The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-12-22

Atu uOW, UolOTe yOu 10,
just cram her stocking with goodies
From the top clean down to the toe
CHRISTMAS READING.
The Holy Places as They arc To-Day, De
scribed by Hon. $. S. Cox-Suntlay In Je
rusalem-The Tomb of David-The Cruel
nxion and the Sepulchre.
JERUSALEM, Oct. 10, 1881 X
We should gladly have gone to church to.
day, but it is our only day to see the Mosque
of Omar and the site of the Temple
10 omit these is to omit Jerusalem from the
programme of Judea.
On our way We stop at the Armenian
Convent. It is near the Jaffee gate, and
the street to it, though like all the rest ir
narrowness, is exceptionally clean. In fact,
the Armenians of Jerusalem, though few in
number, are rich in purse and in charities
The Armenian church is called "St. James,
and us representative of EST. James III
the Old Seventh Ward, with its 5000 par
ishioners, felt bound, after seeing MS
mausoleum in the valley Of kiGron, to look
upon the place of his mar:yrdom, and the
methods of worship under the auspices Of
that most moderate, just and wise disciple
We dismount in front of the church
Over the walls opposite and in the large
tamarisk and pine trees give their cool
shade; birds, rare aces her fly and twit-
ter; while the bells from the Russian quar-
ter outside tho walls call to prayer upon this
sweet Sabbath morning While waiting
for the custodian, We examine the plants
which cling to the old walls and the Arabic
arches Of the large edifce; but cannot ad-
mire the poor daubs of pictures at the door
and in the vestibule. Some American
Characters, likely the Lords Prayer, are
written over the archway-a common usage
in the east Standing under the porch arc
solid boards of wood and pieces of metal
which, when struck. answer for bells. The
stones of the pave are worn glossy by time
and pilgrims. This convent and church was
founded 300 years ago by Georgians. The
Turks talked it nearly to death, and the rich
Armenian Christians bong t it in 800 years
ago. Next to that of the Holy Sepnlchre
this is the largest church in the city. The
Armenian school is here. and we hear the
buzz of the scholars reciting their Sunday
lessons as we await tue appearance Of the
warden with the church key. He does
not come, and we are dis
see the rich vestments on the extrayagant
pictures which the church contains, for
these are said 10 be tawdry and highly COL
oreA as to be barbaric, for it must be recol-
lected that Armenians are Asiatics But
we did want to bear home to friends a
mental photograph Of the chair of St.
James, which is here preserved. We con-
tent ourselves with going into the convent
sud through its corridors. Within its
valued and capacious rooms there is an ex-
tensive printing establishment. It is un-
der the control of the Armenian patriarch
who lives on the premises. We were al
lowed to 20 upon the fiji, aud stony roof on
the convent. From it We look down on
the barracks and castle to the north, and
over the exquisite gardens Of the convent
on the south, and to the east-for we are
in the very midst of Mount Zion proper
we look to the other mounts. which made
Jerusalem 80 celeb ated, but whose eleva-
tons are not so apparent, owing to the
masses Of building. On one especially
crowned with the dome of the sepulchre
we look, for it is proudly eminent above
all. Upon these roofs, under which 5000
pilgrims can be accommodated, are
many conveniences. We see al
Arab servant drawing water from {
we'll on the roof; he is filing hi
goat skins. We look at him curiously, a;
he is using small skin Tunnel to till his
quaint sack Would you believe it? H.
asks for "buckshith for looking at the op
GRAFTON! Attend to that at sunset" say:
the guide. He responds in Arabic Morn
ing is better" This wasa reflection on m,
pet name, which resented by withholding
my plasters. Grapevines grow about OF
the roofs and out of the very walls in thu
courts below jessar1ine festoons the angles
We are reluctant to leave so exceptional
street and quarter. Its neatness is fascl
mating.
As We pass into the streets out of Zion.
gate. at the southwest corner Of the walls
we meet company of Circassians. The,
are Turkish soldiers, and in the peculiar
uniform which we SOW in Russia, with thei
shining metallic cartridges on their breasts
A numbering crew. says the guide, as w
Those familiar with these ways of Jerusa.
lem, in and out of the walls, will anticipate
why We leave by the Zion gate. Upon al
eminence on the extreme south end of thu
city is David's tomb. It overlooks thu
lower parts of the city and is as we'll au.
thenticated as most of the main objects Of
the city. There has been much logomoch,
and demonstration as to this and other spot!
for the royal tombs, but it is goneully
thought that David's tomb was on Zion
and abovea the valley of Hinnim. Certain
it is that when Peter spoke as to David he
said that his sepulchre was with us unto
this day" Certain, also, it is that Solo.
mon when he buried David, placed treas.
ures in the tomb, great temptation for it,
liflng, and it is equally certain that others
besides Herod were guilty of the sacrilege
All these tombs Of royalty were hewn GU,
Of the solid rock, and eliminating all the
legends, We come to the solid facts thai
among the groups of tombs in these valleys
and hills none are SO imposing as those al.
legged to belong to the kings, David aad
Solomon. None have been or are now
guarded so seriously. Only one person
not a Moslem has seen them. This was
Miss Barclay, daughter of the author OF
the City of the Great King" who, for the
services of her father, aphysician, in curing
pasha. was allowed to go down and see
them. The account of what she saw, lis il
not written, says our guide, ION the 212tl
page Of her fathers book"
We are not allowed to go into the tombs,
but only into the temple over them. We
look through grille, and see old, moth
eaten, ana ragged mantles, req and blue,
covering something. They are made like
the tombs of the sultans and calipas. A
large coffin is placed over the tombs, which
are in the rock or earth below. This QUITE,
covering is all we see, and for it We paw
quite a sum, which leads to fight between
the sheik's son and her attendant. This
fight for the spoils about the abode of the
royal dead lacking in decency as we'll as in
pluck. No blows are given-only choke,
pull of the hair. collection of saliva
and a spiteful spit at the enemy, some
clawing out, and only one billigerant at q
time, This is the general Arabic way OF
settling controversies too complicated fo1
heir jadber.
Once year the Catholics are allowed tc
worship ae On % this to- tsnpe why2 Not
upper room, as is alleged, of the Lords
Simmer II ia the tomb that Pafer ia an.