The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-05-12
MONKS IN THE DESERT.
whrrr No wournn May Bntrr.-A Chapt
sunk IN solid Rock.

Whrrr No wournn May Enter.-A Chapr:
sunk In solid Rock.
The San francisco Chronicle says: A
letter Of introduction is necessary to
secure admission to Mar Saba. The
Greek patriarch Of Jerusalem provides
it. You ring ut the great cato Of the
convent on the top OF the cliff; some one
looks ont OF high tower and takes an
observa ion; you give word OF friendly
greeting and wave your letter in tho air,
At this stage keys arc dropped down into
mn inn court. An attendant takes
them, opens the outer gntc few inches,
examines the passport, and then, looking
to sec that We are not likely to be
women in disguise, We Nre admitted.
Another gate still shuts us out from tho
convent. Our Bedawee is not permitted
to come even thus far, for the place hns
several times been the sccrc Of hideous
Slaughter. At last we are given welcome
by monk, who is to pilot us over the
iacc OF the cliff, and show us how like
tho birds they all live ut Mar Saba.
Down stairs fifty Of them--into stone
court with chapel; up stnirs into mn
other chapel, sunk into tho solid rock,
all ablaze with golden lamps and sweet
with incense, for the bones Of GOO mar
tyrs lie under the payement-part Of
them you see through grating when tho
monk thr1lsts flaming taper in among
them. They were all hermits, and lived
with the swallows until tho Persian
horles fell upon them and cast their
bodies to the iackals in the abysC below.
Bridges leap from chamber to chamber;
tunnels dNrt through the cliffs, and i'll
the walls nre windows looking out upon
the most desolate spot in the world; and
doors that open into cells Just big enough
to creep into, md there curl up into q
holy heap.
Mar Saba, or St. Saba, was born in the
fifth century. He renounced tho world,
the flesh, and the devil Mt the age of
eight. It might have been harder duty
little later in life. At eighteen st.
Saba, who Ind been ten years iii n mon
astery, finding the monastic life too gay
and frivolous, plunged hcadlong into the
hOwling wilderness, and joined st.
Euthylnius aud his Laura in the Kidron
gorge. This amazing hive OF monks
grew out of the enthusiasm of the young
saint, who before his death had achieved
fame and was surrounded by host Of
anchoritcs, who cmulated their spiritual
leader i'll his severely simple life. One
day Us st. Sal,R was returning to his cell
in the cliff, he found a lion sleeping
within. Lious we're not rare in those
good old times. Saba said to him: "Be
good enough TO come out OF that" but
tic lion replied that ho "had MS good n
right to it rs any onc," and SO he lay
where he was. Then Saba seized him
md threw him out Of the way; but tho
lion returned. and matters were growing
unpleasant, when the saint said: "WeI,
let us share it together" and they slept
in the same cave, and had their portraits
painted for the M mastery which was to
grow out of the rock, aud grew to be
thirteen centuries old before l was to
have the pleasure Of seeing it and hear
ing this veritnhle inlC from the lips Of
monk as I sAt i'll the cave Of Saba aud
the lion.
There is n solitary palm tree reigning
Overcome of the small garden terraces. and
this palm is said to have been planted by
st. Saba himself. The monk said so
and then lie took me up stairs and down
stairs, through trap doors into subter-
rnnean passages full of surprises and
queer smells; lie gave me "rakee," the
strong drink Of the East, and pipelon
one Of the terraces, and brought rOsarics
and carved cruciixes scented with fra
grant gums. He sold as much rs he
could, and then begged little more, but
he had well earned all thNt he got from
our caravan, for the Peris who were shut ,.
ont of this Greek Eden with its one lonely
palm discouraged the spirit of generosity
which the marvellous place had
awakened.
How marvellous it is! Even in sun
shine it is tangle Of shadows that hang
in long tringes from the corlice Of the
cliff. In twilight it is swallowed up in
purple flood through which the stars fall
like dew-thOse showers OF restless stars
that dart through the heavens above tho
orient. When the moon is full o vision
OF Mar Saba is like relief in pale tinted
marble, chiseled by the hands Of gods.