, 1888-04-12
ESTER IN MODERN NAZARETH.
= tao People Enjoy tI:e Dny-Wornen
at the M.lI.

= tho People Enjoy tg:e Dny-Wornen
at the WclI.
Is the Greek Easter, and many are in
from the surrounding country, while
=. .aZarcneS, every one seems to he out
doors. All day long the shady olive
-,yc between the monastery and the
-.JIrch has resounded 10 the cries Of chill
.-rlG running hither and thijfcr, or swing
ius. 10 and fro under the sTaJ ing branches.
I..o entire orchard meadow is one kaleid-
scope of color, for these Greeks have
al eye to that, and are evidently trying to
a.-:do in glory the peoples and daisies at
..,r feet. In comfortable looking groups
fathers and mothcrs and all sorts of
--iatives, chatting and singing and thor
Hghly enjoying the glad Easter. Not the
slightest indecorum, if you please, but
..vgryhody's manners in harmony with
Best bib and tucker-;.nd that means Il
great deal where bib5 are in the rarest Of
colorings and fuckers in the quaintest of
contrasts. All are having heartily good
..nd Joyous time, as befits those who had
been 10 mass. BY aud by come rich robed
priests iii procession, chanting and bear
ing as rich banners; the event Of the day
TO the crowd was it, great the interest;
and then afterwards the buzz of lively
conversation again. How cheerful and
natural it all seemed.
If one cannot have historical and sacred
remains lie can find several good foreign
schools. orphauages, hospitals, and other
eudeavors of the missionaries, surely more
expressive of the Christ child and his
youth than any amount of shrine worship.
And of that child with his virgin mother,
the one spring which in any age has re
freshed the NaZarenes, speaks in no un-
!Oquent rippling voice, for nowadays the
sight GbOut the basin with its stone gable
cannot be very different from that seen
here III those days of old The women in
their gayIy embroidered jackets, in the pc
| cUliar a;lUrningS of strings Of coins falling
over the forehead, and representing, ] sup
pose, their entire do~ry, the women arc
crCWding about, wafer jar on head. await
ing patiently or imPatcutiy their taIn,
and passing if possible the jarS over the
heads of their intervening sisters To tie
friends at court, namely ut the fountain,
! precisely as q man at the tail end of Il line
viii beg friend near the Office TO buy his
railway or theater ticket for him. What
| i medley of costumes. What medley
Of tongues! Even if some pnor souls must
needs bide their time, evidently no
moment is lost, judging from the rapid
and by no means low voiced conVerSa.
ton; and from the laughter it is likely
that = joke, more or less modest. is not
wanting. The women here are not so
strict about yelling their faces. the catch
ing one end of their long head Grapery III
Tie mouth being considered quite suf1i-
cent upon the approach OF one Of the
/ l-locds of creation, and thcy- do it coquet-
tishly enough, too. Coming to the spring
I bearing on their heads the empty water
jars, tilted 10 one side. or returning bear
ing them filed and upright, they are al
ways statucSque and beautiful creatures
10 look upon, beyond their sisters of any
Palestine town, unless Bethlehem be
instanCed, and the joining of these two
places in this regard brings often to mind
that wife of Joseph, who must have many
time visited this well 10 draw water
| Here comes now such a Madonna face,
and. 10, by the hand Is held a chubby
little child who looks at us with his great
searching eyes as the Christ might have
done.
If q multitude of absurd traditions dis
gust, one such sight as this, and in such a
place. will atone for any irritation, for the
Bible becomes thereafter no book to be
read at arms length, but n living, human
story, as it is a divine one.-Palestine
Cor. Cleveland Leader.