Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-08-18
SABBATH RGA.DlN@.
Views in Syria.

broken arches, ruined porticos, and violated
tombs; beautiful sculptures buried in the
sands of the dcsert--thc ground literally
strewed with fragments of ancient magnifi-
cence-while amid these memorials of past
grandeur stand the miserable mud huts OF tho
present inhabitants, clustering round the Lasc
of tall pillar or ruined temple What con-
trast between the present and the past-bc-
tween the miserable nhabitant of the desert
and the court of the learned, beautiful, and
accomplished Hcnobia
The history of Palmyra is peculiarly inter
estIng-its founder, Solomon, the wisest Of
Eastern kings its last sovereign, Xcnobia,
the greatest of Eastern queens rise con
temporary with the building of the first tenn
pie of Jcrusalcm-its last monarch, the first
Christian queen.
The first mention of Palmyra is by its an
cicnt name, Tudmor Il Kings tx, 1SJ. Both
names signify the city Of the Palm trees; the
first, the old Syrian name; the second. niyen
hy the Greeks after the conquest of the city
by Alexander the Great 1t is probable that
Solomon built it as brlwark against the
wandering tribes of the d., rt, and also as an
emporium for the trade of the East, and a rest
ing-place for the caravans in long journeys
us 1T is situated in an oasis Of the desert on
the borders of Arabia, about half way between
Damascus and the Euphratcs This situation
was SO favorable for the Eastern trade that the
city became of great Importance, and was long
sustained In the very centre of the desert by
the flow of wealth from cast to west. 1t first
submitted to the Roman power in the time of
H1drian, by whom it was for short time
named liadranopolis; but it afterwards re-
covered ITS independence, and under its queen
Aenobla, dared to defy imperial Rome 1t is
to be feared, that this accomplished queen,
although protesting Christian, was not DOS
sosscd of graces of the Christian character.
liaughty, warlikc and ambitious, Xenobia at.
tempted foreign conquest SSe made herself
mistress of Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and nearly
the whole of Asia Minor She thus reused
the jealousy of the Emperor Aurclian, who
attacked her in the plains of Syria, and defeat
cd her in two hardly fought battles. Yet still
to his summons to submit, she returned
naughty defiance, prompted and aided by her
celebrated minister, Longinus, author of
treatise on the sublime After a brave resist
'ancc by the courageous queen, and her devo
ted subjects, Palmyra was taken by Aurclian,
A. D. 275, and the proud Zcnobia was dragged
"a captive to Rome to grace the triumph of her
conquerors He afterwards treated her, how
ever, with distinction due to her rank and
her merits; residence near Rome was as
signed to her and her children. We know
little of her private history, but it is pleas ne
to imagine, that, perhaps, her affiicti-, ,s Ucro
blessed to hcr-that perhaps, IL. th. dovs Of
her adversely, living unobtrr. .slvc!y as Roman
matron, Henoba did more to advance the
cause of Christ, than Wien an Eastern n,in.
cess, IN Lcr days of pride and power, she fan
cied she could subduc all by the power of the
sTvru.
= Palmyra never recovered It's prosperity after
the fail of its great queen. After various vi
cissitudcs it fell into the hands of the Moham-
medans, its present masters. It's population
has been estimated at about 1000 Their
dwellings arc mere mud huts their only place
of worship, one humble mosque They sub
sist chiefly by the manufacture of salt and by
the preparation of vegetable alkali, from the
plants ef he deecrt, PALMYRA is interesting
NOW only from its magnificent ruins.
PURITY OF CHARAcTER.-Ovc the beauty
Of the plum and apricot there grows bloom
and beauty more exquisite than the fruit it,
self; soft, delicate flush that ovcrspreads its
bushing check. Now, if you strike your hand
but once. The flower that hangs in the morn
iI'SJ Hpc"iiCu "ttu uC"j uIihSCV dS !O 'iuccn-
ly woman ever was arraycd in jewels, once
shake it till their heads roll off, and you may
sprinkle water over it as you please, yet it can
never be made again what it was when the
dew fell silently upon ii from Heaven! On
n frosty morning you may sec the pancs Of
glass covered with landscapes mountains
lakes, and trees, blending in beautiful fam
,aStic picture. Now lay your hand upon the
glass, and by the scr'tch of your finger, or by
the warmth of your palm, all the delicate
traccry will be oblitcrated. So there is in
youth beauty and purity of character, which
when once Touched and defled can never be
restored, fringe more delicate than frost
work, and which, when torn and broken, will
never be re.embroidered. A man who has
spotted and soiled his garments in youth
though hc may seek to make them white
again, can never wholly do it, even were he to
wash them with his tears. When young
man leaves his fathers house with the bless
ing of his mothers tears wet upon his fore
head, if he once loses that purity Of character,
it is a loss that he can never make whole again.
Such is the consequence of crime. It's effects
cannot be eradicated, it can only be forgiven.
NoTHINa is entirely lost. The drop of
water which is split, the fragment of paper
which is burnt, the plant that rots in the
ground--all that perishes and is forgotten
equally seeks the atmosphere, and all is there
preserved, and thence returned to fructify the
earth for some other purpose.