The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-07
JoPPA AND ITS NEIoHsoRHooD

JOPPA AND ITS NEIGHsORHooD.
Joppa is very busy place and offers in
its one or two streets of shops-for there
are very few in the billy part of the
town, constantly changing picture of
Eastern life. These shops as have said
are simply arches, open by day, but clos
ed at night, and standing in the sweetest
independence of all ideas of regularity
Of position. At some parts the sides of
the street are comparatively near each
other, but at one place they bend so
far back as to leave wide space for an
open air market. Everywhere, however,
it is the same under-foot. By night you
need lantern, or at least pilot bearing
one before you to guide you clear of the
holes, pools, rivulets of sewerage, mounds
OF rubbish, blocks of stone, and varying
uncleanness. Like all other Eastern towns,
it is hardly lighted at all, the very few oil
lamps hung up at distant intervals by pri-
vate individuals before their houses serv
ing no really useful purpose. The window
OF an Eastern house, as rule, look into
the court at the back SO that none are
seen from the street, except when there Is
second story. But even in this case
little light is gained, rs such windows
are small and dsrkened by lattices. This
open woodwork is, indeed, feature in
all Oriental towns. 1t was through such
lattice that the anxious mother of Sis
era looked when her fondly. OK pected son
had been defeated by Deborah and muir
dered by Jael, and through just such a
easement did the thoughtful watcher look
out in Solomon's time, to note the doings
in the street below.
Little use, however, is made after dark
of such latticed chambers, except for
sleeping, and thus the streets are not
frightened by any light from them,
while to add to the terrors of the outer
darkness, the town dogs which own no
master, prowl around noisy and fierce; a
hateful yellow race, with long heads, al
most like those of hounds. Through the
day, in the words Of the prophet which
wildly describe them, "they are all
dumb, they do not bark; dreaming, lying
down, loving to slumber;" but after SUM-
set they are sstir, swarming through the
streets and disturbing the night by their
bowling and uproar as they roam about
to eat up the foul offal and waste OF the
households, which in all Eastern towns is
thrown into the public roadway; these
canine scavengers thus saving the COM
munity from the untold horrors of dis
ease. 1t was in reference to this that our
Lord spoke when he said, "Give not that
which is holy "(clesn in the Jewish sense)
'to the dogs" One needs good stick
to defend himself if he be abroad after
dark. "Dogs have comprised me-" says
the Psalmist: "Deliver my darling from
the power OF the dogp cat evening""
says another psalm, 'let them return, let
them make a noise like dog, and go
round about the city. They shall wander
up and down for meat" Sometimes in
deed, the dogs raise dreadful barking
il stranger IN unusual dress approach
the village or appear in the streets, so
that it was a pleasant assurance which
Moses gave the Israelitee, that when they
set out from Egypt mot a dog should
move his tongue against man or BEAST"
and Judith Gained the fears of Holofernes
by telling him she would lead him so
safely that he would run no risk of dis
covery through these pests.
But dogs are not the only dangers of
the streets. Amy person found in them
after nine o'clock without a light is in
danger of being arrested by a town
Waterman, on whom one comes with q
sudden start, the sound of feet making
him stir in the darkness, where, perhaps
he has been asleep on the ground. This
law was doubtless in force at the time
when poor Sulamith, the bride in the
Canticles, Fastening after her beloved in
the night was seized by the wstchman
rudely beaten and robbed of her mantle.
The bazaar street of Jopps, is, as 1
have said, comparatively broad even in
the narrowest parts but it is very differ
ent in the "cletts" that do duty for streets
in some other parts of the town. In these
the small windows above almost touch
each other, and it is difficult matter to
pass any laden ass or camel plodding on
below.
But let us wander on through the
chief business street. At the mouth of
one small srched shop a number of gold
finches in cages are hung up for sale, as
others, no doubt, have been over tie
land, for thousands of years back, for the
maidens in Jobs time toyed with birds