The Irish standard., 1889-10-12

all their villages, towns and cities in
in Southern Paiestines on hills-cuI
tiyated. as of old, in beautiful terraces
round the sides from base to summit.
See town OF about $50 houses, all fat
rooted. built OF yelIowish-white lime
stone; some one, some two, and few
three s'ories high. The walls are thick
the WindoWs narrow and rather small
the floors and stairs are of stone there
is scarcely any wood in all the con-
struction. See narrow streets roughly
saved with stone. LOOK in vain for
sldewalks. Animals. goats. sheep. don
kies. camels and cows walk with and
jostle against men. women. children and
american and other visitors.
1t Is narrow and crowded street BY
which we enter. On either side see
men sitting closs-legged, like tailors.
on the stone floors of their workshops
in the upper stories OF which they live
What are they makingY You will very
soon find out, There they come at you
already. They know you, these sharp
Bethlehemites, for pilgrim. You
must buy a souvenir Of Bethlehem.
These people are engaged. chiefly, in
making bracelets, earrings, paper
knives, paper-weights. rosaries, beads,
crucifxes, cigar-holders, and numerous
other articles of that sort out OF olive
and Dead Sea wood. precious stones and
mother of-pearl. Look out for them;
they will ask you from twenty Eve to
fifty per cent. more than they will take
for their curios And vet these people
look SO much better than any we have
yet seen in the East among the natives.
These children are clean. Their faces
have certainly been washed at least
this week-We have seen so many to
whom water and soap seemed interest
strangers that this change gladdened
us amazingly. All, here is actually a
group of really handsome young ladies'
And these men and youths DO look
civilized, and have certainly ruddy
beauty all their own. These are bright
er. too, than any We have seen. Are
they Mohammedans?
No. This population Of 1000 are,
and have always been, at least nominal
Christians Christians as distinguished
from the majorities in all other cities
in this land How peculiarly they
dress. These pretty maidens wear a
light frame on their heads about half as
tall as your stove-p pipe hat, covered with
long white linen, or cotton, or silk if
they can afford, veil which falls over
the shoulders to the elbows, They
have EARRINGS, too, and over the front
of the head, showing some of the hair
below it, an d just under the veil, is a
diadem of silver or sllyeI-snilt, with a
band OF ornaments OF the same material
loosely fastened to it at both ends, sc
as to rest on the brow immediately
under the hair, leaving the forehead
only half visible. Their black hair
hangs on their shoulders in heavy plaits
| just beneath the veil, which always
leaves the face exposed. The garment
tnay Uear--for they have not a dozen
or more on, as you, gentle reader, are
accustomed to Wear--is a long blue Oh
striped gown, generally of cotton, loose
! " tied in at the waist, with open sleeves
| hanging down TO the knees; it's front
above the waist, always SET oil, more OF
less, with red, yellow or green patches
Of cloth embrOiC cred to the Wearer's
taste. Those who are better off, how
ever, are fond of wearing a bright red
snori-sleeved Jacket. reaching, iii som,
cases, TO the waist. in others to tht
knees. Two ladies-of our party borrow
ed a complete outfit, as described above
and were photographed in them. The
men dress very much as in all the East
a striped widr-sleeved dressing gown o1
bright colored cotton, thrown over ths
white or colored skirt, a Turkish fe,
upon the head, no stockings, sometimes
no shoes.
/ have no doubt that this town is jas
the same as it was more than three
thousand years ago--in construction
limits, streets and outlook.