Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-05-08
If'Ift. .tt ,t.tl
SUADATlh DAMASCUS.
From the Now York Observer.

Bcrlptural way, come up tnrouBn
the desert on camels, some 60 by
the wsyof the Great Sea, while
others journey from Jerusalem, on
horseback, but sooner CT later all
meet in Damascus. So we found
ourselves part of a crowd gathered
from all lands and peoples when
we reached the Pearl of the East
as one OF her own poets calls the
city.
They tell us there is no much
travelling this year, OH account OF
the cholera that prevailed so lately,
and the war disturbances; but as
the cholera is a thing of the past,
and the Mahdi way up in the Sou.
dan, we came and have had no
reason to regretit. am glad to
have had no more companions, as
there is only one hotel, and that
was filed TO overaowing. ~ 49,
Tenting is pleasant nough, lido
not agree with DR.. Thomson that it
is the life Of all others F; but even
the most enthusiastic of ursparty
were not unwilling to exchange the
canvas for the cool tiukle of the
fountain fed by the Abana River
and the odor of 1.-THE orange trees in
the courtyard oflthe Hotel BIN;
itri. Well might Naaman think
the Abana and the Pharpar bet;
ter than all the waters of Israel,
But do not propose to write q
description of Damascus, which so
many able pens have done BEFORE
bpt. only to give you a piece of our
Sunday there .f --a0f-s ,,s-s 4
The mission field is principally
occupied by the U. p. church, of
the q, s., and the'lrish Presbyte;
rians conformity, This is the pre-
dominating influence, though of
course, there is an English chapel.
The Chuich of England sets US a
COED example in mission work !;
there is not a town or village in
any part of the world that we have
been, where the English service is
not heard-sometimes it is feeble,
like the uncertain sounddof the
trumpet, but stlllit isther9t The
Scotch have kirks'in 1.-THE larger
cities, hut except at Cairo, this Is
the first American chapel we, have
seens We had brought lettersifrom
DR.. Dales, of Philadelphia, 70 DIR.
Crawford, the veteran missionary
who passed, through the terrible
massacre ofi1S60, and only escap.,
by being providentially out oflthe
city during the worst oft. Here
ceived us with open arms, and
came for one of our party to preach
on the morrow Tho question. of
who was easily settled, as there
was only one black coat in the
party, aud DIR. K. was the posses
sOr of that,ssf8. ..dlu
It was a novel church going.
There were thirty-hve Of us, and
with aguide at the head, We made
a formidable procession through,
the narrow lanes where the daily,
occupations werepursued with, it
seemed tonne, moro than usually
industry. Our route lay through
the horse market, the silvOrsmith'
bazaar tho ,joiners' section, where
lovely inlaid furniture is made, and
the silk stallsg till l really believe
by the time we reached the church
half Of ps had forgotten what day
it was and where we were going.
My heart was filled with graft, /,
tude and thanksgiving for having,
been brought safely through the
perils of the way, and | tried to,
keep my thoughts in unison, but it
was as impossible to help looking
at the gay keffiyeks spread out be-
fore US, or the beautiful gold and
silver, ornaments that were being 4
manufactured. before our eyes, as
tokeep from breathing. l remind;
ed myself Of the Sheikh who was to
receive from st. Chrysostom the
horse upon which he was riding if
he could succeed in repeating the
Lords prayer without letting his
thoughts wander. The man ac-
knowledged himself beaten, because
at the fourth petition he could not
help wonderingr'if the saddle
would go with the horse. of-'i
We had first an Arauic sermon
from Dr., O., then one on Thou
leddest thy people like flock,
which came home TO us all. But
what we wanted to hear was not
our own niinisters, but some ac-
count OF the work that was being
done in this patriarchalcity Of the
world-so we proposed, q union
service in the evening" D o 'f"a i
The long parlor Of the hotel was
Z
we'll filled with representatives
from all parts of the world-fron
o professor in tho University Of
California to the Bedoum Mission.
airy, who had spent his life in the,|
midst,of the degradation he was
trying to tighten. When l looked
at the rugged, weather.beaten old
man, and remembered the mud
huts in the horrible Bedouin vii
lagos through which we had pas.
sed, and which would scarcely snf-'
Ace for pig.sties at home, | thought
here was one of the noble army Of