and disrobing with precipitation, rushed down the bank and threw -themselves into the stream. Each one plunged himself, or was dipped -by another, three times, below the surface, in honor of the Trinity; -and then filled a bottle, or some other utensil, from the river. The -bathing-dress of many of the pilgrims was a white gown with a black -cross upon it. - -“In an hour they began to disappear; and in less time than three hours -the trodden surface of the lately crowded bank reflected no human -shadow. The pageant disappeared as rapidly as it had approached, and -left to us once more the silence and the solitude of the wilderness. It -was like a dream. An immense crowd of human beings, said to be 8,000, -but I thought not so many, had passed and re-passed before our tents, -and left not a vestige behind them.” - -These pilgrims come in such haste and confusion that frequently -some of their number are drowned. And yet so great is the fanatical -enthusiasm of the crowd that little or no concern is awakened by the -ill-timed death of the unfortunates. The usual bathing-dress is a long, -loose-flowing, white gown. After bathing, the pilgrims carefully fold -up these robes, thus consecrated, and carry them home with them to -far-distant lands, in different parts of the world, and use them as -burial-shrouds. - -I have never seen a better place for bathing and swimming. From the -west side one wades down into the river, getting deeper and deeper the -farther he goes from the bank. When about half way across, the water -becomes too deep for wading, and close to the eastern bank it is so -deep that one can hardly dive to the bottom. One finds water any depth -from two to twelve feet. The bottom, being composed of sand and smooth -rock, is all that could be desired. We are so delighted to be here -that we hardly know how to leave. We remain, day after day, reading, -fishing, swimming. We catch several messes of sweet, fresh fish, and -fry and eat them on the banks of the stream. - -Having spoken somewhat at length about that place in the Jordan where -it is supposed, with reasonable certainty, the Savior was baptized, -and which is also the bathing-place of the pilgrims, I now proceed to -describe the river from one end to the other. But, before speaking of -the river proper, I desire to say something concerning the Ghor, or -_valley_, of the Jordan. - -Beginning at the upper end of the Dead Sea, the Jordan valley extends -one hundred and ten miles directly northward. It varies from three -to ten miles in width, and has an average width of six miles. Now -this valley, one hundred and ten miles long and six miles wide, is -shut in on the east and west by great walls of rock. The eastern -bluff is bolder than the one on the west—that is, it is more nearly -perpendicular. It is also more regular as to altitude, the height -ranging probably from 1,800 to 2,000 feet. The western wall, though -less regular than the other, is sometimes as precipitous, and has some -peaks that are as high, if not higher. - -The entire valley is very deep, its northern end being 700 feet lower -than the Mediterranean, while its southern end is 600 feet lower still. -The whole valley is therefore one vast inclined plane, sloping from -north to south. Through this valley, somewhat nearer to the eastern -than to the western side, the Jordan winds its serpentine path. - -The river has its source in three bold springs near the upper end of -the valley. One of these springs bursts forth from the side of Mt. -Hermon, 2,200 feet _above_ the Mediterranean. A second strong spring -gushes out from under a bold rock-cliff at Caesarea Philippi. These two -springs are on the eastern side of the valley, while the third, which -is of itself a small river, issues from the foot of the western hills, -near the city of Dan. All of these fountains are large and beautiful. -All of them send forth copious streams of fresh and sparkling water. -Any one of them could run a half dozen mills, or factories, or irrigate -the whole valley. These crystal waters, after flowing gently, and -sometimes rushing madly, along their separate courses, unite for the -first time in the little Lake of Huleh, or the waters of Merom, as it -is often called. - -Huleh, about two by four miles square, is in the southern end of an -exceedingly rich and fertile plain. In this plain, and around these -waters, Joshua had some of his hardest-fought battles. Leaving this -lake, the waters flow rapidly through a narrow, rocky gorge for eleven -miles, and then empty into the Sea of Galilee, which is, in round -numbers, 700 feet _lower_ than the surface of the Mediterranean. -Remember, one spring came out from Hermon’s side 2,200 feet above the -Mediterranean. In the short distance of thirty-six miles, therefore, -the waters have fallen 2,900 feet! - -[Illustration: A FORD OF THE JORDAN.] - -The Jordan proper is the stream connecting the Sea of Galilee and the -Dead Sea. These seas are only sixty-five miles apart; but the river, -as if reluctant to enter that bitter Sea of Death, winds and twists -so like a serpent that the water, in going from one sea to the other, -flows two hundred miles, and empties at last into the Dead Sea, 1,300 -feet below the Mediterranean! - -The Jordan has three sets of banks, which are marked with more or -less distinctness according as the hills approach near to, or recede -from, the river. Ordinarily, of course, the stream is confined within -the lower banks. But during the annual rise the water over-flows -these lower banks, and spreads out over the valley between the second -terraces, or banks. No important tributaries are received from the -west; but the Hieromax and the Jabbok, each a small river, empty into -the Jordan from the east. The river is crossed by four well-known -fords; one just below the Sea of Galilee, another just above the mouth -of the Jabbok. The third and fourth are respectively above and below -the pilgrim’s bathing-place, which is about two and a half miles north -of the Dead Sea. No bridge spans the river at present, but the remains -of old Roman bridges may still be seen at some of the fords. - -In some places, the channel of the river is shut in by rock banks, -steep and precipitous. At others, the banks are of sand, or rich -earth, and rise only a few feet above the surface of the water. -Sometimes one bank is a bold rock cliff, rising abruptly, while the -other slopes gently up from the river, and stretches out to join the -fertile plain. - -Since the Jordan has its source in a fountain bursting out of a -mountain side 2,200 feet above the Mediterranean, and since it empties -into the Dead Sea 1,300 feet below the Mediterranean, a great many -people falsely conclude that the river must, of necessity, be very -swift. I grant that this seems a strong argument. Think of a river 136 -miles long having a fall of 3,500 feet! The natural supposition is that -such a stream would be exceedingly swift. But not so. The facts will -not bear out the supposition. To be swift, a stream must have not only -a great fall, but it must have, also, a comparatively straight channel. -The Jordan is probably the most crooked river on earth. In a space of -sixty-five miles of latitude, and five or six miles of longitude, it -traverses at least two hundred miles. In some places, to be sure, the -current is swift, as there are thirty or more falls, or rapids, in the -Jordan. Some of these are quite marked, while others are less so. While -near these falls, the stream is swift. In other places the water is -deep, and moves sluggishly. - -In speaking of the velocity of the water, it might be well to mention -that a few years ago Lieut. Lynch, under appointment of the United -States government, navigated the river from one end to the other. He -met with many difficulties and some dangers. Shooting the rapids was -perilous work. One of his boats was dashed against the rocks and went -to pieces. Lieut. Lynch’s official report to the United States Navy -department is the fullest, most accurate, and reliable description of -the Jordan that has ever been published in this country. - -Again. Inasmuch as the Jordan rises in the mountains, and is constantly -fed by the melting snows of Hermon, some philosophical students have -argued that the water must necessarily be very cold at all times. But a -few facts are worth a cartload of theories. And, as a matter of fact, -the water of the Jordan is not cold, except during the winter season; -and even then the temperature is by no means low. I bathed in the -Jordan repeatedly; once as late as the Fifteenth of December, and the -water was even then of a delightful temperature for bathing. - -The river valley is so deeply depressed that scarcely a breath of air -is felt during the hot season. On this point, Dr. Geikie says: “The -heat of the Jordan plains is very great in summer, and oppressive even -in spring; while in autumn it becomes very unhealthy for strangers. In -May, the thermometer ranges from about 86 degrees in the early forenoon -to over 100 degrees in the beginning of the afternoon, standing, even -in the shade, at over 90 degrees.” The annual mean temperature of the -lower Jordan valley is between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. From the -above facts, the reader will readily see that it is quite impossible -for a stream flowing through this valley ever to reach a very low -temperature. - -[Illustration: VIEW IN THE VALLEY OF THE JORDAN.] - -The stream is from seventy-five to three hundred feet wide, and -probably has an average depth of six and a half feet, or more, even -during the dry season. At some places, however, the depth is much -greater than this. Here and there, islands, robed in garments of living -green, and decked with flowers of every hue, float, fairy-like, upon -the bosom of the river. - -The terraces along the river are frequently one mass of vegetation. -The weeping-willow grows on the banks, and dips her flowing tresses in -the sacred stream. As one follows the windings of the historic river, -his way is continually cheered by the gushing sound of some crystal -rivulet, by the beauty and fragrance of the flowers, by the sight and -song of birds. The tangled vine, the matted cane, the thick-growing -forest trees of considerable size, and a great variety of undergrowth, -form a general rendezvous for wild animals, and a perfect paradise for -birds. Hyenas, tigers, wild boars, and bears abound here, especially -on the eastern side of the river. Here hawks, herons, pigeons, ducks, -doves, and swallows build their nest and raise their young. Here also -the bulbul and the nightingale sing their songs of praise. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -THE DEAD SEA. - - A Wonderful Body of Water—Receives 20,000,000 Cubic Feet of Water - per Day—Has no Outlet—Never Fills Up—In the Sea—Johnson’s - Suggestion as to my Identity—Why One Cannot Sink—“Salt Sea”—Caught - in a Storm—Danger of Death—Dreary Waste—Sea of Fire—Johnson’s - Argument—New-Born Babe—Child Dies—Lot’s Wife—Her Past History and - Present Condition—The Frenchman’s Book—Why the Sea is so Salt—Why - it Never Fills Up—Sown with Diamonds—Origin of the Dead Sea—God’s - Wrath—The Sodom Apple—The Sea an Emblem of Death. - - -THE Dead Sea is, in many respects, the most wonderful body of water -known to history. It is the lowest body of water on earth. Its surface -is 1,300 feet lower than the surface of the Mediterranean, though the -two seas are only sixty-five miles apart. It receives 6,000,000 tons, -or 20,000,000 cubic feet, of water each day; and, while it has no -possible outlet, it never fills up. It is no fuller now than it was a -thousand years ago. This Sea of Death is wonderful for another reason. -While it is forty-six miles long, thirteen miles wide, and while the -water is 1,310 feet deep, I can walk across it and never get wet above -my waist! I walk out into the sea for a mile or more—I walk not on the -water, but in it. I fold my hands across my breast, stretch them out -over the water, or lock them over my head, as I choose. I try to sink -and can not. I never felt so much like a gourd in all my life. I sit -down upon the water like a feather-bed. When tired I lie down. Some -men lie when they stand up; but when I lie I am prostrated. I lie on -the water, roll over, kick my feet in the air,—but all my attempts -at sinking meet with an inglorious failure. Johnson says a man who -will not sink in clear water must be of little weight in the world. -Determined to make one more effort, I climb to a projecting rock from -which I plunge head foremost into the sea. A moment later I am tossed -into the air like a cork. Again I strike the water, and again rebound. -I am, seemingly, about as heavy on the stomach of the Dead Sea as Jonah -was on the stomach of a live whale. He was spewed up—so am I. - -Coming up out of the water I find myself completely covered with a thin -crust of salt. I hardly know who I am. Johnson suggests that I may be -Lot’s wife. One thing is sure; I have a better complexion—at any rate -I am whiter now than ever before. Johnson asks why it is that one can -not sink in the Dead Sea. The specific gravity of the water is very -great. This, of course, makes the water very buoyant, and renders it -impossible for one to sink. The extra weight of the water is caused by -the great amount of salt in the sea. It is a much easier matter to swim -in the ocean than in a running stream, because the former is salt and, -therefore, buoyant. This is true, notwithstanding the fact that only -four per cent of ocean water is salt. Four per cent is enough to make -the ocean very salt and buoyant. But of the Dead Sea water twenty-six -to twenty-eight per cent is salt. It has, therefore, six or six and a -half times as much salt as the same amount of ocean water has. Then how -great its specific gravity! How buoyant its waters! How impossible to -sink! - -[Illustration: THE DEAD SEA.] - -This is sometimes called the “Salt Sea,” and, while the name is quite -brackish, it is not at all inappropriate; for, as has been said, -“the water is a nauseous compound of bitters and Salts.” When I -stiffen myself and stretch out on the waters, about half of my person -remains above the surface. The water produces something of a stinging -sensation; not severe enough, however, to be especially objectionable, -unless you should chance to get some of it in your eyes. The buoyancy -of the water makes its navigation both difficult and dangerous. Lieut. -Lynch, in the following lines, gives us a vivid description of his -experiences on this Sea of Death. - -“A fresh northwest wind was blowing as we rounded the point. We -endeavored to steer a little to the north of west, to make a true west -course, and threw the patent log overboard to measure the distance; but -the wind rose so rapidly that the boats could not keep head to wind, -and we were obliged to haul the log in. The sea continued to rise with -the increasing wind, which gradually freshened to a gale, and presented -an agitated surface of foaming brine; the spray, evaporating as it -fell, left incrustations of salt upon our clothes, our hands and faces; -and while it conveyed a prickly sensation wherever it touched the skin, -was, above all, exceedingly painful to the eyes. The boats, heavily -laden, struggled sluggishly at first; but when the wind freshened in -its fierceness, from the density of the water, it seemed as if their -bows were encountering the sledgehammers of the Titans, instead of the -opposing waves of an angry sea. The wind blew so fiercely that the -boats could make no headway, and I began to fear that both boats would -founder. Finding that we were losing every moment, and that, with the -lapse of each succeeding one, the danger increased, kept away for the -northern shore, in the hope of being yet able to reach it; our arms, -our clothes and skins coated with a greasy salt; and our eyes, lips, -and nostrils, smarting excessively. How different was the scene before -the submerging of the plain, which was ‘even as the garden of the Lord!’ - -“But, although the sea had assumed a threatening aspect, and the -fretted mountains, sharp and incinerated, loomed terrific on either -side, and salt and ashes mingled with its sands, and foetid sulphurous -springs trickled down its ravines, we did not despair: awe-struck, but -not terrified; fearing the worst, yet hoping for the best, we prepared -to spend a dreary night upon the dreariest waste we had ever seen.” - -The foreign substance in the water gives it a peculiar appearance at -night. Under the influence of a full moon, the sea has a strikingly -bright and beautiful phosphorescent glow. The breakers dashing against -the rocks, and beating against the shore, look like waves of consuming -fire. The whole scene resembles a restless, turbulent sea of flame -vainly trying to devour the very rocks that mark its limits! Going -around the sea next morning, the rock-bound coast, and the bleak -desolate hills around, look as though they might have been scorched -with fire the night before. - -[Illustration: LOT’S WIFE.] - -In seeking for a satisfactory explanation of why this water is so salt, -Johnson argues thus; “Sodom and Gomorrah once stood at the north end -of this sea. From here Lot fled with his family when the cities were -destroyed. On one of the surrounding hills Lot’s wife was standing, -when she disobediently looked back and was immediately turned into -a pillar of salt.” Johnson becomes more and more animated as he -contemplates the subject and expresses his views. His face is radiant -with gladness, and his soul is all aglow with emotion, as he closes -with this sentence: “Now, Whittle, since Mrs. Lot was turned to a -pillar of salt upon one of these hills, we may safely account for the -present salty condition of the water simply by supposing that she has -melted and run back into the sea.” This thought was born in Johnson’s -brain, and he nurses it with all the love and passionate fondness that -characterize the young mother as she tenderly caresses her new-born -babe. - -It is therefore with sincere regret that I raise the golden hammer of -truth to break the young child’s head, but the false theory must die. -I say, “Johnson, come with me.” Going around on the east side, not far -from the north end, of the Dead Sea, we come to a broad shelf of rock, -probably 1,000 feet above the water. Arriving at the edge of this -stone table, and pointing to a colossal statue of salt-rock standing -on its centre, I say, “Johnson, your theory is not true. Mrs. Lot has -not melted; for, behold, she still stands!” This famous pillar is a -slender, isolated needle of salt-rock, thirty or thirty-five feet high. -This, we are told, is _actually Lot’s wife_. And I readily see how -a man with a diseased imagination could fancy this a woman; for, as -Professor Palmer remarks, “It does really bear a curious resemblance to -an Arab woman with a child upon her shoulders.” The rock lifts itself -up solitary and alone, something like a giantess, wearing tattered -garments and disheveled hair, while her furrowed face is slightly -turned over her left shoulder, as though she were still looking back on -the desolate plain where the ill-fated cities once stood. - -The Arabs point to this pillar as Lot’s wife. M. de Saulcy has written -very ingeniously to prove that it really and truly is Lot’s wife. And, -to do the Frenchman justice, I should add that he really did prove -it—to his own satisfaction. I dare say, however, that he utterly -failed to convince any of his readers. There have been men in all the -ages who found in this pillar, or some other one like it, the veritable -Mrs. Lot. Josephus relates the Scriptural incident of Lot’s wife being -turned into salt, and then says of the pillar of salt: “I have seen it, -and it remains to this day.” Clement of Rome, Irenaeus, and Leland all -speak of Lot’s wife still standing as a pillar of salt. One says she -still “retains her members entire,” and another says that as fast as -any part of this pillar is washed away, it is supernaturally restored. -That Lot’s wife disobeyed God, and was forthwith turned into a pillar -of salt, I do not doubt. That this pillar of salt will ever be located -and identified, I have no hope. - -Let us again recur to the question, “Why is this sea so salt?” Around -the east side and southern end of the sea, the whole country seems to -be composed largely of salt. “The salt hills run round for several -miles nearly east and west, at a height of from three hundred to four -hundred feet, level atop, and not very broad; the mass being a body -of rock-salt, capped with a bed of gypsum and chalk. Dislocated, -shattered, furrowed into deep clefts by the rains, or standing out in -narrow, ragged buttresses, they add to the weird associations of all -around. Here and there, harder portions of the salt, withstanding the -weather while all around them melts and wears off, rise up as isolated -pillars. In front of the ridge, the ground is strewn with lumps and -masses of salt, through which streamlets of brine run across the long -muddy flat towards the beach, which itself sparkles in the sun with a -crust of salt, shining as if the earth had been sown with diamonds.” - -A sea whose bed and beach are salt would naturally be brackish, even -if it had an outlet. During the rainy season this sea has probably -a thousand tributaries, all of which bring in more or less salt. It -is always receiving salt. Bear in mind the fact that this Sea of -Death has no outlet. All of the water is taken up by evaporation. -In midsummer the heat around it is fearful to contemplate. The rays -from the noon-day’s sun are almost like streams of fire. The heat is -simply intense. The water vaporizes, is taken up into the air, and is -there condensed and poured out in showers of rain on the parched hills -around, to revive the vigor of vegetation. As Thompson would say, “The -clouds pour their garnered fullness down.” Of course the sun takes up -only the oxygen and hydrogen, leaving all salt and other impurities -behind. Hence the sea never fills up; hence also the water that is left -behind is becoming more and more salt as the years pass by. - -Just a word about the origin of the Dead Sea. It is currently believed, -and I think with good reason, that at one time there was an unbroken -body of water, not very deep, extending from the southern end of the -Dead Sea, up through what is now known as the Ghor or valley of the -Jordan, to the base of Mount Hermon, a distance of some two hundred -miles. The volcanic fires, which were then raging, and the effects -of which are still to be seen, consumed the material underlying the -southern end of what was then the vast sea. All at once, during the -fierce rumblings of an earthquake, and the sudden outburst of a -volcano, there was a tremendous cleaving and lowering of the crust of -the earth. Thus was formed, it is supposed, the great rock-hewn basin, -or deep depression, which we now call the Dead Sea, and whose bottom is -4,000 feet lower than the surface of the Mediterranean. - -This great natural cavity, forty-six miles long, and thirteen miles -wide, was so very deep, and had such an enormous capacity, that it -drank up or drained off most of the water that formerly extended to -the foot of Hermon. So instead of one vast sea, two hundred miles in -length, as it then was, we now have Lake Huleh, the Sea of Galilee -and the Dead Sea, lying in a straight line, directly north and -south, the three joined to each other by the river Jordan. There are -many evidences to show that the Jordan valley was once covered with -water—that it was once the bed of a great sea. - -Yes, the Dead Sea was evidently caused by some fearful convulsion of -nature. It is, indeed, a bitter Sea of Death. It is a perpetual emblem -of God’s avenging wrath! No living thing inhabits these waters. Not a -tree, not a shrub, not even a blade of grass, grows on, or near, the -beach. Here and there crystal rivulets attempt to bring life down to -the water’s edge, but a few hundred yards from the sea Death meets -Vegetation and says: “Hitherto shalt thou come, and no farther.” The -thing that grows nearest to the water’s edge is what is known as the -Sodom apple, or Dead Sea apple. The bush is about as high as my head, -the apples grow in clusters. When ripe, they are red, and about the -size of an apricot or a peach. The apple has nothing in it but seed and -air. It pops when crushed. Hence the old saying that it turns to ashes -on the lips. - -Again I say this sea is a fit emblem of Death. Its water is bitter, and -destitute of life. It is locked in by fire-scorched and storm-beaten -rocks. Above it are a fierce sun and a brazen sky. Silence reigns -supreme. As the traveler walks around the sea, his shadow is the only -moving thing he sees. If he chances to be attracted by the song of a -bird, or by a crow flying over the water, it is only that the contrast -may make death and silence all the more impressive. Here is a sea whose -hollow fruit is ashes, whose miasmatic breath is poison, whose moonlit -waves are fire, and whose significant name is Death! - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -TWO RUSSIAN PILGRIMS, OR A PICTURE OF LIFE. - - A Steep Mountain—Rough Base—Beautiful Summit—Russian - Pilgrims—Journey up Mountain—Life’s Hill—Courage in Heart—Marriage - Altar—Long Pilgrimage—Star of Hope. - - -NEAR the north end of the Dead Sea, there rises up, towards the west, -a mountain steep and high. The base of this mountain is hideously -rough. Chasms and pitfalls are numerous. Loose rocks and boulders are -scattered promiscuously around, while thorns, thistles, and cactus -plants everywhere abound. Higher up the mountain there are not so many -pitfalls; the rocks and boulders are fewer and smaller, and the thorns -and thistles are by no means so numerous. Here is a sprig of growing -grass, and yonder is a cluster of opening flowers. Straggling olive -trees are occasionally seen. In climbing the mountain, one finds that -the roughness gradually ceases, while the grass, flowers and trees -gradually increase respectively in freshness, fragrance and foliage. -Continuing the ascent, the atmosphere becomes purer, the prospect grows -broader, and the vision is increasingly beautiful. - -Standing in the valley, I see two Russian pilgrims, husband and wife, -climbing this mountain. They are all bowed down beneath the weight of -three score years and ten; their heads are white with the accumulated -frosts of seventy winters. Their steps are slow and feeble, but on and -up they go. Now they are side by side; and now the husband goes in -front to remove, as best he can, the rocks and boulders, the thorns and -thistles, from his wife’s pathway. See, they both stop! What is the -matter? They have come to a boulder that they can not well surmount. -What is to be done? The wife puts her hand under the husband’s elbow, -and pushes him up on the rock. Then he reaches back, and, catching hold -of her hand, pulls her up. Again he removes the rocks and thorns from -the wife’s pathway. Again she helps him over some rough place, and he -draws her up after him. Now he goes out to the right and left of the -path, and plucks flowers for his companion. Yonder they stand, high on -the mountain side, leaning on a rock, and resting underneath an olive -tree. They enjoy the pure air and the wide expanse of vision. They talk -about the hardships they have undergone, and the difficulties they have -encountered. They look back whence they have come, and then turn their -faces and their footsteps on towards Jerusalem, whither they are going. - -That is a picture of life. That’s the hill of life. Pilgrims of life -are we all. The base of life’s hill is rough. Rocks and boulders are -strewn broadcast. Thorns and thistles grow promiscuously around. -Numberless traps and pitfalls beset the way. Many a young man knows -all about these rough places in life. His feet have been pricked and -pierced by the thorns and thistles. Traps have been set for him. Chasms -have yawned before him, and pitfalls have gaped at his feet. The moral -atmosphere surrounding him is bad. But no weakling he. There is iron in -his blood, phosphorus in his brain, fire in his bones, and courage in -his heart. He is a man! He says: - - “The mind I sway by, and the heart I bear, - Shall never sag with doubt or shake with fear.” - -He asks the girl of his choice to wear his name, and share his joys -and sorrows. They have nothing but a firm faith in God, and a loyal -love for each other. He leads her to Hymen’s altar, and there the twain -are made one. Now they start up the hill of life, on the long, long -pilgrimage. They walk side by side— - - “Two souls with but a single thought, - Two hearts that beat as one.” - -The way becomes rough. The husband goes in front to ward off the -danger, to remove rocks and boulders, thorns and briers. He does all -he can to smooth his wife’s pathway. Now and then he comes to some -formidable obstacle that he can not surmount. Here the wife, with her -kindly counsels, with her sympathy, co-operation and prayers, pushes -her husband up on the rock. The poet says: - - - “Unless above himself he can - Erect himself, how poor a thing is man!” - -The woman helps the man to “erect himself above himself.” Then the man, -if he be a man, draws the woman up to his level. - -As they climb life’s hill together, the roughness decreases, the way -becomes smoother. Instead of the thorn, comes up the fir-tree; instead -of the brier, comes up the myrtle-tree. The moral atmosphere grows -purer, and the prospect more pleasing. He constantly plucks flowers -from the garden of the heart, and weaves them into bouquets for his -companion. And, as Byron beautifully says, - - “These flowers of love make glad the garden of life.” - -Standing high on life’s hillside, they lean on the Rock of Ages, and -rest under the olive-branch of peace. Together they speak of their -rough places in life, about their sufferings and sorrows, their -troubles and triumphs. They look back at the valley whence they have -come, and then turn their faces on towards the New Jerusalem, city of -the soul, to which they are journeying. Their steps are growing slow -and feeble. They lean on each other, and both lean on Christ. They are -approaching the end of their pilgrimage. The shadows of evening are -falling long and deep around them. Their white locks are streaming in -the winds of winter. Their latest sun is sinking fast; but, sinking, -he lights up the Star of Hope, and flings it out like a glorious -chandelier to light the pilgrims home to glory and to God. Ask _me_, -“Is life worth living?” I say, there’s the answer. That’s the poetry of -life. That’s - - “The unruffled mirror of the loveliest dream - That ever left the sky on the deep soul to beam.” - -Do you say this is an ideal picture? Well, yes; the latter part of it -is; but ‘tis a fancy resting on fact. Besides, - - “The beings of the mind are not of clay; - Essentially immortal, they create - And multiply in us a brighter ray - And more beloved existence.