Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-04-23

family, while there is no sign of partition be-
tween them. have slept ia this way myself,
and as one manger had no horse before it, An
tonic occupied it for his bed, and made no
| complaint of his lodging. The neighing OF
one of the horses awakened me in the night,
but Antonio, whose ears were much nearer to
the animals did not hear it.
But if Joseph and Mary had been persons of
wealth and consideration, undoubtedly ssroom
in the inn'' would have been made for them
and the fact that they were constrained to re-
sort to the stable, and especially under their
peculiar circumstances of trialand peril, shows
the humiliation to which the Son of God be-
came subject, in taking upon himself the form
of man
And now We are in the midst of those scenes
which have been the occasion of conflicts in
yolyins not the peace of the Bethlehem COM
mltnity only, nor OF this Holy Land only, but
OF nations and the world. The present war,
convuIsing Europe and threatening the stabil-
ity of thrones and dynasties, had its origin in
the miserable contests among these miserable
religionists about the possession of these pla-
tCos niilSII do titi!-
lowed By, the birth of Christ. II the dispufing
parties loved the Saviour and cherished his
spirit, there would be more apology for the
pertinacity with which they cling to the spot
where his infant form was laid, and confess
to "a strong feeling of sympathy with those who
are powerfully moved when they stand on
ground that is memorable for such an event as
this Ru tho C,uorraIs IF 4baun cr,,-rctifiorg
people were so incessant and violent, that the
government. and u Mahometan government at
that, was compelled to interfere, and to appoT-
tion TO each its share, strictly lorbidding all
interference Of one with the other. Thus the
mango: is in the hands Of the Roman Catlo-
lies, and the Greeks and Armenians have moth
ing to do with it. The altar Of the wise men
is common to all, but may be used in regular
turns. The altar over the star belongs exclu-
sively to the Greeks and Armenians; the for
rncr having the precedence. Around the star,
sixteen golden pendant lamps are kept con-
stantly burning, of which the Armenians have
six, the Greeks six, and the Roman Catholics
four. Into the great church, the possession oi
which is divided between the Greeks and Ar
menians, these monks enter by different doors,
and maintain their seperate worship within the
same walls. The Roman Catholics have no
other privilege in it, but to pass through on
their way to the chapel below. But the divi-
sion Of the holy ground is carried even further
than this, and the cave where they pretend that
Joseph and Mary were hid, previous to their GO
ing to Egypt with the infant Jesus, belongs to
the Romansts, while that Of the shepherds to
whom the angels appeared, is given to the
Greeks. But if any of these three contend
ing sects could get power, they would quickly
drive ont the other two, and such will be the
result when the French take possession of Tur-
key, and in behalf OF the Pope of Rome, as
sumo the protectorate of Palestine, which viii
then be Roman Catholic See.
But how changed the birthplace of Jesus
from what it was on that night when Mary took
refuge here. The ssGrotto OF the Nativity
as the place is now called, is a gorgeous chap
ell, and thirty-two elegant lamps, the gifts of
soveregns and princes. shed lustre over the
polished marble nanger and gilded altar, and
the paintings that represent the Magi offering
their gifts to the holy child. Here the pilgrims
from other lands were prostrating themselves
before the affairs, and when they had finished
their devotons, I followed them up into the
church where the priest gave them the sacTa-
ment of our Lords Supper from basket of
bread, talking and laughing with them as they
received it, and now and then slapping them
on the back, in the excitement of his glee!-
Blessed Master do they thus degrade the
mystery Of thy death on the very place Of thy
birth
And then with feelings more of disgust than
of reverence, with u sort of sickness OF heart l
was led to the cell Of Jerome, where he lived
for years and translated the Old Testament in
to the Latin tongue-and then to the tomb of
Eusebius, and still on till we were shown the
spot where by Herod's order the children were
slain. And here the folly of tradition became
intolerable, as the monk showed US the skele-
ton hand of one of these little ones, set in a
frame and covered with gauze. / turned away
relieved to get out of the presence of such fell
lows, and anxious to be allowed alone to wan
der and mediate among these scenes that are
more sacred to me than to these relic-monger-
ing monks and superstitious pilgrims.
FRANKLIN was an observing and sensible
man and his conclusions were seldom incor-
JIa ia that q rpyyGuaner and Bihia in