Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-06
VARIOUS RIVAL SECTS.

VARIOUS RIVAL sEcTS.
SIN the church the Latin Franciscans al
| ternate with the Greek monks in the perfor-
nance of masses, and sometimes simultaneous
masses are performed by priests standing
| within few feet Of each other The lamps
| with which the shrines are decorated have
| been apportioned to the different bodies
Latin, Greek, Armenian and Coptic-so that
| they may not come INTO conflict in lighting
| the place. The greatest and most unpleasant
| excitement is reached at the time of the
! descending of the holy fire, which is believed
by the more ignorant to descend from heaven,
and to be received by q, priest 1t always
| arrives at certain hour of certain day
and its arrival is waited for by a crowd
which surrounds the place, waiting for many
hours. When received, every one present
seeks to light his candle in the flame; and
runners Immediately set forth to every part
| of the land, seeking to obtain the prizes which
are offered to those who first arrive at the
outlying villages.
|. 1.-THE bells on the Church of the Holy Sepul-
cher and on the Mount OF Olives are rung by
the rival sects, apparently only for the pur-
pose of expressing their unkind feelings.
7 never sound in harmony; they never
ring a chime, although they are fitted to do
So but they continually raise in the ears of
the contemptuous Mohammedan their IN
pleasant sounds.
There is in Jerusalem at the present time
q remarkable American colony, which it was
my privilege carefully to examine. About
twenty persons arrived in Jerusalem in the
year 1881, having gone mostly from the city
of Chicago, where some of their number had
been active Christian workers under Moody
and where they had been led to think thas
they could do more good by going to the Holy
Land. On their way out they received some
accessions from England. Among their num-
Der is Mr.. II. J. SpaFord, once a leading Chi
cago lawyer; another, Capt. Sylvester, was
formerly of the English army; another was
clergyman of the Church of England, who
visited the Holy Land in company with the
late Gen. Gordon, and who decided to remain
with these people; another is a venerable
lady, the widow of q colonel Of the United
States regular army. All are most deeply
interested in their work, and share and have
common purse, and now have become
known far and wide through the region, be-
cause they make no profession of faith, but
simply acknowledge their allegiance to Christ
and express by constant deeds their desire to
lOse iHtlE UclSHDOES as lUefDSciEeS<
JEWS FROM ARABIA-
"When they first arrived in Palestine an in
teresting migration of Jews had just taken
place from Arabia. About 800 Jews, called
Temanites, and believed by themselves to Be
the remnant of the tribe of Cab, had moved
from the desert in which the tribe had long
had its home, and had come 10 the Holy Land.
They are small in stature, delicate in fea-
lures. wholly free from the money changing
disposition, grateful for every kindness, an3
eminently childhke in their characters. They
were lying. when the Americans arrived, in
the fields outside Of the city with no one TO
care for them The Americans Immediately
began to prepare daily rations Of soup for
them, to tend the sick and In every way to
watch over them according to their ability.
At the present time the Temanites have eS-
tablished themselves in a prosperous colony
south of the village Of Siloam, and in their
synagogue every week they have prayer in
which Horatio Spafford and his friends are
mentioned, and the divine blessing is invoked
upon them for their many good deeds.
The house of these Americans is daily
visited by persons coming from ell parts of
the land. to inquire into this wonderful phe-
nomenoI- The Bedouins of the desert lean
their tall spears against the wall, and are
cordially welcomed, and occupy room in
The house Us long as they desire TO remain;
and the Americans, going fearleSsly across
the Jordan, have returned these visits and
been received with the utmost kindness. and
have had an influence over the lives OF the
Bedouins. They deal especially with the
Adwsn tribe, long known TO be the
6ercest class east Of the Jordan The fella-
hin, or peasant class OF the country, find al
ways here a cordial welcome No evening
passes without seeing Its company OF poor
and rich, of peasants and Turkish etfendis
gathered IN the salon, 70 listen 70 the hymns
which the Americans swestly sing; and
every one, on leaving the room, expresses his
gratitude for what be has come to regard a.
the greatest comfort Of his life. In this way
Moha1inedans and all classes in Jerusalem
are reached for good. and lesson is taught
in regard 70 The spirit in which Christian
missions should oe carried oa--Bostoo Ad
se-tLse- Ittee,lew.
A woEnan's Translation.
Helen Squirrel. OF London, has made a
translation OF the Bible which Is highly Z
praised by scholars, and IL said to be far
more enjoyable 80 the English reader than
the revised verysonT Of the committee This
lady, we are told, seems to have drunk lie Tia
dramatic spirit Of the Hebrew more FRO
fcundly than the male transistcrs. while her i
al ~ ba ps=Iy.c