, 1885-05-29
LIFE ii
d Letter wriiar booth = P~iigrlms-
Mourper-Nah aud wrfe-A Prophet.

The Letter Wriiar Booth - P~iigrlmA-
Moufns--aIah aud WIfs-A Prophet.
car L@pEton lMe) JournAil
The public letter writer is an institu-
ton o damascus as of Jerusalem and
Cairo. lie is handed down from q great
antiquity and is n souvenir of public tx
torrance sal HG
There are rude booths such as the PEG
pic constructed I'm Jerusalem in ancient
Tines dur ny the pe%ntecostal. feasts. Tho
booths contain a knot of women Cos
siring and smoking the big water pipe
: cilc S OF licorice water, a fayorite bev-
crage OF Damascus, pass up and down
hanging their Ira en- saucers together to
attract attention and adding monoton
Gus, drawling cutlery TO the advertise
mrni. cmonade and rose water in
glass urns with leathern sprouts is
served 10 The thirsty for a penny q
glass.
We saw n ragtag-and- bobtail COM
pany Of pilgrims returning from . relig-
ious feast nj jerusalem. They are firing
Old guns, Leating tom-toms and drums
and making s hidcous noise. They have
been n week CT ten days afoot, and are
a weary and, cordially greeted by their
friends. These pilgrimagos are sub
starlially what they were in the time OF
Christ. and they straggle along in a
l. ost disorderly manner.
There Is not n newspaper in Damas-
Gus. Think OF city Of 200, 600 souls
without street lights or railways, or y
real postoiiice service. OF a skating rink
Probably there are not a half dozen car
ria .es in the whole city.
Tue Toys of Damascus, in little cotton
gowns and red feS arc brought up to
industry. Here is n mortising a piece
OF timber; another Is planning a board
for the construction Of n rude cradle.
Long strips Of mutton, with roses
stuck INTO 1t, signify n market largely
attended by flies,
The windows along the narrow streets
arc without glass. but are protected by
iron gratings
We pass the whitewashed tomb OF u
sheikh. A great, ungainly boy is cry
ing, lying PROSTATE by tile tomb. Other
mourners arc making a noise to order.
Lamps OF oil are dimly burning in the
little niche ordained to flags and divers
offerings OF love. Arabic inscriptions
give the dead sheikh divine honors.
Here are rude cafes with stone floors,
and groups Of ROBBED son Of the prophet,
smoking their lives away and gambling
Mt n game somewhat akin 10 dominoes
In the open air, at ] tile round tables.
Toys arc making baskets out of papy-
ras-as did their forefathers. No doubt
the mother of Moses made an ark for
her baby out of the same material.
which you. will remember was as plenty
on the river Nile in Noses day as Il
now Is by the waters OF Merom.
The tonsor'al artist of Damascus is an
amusing fellow. He plants his little
chair anywhere by the wayside and
SLAVES the top Of the patriarch's head
as bare as the shell of an ostrich's egg.
&c that Arab and his latest wife.
They are astride the same horse, but the
husband has the reins. The wife sits
aslride as does her liege lord, and per
haps there is a baby or two dashed to
her.
Sec that prophet in the green turban
jogging along On II iackass. He is
chewing String beans and water crosses
poorer and less inspiring rations than
John tho Baptists loeusts and wild
honey.
We stop at the Greek hotel, and tho
proprietor treats us to cigarettes and
rose water, a sickish sweet drink, which
compels one 10 wish no hadn't come, but
which the ciyilities of hospitality re-
euire we should compliment. ~