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IN THE HOLY LAND.CHRISTMAS DAV AS If NOW IS INBETHLEHEM.jWdtlewlty ot Jernantom — fticSCPiiC of tiio NntlvSty—irinoiiKftiotjsVisitor* In flic Snored GroHo. CliflKfirtrt* Night HUnnlft.“AH Aboard for Jerusalem, ftamleh, Artotif and tho tomb of Sa Jason lM The poet Lamartine, writing of tho Holy Land In hla Meditations” sixty odd years ago, tolls of buying an arsenal o; pistols, eabora and other weapons to arm bis company ngainst the Greek pirates who infested tho archipelago sea and of diverts ofchor dangers which rondo tho joviHioy to Jerusalem full of danger andexcitement,Nowadays ati unoventful sail on md of the Mossagorio’s steamers brings one to Alexandria. Another stop occurs at Port Said, just long onough to*tako a cocktail served solemnly by a barkeeper In a white cravat, bis establishment being in a six story building of Iron framework, with jiotlilng in tho least oriental about it, Then tho noxt morning your boat Is bobbing «P nhd down in sight of JalTa. Tho deck swarms with priests and eeclesiastto-al travelers, representing all tho countries and religions In tho civilized world, and some that aro hot civilized, which puts tho sailors inn bad hmnor, as they bo-llovo that priests on board bring bad Hick.Close by tho sea at a short distanco from -the city a ruilway station stands, a little one, lb is true, but genuine.It la ft stmngo experleuco indeod riding to Jerusalem behind ft pulling and whistling locomotive,After having passed through fragrant gardens the line opens into a plain famous in Biblo history as tho garden of Palestine. This was the land of Canaan, tho country of tho Philistines spreading awayunder our eyes in tho clear oriental atmosphere, bounded in tho distance by tho yaguo blue linos of the mountains of Ju-dam.Tho train rushes onward, and now tho ■distant points of tho mountains of Judtca grow plainer, On tho right In tho distance a white point marks tho tomb of Samson and a little further on a sucond white point, to tho left this time, Is said to show tho place where he was born. Finally ono roaohos Jerusalem, and in apito of dreams and spiritual exultation it is impossible to deny that tho first olTocfc is disappointing, Ono passes into tho Holy City through streotB and avenues which resomblo nothing so much as the unattractive thoroughfares which run out of Purls from tho St, Oucn quarter. Thero Is nothing in tho least oriental about thorn. Instead of Zion and Golgotha, ono sees only red roofs and long now buildings with monotonous linos of windows which look llko hospitals and orphan asylums.Passing outside tho walls of Jerusalem •ono traverses tho valloy of Gehenna, sees Job's woll with its whito cupola ami thou finds himself advancing up the slopos of Mount Zion, which stands to tho loft. •Continuing along tho road ono passes a Jewish city which was commenced by Sir Moses Montofloro with the idea that it would bo inhabited by poor people of tho Hebrew faith, and of late years crowds of this persecuted raco have boon coining to the land of their ancestors and to tills particular oity from all prats of tho world.Arrived at Bethlehem ono naturally lias tens to seo tho scenes of the Nativity, full of expectation and yet ready to be disappointed, Tho Mount of Olives, Golgotha, tho soared fiopuluhro, all were in my oyes •spoiled for tho want of that exquisite simplicity which had filled my childish visions, Everywhere the ardor of tho faithful has shown itself in upsotfclng and improving things in a deplorable manner.Passing through the narrow and crooked street which cuts Bethlehem into two parts ono finally reaches tho extremity of the burg and finds himself in an oblong square, which in its turn opens into an esplanade paved wlthstono, here ami fchoro showing oponinga into cisterns which served for baptisms and for ablutions among former generations of Christians. In those days it was tho usago to wash be* loro ontoring tho sanctuary.A curious ficono is boro on tho vory border of tho placo of tho Nativity. On ono •side a burial ground with whito tombs, on two othor sides rows of bare, high wails, like n fortress or a prison, Horo ami thoro windows pierce the walls, but no doors, Ono looks about him mystified, but finally diseovors a black hole in and out of which people aro passing