The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1868-04-18
TALES AND BALLADS,
The Valley of Sweet Waters. "A Hebrew Scene
NATIONAL AND HISTORICAL.
BY T. IRWIN, DUBLIN.

BY L. IRWIN, DUBLIN
One spring evening in the month of Nzim as the sun
sunk towards the long blue ranges of the Samaritan hills
company of rural folk from Galee pursued their journey
along the road which skred the high banks of the Jordan
towards the Holy City, where they about to be present
the feast of the Passover The tran broken groups
which extended quarter of me composed of some
thirty persons old and young boys wives madens and
children the former of whom walked leading the camels
which carried the tents and provisionsbread fruit wine
and the white lambs for sacrifice while the latter
mounted mules and asses, which bore them with
footed patience the stony ways. The men were
clothed in wooden garments others in linen robes
some-he attendants-in rude sheepskins. The women,
who ared in the striped and party-colored linen of
Egypt, presented gay and brilliant appearance as the
clear shone their simple and beautiful faces and
sparkled their earrings and ankets many of which,
decked with little silver BELLS tinkled pleasantly they
moved along
The landscape surrounding the wayfarers wild,
charming and strange On the remote northeast the hills of
Gaee and green dome of Tabor barely visible above
the horizon at such times the road winding along
elevation permitted retrospect in that direction and this
but seldom following they did the high banks of the
river covered with thick woods high boscage and lofty
thckets of To the right the sunset from the Samaritan
mountains bathed in prsmac colors the hillcjtes of
Ephraim-Mad and Basar-and following eastward the
verdurou slopes green shady ravne and garng terraces of
EARTH from the WOODS Streamed
away along the uplands and plain of Moab dotted with
towns overlapping gardens and green spaces oasurages
Due east the parting glory tinted the long ranges of the
Ammonite mountains remotely edgng the dark blue sky.
At some distance fronting their path the unduang country
terminated rocky ravne hadowy and COOL whose rocky
sides rose like white walls from the the western
border already black with night while those the Moabe
side still reared their sterile slopes fantastic pnnaces and
forbiddng precpces in the angry sunset which raneny
imed them with color deep that of dead blood Even
that distance streak could be marked running
along the middle ofhe ashy lowering newell
known line of cloud which by day night changed
its pacewhch foam streak to the fancy of the wayarer
was like that the mouth of who had died in madness
But if this remote vista somber and awesome the pros
pec which presently surrounded the travellers delight
full To the right opened the vale of Aalon swelling in
verdant pillows of pasture covered with nnumerabe Hooks
with villages and rms while along the river ringed with
oeander similar border of emerald meadow extended
serraed by tickets of tufed trees clusters of lofty palm and
masses of wood which reached southeast to the region of
Gga overlooked by the high broken plains encompassing
Jerusalem.
Ever and anon the air breahed from the balm gardens
along path ever and they passed some ynedaped