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -FROM JERUSALEM, VIA BETHLEHEM AND THE POOLS OF SOLOMON, TO HEBRON. - - Rachel’s Tomb—Bethlehem—Ruth and Boaz—David the Shepherd Lad—Cave - of the Nativity—Pools of Solomon—Royal Gardens—The Home of - Abraham—Abraham’s Oak—Abraham’s Mummy. - - -FIVE miles south of Jerusalem, there are two deep ravines, about a -quarter of a mile apart, running east and west, and parallel to each -other. The flat-topped ridge between them, which is several hundred -feet in altitude, is terraced by nature on both sides. The terraces -are usually about ten feet high, and fourteen feet deep. Not content -to remain in the valley, the ambitious olive climbs from terrace to -terrace until its green foliage crowns the historic brow of the narrow -ridge. Yes, historic is the right word. On this ridge, Boaz lived; -and in yonder broad valley at its northern base, Ruth, the Moabitess, -“gleaned in the wheat fields.” Here Jesse lived and David played. At -the command of God, the prophet Samuel came hither and annointed the -youthful shepherd lad as future king of Israel. From here he went forth -to fight Fate and Fortune, Sin, Saul and Satan. - -[Illustration: RUTH.] - -But there is yet another reason why this place is historic, “for thus -it is written by the prophet: And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of -Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah; for out of thee -shall come a governor that shall rule my people, Israel.” Caesar’s -decree brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. While they were there, -God laid Jesus in Mary’s arms, and on the world’s heart. That was a -memorable night. The stars dropped a bright light, and the angels a -sweet song, from the skies. The valleys were flooded with light, and -the hills were vocal with praise. Shepherds left their flocks and went -in search of the new-born babe. The wise men of the East mounted their -white camels, and were guided across the trackless sea of sand by the -Star of Bethlehem. O, Bethlehem! thou art indeed the “house of bread;” -and to thee the people of earth look for spiritual food. As the nations -learn wisdom, they follow the example of the wise men of the East, and -seek thy child. - -At present, Bethlehem has about 5,000 inhabitants, most of whom are -Catholics. The chief industry of the place is the carving of pearl, -wood, and bitumen. These cunningly wrought relics are sold to tourists -from every clime and country. All work is done by hand, and with the -simplest tools; and yet it is curious to see how nearly these craftsmen -have approximated perfection in their art. Carving is nothing less than -an art with them. The town, antique, dilapidated and filthy, though -superior to most places in Palestine, is built along on top of the -ridge from east to west. The most prominent object in the city is the -_Church of the Nativity_ which occupies the eastern terminus of the -ridge. - -[Illustration: CAVE OF THE NATIVITY.] - -This immense structure, which was erected by Helena, the mother of -Constantine the Great, is built over a natural grotto in the rock in -which it is generally believed Jesus was born. The building is entered -through the west end. The door is small and very low; but no knee, I -trow, is too stiff to bend when entering a place so dear to memory, -and so closely related to human redemption. Once through the door, we -straighten ourselves and walk slowly across the building. Near the east -end, we come to a flight of steps which leads us down to a rock grotto, -called the _Cave of the Nativity_. This is forty by sixteen feet, and -ten feet high. The cave, no longer in its natural or rude state, is -now paved and lined throughout with marble, many-colored and costly. -Darkness is driven out, and the underground room is illuminated, by a -score and a half of gold and silver lamps that are kept perpetually -burning. There are niches, or recesses, in two of the walls of the -grotto. In one, there is a silver plate bearing this inscription in -Latin: “_Here was born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ the Savior of -the World_.” - -In the other niche, there is a golden star, which is said to mark the -place above which the Star of the East rested when the wise men sought -for the infant Christ. The feelings that a Christian experiences, -when standing or kneeling in this sacred place, can not be translated -into words. The great deep of his soul is stirred to its profoundest -depths; his eyes become safety valves, through which the overflow of -emotion escapes. - -[Illustration: BETHLEHEM.] - -That Jesus was born in this cave, there is very little room to doubt. -On this point, Dr. Geike expresses himself thus: - -“As far back as the middle of the second century—that is to say, -within less than 120 years of our Lord’s death, and within thirty or -forty years after that of the last of the apostles, the beloved St. -John—Justin Martyr, himself a man of Nablus, speaks of the Savior’s -birth as having taken place ‘in a certain cave very close to the -village;’ and this particular cave, now honored as the scene of the -Savior’s birth, was already so venerated in the days of Hadrian that, -to desecrate it, he caused a grove sacred to Adonis to be planted over -it, so that the Syrian god might be worshipped on the very spot—a form -of idolatry peculiarly abhorrent to the pure morals of Christianity. -Origen, in the opening of the third century, speaks of this cave as -recognised even by the heathen as the birthplace of their Lord. And to -this spot came St. Jerome, making his home for thirty years in a cave -close by, that he might be near the birthplace of his Master; Hadrian’s -grove had been destroyed sixteen years before his birth, to make room -for the very church now standing. There is no reason therefore so far -as I can see, to doubt that in this cave, so hallowed by immemorial -veneration, the Great Event associated with it actually took place. - -“Nor is there any ground for hesitation because it is a cave that is -regarded as the sacred spot. Nothing is more common in a Palestine -village, built on a hill, than to use as adjuncts of the houses, the -caves with which all the lime-stone rocks of the country abound; -making them the store-room, perhaps, or the work-shop, or the stable, -and building the dwellings before them so as to join the two. Canon -Tristram speaks of a farm-house he visited, north of Acre, which was a -granary and stable below and a dwelling-place above; and many stables -in the neighborhood of Bethlehem are still recesses cut in the rock, -or mere natural caves. In Egypt, I have often seen houses where goats, -sheep, cattle, or an ass, were in one part, and the human beings in the -other. Had the piety of the monks left the alleged site of the Nativity -in its original state, there would have been no presumption against it -from its being a cave.” - -We go only two miles, after leaving Bethlehem for Hebron, before coming -to the justly celebrated _Pools of Solomon_. These are three immense -reservoirs, situated in a narrow ravine called _Wady Urtas_. This wady -passes Bethlehem, and finally empties its waters into the Sea of Death. -The first and smallest of the three pools is situated at the head of -the valley. It is 380 feet long, 235 feet wide, and 25 feet deep. - -The second reservoir is about one hundred and fifty feet down the -valley from the first, and the third the same distance below the -second. Perpendicularly, the second is twenty feet lower than the -first, and the third twenty feet lower than the second. All three of -these pools are walled and paved with rock, and cemented. There are -broad stone steps leading down into each pool. The three pools combined -would equal a lake six and one half acres broad, and thirty-eight feet -deep. - -[Illustration: POOLS OF SOLOMON.] - -These pools are supplied with water from a perennial fountain that -bursts forth from the side of a hill about two hundred yards northwest -of the upper pool. From this copious fountain, the water is carried -to the pools by means of an aqueduct, the same aqueduct, by the way, -that carries water to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The most successful and -scientific engineers of the nineteenth century could suggest but little -improvement in these _Pools_ and _Aqueducts of Solomon_, which were -constructed between three and four thousand years ago. - -The road from Jerusalem to Hebron leads directly by these pools. Having -satisfied our thirst, and that of our beasts, let us press on toward -Hebron, which is eighteen miles south of us. - -The soil and climate of southern Palestine seem peculiarly adapted -to the cultivation of grapes. Of course, the vine is everywhere to -be found in this country, but between Bethlehem and Beersheba it is -cultivated with more care, and yields more abundantly, than anywhere -else. - -[Illustration: MOSQUE AT HEBRON.] - -Hebron, more than any other city in the Holy Land, is associated with -the name of Abraham. This was the home of the Father of the Faithful. -The Arabs call Hebron _El Khalil_—_the friend_—because Abraham lived -here, and was _the friend of God_. This was one of the chief cities of -Palestine during the Old Testament period; and, though we hear nothing -of it in the New Testament times, it has again come into prominence. If -called on to name five of the largest and most prosperous cities in the -Holy Land, one could not fail to mention Hebron. It has a population -of ten or twelve thousand souls, about half of whom are Hebrews. Some -signs of life are here. Traffic is not dead in Hebron, as in most -portions of the country. The villages south, east, and west of here -do their trading in Hebron. Camels and asses are constantly coming -in, laden with wine, raisins, dates, figs, wool, camels’ hair, and -goat skins. Out of these skins, leather bottles and buckets are made. -There is also a glass factory here which is devoted chiefly to the -manufacture of colored beads, necklaces, bracelets and other articles -of female attire. - -Hebron, which is half a mile long, and a quarter of a mile wide, is -built on the base of a mountain which rises 2,000 feet above the upper -edge of the city. More interest attaches to the mosque than to any -other object in the place. But Jews and Christians are alike excluded -from this sacred edifice. Because of the regal diadem suspended above -his brow, the Prince of Wales, was as a mark of special honor, allowed -to enter this Mohammedan Holy of Holies. Dean Stanley who was with the -Prince of Wales, was also permitted to tread the sacred court; and from -his pen has come the most complete and accurate description we have of -this mosque, which, some writers suppose, was built by Solomon. - -A mile and a half from the city is _Abraham’s Oak_. We are told that -this is the tree under which Abraham entertained the angels. This story -takes our credulity; but, while we can not believe that this tree was -here in Abraham’s day, we must acknowledge its age. It is venerable in -appearance. It is, indeed, a patriarch of the forest. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -FROM DAN TO BEERSHEBA. - - Palestine—Its Situation—Its Dimensions—Its Names—Its - Topography—Its Climate—Its Seasons—Its Agriculture—Its People—The - Pleasure of Traveling through Palestine. - - -LYING between the Dead Sea and the river Jordan on the east, and the -Mediterranean on the west, and extending from Mount Hermon on the north -to the desert of Arabia on the south, is a country whose influence has -been more far-reaching than that of any other country on the globe. -The influence that this country has exerted upon the world is truly -remarkable when we consider the limited extent of its territory, and -the previous servile condition of the people who made it famous. -From the southern end of the Dead Sea to Gaza, on the Mediterranean, -the distance is only sixty-five miles, while it is not more than -twenty-three miles from the Sea of Galilee to Mt. Carmel. The average -breadth of the country does not exceed forty miles. Dan and Beersheba -stand respectively for the northern and southern limits of Palestine; -and these two cities are not more than one hundred and sixty-five miles -apart. - -“The whole area of the land of Palestine,” says Dr. Robinson, “does not -vary greatly from 12,000 geographical square miles,—about equal to the -area of the two states of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Of this whole -area, more than one-half, or 7,000 square miles, being by far the most -important portion, lies on the west of the Jordan.” - -This small land, inhabited by a feeble folk, who for four hundred years -had their necks galled by the yoke of Egyptian bondage, has given to -the world a Church, a Creed, and a Christ! The Church has carried the -Creed into every land under every sky. The Christ of Palestine has -become the Christ of the world; and wherever He is enthroned idols fall -and nations bow. - -Small is the country, but important is the geographical position. It -has been called “the very out-post on the extreme western edge of the -East, pushed forward, as it were, by the huge continent of Asia.” Cut -off from Asia by the desert, and from Europe by the sea, Palestine -stands alone. And yet it was the door through which Asiatic and -European nations had to pass in order to visit, trade with, or fight -each other. There was a constant stream of commerce flowing through the -country. Hostile armies frequently met upon her hillsides, and watered -her fertile valleys with each other’s blood. It was therefore of the -very greatest importance as a strategical point. Thus, by their unique -geographical position, the inhabitants of Palestine could, by staying -at home, wield a most powerful influence upon the people of Europe, -Asia and Africa. - -Again, close study reveals the fact that Palestine is as unique -_within itself_ as it is in relation to other countries. Within this -small area, the antipodes are brought together—the extremes of earth -meet. Palestine is a little world within itself. In the valley of the -Jordan there is perpetual summer; and, consequently, tropical fruits, -a profusion of flowers, and a great variety of birds and wild beasts -are found. Only a few miles away, Mount Hermon rises into the region -of perpetual snow. There the bear, and other animals natural to a cold -climate, take up their abode. Palestine has its highlands and lowlands; -its hill country and valleys; its fertile plains and barren deserts; -its oceans, rivers and lakes; its fresh water and salt; its flowing -rivers and Dead Sea. Within these narrow limits, therefore, is found -every variety of climate, soil and production, of habit and occupation, -of bird and beast. - -We can see the wisdom, therefore, that God displayed in selecting this -as the home of His chosen people. Here they were to live and learn; -here they were to mould national character, and influence adjacent -peoples; here they were to commune with God, and write that Book -which was to be read on land and water, by fishermen and farmers, -by travelers on the desert and sailors on the sea. Whether chilled -by polar snows, or scorched by tropical suns, we can all read that -blessed Book with interest, pleasure and profit, and feel at home with -the writer. - -This wonderful country is known by three names. The first is Palestine -from Palestina, the land of the Philistines, literally, “the land of -the strangers, or of wanderers.” Originally, this name was applied -only to that part of the country known as the marine plain, say from -Jaffa to Gaza, as that was pre-eminently the land of the Philistines. -Gradually, however, the word Palestine was accepted as the name of the -whole country. - -Canaan, or the Land of Canaan, is a second name given to this -particular country. Canaan signifies “the low land,” or “the low -country,” as opposed to the “land of Gilead,” that is, the high -table-land the east of Jordan. It may at first seem strange that -a country so hilly and rough as this should be called “the low -land”; but it should be borne in mind that the hills are a kind of -a mountain-chain running through the country from north to south. -Approaching the country _from the west_, one is greatly impressed -with the low, broad, level marine plain which begins at Mt. Carmel -and extends far south of Gaza, getting broader and broader towards -the south. On entering Palestine _from the east_, one is even more -impressed with the low valley, or deep ghor, of the Jordan. - -But no name seems so appropriate for this country as “the _Holy Land_.” -No explanation is necessary; every one understands the reason for, and -recognizes the appropriateness of, this appellation. - -Enough has been said, even in this chapter, to give one some idea of -the topography of the Holy Land. Imagine a broad, level country one -hundred and sixty-five miles long, sixty miles wide at one end, and -twenty at the other. On one side this country is bounded by a sea, and -on the other by a river. Now imagine that you build a house through -the centre of this long, narrow country from one end to the other. Let -the roof come down to the ground on either side of the house, leaving -a broad plateau on either side, that is, a wide valley between where -the roof comes to the ground and the borders of the country. From the -top of the house, or mountain ridge, to the Mediterranean is 3,000 -feet, while from its top to the Jordan or Dead Sea is 4,000 feet. This -gives an approximately correct idea of Palestine. But no one must for -a moment suppose the mountain ridge to be regular like the comb of -a house, or its sides smooth like a roof. From the central ridge, a -succession of peaks rise up to various heights. Beginning at the south, -the peaks are Hebron, 3,029 feet above the Mediterranean; Jerusalem, -2,610, and Mount of Olives, 2,724, Bethel, 2,400; Ebal and Gerizim, -2,700; “little Hermon” and Tabor (on the north side of the plain of -Esdraelon) 2,000; Safed, 2,775, and Jebel Jurmuk, 4,000. To find the -elevation of any of these peaks above the Dead Sea, just add 1,300 -feet to the height already given. These several peaks mentioned are -just about the centre of the country from east to west. Sometimes the -central ridge is level on top, and we find a broad, elevated table-land. - -During the rainy season, which usually begins with November and ends -with March, a great deal of water falls upon this mountain ridge. It -can not stay there, so, rolling itself up into torrents, it courses -down the steep sides with great swiftness. This has continued for -thousands of years, until now the ridge on both sides is seamed, -threaded, cut, worn and ditched by these torrents into almost every -conceivable shape. The wadys and ravines are not far apart, and are -frequently quite deep. So all through Palestine there are a succession -of ravines, running from east to west, with rocky ridges steep and high -between them. - -One would naturally suppose that a country like this would be barren -and worthless; but not so with Palestine. These mountain ridges are -of a lime-stone formation. In the summer, the climate is exceedingly -oppressive; the rays of the sun are almost like streams of fire. The -thermometer rises in the day to 126 or 128 degrees. The nights, even -in midsummer, are cool and pleasant. At noon day the mercury registers -128 degrees, and at night it falls to forty and forty-five degrees. -In the day, when the lime-stone rocks become heated, they expand; and -at night, when cooled, they contract. They continue to expand and -contract until after awhile they fall to pieces—disintegration takes -place. This begets a great quantity of finely pulverized lime-stone -dust, which is extremely rich and fertilizing. Nature, with her ever -watchful care, has so arranged these hills as to enable them to catch, -retain, and appropriate most of this fertilizing dust. The hills are -naturally terraced. From base to summit we see one terrace rising above -another. They look like huge steps placed there to enable giants to -ascend. If the people would only build up the defective places in these -terraces, they would catch practically all of the dust caused by the -decaying rocks, and the country would become richer and richer as the -years pass by. - -Palestine is still the “land of the vine and fig-tree.” Every hillside -is garnished over with olive trees, as also with figs, dates, palms, -and pomegranates. The decaying rocks feed the hungry trees they -bear. This suggests a very important question: What do the people of -Palestine live on? Now, as in Joshua’s time, “the tree of the field is -man’s life” (Deut. 20:19). The people live largely on fruits. Olives, -especially, are the salvation of that country. The people here eat -the olive as we eat peaches. They also pickle them; but the olive is -chiefly valuable for the excellent oil it yields. Olive oil is the only -seasoning these people have. Figs and dates are likewise plentiful at -all seasons of the year, in one form or another. The grapes of the -Holy Land are especially fine. They are abundant in quantity, large in -size, and deliciously flavored. There is a grape here that makes very -fine raisins, and another that yields a superior quality of wine. Wine -here is usually mild. It is also plentiful, and is used freely. - -There are many valleys in this country that are as rich and fertile as -the alluvial deposits of the Nile. Such, for instance, is the plain -of Esdraelon and the valley around Lake Huleh. These garden spots are -annually sown in wheat. To be sure, the yield is not large. We can not -expect it to be large when we remember that these sons of idleness use -the same rude implements of agriculture that their fathers used three -thousand years ago. A camel, or a yoke of oxen, a forked stick, and a -half-naked Arab, make a first class plow team for Palestine. - -The fact that these people are primitive in their mode and manner of -life, makes it all the more delightful to the equestrian pilgrims to be -here. The student of history, especially of sacred history, finds the -same pleasure in traveling through the Holy Land that a miner does in -traversing a rich gold field. The shining dust glittering in the light -of the sun stirs every faculty of his being; and now and then, when -he finds a nugget of the precious metal, his soul is all aglow with -emotion. - -Palestine is more than a gold mine, it is a diamond field, to the -student of Biblical history. New truths are constantly discovered, -and old ones are seen in a new light. Each additional ray gives more -beauty, and adds new lustre, to the already resplendent gem. - -To those who like novelty, and love Nature, nothing can be more -interesting than “tent life in the East.” Here one is introduced into a -world of novelties. True, the country is old; but its very age becomes -a novelty. The mountains, though shorn of their pristine beauty, though -“rock-ribbed, and ancient as the sun,” have an interest all their own. -If the valleys were lakes, and the hills clothed with verdure, Syria -would be only a repetition of the highlands of Scotland. If the purple -hills of Judea towered to the skies, if they were covered with snow, -and studded with waving forest trees, the Palestine world would be -another Switzerland. If these people were Christianized, civilized, and -cultivated, they would differ but little from Europeans and Americans. - -But such is not the case. The lakes were never here, and the primeval -forests disappeared a thousand years ago. Here the snow scarcely ever -falls, and the mountains are only hills, Hermon and Tabor being the -only exceptions. As for the people, they are mostly Mohammedans and -Jews. Many of them never heard of Christ, nor do they want to hear of -Him. Nineteen-twentieths of them are so illiterate that, if they were -to see a daily newspaper printed in their own language, they could not -read it. Not one in fifty could write his name on paper if it would -save his neck from the halter. - -Nor is this all. The following sentence is as applicable as if it had -been written with special reference to this special country: “A land -without ruins is a land without memories; a land without memories is -a land without history. But twine a few sad cypress leaves around the -brow of any land, and, be that land bleak, barren, and beautiless, it -becomes lovely in its consecrated coronet of sorrow.” Palestine is -a land of ruins. It is strewn with ruins from one end to the other. -How could it be otherwise? Has it not been the battle-ground of the -nations. Did not Belshazzer come hither from Babylon and Cyrus from -Persia? Did not Alexander come from Greece and Hannibal from Carthage? -How often did the Ptolemies of Egypt, and the Caesars of Rome, march -their devastating legions through this fair land? Think, too, of those -brave knights of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, who fought as -never men fought before, trying to wrench this Holy Land from the iron -grasp of the Saracen and Moslem. That was the darkest and bloodiest -period of this world’s history. This was the scene of action. The very -dust is historic. Every tree has heard the tramp of armies, and felt -the shock of battle. Every stone has a tale to tell. In every community -there are stories many, and legends not a few. Yes, Palestine is a -“land of ruins.” It has not a “few,” but many “sad cypress leaves -twined around its brow.” And, truly, it has become “lovely in its -consecrated coronet of sorrow.” - -And more. All history is interesting, yet “crosses and crucifixions -take the deepest hold on the hearts of men.” The word Palestine is -inseparably associated with that “name which is above every name.” Here -Christ was born; here he lived; among the ancestors of these people he -“went about doing good.” In these waters He was baptized; these hills -were the pulpits from which he preached His own everlasting gospel; -while the stones of the valley, the birds of the air, and the lilies of -the field, furnished Him with apt illustrations to explain and enforce -divine truth. So in this Holy Land there are “memories which make it -holier, and a cross which is even in itself an immortality!” - -Hence I ask, “can any one who likes novelty, and loves nature, who -appreciates history, and worships the Lord Jesus Christ, who has a head -on him, and a heart in him, fail to enjoy tent life in the East,” or -“five hundred miles in the saddle through Palestine and Syria?” If any, -speak; for him have I offended. Not one; then none have I offended. -So let us be up and going, taking a different route, and moving more -rapidly this time than before. - -There were five in the original party, but I gladly welcome the reader -into our midst, saying to him, “Come thou and go with us and be as -eyes unto us, and we will do thee good.” Yes, “be as eyes unto us.” -We need some one to point out the road, as much so as Moses did when -he addressed this language to his gray-headed father-in-law. Indeed -there are no roads in this part of Asia, only dim bridle paths such -as have been worn in the rock by constant use for ages. Very few of -these people ever saw a wheeled vehicle of any kind. Excepting four -towns, there is not a buggy, or a wagon, or even a wheel-barrow, in all -Palestine and Syria. There are no roads for them nor for us. Hence we -must travel on horseback. Now that the reader has joined us, we are six -in number. Making calculations for the new comer, we have eight tents, -eighteen servants and muleteers, and thirty-six head of horses, mules, -and donkeys. Of course, the mules and donkeys are laden with tents -and trunks, and beds and baggage, and other things, for our comfort -and convenience, and their own board besides. They look like young -elephants with all this luggage on their backs. Each of us has a riding -suit, a broad-brimmed hat, and a white umbrella. - -[Illustration: GOVERNMENT GUARDS.] - -While we eat breakfast in the morning, the muleteers fold the tents -and get things ready for the road. Now Tolhamy, our Syrian dragoman, -mounts his Arabian steed and cries out, “Yal-la, yal-la,” which means -come on, come on. We follow suit, and soon all are strung out across -the country like a band of wild Indians. The procession is half a mile -long. For a while the pilgrims ride up and down the line, singing and -talking with the natives; then, plying the whip, they leave the caravan -behind. At noon, Abdo, our Arab waiter, stretches the lunch tent, or -spreads the carpet under the grateful shade of an olive grove. Lunch -being over, we sit for an hour or two reading the Bible and profane -history, talking about the battles fought in this neighborhood, about -what Christ and His apostles did here, and about the confusion their -miracles and teaching must have caused among these people. And, whether -we lunched on Mt. Tabor, whose heights are crowned with the ruins of a -crusader’s church, and at whose base Barak and Deborah met Sisera in -battle (Ju. 4: 14 and 15); or at Endor where Saul called up the witch -(1 Sam. 28); or at Joseph’s pit, from which he was sold into Egypt -(Gen. 27: 24-28): or at the spring where Gideon’s brave band of three -hundred lapped before going against the Midianites (Ju. 7): or at Cana, -where our blessed Lord turned water into wine (John 2: 1-11); or at -Nain, where He raised the man who was the only son of a widowed mother -(Luke 7: 11-17); or at Jacob’s well, where He sat and told the woman -all things that ever she did (John 4: 6-26); whether we lunch at one of -these places, or the other, or wherever we stop, we have a Bible in one -hand, and a history in the other, and always find enough to interest -and instruct us. - -While we are resting, reading and talking, the caravan passes by; so, -when we come to the camp in the evening, our tents are up ready to -receive us. We usually camp near a village, so as to get water and to -place ourselves under the protection of the Sheik of the village. As -soon as our tents are pitched, the village is deserted—its half-naked, -filthy, and ignorant population having gathered round our camp. - -Supper being over, the muleteers, together with the villagers, give -some kind of an entertainment. One night they have a marriage ceremony, -then an assessment and collection of taxes, an Arabic tableau, or -musical concert, without the music. There is no music in an Arab’s -soul! By this we are on good terms with the natives; we go home with -them, go into their houses, talk with them, find out how they live, -what they think about, so on. It is very seldom that we find a family -of five to eight occupying more than one room, and often the goats, -dogs and donkeys live in the same room with the other part of the -family. - -The people have no tables, no chairs, no bedsteads. They sit on mats, -and sleep on pallets of straw. Whole families, sometimes ten to -twelve in number, eat out of the same bowl or pan. Knives and forks -are unknown. They live chiefly on bread and fruits. Olives, figs and -grapes are the salvation of this country. The yield of olive oil has -been greater this year than usual. I spoke a moment ago of an Asiatic -village; but I am persuaded that it deserves more than a mere mention. -I speak of the average village. It consists of a hive of rough, rock -huts one story, say six or seven feet, high, circular, oblong, or -triangular in shape. The same low, flat roof frequently extends over -half or three-fourths of the town. There are covered streets and lanes, -winding around and among the houses. A former traveler, whose book a -friend has just handed me, writes as follows: - -“A Syrian village is the sorriest sight one can fancy. When you ride -through one of them at noonday, you first meet a melancholy dog that -looks up at you and silently begs that you will not run over him, -but he does not offer to get out of your way. Next you meet a young -boy without any clothes on; and he holds out his hand and says, -‘bachsheesh;’ but he really does not expect a cent, for he learned -to say that before he learned to say ‘mother,’ and he can not break -himself of it. Next you meet a woman with a black veil drawn over -her face, and her bust exposed. Finally, you meet several sore-eyed -children, and children in all stages of mutilation and decay; and, -sitting humbly in the dust, and all fringed with filthy rags, is a -poor human ruin whose arms and legs are gnarled and twisted like grape -vines. These are all the people you are likely to see. The balance of -the population are asleep indoors, or abroad, tending goats on the -plains and on the hillsides.” - -If it is a little cold and damp, we gather around the camp fire at -night, and watch the glowing flames as they crackle and leap into the -air, and fling their wild and weird shadows right and left. Ah! what an -artist these flames are. With one bold stroke, they draw the outlines -of a perfect picture on the black canvas of night. - -When it is clear and pleasant, as it usually is, we go out in front of -the tents, and talk and sing and “consider the heavens.” And often, “as -I sit and gaze into the silent sky at night, and see the myriad stars, -they seem like camp fires, kindled upon the plains of heaven, to light -some wanderer over the wastes and desolations of earth.” - -It may be wrong, I suppose it is, but somehow I envy the astronomer -the pleasure he has in reading the thoughts of God, as written in the -language of the stars. I wonder if the stars are inhabited; if so, by -men or angels? What becomes of these creatures when a star “falls?” Dr. -Broadus would say that this is a good subject for a public debate, as -it can never be determined. - -At ten o’clock, when the others retire to rest, I take up my pen to -record what has transpired during the day. Often the swift footed hours -pass by before I know it, and I find myself writing on “the other side -of midnight.” But I can not help it. In Palestine there is so much to -see and think about that one can not afford to sleep more than five -hours out of the twenty-four. When at last my eyes grow heavy, I drop -my leaden pen and fall asleep; and often I dream about the objects and -places I have seen during the day. - -At six, often at five, o’clock, I am up to hear the morning warbler’s -first hymn of praise. I find that morning, rosy-fingered now as in the -days of Homer, “has yet a new and distant smile at every rising.” Payne -has well said that “no true lover ever yet trysted with Nature in her -own woods, and by her own fountains, without seeing some new beauty -never seen before.” - -We have been in this country now for months. We have been many weeks -on horseback. We have made more than six hundred miles in the saddle -through Palestine and Syria, and yet it has not become monotonous. -Indeed, it grows on us; there is a fascination about it. Each day is -different from the day before. The roads are different, the people are -different, the scenery is not the same. New historical interests, new -biblical characters and sacred associations are hourly coming up for -conversation and thought. Josephus is no longer dry and prosy. You read -“Ben Hur,” and “The Prince of the House of David,” with more interest -than ever before; last, and greatest, the Bible—the Bible becomes a -new book to you. Its pages are brighter, its truths simpler, and its -Christ is more personal and real to you, than before you came here. -Palestine is a relief map of the Bible. In our western world, a man may -be honestly skeptical; but, if he comes to Palestine as an earnest -seeker after truth, he will soon dismiss all doubt, and, like Thomas of -old, cry out: “My Lord, and my God!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -JERUSALEM. - - Approaching Jerusalem—Coming Events—Dreams—Light Breaks - In—Serenade—Zion, the City of God—Prayers Answered—Gratitude—A - Vision of Peace—Blighted Fig-Tree—Still a Holy City—Prominence - of Jerusalem—Its Influence among the Nations—A Melted - Heart—Tents Pitched—Walk About Zion—Situation of the City—Its - Walls—Its Gates—Afraid of Christ—Crossing the Kedron—Tomb of - Virgin Mary—Gethsemane—What it Means, What it Is, and How it - Looks—Superstitious Monks—Jerusalem Viewed from the Mount of - Olives—Architecture of the City—Prominent Objects—Entering the - City—Its Streets—Its Population—Jewish Theologues—Remaining - Portion of Solomon’s Temple—“Wailing Place” of the Jews—Kissing the - Wall—Weeping Aloud—Fulfillment of Prophecy—Only One Conclusion. - - -TO-MORROW the equestrian pilgrims will pitch their tents on the holy -hill of Zion. It will be a time of rejoicing. I think that each one of -the party will put down in his diary. “This is the happiest day of my -life.” - -The nearer we come to our journey’s end, the more intense becomes the -excitement. The night before reaching the city, our tents are pitched -in a valley. “Coming events” have already begun to “cast their shadows -before them.” Each one of the company is excited; each one filled -with life, hope, and anticipation. We all sing: “I’m a pilgrim; I’m a -stranger; this world is not my home,” “I seek a city whose builder and -maker is God,” and “Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, my happy, happy home.” -At length, “weariness spreads her ever welcome couch,” and we fall -asleep. Some of us dream that Jerusalem is a “golden city.” - -The leaden-footed hours of the night pass by. About five o’clock in the -morning, - - “Light breaks in upon my brain. - ’Tis the carol of a bird— - The sweetest song ear ever heard. - And mine are so thankful - That my eyes run over with glad surprise.” - -It is a nightingale, the queen of songsters. Perched on a swaying limb, -not far away, she flings her merry notes into the sleeper’s tent. The -little warbler sings as if the heart of melody has been broken on her -tuneful tongue. Methinks it is the sweetest song ever wafted to human -ears on the perfumed breezes of the night. It reminds one of the time -when the angel host sang to the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem. -I can not sleep. The morning star has dropped such a bright light from -the sky that it looks like day. - -The pilgrims are up early enough to see the stars, one by one, fade -away. The sun rises clear and bright above the eastern hills, and -flings his rays of light across a cloudless sky. - -We are off earlier than usual. At ten o’clock we ascend the brow of a -hill, and “Zion, the city of God,” bursts full upon our vision! Every -horse is stopped. Every head is uncovered. Not a word is spoken. I can -never forget the flood of “sweetly solemn thoughts” that comes to me -during the calm of this holy hour. Oh! the thrill of joy that goes -through the soul of man when he finds his prayers answered; when he -realizes that the toil and sacrifice of years have not been in vain; -when he sees the bud of hope ripen into golden fruit! Only one person -on this earth knows what it cost me to come here. Would you calculate -the cost in money? As well undertake to fathom the ocean with a fishing -cord, or to count the stars of heaven on your fingers and toes! It -cost——!! But I forget all that, when I behold Jerusalem, “The city of -the great King, beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth.” - -The Hebrew word, Jerusalem, probably means “vision of peace,” and I -have no doubt but that in olden times the beauty of the city and the -surrounding country fully justified the name. It was then “the joy of -the whole earth;” but the Lord hath covered the daughter of Zion with -a cloud, in his anger, and cast down, from heaven unto the earth, the -beauty of Israel. Jerusalem is withered, like its emblem, the blighted -fig-tree. It was once a monument of the goodness, now of the severity, -of God. The city has been twenty-seven times besieged, often taken, -pillaged, and burnt. Occasionally the very ground has been plowed up! -And yet “it is good to be here”—it is still a holy city. Mount Moriah -has not been removed, Calvary is still on its base, and the Mount -of Olives is now just as it was when from it our blessed Lord “was -received up into heaven.” - -[Illustration: JERUSALEM.] - -It has been said, and truthfully, too, that Jerusalem has occupied a -more prominent place in history than Athens, with all its arts, or -Rome, with all its arms; than Nineveh, with all its overgrown power, or -Babylon, with all its nameless abominations. Jerusalem has done more to -mould the opinions, to animate the hopes, to decide the creeds, and to -influence the destinies, of humanity than all other cities combined. -Here Solomon reigned. Here David sang, and Isaiah prophesied. Here -Christ the Lord lived, and taught us how to live. Here, too, he was -nailed to the tree, there to die, “the Just for the unjust.” - -Mrs. Watson, an earnest, devout, Christian lady from Detroit, is a -member of our party. As we stand upon this hill and look upon Jerusalem -for the first time, she is completely overcome. Her heart has melted -within her, and is flowing freely through her eyes. She weeps like a -child, and her tears do credit to her heart. - -We camp in a beautiful olive grove on the north side of the city. -Our mail is soon brought. After devouring letters, newspapers, and a -hearty lunch, I say to the party: “‘Walk about Zion; go round about -her; tell the towers thereof; mark ye well her bulwarks; consider her -palaces,—that ye may tell it to’ your friends in America.” With Bible -in hand, with prayer and praise in our heart, we are now ready to begin -our “walk about Zion.” It takes four eyes or more to see the beauty of -a picture, and four ears or more to extract the melody from music. I -shall therefore ask the reader to join us in this walk about the “city -of the great king.” - -[Illustration: HILLS AND WALLS OF JERUSALEM.] - -We find the city perched, like an eagles nest, among the hills of -Judea. “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is -round about them that fear him.” It stands 2,650 feet above the level -of the Mediterranean, and 3,800 feet above the Dead Sea. Imagine two -ravines, deep and narrow, coming together so that the table-land -between them forms the letter V, the sharp point of the letter being to -the south, while the open part extends northward. Jerusalem is built -on such a V, though it does not run down into the sharp point of the -letter. The ravine, or brook, on the east is Kedron, that on the west -is Hinnom. We find the city surrounded on all sides by massive walls -of stone, rising forty to sixty feet above the ground. The east and -west walls run close along the edge of the chasms, so that, coming up -out of the valley to either one of them, one would find it steep and -difficult. The south wall cuts off the sharp part of the V. The north -wall is much stronger than any of the others, because that part of the -city is not protected by ravines, as are the other three sides. - -We have now completed the circuit around the walls of Zion, and in so -doing we have walked two and a half miles, and compassed an area of -two hundred and nine acres of land. These walls, some portions of which -probably date from the time of our Lord, are pierced by four gates; the -Damascus gate, on the north; Stephen’s gate, on the east; on the south -is the Zion, and on the west, the Jaffa gate. Each one of these gates -is guarded day and night by Turkish soldiers. - -Until recently there was another entrance to the city—the Golden gate. -This “gateway of glory” entered the sacred enclosure from the east. It -was through this, supposedly, that our blessed Lord made His triumphal -entry into the Holy City. This gate, a work of art, has been closed -up. And why? Because the Mohammedans fear Christ. The Jews say that He -is soon to come out of the East, across the Mount of Olives, through -the Golden gate, into the Mosque of Omar. Then He will overthrow -the Mohammedan government, proclaim himself king of the Jews, and, -subsequently, of the world. These Jewish prophecies have aroused dread -suspicions in the Mohammedan mind, and to keep Christ out of the city, -the devotees of the false prophet have actually barred up the gate with -great stones. These are fastened together with bolts and bars of iron, -steel, and brass. I am told that the Mohammedans, especially during -Jewish feasts, even station guards at the Golden gate to prevent the -Messiah from entering the city. - -I am rejoiced to know that I worship a Christ who, when His time is -fulfilled, will come. But, blessed be His name, He will come no more -as the Babe of Bethlehem; no more as the lowly Nazarene; no more as -the despised and rejected of men. He will come as the glorified Son -of God, as Judge of all the earth. He will come crowned and sceptred; -robed in splendor; seated upon the clouds, as a chariot of fire drawn -by angels of light. It was He of whom it was said: “He openeth, and no -man shutteth; he shutteth, and no man openeth.” So, why need they try -to keep your Lord and mine out of His own city? - -Before entering the gates, it will be well for us to cross the brook -Kedron, go over to the Mount of Olives, and from there get a bird’s eye -view of the holy city. On the left, just after crossing the Kedron, -we come to the so-called tomb of the Virgin Mary, over which has -been built a Catholic cathedral. In the cathedral, and around this -tomb, many candles and lamps are kept burning day and night. By the -flickering flame of these tapers, turbaned monks constantly count their -beads and swing their censers. A hundred yards down the valley, to the -right, are the tombs of Absalom, James, and Hezekiah. - -From base to summit, the Mount of Olives is garnished over with -olive trees. Now, as through past ages, the olives are gathered and -poured into a rock-hewn vat in the mountain side. The vat before me -is well filled. In it are an old, gray-bearded man and a sprightly -young maiden, walking round and round, side by side, treading the -olives with their bare feet, pressing out the oil. This is rather a -homely sight, but it suggests a holy name. A name around which cluster -many tender and sacred associations. The word, Gethsemane, means -_oil-press_. Lifting my eyes from the vat, I behold, about half way up -the mountain side, and a hundred yards to the right of the road, the -garden of Gethsemane, or the garden of the oil-press. - -This garden of prayer is at present surrounded by a substantial rock -wall ten or twelve feet high. The entrance is through the upper or -eastern wall. The door, or gate, is scarcely three feet high; but one -is willing to bow and humble himself on entering a garden so filled -with holy memories. Here Christ suffered and agonized and prayed -until “his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling to the -ground.” Here Judas betrayed the Master with a kiss. This garden, which -is 150 by 160 feet, is laid out in six large flower beds, beautifully -designed and well kept. There are a dozen, or more of fir and olive -trees enclosed within these walls. - -The superstitious monks, keeping the garden, assure us that these are -the identical trees under which the Lord knelt and prayed. But my -incredulous mind entertains serious doubts on this subject. In the -first place, we are not sure that the present garden is identical with -the one that our Lord frequented. We know, however, if the two are not -identical, they certainly are not far removed from each other. Ever -since the days of Constantine (330, A. D.), the present garden has been -recognized as the place of agony and betrayal. - -[Illustration: OLD OLIVE TREES IN GETHSEMANE.] - -I grant that our Lord was betrayed in this garden, or another, -probably not a stone’s throw from it. I grant, also, that the olive -trees are remarkably long-lived, and that these within this enclosure -stand like patriarchs of their race, like sentinels of the centuries -past and gone. But Josephus tells us that during the siege of Jerusalem -by Titus (A. D. 70), the Roman soldiers cut down all of the trees -around about Jerusalem. Josephus was present during this siege. He -wrote from personal knowledge. And we can not accept his statements -without discrediting those of the papal priests. But what care I? I -pin my faith to no rock, nor hang it upon the bough of any olive tree. -Somewhere on this mountain side, probably near where I stand, the -blessed Lord drank the bitter cup. That is enough for me. - -Bear in mind the fact that we are on the eastern side of Jerusalem. We -find the summit of Olivet crowned with a large Russian convent. We go -up on the top of this convent. With our backs toward Jerusalem, and our -eyes toward the rising sun, we look down upon the Dead Sea, 4,000 feet -below us, and in a straight line, only eighteen miles away. The valley -of the Jordan is plainly seen, but its waters are not visible. - -“About face.” We are now looking down on the “City of David.” I say -“down,” because the Mount of Olives is two hundred feet higher than -Jerusalem, and the convent gives us an additional elevation of fifty -feet. Jerusalem is now spread out before us like a map; and, although -it is three-fourths of a mile away, the atmosphere is so pure that we -can see it as plainly as if we were standing on a tower in the midst of -the city. It is built on two hills, Mt. Zion and Mt. Moriah, the former -being a little to the west of, and a few feet higher than, the latter. -The intervening valley, once very deep, is now so nearly filled up that -the two hills are practically one. - -There is little variety about the architecture of Jerusalem. The -houses, generally, are built of white stone, and are usually ten or -twelve feet high, with flat, stone roofs. Frequently one roof extends -over many houses. So, when viewed from the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem -has the appearance of a broad sea of low, level, white roofs. The -monotony is relieved by five distinct objects that lift themselves up -above the surface and stand out in bold relief. - -These five objects of prominence are, first, the Mosque of Omar on -Mt. Moriah; second, the Jewish Synagogue, beyond Moriah, on Mt. Zion; -third, Pilate’s Judgment Hall, or the Tower of Antonio; fourth, the -Church of the Holy Sepulchre; fifth, the Tower of David, near the -Jaffa gate. These five towers and buildings lift their haughty heads -high above the humble structures around them, and are clearly outlined -against the golden splendors of the evening sky. - -The Mosque of Omar, standing on Mt. Moriah, in the southeastern corner -of the city, is by far the most conspicuous of all. This marks the -sight that was occupied by the old Jewish temple. The Mosque is truly -a gem of architecture, but the Christian heart revolts at the idea of -this Mohammedan ensign of bigamy and bloodshed standing where once -stood the splendid temple of Solomon. Alas! it is too true. But more of -the Mosque hereafter. - -We came here to see the city; and when we behold the churches and -cathedrals, the mosques and synagogues, the towers and minarets, rising -up here and there above the white stone buildings around them, we -are half inclined to believe “Zion” is yet wreathed round with some -of her ancient glory. But candor compels me to say that here, as at -Constantinople, “distance lends enchantment to the view.” I love a -pretty picture, and am always loath to break the mirror of admiration -into fragments of analysis; but it now becomes us to descend the Mount -of Olives, recross the Kedron, and, entering by the Stephen’s gate, to -begin an inspection of the city. - -[Illustration: STREET IN JERUSALEM.] - -We find the streets, which are from six to twelve feet wide, paved -with round stones, varying all