almost on all fours, so low is it. This Is tho chief entry to tho sanctuary of tho Nativity. Having passed through, this hole, ono finds himself in a largo hall divided by four colonnades ami surmounted by a roof flunkod by heavybeams. Pooplo stand about talking and smoking, childroi) play, Turkish soldiers sow up their uniforms, women glvo suck to their infants, fakirs offer oranges, beads•and candies for sale, while Greek and Franciscan monks hurry about as if on business of pressing Importance. Formerly, I am told, tho Arabs used to stable their sheep hero.Bub this is nob Olio stable whoro Josub was born, and ono is some time in discovering ib. On tho loft two Turkish soldiers with rifles are stretched lazily on a bunch. Ono is asleep, tho other yawns. In front of them a circular stairway goes down to a door which seems to Indicate a crypt. The door passed, ono continues tho descent by a narrow staircase until ho comes to two other Turkish soldiers, this time standing up, with guns on tho floor, ami on tho loft, lighted by hanging lumps, is tho following inscriptionIIio do Yirgino Maria, Jesus Chrlsbus, Nutus Est” (horo Jostia Christ was born of tho Virgin Mary). Wo are In tho stablo.This discovery is much of ft surprise, and one's first movement is for protestation, for tho simple reason that nothing It nil like a stablo is apparent. Wo are In n grotto. To this objection tho reply is made that in olden times it was tho mis-tom in Palestine to uso grottos for htables.At night tho Christmas sorvico in Bethlehem begins lit 10 o’clock with a pontlf-leal mass celebrated at tho Franciscan church near tho basilica. The richest Vestments are worn for this office, thesehaving peon presented in the name of the French republic by Mureohul MaeMohon.This first ceromohy la concluded about midnight, ami then a long procession with Gandies \n hand moves toward the grotto of tho Nativity. First comes the cross bearer, followed by Franciscan monks and JUoiubors ot aihev religious bodies. 11 w Patriarch comes last, and directly behind him, at tho bead of tfiu laymen, walks thu French consul with his attendants.Only' those who precede tho patriarch Garry caudles, but that dignitary bears In his hmnj with Infinite precaution a beautiful little child in wax, which with sweet smile seems almost on tho point of crying out. The divine child rests in a manger oa silken ousbions rose colored and ero-ittoidorad with gold. At its foot Are fllothS of fltto lacot And ntidbt fchotmshiott atAfida A straw bed, whoso projecting thorns call to mind tho memory of Christ's sufferings. IThe cortege, having traversed the tram* i sept of the basilica and descended Into the grotto of tho patriarch, stops in front of the spot where tho child Jesus was born. Tho patriarch places tho manger and child in tho hands of ono of his followers and begins to chant; the story of tho Nativity as told by St, Luke. Then tho prolate takes tho chiid again and, placing It upon a silver star, continues tho service with rood mentions of tho snored text appropriate lt;ito tho oocaslon and tho special surroundings, As tho prelate says tho words which tell how tho Holy Mother brought into tho world her firstborn Son ho takes tho child again, wraps It In fine laces and chants:“And horo they wrapped it in clothes.”Then ho walks to tho roar bio manger and places in It tho image of the newborn child, at tho'eamo tlino chanting tho words: ;“And hero thoy laid it In a manger because thoro Was no placo for thorn at tho Inn.”Tills sorvico often lasta until 2 o’clock in tho morning and is finished by a “To Bourn” and God Save tho Republic.” All Bothlohom watches this night, and tho people-—men, women and children— remain until day breaks with lighted candles in their hands in tho neighborhood of tho basilica. Everywhere ono hears cries of joy and breathes tho fragrance of incense. Tho festivities become more and more animated as the hours wear away, and it would bo difficult to estimate tho quantity of candies ami hard boiled eggs which are devoured by tho participants during tho night.—New York Herald.
Newspaper Details
Greenville News
Greenville, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, Dec 24, 1898
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
GB 22 Aug 2021
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