The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-12-02
The Lake OF Galiles,

| 1t ID sometimes said that the Lake OF
Galilee Is very like Windermere. think
| that the comparison must have originated
with some traveller who holds the opinion
OF friend Of mine, that all lakes are alike.
10 any one who has discovered the differ.
ences between one lake and another-differ
ences at least as great as those between one
mountain and another, and almost as great
as those between one book, or one man and
another--the comparison could never have
occurred. Of course, If any one thinks
that Loeb Lomond is at all like Derwent-
water, or Grasmere like Wastwater, he
may also think that the Lake Of Galilee is
like Windermere. know Wipdermere
pretty we'll. 1have seen 1t every month of
the year except one, and hardly know in
which month 1t is most beautiful have
seen 1t In most Of its moods as well as In
most OF Its tenses-ln storm and in sun
shine; with snow on the surrounding
hills; with the fresh bright green June on
the meadews; with the splendid heights
ABOUT tue head Of the lake covered with
the rich browns and the gold and the amber
OF November, as with the robe of king I;
l have seen 1t lying pale and white in the
llght OF the early morning, and looking
angry ana suilen under gathering clouds
dermere than Monmouth Is like Macedon.
Both of the lakes are long sheets of fresh
water lying among hills, but there the like
ness ends. The form of the Lake of Cali.
lee Is familiar. Its eastern shore is border.
ed by long line Of steep hills, having a
level ridge. My first impression was that.
with the exception of a thin covering of
grass which was too thin and too patchy to
cover the rocks, these hills were bare; but
on looking more carefully could see q few
bushes Of trees. The sides are broken
with occasional ravines. and down these
ravines | noticed strips Of more vivid green,
indicating the presence of mountain
On the northeast the hills are not so
steep; they slope up to high plains cover
ed with forests OF oak; and beyond these
is range of loftier mountains Far away
IN the north, Hermon rises grandly with its
perpetual SHOWS. The hills on the western
side are much less steep than those on the
eastern side. They arc covered with grass
10 their very submits, which rise about
!,aoo feet, or perhaps more, above the
lake. The water Is SAID to be full of fish.
nut there are only two rickety boats to bo
seen. They were 80 old and battered that
they looked as If they might have been the
very boats which Peter left on the shore
when he gave up fishing at the call of his
haster. The Lake seemed to me to have
more OF the awe Of Christ's presence about
IL than almost any of the sacred sites that
we haye seen. The very desolati on deep
ened the solemnity, and left the mind more
completely alone with Him. l remember
one curious illustration of the power which
It's sacred memories had over me. Nv
revolver had been loaded some days, per-
haps some weeks before, aud one or two of
the chambers still had cartridges in them.
wanted 70 discharge them, and I could
have Tired over the lake without the chance
Oh hurting anybody; but when / took the
pistol Ill my hand felt that to make
rude noise on those shores and among those
nils would be as great an act of irrever-
ence as TO make rude noise in church.
In the time OF our Lord the shores of the
lake now so lonely, were densely populat-
ed. II was in the cities, towns and villages
Which then surrounded these inland waters.
that most of Lis mighty works were done.
The only city which, SO far as tho Gospels
inform us, our Lord never entered, still
STANDS. Ilb8rlaS was founded by Herod
Antipas when our Lord was still u youth in
Nazareth, and there are many remains Of
its ancient nlagnifcence. But it walls and
towers are mlserably dilapldated and the
site which they enclose Is much larger than
the present population can cover. The
mean little town-it contains about two
thousand Observation-Disclosures like shrivel-
LED kernel lying in a broken shell. The
only brightness and relief come from tho
trees which rise here and there among tho
houses.