the way from a goose egg to a man’s -head. These stones are half buried in filth, the other half being left -exposed, and have been trodden over until they are almost as smooth as -glass. No wheeled vehicle can enter the city, for the reasons that the -streets are too narrow to allow a chariot or wagon to pass through; and -if they were wide enough, the stones are too sleek and slippery for -a camel to walk on, and, with safety, draw a vehicle. You can follow -one of these streets, or lanes, only a short distance without facing -every point of the compass. In many places you have to hold your nose, -and carefully pick your way through the dirt and filth. These narrow, -corkscrew streets (?) are lined on either side by a lot of stalls, from -five to ten feet wide, called shops, or bazaars. Traffic seems to be at -a stand-still. The people are mostly idle. They produce nothing, and -consume—very little! Filth, ignorance, and poverty, those emblems of -Mohammedan rule, more unmistakeable than the Star and Crescent itself, -everywhere abound! - -The population of Jerusalem is variously estimated, the estimates -ranging anywhere from 25,000 to 45,000. I think the city probably -has 35,000 inhabitants, proportioned as follows: 18,000 Mohammedans, -12,000 Jews, and 5,000 Christians, each occupying separate and distinct -quarters of the city. All the Christians, except a hundred or more, -are Catholics. While there are a few wealthy Jew merchants and bankers -in Jerusalem, most of the Hebrews here are mainly supported by a -systematic benevolence, Jews in all parts of the world contributing to -this object. - -There are many synagogues here, but only one worthy of special note. -The Jews have fifteen or twenty theological students who daily assemble -in the chief synagogue, and seat themselves on mats at the feet of -their instructor, who sits on a thick, deep-tufted cushion in the -centre of the circle. But there is no Gamaliel among the teachers, no -Paul among the pupils. - -[Illustration: WAILING PLACE OF THE JEWS.] - -The Mosque of Omar is surrounded by a wall, some thirty feet high, -which cuts off thirty-five acres, or one-fifth of the city. One part -of this wall has been identified, with more or less certainty, as a -portion of Solomon’s Temple—the only remaining portion. It is believed -that this is the nearest approach to what was once the Holy of Holies. -Every Friday afternoon, at three o’clock, the devout Jews of the city, -old and young, of high and low degree, assemble around these sacred -stones for worship. Here they chant the Psalms of David, and read -aloud from their prayer books and Hebrew Bibles. They kiss, and press -themselves against, these stones for hours. They weep and lament and -pray and cry aloud, as if their hearts would break. Hundreds of these -unfortunate children of Abraham assemble at the “wailing-place.” When -each one has kissed the stones for probably a hundred times or more, -they all seat themselves flat down on the stones in the dirt and filth. - -Here they are, all seated in rows on the ground, facing the wall, row -behind row, until the last row is forty or fifty feet from the wall. In -the crowd I see a mother and babe who remind me of Hannah and Samuel. -There, to the right, is a tall, stoop-shouldered, old man, with grey -hair and a wrinkled brow. His long, white beard hangs gracefully over -his breast, and falls in his lap, as he sits with uncovered head and -bowed. That, methinks, is a perfect picture of Abraham as he sat -weeping o’er Sarah’s grave. Here I can pick out a Paul, yonder a John, -an Andrew, and a Peter. Ah! these are the remnants of a race that have -left their imprint upon every page of human history. They sit and pray -and weep, and will not be comforted. - -Close to the wall stand six Rabbis eight or ten feet apart. With -their palms upon the wall, they repeatedly bend their elbows and kiss -the stones. And then, in a voice as sad as sadness’s very self, they -in concert cry out: “O Lord God Almighty, thou has smitten us and -scattered us abroad among the heathen nations of earth; yet, O God, -will we praise and adore thee.” - -The people, seated on the ground, sway to and fro and cry out: -“A-m-e-n, a-m-e-n.” - -The Rabbis, still standing, kiss the wall and exclaim: “Oh! for the -Temple that is no more——” - -Swaying to and fro, the people say: “We sit in solitude and mourn.” - -Rabbis. “Oh! for the Palace that is torn down——” - -People. “We sit in solitude and mourn.” - -Rabbis. “Oh! for the walls that are demolished——” - -People. “We sit in solitude and mourn.” - -Rabbis. “Oh! for the great stones that are burned into dust——” - -People. “We sit in solitude and mourn.” - -Rabbis. “Oh! for our kings and mighty men that have fallen——” - -People. “We sit in solitude and mourn.” - -Rabbis. “Oh! for the glory that has departed; oh! for the delay of thy -coming——” - -People. “We sit in solitude and mourn.” - -Rabbis. “Come, yea, come, O Messiah! come quickly. Enthrone thyself in -Jerusalem. Reign thou over us. Be thou our God. We will be thy people, -and thou shalt subdue the heathen nations of earth.” - -These Jews now, as did those in olden times, cling with a death-like -tenacity to the idea of a temporal ruler. They forgot that Christ said, -“My kingdom is not of this world.” He once “came to His own, and His -own received Him not;” and now they “sit in solitude and mourn.” - -I have visited this “wailing-place” several times. It is a pitiable -sight. I see men, old men, men patriarchal in appearance, barefooted, -dressed in sackcloth and covered with ashes. They put their mouths in -the dust, and cry aloud unto God in a most distressing manner. - -It were enough to wring tears of blood from the heart of a stone, to -see a _nation_ “smitten” and “scattered” and “cursed” of God, as are -the Jews. Verily, they are cursed. They said, “Let His blood be upon -us and our children,” and so it _is_ upon them. They are homeless -wanderers. They have no common country, no flag they can call their -own. Wherever man has gone on land, or ships on sea, the face and -figure of the Jew are seen; and always and everywhere he rests under -the curse of God. The blood is still upon him. Truly, “it is a fearful -thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” - -Strange as it may appear, all these visitations of wrath are in direct -fulfillment of prophecy. In his lamentations over the city, Jeremiah -says: “The Lord hath accomplished his fury; He hath poured out His -fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured -the foundations thereof. How doth the city sit solitary! How hath she -become a widow! The Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her -transgressions. She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her -cheeks. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore is she removed. Her -filthiness is in her skirts. Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there -is none to comfort her. _All her people sigh and seek bread._” - -Reader, notice carefully the above sentence, and then hold your breath -as I tell you that every morning, about nine o’clock, hundreds and -hundreds of Jews assemble at one place in the city, and each receives a -loaf of bread gratis; and that bread, with what fruit he can get, keeps -soul and body together until next day. “Yea, they sigh and seek bread.” - -The prophet continues: “The Lord hath cast off His Altar; He hath -abhorred His sanctuary; He hath given up into the hand of the enemy -the walls of her palaces. The elders of the daughters of Zion sit on -the ground and keep silence. They have cast dust upon their heads. For -the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, that have -shed the blood of the Just One in the midst of her, they have polluted -themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.” - -We should remember that these prophecies of Jeremiah, and others just -as striking from Isaiah, were uttered hundreds of years before Christ -was born. And yet, as we read this Scripture to-day, it sounds like -history written yesterday. It is literally fulfilled. The Hebrews -_did_ “slay the Just One.” They _did_ “pollute themselves with blood.” -Because of this, God _has_ “poured out His wrath upon them,” their -city, and their country. Jerusalem _has_ been “removed,” and its -“foundations” _have_ been “consumed with fire.” Her “filthiness” _is_ -“in her skirts.” God _has_ “cast off His altar, and abhorred His -sanctuary.” He _has_ “given into the hand of the enemy the walls of -the palaces,” and to-day the children of Solomon have to petition the -rulers of a heathen government for permission to approach the remaining -wall of their father’s Temple. To-day the people _actually_ “sit on the -ground” with “tears on their cheeks.” They _do actually_ “sigh and seek -for bread.” - -Now I submit the question. Can any man, who has a mind to think and -a heart to feel, read this Scripture, in the light of the present -condition of Jerusalem and of the Jews, without seeing in it an -unanswerable argument in favor of the _inspiration_ of the Bible? If -the Old Testament writers were not inspired, if they wrote as men, and -only as men, how was it that they could write of future events, of -events thousands of years in the future, as though they were present -or past? There is only one rational conclusion to be reached, and -that is, that these men of old wrote as they were moved by the Holy -Spirit—that they climbed high upon the Mt. of Inspiration, and from -there they, with the field-glass of prophecy, scanned the whole horizon -of knowledge. - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - -JERUSALEM CONTINUED—MOSQUE OF OMAR. - - Haram Area—Its Past and Present—Wall—Gates—Stopped at the Point of - Daggers—Legal Papers and Special Escort—Mosque of Omar—Its Exterior - and Interior—A Great Rock Within—History and Legends Connected - with the Rock—Mohammed’s Ascent to Heaven—Place of Departed - Spirits—Their Rescue—Ark of the Covenant—Golden Key. - - -AS previously stated, an area of thirty-five acres in the southeastern -corner of Jerusalem is surrounded by an extra wall. The plot of -ground thus cut off from the rest of the city is, approximately, a -parallelogram, and is known as the Haram, or Sacred Inclosure. The -surface of the area is not exactly level, and was formerly less so than -at present. It was originally highest at the northern end; thence it -sloped southward. From a longitudinal line running through the centre -of the inclosure, the surface sloped also eastward and westward. This -northern elevation, which was of solid rock, has been cut down twenty -feet or more. The southern end, and also the east and west sides, of -the inclosure have been considerably filled up. So, evidently, the -appearance of the Haram is materially changed from what it once was. - -The massive wall surrounding the Haram serves as the rear wall of many -of the dwelling-houses of the city. These houses join each other, and -are all built close back against the Haram wall, the top of the wall -forming part of the floor of the second story of the buildings. When -the houses are only one story high, the top of the Haram wall is on a -level with their flat roofs. - -There are eight gateways leading into the Haram, five through the -western, and three through the northern, wall. The numerous entrances, -however, by no means argue that the Haram is easy of access. To enter -this sacred inclosure, a Christian must secure permission from the -Turkish authorities. Not knowing this, I, all alone, start to the Haram -through one of the gates in the north wall. Just as I am about to step -in upon the sacred area, up spring three Arabs with javelins in their -hands, and daggers in their eyes. As the Arabs draw their javelins, I -_with_draw my head. - -Before making another attempt to enter, I obtain, through the American -Consul, the necessary permission. The Consul also kindly sends his -Cavass, that is, his official body-guard, with me. Going down David -Street, we enter the Haram through a gate about midway of the west -wall. Standing at this gate and looking directly eastward, we see, -about a hundred yards in front of us, a broad, level platform paved -with smooth, white, marble-like lime-stone. The platform is higher than -we are, and must be reached by ascending two long flights of marble -steps. The first flight brings us up on a broad, level terrace which, -to our right, supports several old olive and cypress trees. Ascending -the second stairway, we find ourselves standing on the edge of the -paved platform already mentioned. We are now face to face with the -famous Mosque of Omar, or, to speak more correctly, the Dome of the -Rock. Next to Mecca, this is the most sacred shrine in the Mohammedan -world. And, before leaving, we shall find that it is not without -interest to the Jew, and also to the Christian. - -The building is octagonal, each of its eight sides being sixty-six -feet long, and forty-six feet high. Hence it is five hundred and -twenty-eight feet in circumference, and one hundred and seventy-six in -diameter. The walls, for the first sixteen feet above the foundation, -are made of, or incased in, different-colored marble, the colors so -blending as to form beautifully designed panels. The walls above the -marble casing are built of enamelled, or porcelain, tiles of various -colors. The blue, black, yellow, white, and green tiles are interwoven -with great artistic taste and skill. Above the marble casing, each of -the eight walls has five tall, arched windows of richly-stained glass. -The walls are adorned here and there with numerous quotations from the -Koran, beautifully inwrought in the tiles. - -[Illustration: MOSQUE OF OMAR.] - -The most striking feature of the external appearance of this Mosque is -the splendid dome that gracefully rises from the centre of its flat -roof. The base, or drum, of the dome is twenty-seven feet high, and -is pierced by sixteen mosaic windows. For oddity of design, delicacy -of workmanship, and beauty of effect, I have seldom seen anything to -equal these windows. McGarvey, with his usual grace and eloquence, -says: “This dome is 65 feet in diameter at its base, and 97 feet high -from the base to apex. The apex is 170 feet high from the ground. It -is covered with lead, almost black from exposure, and is surmounted -with a large gilt crescent. The peculiar grace of the curve with which -it springs from the drum on which it rests, and that with which it -reaches its crescent-crowned apex, distinguish it for beauty of outline -from all other domes, perhaps, in the world. From whatever point it -is viewed, whether from the Haram area, the city wall, the Mount of -Olives, or any other height about the city, it is the most prominent -and pleasing object in Jerusalem.” - -The Mosque has four doors, before reaching any one of which, we must -pass through a vestibule. We enter from the east side. On reaching -the door, a tall Arab, patriarchal and reverential in appearance, -approaches and informs us that no Mohammedan, much less a Frank, is -allowed to enter this _Haram es Sheriff_, this “Noble Sanctuary,” with -his shoes on. The patriarchal Arab has a supply of slippers on hand -which can be had for a few piasters. Taking off our boots, we put on -the rented slippers, and continue to examine and admire the mighty -structure. - -The building, being eight-sided, is practically round. Since coming on -the inside, this is even more noticeable than when we were without. -Within the building, and thirteen feet from the wall, there is a -large circle composed of eight huge square piers and sixteen round -columns—there being two columns between each two piers. The piers, -or pillars, are built of different-colored marble arranged in showy -panels. The columns are of the finest marble, and are so highly -polished that they reflect like mirrors. Each is crowned with a -Corinthian capital overlaid with gold. From column to column, and also -from column to pier, there springs a beautifully rounded arch built -of marble blocks, alternately black and white. These several arches -furnish a strong support to the roof above. - -Nearer the centre of the building, and thirty feet from the pillars -just mentioned, there is an inner and smaller circle, formed by four -piers and twelve columns, there being three columns between each two -of the pillars. The centre of each column and pier in the outer circle -is thirteen feet from the wall. The columns of the inner circle are -likewise thirty feet from those in the outer one. As from the columns -and piers of the outer circle, so also from those of the smaller one, -marble arches spring. These latter arches support the mighty dome, the -exterior of which has already been described. - -Look now at the vast structure around you, at the sunny dome above -you! Look at the paneled piers, at the mirror-like columns, at the -gilded capitals, at the marble arches adorned with rich mosaics and -bordered above with inscriptions from the Koran beautifully wrought -in interlaced letters of burnished gold. It is evening. The sun is -sinking. Banks of golden clouds are floating over the city. The airy -dome above us seems suspended in the air and belted with fire. The -stained windows in the dome receive, transmit, and reflect the glowing -light, until every part of the “Noble Sanctuary” is flooded with golden -fire. In the language of Dr. Geikie, “There could, I suppose, be no -building more perfectly lovely than the Mosque of Omar, more correctly -known as the Dome of the Rock.” - -“Why is it called the Dome of the Rock?” the reader asks. I am now -ready to answer this question. Within the inner circle of columns, -and directly underneath the dome, a huge rock rises up through the -floor. It is seven feet high, and is fifty-three feet across! The whole -edifice about us was built in honor of this stone, and hence the name -of the structure—“The Dome of the Rock.” - -[Illustration: SOLOMON’S TEMPLE AS IT WAS.] - -“Why should this rock be so highly honored?” For many reasons. It -is honored alike by Jew, Christian, and Mohammedan. According to -tradition, this rock was the summit of Mt. Moriah, and on it Abraham -offered up Isaac. It was on this rock that Jacob saw the ladder -extending from earth to heaven on which angels were ascending and -descending. This rock was David’s threshing-floor that he bought from -the Jebusite. On it David built an altar and offered the sacrifice -that stayed the wrath of the angel, and thus saved the city. Over -this rock Solomon built his Temple. On this rock Christ stood, when -twelve years of age, and confounded the doctors with His questions and -answers. On this same rock He stood, in later life, and preached the -riches of His own everlasting gospel. - -Since these traditions are wide-spread, and currently believed, it is -not at all strange that this rock has imbedded itself in all Jewish and -Christian hearts. “But” says the reader, “there is nothing in these -stories, be they mythical or historical, to enkindle in the Mohammedan -heart a reverence for this rock.” I admit your argument. “Why then,” -you ask, “did the Mohammedans build the ‘Dome,’ and why does the Koran -teach that one prayer offered here is worth a _thousand_ offered -elsewhere?” - -Your questions are reasonable, and I will solve the mystery for you. -According to Moslem belief, Mohammed was an incarnation of deity. From -this rock he ascended to heaven. He being a divine personage, the rock -did not want to leave him. So, when Mohammed began the ascent, the rock -started up also. It would have gone on to heaven with him, but Gabriel -happened to be present, and when the rock was only seven feet high, -he laid his hand upon it and stopped its upward flight. Since that -time the rock has remained just where Gabriel left it. God performs a -perpetual miracle by keeping the sacred rock suspended in the air. - -The superstitious followers of the false prophet really believe these -marvelous stories. They show us the imprint that Gabriel’s fingers -made on the rock when, with a touch of his hand, he stayed its upward -flight. They show us also deep impressions in the rock which, they -affirm, were made by Mohammed’s feet as he leaped from the rock into -the air! The fact that each impress is as large as a peck measure -causes Johnson to remark Mohammed must have had at least a half bushel -of feet. - -The Moslems believe, as before stated, that this rock is suspended -in the air, and we shall see how the credulous creatures are taught -to believe such absurdities. Underneath the uplifted stone there is -an artificial chamber, twenty-four feet square, and eight feet from -floor to ceiling. The stone walls are whitewashed, but the floor and -ceiling are left bare. This cavern is reached by a flight of stairs -which leads down from the edge of the rock above. When devotees of the -Arab prophet come into the building, they are shown the famous rock and -told that it is suspended in the air. To convince them of the truth of -this statement, they are brought down into this underground cavern. -Now, waving the burning candle above his head, the attending dignitary -says to the stranger: “Behold! See for yourself! The rock above you -has no support. It rests on nothing. It is perpetually kept up by the -Almighty God in honor of Mohammed, His prophet.” - -Stamping my foot upon the stone floor of this rock-hewn chamber, and -noticing the strange echo, I say to the Mohammedan guard: “What means -this hollow sound? There is evidently another cavern still below us. -For what is it used?” The astonished guide replies: “What is it used -for? Why, sir, the opening beneath us is the pit of departed spirits. -When a true believer dies, his soul goes into this pit, and there he -stays until Mohammed reaches down and draws him out by the hair of the -head.” - -Let the author remark, in this connection, that an Arab regards it -as the worst calamity that could possibly befall him to marry some -Delilah, and have her clip his hair, or _pull it out_, and for him to -die before it grows out again. Should this happen, Mohammed could get -no hold upon his slick head, and he would be lost forever. Mark Twain -comments on this, and closes by saying: “The wicked scoundrels need not -be so particular, from the fact most of them are going to be damned, -matters not how they are barbered.” - -It is not at all improbable that this secret chamber contains objects -of great interest to the Christian world. When Herod’s temple was -destroyed, Titus, we are told, carried the golden candle-stick to -Rome. But the Ark of the Covenant was not mentioned. The Ark was the -most highly prized thing on earth to the Hebrews. It is natural, -therefore, that they should have done everything possible to keep it -out of the hands of the Romans. To do this, it is supposed that the -pious Hebrews hid the Ark in some niche, or corner, of the honey-combed -rock underneath the Temple. The Christian world would be glad to -explore the secret caverns under the Mosque of Omar. But the Turkish -government stands here, like a fiery fiend waving a sword of vengeance, -saying: “Hands off. Stand back, or I will let this sword fall upon your -unprotected head.” And we do stand back. But I believe the day will -come when the golden key of science will unlock all of these closed -doors, and when the electric light of civilization will be turned on. -Then will these dark passages yield up their hoarded treasures to the -Christian Church, to the lovers of history, of truth, and of God. