The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-05-29
MONKS IN THE DESERT.
Where No Woman May Enter-A Chapel Sunk
in Solid Reck.

in Solid k0ck.
A letter of introduction is necessary
to secure admission to the Mar Saba.
The Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem pro-
yides it. You ring at The great gate OF
the convent on the top of the clif; some
one looks out OF high tower and takes
an observations; you give WORD of
friendly greeting, ana wave your letter
in the air. At this stage keys are
dropped down into an inner court. An
attendant takes them, opens the outer
gate few inches, examines the pass
port, and then looking TO see that we are
not likely to be women in disguise, we
are adm tied. Anotner gate still shuts
us out from The convent. Our BedaWee
ia not permitted to come even thus far,
for the place has several times been the
scene OF hideous slaughter.
At last we ale given welcome by a
monk, who is to pilot us over the face of
the cliff and show US how like the birds
thev all live at Mar Saba. Down stairs
fifty OF them-luto a stone court with
chapel; up stairs into another chapel,
sunk into the solid rock, all ablaz4 with
golden lamps and sweet with incense,
| Tor the bones OF SIX hundred martyrs lie
under the pavement-part OF them you
see through grating when the monk
| thrusts flaming taper i'll among them.
| rhey were all hermits and lived with
The swallows until the Persian hordes
| fell upon them and cast their bodies 10
the iackals iu The abyss below. Bridges
leap from chamber TO onamDer;
tunnels dart through the cliffs, anu
| in the walls are windows looking out
upon the most uesolate spQt in the
world; and doors tAat open into cells
lust Uig enough to creep into, and there
curl up into holy heaP.
Mar Saba, or st. Saba, was born in the
fifth cen curry. He reuounced tne world,
the flesh and Satan at the age Of eight.
1t might have been harder duty LITTLE
later IN lie. At eighteen 81. Saba, who
had been ten years i'll monastery, find
ing the monas Tic life too gay and iriyO.
lous, plunged headlong into the h0wlIng
wilderness, and joined st. Euthymus
anu his Laura III the hidron gorge. Thls
amazing AiVe oil monks grew OUT oil the
enthusiasm OF the young saint, who be-
tore his death had achieved lame, ant
was surrounded by a host Of auchurlLes
who emulated their spiritual Leader ii
nis severely simple lie. One day as st
Saba was returning to his cell IN tht
cliff, he found lion sleeping within.
| Lions were not rare in those good ole
tunes. Saba said to HIM, "Be eoot
enough to come out OF that" but Lht
lion replied that he had as good a righ
TO it as ANYONE, and SO he lay where ht
was. Then Saba seIzed him ana threw
MIN ou. of the way; but the lion re
turned, and matters were growing un
pleasant, when Lhe SAINT SAID, "Well
let US share 1t together" aud they slept
in the same cave, and had their pOr
traits painted tor the monastery whicl
was 10 grow out OF the rock, and grew
TO be thirteen centuries old before l wa
to have the pleasure OF seeing it ant
thearing this veritable tale from the lip
of monk as l sat in the cave of Sab
and the lion.
J., There is solitary palm tree reignin
: over one OF the small garden terraces
and this palm is said TO have beel
planted by st. Saba himself. The mon
=, said SO; and then he took me up stair
and down stairs, through trapdoors int
subterranean passages full OF surprise
and queer smells; he gave me "rakee.
the o rong drink OF the East, and a pip
on one OF the terraces, and broug
T rosaries and carved crucIixes scente
, with fragrant gum. He sold as much a
he could, and then begged little more
but he had well.earned all that he 20
from our caravan, for the Poris, wh
/ were shut out OF this Greek Eden, wit
, it's one lonely palm discouraged th
spirit of g. nerosity which the marvel
Gus place had awakened.
How marvellous it is! Even in sur
SHINE it is a tangle ofsh ldows that han
! in long fringes from the cornice OF tn
, Cliff. In twilight IL is swallowed up /
purple fl cd through which the star
isll ike dew-those showers Of restles
stars that dart thr ugh the heaven
ABOVE the orient. hen the moon ls tu
! vision Of Mar Saba is like relief
pal, tinted ma. .ble chs e.ed by IL
hands ol gods.