Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1880-01-28
The Well Of the Leaf, Jerusalem.

The story says that in the days Of
Omar, one of the faithful pilgrims came
to this we'll to draw water. His bucket
fell to the bottom, and he went down to
get it. To his great surprise . door
opened before him, and he found himself
in beautiful fragrant gardens, in which
he walked for some time with great
Before leaving this delight
full place he plucked q Leaf from one Of
the many trees, stuck it behind his ear,
and 30 sscended to the upper earth with
ont difficulty; but there Is no record of
whether he brought his bucket up or not.
OF course the story spread, till at last it
reached the ears Of Omar, but only as
an impudent invention, for no door
could be found by any investigating
travellers. Omar, however, treated the
rumor with respect, and said there was .
prophecy that one of the faithful
should enter Paradise alive. Everything
depended on whether the leaf retained
its verdure, and 20 could maintain It's
claim to have grown ON tree Of
Paradise. This test was triumphantly
passed, for the leaf was green - ever,
and 10 the story has lived to this day,
and 70 1t is always told on the brink of
the "Well of the Leaf" The Moham.
medans seem fond of tests. II the true
believer can pass between two columns,
outside the Mosque El Aksa. standing
very close together, he leaves all his sins
behind him. Now the thinnest of our
party could only Just manage to squeeze
through, and fat Mussulmen must
assuredly End it very difficult. A still
more difficult test is at another place, Z
little beyond the same mosque, where
Solomon's throne once stood. Here
hangs-visible only to the eyes Of the
faithful-(and even they must wait for
death to unseal their vision n)-the bridge,
thin as a hair, and sharp Il q sword, Sc.
tween earth and Paradise. Beneath It
yawns the abyss of Gehenna and the
faithless will miss their footing and
tumble headlong into its depths,
while the true believer cross
e. the bridge easily and swiftly.
Passing still along the wall, we came to
the garden gate. Within are most beau
tiful carvings, and some fine pillars,
said to have been brought from Gaxa, by
the Queen of 6heba, a. . present to
Solomon. 1t was quite the afternoon
before we reached the Church Of the
Holy Sepulchre, which occupies the
site Of the church built BY Constantine
over our Lords tomb. just inside the
door il . slab on which It IL supposed
the body Of Christ was laid in order to
be annointed, and it is worn quite into
holes BY the kisses Of devout pilgrima
It ID quite touching 70 sse the faith these
poor creatures place in every possible
and impossible site. Many Of the peas.
ants Of the south Of Russia ave up their
money for half lifetime, in order to
make this journey, which they perform
in the most economical way pessible.
They travel ~ deck passengers on hoard
ship, in al weather., and walk when
they are on land. When, at last, Jeru-
salem ID reached, thoy take hp their
abode in the Russian hospice, and there
the wretched priests never let them 20
till they have stripped them Of their
uttermost farthing, % that they literally
have to beg their way back, and oftsn
starve on the roadside. e.-(M Mr.. Bxassey IN
Fraser's Magazine.