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -IN AND AROUND JERUSALEM. - - Church of the Holy Sepulchre—Peculiar Architecture—Strange - Partnership—The Centre of the Earth—The Grave of Adam—Unaccountable - Superstitions—An Underground World—Pool of Siloam—Kedron - Valley—The Final Judgment—Tomb of the Kings—Valley of Hinnom—Lower - Pool of Gihon—Moloch—Gehenna—Upper Pool of Gihon—Calvary—The - Savior’s Tomb. - - -IN giving a bird’s eye view of Jerusalem, I stated that the Church of -the Holy Sepulchre was one of the most prominent objects in the city. -This famous building is located about midway the city, from east to -west, but not more than one hundred and fifty or two hundred yards from -the northern wall. It is, therefore, near the Damascus gate. Although -thus centrally situated, although it covers an area of 200 by 230 feet, -and although it lifts its double dome high in the air, this church is -frequently passed by without attracting the slightest notice. - -The reader naturally asks, “How is it possible that a building at once -so historic and prominent as this attracts little or no attention?” The -question is easily answered. Except a few feet on the south side, the -structure is entirely surrounded by other buildings that join close -on to it. These houses, which serve both for business purposes and -residences, are built one upon another, until they reach high in air. -The church is thus almost entirely shut out from the view of the street -walker. To be seen externally, this edifice must be viewed from the -city walls, from the Tower of David, from the Mosque of Omar, from the -hill on the west, or from the Mount of Olives, on the east. When viewed -from any one of these elevations, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is -indeed prominent. From an architectural standpoint, the building is -“without form and void.” But there it is, its two blue domes, like -ever-open eyes, of unequal size, continually staring you in the face. - -The building is owned jointly by the Latins, the Greeks, the Armenians, -and the Copts, each sect having its separate chapels and apartments, -neither one being allowed to trespass upon the rights of any of the -others. The building proper is owned by so-called Christian sects, -as stated above, but the _door is the property of the Mohammedans_! -And jealously do they guard their property. The ponderous door works -on rough hinges, and is fastened with bolts of iron. But to open it, -the worshippers and even the priests who minister at the altars, are -compelled to use a golden key. When the gold glitters, the door opens. -To avoid this unparalleled imposition, many priests have actually taken -up their abode in the sanctuary, their meals being passed to them -through small apertures in the wall. The people are not so fortunate as -the priests. They can not live in seclusion. They must work for bread -and blanket, for Church and children. It is all they can do to keep -soul and body together, yet will they divide their scanty living with -the Mohammedans who own the door of the Sepulchre. - -Does the reader ask, “Why do they not worship elsewhere, and save their -money?” The answer is twofold. The priests are in the church; and -with a catholic there is no prayer without penance, no pardon without -a priest. Besides, they are taught to believe that this church is a -peculiarly sacred place; that within this building is the geographical -centre of the earth. A stone pillar marks the central spot. Here God -got the dust to make Adam. Here, also, is Adam’s grave. Here was -caught the ram that Abraham sacrificed on the altar of burnt offering -instead of Isaac. Within this building is a stone prison where Christ -was confined, Calvary, where he was crucified, the Sepulchre, where -he was buried. They point out the graves of Nicodemus, and Joseph of -Arimathea. These places are all crowded together under one roof; and -yet they are pointed out by the Latin priests with an air of certainty -that seems to say: “I have told you the truth. To doubt is to be -damned.” - -The building is not _on_ Calvary, but _over_ it. As if one would turn -a tea-cup bottom upwards, and then turn a large glass globe over that. -The floor of the building accommodates itself to the rough surface -of the mount. So the mount is entirely covered up, and one no more -realizes that he is about Calvary than if he were in Tremont Temple, -in Boston. Entering the door from the south, one sees the Stone of -Anointing directly in front of him, and about fifteen feet away. This -marble slab is raised about twelve inches from the floor, and rests -on a wooden block. It is also covered by wooden planks, so only the -edge of the stone is visible. The stone had to be covered to keep the -superstitious Catholics from kissing it away. - -Turning now to the left, we find that the building resembles a large -rotunda. Near the centre of the rotunda we see a small building, -twenty-six by sixteen feet, and fifteen feet high. This small -building is a thing of beauty. It is made of many-colored marble, -richly polished and elaborately carved. It looks like the model of -some magnificent cathedral. It is divided into two rooms, the first -being sixteen feet, and the second ten feet long. The larger room is -called the Chapel of the Angels, while the second is said to contain -the Sepulchre of our Lord. The two rooms are lighted day and night -by fifty-three gold and silver lamps. Numerous candles are also kept -burning. - -[Illustration: HOLY SEPULCHRE.] - -Christmas morning, thousands of Greek Christians crowd in and around -the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Greek Patriarch enters this small -structure, and extinguishes all the lamps and candles. Silence and awe -fall upon the multitude, each of whom has an unlighted candle in his -hand. Suddenly the Patriarch from within announces that he has received -fresh fire from Heaven. The Patriarch stands at a small opening in -the marble wall with the sacred fire in his hand. The frenzied crowd -vie with each other, each trying to light his taper first. One man -ignites his candle from the Patriarch’s fire, and a dozen others -light from him. Presently, a deafening shout goes up from the excited -multitude. Every man waves a burning taper above his head. The whole -scene resembles a restless sea of flame. Expert horsemen now leap upon -swift-footed coursers which have been held in waiting. The new-fallen -fire is conveyed to different parts of the country. Ships are at Jaffa -to bear the Heavenly gift to Greece and Russia. This sacred flame burns -continually in the Greek churches until next Christmas, at which time -this shameful imposition will again be practiced on the superstitious -people. - -Ascending a flight of stairs, we find ourselves on what is falsely -called Calvary. Removing a few planks in the floor, the priest shows -the bare top of Calvary, the round holes in the mountain where the -three crosses stood, and the rent in the rock, which was caused by the -convulsion of nature at the time of the Crucifixion. And many other -things they show us, whereof if I should write, this book would not -hold all I should say. - -Now, if we had time, we might spend two or three days, pleasantly -and profitably, _down under_ the city. For, be it understood, that -these hills on which Jerusalem is built are honey-combed with -ancient stables, caves, caverns, quarries, catacombs, and other -subterranean passages. Captain Warren, chief agent of the Palestine -Exploration Fund, is my authority for saying that Jerusalem, so far as -catacombs and underground passages are concerned, is far richer than -Constantinople, Paris, or even Rome itself. - -Just outside of the north wall, and a little to the east of the -Damascus gate, we enter through an iron-barred door into a great -cavern, known as Solomon’s Quarry or the quarry out of which Solomon -got the stones to build his Temple. With a strong body-guard, and a -dozen or more burning tapers, we wander for hours and hours in this -underground world, which in many respects rivals Mammoth Cave. It is -co-extensive with the city above. A forest of natural columns support -the ceiling, which in many places is exceedingly high. Here and there, -we find huge blocks of detached stone, which were long ago dressed, but -never removed from the quarry. They were probably dressed by Solomon’s -workmen, but were never honored with a place in his splendid Temple. -That this was at one time a quarry, is evident from the abundance of -stone chips and fragments that everywhere abound. In this cave, it is -claimed, the Masonic order was organized. It has no river of eyeless -fish, as has the Kentucky Cave, but it boasts a never-failing spring -of pure and sparkling water. Think of all this underneath the Holy -City! O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, there is none like thee in all the earth! - -[Illustration: POOL OF SILOAM.] - -On the white ceiling above me, I wrote with the smoke of my candle, -“God is love.” I sang, and the music went ringing and reverberating -adown the long, winding labyrinths of rock as I sang: - - “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, - Let me hide myself in Thee.” - -Leaving this cave, let us now go down south of the city. Just where -the two ravines meet, we come to the Pool of Siloam. Here our Blessed -Lord once spat upon the ground, made clay of the spittle, anointed a -blind man’s eyes, and told him to wash in this Pool of Siloam. The man -did wash his eyes, and at once received sight for blindness. The Pool -is preserved to this day. Its length is fifty feet. It is fourteen -feet wide at one end, and seventeen at the other, and has a depth of -eighteen feet. It is walled up with rock. A flight of stone steps leads -down into it from the southern end. Rev. Mr. El Kary, of Shechem, the -only Baptist preacher in Palestine and Syria, was baptised in this -Pool. It is now partially filled up with mud; still it contains a -considerable quantity of water, and I go down into it and bathe my face. - -In the valley, below the Pool, is a large vegetable garden and olive -orchard. Vegetation luxuriates in this rich valley, which is constantly -supplied, by means of irrigation, with water from the Pool of Siloam. - -The ravine east of Jerusalem, the one which separates the city from -the Mount of Olives, is known as _The Brook Kedron_. But the lower -end of this “brook,” near the Pool of Siloam, is called The Valley of -Jehoshaphat. This is the Jewish cemetery. The valley and the mountain -sides on either side of the brook is one vast graveyard, and it is -bristling thick with white stone slabs, which serve as head-boards to -the graves. Jews from all parts of the world are constantly coming -back here to be buried. According to their belief, the Final Judgment -will take place in this Valley of Jehoshaphat. They say the name is -significant—Jehoshaphat, “Jehovah judgeth.” They quote Joel III: 2 -and 12—“I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into -the valley of Jehoshaphat.” “Let the heathen be awakened, and come up -to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the -heathen around about.” - -Continuing up this valley, we soon come to the tombs of Zachariah, -Absalom, and St. James, which were mentioned in a previous chapter. -Passing these by, we follow the valley northward for a mile or more, -and finally come to the celebrated _Tombs of the Kings_. The peculiar -construction of these tombs, as well as the historical interest -attaching to them, entitles them to a more elaborate description than -my limited space will allow. - -[Illustration: TOMBS OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH.] - -Reader, imagine that you are standing with me on a broad, level -shelf of rock. Approaching its centre, we see what might be called a -huge cistern, ninety feet square, hewn into the rock to a depth of -twenty feet. A long flight of broad, stone steps leads us down into -this excavation, whose rocky walls are perpendicular. A door, cut -in the south wall, conducts us into a series of rock-hewn chambers. -With lighted candles, we pass into the first room, thence through a -small door to the second, the third, and so on. All these chambers -are honey-combed with vaults, cut in the rock, for the reception -of the ancient dead. This underground mansion of the dead extends -seventy-five feet from north to south, and fifty feet from east to -west. It is a perfect network of rooms. The ceiling is elaborately -adorned with carved wreaths and roses, with vines, leaves, trees, and -fruits. Everywhere the chisel has left undeniable evidence of the -sculptor’s skill. The outside door is usually closed by a large flat, -circular stone, which looks much like a wheel, or a block sawn off of -the end of a log. Before entering, we have to “roll the stone away from -the door of the Sepulchre.” - -Let us now return to the Pool of Siloam, and walk up the other ravine, -which is known as the _Valley of Hinnom_. Of this valley, Doctor -Geikie, who is always a safe man to quote from, says: “Israelites once -offered their children to Moloch, and these very rocks on each side -have echoed the screams of the innocent victims, and reverberated -with the chants and drums of the priests, raised to drown the cries -of agony. It is well called the Valley of Hinnom—‘the Valley of the -Groans of the Children:’ a name which perpetrates the horror once -excited by the scenes it witnessed; especially, it would seem, in -this lower part. Here, under Ahaz, Manasseh, and Amon, the hideous -ox-headed human figure of Moloch—the summer sun in his glowing and -withering might—was raised in brass and copper, with extended arms, -on which were laid, helplessly bound, the children given up by their -parents ‘to pass through the fire’ to him; a heated furnace behind the -idol sending its flames through the hollow limbs, till the innocents -writhed off into a burning fire beneath. Ahaz and Manasseh had set a -royal example in this horrible travesty of worship, by burning alive -some of their own children; and what kings did commoners would be -ready to copy. In later times the very words Ge-Hinnom—‘the Valley -of Hinnom’—slightly changed into Gehenna, became the common name -for hell. The destruction of Assyria is pictured by Isaiah as a huge -funeral pile, ‘deep and large,’ with ‘much wood,’ ‘prepared for the -king,’ and kindled by the breath of Jehovah, as if by ‘a stream of -brimstone.’ Jeremiah speaks of ‘high places’ in this valley, as if -children had been burned on different altars; and he can think of no -more vivid image of the curse impending over Jerusalem than that it -should become an abomination before God, like this accursed place.” - -In this same valley are two pools, known as the Upper and Lower Pools -of Gihon. The lower and larger of the two is near the southwest corner -of the city. This immense reservoir is, approximately, 600 feet long, -160 feet broad, and 40 feet deep. It has a capacity for 19,000,000 -gallons. The other pool is about three hundred yards farther up the -valley. It, also, is very large, but not so capacious as the lower one. -From this Upper Pool of Gihon, water is conveyed through an aqueduct to -the different pools in the city, of which there are quite a number. - -[Illustration: BURIAL OF CHRIST.] - -Standing on the city wall just above the Damascus gate, and looking -directly north, we see, about two hundred yards away, a mount rising up -somewhat higher than we are. It looks like the upturned face of a man. -We see first the chin, then the eyeless sockets, and then the forehead -beyond. It is Golgotha, the place of a skull. Here is where the world’s -greatest tragedy occurred. No mark is left to show where the cross -stood; yet Calvary has become the centre of the world’s thought. - -Some two hundred and fifty yards west of Calvary, there are some tombs -cut in the solid rock. One of these has been pointed out by Captain -Conder as the probable one in which our blessed Lord lay for three days -and nights. When we remember that Captain Conder is a scientist of a -high order, that he has been in Palestine twenty years, sometimes with -twenty and sometimes with forty men with and under him, searching out -ancient names, places, and history, we must acknowledge that he is good -authority on these subjects. Of this tomb, he says: “It would be bold -to hazard the suggestion that the single Jewish sepulchre thus found, -which dates from about the time of Christ, is indeed the tomb in the -garden, nigh unto the place called Golgotha, which belonged to the -rich Joseph of Arimathaea. Yet its appearance, so near the old place -of execution, and so far from the other old cemeteries of the city, is -extremely remarkable.” - -I believe God has wisely and purposely hidden these places from His -children. He knows our imperfections. He knows we would make too much -of crosses and tombs. He wants us to think more of Him who died on the -cross, and rose from the tomb, who ascended on high, sat down at the -right hand of the Father, and ever liveth to make intercession for us. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - -EGYPT. - - Jaffa—Its History and its Orange Orchard—On the Mediterranean—Port - Said—Suez Canal—The Red Sea—Pharaoh and his Host Swallowed - Up—From Suez to Cairo—Arabian Nights—Egyptian Museum—Royal - Mummies—A Look at Pharaoh—A Mummy 5,700 Years Old—A Talk with - the King—Christmas-Day and a Generous Rivalry—Donkey-Boys of - Cairo—Wolves around a Helpless Lamb—Johnson on his Knees—Yankee - Doodle—The Nile—The Prince of Wales—Pyramid in the Distance—Face - to Face with the Pyramid of Cheops—Ascending the Pyramid—Going in - it—Johnson Cries for Help—The Sphinx, and what it is Thinking about. - - -JAFFA, “the high,” or “the beautiful,” situated on the Mediterranean, -forty-two miles from Jerusalem, is the principal seaport in Palestine. -It has always been a favorite shipping point. From here, Jonah started -on that famous voyage that ended on the inside of a whale. Not until -the time of the Maccabees, second century before Christ, did Jaffa, -ancient Joppa, fall into the hands of the Jews. Soon, however, it was -wrenched from them by the Romans. Augustus returned it to them. “Since -then,” Doctor Geikie remarks, “its fortunes have been various; now -Roman, next Saracen, next under the Crusaders, then under the Mamelukes -of Egypt, and next under the Turks, to whom, to its misfortune, it -still belongs.” - -It was here that Napoleon I. had several thousand Arab prisoners -of war shot. The great chieftain has been severely censured for -this “cold-blooded murder.” I am not sure, however, but that his -“cold-blooded” critics are as heartless in stabbing him with the pen, -as he was in ordering those Arabs executed. He was thousands of miles -from home. He had no provisions to feed, and no men to guard, the -prisoners. To turn them loose was to strengthen the enemy, who already -outnumbered him ten to one. In the name of Mars, I ask, what else could -Napoleon do? - -While in Joppa, staying with one Simon a tanner, who lived by the -seaside, Peter went upon the housetop and, in a vision, saw a sheet -let down from Heaven, filled with all manner of four footed beasts. -There is to-day in Jaffa a tannery, by the seaside. The stone vats are -exceedingly old. The most pleasant place in Jaffa is on the housetops. -Standing upon the flat roof of the house in the tan-yard, I easily -throw pebbles into the Sea. - -Jaffa is worthy of her name. Situated in the midst of an extensive -orange orchard, which slopes at first steeply, and then gently, up -from the water’s edge, she may well be called, “The Beautiful.” I have -eaten oranges in different countries, but nowhere have I found them -so delicately and deliciously flavored as here in Jaffa. The orchard -stretches itself along the seashore for two miles, or more, and extends -about the same distance back towards the hill-country. Not oranges -only, but figs, dates, pomegranates, pears, peaches, bananas, apricots -and other tropical fruits flourish about Jaffa. This is a great summer -resort for the people of Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem. And why -should it not be? The sea breeze is refreshing, the foliage of the -orange trees is always green, and the blossoms always fragrant. The -ten thousand people who live in Jaffa walk through filthy streets, and -live in sorry houses, many of them in miserable huts. They are not, -however, so poverty-stricken as are their kinsmen in other portions of -the country, for the showers of golden fruit are constantly bringing -streams of golden coin into the Beautiful City. - -[Illustration: THE CASTLE OF DAVID AND JAFFA GATE.] - -With pockets full of oranges, and hearts full of gratitude that God -has graciously permitted us to traverse the Holy Land from Dan to -Beersheba, and from the river to the Great Sea, we take shipping at -Jaffa for the land of the Pharaohs. The voyage is rendered thoroughly -uncomfortable because of a cargo of sheep. The helpless creatures -are crowded together almost as if they were cut up and salted down -as mutton. During a rough sea, they are so shaken up and jostled -together that they, like Peter’s wife’s mother, lie sick of a fever. -The fumes arising from these fevered victims have a most distressing -effect upon the passengers. But for the sea breeze, we should all go -crazy, or should ourselves die of the fever. Night brings no sleep to -our pillows, no relief to our throbbing temples. I feel that I would -almost be glad to be thrown overboard, like Jonah, and trust to some -passing whale to carry me ashore. It is therefore with great pleasure -that we step off of this sheep-cursed ship on Egyptian soil, in Port -Said, at the mouth of the Suez Canal. Port Said, which now has five to -eight thousand inhabitants, has been built since the opening of the -Suez Canal which, as the reader knows, connects the Mediterranean and -Red seas. It is, perhaps, according to its length, the most important -stream or “connecting body” of water in the world. - -Leaving Port Said on a steamer, I soon find myself gliding through this -Canal, whose construction is regarded as one of the grandest triumphs -of modern science. Great banks of sand rise on either side, and the -blue sky stretches above our merchant ship. We are constantly passing -large merchant ships going to south Africa and to India, and meeting -others coming from there. Every few hundred yards, we see a dredging -machine at work deepening and widening the Canal. The desert sands are -ever encroaching upon it. I believe it will finally have to be walled -up with rock. The Suez Canal was opened, more than twenty years ago, in -the presence of representatives of nearly every civilized government. -It is 110 miles long, 26 feet deep, 72 feet wide at the bottom, and 140 -feet at the top, and was constructed at a cost of almost one hundred -million dollars. “The great advantage of the Canal,” says the _London -Times_, “is, of course, the decrease of the distance to be traveled -between Europe and India; for, while it is about 11,200 miles from -London or Hamburg, by the Cape of Good Hope, to Bombay, by the Suez -it is only 6,332. This reduces the voyage by twenty-four days. From -Marseilles or Genoa, a saving of thirty days is effected, and from -Trieste thirty-seven.” The rates at which steamers are allowed to pass -is from five to six miles per hour. - -While the French furnished the brains and the money for the -construction of the Canal, it is at present chiefly owned by Great -Britain, Disraeli having bought up a great part of the stock, when -considerably below par, for 4,000,000 pounds. Since that time, -however, the value has increased to nearly 11,000,000 pounds. It -was, therefore, a paying investment. Out of every one hundred vessels -passing this way, seventy-five of them belong to England. The Canal is -jealously guarded by English forts and English men-of-war. The British -Lion has laid his paw upon Egypt, and ere long a change will come over -the spirit of somebody’s dreams. - -Passing through the land of Goshen, where Israel dwelt, then through -a series of lakes, and finally by the town of Suez, we enter the Red -Sea. There is more life in or on this sea than around its waters. -Nevertheless, it is of surpassing interest to the students of sacred -and profane history. The place where Moses led the children of Israel -across the sea can not be determined with certainty. The authorities -are about equally divided between each of two places. Pharaoh and his -host were swallowed up by the sea, and no one has ever thought enough -of them even to fish for their chariot wheels. A thinking man, with -a devout heart in him, trembles as he stands upon the shore of this -sea, and reads the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Exodus, and -especially when in the vicinity of Mount Sinai he reads the nineteenth -and twentieth chapters. - -Returning to Suez, we find a rude contrivance, by courtesy called a -train, which makes occasional trips to Cairo. It is by all odds the -most uncomfortable “clap-trap” I have ever been in. It is constructed -much after the order of our cattle-cars. During the trip, we encounter -a sand storm and are almost suffocated. I suppose, however, I should do -like other folk, and praise the bridge that brings me over safely. - -At all events, I am now in Egypt, the oldest country in the world, the -cradle of civilization. It is here that the god of thought first waved -his enchanted wand, and separated intellectual light from the long -night of ignorance. I am in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and, next to -Damascus, the most exclusively Oriental city in the Levant. It is still -the city of “Arabian Nights.” It is as Eastern and as odd now as when -“Raselas” roamed through its streets. I should like to describe Cairo, -with its mosques and minarets, with its flower gardens and palm groves, -with its narrow streets and curious bazaars, thronged and crowded with -a moving mass of turbaned men and veiled women. - -I should like especially to speak of my trip up the Nile, of my visits -to the place where it is said Pharaoh’s daughter “came down to wash -herself in the river,” and found Moses in the ark of bulrushes (Ex. -XI: 1-10), to the Virgin’s tree, in the ward where it is claimed that -Joseph and Mary lived during their stay in Egypt, to the petrified -forests, and to other places of interest; but Time, that restless, -sleepless, ever-watchful tyrant, forbids. If I were Joshua, I would -command the sun to stand still while I finish this chapter. As that is -impossible, I will do the next best thing—turn my watch back half an -hour, and write on. - -[Illustration: NUBIAN.] - -Peculiar interest attaches to the museum of this place, because of its -mummies. The old Egyptians could not paint a beautiful picture, or -chisel a graceful statue, but they certainly knew how to embalm and -preserve the human body. Let us pass by the “common dead,” and go at -once into the Hall of Royal Mummies. Here we find the almost perfectly -preserved bodies of twelve or fifteen of Egypt’s kings. Among them is -the mummy of Rameses II., the Pharaoh who ruled at the time when Moses -was born. All these mummies are, of course, in air tight glass cases, -but are plainly visible. Rameses II. was a man of powerful physique, a -small head which is full in front, heavy features and hard. Albeit, his -face betokens strength of character and an iron will. There is a far -away, dreamy appearance playing over his countenance. He looks as if he -is thinking about the past. We will not disturb his peaceful slumbers. -We come next into the presence of His Royal Highness, King So Karimsap, -who is thus labelled: “This is the oldest known mummy and is probably -5,700 years old.” As the king has rather a pleasant and familiar -looking face, I presume to speak to him. I say: - -“If your Royal Highness will have the goodness to excuse a stranger, I -should like to ask you a few questions.” - -“Quite excusable, sir, proceed,” is the fancied reply. - -Question. “While ruling Egypt of old, you were much honored and revered -by your subjects. Why, then, did you decide to change your mode of -existence?” - -Reply— - - “The boast of Heraldry, the pomp of Pow’r, - And all that Beauty, all that Wealth e’er gave, - Await, alike, th’ inevitable hour; - The paths of Glory lead but to the grave.” - -“Do you receive the same reverence and homage now as when you occupied -the throne of Egypt?” - -“No; in the world of departed spirits, where I now dwell, there is no -difference between prince and peasant.” - -“What! Did not your title and regal attire secure you a seat of honor?” - -“Ah! no. Purple robes and jeweled crowns are no passport to honor here. -The robe of Christ’s righteousness is the only garment that admits one -into the presence of the pure.” - -“But is the robe of righteousness you speak of a sure guarantee of -Divine favor?” - -“Never yet has it failed. In your world, a man may live in poverty and -die in distress; yet, when he comes into this world with that spotless -garment on, all the fiends of hell shrink back in horror at his -approach, and all the angels of Heaven greet him with shouts of joy and -anthems of praise. The Master places a crown of gold on his brow, and -silver slippers on his feet.” - -“But I see you have great riches in your coffin with you; could you not -bribe the doorkeeper, and buy your way in?” - -“Your questions mock me. What were my paltry sum to Him who holds the -world in His hands. My advice to you is to seek first the kingdom of -God and His righteousness; to seek peace and pursue it; to buy the -truth and sell it not. These will be worth more to you than wealth and -titles of honor and power and dominion all combined. I would rather be -a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ than wear the brightest diadem -that ever graced a monarch’s brow, and know Him not.” - -Thanking the king for his kindness, and his words of wisdom, I bow -myself out of his presence. The people here talk of “King So Karimsap” -as though he had lived yesterday, when the truth is his light of life -went out more than fifty centuries before we were born! It is said -that “the railroads in Egypt use mummies for fuel; and on wet days the -engineers are heard frequently to cry out?: ‘These plebeians won’t burn -worth a cent; hand me out a king!’ On express trains, it is claimed, -they use nothing but kings.” - -Christmas morning I am up before the lamps of night are dimmed by the -rising god of day. There seems to be a rivalry among the stella host, -each trying to outshine its neighbor. Each star twinkles and smiles -and laughs and pours a flood of glory down. I never saw anything like -it—there is less of earth than of Heaven in the scene. I say “Surely, -these are creatures singing the praise of their Master—of Him whose -birthday they fain would celebrate.” While yet these balls of fire -gleam bright from the blue sky above, Johnson and I are in the saddle -on our way to the Pyramids. Yes, in the saddle. In Cairo, saddles are -street-cars. Egyptian boys, each with a fresh-barbered donkey, bridled -and saddled, throng the streets. The moment a traveler steps on the -sidewalk, he is doomed. These boys leading their donkeys, crowd around -him like hungry wolves around a helpless lamb. He can not get away. The -boys are irresistible. They take hold of you, and throw you into the -saddle, and instantly the donkey moves off. Then all the boys throw up -their caps and halloo, except the one whose donkey you are on. He, of -course, follows you, one hand grasping the donkey’s tail and the other -clutching a stick. The tail is used as a rudder to guide the animal, -and the stick as an argument to persuade him to quicken his already -flying steps. Every one rides as if he were carrying the mail. Indeed, -he can not help it. The donkey is running for life—he must move, or be -brained on the spot. All persons give way for the coming donkey as if -he were a steam engine. - -[Illustration: DONKEY BOYS OF CAIRO, EGYPT.] - -Christmas Eve was our first experience. We had gotten here the night -before. I had heard of the donkey boys, but had forgotten all about -them. Well, as soon as we stepped on the streets, “they came, they saw, -they conquered!” They capture Johnson first. In five minutes, they had -him on a zebra-looking ass, and were rushing him down Palm Avenue at a -two-forty pace. I was bringing up the rear, but the zebra was all the -time gaining on me. I would, probably, soon have been left far behind, -if things had moved on smoothly. But Johnson’s “flying Dutchman” -fell—he spilt his rider on one side of the street, and he took the -other. When I rode up, the boy was trying to bring the donkey to by -twisting his tail. Johnson was on his knees—not at prayer—and his hat -was gone. In five minutes more, we were on our way again. We reached -the American Consul’s office in due time, and without any broken bones. -On our way back, “Yankee Doodle” stumbled, and I fell straddle of his -neck; but on he rushed, faster than before. In vain I struggled to -get back to the saddle. All other efforts having failed, I, in order -to regain my position, placed my feet on the embankments rising up on -either side of the rock-hewn path. With my feet upon these embankments, -I lifted myself up for a moment, expecting at the right time to sit -down in the saddle. But the donkey was too quick for me; when I sat -down on him he was not there. A moment later found my head in the -ditch, and my heels in the air. We called at the drug store, and got -some salve—Johnson is better now. - -[Illustration: THE PYRAMID AND SPHYNX.] - -Well, as I was going on to say, we get an early start to the Pyramids. -We meet hundreds of camels coming off of the great desert, and donkeys -without number going into market, laden with hay and clover, fish, -fuel and vegetables. Where we cross the Nile, both banks are lined with -tall, majestic palm trees, the finest I have ever seen. The rising sun -throws the palm shadows on the river’s broad bosom. The shadows sink -into the blue depths below; we see two palm groves standing end to -end—one above, and one below the water. - -Now, leaving the Nile, and turning directly west, we travel along a -road that was constructed a few years ago by the Khedive for the use of -the Prince of Wales and party. Unfortunately, I am not informed whether -the Prince made this trip on a donkey or not. I know this, however, -whether he walked, rode an ass, or was driven in a carriage of state, -he enjoyed the Pyramids not one whit more than I do. I can not help -enjoying them. They are already looming up before me, clearly outlined -against the sky. At first, they seem to swim in a sea of mirage that -rises up from the surrounding country—they are composed of such stuff -as dreams are made of. But, as I come nearer, that airy nothingness -assumes definite shape, and takes on colossal proportions. At last I -stand face to face with a Miracle in Stone, the only remaining one of -the seven wonders of the ancient world. It is at once the most massive -and mysterious, the most towering and majestic, the oldest, and yet the -most enduring, of all the works of man. It bursts upon me, at once, in -all the “flower of its highest perfection.” I go “back down the stream -of time,” and breathe the atmosphere of five thousand years ago. I -see, in my imagination, thousands and thousands of human slaves, deep -down in the bowels of some far off mountain, blasting these stones. -I see them piling the stones upon rough barges, and floating them a -thousand miles down yonder Nile. I see them out here on the desert, -clearing away a thirteen-acre base, on which to erect a hand-made -mountain. On this thirteen-acre foundation, I see the Pyramid rise, -block after block, course upon course, up, and still up, it goes. These -blocks of rock, one of which it takes on an average two hundred men -to raise the eighth of an inch from the ground, are lifted high up in -the air and swung into their destined places with an exactness that -varies not the fraction of an inch. Yes, here is the Pyramid, with its -broad base, sloping sides, and cloud-piercing summit; but who were its -builders? and where are they? Echo answers, “who? where?” - -“Forty centuries look down upon us from the Pyramids,” and speak -to us in trumpet tones of the folly of human ambition. Think of -the straining, the suffering and the sorrowing, that those foolish -Pyramid-builders caused, in order to have their bodies preserved, and -their memories perpetuated. Their work still stands, but long ago their -very bones have been ground into powder, and even their names are -unknown to man. - -The Great Pyramid is 730 feet square at the base, and is 460 feet high. -“The usual process in Egyptian Pyramid building seems to have been to -start with an upright column, or needle, of rock, and enclose it in a -series of steps formed of huge blocks of stone. Fresh series of steps -were added to the outside, till the requisite dimensions were obtained. -Then the steps were filled up with smooth polished stones, covered with -sculpture and inscriptions.” Deep down in the Pyramids were left open -chambers and passages, as the burial places of the illustrious builder -and his family. Of course, these interior chambers were closed and -hermetically sealed. From the Great Pyramid, or the Pyramid of Cheops, -the outer polished stones have been removed, so now there remains a -series of colossal steps, up which some visitors climb to the top. - -To ascend the Pyramid, one must pay a fee to the Sheik, who furnishes -him with two strong Arabs—some travelers require four—to assist him -up. It would be both difficult and dangerous to attempt the ascent -alone. The steps are often five feet high. There is no chance to catch -a hand hold, and you have only twelve, and sometimes six, inches to -stand on while you struggle to get up. We had two assistants each, yet -Johnson came very near falling. I was amused, and excited, too, when I -heard him cry out to the Arabs, “Hold me! _hold me!_” - -At the top of the Pyramid, there is a level platform, about thirty feet -square, from which one gets a fine view of the surrounding country. -Looking eastward, I can trace the majestic Nile, in its onward sweep -toward the ocean, and its fertile valley, once the granary of the -world. Turning toward the setting sun, I look out for miles and miles -over the arid desert. Not a living thing do I see, but a caravan of -camels, those ships of the desert, just starting out on their long -journey. After descending almost to the ground, we have then to slide -on our stomachs up an inclined plane, on the inside of the Pyramid in -order to reach the interior chamber, which was long ago robbed of its -mummied kings. - -A few hundred yards from the Pyramid of Cheops stands the colossal -Sphynx, which, if possible, is a greater wonder than the Pyramid -itself. The Sphynx is a huge lion with a human head. It is therefore -an emblematic sovereign, combining the greatest earthly wisdom with -the greatest possible strength. I said the Sphynx is colossal. Look -at it and see for yourself. Its paws are fifty feet, and its body one -hundred and forty feet in length. Its massive head is of proportionate -size. This image is hewn out of solid stone, and stands out before us -in giant-like proportions. And yet it is so graceful and symmetrical, -withal, that we half-way forget its size. We are wondering why it does -not move and walk, why we can not see it breathe and roll its eyes. If -God would only touch the Sphynx, it would instantly become a living -creature! Its countenance has been described as wearing “an expression -of the softest beauty and most winning grace.” This, however, must -have been in the days of its youth. At present, it has a furrowed brow -and wrinkled. Its eyes are deep back in its head, and its jaws are -firmly set. It wears a pensive, thoughtful look. - -I speak to the Sphynx, but, paying no attention, it stands “staring -right on, with calm eternal eyes.” As an old man in his dotage, forgets -all that took place during the days of his strength and manly glory, -and thinks only of those things which occurred in early life, so this -Sphynx stands, with memory stretching like rainbow from old age to -childhood. It is thinking about the confusion of tongues that took -place around the tower of Babel; about the morning when the city of -Damascus was laid out by Uz, the great-grandson of Noah; about the day -when God appeared to Abraham, and told him to leave the land of Ur and -go into the land of Canaan. It is thinking about the time when Joseph -ruled Egypt; when Moses was found in the ark of bulrushes, on the bosom -of yonder Nile; when Pharaoh was swallowed up by the Red Sea. In middle -life, this “eternal statue” saw Troy fall and Athens rise. In old age, -it saw Rome flourish, fade and fall. - -Standing side by side, are the Sphynx and the Pyramids, both huge in -dimensions, both graceful in appearance, both impressive to behold, -both “ancient as the sun,” and both I believe, will be among the last -earthly objects to yield to the “wasting tooth of Time.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - -A BURIED CITY—POMPEII. - - Long Shut Out of Civilization—Four Days in Gehenna—Paul’s - Experience Co-Incides with Ours—Dead—Buried—A Stone Against - the Door—Raised from the Grave—Under an Italian Sky—“See - Naples and Die”—Off for the City of the Dead—Knocking for - Entrance—Earthquake—Re-Built—Location of the City—Boasted - Perfection—City Destroyed by a Volcano—Vivid Description by an - Eye-Witness—Rich Field for Excavation—What Has been Found—Returns - to Get Gold—Poetical Inspiration—Pompeii at Present—Mistaken - Dedication. - - -FOR some months past I have been breathing the atmosphere of Asia and -Africa. While there I was completely shut out from civilization. I -have not received a paper or the scratch of a pen from any one in many -weeks. I must have a letter soon, if I have to write it myself. - -Since leaving Egypt I have been four days on the Mediterranean—I had -almost said “four days in Gehenna.” I flattered myself that I was -a moderately good sailor, but this time I lost my sea legs in half -an hour after going on board the steamer, nor did I discover their -whereabouts until twelve hours after landing. I thought of Paul’s -experience when making a similar voyage. In Acts 27:6 we are told that -Paul was put in a ship “sailing from Alexandria to Italy.” So was I. -Paul’s vessel was struck with a “tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon,” -and was “exceedingly tossed with a tempest.” So was mine. Paul sailed -close by the islands of Crete and Clauda. So did I. I was sea-sick—so -was Paul, I suppose. Indeed it was a voyage long to be remembered. I am -a splendid sailor—on land—but I can not navigate a “tempestuous sea.” - -Europe again! I feel as one who has been keeping company with the dead, -and has now been raised from the grave and brought back to the land -of the living. Verily, the people of Asia and Africa are dead—dead -spiritually, dead in trespasses and sin, dead to literature and -learning, dead to the progress the world is making. Not only dead, but -buried—buried in conceit, in selfishness, in filth and ignorance. -Yes, these people are dead and buried in a sepulchre, and against the -door of that sepulchre Poverty has placed a stone which naught but the -angels of God can remove. Come, O winged angel, come quickly. Roll -away this stone, that these benighted people may be raised up to the -nineteenth century and to God! - -I am now on Italian soil in Naples, under a soft Italian sky, and God’s -bright and cheerful sunshine, streaming through my window, is falling -in golden ringlets upon the floor. Naples boasts 1,000,000 inhabitants, -and possesses many charms for the traveler. In approaching the city -from the bay the scene is peculiarly striking. It was perhaps this -charming picture that gave rise to the saying: “See Naples and die.” - -[Illustration: STREET OF CORNELIUS RUFUS, POMPEII.] - -A fine day this to visit Pompeii, which is only fifteen miles away. It -is situated on a narrow table-land which on one side slopes gently down -to the bay, and on the other side rises up steeply to the crest of Mt. -Vesuvius. We go by train. In half an hour after leaving Naples, we hear -the conductor shouting: “Pompeii! Pompeii!!” Fifteen minutes later we -are standing before “Porta della Marina,” knocking for entrance. - -While waiting for the keeper to open the gate, let me relate as briefly -as possible the history of this “City of the Dead,” as Sir Walter Scott -calls Pompeii. This city (pro. Pom-_pay_-ee) was in a flourishing -condition hundreds of years before the Christian era. It was founded -by the Oscans, but soon fell under Greek influence and civilization. -The Greeks, in turn, were subdued by the strong hand of the Caesars and -Pompeii became a Roman town. - -In A. D. 63, there came an earthquake and a slight eruption of -Vesuvius, which together destroyed the greater part of the city. As -soon, however, as the earth ceased to tremble, and the mountain to -smoke, the work of re-construction began. As in Chicago, after the -great fire, the debris was removed, the city was enlarged, the streets -were laid out with greater care and more regularity than before. -Streams of gold now flowed in from every direction. The magician waved -his wand, and lo! from the wreck and ruin of the past, there rose a -city of palatial residences and marble temples. Art flourished. Every -wall was pictured, every niche held a statue, every column was wreathed -with a garland of sculptured roses. Fountains played, monuments arose -in honor of Augustus and Nero, triumphal arches were flung across the -principal entrances to the city, the marble forms of mythological gods -filled the public squares and stood at every street corner. On the -fifteenth page of “The Last Days of Pompeii” the author says: “Pompeii -was the miniature of the civilization of that age. Within the narrow -compass of its walks was contained, as it were, a specimen of every -gift which Luxury offered to Power. In its minute but glittering shops, -its tiny palaces, its baths, its forum, its theater, its circus, in the -energy yet corruption, in the refinement yet the vice of its people, -you beheld a model of the whole empire. It was a toy, a play thing, a -show-box, in which the gods seemed pleased to keep the representation -of the great monarchy of Earth, and which they afterward hid from Time -to give to the wonder of Posterity!” - -This “miniature city,” rising from the midst of a luxuriant vineyard, -stood on a beautiful table land and was girt around with a strong wall. -Back behind the city, and close at hand, rose the awful form of that -sleeping volcano. The ambitious vine had climbed up and spread its -fruitful branches over the crater itself. Purple clusters of luscious -fruit silently slept in the sunshine, high aloft on the mountain side. -Just below the city, in front and to the south, was the glassy Bay of -Naples covered with vessels of commerce, and gilded galleys of the -rich. All in all, Pompeii and its surroundings formed one of the most -pleasing pictures that ever greeted the human eye. - -Pompeii had just reached its boasted perfection when, on the 24th of -August, A. D. 79, fifty years after the Crucifixion, it was destroyed -by Vesuvius. Pliny, whose mother was among those buried alive, wrote -two letters to his friend, the historian Tacitus, in which letters -he gives a graphic description of this fearful scene. He speaks of -“the premonitory earthquakes, day turned into night the extraordinary -agitation of the sea, the dense clouds overhanging the land and sea, -and riven by incessant flashes of lightning, the emission of fire -and ashes, the descent of streams of lava, and the universal terror -of men, who believed the end of the world had arrived.” At the time -of the eruption many of the houses were closed; hence they were not -filled, but simply surrounded by and covered with ashes. This of course -excluded all air. Thus many houses were hermetically sealed, as was -also the city itself. Of the 30,000 souls dwelling in Pompeii, 2,000 or -more perished with the city. Pompeii, being built entirely of stone, -marble and granite did not burn, but was simply buried beneath this -incumbent mass. For 1,700 years it was wrapped in ashes and hid from -the face of the earth. For centuries its very site was unknown, and -even its name forgotten. “But earth, with faithful watch, has hoarded -all,” and during the last few years much of the buried city has been -unearthed and brought to light. - -What a rich field for excavation! It has proved an inexhaustible -store-house of wealth, and a perfect treasury of art. Great quantities -of gold and silver coins and jewelry, frescoes, pictures, statuary, -household furniture, and cooking utensils, have been found; also -several large loaves of bread in a perfect state of preservation, and -jars of pickled olives. How strange to have one’s appetite tempted by -articles of food that were prepared for those who lived 1,700 years ago! - -Many dogs and horses, and not less than three to four hundred human -bodies, have been discovered. Eighteen bodies were in one room. You see -to-day the contortions their bodies were in, and the expression their -countenances wore, at the moment of death. Their tangled and disheveled -hair is clotted with ashes. In the excitement and confusion of that -awful hour, the terror-stricken inhabitants of the doomed city ran to -and fro through the streets, calling upon their gods for safety and -deliverance. They were over-powered by the falling shower of ashes and -cinders. They threw themselves upon the ground, their faces upon their -arms. At this moment, the sluggish stream of wet ashes which poured -forth from Vesuvius passed over them. Many no doubt welcomed death. For -seventeen centuries their quiet slumbers were undisturbed. - -One man was found with ten pieces of gold in one hand, and a large key -in the other. Gold, however, was no bribe to the fiery fiend. But for -that gold, the owner might have escaped; but no, he must return to get -it. He would not leave it. Hence he did not leave at all. I know many -men who are acting as foolishly to-day, as this citizen of Pompeii -did ages ago. Many a man says: “I will make my fortune; I will get -my gold first, and then look to my soul’s welfare.” O reader, the day -of judgment is at hand! “Flee from the wrath to come;” “flee for thy -life.” “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” and then -get your gold. - -Some of these bodies are adorned now as on the day of death, with rings -and bracelets and necklaces. - -The most poetical thing, perhaps, that Pompeii has yielded to modern -research is two bodies, male and female, who died in each other’s arms. -Let us imagine these persons in the spring-time of life, with the dew -of youth still fresh upon their brows; that the girl was beautiful and -accomplished, the man strong and true and brave; that their hearts had -been touched by Love’s magic wand, and made one; that when on that -August day darkness came, when the earth shook, and the volcano poured -forth molten streams of fire and consternation, he could have escaped, -but he would not go without her. He sought her and she sought him. But -when they found each other she was weak and exhausted and could go no -farther. She said: “Go, loved one; go save, save thyself!” He replied: -“Leave thee, never! Let the thunder roar and the lightnings flash; let -the earth reel and the mountains pour forth their fiery streams of -death; I die with you rather than live without you!” So saying, they -embraced each other and perished. That embrace is still unbroken. - -As I gaze upon the bodies of these faithful lovers, I fancy, for the -time, that I am a poet with the harp of Apollo in my hand. Heavenly -breezes sweep across the strings of that golden lyre, and wake for me a -song which, for pathos and sweetness, rivals the minstrelsy of angels. - -At present Pompeii is protected by the same wall that surrounded it -when Christ was born in Bethlehem. The city is laid bare. Every thing -is clean and neat. The streets are narrow, but straight and well paved -with broad flags of lava. These stone-like pavements are worn in some -places eight or ten inches deep by the chariot wheels that used to -thunder along these busy streets. - -All houses of Pompeii are now roofless, though otherwise most of them -are perfectly preserved. They are usually one story high. The walls -were, and are still, covered with beautiful frescoes. Mythology was -a favorite subject for the painter—everywhere we see pictures of -Minerva, Apollo, Jupiter, Bacchus, and Hercules performing his twelve -labors. The floors, clean as any parlor, are inlaid with rich mosaics, -representing historical events, gladitorial contests, etc. - -As one walks the streets of Pompeii on a moonlight night, the ghost of -the past rises up before him. He has read in history about the luxury, -pomp, and splendor of ancient Rome, but here he sees a Roman city as -it was in the golden days of Nero. One who has a vivid imagination, -can stand here at night and easily people these palaces, streets, -and theatres with the pleasure-loving Romans of 2,000 years ago. Ah, -how they thronged these streets! How eagerly they crowded into the -amphitheatre to see the gladiators measure swords with each other; to -see men pitted against ferocious lions and tigers, against wild bulls -and boars! - -When their city was finished and the wall around it completed, the -Pompeiians decided that they needed a protector. Finally the honor was -accorded to Minerva. Accordingly a huge and magnificent marble statue -of this Goddess was prepared and erected near Porta della Marina—the -Marine Gate—the principal entrance to the city. This faultless statue -was itself about twelve feet high, and stood upon a pedestal of equal -altitude. In her left hand the Goddess held a shield, her right -grasped a spear, while her brow was graced with the victor’s wreath. -The appointed day came. The people assembled around the statue, while -the best orators of Rome and the world pronounced glowing eulogies -upon the new city and the wise Goddess. Thus Pompeii was dedicated and -formally turned over to Minerva for her protection. And protect it -she did as long as it needed no protection. But wait until that fatal -night. The protector was then insensible to the trembling earth, deaf -to the pealing thunder, blind to the flashing lightning that wreathed -her brow. She heard not the cries of her terror-stricken people. She -raised not her shield nor lifted her spear to stay the calamity. The -heavens darkened, the ocean heaved, the mountain reeled, cataracts of -fire came leaping down the steeps and rolling on towards the city. Yet -there stood Minerva blind, dumb, mute, and motionless, able to protect -neither herself nor the city! - -If the Pompeiians had dedicated their city to the Great I Am, who -“guides His people with His eye,” and whose “ear is ever open to their -cries,” its history might have been different. Now reader, allow the -author to suggest that you dedicate your life, not to the blind goddess -of wealth or of fashion, but to that God who is “a very present help in -every time of need”—to that God who delivered Peter from prison, and -rescued Daniel from the lion’s den. