The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-05-19

into the large Greek church, embelllshed
and adorned with hanging lamps and
numerous pictures, and behold therein
many long haired patriarch, dressed in
tall black bombazine hats, and black
robes precisely as we saw them so often
in Russia. Just opposite this is the Holy
Sepulchre under a gorgeous cupola, con-
sisting of two rooms, lined with marble,
the ante-chamber and the inner recess
containing the hewn tomb and its mar
bic slab-now cracked about the middle
These are both worn glossy from the in
cessant kissing of thousands of pilgrims
from every land who, after wearisome
Journeys, fall down and worship it, think
ing perhaps, that at last their greatest
desire on earth had been accomplished
Over this tomb are hung numberless gild-
ed lamps, kept constantly burning; and
through apertures near by, the sacred fire
is handed out by the priests, to hundreds
who stand waiting outside with their
lamps on Easter morn. Disgraceful tu-
mults and fights sometimes occur that
day, between the varied. sects of Chris
tians, and must be quelled by the Turkish
soldiers kept there constantly on guard
OF course we entered all the various
chapels pertaining to this edifce in which
the Latins strive to perpetuate the
memory of His suferings: chapel of the
fagellation; chapel Of the prison; of the
vestments; of the mocking; of the cruel
fiXion of the elevation, and of the three
crosses; and the chapel where the rock
was rent in twain. The via Dolorosa"
the way leading from the Garden of
Gethsemane to this spot, is marked too
by various stations, indicating where
Christ fell under the weight of the cross,
and even the house of Veronica, who is
said to have offered Him her handker-
chief and received on it the impress of
His face. All these however are fcti-
tious, as the old Jerusalem lies buried
now 80 or 40 feet below its present pol
luted crust Far more pleasant was it
for us to leave this road and going out
side the ST. Stephen s gate, seat ourselves
on the green slopes of Mt. Moriah, and
gaze down upon more authentic spots -
the now dry bed e the Kidron, the Val
ley of Jehosaphat, in which are number
less tombs of the Jews who firmly be-
lieve the great Resurrection shall take
place here. Then the saddened eye was
directed to that garden Of the agony
and bloody sweat "a part Of which is
now enclosed, and flowers bloom luxu-
riantly amid the old knarled Olive trees
SO long preserved. Farther up the same
lacclivity, is the Mt. Of Olives, which we
have visited since and sat and unused upon
Jerusalem, and Bethpage, and Bethany,
lying not far below us on the other side.
How easily we can fancy that Christ loved
to get away from the hooking crowds
and retire to this quiet village, into the
loving home of Mary and Martha and
Lazarus. Their graves are shown to the
expectant tourist but with no anthenti-
city.
Once more within the walls and we en-
ter the Mosque of Omar, of the Moham-
medans, built on the supposed site of
Solomons Temple. Of all people that
these barbarous Turks should plant their
temple, (for it is as sacred to them as
Mecca just where the Ark of God rested
the Holy of Holies-and that mag
nifcent golden temple, built for the wor-
ship of the Most High Godll Cannot
you trace, dear girls, the dealings fProvi-
dence in all this and see how the pro-
phecies of the Bible are all being full
filled? [ was particularly struck with
this thought on goingto the wailing place
of the Jews, on Friday afternoon. Great
crowds of men, women and children were
assembled, wailing and uttering portions
of their liturgy touching portions of the
old wall of the temple that still remain,
and then kissing their hands and cry
ing, some of the women were weeping
most bitterly Have they not cause to
weep when their country is gone, their
sacred temple here destroyed and they
themselves the scorn and derision of the
whole earth | must not make my letter
too long, for every spot is replete with re-
miniscences of the Bible, such as the
tombs of Absalom,' ST. James, Zacharias,
David and Solomon, which we visited.
But must pass on and finish by relating
some little of our excursion to the Dead
Sea and the Jordan We started on
early in the morning-thirteen in our
party-and passing out through the Jaffa
gate, winding about the surrounding hills,
we came soon to the Pools of Solomon,
and lunched at the Latin Convent in
Bethlehem. Visited the church OF the
Nativity; had pointed out the place Of
the manger, and the cell of St. Jerome.
Riding all the afternoon, our tents were
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