Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-06-17
Mount of Olives, Bethany

Star, gives the following sketch of hi'
impression of the Mount OF Olives ant
Bethany.
Equipped with our india rubber coats
DIR. Thompson and myself set out tor thu
Noun, of Olives. My former impress
ions of the "mountans which are rount
about Jerusalem" are considerably mod
flied by seeing them. They are hlghe
and the valleys between them and thu
city are deeper, than ] had supposed
To descend to the brook Kidron and as
cend to the height of the Mount OF Olives
is a walk OF full forty minutes. On th'
top is a tower which offers rare view
of the city, and its suburbs on the one
side, and on the other Of the Dead Sea ii
the distance, with the mountains OF Moa'
still beyond. To speak of the hallowe'
associations that were awakened as
walked u p and down among the olive
trees, a d through b c Garden
Gethsemane, is not easy. An unspeak
able peace and tenderness of spirit, sub
dued quiet joy-poss essed me-
The place seemed pervaded with h
heavenly presence OF Him who so loved
US that Il e rejoiced TO endure poverty
and sorrow, suffering and death for our
sakes. saw him moving quietly about
undisturbed by the connections around
him; ready to help the weak, 10 comfort
the sorrowing-with hidden life beam
ing in his eye and radiating from bis face
a blessed man; upon whom all the beatl-
tudes of the Sermon on the Mount rested
10 their fullness. My joy was complete.
/ looked upon the path which his weary
feet had trod often, as the close of days
patient teaching in the city he retired to
spend the night in Bethany, just over the
hillside away from noise and bustle.-
| saw him as one day he made his entry
into the city by the same road; when the
people cast their garments and the leaves
of the palm trees in the way, and cried
Hosanns: saw him in the Garden skirt
ing the foot of Olivet near the brook Kid
ron, as he prayed in agony-"If it be
possible, let this cup pass from mc; never
theless not as will but as thou wilt; and
deep waves rolled over me. In no spot
have fingered so fOndly; and none has
ever seemed TO me quite so much like
'the house OIL God "a IN d the gate of
heaven" Memory will often turn to it
10 the future, as worn by toll, or burden
I'd with care, | went my way toward the
great and high mountain" where the
Revelator "was Showed that great city,
The W Jerusalem, Which descended !
from God out OF heaven"
Beyond the Mount of Olives, yet not
in sight from the top of it, is Bethany,
he home of Mary and Martha and their
brother Lazarus. Here was a spot, sing
llarly retired; and yet within an hours
walk from the centre of the city. On
we took this walk, going by
one road, over the Mount and returning
by another, which skirts it on the south.
The latter was the common road; and
ust such an one as our blessed Master
would love TO take. For more than half
the distance from the temple in which be
taught by day, t o h little village in
which be slept by night, Jerusalem is not
even in sight. One loving to be still and
TO commune with his own heart, and with
God, could scarcely find such walk in
the immediate vicinity Of any other city
on earth. AT present there is not house
on the road, and scarcely one from which
be who walks over il can be seen.