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - -VESUVIUS IN ACTION—AS IT LOOKS BY DAY AND BY NIGHT. - - As it Looks by Day and by Night—Leaving Naples—First Sight - of Vesuvius—Description—The Number of Volcanoes—Off to See - the Burning Mountain—A Nameless Horse—Respect for Age—Refuse - Portantina—Mountain of Shot—A Dweller in a Cave—A Slimy Serpent - for a Companion—Jets of Steam—Vulcan’s Forge—Exposed to a Horrible - Death—Upheavals of Lava—Showers of Fire—Fiery Fiends—Winged - Devils—Tongue of Fire—A Voice of Thunder. - - -ITALY, as the reader will remember, is in the shape of a boot, and you -find Mt. Vesuvius on the instep of that boot. - -Leaving Naples by train we skirt along the beautiful bay by the same -name and step off, as in the last chapter, at Pompeii, some fifteen -miles from the starting point. Mt. Vesuvius now lifts its majestic -form before us, and I am sure that if we should live to be as old -as Methuselah, we can never forget its awful, yet picturesque and -beautiful appearance. - -Take if you please a deep soup plate and turn it bottom upwards on your -table. Next get a tea-cup and turn that bottom upwards on the center of -the plate. Now imagine the table to be a broad, fertile field covered -with vines. Imagine the plate to be fifteen miles in circumference, and -that it swells from the plain and lifts itself up until the cup, rising -sharp-pointed like a huge pyramid, reaches to the height of 4,200 feet. -This is Mt. Vesuvius, and you must know that it is as black as charcoal -and rough as a tree that has been a thousand times struck by lightning. -It is hollow like a cup and is open at the top as the inverted cup -would be if the bottom were out. - -[Illustration: _THE GAST ART PRESS, N.Y._ - -MOUNT VESUVIUS IN ACTION.] - -As I stand gazing at Vesuvius, it is slowly emitting a huge volume of -white, sulphurous smoke or steam which rises straight like a mighty -shaft of marble for a thousand feet above the crater, then gracefully -curving, the column stretches itself across the glassy bay of Naples -for ten miles or more until finally it joins itself with the fleecy -clouds. What a picture it presents! There is the great city throbbing -with life; the silvery bay flecked with white-winged and smoke-plumed -vessels; there is the broad, fertile plain, covered with fruit-bearing -vineyards, and dotted here and there with small, rude and dilapidated -peasant villages; there are the black mountain and the white column -of steam, clearly outlined against the rich blue, Italian sky. Such -a scene, I am sure, could not fail to wake a song from the poet, or -inspire the artist to put forth his best endeavors. - -There are about 650 volcanoes in existence, but Dr. Hartwig says, “For -the naturalist’s researches, for the traveler’s curiosity and the -poet’s song, Etna and Vesuvius surpass in renown all other volcanic -regions in the world.” Knowing that Vesuvius is so noted, I am anxious -to observe the phenomena closely, and to do this I must cross the plain -and ascend the mountain. We can not go alone and it is too far to walk. -Securing our horses and a guide, we set out on the journey. - -[Illustration: CLIMBING MOUNT VESUVIUS.] - -Johnson’s horse is named Maccaroni; mine has no name; he had one -once, but has long ago worn it out. I am at a loss to know what to -name him. I can not conscientiously call him Baalbek, for he is not -a “magnificent” ruin. But I can with perfect propriety, and without -a sacrifice of principle, call him Pompeii, “an ancient ruin.” He -looks as if he might have been in the doomed city on that fatal day, -and as if he has not yet recovered from the ill effects of that day’s -experience. His teeth are out, his mane is gone, he has no tail. -His backbone is so much in the shape of a razor blade, that it has -split the saddle wide open, fore and aft. The two parts are roped -together, and carelessly thrown across the skeleton. This protects -me somewhat, and I would be moderately comfortable if the saddle did -not hang too far to the starboard side. Albeit I have great respect -for that horse—his age demands it. No horse can go higher than the -foot of the cone—the cup. Here dismounting, I am at once accosted by -a swarm of Italians who want to assist me up the cone. It takes four -of these swarthy athletes to carry one pilgrim up. They put him in -a “portantina,” a kind of chair made for the purpose. The four men, -taking this chair on their shoulders, begin the ascent, stopping quite -frequently to rest. Other assistants have straps or ropes, which they -put around the pilgrim just below the arms; then two men, each holding -one end of the rope, walk in front and thus draw their victim up. Many -Italians earn a livelihood in this way. I do not avail myself of their -proffered help—I can not bear to impose on good nature. - -Yes, I go alone, but I frankly confess it is hard work. The ascent is -very steep. In my schoolboy days I climbed many trees, tall, smooth -bodied and limbless, after young squirrels, grapes and chestnuts. Since -then I have climbed many mountains. I have climbed the Rocky Mountains. -I have climbed mountains in Mexico, in Virginia, West Virginia, Maine, -New Hampshire, Vermont and Canada. I have climbed mountains in England, -Ireland, Scotland and Wales; in Germany and France, in Switzerland and -Italy, in Austria and Hungary, in Servia and Roumania, in Bulgaria -and Slavonia, in Greece, Russia and Asia Minor, in Palestine, Syria -and Arabia. I have climbed the Pyramids of Egypt. But I have never -climbed anything that wearied me as does the ascent of Vesuvius. It is -like climbing a mountain of shot. I sink at each step half leg deep -in charcoal and ashes. I frequently stumble and fall. It is uphill -business. I am walking on snow and sniffing the mountain breeze, yet -the perspiration rolls off of me like rain—a light shower of course. - -By this time we come to where the footing is more firm and solid, -but the way not less trying and difficult. There are many narrow and -yawning crevices to cross, many deep openings to shun on the right -and left—some of them large enough to swallow a good-sized house. -Perchance it was one of these dark caverns wherein dwelt that lazy -hag, with a fox and a slimy serpent as her sole companions—I mean -that weird witch who cursed Glaucus and Ione and helped Arbaces, the -Egyptian, to work out his diabolical purposes. This part of the cone -is composed of black and hardened lava, hideously rough and jagged, -porous as honeycomb. Here and there small jets of smoke and hot steam, -some of them no larger than my thumb, others as large as my arm, or -twice as large, can be seen spouting from the crevices and openings. -We frequently stop and warm our feet at these “flues,” but the flames -are so strongly impregnated with sulphur that we can not stand it long -at a time. We are now within two hundred yards of the top. It looks -dangerous to go farther, but our guide says we have only to follow him, -and follow him we do. After scaling with great difficulty and some -danger the steep and rocky sides, we reach the crater’s brink and look -down into Vulcan’s Forge, into that deep and awful abyss from which -clouds of sulphurous vapors are rising as from the gates of perdition. -A strong wind blowing from the north drives the smoke and steam in the -opposite direction. This enables us to see better and induces us to -venture too near the edge. All at once the wind changes and suddenly -we are enveloped in dense fumes of sulphur. To retreat in the dark is -perilous—to remain long in this sulphur is death. I swallow some of -the steam which is so strong with sulphur that it instantly scalds -my throat and lungs. What can be done! Johnson and I have hold of -each other’s hands. I fall to the ground pulling him with me. Thus by -keeping our mouths close to the ground, we manage to get fresh air -enough to keep from being suffocated. When the wind shifts and the -smoke lifts, we lose no time in changing to a less dangerous place. -Some time ago a German was unfortunate enough to fall into this fearful -chasm. What an awful death! How thankful I am for God’s preserving care! - -By this time night has come, and as we stand in darkness, looking down -into this fearful abyss, we can see the lurid flames writhing and -leaping, casting up great quantities of glowing brimstone and red-hot -lava hundreds of feet into the air. The next moment the lava is falling -around us in showers of living fire. The pieces are of all shapes and -vary greatly in size. While some of them are no larger than a marble, -others are large as a saucer—perchance as large as a plate. - -Deep down below us we hear the boiling caldrons of lava grinding, -gurgling, growling. Now we hear the report of big guns and little -guns, of musketry and of cannon, as if the damned are bombarding each -other with the artillery of hell! Report chases report through the -subterranean caverns like deep thunder galloping after thunder. The -angry flames continue to leap and crackle. Occasionally the whole -crater, which looks like the veritable mouth of hell, glows with -intense brilliancy and glitters and sparkles with ten thousand points -of dazzling light. The volume of steam, or “the mighty column of -wreaths and curling heaps of lighted vapor,” continue to pour forth -with frightful rapidity. Every moment witnesses a new upheaval of -red-hot lava and consequently a fresh shower of fire. - -The guide now informs me (I did not know it before) that the night -is far spent, and yet there are other things to see. Going round on -the northeast side of the mountain and descending a few hundred yards -from the top, we come to a stream of red-hot lava—an actual river -of fire—bursting forth from the mountain side and flowing down into -the valley. It looks like a stream of melted iron slowly winding its -way adown the blackened mountain-side, bearing upon its heated bosom -great quantities of glowing brimstone and red-hot rocks. Ever and anon -the rocks in the stream dash against each other with such force as to -break themselves to pieces, then follow a slight explosion and blaze. -The angry flames like fiery fiends leap into the air and vanish. As -one stands enveloped in the blackness of the night, contemplating this -wonderful phenomenon—these flames, suddenly bursting and vanishing, -chasing each other in quick succession, look like the incessant flashes -of lurid lightning! Flame rises after flame, vanishing away in the -darkness like winged devils chasing each other! I am filled with -admiration, and at the same time struck with awe and chilled with fear. -I do not know at what moment the whole volcano may boil over and pour -forth a thousand cataracts of fire, as in 1872. I feel that I want to -go, that I must go, yet I can not leave. I go a few paces and stop, -looking first at the glowing column above me, then at the winding, -fiery stream below. - -I have seen many mountains, some of them rising to heaven, covered -with snow, and at night crowned with stars; but never before have I -seen one smoke-plumed and wreathed with flame, one belching forth -fire and brimstone, one whose iron-belted sides poured forth a river -of fire—a moving flood of flame. But why continue? Why describe the -indescribable? For, reader, I assure you that unless I, like Vesuvius, -had a tongue of fire and a voice of thunder, unless words were gems -that would flame and flash with many-colored light upon the canvas and -throw thence a tremulous glimmer into the beholder’s eyes, it were vain -indeed to attempt a description of God’s imperial fireworks. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV. - -ROME—ANCIENT AND MODERN. - - The Mother of Empires—Weeps and Will not be Comforted—Nero’s Golden - Palace—Ruined Greatness—Time, the Tomb-Builder—Papal Rome—The - Last Siege—Self-Congratulations—Better Out-Look—The Seven-Hilled - City—Vanity of Vanities—The Pantheon—Nature Slew Him—The Shrine of - All Saints. - - -CAESER and Cicero, Horace and Hadrian Claudius and Cataline, have all -passed away, but “the mother of empires” is still enthroned upon her -seven hill. “Still enthroned?” Yes, but her regal brow is no longer -crowned with glory. From her right hand has fallen that golden scepter -which once ruled the world, and from her left, the palm branch of -victory which she once proudly waved on high. The luster has faded from -her eyes. She sits to-day upon her seven hills, not as a queen, but as -a mourner. She is as a widow in her weeds, as a mother broken-hearted -and sad. Like Rachel of old she weeps for her children, she weeps and -will not be comforted, for they are not. - -No, “they are not.” In vain the traveler searches for Julius Caesar and -Augustus. He finds where the one fell at the base of Pompey’s statue, -and where the ashes of the other were laid to rest in that splendid -mausoleum. Nothing more. Only enough of that precious metal was -rescued from “Nero’s golden palace” to gild one page of history; that -is all. - -Modern Rome, compared with the imperial city, is nothing but a confused -mass of “ruined greatness” thrown into the deep, dark chasm lying -between the past and the present. “If we consider the present city -as at all connected with the famous one of old,” says Hawthorne, “it -is only because it is built over its grave.” Imperial Rome was a -corpse that no survivor was mighty enough to bury. But Time—“Time the -tomb-builder”—did not despair. Age after age passed by, each shaking -the dust of his feet upon the ruined city, until now the “Rome of -ancient days” is thirty feet below surface. Time silently boasts of -his triumphs, but the day is coming when even Time himself will be -swallowed up by eternity! - -Gibbon can tell you more about ancient Rome than I can. I shall -therefore deal with the past only in so far as “the very dust of Rome -is historic,” and that dust inevitably settles down upon my page and -mixes with my ink. - -Until seventeen years ago Rome was an independent city; it belonged to -no government and formed a part of no country; it was “Papal Rome.” In -other words, it wholly belonged to, and was entirely controlled by, the -Pope of Rome—the spiritual head—I had almost said the “spiritless -head”—of the Catholic church. Thirty thousand French soldiers were -stationed in Rome to protect the Pope and defend the city. When, in -1870, the Franco-German war broke out Napoleon the Third was compelled -to recall his troops from Rome, that they might join the army against -Germany. As soon as the French withdrew, Victor Emmanuel, King of -Italy, marched an army against the Papal city, saying, “Again, I swear -the Eternal City shall be free!” - -[Illustration: THE COLOSSEUM, ROME.] - -Resistance was of short duration. The national flag was soon unfurled -from the dome of the Pantheon and from that day Rome has been the home -of the king, the capital of United Italy. The Rome of that period -(1870) was described as a city of “sunless alleys,” and “a thousand -evil smells mixed up with fragrance of rich incense, diffused from as -many censers; everywhere a cross, and nastiness at the foot of it.” -“The city is filled,” the writer continues, “with a gloom and languor -that depress it beyond any depth of melancholic sentiment that can -elsewhere be known.” One-seventh of the city was occupied by convents -and monasteries. Rome at that time had a population of 216,000 souls, -more than half of whom could neither read nor write! This, then, is -Catholicism—ignorance clothed in rags, living in poverty, walking in -filth, praying to saints and bowing to an ambitious Pope! If this be -religion, the less I have of it the more I congratulate myself. For -centuries the city belonged to the church, and it is natural to suppose -that Popery created for itself an atmosphere that was most congenial -to its own spirit. Ignorance is the handmaid of Popery. Indeed, a man -to be a good Catholic must be ignorant. He may, perchance, be legally -learned, he may be thoroughly versed in the laws of logic and language; -but to be a devout Romanist he must at least be ignorant of the Bible. -As civilization advances, as the light of God’s truth becomes more -widely diffused and the warmth of His Spirit more generally felt, -darkness will flee away, truth will be revealed in its purity, and -Christ, Christ the Lord, will be elevated to the position which the -Papal world of to-day assigns to Peter. - -Great changes have been wrought in Rome within the last seventeen -years. A number of the streets have been broadened and straightened and -others are being worked on. Most of them now, though still narrow, are -well paved and clean. The population has increased to 350,000, sixty -schools have been established with 550 teachers and 25,000 pupils. Most -of the improvements and inventions of the age have been introduced into -the city, a healthy trade with the outside world has been established, -and last, and greatest, the gospel of Christ has again been brought to -these people. The populace welcome these changes. - -Victor Emmanuel, who died ten years ago, is called the father of his -country; and his son, the present king, is the idol of Italy. The Pope -and the king are at enmity. Each is jealous of the other. The king is -fast gaining favor. Papacy must go. - -Now, turning from the moral, I must tell you something about the -physical appearance of the city at present. Of course every one knows -that Rome is situated on seven hills, that it is divided into two parts -by the river Tiber and that it is surrounded by a massive wall thirty -feet high and sixteen miles long. - -Let us now go into the midst of the city and take our stand on the -Capitoline Hill. From there we can easily “view the landscape o’er.” -Beneath us, as we stand on this elevation, the city spreads wide away -in all directions. We look out over a sea of red-tile roofs, above -which rise hundreds of imposing palaces, of tall and stately mansions. -Of church spires and cathedral towers there is no end. Yonder to the -south is the Mausoleum of Augustus, a huge circular building with a -low, flat dome of glass. After death the emperor was burnt. His ashes, -which were here laid to rest, have long since been scattered to the -four winds of heaven and the mausoleum is now used as a theatre. There, -too, in the same direction, but beyond the Tiber, is the tomb of -Hadrian, looking like an old castle perched high upon an uplifted rock. -The unscrupulous Italians of the present have no respect for the dead -of ancient days. Their desecrating hands have turned this tomb into a -military stronghold—a citadel. What is fame? Once upon a time Augustus -ruled the world. To-day the populace assemble in his mausoleum; there -they wildly clap their hands, and, stretching their mouths from ear to -ear, they shout aloud and grin like apes as they see the vile actor -dancing over Caesar’s ashes. Hadrian, once adored as a God, is no -longer respected. The half-paid soldiers of to-day have entered his -very tomb; there they fight, drink and curse and play cards. If they -could find it they would use his skull as a soup-dish or a billiard -ball, and his thigh bones they would use for drum-sticks or as mallets -to crack nuts! “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!” - -Turning our eyes in a northwest direction, we see the Antonine column -rising majestically above the red roofs. In close proximity to this -column, we see the circular dome of that world-renowned Pantheon -“looking heavenward with its ever open eye.” We leave the Capitoline -Hill for a few minutes while we go to visit the Pantheon. It commands -our respect. It was built almost a half century before the angel host -visited the shepherds upon the plains of Bethlehem, and yet it is as -perfect to-day as though it had been finished yesterday. It looks as if -it might stand until Gabriel comes. It is the noblest structure that -the old Romans bequeathed to posterity. Its massive walls and solid, -which are twenty feet thick, rise to an immense height, and yet the -dome, broad as it is high, towers 140 feet above the walls. - -The portico (110 feet wide and 45 feet deep) is borne by sixteen -Corinthian columns of granite, thirteen feet in circumference and forty -feet high. - -The spacious interior, lighted by a single aperture in the centre of -the dome, produces in the beholder a most pleasing sensation. Indeed, -it is by some supposed that the beautiful effect produced upon the -interior by the light streaming in through this one opening, is what -first suggested the name of Pantheon—a resemblance to the blue vault -of heaven. But of course the current belief is that the purpose for -which the building was used determined its name—_Pantheon_ (Pan, all, -and Theos, god)—a temple dedicated to all gods. The smooth surface -of the walls is broken by seven niches, in which stood marble statues -of Roman divinities, among which may be mentioned Mars and Venus. And -after his assassination, Caesar himself was elevated to the dignity -of a god. His statue graced one of the niches, and was, no doubt, -worshiped by the same fickle multitude who rejoiced when the dagger -drank his blood. - -This splendid edifice, built by the ancients, and dedicated two -thousand years ago to the worship of heathen gods, is now used as a -Christian Church. To the left of the door as we enter is the tomb of -Raphael, the greatest of all painters. In accordance with his will, a -marble statue of Madonna has been placed above his splendid tomb. The -following beautiful inscription shows the high esteem Italians have for -this divinely gifted artist: - - “Beneath this stone rest the ashes of Raphael, - the greatest of all painters. - Nature, becoming jealous of him - lest he should surpass her, - Slew him while he was yet young.” - -Victor Emmanuel, and many other men of renown, are also buried within -these time-honored walls. Of the Pantheon Lord Byron says: - - “Simple, erect, severe, austere, sublime— - Shrine of all saints and temple of all gods, - From Jove to Jesus—spared and blest by time; - Looking tranquillity while falls and nods - Arch empire each thing round thee and man plods - His way through thorns to ashes—glorious dome! - Shalt thou not last? Time’s scythe and tyrants’ rods - Shiver upon thee—sanctuary and home - Of art and piety—Pantheon!—pride of Rome! - Relic of nobler days and noblest arts! - Despoiled, yet perfect, with thy circle spreads - A holiness appealing to all hearts—To - art a model; and to him who treads - Rome for the sake of ages, Glory sheds - Her light through thy sole aperture; to those - Who worship, here are altars for their beads; - And they who feel for genius may repose - Their eyes on honored forms, whose busts around the close.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - -ROME—ITS ART AND ARCHITECTURE. - - A Question Asked—Answer Given—Nature as Teacher—Italians - as Pupils—Great Artists—The Inferno—The Cardinal in - Hell—The Pope’s Reply—A Thing of Beauty—The Beloved—The - Transfiguration—Architecture—Marble Men Struggle to - Speak—Resplendent Gems. - - -“WHAT are the chief features of Rome?” was the second question asked -me by a friend whom I met yesterday. “Art and Architecture,” was the -unhesitating reply. Indeed hesitation was unnecessary; my mind was -already made up on that point, and there can be no question as to the -correctness of the answer. - -Nature seems to have implanted a love for Art in the sons of Italy, and -whispered its secrets to them as to no other people. She teaches them -by object lessons. At night she embosoms the moon in her soft blue sky -like a silver crescent in a velvet cushion, and the stars with their -new polished lustre seem to bestud God’s diamond throne. In the morning -the same azure sky is “flecked with blushes and gattled with fire.” -As the Italian at the evening hour stands under the sunny vine, on -the green hillside, looking at the glowing, lighted west through the -molten bars of twilight; as he sees the purple clouds, lying along the -horizon, fade from rich purple to pale blue—from blue to lavender—to -pink—to scarlet—then to banks of molten gold; as he beholds the -imperial splendors of the setting sun “vast mirrored on the sea,”—he -gathers inspiration—his soul catches the fire—the whole scene is -photographed on the landscape of his memory. He there learns how best -to blend his colors, and next day as he stands before his canvas beauty -hangs upon his brush like sparks of livid light. - -Angelo, Raphael, and Di Vinci were pupils of Nature. Once upon a time -Socrates, after listening to his pupils discourse on philosophy, arose -and, pointing to them, said: “What greater honor could a teacher ask -than to have such pupils as Plato and Xenophon?” And methinks after -seeing the Final Judgment of the first, The Transfiguration of the -second, and The Last Supper of the third, Nature herself would rise -and, pointing to them with pride, say: “What greater honor could I, -even I, ask than to have such pupils as Angelo, Raphael, and Di Vinci!” - -After Dante had written “The Inferno,” the people of Florence as -they saw him walking through the streets, would shrink from him and -whisper, “_That is the man who was in hell_.” “It were impossible,” -they said, “for one to write about the infernal world as Dante did, -without having seen it.” The same thought impresses itself upon one -as he beholds The Final Judgment. One says, “that picture was surely -painted by an eye-witness.” Indeed you see no picture—you see the -final judgment itself. You see Christ as judge, coming on the clouds, -preceded by Gabriel and followed by a legion of angels. You see the -assembled multitude, people from every nation, kindred, tribe and -tongue, standing in the back ground breathless, awaiting the decision -of the Judge. You see the remorse, the anguish, the misery, the woe of -those who are led to the left and hurled headlong into the fiery pit -below! Their expression convinces you that they realize in their hearts -that no rainbow of hope will ever again brighten their skies, no note -of mercy will ever more peal in their ears. You see the pleasure, the -joy, the rapture, the ecstasy, that gladdens the hearts and illuminates -the faces, of those who hear the welcome plaudit—“Well done, good and -faithful servants—enter ye into the joy of your Lord.” After seeing -this picture one can but say: “Michael Angelo saw the final judgment, -and showed it me.” - -Soon after this picture was begun, one of the Cardinals of Rome, -objecting to the artist’s design, interfered with the work. Angelo -refused to make any alterations in his plan. The Cardinal demanded a -change, whereupon Angelo gave up the engagement. The Cardinal then sent -for other celebrated artists and requested them to finish the picture. -Each and all of them declared that the work was beyond their scope and -power. They all agreed that Michael Angelo was the only living man -who could finish so perfect a piece of work. The Cardinal now sent -for Angelo but he refused to have any further communication with that -prelate. - -Finally the Pope himself interviewed the artist on the subject and -agreed that he might finish the picture according to the first design, -or according to any other design that he might choose. The Pope further -agreed that the artist should not be interfered with in his work, and -when once finished the picture should never be altered or changed. With -this understanding Angelo resumed, and in due time finished, his work. - -When the day of exhibition came, thousands of people gathered to see -the picture. When the curtain was drawn aside the astonished multitude -recognized the Cardinal in hell. “In hell he lifted up his eyes.” When -the Cardinal saw himself among the damned his wrath was kindled more -than a little. He went to the Pope in a rage and asked to be rescued. -The Pope replied to the Cardinal, “If you were in purgatory I could get -you out, but you know that according to the Catholic faith, when a man -is once in hell he has to stay there. I can do nothing for you.” So the -poor Cardinal is in hell—according to the picture. - -This wonderful picture sixty-four feet in breadth covers almost the -entire south end of the world-famed Sistine Chapel. This is a private -chapel in the Vatican, the Pope’s palace. “Sistine,” because built by -Sixtus, and famous because of the picture just mentioned, and the -frescoes on the ceiling by the same gifted artist. - -These frescoes represent Bible scenes, large as life, impressive -as death, yet beautiful beyond description. The artist begins at a -time when everything is “without form and void.” The first picture -represents God, with motion of his arms, bringing law and order out of -chaos and confusion. In the second, God with outstretched hands creates -the sun and moon. We see the creation of Adam and the formation of -Eve, then the temptation in and expulsion from Eden. Finally we see -the ark floating on the waters with several small boats clinging to -and following after it. Some of the mountain-tops, not yet submerged, -are crowded with terror-stricken multitudes, who, in their excitement, -wildly but vainly stretch out their hands and silently implore Noah -to take them in. Each of these pictures is realistic and life-like. -And yet the entire series is so arranged as sweetly to blend into one -harmonious whole. And whether contemplating one of its parts, or the -scene as a whole, you involuntary exclaim—“It is a thing of beauty,” -and must therefore be “a joy forever.” - -Raphael was to the painters of Italy what John was to the Disciples of -Christ, “The Beloved.” I think, too, that as John was the disciple, -so Raphael was the painter “whom Jesus loved.” Though strong and -determined as a man, he was mild and gentle as a woman. He had the -“Sunshine of life” in his heart, and the “look of eternal youth” in -his face. Methinks he was like David, “a man after God’s own heart.” -Such a man could not paint hell. He had not seen it and knew nothing -about it. His mission was to paint angels and innocence, Heaven and -holiness, God and glory; and his fitness for this high calling amounted -almost to divine inspiration. Never did the fires of genius burn more -brightly upon the altar of devotion, than in the breast of Raphael. -Never before, nor since, has divine glory been so perfectly pictured -on canvas as in The Transfiguration. You see Christ at that supreme -moment when “His face did shine as the sun, and His garments were white -as the light.” Moses and Elias, from the other world are there with -their happy hearts, bright faces and glorified bodies. Below them are -Peter, James, and John, reverently bowing to the earth, and shielding -their faces from the light. Above all, but half enveloped in clouds, -you see God the Father whose very expression says: “This is my beloved -Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him.” Hawthorne makes one of his -characters in the _Marble Faun_ say: “It is the spectator’s mood that -transfigures The Transfiguration itself.” This may be—I suppose it -is—true, to some extent, but somehow I was in the mood. I admired this -picture, I sat down before it “until it sank into my heart.” I said: -“Lord, it is good to be here, it seems only one step from Heaven and -Home.” - -The beloved painter came to do what the beloved Disciple left undone. -John in his gospel failed to mention the Transfiguration, so Raphael -was sent to fill up the omission with a picture. - -While it is true, as stated in the outset, that Art and Architecture -are the chief features of modern Rome, yet Art is of primary, and -Architecture of secondary consideration. Italians build fine houses, -not for the sake of the houses themselves, but that they may display -their “tasteful talents” in ornamenting and decorating them. I speak -especially of churches, from the very fact that the Italians have not, -nor do they want, fine Court-houses and costly Capitol buildings, as -we have. They exercise their taste, and lavish all their wealth and -art upon the churches or cathedrals. There are eighty odd cathedrals -in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary alone. Besides these there are -scores of others dedicated to men, and monks, seraphs, saints and -sinners—one, I believe, a small one, to Christ. Some of these, St. -Peter’s and St. Paul’s especially are reckoned among the finest -cathedrals in existence; and yet the external appearance of these -buildings is not so imposing as one might imagine. It is their interior -that has rendered them famous. - -Without entering these palaces of worship, one can have no just -conception of their resplendent glory. They shine with burnished gold. -They glow with pictures. The mirror-like pavements are a mosaic of -rare workmanship. The walls, columns, and arches seem a vast quarry -of precious stones, so rich and costly are the many-colored marbles -with which they are inlaid. Their lofty cornices have flights of -sculptured angels, and white doves bearing green olive branches gemmed -with pearls and emeralds. And within the vaults of the ceiling, and the -swelling interior of the dome, there are frescoes of such brilliancy, -and wrought with such artful perspective, that the sky, peopled with -sainted forms, appears to be opened only a little way above the -spectator. - -Any one of the four churches mentioned has at least a dozen altars—St. -Peter’s has twenty-nine—and upon each altar princely fortunes have -been lavished. Each is a marvel of artistic beauty; each glows with -burnished gold, and sparkles with precious stones. The evening sun, -softened and mellowed by the many-colored glass through which it is -reflected, falls like golden fire upon these shrines. The statues -standing around and the angels hovering above the altars seem warmed -into life by this radiant glow; the marble men struggle to speak, -and the sculptured angels spread their wings and try to rise in the -glorified atmosphere. One would naturally think that, in these shrines, -the unspeakable splendor of the whole edifice would be intensified and -gathered to a focus, but not so. It would be true elsewhere, but here -they are of no separate account. They all “melt away into the vast, -sunny breath,” each contributing its little toward “the grandeur of -the whole.” - -Imagine “a casket, all inlaid in the inside with precious stones of -various hues, so that there would not be a hair’s breadth of the small -interior unadorned with resplendent gems. Then conceive this minute -wonder of a mosaic box increased to the magnitude of a miniature sky,” -and you have the interior of the greatest structure ever built by the -hands of man, the Cathedral of St. Peter. