The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1874-12-09

/ 60 the southeast corner or M0rlan' AL
along its base which rests upon the narrow
plateau above the slope of the KidrOn val
ley, lie the domed and strangely shaped tombs
of Mohamedan burial place. Walking
amongst these tombs | came upon two wo'
men sitting by fresh-made grave. One,
the elder, sat in silence with countenance un-
moved. The other was young and beautl-
ful woman, and she was mourning her dead,
possibly husband or child. l never before
realized the meaning of lamentation in the
Eastern sense, and the passionate grief Of
this bereaved woman held me fixed to the
spot. Her veil torn away revealed her sWOl-
len eyes and cheeks bathed in tears. In a
voice high-strung and shrill with pathos, she
began calling upon the dead one with the
most endearing epithets. The strain was
half song, half.sObs. Borne on by deep emo
ton, the chant broke into wall. She
wrung her hands and rocked her body back
sad forth. Her frought heart seemed to be
breaking before the wild storm of passion
sweeping through it. Higher and higher
rose her lamentations till voice failed her
and she sank together in exhausted hysteri-
cal sobs. A maniac laugh or low cry of
agony from the quivering form showed that
the tempest had only luIled to gather fresh
energy. Such piteOus cries from dumb
brute would have moved my pity; but how
could l endure to hear them when wrung
from fellow-ereature made in the image
of the same God, with heart as human,
soul immortal like my ownY Should | not
draw near and express at least the sympathy
of look, touch, gesture2 Would not
the recognition in her own breast of anOther's
pity assuage the pain and cool the hot fame
burning there? Alas! l knew dared not
approach her. The sight of Christian at
sueh an hour is, to follower of the great
Prophet, most repulsive; and my presence
would have provoked a gust of anger fercer
than her grief. When will the mighty God
reveal false prophets and deceiving anti
christs? When will the Holy Comforter
breathe into mems hearts the inspiration of
the Redeemers s natal hour peace on earth,
good will to men?' When will the Lord of
love come to establish His glad reign and
call together them that are HIS out of every
race, kindred and tongue?
With such thoughts l passed quickly be-
yOnd the two mourners and sat down on
ruined tombstone near the Golden Gate. My
meditations were disturbed by loud shout.
Looking up, found that couple of Arabs
we're standing on the top of the high wall
above me. One of them, prompted doubt
less by fanaucal hatred of all Christians,
began to curse me in broken English. Then
IN Arabic be blssphemed orr rellgion and al
who hold it, and called me Christian dog
and an unbehever. He made the most
obscene gestures and challenged me with his
fists clnched to resent it, which he could do
with perfect impunity from the top of high
inaccessible wall. Provoked by my continued
silence, the fellow saluted me finally with
voley of stones, and jumping to the parapet,
disappeared. This was an unusual express
sion, however, of the very prevalent hatred
cherished in the hearts of all Mussulmen to-
wards Christian races. Few, save those
whose cupidity or aVarice of selfish interest
gets the better of their faith, look, even at
this day, with friendly eye upon Europeans
in their midst Their is natural antsgon-
ism between their own and our faith which
eompels their aversion and fear of all who
call themselves Christians.
In the va doloroSa not far from this
HOspice is the most goddess man in the world.
After satisfying myself by observation, l
find that he works seven days out of the
week, resting neither on Friday, the Mo
hamedan Sabbath, nor on Saturday, the
Jewish, nor Sunday, the Christians. Here
in the city holy to these three great divisions
Of the religious world, with the choice of no
less than three Sabbaths every week, he OBJ
serves none. He is Jew by race, Ger
man by allegiance and worse than heather
in practice. There is a most scrupulous OBJ
seryanee of their respective Sabbaths amongst
the various creeds of Jerusalem. Owing to
the diversity of the reckoning of time in the
Latin, Greek and other churches, in Jerusa-
lem there are celebrated every year three
Christmases and four New Years. For Mo-
hamedaus, Americans, Greeks, Jews and
Latins reckoned together, there are two
feast, or saints-days per week. In outward
forms this is still the Holy City. The ma
tiyes work about three days out of the seven,
the beggars being the only class, as has been
limited, who follow up their vocation steadily.
"The poor ye have always with you.
HANS GRAF.
Jerusalem, Nag, 1874.
Mr.. GLADSTONE, by his pamphlet on the