The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-05-12
He was over fifiy years old, ]. bad been

He was over fifty years old, had been
in all parts of the world, spoke
English quite fluently and cared for
us with all the kindness and solicitude
of father. He was Syrian and
Roman Catholic, although SO en-
tirely free from superstition and re-
ligions Journalism that we told him
one day that he was more of Prot
estant than a Catholic and he
answered that perhaps he was. He
didn't know that it made any great
difference so long as he was chris
tian. And a christian he certainly
was. | shall always remember with
gratitude and admiration the calm
gravity of his manner, his unruffled
temper, in all the annoyances and
hardships of that long journey-his
faithfulness beyond the letter Of the
contract, his keen judgment and
sober wit and substantial character,
and if Nejem Ahu Khatir is fair
specimen of his race, there is more
to hope for in the future of the
Syrian people than Of any other race
in the whole Orient, who seem to
|
have no solid basis of honesty and
truthfulness in their natures, no quick
and sensitive discernment of right and
wrong, no Anglo-Saxon love of the
fair thing, no natural-born adherence
of lie.
Our road led southwark along the
shore of the Mediterranean, through
the coast of Tyre and Sidon. We
rode all day between high bluffs of
black, barren rocks and the waves of
the sea, tumbling and foaming at our
horses feet. We passed the tomb of
Jonah and selected the identical rock
jutting out into the water, upon which
he was so unceremoniously land ed
without gang-plank or baggage. 1t
was the most convenient place we
could find where the whale might ap-
proach the shore, discharge his cargo
and back water out into the open sea
without being stranded, while Jonah
clinging hold by the Shiny sea-weeds
might have pulled himself along over
the slippery surface of the rock, un-
til he gained footing on the beach
and started home, the possessor of a
rare nautical experience, but not dis.
posed to brag of it. He was buried
according to tradition on that very
shore, and large mausoleum of mud
with its white washed dome still
marks the spot. This however is only
one of his burial places. His sum-
mer resort. He has another in the
interior at Nazareth where he
spends most of his time. And
now we came in sight of what
was once the magnificent metropolis
OF Sidon. 1t was a beautiful sight,
rising up out of the bosom of the
water, a pyramid OF white houses,
pinnacled with towers glistening with
sunset glory floating city in sea OF
blue, breaking about it in ripples of
flashing gold. The moon was chang
ing places with the sun, impercept-
IDLY and with almost undiminished
lustre as we approached the city gate
and rode through the principal street
to the convent Of the Franciscans.
We lifted the great iron knocker and
let it fall heavily against the iron gate.
1t was sound such as only the door
of convent full of the living dead Of
| this world can give forth,-hollow,
dismal, sepulchral, awful, as if a
graveyard were uncovered and the
buried dead knocking on the lids of
their collins to get out. had never
been inside of convent, but l had
read of horrible things and imagined
still more horrible that might be done
within them, and no cry or sound
ever come to the world outside, and
when that knocker fell and startled
the dead echoes, remembered and
believed them all. Presently the
gates were swung back by an invisi-
bic hand and we rode into the court
yard. There was only dull glimmer
| IF liuhf here and there in the cellc NJ