Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-12-19

as you are, neither are their houses comfort
able. Living mostly in rude looking houses
built of kind of gray stone only one story
J high, and the floors either cold stone, or the
ground itself, they sleep without bed
steads and roll themselves up in some old
blankets or quilt right on the floor. These
are the poor people, and we have seen but
little of any other kind in the villages Of Pal
istine. Women and children are sadly neg
lected In this part of the world. The boys
only are sent to school, and that for but q
short time. The streets In these places are
exceedingly narrow, crooked md disagreea-
bic. None are paved or lighted with lamps,
neither are they ever swept. In this last re-
spect, they remind me of the children here !;
they look MS If their faces and hands are
never washed. These are the children most
of the Mohammedans. At Bethlehem we
saw many Christians; they looked cleaner
and happier. Here, for the first, we could
look at the children without feeling panied.
A curious way Of dressing the women and
girls is in white muslin cloth wrapped all
around them, and extending from the Top of
the head to the feet Their shoes are made
OF yellow leather, frequently on bare feet.
There faces are covered with piece of col
ored muslin, through which they can just
see. This is their dress up.
If you want to see just how little girl
or her mother would look all dressed up
for walking out of nice afternoon, either
in Egypt or Palestine, just cover your face
with colored pocket handkerchief, and
then take small white sheet from the ba-
by's cradle, and letting the top of it cover
your head, ears and chin, the rest of it to
hang down straight all around you to your
feet Of course your arms will not be
seen, as they are under the sheet. and your
hands are holding this singular dress around
you. Such are the figures we see in all the
principal towns, or outside the towns, and
walking in the shade of the numerous olive
trees about Jerusalem. They look like
walking statues of white marble. FIRE.
quently, however, the white overcovering
will be rather short, exposing unwashed
frocks of singular patterns; large yellow
and red roses, and green leaves.
You will be surprised to hear what kind
of ornaments the people wear. They get
large number of coins made, of mixture
of copper and silver, the size of silver dol
lars, some smaller, and put holes in each,
these they run on cord, and fasten over
their heads, letting them hang from the top
of the forehead, down both sides of the
face, and to reach below their ears.
This string of coins, their own money, we
see on all women and little girls, even the
youngest; we have seen them on all ages
from one month to sixty years, and even
when the wearers may appear too poor to
have more than single rag for their whole
body.
The men In this country are very lazy.
They are seen any time of day, and in every
village and town in groups. sitting, smoking
their pipes, or stretched on the ground fast
asleep; while their wives and children are
hard at work or tending their flocks of goats,
or of sheep, or carrying wood and water
from long distances on their heads or on
their backs.
Yesterday we passed through the city of
Nazareth and came to the edge of the Sea of
Galilee, or by Tiberias, or the Lake Genne-
sarct. Our tents are side by side on the edge
ofthe water,and within stones throw of the
| city of Iiberias. Here about this Lake are
some of the most interesting spots in the
world, for here was the scene of many of the
works and wonders sf Christ. Near this
lake, he, on two different occasions, fed
multitude Of people with few loaves and
| fishes. Here, he preached the "Sermon on
the Mount, and mountain near by is
pointed out as the very one, which may, or
not be. But as he preached on some noun
tain near this lake or sea, we have taken
good look at al the mountains here; and
so feel we have sen the right one. 1t was
on this Sea, you know, that he caused the
miraculous draft Of fishes to be taken. And
on it, he calmed the fury of the storm by the
simple words" Peace be STILL"
We yesterday enjoyed sail in
boat on the Sea of Galilee. We would read
from the Testament the doings and miracles
of our Lord; and at almost every verse, we
would stop and look at the water and the hills
around, and, knowing that Jesus himself
was so familiar with all these places, VIC
were strangely thoughtful, and with difficult
ty we could realize the fact that our eyes
looked upon so much that his eyes often
beheld while he was upon earth.
Near, however, the busy shores of the
lake, the several cities of the ancients are
not found, with the exception of little
town Tibcrias; the Sea of Galiee is snr-
rounded by hills entirely uninhabited. Even
Capcrnaum, "his own city, is no more. Its
very site is disputed.
All is covered over with great thorns and
thistles, and is like place where never
man trod. "Ie came to his own and his
own received him not" For this, their
places have been blotted out
Desiring your prayers for our safe return
to our happy Sunday School.
Iremain very sincerely
Your friend,
JAMES MoNTElTH.
|