Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1847-10-01
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From the ProIl - Journsl
THE HOLY LAND.
BY HARRIET MARrINEAU
IL. BETHLEHEM- ZION--JERU-
SALEM

| SALEM.
| AS | sat on tomb in the Turkish
cemetery the next morning March 30th)
watching the preparations for our depar-
ture | amt ST dreaded the interest which
every day would now bring, after the calm
and quiet weeks we had spent in the Des-
ert. Our encampment looked much the
same as it had done every morning for a
month past ; the Arab servants busy in
taking down and packing the tents, and a
noisy quarrel going on In the midst this
mornin. about pistol having been stolen
! from on: of the tents > and the differen-
ccs wrrc only that there were spectators
standing BIZ. and tina; our camels had Civ
en- place 10 horses and asses. But ms tead
of the rocks and sands of the desert, He
bron was before our eyes, and the hills
where Abraham spread his flocks, and the
spot where he and his family lay buried
And before night, should see the place
where David was born & lived his shepherd
| life, AID where Jesus was born. We had
only twenty miles to travel this dav TO
Bethlehem but it was quite enough, for
we were eager about every old tree, and
well, AMI hilltop. The shrubs grew finer,
and the wild flowers more abundant, the
whole way though the hills Of Judah were
Wild and stony in parts, and no longer fit
i.a~ pns'a-inS such Ho~Iss covered them
when Abraham lived among them, or when
the Heb.1ws droyt in their cattle from
the Desert, or when David in his bovhood
amused himself with singing smooth
stones from the brock while his fathers
Keep were feeding on the slopes. We
sat down to rest and eat under the shade
Of rcck and a spreading tree; and for
The hnndredth time since we left Egypt
Il occurred to m, how little we in Eng
land can enter into this meaning of David
when, in his divine songs. lie speaks of
the shade of rocks, and of the beauty Of
"a tree planted by the rivers of water"
md all such coo images. When one has
been slowl y pacing on, hour after hour,
=
i sun which makes every bit OF ieatiror,
Or metal, and even ones outer clothing,
feel scorching hot, and depressing ones
very breathing, the sight of patch of
dark shade is welcome beyond belief;
and when one has dismounted and felt
| the GOODNESS of the rocky wall and of the
ground beneath IT, and gathered the fresh
weeds which cluster iii It's crevices, phrase
after phrase of the Psalms and prophecies
come over ones mind, with a life and
freshness as sweet as the blossoms in ones
lap.
Our first sight Of Beth lehem was beau
'ldi. we came upon II suddenly, just
when the yellow sunset light was richest
Bethlehem was on the rising ground on our
right; massive looking as all the vii.
ages OF Palestine are and shadowy, as
me last sun rays passed over it to gild the
western hills, and another village which
there lay high up, embosomed in fig and
olive orchards. The valley between, one
81 which we were rising, lay in shadow
Before uS,perched upon lofty ridge which
rose between US and Jerusalem, was the
Convent of St. Elias, which we were TO
pass to- morrow. | was sorry to turn a.
way from this view but we had to take
the right hand road, and ride through the
narrow streets of the village TO the great
Convent, built over the spot where Jesus
Is believed by the friars to have been born
1t was too late this evening. to see anv
OF the sacred localities; but it was quite
enough TO have the moonlight streaming
III curing the whole night through the
window of my lofty convent chamber.
ana 10 think That on this hill took place
the greatest event In the history of the
world; and that In the fie Ids near. the
gentle Ruth went about her cleaning, lit
Tie dreaming, in those DAYS of her power.
y, and from her meeting with Boaz a.
monS the reaperS of his harvest, would
arse such events TO the human race !;
that the shepherds grandchild, whose d.
VINE songs were to soothe his old age,
should be the mighty king he was, and
the father of n mightler, who should build
the great Temple of the Lord and that
more distant descendant should make
these glories appear as childish TOYS in
the presence Of His great sovereignty over
the universal human soul. A wise man
OF a late century has nobly said that pros.
I