Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-25
MONKS AND coEvsNFs IL THE holy
LAND.

There IL one lesson the ignoyant East c2n
teach the cultivated West, and that Is the
relative duty OF host sad guest; the debt
which is due a class Of men who devote
that portion of their lives not given to
their religious duties TO the care of stUan-
gers. "Cnarity covers a multitude OF
sins. - and hospitality entertains many
shabby customers. The converts receive,
unfortunately. people of all'creeds and
rsces-that is, Europeans and Christians-
without asking any questions, or requiring
attendance on religious services. Iney
give you food and lodging, both plain End
good, and your stay Is not limited 20 any
fixed time within reason. Ne mention Is
ever made of money. and ne who ia mean
enough may 60 away unguestioned, with
ous offering any remuneration. No brother
owns anything. nor has money; therefore,
whatever is given goes toward delraying
the general expenses. Custom has fixed
certain per diem, towhich the astute drsgo.
man usually adds a liberal percentage Tor
himself, swearing the sum was fixed by
the fathers, which it never is. Listening
70 the stories of these dragomans, who are
liars Of the first magnitude, and for many
reasons enemies TO The monks, travellers re-
peat their ISLANDERS az circumstances which
passed under their own observation
While you stay at your convent inn, you
have YeHr own bed with clean linen, and
your meals at stated hours at the public
table. The wine OF the country is given
you, and very fair vim ordinsire II is and
the wine of Cyprus or Of Sicily, neither Of
which ere BAD to tske. on are not Tor
! hidden bringing IN your WINE or any other
private supplies you please. Ia i-ct, per-
fact liberty OF action Is accorded to the
guest within their walls By the good irate,
or Brothers, whether Greek, L7tlu or
Chistian, and If You can speak French,
italian or Spanish, theY viii SIT with you
II the moonlight on the fat roof Of the
convent, and gossip cheerfuily with you OF
their old homes and native lands Many
an evening has the pilgrim thus passed with
companions as refined, intelligent and
agreeable as could be found in the selecs
c0terieB of PARIS. Vienna or New YORK
and raTe indeed was it 80 remark the faint
est expression Of discomfort from men
fitted to shine in courts, but buried alive in
the Holy Land.
the l,fe Of an Eastern monk IS not one
Of torpid inaction and idleness. nor of sen
-
of much excitement and constant hardship,
and nothing bur confidence in the future
revards It will insure could support its en-
durance By men who could easily earn
better living elsewhere at far less cost Of
bodily exerton. Not to mention the con-
slant peril from the wild Bedouins, and the
fsnaticai Mosle,a pilgrims, who deem it 9
sure passport to Paradise TO slay an inhdel,
the deadly summer climate, aud the isola-
ton in which their dreary hives are passed,
in perpetual prayer and pensnce, they have
other trials, perhaps greater, in recalling
previous passages In their lives, when IN
and Of d" the world. That these men are
not the drones they are popularity supposed,
too lazy to work, too proud 70 beg, and
adopting the " easy life Of 8 couesnt l''
sketch O, the adventurous career Of the
Latin Patriarch, Mousignore Yalerga, Will
prove. His early youth was passed in X urd-
iesaR as missionary, and he was twice cap.
tive among those savage TCvers over the
deserts Of Asia, the marks Of Whose
lances he still bears on his body,
and one of their bullets unextracted in
his neck He has mastered all the
Eastern languages, and studies diligently
still the old Arabic histories anterior to
Mohsmmed and TO Islam, which blend
curious details with the old Seriptural mar
ratives. lie, since his promotion to the
patriarohate, which givea great political,
as well as religious influence, has esta5-
lshed large seminaries and schools for
males aud females Of the Latin rite, in
which education is gratuitouzly given, and
also charitable sisterhoo2 Les Scars
de st. Joseph for taking care of and !
nursing the sick aud poor az Eh9ir own
houses lie is specimen Of these |
=" drones some writers speak OF and sneer /
az, and only an extra sample and Of him
an intelligent Euglishwoman, Miss Beau. /
tort, says During our stay in Jeruss- /
lem ne allowed us to pay him many visits, /
and we always found him kind and /
friendly. His conversation was invariably I
that Of man enlightened and without /
bigotry, and Ear more ready TO encourage /
discussion on the authenticity OF the holy I
places than many OF the Protest. ats who /
nave set up some Pope for themselves, and /
impose bis dictum on every one else as IN /
coutesiible facts, because he iE a Protes- /
tant. - Eiwin dc Leon.