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII. - -BAPTIST MISSION WORK IN ITALY. - -BY JOHN H. EAGER, ROME, ITALY. - - Why Italy is a Mission-Field—Beginning of the - Work—Difficulties—Increase of Forces—Growth of Work—Sanguine - Expectations - - -THIS subject will awaken doubts in many minds, and give rise to -numerous questions. Why should Italy be a mission-field? Did not Paul -preach the gospel there? Did not Christianity flourish vigorously in -Italian soil during the early centuries? Has not Italy been prolific -of good men, men unsullied in character, invincible in the midst of -persecution, and unflinching in the presence of death? Is not Italy -the home and headquarters of a great ecclesiastical organization, -calling itself _par excellence_ the Christian Church of the world? Are -there not in Italy to-day thousands of magnificent churches, hosts of -religious teachers? Then why speak of Italy as a mission-field? Because -the great mass of the people are really without the Gospel. The pure -form of the truth once preached in Rome and other parts of this sunny -land has undergone such radical changes since the early centuries that -it is no longer the Gospel, but a threefold mixture of Christianity, -Judaism and Heathenism. Religion has degenerated into a mere form of -Godliness without the power thereof. All attempts at reform, however -promising in the beginning, have failed. The spark that began to glow -so brightly in the days of Luther, that seemed about to kindle into a -brilliant flame destined to bring light and peace to many a troubled -soul, was soon crushed and smothered, for those in authority loved -darkness rather than light, and desired neither reform nor reformers. -The long-continued and fatal supremacy of Romanism has made Italy a -needy and most difficult mission-field. - -[Illustration: REV. JOHN H. EAGER, ROME, ITALY.] - -As early as 1850, the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist -Convention began to turn its attention to Europe. In 1869, the Board, -in its annual report to the Convention, expressed the conviction that -a solemn obligation was resting upon Baptists to give a pure gospel -to Catholic Europe, and Italy was recommended as probably the best -place for a new mission, and as a field in special need of Baptist -principles. In the spring of 1870, Rev. W. M. Cote, of Paris, was -appointed to take charge of the Italian mission. This was a momentous -period in the history of Italy, and marvelous things were about to take -place. The great Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church was then in -session in Rome, and on July 18th the dogma of Papal Infallibility was -proclaimed to the world. A few days later the Franco-Prussian war broke -out, and the French troops were withdrawn from Rome, where for years -they had been the strong defense of the Pope. Seizing the God-given -opportunity, Garibaldi, ever ready for an emergency, again sounded -the tocsin of war, and the Italian army marched forth and pitched its -tents before the walls of the Eternal City. The siege was brief, for -on September 20th the victorious army entered the city amid the cheers -and congratulations of the entire population; the Pope, by a popular -vote, lost his temporal power, and became the self-imposed prisoner -of the Vatican; Rome was proclaimed the permanent capital of Italy, -thus making the long-cherished dream of Italian patriots a blessed -reality. This victory opened Rome and the whole Italian Peninsula to -the preaching of the Gospel, and Christian workers from many quarters -hastened to the rescue. Dr. Cote entered the city at once and began his -novel work. Tracts were distributed, Bibles and Testaments were sold in -large numbers, and hundreds flocked to hear the Gospel. It seemed that -the people were about to renounce Romanism and its errors, to become -true Bible Christians, and the missionaries fondly hoped that they -were on the eve of a great revival. Would that their hopes had been -well-founded! - -In 1872, Rev. Geo. B. Taylor D. D., of Virginia, was chosen by the -Foreign Mission Board as the man best suited to meet the crisis through -which the Italian mission was then passing. He brought to his arduous -task rare wisdom and patience, and, undaunted by almost insuperable -difficulties, conducted the affairs of the mission with much prudence -and great self-denial. After several years he succeeded in buying a -valuable mission property in Rome, not far from the Pantheon, which -gave American Baptists “a local habitation and a name.” The good work -was vigorously prosecuted in other parts of Italy, new stations were -opened, other Italian evangelists were appointed, new churches were -organized, a religious journal was established, and substantial -progress was made all along the line. - -In November 1880, Rev. John H. Eager and wife, appointed as -missionaries to Italy, reached Rome, where they have since resided -and labored, realizing more and more that mission work in Papal Rome -presents peculiar difficulties and discouragements. Yet each year finds -them more resolved to make it their life work, assured that they preach -the same gospel which wrought such wonders in pagan Rome, and believing -the Scripture which saith, “Be not weary in well-doing, for in due -season ye shall reap, if ye faint not.” - -While results have not corresponded with the sanguine expectations -of earlier years, still God’s people have not labored in vain. The -present working force of the American Baptist mission consists of two -missionaries, thirteen native preachers, and three colporteurs, who are -preaching the Gospel in more than thirty cities and towns, extending -from the snow-capped mountains of the North, to the vine-covered plains -of the South. Among the thirteen native preachers are men of more -than ordinary ability. One, educated in Geneva, is a fine linguist, -being acquainted with six or seven languages, and able to preach in -three of them. He is said to be one of the best Hebrew scholars in -Italy. Another was once a priest in high standing, the director and -father-confessor of a monastery, and a friend of the present Pope. One, -though uneducated, is deeply versed in the Scriptures, and can quote -almost any passage at will, giving book, chapter, and often verse. -This knowledge he uses most effectually in public and in private. Two -were educated at Spurgeon’s College. One is perhaps the only native -Sardinian who ever became an evangelical minister. These brethren -preach to thousands during the year, for people are coming and going -during every service. Some enter by accident, or through curiosity, -drawn in by the singing or speaking, then pass on to be heard from no -more. But who can tell what influence such a visit may have upon their -future life? - -Churches have been organized at all the principal stations, and in -addition to the mission property in Rome two other chapels have been -secured, one in Torre Pellice, about thirty miles above Turin, and the -other in Carpi, not far from Bologna. At all other stations services -are held in rented halls. Two churches have been organized on the -Island of Sardinia, where the work is peculiarity interesting and -promising, but greatly in need of other laborers to sow the seed and -reap the harvest. - -(Persons wishing further information about Sardinia or Italy, can write -to Rev. John H. Eager, via Arenula, Palazzo Gualdi, Rome, Italy.) - -[Illustration: BAPTIST CHAPEL, TORRE PELLICE, ITALY.] - -English Baptists have long had a mission in Italy. In 1866, Mr. Clark -established himself in Spezia, where he has succeeded in building up -an excellent school, a good church and an orphanage. He has associated -with him eight Italian evangelists, who occupy about twenty stations. -This mission is independent, being supported by private contributions. -The mission force of the Particular Baptists of England consists of -four missionaries, Rev. James Wall and Rev. J. C. Wall, of Rome, Rev. -W. K. Landels of Turin, and Rev. Robt. Walker of Naples, assisted by -nine native preachers. They have two medical dispensaries, a religious -journal, printing-press and other auxiliaries to mission work. The -General Baptists of England also have two mission stations in Rome, -under the superintendence of Rev. N. H. Shaw, who brings to bear upon -his work Anglo-Saxon energy, and the varied experience acquired in a -successful pastorate at home. - -Besides these, several individual Baptists are consecrating their -private means to the evangelization of Italy. Among them may be -mentioned Count Papengouth, who expends large sums annually in Naples -and vicinity; and Miss Emery, an English lady of fortune, who devotes -the whole of her time and income to Christian work in Italy, especially -the publication and distribution of tracts. - -In estimating the success of mission work in Italy, one should be -careful not to lose sight of the peculiar difficulties that confront -the missionary. Under the old regime, in the days of papal supremacy, -good schools were rare and great ignorance prevailed. Even as late -as 1881 nearly five per cent. of the entire population of Italy were -unable to read, which means that about twenty million Italians can be -reached with the Gospel only by means of the living voice, the tracts -and the Bible being to them a dead letter. - -Prejudice is another serious hindrance. Some of the best and most -sincere among the people honestly believe that protestantism is rank -infidelity. A priest once said to a young man, in the writers hearing, -“Ah! beware of protestantism, beware of protestantism! Why, don’t you -know that protestantism was founded by Voltaire and Tom Paine?” The -abuses of Romanism have yielded a rich harvest of materialism and -infidelity. The salt has lost its savor and men have cast it out and -trodden it under foot. One of our greatest difficulties, especially -in Rome, lies in the stolid indifference of the great mass of the -people to all spiritual things. Thousands have been taught to depend on -forms and ceremonies, and to relegate all personal responsibility to -the Church and the priest, and to such our doctrines are by no means -acceptable. - -In a land like Italy, where a great system of error has kept the people -in ignorance and spiritual darkness, and bound them with fetters of -iron, one must not expect too much. A few days ago, we were asked by a -Christian woman, “How are you succeeding in your work?” And on hearing -the response she replied: “I know Rome well, and I can assure you that -it is a great marvel that you can do anything at all.” But despite -difficulties and Satanic hatred and opposition much has been done. -Italy has become a united and free country and liberty of speech is -everywhere enjoyed; the Pope has lost his temporal power, and with it -the right to interfere with the missionary of the Cross; hundreds and -thousands of tracts and Bibles have been scattered among the people, -as silent but powerful witnesses for the Truth; prejudices have been -overcome, and public opinion has been greatly modified and enlightened -with reference to protestants and protestantism; more than three -hundred Christian workers have been raised upon the field, and not -less than 10,000 persons have professed faith in Christ. It should not -be forgotten that previous to 1848 not one publicly declared Italian -evangelical could be found in Italy, and that before 1870, to preach or -profess evangelical doctrine in Rome, meant certain imprisonment and -possible death. While praying and hoping and earnestly laboring for -much greater results, we can but exclaim, “The Lord hath done great -things for us, whereof we are glad.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII. - -FROM ROME, VIA PISA AND FLORENCE, TO VENICE. - - Peasants—A Three-Fold Crop—Elba, the Exiled Home of - Napoleon—Pisa—Leaning Tower—An Odd Burial-Ground—Florence—The - Home of Savonarola, Dante, and Michael Angelo—Art Galleries—On - to Venice—A Flood—Johnson Excited—Storm Raging—Lightening the - Ship—Venice, a Water-Lily—No Streets but Water—No Carriages but - Gondolas—Shylocks. - - -WITH our face to the northward, we are now skirting along the western -coast of Italy. The air is crisp and cold, the sky soft and clear. -Yonder, scattered over the bare hillside to our right, are many rude -huts and humble peasant homes. The smoke slowly rising from the low -chimneys curls up and on, and still up, until it stands like so many -slender columns leaning against the sky for support. - -The peasants are at work, one feeding the chickens, the second holding -the cow to grass, while the third is milking the goats. Everywhere the -country is cut up into one, two, and three-acre plots by narrow ditches -and low hedges which serve as fences to divide one peasant’s patch -from another. Each plot of ground is a vineyard, a wheat field and a -mulberry orchard, the three growing together. - -The wheat is, of course, sown broadcast. The trees, twelve to eighteen -feet high, are planted in straight rows, fifteen feet apart. The -healthy vines clamber up the mulberries, and wreathe themselves into -huge and rich festoons from tree to tree. The ground rapidly glides -from under us, the orchards, the villages and peasant homes, one by one -dash by us. Now the sun is bending low in the evening sky, and, looking -out over the broad expanse of waters on our left, we see not far away -the island of Elba, the first exiled home of Napoleon Bonaparte. But -this beautiful island was too small for so great a spirit. After one -year’s confinement here, Napoleon, rising up in his madness and might, -broke the political fetters which the allied Powers had placed upon -him, returned to Paris, gathered an army and marched to Waterloo. There -his already waning star went down in blood to rise no more (1815). - -As the dying day begins to wrap herself in the sombre folds of evening, -we find ourselves in Pisa, a quiet little town of 26,000 inhabitants, -beautifully situated on both banks of the Arno, six miles from the -sea. The night comes and goes. Next morning I am standing on the top -of Pisa’s “Leaning Tower,” in time to see the sun rise. This tower -is one of the wonders, not of the ancient, but modern world. It is -some thirty-three feet in diameter and one hundred and eighty feet in -height, and leans thirteen feet out of the perpendicular. This oblique -or leaning position gives it a very peculiar appearance. It looks as -if it were falling; you expect every moment to see it dashed to pieces -against the ground. But it has been in this position some 650 years, -and, if we may argue from the past, many moons will wax and wane before -it strikes the ground. No one knows whether the original design was to -build a leaning tower, or whether in the course of construction one -side of the foundation gave way, and thus left the tower in an oblique -position. It was by dropping balls from the summit of this tower that -Galileo verified his theories regarding the laws of gravitation. It was -the swaying of the bronze lamp which still hangs in the cathedral at -the foot of this tower that first suggested to Galileo the idea of a -pendulum. - -[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL AND LEANING TOWER OF PISA.] - -The Campo Santo, or burial-ground, of Pisa is interesting because of -its history. After the Crusaders were driven out of the Holy Land, in -the year 1190, Archbishop Ubaldo had fifty-three ship-loads of earth -brought hither from Mount Calvary in order that the dead might repose -in “holy ground.” What men need to-day is not the earth of Calvary for -their dead bodies, but the Christ of Calvary for their living spirits. - -Three hours after leaving Pisa, I am walking through the streets of -Florence, looking at her monuments, statues, palaces and cathedrals. -Among the monuments, if so it might be named, is a splendid water -fountain which marks the site of the stake at which Savonarola was -burned, in 1498, six years after the discovery of America. Like Elijah -of old, Savonarola went from earth to Heaven in a chariot of fire. -The flames that wafted his spirit to the glory world are still burning -brightly upon the pages of history. The martyr’s ashes were thrown into -the Arno, and were carried thence to the ocean. So the stream of Time -will bear his influence on to the ocean of eternity. - -Of the many statues in the city, I will mention only Dante’s. This -excellent statue of white marble is nine feet high, on a pedestal -twenty-three feet high. It was unveiled with great solemnity, in 1865, -in commemoration of the 600th anniversary of the immortal poet. Dante’s -greatest work was the “Divine Comedy.” I also visited the house in -which he was born in 1265. The house in which Michael Angelo was born -in 1475 is now used as a picture gallery. He died in Rome in 1564. His -ashes were brought back to his native city, and now repose in a vault -in the church of Santa Croce. - -The art galleries I found worthy of their fame, so beautiful in -architectural design, so vast in extent, so rich in the productions of -the best artists of every school. “Each street of Florence contains -a world of art. The walls of the city are the calyx containing the -fairest flowers of the human mind; and this is but the richest gem -in the diadem with which the Italian people have adorned the earth.” -Florence has been the home of many of the greatest artists that have -lived since the twelfth century. The main centres of art in Florence -are the Pitti and the Uffizi galleries; these, being on the opposite -sides of the Arno, are connected by a suspension gallery which spans -the river. Thus one passes from one gallery to the other by means of -this swinging corridor, which is itself flanked on both sides with -faultless statues and lined with pictures that no money could buy. - -I wandered, one day after another, through the stately halls of -many-colored marble in Florence. Many of these pictures I should like -to show you, but I know full well that words can not copy them. To copy -Raphael’s “Madonna” would require the hand of genius, and paints as -beautiful, and as delicately mixed, as are the colors of the rainbow. - -“Variety is the spice of life,” and truly it is refreshing to come to -this land of Art and Music after spending a few months in Asia and -Africa. Since leaving home, more of my time has been spent among the -mountains and around the lakes than in the cities; or, in other words, - - “I have been accustomed to entwine - My thoughts with Nature rather in the fields - Than art in galleries.” - -“On to Venice” is the war cry. To reach there, we tunnel mountains, -dash through a blinding snow-storm, and encounter a heavy rainfall. -Presently we are surrounded by water. The train stops. Johnson is -excited; he thinks the bridge is washed away. Looking out of the -window, and pointing to the water, I ask a by-stander, “Is that the -ocean?” The reply is, “No; it is Venice.” “A flood!” exclaims Johnson; -“if it continues to rain in this way two hours longer, the whole city -will be washed away, and we, where will we be?” By this time, as there -is a gondola near, we, like Jonah, pay the fare thereof, and go down -into it. We are soon on the way to the hotel. - -The storm is raging, the waves are dashing high. The gondola, which -is black, and really reminds one of a hearse, seems to be bearing us -away to a watery grave. The boat must be lightened, or we will all go -down. What to do, I know not. Hope wanes. “My latest sun is sinking -fast.” In the extremity of that hour, I say: “This I will do. I will -throw overboard all hatred, envy and strife, all contention, malice and -jealousy, all egotism, selfishness and pride.” When I have emptied my -heart of all these, a surprising change occurs. It is as if some divine -one has whispered, “Peace, be still.” - -Reader, this experience points a moral, if it does not adorn a tale. We -are all voyagers on the Sea of Life. Tempests frequently come, and our -frail bark is often threatened; but if we will only throw overboard our -ignoble feelings and baser selves, a holy calm will settle on the face -of the deep, and in our hearts we will have that “peace which passeth -all understanding.” - -Venice, you remember, is situated two miles from the mainland, in a -shallow part of the Adriatic. Its 15,000 houses and palaces are built -on 117 islands. Streets are unknown. There are 150 canals and 380 -bridges in the city. The population is 130,000, one-fourth of whom are -paupers. - -Yes, here is Venice rising above the surface like a water nymph, and -floating like a sea fowl on the ocean wave. She was once the ruler of -the waters and their powers. Those days are past, but beauty is still -here. “States fall, arts fade, but nature doth not die.” There was -never a horse, carriage, or wheel-barrow in the city. I presume there -are half grown persons here who never saw any of these. The Venetians -go visiting in boats, they go to market, to church, to the theatre, to -the grave, in boats. - -The houses rise up out of the water; the gondola, graceful in its -motion as a serpent, glides up to the door, the people step in, and -off they go. The gondola is a contrivance peculiar to Venice. It is -twenty-five or thirty feet long, and is deep and narrow like a canoe. -Its sharp bow and stern sweep upwards from the water like the horns of -a crescent, with the abruptness of the curve slightly modified. The -bow, which rises some six feet above the water, is ornamented with -a steel comb and a broad battle ax. In the centre of the boat is a -little house something like the body of a carriage. This is elegantly -fitted up with cushioned seats, silk curtains, and glass windows. The -gondolier, who is usually a picturesque rascal, stands erect in the -stern of the boat, and with one oar he manages to guide and propel his -boat with an accuracy and a speed that are truly surprising. Almost -every moment you expect your gondola to collide with some other; but -by some timely turn the two glide gracefully by each other without -touching. All the gondolas are painted black—the color of mourning. -Well may Venice mourn. Her glory has departed. She is great only in -history. - -The chief industry of Venice is glass manufacture. The first glass -mirror that was ever made was manufactured here about the year 1,300. -The Venetians are yet ahead in this kind of work. They now make men and -monkeys, horses and houses, doves and donkeys, of glass. I saw them -spinning glass; and without handling the thread one could not tell it -from silk. They fashion glass into buds and blossoms which need little -else than perfume to make them as perfect as those wrought by Nature’s -hand. Perhaps the most delicate glass work I saw going on was the -manufacture of human eyes. This, you may rest assured, requires skilled -workmen. It is a large and remunerative business. God and Venice -furnish eyes for the world. In bargaining with the glass dealers, one -soon finds that now, as in the days of Shakespeare, many Shylocks live -in Venice, and each one contends for his “pound of flesh.” - -If I had time to write another chapter concerning this “Ocean Queen,” -I would tell you something about the Bridge of Sighs “with a palace -and a prison on each hand,” about St. Mark’s Cathedral, which “looks -more like the work of angels than of men,” about the granite columns, -one surmounted by “the winged lion and the other by St. Theodore, the -protector of the republic.” Of course it is a great pity (?) that you -can not read what I would write on these subjects if I had time, but, -as this is impossible, perhaps the next best thing you could read would -be “Childe Harold,” “Stones of Venice,” and “St. Mark’s Rest.” - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: - -—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's A Baptist Abroad, by Walter Andrew Whittle - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A BAPTIST ABROAD *** - -***** This file should be named 50879-0.txt or 50879-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/8/7/50879/ - -Produced by Giovanni Fini, Richard Hulse and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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