Middletown transcript., 1871-08-12

VINO crteu I1Osanuu 10 lhc OOH OI Ia
vid" How could help thinking, as my
horse was slowly picking his way up the
rocky activity. and occasionally stumb-
ling over the loose stones that no hand
ever casts out Of the path. Of the memora-
bic words: II tell you. that II these should
hold their peace, the stones would immc-
dia.ely cry out y
After passing Bethany and = group Of
houses which George said was Bcthpagc-
though the critics tell us this latter place
has not been idcnti6ed--thc country be.
came Wild desolate, and even more hilly
than before. 1t was one vast and unre-
lcved scene Of rivcn rocks. DIR. Olin
says truly -" Tho mountains seem to
have been loosened from their foundations
aud rent to pieces by some terrible convul-
sion, and then left TO be sca,hed by the
burning rays Of the sun" Yet, what a
history has this region! Over our worn
pathway through the rocks Christ had
passed; it was the desert where he was
tempted; where john the Baptist speu; his
solitary hours; whero Elijah was fed BY
the ravens during the famine in Palestine,
On gaining the top Of the mountain range,
the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, and the
long and regular Mosbitc mountains be-
yona, with Ncbo aud Pisgah easily dis,in-
guishable, came suddenly into Wow !
had seen all this from the top Of OIivet.
but for once the nearncss gave enchaut-
nent 10 the view. ani could hardly wait
for my horsc Il fini bis way down the
sides Of ihs abyss at whose bottom the
brook Ghcriih still murmurs It's way Jor-
! danwarl.
I Our gnasi of two sollicrs, who bal
joined us near Bethany, acted as il nrprc-
hrnsiye of danger, and kep, sharp look
out. have since seen that these two
fellows were great cown,ds, and have no
/ question vhatevcr that they would have
take illri; II tie first appearance Of noun
/ ia Bai9l.us. Last year an American
family were robbed near thia Place. aul
/ The guard malc fight rs fl.t as their AraL
horses coull carry them.
oa reaching the tase of the morr,aius
! ai,. .af ,ins iho Cbefth, we came % a few
aoaa j., Ill there is len Of id Jericho
H. desolate appearance of ,ho hronl piain
stretching ta tha Jordan. only relieved Is
tl.eae +afilelral mfuai,. .eonlmoni i. suai-
fieHt ~ the prophecy - rdr.ci lie the
i MN hef5fe the Lord tllat fise;h up and
anils.h The city If Jericho" Jus, be-
siie the ehcfith, | stopped my horse TO
pluck f,w u tn heai Sen apflcs They
/ lraf % fiee#s Ii the h4ud under only
slisAl rrs,suF: and arc about tho size of
] 4 large waltsa and nf yellow color They
!laf yerg much like the spall yellow to.
/ INIT that W have in imeriea The tree
was some twelve feet high, aud tie fruit.
] u a distance lnakei as If it nigh, be de-
liEihns Dnr cncamrmeGt. that night,
was .eli chosen fur il WIS just hy thr
fountain whose waters Elisha healed with
nit We drank plnuliiully If il mud bet
ter water have not TASTED in Palestine
We fell asleep that night within sonnl of
i the cheerful stream Is which i, enp,ies
/ into the lprlan. Right back Of rs rose.
! Ike vas, pyramid, onarantanin the
mountain which is thought to have hren
j thu scene Of fhrisi's temptation. Milton.
/ il his blind eyes were opened. and he had
been enzng on il cnnli nj hnve more
faitl.tllly described its appearance than
/ when ha sad:
| III 81 ui1Untaii., nj whose ycriaut feet
/ \ slH inas fll at.tsirft htl in circuit Nilf,
/ i.t p3rasaaf frafH hi. zi5le to tisegs aanta.
/ The enc wintl.as tie o;hei strt lit, nnl left be-
tween
t httf Aallsffisa tf1,t les fiseft iaiereeae4l
i l'llea aeci5nt iaiee3 tiiet ribate 10 The ,ed;
/ tesli,e ef aafn tie ela14e, af al aita vine,
With herd he pasture. ilifongeiI with locks
tile hills
Huge eii,s and hi.h-ioHsrel, that well might
sefn
] Tie scars Of ulehkesi asnarths. anl 50 larzr
Tho afosiett WIS, tiHi' tcr,. md there WIS room
] I5af ilftea aitsefi. fountain loss mi rt,
I f. 9tfIs b .sli iHaafiaiH, t#a. ibe temntsF
llHessi5 cur SAVIOUR, and HgM tain Of worls
Aessh
Il required saiHe two hours Gar Us 10
! fiie hfisklv from Jericho over tie site OF
anci,nt tiilgal 10 tho jordan Aud what
narrow stream it is We eaMe almost
to i, before We could see the water 50 hid.
/ den Is il by willow. recis nn1 balsam. We
secured boat aud crossed II. and walked
some distance down is clnycy eastern
hanl well nigh losing our boot. in our
Efforts n reach thn waters edge We lin.
cered long by tie margin. As il bound by
/ spell which none ni us could well break.
and too fargctful Of the warning not 10 20
| far from the boat. because Of lurking Be-
/ aouins The water is Of light yellow
cnlar, about that Of mountain stream
swollen hy heavy rains. The cnrren, is
very rapid, and to have tried to swim
across it would have hcen fatal to the best
swimmer in our little company We re-
crossed il. mounted our horses ngain, and
after filling our bottles with watcr from
the river. rctraeed our steps, following
the path close to the bank through tho
luxurant growth Of reeds and rushes. and
were glad after crossing the plain to cast
ourselves down with the lazy lizards. nm.
der the broken arches Of an old forsaken
church. not knowing which was tho more
welcome, our good lunch or the pleasant
nap afterward.
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