Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1881-12-22
posed to refer in his Grafton related in the
Second Acts

playing cards. There is quite throrg at
this gate. We are stopped, and have time
to note that it is tricked out in places with
gaudy paint. Its pillars are dobbed red
and green. One donkey boy gets into q
melee with crowd of laggard donkeys and
horses and their drivers. He let his stick
have full play on other people. "What
does the young Arab say?" I inquire of the
guide 1T is an expression here. Why
don't you go on like people!" Sure enough,
my young turban. why not?
Then we go to the door were Peter
knocked, when the little maiden, Rhoda.
came, and, running back, announced to the
friends his enlargement from prison. The
Syrian Christians keep it. 1t has curious
green gates and crosses. We go through
the jewish quarter. into the old Syrian
church, with its sounding boards and bells
also, and pass down David's street. l am
attracted by a sign. Photographs by Mic
odemus." What an anchorism! What gaps
of centuries between Nicodemus and this
new art, never dreamed Of by Hebrew or
Greek. 1t being Sunday, we meet many
Germans coming from the Lutheran church;
fer let it be known that there are some Pro-
testants in Jerusalem. The cherry, cherry
faces and bright blue eyes of this race are
in radiant contrast with the sallow and
bronze feature one meets here at every step.
How well dressed they are-men, women,
and children! They are of the German
colony. The German consul, who lives at
our hotel, tells me that there are over l 800
Germans In Judea. They worship
here in the old site of the TEN
pie of the Knights of st. John.
The grounds and ruins are ada
cent on the south to the Church of the
Sepulchre. They were made a present to
Prussia in 1869 by the sultan. The old
church is being eXcavated, as for fifty feet
the rubbish covered its arches and walls.
There has been much work done, but one
third only of the excavations are completed.
The walls are already dressed ia vines.
Going up amid the antique eloisters of the
famous knights, we see upon what heaps"
Jerusalem, as now known, reposes. We
lock into hole fifty feet deep. Down in
Jerusalem In the crusader days! Enough
stone has been taken out and piled lip to
build the new church which is being erect
ed. Some of the old arches are elegant IN
shape, and keyed with skill that deies de-
struction. In the courts up the stairs
whittier we are guided by a tall Nubian in
white burnous-there is much taste in the
growth and arrangement Of flowers, for the
sun shines in upon the cool balconies. We
enter the vau1ted chapel, once occupied by
the knights. It Las its lace covered otter,
Embroidered cbancel, polished wooden
pews, Maltese crosses, baptismGl font,
and plain pulpit, recalling the
anomaly of 1Iutheranism, in the
grand old Catholic cathedrals of Scandina-
via We look fort blackboards for chap
ter and verse and number O. the psalm for
Sunday. This is not there, but the Bible,
hymn, and prayer book are. We open the
last. "Herr, here meme worte," is the first
line of the hymn we see. Were we Teuton-
ic now--but this is no place for singing
psalms, for, as I listen, the murmur Of loud
voices pierces the wall from the noisy street.
It is not Sunday Cor the Arab. We hear
him in the baZaars below measuring grain
and counting its prices. There is not q
corner" in grain even here, judging by the
Sunday racket. Excuse these details as TO
this extraordinary Illustration Of the vicisBi-
tudes Of time. Here is this fair haired
face, whom We met at Castle Garden to Hol-
land, and from. Hamburg TO Hammerfast,
under Providence, resuming peacefully the
old cloisters Of the crusader. Preparation
is already made for their religious devotion,
and Prussian hospital is provided for
all who used its care. Even a descendent
Of the Sultan clears the way by a Notable
gift for the Teutonic immigration into the
heart of Jerusalem!
We had already made one hurried visit
to the Church Of the Holy Sepulchre. As
this is the Sabbath day, We keep it holy by
renewing our visit. Here are seen Col
gotha. Calvary, the tomb, and other IN
mistakable memorials of the Savior. Each
spot, however, apocryphal, is Of moment
Hundreds upon hundreds Of years, good
men, kings and scholars, soldiers and
priests, have regarded them as authentic
From the street we descend by q flight Of
steps into paved court. Here are columns
in rows, and chapels abound Greek, Lat
in and Armenian. This Is the entrance
Romanosque facade is upon the north
side of the court, with sculptured illustra.
| tons Of our Savior's life. We enter the
| south transept, which looks like vestibule
| Here is tho Stone of Unction. 1t is 8
large, red and yellowish slabe Of marble en-.
closed in railing. directly fronting tbs
entrance. It is adorned with suspended
lamps. This is the spot where the body Of
Jesus was anointed. We pass into the di.
visions of the church, and enter under the
dome of the sepulchre itself. The dome is
blue and spangled with golden stars. Owe.
the tomb is canopy of reddish marble
It seems Old and worn. The pavement il
glossy and slippery. On either side of thu
canopy are two large round holes, fused
for the holy fire miracle by the Greeks VIII,
have its monopoly. The Catholics dis
countenance it and very properly.
Every volume on Jerusalem has its chap
tiers descriptive of this edifce. It ha
played great part in history from the tim,
of Constantine. whose mother, Helana, ia
augurated the investigations for its verifi
cation and that of Its sacred rocks. Wheth
er Golgotha, Calvary and the tomb' shoult
be here located or not, has been o them,
for quarto on folio of controversy. What
ever max be the merits of the question
this spot has had, since the early centuries
the favorable verdict. All now seem to &C
auiesce IN the decision. Our cousul, Col
Wilson, has made an exhaustive study o
the question, and has confirmed the gener
al sentiment, which is the opinion of Drs
Robinson and Prince. Let us not quarre
as t. the precise spots for the crucitixion
the rent rock, and the amounting of tht
body; the apparition to Mary after the res
direction: the seat of st. Helena, and the
place of finding the cross under the super
lntendence; the SPOT Whers lie was cfoWne!
with thorns: tue rock of Golgotha. o
the tombs of the crusading kings of Jerusa.
lem. Whatever may be theil
topography or history, it is known
that He WIS cruciied near by, aud
here he was entombed. Let others, VIII,
are critical and cynical, dispute to thei
hearts, or heads content. 1t is enough
that the powers and learning of the eartl
have fixed upon this as the hottest spot o
places. Here, too, they have fought, ant
are ready to fight again, for its vindicatiol
as the holy of holies!
/ To avert these contests, Of which tn,
Crusades are sample thousand year
ago, and the Crimean war the more recen
one, and that Christs dcciples of every rit,
should dwell and worship in some unit.
under this dome. there has been mucl
diplomacy; and to continue it much tao
ard some show of Moslem force.
We are allowed to go up and down tn
various stairways in the rotunda, notwith
standing the diverse quarters of various
cresds. Above are the Armenians, looking
down upon the canopy; in a secluded spo
the Copts have their chapel. The Syrian